Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Mikoto used all her shinobi stealth as she exited her son’s room. Without making a sound, she closed the door, and only then did she let out a careful sigh. At last, her dear firstborn Itachi was asleep.

It has been a long six months since the boy saw the light of day. He grew not by the day but by the hour. Already he started babbling sounds and actually sounded like he was making sense. She was a proud mother.

A proud mother that now scrubbed the dishes, wondering how did it come to this. She, a high-ranking shinobi, stuck at home while her comrades fought a war.

Clan obligations and duty, that’s how. She was not a regular shinobi anymore. No, she was a matriarch to one of the most powerful clans in the land. Uchiha. And she said the name proudly. Yet she sighed now, wishing to stand in battle again.

“Darling,” a whisper in the night ghosted over her shoulder. She smiled, feeling her cheeks color.

“Fugaku,” the woman whispered, turning around from the sink to look at her beloved husband. There was still some blood on the man’s cheek, sweat, and dirt on his armor. Ah, he looked extremely attractive. Or maybe it was the weeks of staying apart speaking.

He leaned to kiss her gently. Mikoto responded by weaving her still wet hands around his neck, not at all disturbed by the blood and whatnot. Quickly the flames between the two ignited as if they were never apart.

Stumbling yet making no sound whatsoever, the pair found their way to the kitchen table. They couldn’t make it to the bedroom.

“Honey, maybe we shouldn’t?” Fugaku rasped between the kisses.

“Hmm?” what in the world was he talking about. Her forehead scrunched.

“Well… it hasn’t been that long since Itachi… are you sure it’s okay?”

The stupid man worried about her! And that is why she loved him till the last drop of the ocean. The woman chuckled.

“Oh please, Fugaku, my love, it’s fiiiiine. What’s the worst that could happen?”

He smirked in response. Indeed, it has been way too long since their last union. Pregnancy did things to the body, no woman enjoyed. But their passion was too strong. Plus, the healers in Konoha cleared Mikoto a week ago. So decisively, she tugged on his pants.

“Wicked Eye Fugaku, if you do not take me now, I swear to Madara, I will burn the village down!” she didn’t have to ask twice. Soon enough her legs were parted and she felt him right where he belonged. Inside of her.

When people look at Uchiha, they think of words such as ‘proud’, ‘stoic’, ‘rule abiding’. No one would think of them as people who could so casually fuck on their own kitchen table. Those people were idiots.

Uchiha clan head could, would, and did just that. Their passion shined brighter than the will of fire.

“We won the war,” the man grunted victorious as he took his wife.

“Ohhh Fugaku!” she gasped feeling the ferocity behind his thrusts. This was a blessed day. Not only did Konoha prevail, but Mikoto finally got laid again.

It was five weeks later when Fugaku and Mikoto suddenly awoke in full alert. There was something wrong. Both of them sensed a presence. A beating heart that just suddenly disturbed the night.

Fugaku stood with a kunai and his sharingan blazing as he looked around the darkness of their bedroom. Mikoto was on her feet as well… with a battle axe…

They looked at each other both confused as they could not spot the intruder. Mikoto being the better sensor of the two carefully extended her chakra.

“Oh…” she gasped as the axe fell down from her hands. The woman’s eyes were wide as she took in the sensation.

“Mikoto! What’s the matter??!” in a blink he was by his wife’s side.

“Fugaku.. I..”

“What is it??” he demanded.

“I.. am pregnant…” her hand instinctively hovered over her flat belly. There she felt the faintest of hearts beating. This is what awoke them in the night. A new life that blossomed within her.

Fugaku dropped to his knees and hugged her with an ear placed on her belly. He could feel it now too. Strong heart. Strong chakra. His child.

As much as Fugaku and Mikoto wanted to wait before announcing the good news to the clan, shinobi among their peers already sensed it. You really couldn’t hide anything from shinobi. There were fond smiles directed at the two as they walked around.

Some complimented the clan head with clear admiration and pride of their leaders… capabilities. Producing an heir was the utmost important task for the Clan Head of the Uchiha. And Fugaku was delivering.

The man hid the blush well, behind his stone face. Yet his heart boomed with pride and ego. Yes, he was ‘da man’. Mikoto blushed for the both of them.

“Maaaan, Mikoto-chan, you’re soooooo lucky!!!” Kushina boomed as the two met in the marketplace two months in her pregnancy.

“Kushina! Please! I wanted to tell you myself!” Uchiha pouted as her hands rested on the small bump on her belly. Kushina, all of 15 years of age, the spicy redhead was already her close friend.

“Please yourself! I’m a sensor, ya know! And that chakra inside you is fierce!” Uzumaki announced leaning in as if she could look right through the flesh. Mikoto herself was over 18 years old, but she has seen war enough to make her mentally older.

“Aww, thanks?” the woman blushed harder as if to match Kushina’s hair.

“Soooo? Do you know who it is yet?”

“Not yet.”

“Ah, I bet it is a girl! Fierce like a dragon!” as to further her point, the young Uzumaki let out a rawr that yes, could very well be a sound that a dragon made.

“Shhh! People are looking, Kushina-chan!” Mikoto tried to calm her friend with no luck.

Itachi was now one year old and a few months, when Mikoto was rushed to the hospital. Her husband paced relentlessly in the hallway cradling his son.

It was too quiet. He recalled how the first time he heard his son’s cry over the walls and rooms. The shinobi paranoia in him was simmering. Fugaku wanted to be there, but medics refused. After long years of practice, they all have learned that it is best to have as few people as possible when a shinobi is giving birth.

With all the chakra and lack of control breaking of walls and jutsu crashing on people was a common occurrence. And on top of that, they were Uchiha. Meaning that sharingan could very well go untamed if the mother is provoked.

So he waited until a doctor finally emerged.

“Congratulations, Uchiha-sama!” he said with a smile. Instantly, the man felt relief flood over him all while Itachi curiously watched the exchange between the adults. “You can now come in.”

Not waiting for a second longer, the clan head entered the room with his wife and child. His sharingan was already activated, just like Mikoto’s. He stopped by her bed and looked over the little bundle in her lap.

“It’s a girl, dear,” Mikoto smiled at him. Both of their eyes drank the sight of their little angel. And the baby looked right at them. Piercing dark eyes were open and as if studying the two. The girl wasn’t crying. She was incredibly calm.

“Is she… frowning?” Fugaku mused. Itachi in his hold was getting restless.

“I think so,” Mikoto chuckled with admiration. “The doctor said that he has never seen such a calm newborn before.”

“She’s a true Uchiha,” Fugaku nodded and now leaned closer so that little Itachi could take a better look at his new sister.

“Itachi, baby, this is your new sister. You’re a big brother now,” Mikoto cooed.

Itachi reached with his chubby hand and… oh... The little girl reached back at him. Their tiny hands touched. Fugaku knew then, that his children would always protect each other. The Uchiha bond was as strong as ever. He felt blessed.

“How do we call her?” the man asked.

“Ryoko?”

“Ryoko?... Like a dragon woman?” he mused.

“Mmm, her chakra feels strong and fierce. She needs a fierce name to go with it,” Mikoto smiled remembering what Kushina had said to her.

“Ryoko Uchiha it is,” he gave a nod of approval.

Over her short life, she felt lots of a different kind of pain. Stabbing. Being shot at. Hell, she was even choked that one time. Yet nothing could compare to that first inhale of air.

She wanted to be back in that warm bubble of water again, but her time was up. Muscles all around her spasmed and pushed her towards the light. This is it, she thought, finally she will be dead.

As it turns out, it was far from death. Her eyes opened to the brilliant white of the room she was in. She wanted to say ‘what the fuck’ but the only thing that came out of her mouth was a gargle of incoherent sounds.

“It’s a girl!” she heard a masculine voice announce.

You bet your ass I am! she puffed out her cheeks earning some awws and ohhs from nurses around her. But the worst part was being passed around like a sack of potatoes.

She wanted to walk. To run. To get away from wherever the hell she ended up. But as it turned out - she was now a very small and fragile little being.

A permanent frown settled on her face. She was not pleased. The logic in her brain could not explain how one minute, she was laughing, taunting her prey, then got shot, and then appeared in some woman's belly.

It was all the fault of that detective… he found her out… elbow deep in some man's guts. And he didn’t believe her when she claimed that it was art.

Fine. Yes, she may or may not have been a psychopath serial killer, but hey, everyone has their own hobbies? Hers is just more bloody than most…

“Is she… frowning?” some man spoke above her. She didn’t particularly dislike his tone, but she kept her suspicions about his intentions. It probably would not go well for her if she admitted being far older than a baby they assumed her to be.

The woman holding her smelled nice. In a way, she was thankful to her, for giving her life. Again. I guess, that’s my mother now? she thought staring up at bright red eyes. The woman was pretty and her gaze was hypnotic. She definitely has not seen those kinds of eyes ever before.

“Itachi, baby, this is your new sister. You’re a big brother now,” the woman chirped.

She, being a newborn, could not really turn or lift her head much, but the adults still presented her to this Itachi person. Ah, it was a child. Dark eyes just like the man’s who was holding him. Dark hair just like the woman’s… her mother… his mother?

I… have a brother?... the woman in the baby's body mused trying her best to reach for the little boy. She wanted to check if he was real. Their tiny hands touched. Shit. He was real. So everything around them was also real.

Before all this, she was a single child. With a single parent. A very damaged and hurt man. He taught her everything she knew. From Chopin to the best way of snapping one’s neck. From Italian cuisine to the best way of dismembering a body. He was an artist and she wanted to make him proud with the art of her own.

She couldn’t stop thinking, what was this new family of hers like? They looked happy. Normal. Except for the weird eyes that somehow turned to black. Will they ask her to kill people too? She could do that… she was good at that…

“Ryoko Uchiha it is.”

Ryoko cocked her head to the side evaluating the new name. It was acceptable. Actually, she couldn’t really remember the name she had before. Maybe because the last bullet splattered her brains out on the wall…

Either way, this was her life now. This was her mother, her father, and her brother. Ryoko was determined to make them proud by any means necessary. Her eyes fluttered close as she felt tiredness wash over her body. It was time to rest.

Chapter Text

Mikoto was only slightly concerned. She felt completely fine after the birth itself. Recovery for the second time went smoothly, while her baby looked healthy. Her husband worked hard, of course, but he always made time for his family. Even Itachi, as if fully understanding the meaning of the new addition to the family, stopped causing so much noise. He was a true angel.

What did concern her was Ryoko’s behavior. The girl slept an abnormal amount of time. She didn’t cry. Just slept. Fugaku joked, that maybe Mikoto got too friendly with Nara while he was away. Naturally, he slept on the sofa for the next few days.

But the issue remained. It sure did not look normal.

“Fugaku, maybe… something is wrong with her?”

“What do you mean, Miko?” the man raised his eyes from a pile of papers he was working on. Clan business was never-ending.

“Ryoko. She just… sleeps so much. I am worried,” maybe she couldn’t explain it well, but her motherly intuition was ringing bells. It was not normal for kids to be so… so… lethargic.

“Listen, I am sure that everything is completely fine with her. Ryoko is our daughter and Uchiha. She is perfect, trust me. But, we can go to the doctor together and check to be safe,” he suggested skillfully like a politician avoiding any confrontation and calming his wife.

“Alright,” she sighed in surrender.

The next day they did as planned. Itachi was left back at home with a nanny, while Fugaku and Mikoto entered the hospital with a sleeping Ryoko in their arms.

“Please take a seat, Uchiha-sama,” the doctor motioned to two chairs in front of his desk. “What seems to be the problem?” he asked respectfully, but still with a medics demanding tone.

“Ryoko. She just sleeps too much,” Mikoto said brushing the tiny strand of hair that was crowning her baby's head by now. It has been around six months now.

“How much is ‘too much’?”

“Well, sometimes she can sleep all day if I don’t wake her for food. Sometimes she sleeps a minimum of twelve hours. I just… Itachi wasn’t like this,” Mikoto shared her thoughts in hopes that maybe it was just her imagination…

“Hm, that is unusual,” the doctor hummed, not at all easing the worry for the concerned parents.

“Are you saying there is something wrong with her?” Fugaku snapped.

“Eeemmm, let me just take a look,” the doctor ignored the question as he stepped closer to the mother with her baby. His hands glowed green as he did the usual diagnostics. At some point, Ryoko opened her eyes and now watched with great interest the doctor in front of her.

“Huh,” the medic mused, finally pulling away.

“Well?” Fugaku was losing his patience.

“Uchiha-sama, there is nothing specifically wrong with little Ryoko…”

“But?”

“But, well, her brain activity… It is just extraordinary! Her development is crazily advanced for her age. And that is the cause for her tiredness - her body is trying to compensate for the increased brain activity.”

“What does that mean?” Mikoto asked as she pressed Ryoko closer to her chest.

“Please, don’t be concerned, Lady Uchiha. This is a good sign. Let her sleep and watch her development. I would advise encouraging it too. Maybe read some books to her? That is what we often suggest to Nara kids. They sometimes show a similar spur of brain development.”

“So, she is growing up faster?” Fugaku asked, trying to piece this new information together.

“No, not really. It is just that her brain is working… better, faster than most. It is clear that she is alert and can comprehend her surroundings. She will be one clever girl, I can tell you that,” the doctor smiled as he leaned in closer to the frowning Ryoko. “Hm, could you come back in a month? I would like to do an IQ test to check on her development.”

“Hn,” Fugaku gave a curt nod before leaving. He felt a bitter-sweet taste from this news. On one hand, he was delighted to have a confirmation about what he already knew - their daughter was special in the best possible ways. On the other hand, it was getting dangerously close to the despised term - prodigy. He did not wish the life of a prodigy on his daughter.

Ryoko was learning a lot about her new home. The house and food they ate looked a lot like a traditional Japanese kind. For once, she thanked her former father for introducing the culture to her. Vaguely she recalled that her father's uncle's wife was Japanese. From her he learned the language and how to wield a katana. The knowledge then was passed down to her.

Unfortunately, as far as the language went, Ryoko could only read and understand some of it. She never bothered to learn how to write foreign symbols. But it was a start. This allowed her to listen in on her new parent's conversations.

There were many unfamiliar words they used. Like ‘chakra’ or ‘sannin’. But she understood the general idea of the time she ended up in - there was a war going on and her parents were shinobi. Warriors. Looks like history liked to repeat itself…

“Honey, do you want me to read you a book?” Mikoto, her mother figure, picked the tiny baby up from the crib. Ryoko swore, that she will never allow anyone to handle her like this again. Like some useless sack of flour.

For now, she had to act the part and gave a nod with a blank face. As blank as a toddler could be at this point. Mikoto was not even shocked anymore, that Ryoko understood her question. After that visit to the doctor, her parents started to regard her more like an actual person and not just a stupid baby.

“Ryoko, honey, you have to always remember where you come from. You are an Uchiha. Today I will read you a book about one of our greatest leaders. Lord Madara Uchiha,” Mikoto spoke as the two settled on the sofa. Ryoko was held carefully in her arms, while Itachi, the already walking bastard, got to his mother's side by himself.

The kids, even being as small as they were, were completely consumed by the story of a powerful man, by some called as the savior of this world.

“He was the eldest brother, just like you, Itachi,” Mikoto smiled at him as she showed a drawing of the Uchiha family. It was old. There were five children and two parents.

“He was considered as a genius for his tactics during the war,” she continued to talk about the various fights that were documented. Ryoko stopped listening at that point.

This was just too weird for her.

Her ancestor, Madara Uchiha, led an army? Was good at tactics? That is great and all, but this is exactly what her former father said about their ancestors! He said that her great great great great great great grandfather led armies against Rome and was even referred to as the ‘Father of Strategy’. Coincidence? Maybe.

Or maybe it was destiny.

Somehow, Ryoko felt closer to this new family of hers. The similarities were uncanny, but not unwelcome. They were proof of her being in the right place.

This Madara also sounded like a great guy, she thought, looking at his drawing in the book. He looked tall and strong. She would never forget the confident stance he had. It looked like not even a storm could budge him from the place he stood.

With great concentration, the girl tried to cross her baby arms in the same manner as Madara did on his chest. No luck.

“Oh, baby, are you tired already?” Mikoto smiled kindly at her wriggling form. She yawned in response. Before her mother stood up, Ryoko already closed her eyes and allowed sleep to take over. All the time cursing her weak body to filth.

The days go by quickly when you’re asleep most of the time. Ryoko couldn’t tell how much time passed since her death and birth, but she felt herself growing. Slowly, but steady. Her waking hours were filled with Mikoto showering her with attention. Food that tasted weird, but acceptable. Her stone face father, that would melt if she secretly sent a smile his way instead of her usual frown.

Then there was Itachi. Her big brother and the most adorable being she ever met. When they played together, he was mindful of her. Very gentle and calm. Patient, when she couldn’t reach something or grasp it.

Ryoko loved her brother. The feeling felt natural like breathing. And she could see that he cared in his own way. They weren’t speaking yet, but they communicated with their eyes and actions.

Once, he gave her his favorite plush toy - a black raven. She cuddled the bird for dear life.

They would spend hours playing with rubber toys. Later, she heard parents calling them ‘kunai’ and ‘shuriken’. Weapons, huh? Honestly, it was refreshing to see a family so… armed. She wondered when she could get her first knife.

“Hello there, Ryoko-chan. My name is doctor Fuji,” a man with a white coat introduced one day. She was just opening her eyes from a nice nap when she found her surroundings had changed from the familiar home.

She obviously said nothing as her vocal cords refused to produce words that would make sense. Until then, she refused the indignity of childish blabbering. So the girl stared at him suspiciously instead.

“I have these cool blocks. Can you show me where they would go?”

They were sitting on a plush carpet. Her father and mother stood nearby watching every move as proper helicopter parents would.

Ryoko glanced at the geometric figures placed in front of her. There was also a little box with matching shape cavities. She looked up at the doctor. Back at the block. Back at the doctor.

This was stupid and beyond her capabilities. For a moment, Ryoko seriously considered playing dumb, but her instincts told her that it would be more suspicious than showing off her intellect. Okay, I’ll bite… she decided to show at least a little bit.

Carefully, but decisively Ryoko grabbed one block after the other and shoved them in the rightful place. There was only one block left. It was a round red ball. There was no shape for it on the box.

Ryoko narrowed her eyes while spinning the box. Nop. No round cavity. She didn’t want to leave the ball out. For crying out loud, she had the mind of a grown-ass woman! She could figure it out…

Eventually, Ryoko settled in placing the round ball into a square shape that at least matched the color. It went in easily.

“Oh! Very well done,” the doctor nodded. She couldn’t yet tell if he was faking it or not.

Then she got a couple more tests. One to pair words with pictures. Another with numbers and pictures. And then she fell asleep.

“Uchiha-sama, have you been reading to her?”

“Yes? Is there something wrong?” the woman asked as they were having a follow-up conversation with the doctor the next day. Both kids were left at home.

“Oh no! Not at all. I could tell, you see, reading helped young Ryoko-chan to connect words and sounds with their meaning. It is very impressive.”

“Well, of course. She is an Uchiha,” Fugaku scoffed, but he was proud. Somewhere deep deep inside.

“My initial suspicions were confirmed. She is a very quick learner. Truly clever girl. Gifted, if I may say so myself. She has good problem-solving skills and well, my recommendations still stand.”

“And they are?”

“Let her rest as much as she needs, but supply her with opportunities to learn to keep her mind engaged. Books, reading. Maybe try teaching her already. Has she spoken yet?”

The two parents glanced at each other.

“No, she hasn’t. I sometimes hear her trying to make sounds, but when she notices me, she stops,” Mikoto complained.

“Ah, shy maybe?”

“Nonsense,” Fugaku crossed his arms defensively. No child of his was shy.

“Well, encourage it. Maybe try singing?” the doctor suggested looking at Mikoto, who to be fair, looked far less intimidating than her husband. Dealing with clan heads was a dangerous line to walk. Insult their child, and you could very well end up dead.

“Alright,” the woman agreed.

“What about Itachi? Has he spoken yet?”

“Yes, he is using almost full sentences now,” Fugaku added.

“Good, we should probably expect no less from Ryoko. Don’t push her too hard,” the doctor added delicately earning another defensive stare.

Today Ryoko awoke feeling far more energetic than usual. She found herself in a crib at least. Waking not at home was not the best thing for her instincts. At least her parents let her sleep now after the visit to the hospital.

The girl yawned and looked around flexing her tiny hands. She grew. Still chubby, but at least her grasp got better. Time to explore! she smirked to herself and looked around.

She could hear Mikoto in another room humming. She couldn’t feel her father's presence anywhere near. It was an odd feeling actually. Similar to when you can feel a predator next to you, but it didn’t put her uneasy. His presence was like a humming sound she felt within.

Even Mikoto had that same buzzing presence about her. And her brother. So Ryoko guessed that it probably was nothing to be concerned about. Actually, it allowed her to orientate and predict if any people were around. Very handy.

Carefully Ryoko lifted herself up. A week ago she made her first couple of shaky steps. Mikoto cried. Itachi clapped his hands. And Fugaku nodded with approval.

Now the cribs rail was a bit more challenging. It took a couple of tries to heave herself over it. Mother would always get so worried when she did that. Ryoko on the other hand felt rather mischievous when she got a chance to get out of her mother's sight.

Mikoto sometimes would call her ‘a little ninja’. Ryoko liked that. Being a ninja sounded exciting. But ninja’s need to have weapons and that was her goal for today.

Carefully and quietly the little girl wobbled out of her room and looked around. In the living room, she noticed one katana on display. It was perched on a small shelf. Accessible.

The weapon was heavy. She couldn’t really hold on to it and it dropped to the floor when she tried to reach for it. Well, now she could reach it, so the goal was achieved.

Happily, Ryoko grasped onto the handle and pulled. The blade glimmered in the light. Her eyes looked with awe over the shiny metal. A tiny hand reached for it.

“RYOKO!” a yelp startled her and her hand slipped. She turned around to see her father standing in the doorway, face red with anger and concern. Huh, she didn’t even feel him like usual. Interesting.

The next second he was crouched by her side scooping her from the ground. His eyes shined red again as he looked down at her hand. Ryoko looked down too. Oh. Her hand was bleeding. She didn’t even register it.

Even now, the pain was nothing. She had worse. Sincerely puzzled the girl looked up at him wondering if he would get upset with her.

“Hn. Don’t ever do that again, okay, Ryoko?” he said calmly, but his lips were pursed in emotion she could not read. It wasn’t anger though, so she smiled back at him.

“NINJA!” she giggled pushing for her voice not to crack or stumble on the syllables. By the shocked expression on his face, Ryoko gathered that she said it right.

“Hn,” was all that Fugaku said after a long sigh.

Chapter Text

“Ninja, huh? First word?”

“Yes.”

“After she grabbed a katana?” the redhead chuckled imagining the scene.

“Yes,” Mikoto sighed remembering all the blood.

“Well, I know what I’m getting her for her birthday.”

“Kushina! NO!”

“Yeah, you’re right. Katana is too big for her now. Maybe a nice dagger? I know this guy who makes all of Minato’s knives...”

“No!” Mikoto was horrified by that thought and didn’t hide it.

Both women glanced at the toddler napping in a shade of a tree. She looked adorable. Especially with some Nara kid that joined in on her nap.

“Soooo, are you sure she’s not a Nara secretly?”

“KUSHINA!”

It wasn’t Uzumaki’s fault for assuming, to be fair. Neither Mikoto nor Fugaku rushed to share the news of their child having an abnormal IQ. Call them paranoid, but they just wanted to keep their little girl as a child for as long as possible.

Ryoko was practically dozing off in her father's lap, while everyone around them was hustling and preparing the table. It was her big day. One year since she was born. Despite the war breaking out again, her family gathered together.

“Honey, Ryoko, happy birthday!” Mikoto chirped as she placed a cake in front of her with a single lit candle.

“You have to make a wish and then blow out the candle,” Fugaku explained sternly, but after a while, he figured that his little girl appreciated normal talk more than baby-talk some parents used.

The girl winked away the last bits of sleep from her eyes and leaned closer to the table. As much as Fugaku’s iron hold allowed. She closed her eyes and it almost looked like she was going back to the land of dreams.

Until her eyes opened again with a determined glint in them. A wish was secured and set. The man felt her tiny chest expand as she inhaled deeply.

Ryoko blew air successfully, but the candle burst into high flames instead of being put out. Ryoko looked surprised and turned her wide eyes at Fugaku. The man smirked.

“Don’t worry. We Uchiha have a thing for fire. This happens. Your chakra is inclined to fire from birth,” he explained patiently.

“Oh yes, darling. Once you get older, I’ll tell you a story of how your big brother almost burned down the whole table on his birthday,” Mikoto chuckled. Itachi clapped his hands excitedly at the simmering flame.

“Chakra?” the girl mumbled in question.

“Ah yes, are you up for a story, Ryoko?” Fugaku asked. The girl smiled brightly with a nod of excitement. Nothing cheered her more than books. The Uchiha clan head yet again felt blessed to have such intelligent children.

“Fugaku, it’s her birthday! Honey, we have a present for you,” Mikoto said instead, grabbing the girl’s attention.

“Ninja?” that was her favorite word of them all. Parents only smiled.

“No, not yet,” Fugaku said sincerely hoping that his own daughter would miss the war and would get to attend the academy in the time of peace.

“Mmmm, library?” that was her next guess, surprising the adults. Half of the time they didn’t even know where she learned some of the words. But it didn’t look like she was confused by the meaning of the word itself. Ryoko seriously wanted a library full of books as a present.

“Haha, no. But we do have a library. I will show it to you next time,” Fugaku promised.

“Uuu! KATANA!” Ryoko yelped with childish excitement announcing her next guess.

“NO!” Mikoto wanted to scream too. Why did it have to be a sword that her princess wanted? Why couldn’t it be a nice dress or well anything else? Ryoko pouted.

“Now now, you’ll get that too. One day,” Fugaku said ignoring the daggers Mikoto sent his way.

Finally, they presented the girl with a box tied with a bright red bow. Inside was a traditional Uchiha fan passed from generation to generation. Both parents expected to hear a tantrum or see her cry, but the girl only examined the item with care. Her eyes darted to the Uchiha banner on one of the walls.

“Uchiha?” she tilted her head slightly.

“Yes, darling. This is a traditional fan from our crest. Always remember who you are.”

That statement was very familiar to Ryoko. She smiled widely.

“Ryoko is Uchiha!” she declared waving the fan around. The motion made the fire on top of the cake shine brighter.

“Oookey, maybe we’ll try it later. When there are fewer flames around,” Mikoto quickly took the fan away and instead gave Fugaku a book to read for his daughter.

Just your normal shinobi family trying to keep their kids from making lasting damage or burning the house completely with their wild chakra.

After a story or two, the kids were let outside to play with their cousins. Ryoko quickly took a liking to two particular raven heads.

“OBI!” she yelped pummelling into an embrace with one of them. Obito Uchiha. The boy actually smiled unlike most of the Uchiha she observed.

“Koko-hime! What about me?” a boy next to him pouted. She had to giggle at the expression of the two-year-old toddler in their garden. Her fourth favorite person. Shisui Uchiha. The first place was still Madara Uchiha. Followed closely by Itachi. Then Obito.

“SHI!” she enthusiastically tackled the boy to the ground. He also smiled. That’s why she liked them so much. Not to mention, the fact that Shisui and Itachi were best of friends. Making him her friend too.

“Ninja! Ninja!” she eagerly stomped her foot demanding to play.

“As you wish, mi’lady,” Obito laughed. That was their favorite game since she started walking. It involved running around and reenacting death scenes. Basically, it was a game of tag. With death. They loved it.

Over the next year Ryoko’s parents learned that she learned how to read. The girl wouldn’t just aimlessly flip through the books her little hands got hold of. They noticed her eyes moving as she followed the text in silence.

She tried hard to show off her skills slowly, but books were the only thing her parents really allowed her to do. So books it is. She inhaled the knowledge and all the weird tales they held. Chakra. Jutsu. Shinobi. Kunoichi.

It was like reading fiction novels, but way better, because it was all real.

Quickly, she got convinced that Madara was her new idol. The man was amazing! His power was something of legends. She wanted to be just like him.

Clans and their hierarchy were also something of interest. She wasn’t naive to think that books were always saying the truth. There had to be embellishments and things misconstrued, but still. Uchiha were badass.

The mystery behind red eyes was explained only after her second birthday. She finally was allowed to the Uchiha library and had her fill about the sharingan.

Genjutsu? That sounded right up her alley. Her former father used chemicals, manipulation, and brainwashing to set the illusions in the minds of his victims. Once, he made a woman think that another person kidnapped her and she killed the innocent man. Ahh, good old days.

A genjutsu was basically the same, but way cooler. Ryoko would stare in the mirror for hours trying her hardest to squint and make her eyes red with no luck. All the books she read said that the power is unlocked by witnessing a big trauma.

There was only one problem. By now Ryoko had seen many things and remembered them clear as day. So she wondered what it would have to be to trigger her…

The answer came to the girl in two more years. She was now of the ripe age of four. Her parents tried their hardest to keep her in their sights, but she was even better at sneaking now with all her limbs responding quicker and quicker.

After reading almost every book available about her Uchiha ancestors and Madara specifically, she realized that physical power was something important in this world of shinobi. The girl had a pretty good idea of how to train and build muscle so that is what she did.

Ryoko would run around, do pushups and other exercises. Of course, she had to start slow, by simply pushing herself off the wall. Then she moved down to push from window stills and tables she could reach. Until Ryoko could now do proper pushup from the ground.

Slow and steady was her mantra.

The same went for chakra. At first, the concept sounded like a delusional fairy tale from some magician. But it did explain the weird buzzing she felt from other people. It took a lot to grasp the idea of chakra, but after that roadblock, the world seemed full of possibilities.

Today Ryoko was sitting outside watching her father fight her brother. That was… weird. From what she gathered, Itachi was about to go to someplace called ‘Academy’. She gathered that it was a school of sorts, but still. Seeing Itachi evade kunai and flames weren’t pleasant.

She tried to ask her father to fight her instead, but he only brushed her off. Leaving the girl sulk and watching from a distance.

Both men went at it today exceptionally hard. She could barely keep track of their moving figures, but her eyes adjusted each time. Sometimes, she restrained blinking just to keep up with the two.

Fugaku sent a big ball of fire towards Itachi. Her eyes widened at its size. Itachi evaded with elegance no five-year-old should possess. The second his head was turned away in a spin, was the moment her eyes bled.

Fugaku leaped into the spot where Itachi was supposed to land. His hand held a kunai aimed at his son’s heart. Ryoko didn’t understand why he was doing this.

He’s going to kill Itachi! her mind reeled. Before Ryoko could even make sense of it or have another thought, her body was already moving.

She appeared right in front of Itachi with her hand held up in a blocking motion. Her head was splitting in two from the pain, but the world around her never seemed clearer.

Her eyes could see every single movement and the trajectory they were going. A bird ten meters away in a tree. An ant colony five meters away. And her father's shocked expression as he could not stop the momentum of his strike.

The kunai pierced her hand stopping just in time before skewering the flesh completely. It felt like tears were rolling down her cheeks, but she didn’t feel pain.

“Ryoko…” Fugaku’s voice was stern but trembling.

“You were going to kill Itachi!” she accused, scrunching her eyes.

“No no, honey, it’s a spar,” Fugaku quickly regained his composure and took the kunai out in one fluid motion. “I would never! You really thought… your eyes…” the man wasn’t making much sense to her, so she stepped back when he crouched in front of her.

“Ko!” Itachi hugged her, but his eyes were full of surprise when he pulled away.

“Sharingan…” the boy whispered.

“Shari…?” she wanted to ask them again, but suddenly as the pain appeared it went away. Together with the light and her consciousness.

“Uchiha-sama! Really? She is only four years old!” a young medic chastised him as she bandaged the little hand of his daughter. Thankfully, her sharingan had faded away, so he explained it only as a training accident.

He was royally embarrassed to have to go to the hospital. Only the thought of Mikoto finding out about his mistake scared him more than the medics' accusations.

“Hn. Yes, she is,” he muttered wondering if anything will ever be the same after today. The expression Ryoko gave him… it broke his heart. For her to seriously think that he could hurt Itachi?

He would never! The clan head was already prepared to stop his attack before Ryoko intervened. Fugaku was gathering his thoughts now and preparing to explain what spars are to his young daughter.

The only thing that calmed him, was the way Ryoko loved Itachi. Their bond was strong and he could not ask for more. At least her sharingan awakened in the compound and not in the middle of a battle.

Now he will have to teach her how to use it without fainting. In secret from Mikoto. He sighed collecting his unconscious daughter. The medic assured that there will be no scar left, thankfully.

They grow up so fast… he thought, patting Ryoko’s raven hair. It was wild and puffy, just like his. While Itachi looked more like Mikoto with his straight silky locks.

He sighed again. In a year, he will have to let her join the academy. Way too soon for his liking, but the war demanded recruits. He had to show an example. Sometimes he really cursed his fate as a clan head.

Chapter Text

When Itachi finally joined the academy, Fugaku’s full attention was on her. Every evening they would train when he was back home from the front lines. In a way, Ryoko was glad of this development. She noticed how her big brother relaxed, from the pressure on him being relieved. Hell, the boy even played with Shisui now. And smiled more.

That in itself made the grueling practices worth it. Fugaku didn’t hold back, placing her in one genjutsu after the other. She was tortured. Had seen her whole family massacred. Had seen her own death.

So basically nothing too bad.

The use of sharingan still left her drained. She started meditating to work on her chakra reserves. It felt like pulling a string from a dusty pile. As she pulled harder, the string seemed to never end. The flow of chakra was like a drug.

After noticing her quick improvements, her father forced her to learn how and keep her chakra concealed at all times. He said that a good shinobi should never reveal the true extent of their power. He was a smart man.

At age five, Ryoko was well on her way to be the next Madara Uchiha. She knew it in her guts, that that was her destiny. The girl even grew out a partial bang to cover one of her eyes as an homage to her idol.

“Ahhhh, I HATE HIM!” suddenly Obito appeared in her garden, while Ryoko was doing some stretches. Her dark eyes glanced at the boy.

“What’s the bastard’s name?” she said, narrowing her eyes. If anyone dared to mess with her clan, they would have to pay.

“Ryoko-hime, you’re just the cutest,” he smiled, dropping on the grass by her side. “It’s my teammate. The stupid Bakashi.”

What a strange name she thought to herself.

“Why stupid?” compared to her, most children were indeed stupid, but to hear Obito say it was another matter.

“He has this huge stick up his ass…” twack! Itachi was behind Obito now after serving her cousin a hit to the head.

“Watch your language in front of my sister, Obito-san,” Itachi smiled sweetly, but there was a dangerous edge to his words.

“Yeah yeah… I mean, he is taking my Rin away from me!”

“Rin?” Ryoko asked.

“Yeah, my other teammate. She’s the best!” the sparks in his eyes spoke louder than the praise he just said. The boy was head over heels in love. How cute.

“Rin and Obito, sitting in a tree. K. I. S. S. I. N. G,” she chuckled while the boys gaped at her. “What?”

“That’s… never heard that before…” Obito looked puzzled as his mind slowly tried to put her spelled-out letters into a word. As the blush started to color his face, Ryoko knew he finally got it. She smirked wider.

“Yeah, I came up with it just now,” she shrugged, while Obito was lost for words.

“Obito-san, you’re corrupting my sister,” Itachi said sweetly again.

“NO! Itachi-kun! Your sister is a freakin’ genius. Maybe if I ask Rin to sit with me in a tree away from Bakashi…” he was now muttering a plan under his breath.

Itachi frowned and it didn’t suit his face, Ryoko thought. But she understood his reaction. Who else if not Itachi could understand the deeper meaning behind the label ‘genius’.

“Koko, could you leave us for a bit, I have to have a talk with Obito-san,” Itachi smiled at her then. She sighed but nodded. How could she refuse, when he used that nickname from their childhood.

“Alright, big brother. Just don’t hurt him too much,” she said and gave the boy a hug before leaving back to the house.

While inside, she picked up a book about war strategies and started to read it.

“You read way too much, cousin,” another voice interrupted her from the entrance into the living room.

“Reading is fundamental, Shisui-kun,” she said, not even looking his way.

“Pft! I do that enough in the academy,” the boy complained, taking a seat next to her.

“How is the academy?” she asked. Her eyes continued to read. It was nice to be able to keep a couple of trains of thought at the same time.

“Me and Itachi were placed in the advanced class. We will probably graduate by the end of the year.”

“Hmmm,” nothing surprising there considering their skills. Yet, early graduation would mean that her brother will be going outside the safety Konoha provided. She wanted to go into the academy soon so that she could protect Itachi. At least he had Shisui for now.

“Oh, and Itachi already has a bunch of fangirls!” the way Shisui smiled, was mischievous. He probably enjoyed her brother’s suffering from all the attention. Ryoko sighed.

“Names, Shisui, I need names. Then I will put them to their rightful place - away from my brother,” she deadpanned.

“Awww, you’re soooo cute, princess,” Shisui chuckled and then did something unusual. He poked her forehead. Ryoko could only blink at this weird action.

“Don’t frown, it will give you wrinkles,” he laughed. Ryoko pouted harder.

Weeks went by. Father was at war. Obito was off doing missions. Shisui and Itachi were in the academy or training afterward. Ryoko was alone.

She felt loneliness growing in her, but there was nothing she really could do about it. It was their duty to serve Konoha. So when one day, her mother suggested a playdate, Ryoko reluctantly accepted.

Usually, she would prefer to train or read, but Mikoto persisted.

That is how Ryoko ended up being pushed inside the Nara compound. She read about them. A smart and lazy bunch. While Mikoto chatted with some woman, Ryoko stood with her arms crossed over her chest, a stance mimicking that of Madara’s she learned from the paintings.

“Aww, so this is your little Ryoko-chan? Nice to meet you, darling,” the other woman gushed.

“Hn,” Ryoko said her dry greeting unamused.

“Shikaku, come and meet our guest!” the woman yelled to the back of her home.

“Ryoko, darling, this is the Nara clan head’s, behave,” Mikoto pushed the girl forward expecting Ryoko to give a proper bow. The problem is, Ryoko never bowed to anyone. Nara were no exception. The girl only gave a nod of acknowledgment to the young adult who entered the room. Mikoto sighed.

“Hmmm, wanna play shogi, kid?” the man named Shikaku asked. This probably was not what her mother expected to happen from the playdate, but Ryoko gladly accepted. Anything was better than dealing with small children.

In hindsight, this probably was Nara clan heads' way of testing the waters and checking Ryoko out before allowing her to mingle with the kids from his clan.

So they played a game of shogi. It was similar to chess from her past life. Quickly she got the hang of it but still couldn’t win a single game against the man.

A worthy opponent, Ryoko deducted.

That is how her ‘playdates’ turned into games of shogi with adult Nara clansmen. Everyone was happy with it. Except for Mikoto. Her mother sulked for days.

Itachi and Shisui were training like always after the lessons. It was almost time for their graduation.

“So, your sister will be going to the academy soon, huh?” Shisui panted out avoiding the kunai.

“Hn.”

“Hey, don’t be so upset. It will be good for her! I doubt she will finish it as quickly as we did.”

“She will,” Itachi’s answers were too dry on the topic and Shisui felt obligated to dig deeper.

“Oh? Yeah, I know she’s smart, but it’s not only about that in there.”

“Hn. Father has been training her past few years,” Itachi remarked. It didn’t look like he was upset by the attention Fugaku gave to Ryoko.

“So? He trained you too. He has a reputation to protect,” Shisui said after sending a Katon jutsu.

“That’s not why.”

Okay, now Shisui’s interest was really piqued. He adored both of his cousins to bits, so naturally, their business was his business.

“Why then?”

Itachi stopped mid-swing of his fist and sighed. Shisui noticed how quickly the boy created at least seven genjutsu around them for privacy. Interesting.

“Promise me, Shisui, that you can keep a secret?”

“You bet I can!”

“Ryoko… she has awakened her sharingan,” Itachi’s voice was like a whisper, but he heard it alright.

“Shit,” Shisui’s hands dropped by his sides.

“Yeah.”

“But she’s like… what, almost six?”

“Yeah.”

“Wait! When did it happen?”

“Two years ago.”

Shisui openly gaped. This was unheard of! For a child to develop their dojutsu at such a young age. She was smart and all, but this was not a kekkei genkai like Byakugan. You had to…

“How?!” the boy urgently asked dreading to hear the answer.

It turned out to be not as bad as he initially imagined. Actually, it was even funny.

“Aww, Ryoko-chan protected you! You have the best little sister ever.”

“Shisui! That’s not the point!”

“Yeah yeah, I know,” the smile on his face was gone quicker than he could shunshin’ed. And that was already saying something. Both of the boys knew what it meant. Shinobi who are considered geniuses, the prodigy among peers, they were the first ones to be sent on dangerous missions. They were often the first ones to face the death and the horrors of the war. All because of their exceptional skill.

“She’ll be fine, Itachi. She’s clever. Just ask her to keep a low profile, yeah?” Shisui tried his best to stay optimistic, but he wasn’t sure he believed the words that left his mouth. For an Uchiha to keep a low profile was like asking a Hyuga to have a food fight. Not happening.

Ryoko didn’t hold back during her entrance exam. She wanted to get into the academy as quickly as possible and be done with it. The clan praised her results, only Itachi was more subdued with his reaction. His concern was sweet, but she had to protect him. Even though he was older, she was mentally the eldest one.

On her first day, Ryoko was taken to the academy gates by Mikoto. Fugaku was back in the front lines fighting for the village.

“Alright, darling, please, just please don’t sleep during class, okay?” her mother pleaded.

“Yes, mother,” she agreed, not really intending to keep the promise. Finally, though she was free to go inside after the opening ceremony.

Her classroom was on the top floor. When she opened the door, Ryoko didn’t even falter in her steps while all the eyes were pinned on her little form.

“Oh no, another one…” she heard the other kids whisper. They were far older than she was.

“Ah, Ryoko Uchiha. I will be your sensei, Kabure Tokisuki. Please introduce to the class,” chunin said with a kind smile. She almost smirked at his naive misconception, that she was a small fragile child.

The girl stopped next to him in front of the class. Her arms went to rest crossed over her chest. She looked more like a substitute teacher with the way her eyes observed every kid with stern determination.

“Nice to meet you. I am Ryoko Uchiha,” that’s really all they need to know about her.

“Mmm, Ryoko-chan, why don’t you tell us more about yourself. Like the things you like, the things you hate. Your hobbies. Your dreams of the future,” Tokisuki sensei suggested.

“I like some things and I dislike some other things. My hobbies are not relevant. And my dreams for the future are my own to know.”

“Ahhaha! Okay, please take a seat,” the teacher accepted her answer reluctantly, while the class whispered even more. Their eyes sent very unkind stares her away. Ryoko almost felt at home. Dealing with negative reactions was easier than dealing with smiles and kindness. She smirked, planning how she would crush every single one of them if they dared to stand in her way.

Chapter Text

“...what a freak…”

“Another stuck-up Uchiha…”

“...wait for the sparing to start…”

That is what Ryoko’s classmates thought of her. She couldn’t blame them as she really didn’t try to blend in. In her past life, the girl worked hard to create and maintain a perfect mask. To get to know people, manipulate them into a false sense of security.

Here, however, she didn’t feel a need for it. She was an Uchiha. She was entitled. But most of all, she didn’t have time to play around. You can either force people into submission with kindness or using sheer power. She chose the latter.

Teachers would ask her questions at first until they realized that she had the whole curriculum and more memorized. By now Ryoko was left to her own devices. She would sit in the back with her eyes closed and chin perched on her laced fingers.

No, she was not sleeping! Most of the time… Ryoko decided to use this time in the academy to passively listen and meditate. She just couldn’t get enough of her own chakra and there was always that feeling urging her to expand her limits and control.

Naturally, other students only sensed the chakra she allowed them to. So they had no idea of her true potential until the sparring exercises. At the end of her first week, such a session happened. They were gathered in one of the training grounds around the academy.

“Ryoko-chan, your turn,” sensei called her gently. Naive idiot. She stepped forward with her arms crossed over her chest. She didn’t grace her opponent with a full bow, only a nod.

The girl in front of her was clearly a Hyuga. This had to be fun. Maybe they acknowledged her smarts, but no one had expected her to stand on equal ground with an older student.

Father had forbidden her from using sharingan outside their sessions and especially in the academy, so it had to be a taijutsu and ninjutsu fight. Ryoko evaded precise hits with ease. Her father was more relentless when the two of them sparred.

Still with her hands crossed over her chest, Ryoko toyed with the girl.

“Ryoko-chan, I must see you counter,” the sensei carefully encouraged. She sighed dodging another hit. The Hyuga girl had already activated her Byakugan.

Another swipe, Ryoko dodged under it and was now shadowing the girl's steps back to back, pissing her opponent even more. She finally dropped her hands into a fighting stance and attacked the Hyuga.

Maneuvering her hands to avoid any contact, Ryoko targeted the vital points. Maybe she couldn’t see chakra points like Hyuga, but she knew anatomy well enough to make her hits count.

Chest, neck, sternum. Her opponent was breathing heavily. During the whole fight, Hyuga only managed to touch Ryoko once to the shoulder. It’s good that young Uchiha was not planning to use any jutsu. With taijutsu alone, it took her another minute to finish it up.

Hyuga dropped to the ground knocked out. There was silence. Her classmates were fuming but now regarded Ryoko with more than hate. Respect.

Evening at the Uchiha household was quiet. Her father was still at war. Itachi was out on his first mission outside the village. It was only her and Mikoto sitting by the dinner table.

“Darling, how was the academy?” her mother asked.

“Acceptable.”

“Hn.”

“Hn.”

“How about boys? Did any catch your eye?”

Ryoko looked up at her mother with one raised eyebrow. Seriously? She was only six years old. Although to be fair, she probably should be glad that her parents have not arranged a marriage for her. Yet.

“No,” she answered without much emotion instead favoring to put more grilled meat into her plate.

“Hmmm, maybe,” her mother started carefully eyeing her daughter's plate,” it’s time for you to think more about… your figure? Maybe a diet?”

Ryoko was now fully staring at Mikoto. Was her mother really a kunoichi? She should know better than suggest having fewer calories for a person who is training day in and day out.

Without breaking eye contact, Ryoko snagged three pieces of juicy meat with her chopsticks and placed them in her mouth. SO, that was a no on the diet question.

One thing Ryoko did hate about her body, how weak it sometimes was. She didn’t sleep as much as when she was a toddler, but still, the strain of training and her mind constantly working got to her. She eventually worked out a schedule.

Every week or at least once a month, Ryoko would take what she called a ‘day off’. She would sleep and do absolutely nothing. It was her way of recharging. Checking out her brain for a day was a blessing. After which, she could train even harder.

Sunday was that day. She slept till mid-day. She would stay in her bed even longer, but today was an exception. Itachi was due to come back from his mission and she really missed him.

Reluctantly, Ryoko got herself out of the comfortable sheets and dressed. She opted out to wear a fluffy hoodie with cat ears on the hood itself that covered her black hair. It was comfy. If she had to step outside, she might as well feel good.

Still yawning every other step, the girl made it to the gates of Konoha. Two guards by the entrance smiled at her cute little self.

“Hey there, kid, you lost?” one asked leaning to her level. She yawned.

“Nah, shinobi-san. I’m good.”

“Kitty, this probably is not a place for you to be,” another guard tried gently to shoo her away. Ryoko really didn’t have it in her to frown and be stern today.

“My brother should return soon from his first mission. I miss him,” was what she said instead.

“Aww, well aren’t you adorable,” the first guard chuckled. They were clearly amused.

In about thirty minutes a team of genin finally approached the gates. The guards straightened up greeting them. Itachi noticed her in an instance and smiled.

“Ryoko,” he greeted her with a warm hug. From the corner of her eyes, she noticed how the guards shared a look.

No doubt, most shinobi already heard about Fugaku’s genius children. Of course, they wouldn’t expect a cute little girl to be one of them.

“Onii-san, welcome back,” she smiled up at him.

“What about me, Ryoko-hime?” Shisui was also there waiting for his own hug.

“If I must,” she sighed with pretend reluctance. He got a hug too. It was good to see the two boys together and safe. She worried about them way too often.

“Is it your ‘day off’?” Itachi smiled, poking at her hood cat ear.

“Yup!”

“Why don’t we get some dango?” he suggested. She could hug him again. So she did. The boys said goodbyes to their team and the three of them left.

“So, how’s the academy?” Shisui asked when they settled in one of the cafes.

“Boring,” Ryoko yawned perching her chin on the table.

“Are they treating you well?” Itachi asked.

“I guess so.”

“They are not being mean to you? If so, just tell us!” Shisui could be scary when he wanted to. All Uchiha had that quality. And she was positive, that both boys would not be happy with the comments she received from other kids.

“Define ‘mean’?”

“Are they picking on you?”

“Nop.”

“Did you have to spar with them already?”

“Yup. Beat up this Hyuga girl,” Ryoko smiled.

“That’s my girl!” Shisui ruffled her hood with a pleased nod.

When Ryoko turned seven, she really could not see anymore point in the academy, but she didn’t skip a single class. Teachers already mentioned that she could graduate early. Ah, the joy of growing up in wartime.

The only classes that did offer something she hadn’t read about were the kunoichi classes. As Ryoko was in the higher level grade, she skipped the whole boring part of ikebana and now faced more serious topics like rape, seduction, and how to deal with periods while on a mission.

Fun.

Actually, it wasn’t that different from war tactics she was familiar with from her former life. Rape was used by non-shinobi too. When a woman is captured, men cannot resist using her or breaking her that way.

What did surprise her, was the lesson she got from Fugaku one day.

“Ryoko, there will be a day when you will go out on a mission. And despite your skills, there might be a scenario, when you are captured.”

“Yes, father, I am aware,” she said calmly.

“As an Uchiha you have to know one very important thing - if an enemy will know that you are an Uchiha, they will try to take your eyes.”

“Oh,” her mouth made a round shape of surprise. It was so obvious and yet she never considered such possible actions. “They can do that?”

“Yes, honey. Those like us, who hold a dojutsu are often targets for their eyes. So if you can predict that you will be captured, make sure to hide the fact that you are an Uchiha at all costs. Promise me, okay?”

“Yes, father. I promise. No one will take my eyes,” she smiled sweetly but it was also vicious. “And then when they let their guard down, I will unleash the full extent of sharingan on their sorry asses!”

“Ryoko! Language!”

“Sorry, father.”

“Okay, then, let’s start our training?”

Yes, Ryoko was forbidden from using her sharingan outside the training. Yes, she promised not to use it. But… Well, she honestly saw this more like a challenge than a restriction.

It took her six months to find a solution. She never read about it before, not seen any other person do so, but the idea was pretty genius if she could say so herself.

After long hours of practice in her own room, Ryoko finally achieved it - activating only one of her eyes at a time. Honestly, what’s the point of the thick fringe covering her eye if she couldn’t hide a trick behind it?

“Ryoko, come here,” her father called for her from the other room.

She deactivated her right eye and went to see what was up. She noticed something was off right away. In the living room was her father with Itachi and Shisui. All of their expressions were void of emotion, meaning there was something bad hidden behind those stone faces.

“Yes, father?” she asked curiously.

“Obito was lost on a mission,” he announced, eyes stern and not wavering.

“Lost as in…?” she clarified.

“He is presumed dead. His teammates reported back.”

“I see.”

“Are you okay, Koko?” Itachi asked, grasping her small hand to show support.

“Hn,” was all she said. They knew how close Ryoko was to their cousin. But this was war. People were going to die. Death didn’t scare her.

Thankfully, she was about to graduate from the academy and enemies will see her wrath first hand. They didn’t discuss the matter further. Itachi took her to train instead. He looked worried more than anyone.

He recently awakened his own sharingan and now they could spar more or less like equals. Neither was holding back but in a good manner. They were not competing with each other. The worry for one other was what forced them to hold nothing back.

Chapter Text

Ryoko didn’t cry. She didn’t yell. She didn’t break stuff. She closed her eyes and breathed in. One of her dearest clan people was lost. No body was recovered. He was officially 'missing in action'.

She was sure that they didn’t look hard enough. Why would they when all the forces were focused on the war? Nobody cared about some Uchiha kid. Except her. She cared.

At this moment, Ryoko understood how irrelevant her powers were. Yes, she was quick and could use pretty difficult genjutsu. She mastered some ninjutsu too, but that was about it. What if another person gets hurt? She couldn’t heal them. What if someone else is lost? She wouldn’t have the skills to find them.

It was a frustrating realization, to say the least. Academy hadn’t thought anything even close to what she needed. Her father was so focused on her sharingan, that any other skills were neglected. Ryoko understood that if she wanted to be somebody, to go somewhere, she had to wake up from the secure bubble she was in and pay attention.

The answer was simple - she needed a teacher. Someone to guide her. Someone who could be open to new jutsu. Someone who would not coddle her and assess her with scientific accuracy. Someone who would not be afraid of Uchiha. Someone strong.

After graduation, Ryoko got a month off before the new genin would be assigned into teams and get their senseis. Closing in on her eighth birthday, she wasn’t an idiot ready to bid her time in anticipation. Ryoko did her research in the library. Genin team archives were open to other genin. To her.

Knowing the village by now, she saw a pattern. Same physical attributes were lumped together into proven combinations. How boring, she thought. Then the girl moved on to available jonin records.

A sensei had to be at least a jonin. There were a few on the list, but none stood out. Except for a very small handful. One Minato Namikaze looked smart and intelligent. But he already had a team. What a shame… and…

Her hands shivered after noticing the names of the man’s genin team. Obito… that was his sensei. She couldn’t continue with her research after that. It has been a few months since her cousin perished. The pain still felt fresh.

Ryoko wandered around the village until it started getting dark. She didn’t want to go back home just yet. There was a sense of frustration building up under her skin. Her father would be displeased by her missing dinner, but Ryoko didn’t care.

She ran with shinobi speed across the rooftops, jumping from one to the other with trained ease. It felt like flying. Like when you reach the highest point with a swing…

In practiced motions, her legs took the girl to the village wall. She jumped over it, just barely missing a couple of guards. Not like she hasn’t done this before.

Sometimes Ryoko would sneak out with Shisui and Itachi to train in the forest outside of Konoha. Away from prying eyes to train together with sharingan. They both helped her to maintain control. Once, Shisui said that her instability was due to the large amount of chakra she had.

Itachi was never happy with these excursions, but the need for training trumped his reservations. He knew that she would do it anyway, so might as well go together for extra protection.

For a while, Ryoko jumped on branches not really sure where she was going until something caught her senses. A chakra. Strong presence approaching Konoha. Despite how far away it was, Ryoko still felt the waves of power from it. It had to be strong.

Scrunching her face, the girl jumped down on the grass. She could go back and alert someone. But… with the speed this target moved, she would be late and the target would get too close…

Confident in her abilities, Ryoko decided to meet this target head-on. Hell, this is exactly why she trained her eyes so much. No person could stand against sharingan. And Madara surely would not run away, so neither did Ryoko.

It took a while before a running figure emerged on the horizon. Ryoko’s eyes shined red with tomoe spinning quickly to take all that she could. It was a girl. A child or maybe a teen. How could a child have such chakra inside of her? she spared a thought, but then her mind went blank.

It was action time. Without much hesitation, Ryoko leaped forward and made eye contact with the girl. That is all she needed. The world around them blurred as the target was placed under a sleeping genjutsu.

Fugaku probably would not approve of torture… yet. So Ryoko made the girl sleep. Eyes unblinking and red, she stepped closer to the limp body of the girl. She turned her around and noticed a Konoha headband.

“Interesting…” she muttered before her senses made Ryoko take out a kunai and defend from an attack. A boy with silver hair was next to her. A tanto blade aimed at her. He froze when he looked into her eyes.

“Uchiha?” he whispered with what looked like a relieved sigh. Ryoko crossed her arms with a scowl, kunai already back in her pouch.

“Obviously. What’s the meaning of this?” she demanded as her eyes noticed a Konoha headband on the boy's head as well.

“We were attacked. Rin… we have to take her to Konoha quickly!” he already bent down to scoop the unconscious girl into his arms, while Ryoko assessed the situation. Rin. So this was that Rin. Then, the silver-haired boy had to be…

“Bakashi?” she curled her eyebrow in question.

“Tck. THERE’S NO TIME! WE HAVE TO HURRY!” the boy snapped at her. He was shaken up, so probably not thinking clearly.

“Stop!” Ryoko took his wrist demanding attention. “There is something wrong with her. I can tell and I will not allow her to endanger Konoha!”

The boy literally growled at her pulling his arm free. Then both of their attention was taken by new guests. Her trusty kunai made a second appearance as Ryoko braced for an attack.

“RUN!” the boy shouted at her, but Ryoko stood tall and strong in front of the Rin girl preventing him from taking the girl or any attacks harming her.

“No! So move your ass and defend yourself and your friend!” she snarled without much compassion. They were warriors, not children. And definitely not cowards. The boy cursed something behind his mask but turned around to face the enemy instead of Ryoko.

The girl recognized the enemy headband as those of the Village Hidden in the Mist. The question, however, was why would they target two children? This raised even more suspicion to Ryoko. She in all honesty could not ignore the fierce chakra coming off Rin. It felt… foul.

Even more interesting was to see how all attacks were aimed at her and the boy and not Rin. Like they wanted the girl alive… Well, that made it easier for the duo. Ryoko evaded and quickly slashed necks without hesitation.

This was her first kill in this world. It was exhilarating. The feeling of adrenaline mixed with her chakra was like a drug. She got hit only a couple of times. Once a man landed a kick to her stomach. The other time, she could not evade kunai mid-air.

Unacceptable. Ryoko was sure that Madara would never be hurt so easily. It really pissed her off. So she burned them. From inside out. Loud screams echoed over the forest as the whole clearing now smelled of burned flesh.

The boy wasn’t doing that bad either. With the corner of her eye, Ryoko noticed that his previously covered eye was now wide open and… red! He had sharingan! That moment of distraction was what earned her a kunai injury to her arm.

Both of them panted hard as they landed beside Rin. Last enemies, incapacitated by flames or genjutsu, got their necks sliced and hearts pierced just in case. They were alone again.

“We...have… to… hurry,” the boy started again catching his breath.

“No! There is… something… inside of her! I will not allow it in Konoha!” Ryoko would not be swayed by some gray-haired child. She was an Uchiha, not a pushover.

“But…”

She wasn’t listening anymore and kneeled next to the girl to examine her. Maybe it was something on her, giving off the weird chakra. Then she noticed strange ink marks on Rin’s skin.

“Fuinjutsu…” she muttered examining the symbols. The chakra was definitely inside the girl. Once again, Ryoko felt helpless. She had no knowledge of seals or how to counter them. But she knew how innocent writing could bring devastation from what she read about Uzushiogakure.

“Bakashi!”

“IT’S Kakashi!”

“Whatever! Do you know of anyone in Konoha who is good with seals?”

“Yes… my sensei, but he’s on a mission…”

Ah, Minato. The bastard was indeed a smart sensei she would not mind having. But even the skilled man could not help them now.

“Anyone else?”

“Hmm.. maybe… Kushina-san? Kushina Uzumaki,” the boy named Kakashi finally calmed down enough to hold a conversation and start thinking. By the glint in his eyes, Ryoko could tell that he understood where she was going with this.

“Uzumaki, huh?” she smirked. What a lucky thing to have an Uzumaki handy. She gave a decisive nod. “Alright. Go get her and I will guard Rin here.”

“NO! You’re just a child!”

Ryoko’s deadpanned look should have explained everything. And if not that, then the blood on her uniform should. But he really thought of her as some weakling genin girl.

“Get your sorry butt back to Konoha and bring Kushina here! I am Ryoko Uchiha and you should know better than to doubt my clan’s skills. With my genjutsu, not even you will be able to find me,” that was a bit of a stretch to be fair. Yes, she could hide herself, but Rin… That chakra is like a single candle in the night. It was a beacon for trouble.

Yet Ryoko took it as a challenge. Kakashi looked back between two girls but eventually nodded. He leaped away towards Konoha when Ryoko was starting the first hand signs for her layers of genjutsu.

One. Two. Three. Four for the fun of it. Five for her paranoia. And finally six for the lucky number. Ryoko leaned closer to the unconscious girl. Looks like her genjutsu was still working just fine.

The wait was tense. Ryoko reacted to every little sound with a raised kunai. Sometimes a bone of a fallen enemy would splinter from all the heat that burned the flesh away. That sound was familiar and actually calmed her down.

Burning bodies always took long in her past life. But it was like a campfire for psychopaths like herself and her former father. She recalled distant memories with a fond smile. He would be proud of her. Her father, despite his killing sprees, never harmed a child, only protected them.

CRUNCH. She snapped her head to the sound in the distance. It was not coming from the Konoha direction. No, it was a broken branch maybe two hundred feet away. She scrunched her eyes focusing on the darkness, but there was nothing.

Fugaku sat by the table with his eyes closed and arms crossed. His fingers tapped impatiently on his arm.

“She missed dinner,” Mikoto whispered, returning to the dining room and sitting by his side with a worried expression on her face.

“Hn.”

“And she never misses dinner.”

“Hn,” that was true and didn’t make it easier on Fugaku. He didn’t recall Ryoko being upset the past couple of days or angry enough to run off in a tantrum. Yes, she was more closed off last few months after the news about Obito, but still. It was looking like she coped with the issue well enough.

“Honey, it’s her birthday tomorrow.”

“Hn,” the present he prepared laid on the empty table.

“Fugaku, please. I am worried.”

“Itachi,” the man called for his son, who did not pretend well enough to be reading a book in the next room. He could feel both Mikoto and Itachi worried. The boy appeared in the doorway almost instantly.

“Yes, father?”

“Find your sister. Take Shisui with you,” he ordered as the line between being a father and a clan head blurred. He strictly pushed back the thoughts of someone possibly attacking his girl. It was not unheard of.

“Yes,” Itachi bowed before leaving with a shunshin. Fugaku sighed.

“Don’t worry so much, Mikoto, you’ll get wrinkles,” he said more gently to his wife. She hugged him in response. Of course, the woman was worried - she didn’t know about Ryoko’s skills. Fugaku could only hope that it was childish antics and nothing more.

Ryoko looked around. Her head snapped again to the other side. Two chakra signatures came into her sensory field. One was cold and staticky. Kakashi. The other was… bright. Big as life itself. But it also had that same odd powerful and vile chakra coiled in the core.

Interesting.

Two figures appeared in the clearing and only then did Ryoko drop the genjutsu she had around herself and Rin. Next to the boy stood a tall redhead woman.

“For Kami’s sake!” the woman rushed to their side, probably expecting to see an injury on Rin.

“Uzumaki-san, some kind of seals were placed on this girl,” Ryoko reported back giving the redhead some room. The woman glanced at her making a double-take on Ryoko’s hair and red eyes.

“Ryoko-hime! What are you doing here?” the girl blinked surprised from the first name basis.

“I… was passing by. I noticed odd and dangerous chakra within this girl,” Ryoko carefully explained. “It actually feels similar to your chakra, Uzumaki-san.”

Alright, maybe Ryoko did manipulate those around her a little bit. She noticed how instantly the woman’s face paled and all other matters were forgotten. No more questions directed towards her. All attention fell on Rin. Good.

Ryoko stepped back to give them some space and instinctively started to look around for any possible enemies. She had this feeling… on the back of her neck. Her former father once called it a reptile brain. A primal sense of danger. A sense of a predator nearby.

And this feeling appeared way before Kakashi returned with the seal mistress. Ryoko didn’t blink as she scanned the dark woods.

There!

In a distance she noticed something move. Without saying a word, the girl ran towards it. For normal people, all instinct would tell to turn around and run the opposite way. It’s good that she wasn’t normal. She liked the sense of danger. Another challenge to prove herself worthy of protecting her precious people and comrades.

The feeling of fight escaped her the moment she saw the bushy head of hair. Her legs stopped and she just stared in that one red eye.

Shit. She messed up. Ryoko felt foreign chakra simmering around her as a genjutsu took place around her senses. The sky was red with black clouds.

“Obi…” she whispered to the bandaged man in front of her. Suddenly a spear appeared from nowhere and pierced her into her abdomen. Ryoko coughed, but her mind knew that this all was fake. “OBI! SNAP OUT OF IT!” she grunted out ignoring the pain.

“Koko?” the whisper reached her when the world got dark. When her eyes opened next, everything was back to the beginning. Red sky, black clouds, no injuries. Then another spear appeared and stabbed her to the back. She was so helpless.

“OBI! Are you going to play with me or help Rin instead?” she pushed words over the pain. It was not real, but it felt real. The power of sharingan was something special. Her eyes wanted to shut again, but it would all repeat again, so she forced them open.

Her sharingan desperately worked to disperse this odd genjutsu. If only she could… her eyes met again with his sole visible eye. Ryoko pushed the chakra she had into the act. The world around them started to shatter. Pieces of it fell like walls of a sandcastle and a calm garden revealed itself.

It was her home garden. There so many times the two had played before.

“Obi, play with me?” she asked gently as her appearance took her younger self's form. It was a dirty tactic, to try and appeal to his buried memories. But she had no choice. Something forced Obito to act the way he did. Something was done to him, while he was missing.

“Ryoko?” the man rasped as if seeing her for the first time.

“Yes! Obi, that’s me, come,” she beckoned him to the shade under a tree. Slowly he followed her to the ground. She hugged him, weaving her tiny hands into his hair.

“You’re so tired, Obi. Take a nap, okay?” she coed into his ear. The boy relaxed, but she didn’t disrupt the illusion until his eye fully closed.

Panting hard, Ryoko snapped back to reality. Her eyes hurt from overuse, but at least Obito was now knocked out on the ground. On shaky legs, she came closer and kneeled next to him.

“Obi… what happened to you?” she whispered, not daring to touch him yet. The moon was above them illuminating the ground with silver light. It was late. Very late. Probably over midnight by now.

“Happy birthday to me,” she smiled. This was a present Ryoko would have never expected to get. Obito was back. She found him!

“Koko?” the girl heard a voice behind her. She didn’t have to turn around to know that it was her brother.

“Itachi… I found him!” she said. Her legs felt not as shaky anymore. Ryoko stood up and looked back. Itachi had a serious expression on his face, while her other cousin looked completely stunned.

“Obito?... well shit…” Shisui muttered.

What happened next felt like a blur. She recalled Itachi hugging her and asking many questions. About the cuts and bruises, she had. About the unconscious girl. About Kakashi. About Obito… She spoke on autopilot feeling the downer from adrenalin finally show its toll.

“You’re hurt,” Itachi whispered gently brushing blood from her cheek.

“Don’t you know any medical ninjutsu?” she smirked despite her whole body wanting to faint.

“No…”

“Hn. You should…” she trailed off, as her mouth no longer wanted to cooperate.

Shisui disappeared somewhere with unconscious Obito in a flicker. She didn’t even protest when Itachi took her into his arms. Ryoko felt tired, her eyes just closed by themselves from exhaustion. She was safe now. They all were safe.

Chapter Text

The first thing Ryoko recognized was the smell. It was a familiar sterile environment. For a moment she wanted to call out for her daddy, but quickly the memories came back to her. Shinobi. Blood. Obito.

Right, she was far away from home. She was in her new home now, full of mysterious chakra and ninja fighting to survive. Carefully her eyes fluttered to adjust to the light. Surprisingly, it was dim in her room.

“Ryoko?” her eyes darted to the noise. There was a man standing by the window, with his head illuminated by the moonlight.

“Father,” she greeted Fugaku with a relieved sigh.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, stepping closer to her bed.

Like I had a downer after ten cups of coffee. “Fine. I found Obito,” she recalled.

“Yes, you did,” he hummed.

“Is he… alright?” she had to ask it. The last time the boy stood in front of her, he did not hesitate to attack her. The bandages also covered most of his body. He had to be injured. Or at least hit in the head severely.

“He is being watched right now,” there was a tinge of distaste in Fugaku’s voice that made her wonder what did his words mean.

“Watched as in… interrogated?” the man let out a deep sigh before answering.

“You are too smart for your own good, Ryoko.”

She smirked. That she was, but her father didn’t look like he was sharing her amusement at the moment.

“Promise me, that you will never do that again.”

“Do… what exactly?”

“Runoff without telling us. Engaging with enemies without a team. Running into danger,” he sounded angry.

“Father, I am a shinobi now. It is my duty to protect Konoha and my comrades.”

She could swear that Fugaku winced at her words, but his expression said nothing.

“How did you know they were Leaf shinobi? They could have been pretending.”

“I would see through a henge. Besides, they were running away from Kiri nin.”

“Yet, you saw that the girl was dangerous?”

“Yes…”

“How?”

“Her chakra… it was wrong. There was something dark and awful inside of her. I could not let her near Konoha.”

Fugaku only gave a curt nod accepting her reasoning.

“Rest now, Ryoko. Hokage-sama will want to speak with you in the morning.”

He didn’t have to ask her twice. The girl closed her eyes resting on the fluffy pillows. Sleep sounded divine and she welcomed it like an old friend.

Just like promised, the next time Ryoko awoke was from a man entering her hospital room. She looked around. Morning sun shimmered with gentle rays on the walls and floors.

“Good morning, Ryoko-chan,” Hokage said as he settled to stand at the foot of her bed.

“Hokage-sama,” she gave a nod with her head.

“How are you feeling?”

“Fine.”

“That’s good to hear. We were all worried about you when your brother brought you to the hospital two days ago.”

Two days?? she hardly suppressed her surprise. Well fuck. This was no good. If she will get knocked out for that long after every fight… Ryoko could only give a nod with her sullen feelings of self-deprecation circling her mind at the moment.

“So, tell me what exactly happened that night.”

“I wanted to train a bit when I sensed a strong chakra heading towards Konoha.”

“Strange? How so?”

“Mmm, well usually I feel the chakra of people around me. But compared to anyone else… it could not compare. That chakra felt… bad. And big. And dangerous.”

“Ah, so you are a sensor?”

“I guess so.”

“So if it felt dangerous, why didn’t you alert anyone?”

“It was moving too fast. I thought, that by the time I found someone, it would be too late. I could not allow anyone to endanger Konoha.”

“That is very admirable of you,” the old man nodded with a gentle smile on his lips. “What happened then?”

“Well, I am an Uchiha. I know what sharingan can do and it seemed like the best decision - to incapacitate the target and then call for backup.”

“Hmmm, it didn’t say in your file, that you have unlocked your dojutsu yet?”

Father will not be happy with her telling the secret so openly, but it was her Hokage. The old man would know, either way, so she had to come clean as vaguely as possible.

“Academy did not present a situation where I would have to activate it,” she shrugged casually. When in doubt, say less as to not incriminate yourself, that was what Ryoko believed in.

“I see. So tell me what happened when you encountered Rin-chan?”

“I put her under a sleeping genjutsu. Only then I noticed that she was a Konoha nin. But… there was something wrong with her.”

“Wrong how?”

“The chakra. Strange ink marks on her skin. I recognized it as some fuinjutsu. From what I read, seals could be dangerous. At the moment, I was pretty sure that she was a Trojan horse.”

“A what?”

Shit. Of course, they wouldn’t know Greek history.

“I once read about how civilians built this big horse, they named it Trojan and sent it as a gift to their enemy. As a sign of goodwill. But actually, inside the horse, an army was hidden and they attacked the village when the horse was inside its walls. As far as I knew at that moment, the seal could have made the girl into a bomb or something.”

“Very interesting,” he hummed, but Ryoko wasn’t sure if he really believed in it. “Why did fuinjutsu scare you that much?”

“Because… I don’t know much about it and if I don’t know about it, it could be anything…” Ryoko felt a blush creep to her cheeks from admitting her weakness and lack of knowledge.

“Well, caution is a good trait for a shinobi,” Hokage said kindly, probably swayed by her vulnerability. Ha! The naive fool! But as long as he was of her case, Ryoko would take it.

“So… how is that girl? Rin?”

“She is fine. You made the right call by asking Kakashi-kun to bring a seal master. Konoha is thankful for your service,” He added with an approving smile. Ryoko nodded. Good. She did not bring shame to her clan and in the end, that’s what mattered.

“So, Ryoko-chan, what happened next?”

“Well, I was looking around in case there were more enemies. That is when I noticed something…”

“Obito.”

Ryoko nodded again, casting her eyes down to the white sheets covering her body.

“He looked hurt… And he didn’t recognize me at first. So I placed him under a sleep genjutsu too... Where is he now?” she felt a painful sting in her heart. Father didn't say much to calm her worry. Obito just had to be fine... after she just got him back, Ryoko was not ready to lose him again.

“We are monitoring him. You should not be worried…”

“But I am! He is my cousin!” Ryoko allowed for her feelings to show this one instance as she looked into the old eyes of Hokage.

“He will be fine. Trust me.”

She did not feel reassured but nodded either way. No point in arguing. She would have to persuade an easier target to get her answers. Surely, her own father will be more forthcoming next time they talk.

“Alright, Hokage-sama. When can I go home?” she added calmly emotions securely sealed back under her mask of indifference.

“Later today, now rest until the doctor comes,” he waved goodbye. Ryoko only nodded once in response. She had no time to waste in the hospital. If there was one thing she learned from the encounter, it was that she is miles away from Madara’s level of strength. She needed to be better. To get stronger, but she could not do it alone. She needed a sensei.

A few days later, the Uchiha household received a guest. Ryoko was reading a book in the living room when a knock disrupted the silence. Face scrunched with annoyance, she walked to open the door. From the feel of chakra behind it, the person had to be a shinobi.

“Yes?” Ryoko said, looking up at a tall blond man with blue eyes. He had a cheerful smile, but she really didn’t have time for any disturbances.

“Ah, you must be Ryoko-chan?”

“Yes, the last time I checked,” she answered dryly, the man snickered. Even though his stance was relaxed and laid back, she could tell that he was strong. Not a genin for sure.

“Is Fugaku-sama home?”

Ryoko’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. Not often some random people dared to step into the Uchiha compound. Usually, if they wanted her father's attention, they would go to the Police Station, so this was not official business.

“And you are...?”

“Ah! How rude of me! I am Minato Namikaze,” he smiled even brighter. Too bad that public records did not have pictures next to the jonins. She would have recognized him sooner. But the question still remained, what did he want from her father. Ryoko gave a curt nod in greeting and waved her hand for him to enter.

She led the man to their reception room, that’s how she called it. It was a traditional-style tatami room, where they would invite guests.

“Please wait here, Minato-san,” Ryoko said before leaving to get her father who was working in his study. She followed Fugaku back into the tatami room because her curiosity was stronger than manners. And well, her father did not dismiss her yet, so might as well use the opportunity.

“Fugaku-sama!” Minato bowed deeply before the clan head. Father nodded in response taking a seat. Minato followed suit and settled in front of Fugaku, while Ryoko took a spot on the left side. The right side next to Fugaku was low key, always reserved for the heir of the clan - her brother.

“How can I help you, Minato-san?”

The blond straightened up and his carefree expression also faded, replaced by the seriousness of a seasoned shinobi.

“Fugaku-sama, I am here to express my utmost gratitude to your daughter, for saving my genin team,” he announced and bowed so deep, that his forehead touched the floor.

Oh. That was nice, she thought. Seeing people bow before her, was something Ryoko could definitely get used to.

“Hn. She did what any shinobi would have done,” Fugaku responded nonchalantly, but his chest was puffed with pride.

“Still, I will forever be grateful. And if there is ever a time you need a favor, Ryoko-chan, please ask. I am in your debt.”

“Well, that won’t…” Fugaku started the cordial response, but Ryoko interrupted.

“Yes. I have a favor to ask, Minato-san.”

“Ryoko! Mind your manners,” Fugaku glanced her way, but she was determined. When the girl wanted something, nothing could stop her, manners be damned!

“That is alright, Fugaku-sama!” Minato smiled, straightening up again. His deep blue eyes settled on the girl. “How could I be of use to you, Ryoko-chan?”

“Minato-san, you are the student of one of the Legendary Sannin, is that right?” she asked.

“Yes, that’s right,” he nodded, probably still unaware of her intentions. “Jiraiya-sama was my sensei. Are you looking for a sensei?” he actually guessed it right!

From the moment Ryoko got back from the hospital, she delved straight back into her research for potential teachers. She needed someone smart and clever, and skillful, and legendary if she wanted to be a legend herself.

“Yes, actually I am.”

“Well, I could speak with Jiraiya-sama…”

“No, not him.”

Now Minato and Fugaku looked confused for a second showing various degrees of emotion on their faces.

“Well, I already have a genin team, but I could think of something,” the blond laughed rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. Aww, the silly boy thought she wanted him? How adorable.

“Actually, I have someone else in mind,” Ryoko smiled innocently. Only Fugaku knew that smile could not mean anything good.

“Who?” her father asked, narrowing his eyes.

“Minato-san,” Ryoko disregarded the question and looked straight into those blue eyes. “I will not ask you to convince anyone to take me on as a student. I would like your help just in arranging the meeting itself. I am capable of doing the convincing part myself.”

“Emm, sure? A meeting with who?”

“The other Legendary Sannin. Orochimaru-sama.”

Birds chirped outside, yet you could probably hear a senbon drop on the floor in the deafening silence of this room. Minato blinked a couple of times processing the information. Fugaku was quicker to respond.

“Absolutely not!” if it were anyone else, they would bow their head to Fugaku’s commanding tone. But Ryoko did not fear her father. She only smiled.

“Father, I need someone strong and competent in ninjutsu to be my sensei. He is the best candidate, believe me, I checked.”

“Are… are you sure about this, Ryoko-chan? Orochimaru-sama is… well, he is.. strickt,” Minato settled for that word, but every person in the room knew what he actually meant. The words that could describe the snake sannin would be cruel, vicious, determined. But for Ryoko only one thing mattered - he was a genius. Twisted? Yes. But still a man of incredible intellect and strength.

“I am sure.”

“Pft,” Fugaku sighed, probably convincing himself, that Orochimaru would not even take her as a student.

“Well, alright, Ryoko-chan. I will arrange a meeting for you,” Minato smiled with determination.

Chapter Text

Fugaku didn’t speak with Ryoko for a whole week after that. She wasn’t too bothered by that, although the lack of faith in her and the sannin's skills was concerning. Who did he think she was? Some easily swayed idiot? Far from it. She wasn’t deaf either.

Ryoko caught her fair share of rumors about the snake, but they all were just more reasons why he would be the perfect teacher for her. Strong. Intelligent. People, shinobi and civilians alike, all share their fearful respect for the sannin.

That is what she wanted, besides other agenda that circled her mind...

Minato has not returned to her yet about a meeting being set, that gave Ryoko enough time to devise her strategy. Like always, when she devised her plots, the girl ended up across the head of the Nara clan with a shogi board between them.

“Kid, you’re not in it today,” the lazy man commented after she lost another game. Ryoko exhaled, suppressing her frustration visibly - losing was her strategy. She wanted to place Shikaku under a false sense of security. So she had to act out the part of being annoyed and distracted.

“Yeah yeah, old man. Ah, maybe I am. Let’s make the game more interesting maybe?” she set the bait and waited leisurely as both of them set the board again for the next game.

“Sure, what do you have in mind?”

“Well, if I lose this next game, I will owe you a favor.”

“Alright, I’m listening. And if by a miracle you win?” he smirked fully confident in his skills. He was clearly not aware that Ryoko binge-read a whole section on shogi strategies the past four days from boredom.

“Well, if I win, then you would assign me as a team lead if at any point such opportunity arises.”

The man blinked, but quickly his eyes narrowed with suspicion.

“Why would you need me to do that?” Ryoko exhaled deeply before answering. Eyes downcast, faking shyness.

“You are the jonin commander. And… I know I will go up the ranks fast, but… even if my rank will be enough, I know that no one will give me a chance to lead a team because of my age… and because I am a girl...”

“Ahh. I see, sure, kido. But you have to win first,” he smiled, kidney falling right into her trap. Of course, neither of them knew when such an opportunity would happen. Only Ryoko predicted that it would have to happen soon due to the war that was going on. Sooner or later she will be sent out to the trenches just like any other capable shinobi. And she was fuckin capable.

She won the game.

Shikaku was scratching his chin with confused expressions analyzing the board.

“You’re… you’re a little devil,” he finally sighed.

“Nice doing business with you, Shikaku-sama,” she smiled sweetly and bowed for once before she left. He waved Ryoko off, undoubtedly thinking of strategies in hindsight.

Adults were so easily extorted, that it was not even funny anymore. Ryoko could only hope that Orochimaru would be a bigger challenge.

Orochimaru was annoyed. That damn pervert's pupil dared to distract him in the midst of an enemy corpse autopsy. He wanted a meeting for some reason, and just to get rid of him, the snake agreed.

To his surprise, it was not Minato’s chakra that approached his morgue door. There was a knock. Maybe a chunin was sent with a message, he thought, making a deep incision on the cadaver's chest.

“Enter,” he made a sound that should be enough for a shinobi to hear. The door opened behind him. The sound of small feet reached his ears. “What isss it?” he urged not even looking the way of the messenger.

“Good evening, Orochimaru-sama. I am Ryoko Uchiha. Minato-san arranged this meeting for me,” a girly voice said, far calmer than sannin was used to hearing from small children.

He glanced over his shoulder and indeed there stood a little Uchiha girl. You could not mistake the clan resemblance due to the spiky dark hair, deep eyes, and a serious expression. It looked pretty amusing to see such a face on the little child.

“What do you want, child? I am busssssy,” he said, turning back to his target. Small feet tapped again as she took place on the other side of the table, her head barely peeking over the edge.

“Teach me. I want you to be my sensei, Orochimaru-sama,” the girl had the audacity, Orochimaru had to give it to her. His golden eyes snapped at the girl narrowing only slightly while his lips sneered into a smirk.

“Youuu? Did Hiruzen sensssei send you?” that was the only logical explanation. His old sensei was bickering for him to take on a student again.

“No.”

Orochimaru blinked. That’s it? So childish, he thought, going back to slice up the former shinobi.

“No,” he replied calmly, mirroring the little girl's tone.

“Orochimaru-sama. You are the only person fit to teach me. You are intelligent and strong. You are also incredibly creative with ninjutsu and that is what I want to learn from you.”

“You’re an Uchiha, you’ll learn ninjutsu with your fancy eyessss,” he said with mirth.

“No! I don’t want to simply learn ninjutsu. I want to create my own. Sharingan is only a tool and I refuse to use it as some crutch. I am better than that,” she was bold and for the first time, Orochimaru heard any Uchiha speak this way. To disregard their sharingan? This was something new.

“Hand me a number 12 scalpel,” he ordered, wanting to test the girl further. She was… interesting. Detached, calm, and determined. There was passion in her words. Her whole demeanor was something you don’t usually see in kids. Normal kids, that is.

To his surprise, the girl didn’t hesitate to follow his command. She took the right blade and dragged a chair to stand on, so now Ryoko had a better view over the dead body. Casually, like they were preparing dinner, she just handed him the blade over the open chest, not affected by the gore. Interesting.

“Youuuuu do it,” he smiled nodding towards the body between them. She didn’t even blink, only nodded.

“Cause of death or abnormalities?”

Orochimaru would have paused if he were someone else.

“Both,” he suggested watching her actions without blinking. He was always adamant about taking care of young genin, but he was even more curious at the end of the day. Now, this little girl managed to pique his interest and he could not resist pushing her forward into the bloody mess he himself thrived in.

“Hmm, poor bastard, would probably have died of lung cancer, but it was a senbon to the heart that killed him,” Ryoko deducted after carefully slicing into the body. Orochimaru nodded slowly. Yes, that was correct, to his surprise.

“Whoooo taught you that?” the snake asked.

“No one. I like reading books. All kinds of books,” she smiled at him for a second, and that expression was very eery on the little girl.

He liked it. There was something familiar in the way she talked and acted. Something that reminded him… of himself. The girl was clearly smart. Or maybe stupid for her lack of fear.

“Hmmm, I do not ssssee how your clan would approve of this arranggggement,” Orochimaru remarked while the girl kept slicing in search of hidden mysteries in this dead shinobi’s body. Completely casual.

“Well, my father does not believe I would be able to convince you, Orochimaru-sama. But honestly, you are the only one I want teaching me.”

Ryoko was obviously sweet-talking him, but she wasn’t wrong. He was a sannin after all. He was considered a genius among peers. But he was also disregarded by many clans as a pariah of the village.

“And your father would be…?”

“Fugaku Uchiha.”

Orochimaru blinked. Interessssting. To teach a clan head's child… that was something different. It would give him power and leverage over the clan head. Of course, Orochimaru would prefer to teach the heir instead, but… The girl came to him on her own volition. He really could not see how anyone would have otherwise convinced Fugaku to allow this.

“Have you killllled before?” he asked.

“Obviously, I am a shinobi,” she said without pause.

“Alright. Let us spar. I will test your skills and see if you are worthy to be taught anything,” he snarled dismissively, but his perceptive eyes noticed the genuine smile and sparkle that appeared in the girl's eyes.

“Yes! Orochimaru-sensei!” she was beaming at him annoyingly, but he will enjoy crushing the kid with a dose of reality. She barked on the wrong tree.

Okay, Orochimaru was mildly impressed. As expected, Ryoko was nowhere near his skills, but her chakra reserves seemed endless. He noted that the girl suppressed her chakra at all times, but no matter how many ninjutsu she used in their spar, her level of chakra did not decrease.

At first, she didn’t even use her sharingan, but eventually, he pushed her into it. Red eyes tracked him with experience, so she really has been training and killing, he mused. Each of her attacks were precise and with intent to kill. He would not accept anything else, honestly.

In the end, it was her stamina that lost her the fight. The girl could barely stand, she was mildly bruised and scraped. But she was standing.

“Enough,” he waved her off nonchalantly, ignoring the singed sleeve of his shirt. Ryoko did manage to get him that one time. Barely. But she did.

Unintentionally, his mind already devised a regiment to increase her stamina, speed, and reaction time. She was like a new shiny toy he wanted to play with.

“Yes… Orochimaru-sensei,” the girl sighed, lowering her hands from the fighting stance. He scoffed at the title but didn’t correct her. After all, he didn’t agree to this arrangement yet.

“So, what is your goal, girrrl?”

“I want to become strong.”

“That’s it?” he sneered, not impressed.

“I want to be as strong as Madara-sama.”

Out of all the shinobi from the legends, she had to choose him? Well, when you think about it, it probably was not that strange. She was an Uchiha, but from Orochimaru’s experience, even her clan did not favor their predecessor that much.

“He is infamous. Why would youuuu want to be like himmmm?”

“Because… he's a badass?”

“Badass?” he raised one delicate eyebrow.

“Yup,” that innocent smile of hers was ominous. Orochimaru found that he liked it. Maybe for others, it would be strange to see a child act this way. But the sannin saw nothing odd. She had that sense of darkness around her. The aura, that he suspected, was usually carefully hidden. But now it was out in the open. Only for him to see.

Interesting. She had promise. She had determination. She could be a good specimen to see just how far the sharingan could be pushed… Danzo did suggest to him before an opportunity to experiment on sharingan. But if he could get his hands on this girl… then he would not have to make the deal with the devil himself. Orochimaru smiled in the same unsettling manner.

“Fine. I will teachhhh you. But I do not accept failure.”

“Yes, Sensei!”

Chapter Text

“Come in,” Hiruzen sighed after a polite knock was made on his office door. He could tell by chakra alone, that behind the door was his former student. Part of him dreaded considering what request did Orochimaru have this time. His ideas most of the time were… questionale.

“Sensei,” the tall pale jonin greeted, not taking the usual seat. So maybe it would be a short conversation?

“Orochimaru,” he nodded with a puff from his pipe. “What brings you here so early?”

“I took on a student. That’ssssss it. Okay, bye,” the sannin was about to leave when Hiruzen finally mustered a response.

“A student? As in a person to teach?” he asked skeptically. For years he tried to push a genin team on him, but after the incident with Nawaki, Orochimaru would not even consider his proposals.

“Yes. A genin,” Orochimaru shrugged nonchalantly and again turned to leave.

“Wait,” Hokage exhaled with mild frustration. Something was telling him that this is going to be a headache. “Who? If it is a genin, I have to take them off the list for team assignment.”

“Uchiha. Ryoko Uchiha,” Orochimaru’s expression was unreadable, but the name itself spoke louder than words. Hiruzen took a couple of calming breaths before speaking.

“Orochimaru, please tell me I misheard you. Because I could swear that you said the name of Ryoko Uchiha. Daughter of Fugaku Uchiha. The clan head of Uchiha. An eight-year-old girl that was just released from the academy after early graduation.”

“You heard me right,” the sannin deadpanned with his arms crossed elegantly over his chest. He obviously was not seeing the political nightmare of this idea. Hiruzen inhaled once more from his pipe.

“Don’t get me wrong, Orochimaru. I am glad you are taking another thought about being a sensei… I was actually about to suggest this other girl that just graduated Anko Mitarashi. I think she would be more suited…”

“There issss no need,” Orochimaru only waved his hand dismissively. The boy always had an attitude, but that might be only caused by their affiliation as sensei and student. At least Hiruzen hoped that it was the case. To think that the sannin would act this way with other Hokage, was not something he wanted to think about.

“Why did you pick her?” instead Hiruzen tried to piece the puzzle behind this mysterious development.

“I didn’t. Sssshe came to me,” even Orochimaru couldn’t hide the smugness in his voice.

“I see. Well, I wish you luck. She’s a bright kid.”

“Mhm, I am awarrrre,” Orochimaru nodded and then finally left. It’s not like Hiruzen could stop his student when he set his mind on something. Or someone. Now, the hard part would be to discuss this with Fugaku.

Hiruzen exhaled, rubbing his temples. Maybe he could just ignore it? What’s the worst that could happen?

Right.

A furious Uchiha, head of police, having a tantrum. That did not sound appealing. Weighing the two possibilities, Hiruzen finally decided to fall on his sword. Might as well get it over with. He called for an ANBU agent to summon the Uchiha clan head into his office.

Ryoko stopped by the hospital, to heal her minor injuries before going home. She would not have her father the satisfaction of seeing her beat up. As she waited in the hallway for a nurse, the girl looked around with a frown and arms crossed over her chest. The trademark Madara stance.

The hospital was buzzing. Civilians and shinobi came in and out with various degrees of urgency. She couldn’t understand why there were no Uchiha among medics. Their sharingan would be priceless in such a place.

As that thought circled her mind, a dark head of hair turned from a corner. Their eyes met, both widening from the realization.

“Brother?” she raised an eyebrow. He didn’t look injured. No, he actually looked like he was walking with a purpose. And a clipboard. And a badge around his neck.

“Koko! What are you doing here? Are you hurt?” he quickly approached scanning her disheveled appearance.

“Just a spar,” Ryoko brushed it off. “What are you doing here?”

The tiniest of blushes spread across his cheeks. Itachi was always adorable, even more so now, while caught doing something he probably wasn't supposed to.

“...internship…” he mumbled a response.

“Good, heal me then!” Ryoko smiled brightly extending her injured hand. There was hesitation, but eventually, Itachi took her into one of the rooms. Another medic joined them, for supervision, she guessed.

“You never get this injured,” Itachi remarked quietly, while his hands started to glow green.

“Found a good opponent.”

“Hn.”

“Sooo, does father know?”

“No.”

“Hn.”

The room fell into a comfortable silence. She guessed that much already. Otherwise, Itachi probably would have talked about his internship at home. But he didn’t.

“I got a sensei. Father doesn’t know that either,” she casually dropped the little news.

“Hn. Aren’t you gonna ask why I joined a medical internship?”

“Nop. You are smart, so it was a matter of time before you realized the obscene benefit of knowing medical ninjutsu.”

“Hn.”

“Hmmm, you’re good at it too,” Ryoko smiled again looking at her once again intact skin without any bruises or scratches left on it.

“It was you. You were surprised I didn’t know any medical jutsu back then…”

“Ah, right,” she vaguely recalled her own ramblings from the night in the forest.

“I was planning on telling you, but…”

“But, you are an heir and father would not approve without some arm twisting,” she finished for him. Itachi graced her with a small smile. Clan politics were something both of them were painfully familiar with.

“Hn.”

“Soooo, we can tell father together about our… decisions. I bet he will be more upset with me than you,” Ryoko smiled mischievously.

“What did you do?”

“Oh, let’s not spoil the surprise,” Ryoko giggled, hopping off the bed where she was seated for the healing session. “See you back home, brother,” a tight hug and she was gone.

Maybe she should tell mother first, so everyone would be prepared for Fugaku’s meltdown?

“Ah, Fugaku-san, good that you could stop by so promptly,” Hiruzen exhaled with a small smile as the clan head entered the office. Fugaku had a strong gut feeling that this meeting was urgent, that is why he came by as quickly as he could.

If the Hokage called for him with an ANBU agent, this had to be serious. Either concerning the war or… his children.

“Hokage-sama,” the man gave a polite nod stopping in front of the wide oak desk.

“Sooo,” Hiruzen inhaled smoke and continued, “First, I would like to congratulate you. Again. Ryoko-chan much like Itachi-kun shows great potential.”

He cursed in his mind. Of course, it had to be his children. Fugaku could swear that one of these days, it will be the death of him. Not an enemy shinobi, but his own children.

“Yes, Hokage-sama. I am blessed,” he answered with just the slightest strain in his voice.

“My student, Orochimaru, will be taking Ryoko-chan as a student. It is a great honor to be taught by one of the three legendary sannin.”

Fugaku could feel the blood drain from his body. When he first heard of Ryoko’s request, he didn’t believe she could actually do it… But he was naive in thinking that anything could stop his little girl. He should know better by now…

“I see,” Fugaku whispered, carefully suppressing any emotion and even chakra that tried to stir in his belly. “I will make sure to thank Minato-san, for helping out in arranging this.”

“Minato?” Hiruzen looked surprised.

“Oh yes. Namikaze so graciously offered to arrange a meeting for Ryoko with Orochimaru-san.”

“I see.”

The silence was tense as both men thought of ways to talk with Minato about his acts of kindness in the future. Hiruzen probably thought that his next words would help to lighten the mood… oh, how wrong he was.

“While we’re at it, Fugaku-san, it is very great that you allowed Itachi-kun to take an internship at the hospital. Tsunade has pestered me for years, that we should have more active shinobi who know medical ninjutsu. From what I hear, he has great talent. I am sure his skills of healing will aid him in a battle and his comrades.”

That’s it. It was a genjutsu, Fugaku thought but suppressed the urge to try and dispel it. Obviously, with his sharingan no one could place a genjutsu on him this… realistic.

“Right,” that was all that Fugaku mustered to reply.

“Also, if I might suggest, if more of your clansmen take this opportunity to learn to heal, we could fund research to look into the solution for sharingan's effect on the wielder's eyes.”

“I… will raise this question with our council,” Fugaku said feeling like the world really was going into a haze. He couldn’t recall the end of the meeting. The next moment he blinked, the man was already standing in front of the Uchiha compound gates.

He tried to dispel a genjutsu only once before entering. Obviously, nothing happened. The man inhaled deeply and went inside.

The dinner at Uchiha clan head house was eerily quiet. Itachi shared conspiratory glances with Ryoko. It was about time. They decided to break the news before dessert.

“Father, I have joined the medical internship at Konoha’s hospital,” Itachi announced, ripping a bandage off. Fugaku didn’t even blink to both of his children's surprise.

“Oh, and Orochimaru-sama agreed to be my sensei,” Ryoko said, far more cheerful, making Mikoto and Itachi stare at her with wide eyes. Yes, she eventually decided against warning her mother about everything.

Fugaku exhaled as he reached for his teacup. Stern eyes looked from Itachi to Ryoko.

“Itachi, Ryoko, do you understand how your actions could reflect on the clan?” while her brother bowed his head slightly, Ryoko was not intimidated by the veiled threat.

“Yes, father! Itachi will prove to everyone that Uchiha can do anything and everything better than Senju. Hashirama-sama was a healer too. And one of the sannin, Senju, is also a healer. I bet Itachi will be a legend just like them.”

Now that left everyone speechless. Itachi hesitantly raised his eyes to stare at her with what seemed to be gratitude and warmth in his gaze. Mikoto kept silent absorbing information, while Fugaku’s expression scrunched. He was looking for a fault in her reasoning.

“So why don’t you join medics too, Ryoko?” Fugaku snapped, making her pout.

“I wish… Sensei said that my chakra is too… flamboyant for the delicate work healing requires,” yes, she was still bitter about it. Orochimaru refused to teach her healing after their spar. Actually, his words were more like ‘don’t get hit the next time’. Semantics.

“Yes, father, great chakra control is needed for medical ninjutsu,” Itachi offered gently.

“Talking about your sensei, Ryoko. Why, would you pick him? And I know that it is not about intelligence alone. Otherwise, you would have asked for a Nara,” Fugaku’s full attention was on her. Ryoko carefully placed her chopsticks down and straightened up.

“Father, I was thinking about what I want to do as a shinobi,” she started keeping intense eye contact. “Itachi will take over the clan eventually and I will always support him,” she smiled at her brother for a second, then her eyes returned to Fugaku. “Yet it left me thinking, what I will become.”

“And?” her father asked impatiently.

“Father, I will become the next Hokage. The first of Uchiha. It is our rightful place as one of the founder clans. It is long overdue.”

There was silence. It looked like Fugaku’s anger melted, but she could not decipher what he was thinking from the blank face he made.

“And… what does it have to do with Orochimaru of all people?” he finally asked.

“Everything. Second Hokage was First's brother. Third Hokage was Second's student. The next will probably be Minato-san as he is the student of Third's student. So the one after Minato will have to be another student connected to former Hokage. Or… would you prefer me to learn under Jiraiya the Toad sannin?” she curved her eyebrow with a cheeky smile. Everyone, even her, knew what a pervert that one was.

“Hn,” that is when Ryoko knew that her father conceded. As she predicted, Itachi’s news was overlooked. That was inevitable when a sannin is mentioned in a conversation.

“I will support you in your goal,” Itachi smiled at her. There was never even a tinge of rivalry between them. Maybe it was Ryoko’s ‘easy-going nature’ or maybe it was her wisdom to think better than rival her brother over such a thing as a position of a clan head.

No, she wanted to rule everyone. She wanted to be the first female Hokage. She wanted to be the first Uchiha Hokage. People will bow to her one day, she was sure of it. That’s what Madara would have done in her position, Ryoko was sure of it.

From all the books she read, there was nothing more important than a sibling bond between the Uchiha. Madara would never cross his brother if the roles were reversed. And honestly, she wouldn’t want to cause trouble for Itachi. He could be the political one, while she would be his right hand and the one to do what has to be done. Even if that meant taking over as the Hokage to support him.

Fugaku dismissed them shortly after. There was no yelling or smashing of plates. She was pleasantly surprised by the level of control her dear father had over his emotions. At the end of the day, he was a smart and reasonable man. He could not deny her reasoning. The council of the clan might comment something, but they were nothing but old sacks of meat nearing their expiration date. They would not stop her.

As predicted, the clan council had a word or two to say about the young genius Uchiha and their choices. Fugaku took all the comments in silence. He didn’t argue or agree either. He was actually still recovering from his little girl's declaration.

On one hand, it warmed his heart. She was an embodiment of a strong and prideful Uchiha. She was wise beyond her age. But she was also his little girl. The thought of her sensei being the infamous snake sannin was concerning.

“Mikoto, let’s not have any more children,” he said to his wife one evening after finishing sake in his cup. “I don’t think I could handle another one…”

Mikoto snickered, cuddling to his side.

“It’s your own fault, Fugaku, for being so irresistible.”

He groaned but did not correct her. Often than not, it was he who could not resist her. Devilish woman. And their children were surely her spawns.

“Fu-ga-ku. Itachi and Ryoko are out on missions,” she whispered to his ear.

“Devil, woman, you are the devil,” he inhaled deeply her ravishing scent.

Chapter Text

Ryoko liked living in Konoha. In this age of shinobi, where killing was a profession. A well-paid job even. One thing she did miss - the music. There was a lot she could give to have her iPods right now with some rap blasting full force.

“...Play with my pussy, but don't play with my 'motions. If you spend some money, then maybe I just might fuck ya…” she hummed lyrics under her breath while painting a fence. Thankfully, no shinobi was nearby to hear her adult language. That might raise some questions.

The girl smirked. She could not wait to be old enough and ‘enlighten’ shinobi around her with the ‘wisdom’ from her past. The dirty dancing she used to do in the clubs. The nasty jokes, she always had to hold back now. Teenage years would be fun, she mused.

“All done,” finally Ryoko reported to the owner of the fence. This was a D rank mission sensei gave her. To do alone. Actually, he dropped about a dozen missions on her head. Talking something about formalities, before they can do more fun activities.

Ryoko got a sense that Orochimaru was still testing her. Her patience for one. But he wasn’t that bad. Whenever she had training-related questions, he would provide an answer. That’s putting it lightly. The man was a walking book!

He would go on and on about the smallest details until all intricacies were explained. She soaked in the knowledge like a sponge. Rules and tips on meditation. Rules on developing a jutsu. He was even pleased to know that her chakra nature was not only fire but lightning as well.

They would also spar in the evening, but he never went what she would consider overboard. Ryoko would fight even if she couldn’t put her hands up anymore, but sensei would say that such a state of hers was not worth his time. His coldness and nonchalance were clearly disguising his common sense.

Why was he pretending to be cruel, when actually he had a soft spot, Ryoko didn’t know. But she learned to see through it. Her gratitude was shown by in return helping Orochimaru with his research.

The girl knew a thing or two about medicine and anatomy, from her past, to put it lightly. Of course, she hid it well by providing only small doses of knowledge. She would ask the right questions, which eventually led the sannin to the answer. And if his ego was brushed along the way, by him feeling like he solved the issue by himself, Ryoko didn’t mind.

After a few weeks of small missions, the day had finally come - C rank mission, baby! Ryoko was excited to leave the village for the first time. She didn’t even mind not taking any ‘days off’ in the time Orochimaru became her sensei.

The guards by the gates looked suspicious letting her go alone with Orochimaru, but they didn’t comment. The perks of being a sannin were enough to compensate for this being not the standard four-man team.

The two of them traveled fast over the trees. It was a simple task of message delivery to the border and back. The war was taking more and more shinobi to fight. Unfortunately, this mission was not eventful.

So was the next mission. And the next. They were doing only C rank missions from then on. Small breaks in between. Some more training.

She could swear that Orochimaru got excited every time she brought a new idea for a jutsu.

“Sensei, how can one redirect lightning?”

“You can’t.”

“What about… well when you generate lightning chakra? But just do it in reverse? Take lightning chakra, guide it through your body and then release?”

“You would die,” he said flatly, but she could see the gears in his head starting to turn.

“Bullshit. There has to be a way. You probably wouldn’t guide it through vital organs like a heart or brain…” she carefully plastered on a thinking mask.

“Obbbbviousssly. But… a stomach could theoretically work…” he thought aloud and she almost saw a moment when a light bulb flickered on above the man’s head.

“Cool! Zap me! I’ll try it!” she smiled cheerfully extending her arm. She tried practicing it on herself, but it was difficult. And Ryoko had no urge to stand in the rain waiting for lightning to strike her.

She wasn’t the biggest fan of fiction and superhero movies, back in her old life, but she had seen a few. They all proved to have more than plenty of ideas to choose from for her ninjutsu creations.

There was one thing she desperately wanted to try out. Sensei said it would require too much chakra, but she insisted… After all, each shinobi had a signature ex-Machina jutsu. She had just the perfect idea in mind for her own killer technique.

As she added more and more features to the thing, the number of hand seals to create it quickly got out of hand.

“You are not testing out that jutsu inside the village,” Orochimaru sighed when she asked again to practice her devilish creation.

“But seeeeenseeeei! I have to try it out! How else will I know if it works?” puppy eyes didn’t work on the snake, like on other adults. What did sway him, was the natural process of creation. Idea. Math. Trial & error. Testing was a crucial part and eventually, he agreed.

They traveled to the far end of the Land of Fire, where snowy mountains surrounded them from all directions. They didn’t want any casualties or damage.

It took a week of camping in a nearby cave until the jutsu worked out. Orochimaru stared at the devastated landscape in front of him.

“Huh. Well… that wassss something,” he mused.

“I think… I will throw up,” Ryoko swayed on her feet from exhaustion. This jutsu really did take a good chunk of her chakra, but it was… magnificent. A true weapon of mass destruction. She would make the world burn! Right after she gets some rest.

Her knees buckled and her sight darkened, but she didn’t feel the impact with the ground. Instead, her head rested on something silky smooth.

“Reckless child,” Orochimaru whispered, hooking his arms over her knees, while the girl fully fainted on his back. She didn’t see his fond smile.

Teaching was not how Orochimaru imagined it. The girl refused to give up or give in. Any task was done to perfection as many times as he asked. She was a top student if he could say so himself. Always diligent, listening, and thinking. Too much, to his liking.

If at first, the snake planned to break her, now he was not so sure if that would be possible. The girl wasn’t naive. Despite being obedient, she would challenge his ideas and thoughts. Like an… equal! Ha! But… she was skilled, he could not deny it.

Working with Ryoko was refreshing. She was like a breath of fresh air. It looked like her mind worked differently. Just like his mind. She had absurd ideas… but they worked! So who was he to question her way of breaking decade-old shinobi traditions and expectations on ninjutsu?

If he was to be frank with himself, Orochimaru would admit that he learned from the girl as much as he taught her. She had a natural knack for medicine too. It might not be that odd, considering that her brother was making waves at the hospital with his own genius skills.

On the other hand, the girl had no reservations in criticizing his work! It didn’t look like she was disturbed by anything, but the way she thought about the future… about what his work would have to deal with from the higher-ups… Quickly, she would make a case that the trouble was not worth the results. Often than not, Orochimaru had to agree.

He already scrapped many experiments because of her reasoning or because the girl would suggest a more effective way to achieve what he wanted. A genius. She was a bloody genius. He would curse her if he didn’t find needing her opinion more and more each passing day.

Orochimaru would catch himself thinking ‘what would Ryoko do in his place?’. The answer was always the same - think outside the box. Take another angle. Find a loophole. It was infuriating, but also very productive.

Finally, he pestered Hiruzen enough to give them a B rank mission. It took a couple of months convincing, but he knew how his old sensei worked. And now Orochimaru and his student traveled to the far Land of Frost.

The mission was to steal a scroll and leave undetected. That is why such an untraditional two-person team worked so well. Nobody would suspect a man with a child to be up to something. Most missions during wartime had bigger teams on them for security.

“Alright, we will take a break herrrre. A snowstorm issss comming,” Orochimaru announced as they stopped on a snowy ledge of a small cave.

“Ye-ye-yes, sensei,” the girl stuttered. Orochimaru glanced back. She was shivering! Now that’s a first. And she didn't even complain once. Of course, the climate of these lands was harsh, but he barely noticed the cold anymore.

“Why are you not using chakra to circulate your blood fasssster?” he chastised the little girl. The tip of her nose was red and the unruly ends of her hair looked frosty.

“I-I-I have never d-d-done that before,” she answered with rattling teeth. He exhaled. Right. Previous times in cold, the girl would do the oddest thing - she would breathe fire to warm herself. She called it her fire breath.

Now, however, they could not risk using any flames, as they would attract unwanted attention. And the girl knew it. So she used brute force of her will to keep going.

Orochimaru exhaled sharply. The kid would be the death of him. There is no telling what sensei would do if he let the little Uchiha freeze to death.

“Come,” he beckoned the girl as he unsealed a bedroll and a blanket. With his back to the cave wall, Orochimaru sat down on the bedroll and motioned for the girl to come closer. She didn’t hesitate. Orochimaru long ago stopped being surprised by the lack of intimidation he had on the girl.

Ryoko again proved her intelligence, by knowing what he wanted without him having to say it. She took a seat in front of him, her back resting on his chest.

“Reckless, girl. You could have frozzzzen to death,” he sighed wrapping a blanket over the both of them. Under it, one of his hands held a kunai for protection, the other wrapped around the shivering girl. She was cold as an icicle.

“I-I ha-hate cold,” she shivered violently in his grasp.

The girl scooted even closer to his flack vest and he hugged her that much tighter. It was his precious student after all, and he could not let any harm fall upon her.

As they sat like this sharing the warmth and watching the snowfall starting to pick up into a full-blown storm, Orochimaru couldn’t help but feel something odd in his gut. Something warm… It was a weird sensation and it could only be attributed to the girl he was watching over.

“Sleep,” he ordered after a while and she obeyed. He felt her pulse slow down. And that felt nice. The feeling of her being so calm next to him… that was nice. Orochimaru slowly realized that he wanted to protect the girl not only from harm. To protect her from cold. To watch over her while she slept. To protect her from the whole world.

Ryoko felt like a fragile glass doll in his grasp. When did I get so attached? he mused looking over her black head of hair. She had stopped shivering and that alone made him feel relieved. His heart felt almost as warm as this little body in his embrace.

In the beginning, Ryoko was nothing but another possible experiment. Her eyes were what got his attention, but it was her soul that changed his perception completely. She was too much like him, to do anything… harmful to her. No, he would not let her die. Orochimaru decided to make her strong, just like him.

He wanted her to survive this harsh world. He wanted to protect her not only from death but the pain as well. Noone, who knew the girl, would call Ryoko Uchiha fragile. But Orochimaru knew people like her. He was like her.

Strong and conniving, but… some things hurt more than a flesh wound. The loneliness he felt over decades was like the worst kind of torture. He didn’t notice it before as the man learned to push such thoughts aside and bury himself in work. Only after spending time with the girl, did the sannin realize how much he missed human contact and attention.

Ryoko was always open and straight with him. She felt comfortable around him. Her darkness didn’t bother him, just like his own darkness didn’t bother her. They were the same.

Orochimaru exhaled, closing his eyes for a second. So help him Kami if anyone dares to harm his little protege.

The mission was a success as expected. Ryoko never wanted to travel to the North again. Fuck snow and cold. Sensei at least taught her how to enhance her senses with chakra after that mission, although she preferred her fire breath.

And she was now fully convinced that beneath the scaly exterior, Orochimaru was a big softy. He outright refused for her to stay in the cold for too long when he learned about her lack of skill to warm up with chakra.

When she returned home, once again unharmed by her sensei, to her father's surprise, there was big news waiting for her.

“Itachi! You’re soooo lucky!” she engulfed her brother in a tight hug. His team was actually going to participate in the chunin exams in a month.

“Thank you, Koko,” he smiled softly at her. Itachi was already ten years old and probably one of the youngest ever participants of chunin exams. While Ryoko herself only recently turned nine, she had a long road ahead of her before climbing the ranks.

“You too, Shisui,” Ryoko engulfed her cousin in a similar embrace.

“Awww, I already thought you forgot about me, hime,” the boy ruffled her hair playfully and she could feel his chakra circling happily deep inside of the smiling boy.

“How was your mission?” Itachi asked as the three of them took refuge in the shade of a big tree in their garden.

“Smooth. Sensei was very efficient, but he was not pleased that I didn’t know how to circle my chakra for warmth,” she frowned, crossing her arms over her chest.

“You’ll get wrinkles, hime,” Shisui laughed, poking her in the forehead. She rubbed the spot with a deeper frown on her face.

“Yeah yeah… Honestly, Sensei is such a dotting worrier, that he could be worse than mother sometimes,” Ryoko exhaled.

“...”

“Are you still talking about Orochimaru-sama?” Itachi asked carefully while Shisui was still speechless.

“Hn. I swear, he doesn’t even spar with me to the full extent so I wouldn’t fall from exhaustion or something.”

“That’s good isn’t it?” Itachi tried his best to understand her ranting, but his puzzled expression gave away that he couldn’t understand why she was unhappy.

“Honestly, I didn’t expect him to be such a softy…” she puffed her cheeks and sighed. Maybe Ryoko was just fucked up, but she honestly didn’t feel like Orochimaru was pushing her hard enough. Some people would probably disagree with her if only they knew the extent of their training.

“Orochimaru-sama… is soft? Did you hit your head, hime?” Shisui blinked and then poked Itachi to the side. “Oy, examine her, I think your sister has a concussion.”

Itachi nodded in response with a serious expression. His hands started to glow green without even using any hand signs. Ryoko would have fled this forceful examination if they were only two of them. With Shisui, however, Ryoko had no chance for an escape. Her dear cousin was already getting famous for his speed and flickering skills.

“No concussion or other brain injury,” Itachi deducted pulling his hands away.

“Obviously,” Ryoko pouted harder.

“Koko, there’s another thing that happened while you were away…” Itachi started and his words got her attention quicker than Shisui could shunshin.

“Hn?”

“Obito was cleared. He is in the hospital now to finish the rehabilitation for his injuries.”

Chapter Text

Ryoko rushed to the hospital like her life depended on it. She skipped through the nurses and went straight to the room Itachi gave her. Without pause, the girl barged in and ran up to the bed by the window, ignoring anyone else present.

“OBI!” she yelled out fixated on the familiar unruly hair. One eye was looking at her, the rest of his face was covered in bandages.

“Cousin…” he whispered with a sad smile. Ryoko smiled back at him and carefully approached.

“Can… I hug you?” she asked eyes tracing even more bandages peeking out from his hospital robe.

“Come here, princess,” the boy only said, opening up his arms. Ryoko didn’t hesitate to embrace him. She wasn’t the kind of person to hold a grudge over someone who was not in their right mind while torturing her.

They hugged in silence for a while until Ryoko’s attention was taken by a minuscule noise in the far back of the room. She glanced over her shoulder to see a tiny person with a white porcelain mask standing there. Her eyes narrowed.

“What is he doing here?”

“Now now, hime, that’s my teammate. Be nice,” Obito poked her forehead much like Shisui an hour ago.

“No visitors,” the masked boy said coldly.

“I am family,” Ryoko snapped back and crossed her arms over her chest. Insolent brat thought he was better than her? Then how come he didn’t protect Obito? She almost said it aloud.

“Yeah, Kakashi, it’s fine. This is my cousin,” Obito added. The boy didn’t budge but didn’t comment either.

“How are you?” Ryoko resisted the urge to show her tongue to the other boy and instead turned her deep eyes to Obito.

“I’m… okay… Ryoko-hime, I… wanted to say sorry… for what I did to you,” Obito’s voice cracked and he looked completely distraught from what she could tell based on his sole visible eye and lips.

“I’m fine. You were not yourself,” she assured him.

“I’m… so sorry…” he whispered again.

“What did you do, Obito?” that Kakashi brat asked. Ryoko sent a killing glare his way for even asking.

“Nothing. He just used a genjutsu on me, that’s it!”

“No, hime! I… I tortured you…” Obito’s voice cracked again. “I didn’t want to, I swear!”

“I know, Obi, I know,” Ryoko turned back to her cousin and clasped his hand. “Tell me, did you want to give up your eye to him?”

Maybe this was not the place or time to ask, but she had to know. To give away sharingan was no small gesture. He could have been coursed and she would make it right, even if she had to rip the eye from Kakashi’s skull herself!

“Yes… I thought.. I was going to die…”

“I see… well, don’t worry! I’ll get you a replacement eye!”

Obito chuckled with bitterness, but mild amusement too. “Oh? Really? I’d rather you not be stealing anyone’s eye at this age.”

“Naaah, my sensei probably has a stash of those recovered from enemy shinobi,” she brushed it off with a bright smile.

“Haha, sure, kid. Come here,” he beckoned her for another hug. Tighter this time. “Thank you,” he whispered to her ear.

It turned out that Obito couldn’t tell her much else. Everything that happened to him was now apparently classified. He assured that Konoha cleared him and now he only needed to heal. He mentioned that the girl, Rin, was also fine thanks to her. But Ryoko couldn’t care less about the weakling brat.

Despite not knowing much, she was simply relieved to have her cousin back home. Her mood was chipper when she entered Orochimaru’s lab.

“Sensei,” she greeted the pale man who was leaning over a pile of papers.

“Hmmm. You arrrre late,” the snake commented, sparing the girl a single glance.

“Yes. I was visiting my cousin in the hospital.”

“Chunin examination will be in a month.”

“I am aware, sensei.”

“Gooooood, so don’t be late.”

Ryoko opened her mouth to say ‘what’, but closed it right away. There was nothing she hated more than pointless questions. Her sensei’s statement was obvious when you actually used your brain to think about it.

And he wasn’t the type to joke around or prank, so she didn’t have to ask ‘really?’ either. Now actually, the amount of D rank missions made sense in her head. Ryoko slowly nodded, when the pieces fell into the perfect image inside her head.

“But I don’t have a team. Don’t you need a team for them?”

“Yessss. I picked a couple of genins to join you.”

“I see… Sensei, could I get a weapon?”

“Ohhh? What do you have in mind?” Orochimaru finally turned his full attention to the girl. Her smile was deviant. This was another step towards being the next Madara.

“I FORBID YOU!”

To be fair, Ryoko should have expected this. To her defense, she was too preoccupied with her new toy to inform her family about the little news. The thing is, shinobi didn’t share her sentiment. It turned out to be a pretty big deal, for a nine-year-old girl straight from the academy to participate in the chunin exams.

Fugaku’s face was red as he stared into her deep eyes. Ryoko tried hard to suppress her smile.

“I am sorry, father, but this is not up to you. You will have to speak with my sensei.”

“What is he thinking??!! Chunin exams are dangerous!”

“He thinks I am ready and I agree with him, father.”

“Ryoko! You are not ready…” for the war was left unsaid, but she understood where Fugaku was going with this. Chunins were actually sent to the battles. They saw actual war. While Ryoko, like no other child her age, was absolutely curious to see skillful shinobi fighting to the death. She wanted to see the shinobi war first hand.

“I have to train,” Ryoko smiled sweetly and bowed leaving her father to fume alone. There was nothing more to add to this conversation. Even the Hokage could not object for skillful shinobi to be promoted. He needed able bodies to fight for Konoha.

“Itachi,” Fugaku called for his son while sitting in the garden of his home. Tired eyes stared at the distance in contemplation.

It is safe to say that the conversation with Orochimaru didn’t go well. Even the clan was pleased to hear the news about his children's accomplishments. Both of his children were to attend the same chunin exams and Fugaku had a bad feeling about it.

“Yes, father?” Itachi exited the house with a neutral expression.

“You know, what to do, son?”

“Yes, father. I will look after her.”

Both men nodded in silent agreement. If Fugaku couldn’t stop it, he at least had to make sure that his little girl was safe. He had no doubts that Ryoko would pass the theory part of the examination. The second round of survival concerned him more. She was just a child…

Smart? Yes. Resilient? Yes. But still a child. How could she stand against the older shinobi, some twice her age?

The worry made Fugaku grim. Even civilians sensed the change and the village was at an all-time low in the number of crimes committed. The police force reflected the ruthless position of their leader.

“Curse that Namikaze…” Fugaku would whisper under his breath.

Ryoko’s temporary teammates didn’t outright say anything, but she caught them staring. Judging her. There was no expectation for her to last. As far as all of them knew - Ryoko was just a spoiled clan kid with book smarts. None of them had seen her actually fight.

One boy and a girl. The boy Ryoko just called ‘you there', because it was too bothersome to remember his name. The girl she could not call ‘you’ too, so name it is. Anko. She was actually tolerable.

As expected and to no one’s surprise, the theory part of the exam was passed. Itachi alongside Ryoko was with top scores. People started to whisper about the siblings. Their likely rivalry. Most of the other shinobi were excited to see the young heir in the last round. All forgetting about his sister…

The survival part of the exam did not seem too different for Ryoko from her missions and training with Orochimaru. Even the Anko girl held her own. The boy… well, the two girls had to drag him to the tower after crossing the Forest of Death.

Now, what was left of the contestants, stood in a hall. Hokage made his speech. Proctors explained the rules. There were very few spectators here. Only senseis, couple ANBU, jonin commander and even her father weaseled his way in.

“Now, the final round pairs will be announced,” Hokage said motioning for the genin to pick a number from a bag.

Ryoko reached her tiny hand into the bag and picked her lucky number nine, just like her age. Anko next to her got a number four. Down the line, Itachi picked a number ten…

The room went into silence. Adults glanced at each other. Some dared to peek a look at her father. Ryoko blinked a couple of times focusing on the bracket board.

Number nine was going against number ten.

“Chem,” Hokage cleared his throat over the tense silence. “All participants will have three weeks to prepare for the fight. I wish you all good luck.”

The corners of Ryoko’s lips quirked just a bit up. Well, fuck. She would have to fight her brother. In front of everyone. At least now, she could take the ‘kitty gloves’ off and fight to the full extent of her powers.

“Why is everyone staring at you?” Anko whispered to her.

“Because I’ll be fighting my brother and the heir to my clan,” Ryoko said nonchalantly.

“Did you hear?”

“Yeah…”

“Two Uchiha geniuses facing each other? That will be a sight!”

“They are siblings, bet the girl will have to concede.”

“You’re probably right.”

“A shame that we won’t see that prodigy fight.”

The gossip mill worked relentlessly. In an hour the whole village knew. Fugaku was used to stares and whispers. He might be more concerned if his mind wasn't reeling at the moment.

Some jonin were convinced that his daughter won’t even fight Itachi. They were all wrong of course. He was her father and knew too well that Ryoko would not back down.

But what would happen if she actually won over her brother? The clan would have his head. A future heir could not show weakness. Fugaku was concerned that Itachi would be the one to forfeit the fight. The boy was strong, but he loved his sister even more.

“Itachi, Ryoko,” he called for his children back home to sit in front of him in the tatami room.

“I’m not throwing the fight, father,” the girl said right away. Fugaku didn’t sigh as he expected such an answer.

“I won’t either,” Itachi said determined. Fugaku actually had to take a second look at his son. This was unexpected.

“Very well,” he finally said after a long pause. “But there will be ground rules,” he continued to speak without letting his children to interrupt. “Know both of your limits. It is okay to concede. And no forbidden genjutsu, Ryoko.”

The girl looked insulted and hurt by the insinuation, but she wasn’t fooling him this time. Fugaku knew what he taught both of his children. And he knew what scrolls Ryoko would read from the Uchiha archives.

“Fine,” she sighed crossing arms over her chest with a childish pout on her face.

“Itachi, I know you will be reasonable, but do not forget that you are the heir to the Uchiha clan. You will have to show it with your skills.”

“Yes, father.”

The weeks went by quickly. Ryoko trained with her sensei day in and out mastering her new weapon. It was… something. Definitely a statement piece. It was also not complete but would have to do for now.

Ryoko found herself in the Nara compound on the last day of the three weeks training. She leisurely moved her shogi piece without much care in her mind.

“I win,” Shikaku said as he took her piece.

“Hn. Looks like it,” she smiled at the young jonin commander not too upset about her loss.

“So, are you ready for tomorrow, kid?”

“Obviously,” she snarled, crossing arms over her chest.

“Listen, I know you’re a smart cookie, but you don’t have to fight.”

“Oh, I most certainly do, old man!”

“Oy! I mean… listen, do you think you can win?”

Ryoko grinned at that statement. People had so little faith in her that it was now amusing her. “Of course I can. I know the best my brother's fighting skills. This is a perfect matchup. Neither would be disadvantaged or overpowered because of the dojutsu we both have.”

“I see. But will you win?” damn Nara was perceptive as always. Ryoko’s smile stayed on her face but saddened a bit.

“Shikaku-san, as a clan head, you should be well aware of an outcome my win would have.”

“Yes, I am aware.”

“So, I think you know the answer already to your question,” the girl bowed and turned to leave.

“Get some rest girl, you look like crap,” he yelled after her, she chuckled. What an overprotective man he was. No wonder people trusted their lives with him.

The day had come. Genin buzzed with excitement much like the crowd that gathered to see the show. There was an unusual amount of Uchiha in the stands. All identifiable by their stoic faces, black hair, and Uchiha insignias on their clothing.

Fugaku made sure to be in the village for the fight. He sat next to his worried wife, without showing emotions on his own face. He was beyond worried. His clan would be watching carefully. They would judge him for the actions of his children.

One fight ended after the other. The tension was building and culminated when two small figures appeared in the field below. They were so small…

Ryoko stood tall and strong, with arms crossed over her chest like always, in defiance to the whole world. Itachi stood straight and relaxed. They were almost the same height by now. Only a year difference between the two.

Fugaku could feel people’s stares burning the back of his head. They all waited to see what the children would do. The fight was announced and so it began.

In an instant, the crowd was surprised that neither of the kids walked away from the fight. His clan members like one activate their sharingan. It was a sight to behold. One word - intimidating. Dozens of red eyes glimmered in the shadows tracking the action without blinking.

Fugaku did the same. His eyes bled red and he watched as Ryoko and Itachi leaped to engage in a fight. His boy favored kunai and shuriken, while Ryoko played on the defensive right now.

Clones appeared and vanished. Fireballs sored the air. It was going well so far. A warm-up Fugaku thought as his lips pursed together into one straight line.

“This should be interesssssting. You better don’t blink,” a sly voice cooed in the back. Fugaku didn’t have to turn around to know who was speaking. His features tensed as he observed Ryoko start to weave hand signs after landing a kick at Itachi’s solar plexus.

Her moves were intricate and nothing he had ever seen before. The girl placed her tiny hand on the ground sending a visible shock wave over it. Earth style? he wondered for a split second until Ryoko yelled out the name for her technique.

“THE FLOOR IS LAVA!” he suppressed an urge to blink and watched as the ground cracked. Slowly pieces of it sank down into… lava.

Bubbling red hot liquid now covered the whole arena. While Itachi landed on the arena wall, hanging on with chakra infused to his feet, Ryoko stood on top of… lava.

“For Madara’s sake… lava?” Fugaku turned to send a deadly stare at the sannin who sat behind him. The pale man chuckled, covering his mouth with one hand.

“Brilliant, issssssn’t it? My students creation,” Orochimaru bragged.

“Hn,” he scoffed and turned back to the fight. Itachi managed to use earth jutsu to create a makeshift bridge over the deadly pool of fuckin lava!

Two figures moved quickly to fight on the tiny surface. Itachi was placed at a clear disadvantage, as Ryoko seemed to have no trouble standing on her own creation. The heat coming off the ground was felt in the stands. It was not an illusion. It was the real deal.

And then everything stilled. For regular people, it would look like the two kids stood in a stalemate with their kunai engaged in a battle of strength. Who would push the other away? That would be their question.

Every Uchiha knew better. The kids were not just standing still. With sharingan activated, both of them were having a genjutsu match invisible to others. If simple genjutsu could be visible to anyone, this was a more skilled method seasoned Uchiha used. Fugaku felt his palm getting sweaty.

“ROCK!”

“PAPER!”

“SCISSORS!”

Ryoko cursed aloud, dropping her hand down.

“I told you, brother, you win!” she pouted making it her third loss.

“AGAIN!” Itachi demanded.

Yes. They used sharingan to play rock, paper, scissors to determine who would win their fight. She sighed. “We had a deal, ‘tachi.”

“But… it’s not fair, Koko.”

“Fair is fair. I pick a game to determine who would win and you won.”

“Again,” he pleaded. She sighed. Honestly, her brother was even more stubborn than herself. What’s the point of rigging the chunin finals if he wasn’t prepared to actually do it. Ryoko knew what had to be done. She nodded and they played once more.

In reality, people observed how her free hand shook as she went against the genjutsu to get another kunai from her weapons pouch. For a second, every jonin thought that it was probably over for Itachi. To their horror, Ryoko didn’t hit her brother. No. She stabbed her own leg, breaking the genjutsu completely.

Both kids leaped away with labored breathing. Genjutsu of this level took a lot from both of them. Itachi quickly took out his tanto, while Ryoko grabbed a scroll from her pouch.

“It has to be done, Itachi,” she smiled at him as the scroll unraveled and her new weapon poofed into existence. It was a huge scythe. Double her tiny stature. Very similar to the one Madara Uchiha used himself.

She didn’t hesitate with her next attack. The weapon allowed her to attack while keeping her distance. If Itachi was so set on not winning, she would have to force his hand.

Slash to the left. Slash to the right. Another jab and she finally got him. There was a deep cut on Itachi’s side. The boy grabbed over it, red blood staining his hands. Then it started to glow green. Ryoko smirked with satisfaction.

That’s it, brother, show them what you can do! she thought lunging for another attack. Itachi did not disappoint. As if he got a second breath, the next attack of his was double the speed and force.

He skillfully got over her defenses and jabbed her pressure points. Shoulder, rib, thigh, and one last jab to her neck.

Lights out. Ryoko fell to the ground unable to move. Looks like medical skills could rival Hyuga's technique, she snickered to herself. But this was what it was. There was no way Ryoko could win against Itachi when there was so much political backlash behind it.

Sensei will not be pleased with her, but Ryoko didn’t care. She swore to help her brother, even if that meant losing. Also, to subdue Itachi was not an easy feat, she had to admit. Now if she really wanted to kill him… That would be a different story.

She allowed the darkness to consume her. The last thing Ryoko heard was the proctor's voice from afar.

“The winner is Itachi Uchiha.”

Chapter Text

Ryoko woke up feeling sore all over her body. The after-effects of having your pressure points closed were like a major hangover from a tequila night. She groaned shifting to her side. Her whole chakra network felt stagnant from disuse.

“Koko! You’re awake!”

“Hn,” she muttered with her eyes still closed.

“Koko… are you okay?” she felt a hesitant hand on her shoulder.

“Peachy,” the girl rasped, finally opening her eyes. She wanted to close them again when she noticed the number of people in her hospital room.

Next to her bed stood Itachi with his hand still clutching her shoulder. Behind him was Shisui and the smile on the boy's face was strangely conspiratory. On the other side of the bed stood her father and mother. And in the back, she could tell, was sensei's chakra. Besides them, she could sense more people waiting outside.

“Did you weaponize medical ninjutsu?” Ryoko decided to ignore the worried stares and make a casual conversation with Itachi instead.

“Yes,” the boy nodded with a faint smile.

“I’m jealous,” Ryoko sighed. Her head dropped back onto the pillow and she closed her eyes. Everything went according to plan so why did she feel like shit? She could not write off her feelings to the physical pain. It wasn’t that bad at all.

“Boys, let your sister rest,” Mikoto then said. Vaguely Ryoko guessed that there was an intense conversation without words going on, but she just didn’t care. The frown on her face deepened. The girl would rather have the boys in here instead of her parents or sensei. She didn’t want to look at either of them and see the inevitable disappointment.

There were footsteps. She felt Itachi squeeze her shoulder one last time, before the boy’s hand pulled away and he left with Shisui.

“Ryoko,” it was her father’s voice that called for her. Maybe she could just fall asleep and avoid the conversation entirely? The girl felt his gaze and the silence was dragging on uncomfortably long. She sighed and opened her eyes.

“Hn?”

“You… did well,” her stoic father struggled to even look at her as he forced the ‘compliment’ out. Ryoko’s chest felt constrained and it wasn’t a nice feeling. As if the Memorial Stone itself was placed on top of her. She felt it hard to breathe.

“Hn,” that is all she could mutter averting her eyes before they started to sting and water.

Two hours earlier.

Fugaku watched intently as his daughter fell to the ground struck by Itachi’s technique. It was eerily similar to the fighting style of Hyuga. But there was a menacing and precise edge to it. Something about the way Itachi’s hands moved screamed at him ‘danger’.

“The winner is Itachi Uchiha,” the proctor announced and the stands roared with applause. Fugaku honestly didn’t know how to react. He was happy that Itachi won and that put the biggest part of his mind at ease. The clan will be pleased. The council will be pleased. His children put up quite a show for them all.

But then, his sharingan zeroed in on the limp Ryoko laid on that narrow earth bridge. Fugaku dread the moment she would wake up and realize her loss. The girl was proud and stubborn even more than Mikoto. She will be devastated…

“Huh. How disssssapointing,” the snake voiced something that his daughter would definitely say herself. Fugaku turned around to stare at the golden split eyes. He wanted to berate the man for even entertaining a thought about his daughter being disappointing.

Ryoko was many things, but a ‘disappointment’ was not one of them. Her skills alone put the girl in at least a chunin level. The way she held herself in the fight was better than even some jonin could muster. Yet Fugaku couldn’t find words to voice his utter displeasure in Orochimaru’s comment.

So he stared at the sannin. Eyes slightly narrowed, lips pursed into a thin line. The snake stared right back at him with an unreadable expression.

“Honey, let’s go check on her,” Mikoto tugged on his sleeve. Right. Quickly Orochimaru fell to the back of his mind, replaced by the worry he had over Ryoko. The clan head stood up and turned to leave with Mikoto in tow.

....

“Fugaku-sama, congratulations! It was a great fight.”

...

“Itachi-san, shows a lot of potential.”

....

“Congratulations, Fugaku-sama.”

…

“You know, Ryoko-chan reminded me of Madara-sama with the scythe of hers, haha! What a coincidence?”

...

“Hn,” Fugaku heard a lot of comments from his clansmen as he left the stands with Mikoto. Most praised Itachi and rightfully so. But Ryoko… she was a wild card that caught most of the clan off guard. Like a new light now illuminated the girl.

If at first she was considered just another smart Uchiha with an attitude, now they saw her as a shinobi. A formidable one too. Her fighting style clearly left an impact on those who know a thing or two about ninjutsu.

But for people to compare his little girl to Madara-sama… The thought sent shivers down Fugaku’s spine. No, his little angel was nothing like that maniac… And yet… The way she stands… The way she holds herself in front of an opponent… And that ridiculous scythe!

“I didn’t know Ryoko already had her sharingan…” Mikoto whispered as they descended the stairs down to the medical ward of the arena.

“Hn.”

“What?! You knew??” his wife stopped abruptly and stared the man down as if he just revealed the sky to be of color green.

“Mikoto, it was a while back… I didn’t want to make a huge deal out of it,” he tried to defend himself, but there was no reasoning with the woman. She ‘hmphed’ and turned abruptly to walk away. He could understand Mikoto’s anger and hurt.

Unlocking one's sharingan is a big deal. Usually involving a mind-shattering trauma. A hurt that makes your blood boil. When Itachi returned from a mission with his sharingan, Mikoto made sure to coddle the boy, taking him to Yamanaka and overall surrounded him with warmth.

Fugaku didn’t see much point to that. But maybe that is why a clan needed a matriarch in the first place - to keep the balance by showing care to their clansmen. His daughter was strong. She didn’t need to be pampered, he made sure of it by training her relentlessly.

Despite Ryoko’s loss, Fugaku was proud of her. She showed unique techniques that would make grown men waver. Her sharingan was sharp and could stand against her brother. That was saying something. On occasion, even Fugaku struggled to keep up with Itachi.

Yet his little daughter managed to fight back. She was like steel forged in fire. Fugaku could hardly believe that Ryoko was only nine years old… Sure, he was born just after the First Shinobi War, but he had time to grow up before stepping into the trenches of the Second Shinobi War.

The man sighed as he finally reached the door where his wife was waiting for him in silence. She was still mad, but Fugaku pushed that can of worms to the back of his mind. Sometimes you just have to deal with one issue at a time.

He opened the door to find Ryoko in a hospital bed, a nurse healing her and Itachi with Shisui dutifully waiting. His eyes quickly noticed another lone figure. Orochimaru. How in the name of Madara did that snake beat us to it???

The pale man’s expression was unreadable, but he watched Ryoko with those snake-like eyes in intensity that felt unsettling to Fugaku.

“Lord Uchiha!” the medic startled when she finally noticed their presence.

“Why is she unconscious?” he asked, stepping closer to Ryoko’s bedside.

“Well, her pressure points were… closed shut. It will take at least an hour for her body to regain control. She is just…” the woman avoided looking directly at him or Itachi, but she did her job and said it out loud. In the end, there was something more. She struggled to say it.

“What?” Fugaku snapped impatiently.

“She is just so young…”

Fugaku had to commend the young medic for finding some balls in her to say this to his face. It was a simple accusation and it stung. Clearly, the medic was not thrilled by a child enduring such trauma. He felt accused of negligence.

“Great observation skills. You are dismissed if that will be all,” Fugaku responded with a cold tone that could freeze even the will of fire. The medic quickly bowed and left.

Orochimaru could not hold down his chuckle any longer.

“What an impressssssive pair you have there, Fugaku-san,” he said eyes darting from his student to Itachi. If either of the kids thought that he bought their performance, they will have to be disappointed.

The sannin trained Ryoko himself! He knew of her speed and skills. This was one of the first things he worked to improve - agility. Yet it was clear to him that the girl held back. Slightly, but she did.

Gone was her vicious and precise killing intent. Like it never even existed. But the problem was that Orochimaru had seen it! He felt it! He encouraged it even by allowing the kid to kill on missions. What can he say - Ryoko had a talent. She always could find the most creative way to kill.

Once she bet him that she could kill their target with a metal cup. He laughed at that. Until she did it. And then he had to take the child out for dinner as a reward. So he could tell that Ryoko didn’t seriously try to attack Itachi. Looks like incapacitating was harder for her than killing. He could agree on that sentiment at least.

“Well done, son,” Fugaku said ignoring his earlier statement. How rude Orochimaru smirked, but wasn’t actually offended. The clan head probably was still sour about the comment back in the arena.

“What genjutsu wasssss that in the middle of your fight?” Orochimaru asked, disrupting the silence again. Itachi didn’t blink twice before answering.

“Just a warped version of reality.”

Just? Orochimaru curled his eyebrow in amusement but didn’t comment further. Ah, the joy of dealing with child geniuses. Things that are impossible for regular shinobi are a cakewalk for young proteges.

They continued to wait in silence. Orochimaru observed the family like some science experiment. They looked content and not at all uncomfortable by the whole predicament. Each of them looked surprisingly innocent and nonthreatening. Ha! You wouldn’t be able to tell that the kids in this room were cold-blooded killers.

As it stands now, they were just a concerned and loving family.

Disgusting.

“Excuse me, Orochimaru-sama,” a chunin messenger entered the room and bowed deeply. Snake waved his hand for the boy to start speaking.

“Hokage-sama asked if maybe… well the lava is still there and we cannot continue with the examination…”

“And you need me to take care of it? If I must,” he exhaled and left. Maybe the girl would not wake up until he returns. The man had a feeling that he has to be there when she opens her eyes again. Why? Not a clue.

It was that strange feeling he started getting more and more often when things concerned Ryoko. Like that time in the cave. Or another time when some shinobi tried to poison her. Seeing her unconscious on the ground was what triggered it… And the feeling would not go away until he could see her eyes again.

Idiotic. Stupid. Illogical. Yet Orochimaru could not deny the cause and solution for the strange feelings he discovered.

He quickly got rid of his student’s handy work. Secretly proud that proctors failed to do it. It actually wasn’t that easy. First, you had to cool down the earth. Then force it to harden. And then mix everything back together.

Steam was still coming off the flat surface when Orochimaru made the final earth jutsu. The ground of the arena was now black like obsidian. He smirked once more and returned to the hospital wing.

Other fights did not interest him. They were far inferior to his student, therefore deserved none of his attention. Shortly after he returned to the silent room, Ryoko stirred. Just in time, good girl he praised satisfied.

From what Orochimaru could observe now, Ryoko showed strange emotions. There was a clear detachment and avoidance in every move the girl made. Orochimaru tilted his head slightly in interest.

Is she… upset? he wondered. Sure, he had seen Ryoko frown and pout before, but this was different. Or maybe it was still an act?

“You… did well,” Fugaku’s voice was far more strained than just a minute ago when he praised his son. And it sounded sincere at least to Orochimaru’s ears. The woman by the clan head’s side looked pleased too. Just your regular dotting family of professional assassins.

Still, there was something Orochimaru couldn’t grasp. Only when Fugaku with Mikoto left, did he approach the bed. Face void of emotion, he tried to catch Ryoko’s gaze. The little devil not at all discreetly turned her head away.

He snorted and leaned closer, so she could not squirm away. The sannin had questions. But when their eyes finally met, the words vanished from Orochimaru’s mind. Ryoko’s deep eyes looked sad and hurt. Something he has never seen before on this tiny human being.

“Ryoko?” he tried to say it gently without sounding too fake. Yes, his mind registered what emotion he was feeling, what emotion the girl needed, but that does not mean that he could produce the emotion without sounding fake. Even though he honestly wanted to be gentle with the fragile little thing. She didn’t flinch, so that was a start.

“I… I’m sorry…” the girl whispered with those sad endless voids staring deep into his soul.

“Why arrrre you sssssorry?” he asked carefully while his mind tried to find the answer and failed at the same time.

“I… I… lost. I am really sorry! Please still be my sensei, Orochimaru-sama,” the fearless girl that entered his lab some months ago was completely replaced by this… this… emotional counterpart. He would be disgusted, if not for that tang of hurt tugging at his chest.

She was upset… because she thought he would no longer be her sensei… because she lost? Orochimaru let out a deep sigh. Nobody prepared him for this. How was he even supposed to deal with an emotional girl that suffered her first loss?

But… it wasn’t a loss! The sannin had to remind himself that the fight most likely was pre-planned by the two Uchiha geniuses. So the loss could not affect her this much… That leaves only one thing…

“Sooooo, you chose to lose for your brothersssss sake even if that would result in me no longer teaching you, isssss that about right?” Orochimaru summed it up. Praise Kami for all the years he spent deciphering Jiraiya and Tsunade and their emotional rollercoasters. “I don’t think you arrrrre sorry for losing,” he thought aloud without even blinking as he gouged the girl's reaction. “So, what are you sorrrrrry about?”

“For… not being perfect… for disappointing you, Orochimaru-sama,” Ryoko said barely audibly. It looked like she was on a brink of tears.

To be disappointed you have to care in the first place was what he wanted to say. That is what he would have said in any other case out of pure reflex. Yet… Orochimaru was disappointed. In a way. That was his very first reaction at the end of the battle.

Now… seeing the girl so upset… He could not even imagine another jonin getting their hands on Ryoko. To not hear her call him ‘sensei’ again, was not a pleasant thought either. Hell, he felt an urge to reassure the girl. Was this a feeling people get when they want to hug someone? he wondered, still staring at the girl.

Slowly his hand raised. Orochimaru felt like he was acting completely blind in this situation. Stumbling in the dark of acceptable social conduct. The urge was strong and he decided to trust it. Guts never disappointed him yet.

The sannin's hand landed on Ryoko’s head and gave an awkward pat.

“Still a ‘sensei’ to you, brat,” he sneered what was supposed to be a smile curled his thin lips. Two big obsidian circles stared right back at him. He could see his own reflection in their depths. And there was that twinkle again!

“Thank you, sensei!” with the speed Orochimaru could now recognize as Ryoko’s actual agility skill, the girl jumped into a sitting position and… hugged him. Her tiny hands could not even fully wrap around his chest, reaching only to his shoulder blades in the back.

The snake stilled like caught in a trap. His heart stopped for a second until it was beating again twice as fast. He wanted to disappear from this awkward embrace, but another part of him wanted to explore the unknown notion called ‘a hug’.

“Mmm…” he hummed.

Only after the girl pulled away first did he speak again. “Training is ssssstill happening this evening. Don’t be late,” Orochimaru snapped his tongue, straightening up. She gave an enthusiastic nod.

Here you are! he thought, noticing the vicious glint back in the girl's eyes. Unintentionally, that made the sannin smile. Or maybe it was the fact that Ryoko was no longer sulking? Details.

He waved one last time and left to try and sort out why in the world did he allow the girl to stay his student. Wasn’t he who said that anything less than perfection is not acceptable? Yes, but… well, who else could handle a child like Ryoko?

No, it had to be him. Only he could hone the girl’s skills into an acceptable shinobi level. And definitely not because the sad eyes broke his heart. Nop. Definitely not that.

Chapter Text

One day you’re celebrating a chunin promotion with your family and the next you’re sent off away to the war. That’s pretty much what Ryoko expected to happen. It didn’t. She had a sneaking suspicion that her father might have something to do with it.

She couldn’t fathom how the man physically managed to deal with everything on his plate. Fugaku not only led the police force in Konoha, not only took care of the whole clan and their family but somehow managed to go on regular deadly missions.

And that is not even taking into account her relentless pestering.

“But faaaaaatherrrr, pretty please!”

“No.”

“Gunbai is really coooool!”

“No.”

“But it’s traditional!”

“I said no, Ryoko, and that is final,” Fugaku was a tough nut to crack. But she would wear him down… Eventually. Her image could not be complete without a fan after all.

“Well, I’ll just have to ask sensei…” she trailed off thoughtfully, while her father let out an exasperated sigh. He didn’t know that the threat was a complete bluff.

For some unknown principle, it didn’t feel right for Ryoko to get a fan from anyone else but an actual Uchiha. Plus, she already twisted sensei’s arm to give her a nice eye for Obito. So no more big favors for a while.

The girl would have to bid her time and try the next day. Conveniently for her father, the next day Orochimaru arrived to scoop her up for a mission. For the sannin to arrive in person it had to be urgent. And it was.

The two of them left the village in fifteen minutes. The only thing he said to the girl was something about some action going on in the hot zone between Iwagakure and Konoha.

THE WAR! FUCKIN FINALLY! OMG, I CANNOT WAIT! she squealed inside her mind at that outwardly showing no excitement whatsoever.

It took them the whole day to reach the border. As the night colored the sky the pair stopped at a forest edge. At first, Ryoko couldn’t see why they stopped at all. Only when sensei took her hand and dragged her over some invisible barrier, the camp was revealed.

There were various tents. Like a small little village with its own designated ‘hospital’ area; barracks; dining hall; security hub; commandment point and more. She looked around as casually as possible, pretending that she, a nine-year-old, was completely fitting in this place.

Nobody questioned her presence as she trailed behind Orocimaru-sama like his shadow, but there were stares. Disapproving glares even. Some tired empty eyes.

Ryoko buzzed with excitement. She smelled blood in the air and oh boy did she want to spill it all over the mossy ground! Somehow, she managed to keep her composure. Sensei dropped her a single questioning look with a smile. He clearly knew how she felt and wasn’t bothered by it.

“Sensei, you’re the best!” she said starry-eyed as he allowed her into the commandment point where he was headed. The guards looked Ryoko up and down skeptically before actually letting her in.

“Hey there, old man,” Ryoko smiled at Shikaku who was not too happy to see her at all. Sharp eyes darted from her to her sensei and then to other shinobi in the room. He sighed, closing his eyes in what could be mistaken as a sign of fatigue or displeasure. In fact, anyone who knew a Nara would know that this was their thinking face.

While Shikaku out there was birthing a bulletproof strategy, Ryoko looked around the tent. Her gaze was met with a pair of extremely concerned deep blue eyes. She smiled sweetly and waved at Minato, who practically winced in response.

She wondered what prompted such a reaction?

Next to the blond, stood a young teen Ryoko met before. Kakashi. He was straight as a wire and didn’t really look around. Every fiber in his body screaming ‘focused’. And he was not wearing the porcelain mask today. Interesting.

Then there were a couple more shinobi. One Ryoko recognized as an Akimichi. Not too surprising to spot one in the near vicinity of a Nara. There was a 98% chance of finding a Yamanaka in a nearby tent too.

Then there was a borderline adult-looking boy with a bandana and a senbon in his mouth. Couple of men with dark glasses. And another man with a weird scar on his face.

“Right,” finally Shikaku opened his eyes again and they all straightened up waiting for the commander's orders. Well, almost all. Orochimaru was barely suppressing the bored expression on his face, while Ryoko just stood with her arms crossed pretty relaxed just like her sensei.

“This will be a rescue mission. A number of our comrades were captured and our intel finally cleared out the exact location they are held in.”

Ryoko frowned. A rescue mission usually would mean keeping a low profile.

“There will be two teams. Team A will head to the prison and bust out our shinobi without being detected. Team B will cause a distraction.”

Her eyes shimmered at that last part. Now a distraction sounded more like a job for her!

“Team A will be Namikaze-san, Hatake-san, Aburame-san, lead by Orochimaru-sama,” Ryoko had to really try to not smile. She now fully could see what Shikaku was doing! It was a brilliant idea to split her up with sensei so that he could uphold his end of the bargain…

“Team B will be Namiashi-san, Shiranui-san, Choza, lead by… Uchiha-san,” Ryoko smirked at that with vindictive triumph looking up at Shikaku. The man had honor to keep his words. Just like promised, he appointed her a team leader the first time such an opportunity arose. While his face was stoic and relaxed, she saw the reluctance in his eyes.

“Mmm… commander? She’s...a child.. Are you…?” the boy with a senbon said hesitantly, while other adults still looked around for another Uchiha that might be hiding in the room. Nop, it was only her. Sensei, however, gave her only a single curious glance.

“Orochimaru-sama, any objections?” Shikaku asked with a sigh clearly not in a mood to argue.

“Oh not at alllll. Ryoko, I give you permisssssion to use that technique. It will be fitting and a good orientation sssssignal for Team A,” the sannin added with a wink to the girl.

“Seriously, sensei?” okay, for once Ryoko couldn’t hold back a question. She had to double-check. Orochimaru gave a solid nod of confirmation.

“Shikaku-sama, I don’t mean to be rude, but…” Minato tried to interject and stop the train. Unfortunately, it already left the station and the blond was in the dust.

“That is final. You leave in two hours,” then he waved for Ryoko to step closer. She did. “Here is the prison, you will be causing distraction in the nearby outpost village…” the man pointed out various places on the map, while Ryoko committed the whole terrain to her memory with her covertly activated sharingan eye.

“Got it. So we’re going for the Sabaki move?” she mused clearly noticing the shogi tactic Shikaku used for the mission.

“Precisely. The outpost village is connected to this supply road and…” the man continued to layout details that most kids would never clearly take in. Ryoko was not most kids. She understood the deeper meaning behind what Nara was saying out loud.

The village is like a hub for the enemy's supply chain. Wreck-it. At least that’s what she got from the little talk. An hour later they finished polishing the strategy and Ryoko turned to the huddled group of men in the back of the tent.

Team B. She marched right to them for the inevitable introductions.

“Ryoko Uchiha,” she introduced without so much as a smile or any other comments. This was business time and she didn’t come to play. Even though it might look like that based on her age.

The men were still obviously confused but managed to make their own introductions in a professional manner. Akimichi was the one who had the most faith in his friends and commander’s decision. The man with a senbon looked borderline amused, while the scarred one straight up bewildered.

“Alright, listen up. We’re going with Sabaki opening move. I will send a signal to Team A, which will start the chaos in the village. From then on we just have to keep their eyes on us. Most of that probably will fall on you, Akimichi-san,” she spoke without an ounce of doubt or reservation, quickly making the men listen. It didn’t look like she would repeat herself.

“Others will proceed with me to cause more inconvenience to our dear enemy,” she smirked at the end in a very ominous way that somehow reminded the men of the snake sannin.

“I feel like I'm in a fever dream,” the man named Genma whispered to the man with a scar by his side. Ryoko didn’t pay attention to it. At least one thing she learned in the Academy - how to ignore those who look down on her.

It probably was rather emasculating for grown men to be ordered around by a child. Ryoko lived for this. The control felt like something she was entitled to from birth. And no age or gender difference would stop her. You could practically hear it in her voice or see it in her strict face.

And so they had no choice, but to listen and follow. Two groups left the camp together. Minato tried to pull her aside and talk, but Ryoko skillfully evaded his tactics. She was not ready to lose her chance to prove herself.

Orochimaru was far more understanding, she thought. Dare she say it, he looked amused by the way Ryoko ordered around men twice her size.

After a couple hour trek, both groups stopped. The sun was supposed to rise in three hours. That is their time limit for the mission. Genma was still a bit shocked by the whole 'team led by a child' situation.

Logically, a man like Shikaku Nara would not endanger Konoha shinobi. So clearly there had to be a valid reason why the kid was chosen. Ignoring the first fact, that the girl was Orochimaru’s spawn, she also talked with the commander like equals. There was a familiarity in their manners.

Maybe she’s some strategist? the man wondered as he watched the little Uchiha exchange a look with the snake sannin. There was nothing said out loud, but definitely, something agreed upon.

And then they split to go in separate directions. Team A was headed to position, while his team turned towards the distraction point.

“There,” he said after fifteen minutes of running. Indeed, in the distance glimmered lights. There was the target. Village by itself wasn’t too small or too big. Little houses almost looked like a cluster of rocks if not for gentle smoke trailing from the chimneys.

He was about to leap forward and start the party when his dutiful brain reminded him that the team leader had not given the command yet. Genma turned to the girl, practically expecting to see her eyes lost or confused.

Instead what he saw was a painfully familiar stoic Uchiha face. She looked cold and focused. While her hands… she was weaving hand signs! In record speed, might he add.

“Hah, that’s quite an amount of seals,” he smirked.

“I already reduced it from 200 to 96 seals,” Ryoko said nonchalantly. Raido on the other side caught the conversation and now too watched how the girl's hands moved. “This will send a signal to the other team and serve as the main catalyst for the chaos,” she added while her hands kept going with a skill no child should have at this age. Clearly, little Uchiha performed ninjutsu so often, that she didn’t even have to call out seal names anymore.

The experience was strange. Genma watched and felt how the girl's chakra gathered to a single point on her head and reduced in size, like a spring being pressed down before it recoils. Then her two fingers rested below her lips. It was the last one - dragon seal.

“Katon: Homusubi no Jutsu,” Ryoko whispered before a little light like a bullet escaped her lips and shot far up in the sky. Higher than the night's clouds. A bit underwhelming if you would ask Genma, especially with a name like that. When a jutsu is called ‘god of fire’ you would expect… well, fire.

At that moment an earth-shaking roar echoed over the sky. He, Raido, and Choza all turned with alertness, but there were no enemies around. Genma glanced back and caught the sight of Ryoko's eyes engulfed in flames. Blaze in color blue flickered and covered her dark eyes like some shades.

“What the..” he muttered. Another roar disrupted the silence. They could see a commotion growing in the village in the distance.

“There!” Raido yelled out pointing up to the sky. There was a strange shadow on the clouds. Its shape was… something big. Genma watched with wide eyes as the creature descended with clouds surrounding it like smoke.

It was a head. Of a dragon. Made completely out of fire. Explosions then thundered behind this monster and its body was revealed with a set of wings.

“God of fire, huh?” Choza whistled, admiring the little girl's creature. Genma couldn’t really find words for what was happening. The dragon was huge and flaming. He noticed that the dragon's eyes were the same blue shade of flame, as Ryoko’s right now.

So she can see what the dragon sees? Phenomenal… he mused, while the beast descended on the village. With another roar, flames spilled out of its jaws and the village was set aflame.

He noticed some Iwa nin trying water techniques on the dragon, but it evaporated as soon as it made contact. That’s it, Genma was convinced that this little kid was a monster. At least now it was clear why Shikaku was so confident in sending a kid with their team.

“Raido-san,” the girl spoke. Her voice was lower and somewhat ragged than before. “In 60 seconds I need you to summon a stone dome around us.”

“Why? The flames shouldn’t reach us,” his friend asked.

“Not for the flames, most likely,” Ryoko smirked just as another roar cracked in the night. “40 seconds.”

“Ohh, I get it!” Genma didn’t take his eyes off the beast and that is why he managed to make a guess. He noticed the dragon gaining altitude as he circled higher and higher over the village. “What goes up, must come down,” he smirked.

“Wait! But isn’t a lake just below it? Shouldn’t you target the village?” Choza asked.

“30 seconds. You insult me, Choza-san. Do you know what happens when a superheated mass makes contact with water?”

“No,” Akimichi replied with curiosity, where any other man would not be as calm and collected.

“20 seconds. When a superheated mass makes contact with water… a minor thermal explosion happens.”

The look on the little girl's face… Genma was torn between being impressed, shocked, and honest to Kami scared. After a mention of an explosion, Raido didn’t waste any more time. The ground below the group shifted. A dome started to rise around them as Ryoko finished her countdown.

“10. 9. 8,” Genma watched as the fire dragon coiled and circled and then plummeted back to earth with increasingly greater speed the closer it got to the glassy surface of the lake. “5. 4. 3. 2. 1.”

The dome closed with her last word.

“Minor explosion my ass!” Genma yelled as he barely managed to stay on his feet from the way the ground shook. The dome cracked and at some parts got bright red from the heat it received from the outside. But it held until the last tremor and wave of shock fizzled down.

“Well, I thought it would be funny if Iwa nin would have a taste of explosions from another village,” the girl shrugged nonchalantly like she just didn't cause a mass catastrophe. The flame around her eyes was gone, her hands no longer frozen in the dragon seal. She didn’t even look tired!

“Is it safe?” Raido asked hesitantly. His friend looked far worse while he tried to keep the crumbling dome jutsu standing. Ryoko had the nerve to shrug.

“Honestly, no idea. Not like I can practice this technique very often.”

“You… what… Hashirama please give me strength,” Genma closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.

“Pft, I’m kidding. It’s safe, Raido-san. The ground will still be warm so be careful. Now we need to keep them entertained for another hour. Have fun,” like with a switch the girl's face changed back into a serious expression. His friend hesitated for a second, but then nodded and dispelled the rock dome.

What appeared before their eyes was a completely different scenery. There were no more trees, bushes, or grass. Everything was either reduced to ash or still burning. There were loud screams of despair heard from the village in the distance. Genma noted Iwa shinobi and their backup flooding the area. Fresh meat, he thought, taking out a handful of senbon.

Orochimaru lurked in the darkness with his team. They had a clear view of the prison. Strangely enough, prisons are far more secure and diligent in keeping their tenants inside and they often fail to spot those who try to break in.

“Orochimaru-sama. We have located our shinobi. We are ready to move in on your command,” A tall Aburame man announced after a couple of bugs reported back to him.

“Gooood. Now we wait for the signal,” the snake said, looking up in the direction of the village. You could not see it from here, but you didn’t have to.

Minato was fidgeting in place and worry was clear in his face. The sannin didn’t share the man’s sentiments. The boy was still young and naive. He had not seen what Orochimaru had. The flame in Ryoko’s eyes was something of a wonder.

Five minutes later a loud yet distant screech reached their ears.

“Is that it?” Minato asked, while his eyes darted around for movement.

“Not yet,” Orochimaru smirked. He honestly would rather witness the work of his student, but alas he was needed here. Their comrades counted on him to come to their rescue.

Only two minutes passed when a vibration shook the land. There was a blimp of orange light in the distance. Then there was silence before the chaos unfolded. They carefully watched as Iwa nin scattered leaving minimal troops behind.

“Nooow,” he hissed the order and they moved as one. Minato and little brat moved with stealth and assassinated their enemies with precision. Orochimaru could swear that he saw a shadow of Sakumo in the little brat. Just like his father.. he mused.

With Aburame by his side, Orochimaru had no trouble finding the cells. Pesky seals were broken, traps defused. All in minutes work.

Twenty leaf shinobi. That’s how many they recovered. All alive with minor injuries. Those who were too weak to move, Minato teleported with his technique. The rest followed Orochimaru back to their camp.

It was clear that they would be back way before Team B. And yet Orochimaru hardly could stay still as he waited for Ryoko’s return. He stood just outside the barrier gazing into the distance.

There! his eyes narrowed spotting figures in the trees. Even before he saw them, the man sensed their chakra. All four were there.

“Sensei,” the girl gasped, stopping right in front of him. She looked scratched in a couple of places, but overall just fine.

“Report to the commander and then we depart,” he said coldly to squish any ideas the girl had of staying in the dangerous war zone a minute longer. Ryoko sighed but nodded obediently. She knew better than to argue.

An hour later they were on the move again. He would glance often at the little girl trailing behind him. The report… he wished again to have been there to witness her carnage. Orochimaru was truly one proud sensei at the moment.

Sharp eyes noticed the girl's step falter and in a blink, he was beside her.

“Tck! You used too much chakra, silly child,” he chastised, but Ryoko’s eyes were already glazing over. Gently he scooped up the girl and leaped away double the speed. His heart felt warm despite the concern still lingering there. My student! This is my student.. he thought fondly as Ryoko fell completely unconscious in his grasp. She was safe now.

Chapter Text

Orochimaru returned home with Ryoko still in his arms. He placed the girl carefully on his sofa. She didn’t need a hospital, but taking her to the Uchiha compound didn’t seem right either, so here they are.

That is how Ryoko woke up. Well rested and groggy on sensei’s couch. She looked around in surprise. Damn. For him to bring her here while she was so filthy… covered in blood and whatnot… On one mission he actually dropped her in the river so she wouldn’t look like she just survived a massacre.

The girl looked around, but Orochimaru was nowhere to be found. Probably working, she guessed. Carefully Ryoko stood up and found the kitchen. She washed her hands and made a cup of tea.

With a steaming beverage in hand, she went to the man’s study. As predicted, sannin was there. It looked like he was sleeping while seated by his desk.

“Tea,” Ryoko whispered, placing the cup on his desk. One eye opened to glance at her.

“Mhmmm,” Orochimaru hummed and closed his eye again.

Without saying anything else, she left to finally go home. Just as Ryoko was about to open her house door, it swung open before her to reveal Fugaku who was stepping out probably to work. He stopped and looked at her head to toe.

“Welcome back, Ryoko,” he said. “Have you been to the hospital yet?”

“Nop. Not injured, just tired, father,” she smiled at the man who seemed to be relieved by her statement. It would not be clear to anyone else, but she noticed the way his shoulders relaxed.

“Did the mission go well? You returned fast,” he remarked as Ryoko stepped inside.

“Mhm. Sensei didn’t want us to stay there more than necessary,” the girl pouted taking off her bloody shoes.

“Hn.”

“Have a good day at work, dad,” she glanced back with a smile before retreating to the bathroom. Fugaku didn’t say anything and only nodded in response.

Good to be home… Even though the war was fun…

Business as usual from then on. Ryoko was in Orochimaru’s lab when she heard a door open and close behind her. She didn’t feel the chakra of a person who entered, but she wasn’t too concerned about it. After all, not many dared to walk into Orochimaru’s lab besides the two of them.

“Sensei, I just finished…” she turned to report on her research and stopped mid-sentence. It wasn’t her sensei who just entered the room.

“Young Lady Uchiha, what a pleasure to finally meet you,” an old man with bandages on his face and a cane spoke in a sickly sweet tone. She straightened up with a frown.

“Elder Shimura, sensei is not here,” Ryoko said, crossing arms over her chest. They have not met before, but she read enough about the political structure of her village. The man smiled at her.

“Ah, you are familiar with me? How refreshing to meet such… bright youth,” he spoke, stepping closer to her. Danzo leaned in to be more on her level as he spoke. “Now, how fortunate it is that we have finally met. I have heard a lot about you.”

“Hn,” obviously he should have heard about her. If not for her early graduation, then most likely due to her chunin exam or the rumors going around about the mission in Iwagakure.

“You’re a great asset for Konoha, young lady. And I believe you could serve the village even more if you joined my shadow ranks,” he specifically said ‘my’ instead of ‘Konoha’s’. That got a raised eyebrow from Ryoko. She felt hairs on the back of her neck stand. That only happened when she met others like her… Killers. Psychopaths. Predators.

Thankfully, his demeanor did not intimidate the girl. She smiled back with the innocence of a child.

“Oh? I have not considered ANBU already,” she said nonchalantly.

“Oh no, not ANBU specifically. There is another division under ANBU. I think you would fit in just fine,” he said calmly as his hand raised towards her face and dared to cup her cheek. Ryoko froze in place completely. Wow. She had to give it to him. The man was bold.

“You have a very strong sharingan, I can tell,” he whispered, leaning even closer, while his finger absentmindedly brushed just below her eye. CREEPY! alarm bells were ringing loud in her head, but what was she supposed to do? It would not go well, if she attacked an esteemed Konoha elder. Yet Madara probably would not hesitate to rip the man’s hand off, she guessed.

Ryoko blinked and the moment her eyes opened again, there was another tall figure next to them with an iron grip holding onto Danzo’s wrist.

“Tsk. Tsk. We musssstn't touch what isn’t ours, Lord Danzo,” Orochimaru hissed without any pleasantries or even a fake smile. Ryoko was surprised to see such expression on her sensei’s face. He very rarely got this serious and this was a good indication proving Ryoko’s intuition right. Danzo was bad news.

The old man straightened up with a scowl. Eyes narrowed looking up at Orochimaru. He looked annoyed over the interruption.

“Of course, my apologies,” Danzo sneered, plucking his hand back only because Orochimaru let him. Ryoko smirked amused. The old man gave her one last look. “Till the next time, Lady Uchiha.”

It sounded positively ominous. She had to wonder what those words would mean. Would the man try to corner her again when sensei is not around? Or will he approach in a nondirect way? At least now she knew his goal - recruitment.

“What did he say to you?” Orochimaru turned to the girl with the same serious expression on his face. Slit eyes looked her over as if expecting to see an injury.

“Recruitment? Hn. To some section of ANBU?”

“Root,” the sannin’s lips shut tight until only a fine line was left.

“Sooooo, that’s a no-no-place I assume?” Ryoko dared to smirk. For some reason, serious situations in this world made her smile. Hey, how bad could it be?

“Ryoko, do not even think about it! You arrrre not to make any deals or agreements with that man, am I clear?”

“Yes, sensei. I kinda felt he was… odd,” she said gently, while both of them knew what she meant. Danzo was clearly a creepy old man with a perverted interest in her sharingan eyes. Father had already warned her about such people.

“Good. Now if he ever approachesssss you again, you will tell me,” it was not a question, but a statement.

“Sensei, you know I can protect myself, right?”

Orochimaru’s expression softened, while his eyes still kept the steel cold to them. The man crouched in front of her to look her straight in the eyes.

“I know exactly how sssstrong you are, but Danzo is not to be taken lightly. He fights dirty and covertly. Do not ever underessssstimate him. Ryoko, I am serious. He is a person you should avoid.”

“I understand, sensei,” she nodded slowly. It didn’t feel right to avoid when she could fight, but if it was Orochimaru asking… Well, Ryoko trusted the sannin and she would do as he asked. “Sensei, what is the difference between ANBU and that Root part of them? How can I tell them apart?”

“You can sensssse chakra pretty well, child. You will feel the difference. They are cold and void of emotion and… do you remember that time you found your cousssssin Obito-kun?”

“Yesss?”

“You felt something was wrong with him, right? Well, Root will be the ssssame. Most of them hold a seal on their body. Look for that,” Orochimaru explained patiently, like never before. This was definitely the most serious talk they ever had.

Sooooo, the war ended. Ryoko heard rumors that their little mission was the last straw for Iwagakure to concede. She was pleased. And she got even more pleased when Hokage himself gave the girl a ‘field promotion’ after he heard their mission report.

It was rather surreal to think that so quickly, Ryoko climbed from chunin to jonin rank. Almost unheard of. Almost. She would sometimes catch gossip of her being compared to another child prodigy.

Kakashi. That annoying stuck-up stick in his ass… grrrr. Even thinking about the boy Ryoko got annoyed. She didn’t want to be compared to anyone. But to achieve that, it seems she would have to surpass Hatake.

“Darling, how is it?” Mikoto called for her, while extremely annoyed Ryoko struggled to fit in her kimono. Listen, she wasn’t chubby by all means. Her body had mostly toned muscle as a result of grueling training sessions.

Yet, puberty was banging on her door and two little mounds peeked on her chest making any old clothing too tight. Also, minor curves started to take shape. She grunted with frustration and tore the kimono off. The girl dressed in her usual attire and stepped into the kitchen where her mother was waiting.

“Mother, I am afraid I have outgrown my kimono,” Ryoko announced coldly. At that moment she knew she said something wrong. Mikoto’s eyes sparkled as the woman stilled in place. A wide smile stretched on her face.

“Ohh? Is that so? Well, we cannot have you wearing an ill-fitting kimono for the inauguration, can we?” the sweet voice sent shivers down Ryoko’s spine.

“Hn,” she opted for the usually safe and ambiguous response. New Hokage’s inauguration was a big deal, so she guessed that formal wear was important too.

“Greeeeaat. Honey, I’m taking Ryoko shopping!!” Mikoto chirped to her husband who was working somewhere in the house. It was time for Ryoko to freeze in place.

Oh no. Oh no no no… she thought silently mourning her whole day. Shopping with Mikoto was torture. It always took at least one day and you could not even reason with the woman.

An hour later the two of them were strolling down the shopping district. Ryoko was dragged from one store to the other. Kimono after kimono was tried and fitted until Mikoto spent a small fortune.

“Mother, please… enough.. We already got enough…” Ryoko protested weakly as she trailed behind her mother.

“Nonsense! There is that clan get-together soon, right? And then we have to celebrate your promotion and…” at some point Ryoko stopped listening. Mikoto had a talent to find reasonable explanations. At this moment, the girl could only commend how her father managed to deal with her mother's antics.

“Good day, Mikoto-sama,” a tall man greeted her mother as they stepped out from yet another clothing store. Ryoko needed only a single glance to know who that man was. Hyuga. White eyes and long hair were a dead giveaway.

“Oh! Hizashi-sama! Is that..?” Mikoto was already stepping closer to coo over the little bundle in the man’s arms.

“Ah yes, this is Neji,” the stoic man smiled with an unusual for a Hyuga warmth.

Someone, please kill me now… Ryoko sighed. She was certain that this day would never end.

“And this young lady is Ryoko, right?” the man glanced at her and was greeted with a stern expression.

“Hn. Hyuga-sama,” Ryoko inclined her head in greeting.

“Yes, this is my darling daughter. She was just promoted to jonin rank,” Mikoto chirped while still poking at the little baby. The woman missed the shadow of surprise that came over the man for a second. Ryoko smiled at him.

Yes old man, gouge your pretty little eyes and choke on them. I am a fuckin jonin! she cackled in her mind. Sometimes she was grateful to have proud parents who were not shy to brag about their children. It would be rather distasteful for her to say it herself.

“I see. Congratulations, Ryoko-hime,” Hyuga gave her one last nod, but his eyes even without pupils seemed like they were studying her with curiosity.

Fugaku didn’t look any different from usual. Except for the festive kimono he wore. His face was still the same - covered in a perfect mask of indifference with a shade of stern. Unlike him, the whole clan was getting restless after the news was broken about Minato being the next Hokage.

Uchiha did not hide their surprise and displeasure about it. Many believed that it was Fugaku who should have been nominated for all the work he did during the war. At this moment, looking up at the Hokage tower where a traditional hat was being placed on a blond head of hair, Fugaku sighed.

His daughter was right with her guess who will be the next Hokage. She was usually right. And while his clansmen were not happy about Namikaze's descent into power, they were respectful and silent. They were the type to bear their pain in silence until the boiling point was reached.

“Father, can we be excused?” Itachi asked with Ryoko and Shisui stood behind him. He looked over his kids. The thing he feared most happened - they had seen war. Still so young, all of them now had blood on their hands.

“Hn,” he responded with a curt nod. The ceremony was over and his heart could not allow the kids to waste their precious time with the boring formalities that would follow. He honestly wanted to give the little ones some freedom as their childhood was already stolen.

He watched as the three of them walked away. Presumably to get dango, if he knew his son well enough. Mikoto next to him was also watching the kids walk away. She hooked her arm around his elbow and pressed to his side.

“They grow up so fast,” she whispered.

“Hn.”

As expected, the meeting of clan families with the new Hokage was boring. The fake smiles and backhanded remarks followed per usual. By the end of the evening, he felt tired. Only a light buzz from sake relaxed his tense mind.

“Dear, let’s walk by the park?” Mikoto suggested when they finally left.

“Hn.”

Their hands intertwined, the couple leisurely walked across the village. Streets were already silent with bundles of patrons still celebrating in a few open bars. They stepped into the park and turned to walk by a small lake that bordered a forest. It was peaceful. The calm that followed a war was a relief.

“Dear?”

“Hn?”

“Are you upset?” Mikoto asked carefully. He didn’t look at his wife wondering about the question. What prompted it? What should he be upset about?

“Hn?”

“Well… I think you would have been a great Hokage, my love,” she pressed that much closer to his side. Fugaku sighed. This again. But it was not a comment made by Uchiha elders or other clansmen. This was his wife. He decided to be honest for once.

“Mikoto, I am not upset,” he said as they stopped. There were no lights in this part of the park, only the moon illuminated their surroundings. But obviously, no Uchiha ever was afraid of the dark. It was no match for sharingan.

“But…” she looked at him with those big beautiful eyes with all the concern and worry. He smiled in response.

“Mikoto, I am content with my life as it is. I do not wish to be Hokage. I am actually glad I was not nominated. That is not my ambition.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. I’d rather see our daughter there one day,” he admitted looking up at the stars. The day Ryoko shared her goal with the family… well, Fugaku was impressed, touched, proud, and confident all at the same time. If any Uchiha could do it, it was his daughter.

“Oh, Fugaku…” Mikoto whispered and then her lips crashed with his. Just like that, a switch was flipped and he was already wrapping Mikoto with his arms and pressing their bodies together. Kami, how he missed his wife.

With all the stress and work, he felt like their personal life was a bit neglected. And now all the frustration found a point of release. He wanted to take his wife right here and now. Actually, Fukagu was about to scoop Mikoto into his arms and return home, when she pulled away. And oh… the smirk on her lips was saying things to him…

His wide eyes met her flaming gaze. “Miko?” he whispered questioning that twinkle in her eyes. The woman smirked and oh… wow... the next moment she was on her knees before him.

“Mikoto!” he hissed, but there was no place to run away. Her skilled shinobi hands were already on him and weaving between the fabric of his kimono that she herself dressed him in. “Not here!” he whispered urgently as his sharingan activated to look around.

There was not a single soul around. No chakra signatures either. They were alone… Still, it felt rather mischievous to do things like this in public. But the rational part of Fugaku knew by now that there was no stopping his wife at this point.

The next moment he felt her lips wrap around his erection. Fugaku hissed again, while his eyes darted from the woman to the surrounding. Blood in his veins was boiling like never before. The thrill stirred new levels of passion within him.

“Oh… Mi...Mikoto..” he stuttered, not daring to close his eyes for a second. It didn’t take long for him to reach the pique. Maybe five minutes tops. But those minutes felt like an eternity for him. By the end of it, Fugaku breathed heavily and his hand was laced in Mikoto’s hair as her head bobbed at a steady yet increasing pace.

“Kami..” he rasped as the release made his whole body shiver. Mikoto rose up like nothing ever happened. She licked her lips with a deviant smile.

“Kami-sama to you, dear,” she snickered, but Fugaku was not having any this! One part of him was enraged by how easy this woman handled him. The other part of him… it wanted more.

He quickly turned Mikoto around and pressed her into a nearby tree.

“Miko, that was… it was… very naughty of you,” he whispered into her ear.

“Oh? And what are you going to do about it, Wicked Eyed Fugaku?” she chirped sweetly as her backside rubbed at his crotch not at all apologetically. Fugaku nipped at her neck while his hands urgently gathered the fabric of her kimono up. He froze when his fingers brushed over her delicate skin.

“Kami, woman, you are not wearing any underwear!”

“What can I say, I missed you, husband.”

The way she said it… it was so sultry and drove him positively mad. She didn’t have to say it though. Fugaku’s erection had already returned two minutes ago. He gingerly traced her lower lips and felt moisture coat his fingers.

“You are drenched, my love,” he whispered pleased by her eagerness.

“Ahh, Fugaku, please! I want you! I need you!”

Mikoto didn’t have to ask twice. He aligned his member with her entrance and teasingly slowly pushed inside. She leaned forward arching her back more. The view from his point was mesmerizing. Fugaku had to still for a moment and admire it.

His fingers grabbed tighter into Mikoto’s hips and he pushed to the hilt. His woman moaned out unconcerned if anyone would hear. For moments like these, Fugaku was really thankful for the sharingan. He would cherish the memory of this evening till the day he dies.

“Hush, Miko. Or I will have to stop,” he smirked teasingly as he made another pull and push rocking his hips into hers. Mikoto got the hint and bit into her own hand just in time to muffle another moan.

“Fuck…” he hissed upon seeing that little action. To know that your woman has to bite down on her hand to muffle the moans… He would harden more if that was even possible.

That night he was milked for everything he had. Fugaku was spent and returned with Mikoto back to the compound slowly. They walked enjoying the silence and the shivers of the aftersex. Not even a blush showed on their faces by now.

Only he knew that under that kimono, Mikoto was bare and his seed spilled out as she walked. He could clearly remember the white liquid trickling down her leg as he pulled her kimono back down after they finished the little sexcapade.

“I love you, Mikoto,” he said as they stepped through the compound gates.

“I love you, Fugaku,” she squeezed his hand tighter and smiled so innocently that he knew he could never resist this woman. All deviance forgiven but never forgotten. He was a lucky man. His life was perfection.

Chapter Text

“Obito!” Ryoko yelped seeing her dear cousin in the compound. She ran up to him and jumped for a hug. With all the missions and after-war fuss, it has been way too long since they saw each other.

“Hey there, princess,” the boy hugged her back. He was now fully out of the hospital. And bandages no longer covered his scared half of the face.

“So, how is it?” she eagerly asked, looking up into Obito’s new eye. It was of deep blue color, you would think it is just a normal eye, but sensei mentioned that there might be something special about it…

“I can see just fine. Thank you again, Ryoko-hime, for it,” he let go of the girl and squeezed her little hand with gratitude.

“Soo… cousin, what will you do now?” Ryoko carefully asked as they leisurely strolled out to the buzzing city. He knew exactly what she was asking about. She wanted to know about his future as a shinobi.

“Well… they said I could continue with my rank...”

“But?”

The boy exhaled as he looked up at the Hokage mountain. “You know, I always wanted to be the Hokage, but now… When I thought I was about to die… It really didn’t seem to matter anymore.”

“Hn,” she scrunched her face looking up at the stone faces too. She knew that feeling. That time in her past life, before she got the final shot, Ryoko felt that nothing mattered anymore. Her work didn’t matter. The victims she killed didn’t matter. It all seemed so irrelevant.

“I was thinking… I want to help other children, so they would not have to go through what I did…”

“Oh? You’ll be a sensei?!”

“Yup. Just sent my application. Fugaku-sama already approved,” the boy smiled gently at her surprised expression. At least he smiled despite all the looks and comments he got.

The clan wanted him to get his eye back. Other shinobi looked at him with suspicion of being some brainwashed enemy now. It was as if Obito could not win no matter what he chose to do.

“Well, if that will make you happy, Obi,” Ryoko nodded sternly. In the end, she wanted him to be happy. Even though she thought his skills as a shinobi were too great to be wasted in the academy.

“So, where are you headed?” he asked.

“Oh, I was about to visit big brother at the hospital.”

“Do you want to have a bite before that?” he knew the road to her heart. Food was something she would never refuse. The girl gave another serious nod. That is how they ended up in some ramen shop Ryoko didn’t bother to catch the name of.

“Kushina-san! Kakashi! Hope you don’t mind? My cousin will join,” Obito said as he took a place by the table with his team member. Ryoko didn’t hesitate to take a seat next to him. She honestly didn’t care even if they would have said no.

“Oh, not at all, Obito-kun. Nice to see you again, Ryoko-chan,” the redhead woman smiled brightly just as she finished what looked like her third bowl of ramen. The masked boy next to her said nothing.

“Uzumaki-san, Hatake-san,” Ryoko inclined her head slightly in greeting.

“Kushina-san, how is Rin doing?” Obito asked after they placed their order.

“Well… she is learning, but it will take time to… deal with her… new friend,” the woman smiled. Her answer was cryptic and made Ryoko think why such secrecy was needed? On the other hand, she could care less about the weakling girl.

“I see,” Obito muttered, but quickly his expression changed into a familiar easy-going smile. “How is sensei doing? I heard he finally made the move?” he teased making the redhead blush almost to the color of her hair.

“Ah, yes. The ceremony will be held in few months so we could prepare everything, ya’ know!” she said with a bright smile of her own. Marriage. Ryoko didn’t think too much about the concept. Part of her was surprised that shinobi even bothered to make such ties.

Another part of her deliberated if her parents were planning to sell her ‘hand’ to someone. And if they were, she would have to give them a rude awakening. Because Ryoko wasn’t going to marry just any low life. No. It would have to be someone at least as strong as her.

The girl nibbled on her noodles thinking what could be her strategy on this subject. She decided that more research will have to be done to filter out potential candidates. And when her parents will inevitably breach the subject, she will be ready.

“Congratulations, Uzumaki-san,” Ryoko added to keep up with the polite conversation.

“Aww, just call me Kushina, darling,” the woman smiled.

“Hn.”

The conversation continued between Uzumaki and Obito, while she and Kakashi ate in silence. The boy didn’t lower his mask once but somehow managed to finish his meal. Hmmm he has skills she thought critically evaluating the silent boy.

“So, Ryoko-chan, I heard you are a jonin now?” Kushina asked.

“Hn.”

Kakashi scoffed at her answer. “You have a problem?” she narrowed her eyes at him.

“Not at all, Uchiha,” he remarked in a completely calm and fake manner with his eyes crinkled as if taunting her.

“Oy, Bakashi, be nice to my little cousin!” Obito piped up. “Princess, he is just intimidated by another prodigy,” he smiled more kindly at her and even poked her forehead for good measure.

“I am not!” the masked boy practically growled.

“You wanna spar against me then?” Ryoko smiled sweetly at him with the same fake smile he showed only moments ago with his eye alone.

“Oy oy, kids let’s not fight, yeah?” Kushina gave them both a chastising stare.

“Hn.”

“Whatever,” Kakashi murmured.

Oh, that was it. Now Ryoko had to make it her mission to stomp this little brat into the ground for the disrespect he showed! One look at his eye and she knew he was thinking along the same lines. Good.

“Alright, I have to go see ‘Tachi,” Ryoko stood up after finishing what was left in her bowl. “Obi, talk to you later. Kushina-san. Bakashi,” she smiled at the other two like a little angel with a devil's tail. The lack of honorifics and the nickname was enough to make the masked boy send daggers with his visible eye.

Ryoko by all means was not above taunting and playing with her targets. She would make him lose that air of cool he had. But first things first. Itachi was waiting for her.

In ten minutes Ryoko was in the hospital headed to the intern room, where her brother should be working at this time. She flared her chakra slightly before entering.

“Koko,” a gentle smile greeted her.

“Big brother!” she could not resist running up to the boy who was already at least a head taller than her. “I heard the news!”

“Hn. It will be in a month,” Itachi said after they hugged.

“Hn,” they didn’t need many words to share the excitement. Even without talking, they understood each other perfectly. “Are you ready?”

“Yes. The examination should not be a big deal,” he smiled again as his hands tidied up some papers he was working on before. Then there was a knock on the door.

“Oh, sorry, Uchiha-sama, I can come back later,” a small boy with round glasses and grey hair said.

“It’s fine, Kabuto-kun. Actually, I would like you to meet my sister - Ryoko.”

She looked the boy over. He seemed younger than herself. But just like her brother, the boy had a badge and clipboard. So another intern she guessed.

“It is very nice to meet you, Ryoko-hime,” the boy bowed politely.

“Koko, this is Kabuto Yakushi. He is our new intern. The boy has very good chakra control,” Itachi introduced sparing no compliments. Coming from him, it was a big deal. Ryoko knew that her brother was polite, but he would not say such things if they were not true. Meaning that the boy was really talented.

“Hn. Kabuto-kun, nice to meet you,” she inclined her head slightly.

“Pleasure is all mine! I am very grateful to your brother for giving me this chance,” the boy smiled up at the two Uchiha siblings. Ryoko curved her eyebrow in a questioning manner directed at Itachi.

“Ah. Well, when we were visiting the orphanage, I noticed Kabuto-kun’s skills and offered to join the internship program.”

There was a lot to unpack there. Suggesting a program was one thing. But for an orphan to actually attend it was completely different. It actually costs money and Ryoko guessed that Itachi became a benefactor in this case. She quirked her eyebrow again at Itachi.

Her brother sent her a very familiar smile that meant ‘don’t tell father about this’. Ryoko smiled right back at him meaning ‘sure thing, bro’. Two conspirators both nodded and turned their attention back at the boy who studied them in silence.

“Oh, by the way, brother, I noticed mother has been acting weird, maybe you could drag her to the hospital to be checked out?” she voiced the main reason for her visit.

After the war ended and she was officially a jonin, Ryoko spent surprisingly much time in the village. She didn’t have a genin team to go on missions with. And no other chunin or genin would willingly follow her as a team leader because of her age. Sensei would occasionally take her on some missions, but as it was now, Ryoko had to bid her time.

That meant that the girl was home and actually could catch the difference in Mikoto’s behavior. While Itachi spent most of his time either on missions or in the hospital or with clan business, he was like a ghost of Christmas past spotted only on special occasions. He wouldn’t notice the small changes.

Their mother was paler than usual. Once Ryoko even heard her throw up. And it would be nothing of concern, but a gut feeling was bothering the girl… Something was up.

“Hn. Let’s bring the subject during dinner? Father will agree with us,” Itachi suggested.

“Hn,” Ryoko gave a nod and turned to leave. “Nice meeting you, Kabuto-kun. Study well,” she waved at the boy and sent a warm smile to her brother.

That evening the dinner was tense. Itachi would glance at her obviously taken note of their mother's tired appearance. Just a few months ago she looked completely fine, back during the Hokage inauguration.

“Mother, I and Ryoko are concerned about your health. Would you go to the hospital with me tomorrow?” Itachi finally said just as the dessert was being served.

“Oh, my darlings,” Mikoto smiled warmly and shared a look with their father. Ryoko narrowed her eyes slightly. Were they hiding something from them? Fugaku cleared his throat.

“That will not be necessary, Itachi. Your mother is completely fine,” he said, convincing no one.

“But…” Itachi tried to protest before Mikoto cut him off.

“Darling, what your father wanted to say is that we have something to tell you both…” the woman sat down next to Fugaku and shared another look with him.

“Hn. You will have another sibling,” their father said with a pointed look first at Itachi than to Ryoko as if hoping they are old enough to know about where the babies come from and will not force him to explain things.

“Oh…” they both said in surprise. Now it all started to make sense to Ryoko. She relaxed in her seat and nodded.

“Congratulations, father, mother,” the girl said officially and continued to eat her sweet dango like nothing happened. Her nonchalance was something Fugaku secretly was grateful for.

“I see. Have you been at the hospital yet?” Itachi asked instead.

“Well, no, not yet,” Mikoto waved him off unsuccessfully. Her brother already had the trademark 'serious medic' look on his face.

“Hn. I am taking you to the hospital first thing tomorrow, mother,” Itachi nodded with unwavering determination in his tone.

“Darling,” in a second Mikoto was hugging her son tight with some happy tears rolling down her cheeks. The woman was clearly touched by Itachi’s care.

Ryoko was already ten and a half when her mother started to very obviously show. It turned out that they will have a brother. She didn’t know how to feel about it. While Itachi will forever be the number one in Ryoko’s life, a possible little brother sounded like something she will have to protect with everything she has. Unlike Itachi, who by now was a skilled jonin like herself, could stand on his own.

One night, while they read together in Itachi’s room, Ryoko thought about it. A little defenceless baby brother, huh?

“Itachi, let’s make a pact!” she closed her book and turned to the boy.

“Hn?”

“We’ll protect our little brother no matter what!” she declared. Her face was serious. Both of them knew just how dangerous the outside world could be. They were children of war. Itachi also closed his book and had the same serious expression as Ryoko.

“Yes,” he said only a single word and they both nodded in agreement. That’s all it took to make this unbreakable promise.

“By the way, what are you reading?” Itachi asked after a while when they continued with the reading.

“Oh, about how Madara-sama dealt with those advisors who opposed him or were rude during meetings.”

“Hn? And what did he do?”

“He would cut their head off!” Ryoko chuckled darkly. Her vivid imagination supplied the concept in great detail.

“Ryoko! No!” Itachi looked slightly horrified. She rolled her eyes.

“Oh, brother, tell me you never wanted to do that during one of the clan meetings?”

He was silent. “That’s what I thought,” Ryoko nodded, taking her win. As time went by, Itachi had to learn more and more about the clan and how to lead it. Ryoko was allowed only in a few meetings, unfortunately. But that was enough for her to start contemplating murder.

“I would like to see you as the heir...” Itachi sighed silently but still with a timid smile.

“Come on.”

“Why do we have to do it there?”

“Because! We need supervision.”

“Aww, does a little child need a guardian?” he smirked with malice.

“NO! But if we want to go full out, do you think your sensei will approve if it gets out of control?” Ryoko shot back, crossing arms over her chest.

“Pft.”

“Oh, or is it that you’re now scared of a little girl, Bakashi?”

“Bring it on, Uchiha!” the masked boy shot her a glance and they continued the rest of the walk in silence. Kami, it took Ryoko way too long to hunt him down. As Kakashi was ANBU, he often was hidden in the shadows.

Fortunately, one day she met him and offered to spar. They had unresolved business. She had a thing or two to prove. Kami knows the boy had to be brought down a notch from his high pedestal.

So that is how they ended up walking together to Orochimaru’s training ground. Ryoko smirked.

“You know, Orochimaru sensei is probably the only one who will allow us to fight seriously. I dare you to disagree.”

He didn’t respond.

As they entered the secluded grounds, Orochimaru greeted both kids with an amused expression. He didn’t question the girl when she came to him with this odd request. He was the best.

“Alright, kiddosssss. Try not to kill each other,” he waved them off retreating to the sidelines.

“You’ll lose,” Kakashi deadpanned as he took a fighting stance across from Ryoko.

“Don’t think that I’m not strong! We are of the same rank. I’m the one taking you on.”

“Pft, we’ll see about that,” with those words he leaped forward and their fight began. Quickly they exchanged blows at high speed. Neither using their sharingan just yet. She could see that the Kakashi was not taking her seriously.

“Don’t underestimate me, boy!” she yelled out weaving an intricate genjutsu around them. “I’ll make you sorry you were born,” her voice echoed enhanced in the delusion of torture.

“You. Don’t. Know. Me!” Kakashi yelled back dispersing layer after layer of genjutsu. Finally, he became serious and started to use more complex jutsu.

Water and earth mixed around as walls and whatnot were summoned in the attacks. At one point he tried to drag her down from below the ground. She barely managed to jump away in time. Unfortunately, that turned out to be a clone.

The real Kakashi was waiting behind Ryoko and grabbed her by the neck. Together they fell to the ground. She flipped them around after bucking her hips. The next moment a kunai was in her hand aiming for his neck.

The bastard was fast. He quickly replaced his body with a nearby branch. Ryoko growled in frustration and swiveled around to deflect shuriken aimed at her.

The next moment they were trading taijutsu blows. He was just a bit faster and managed to hit her a few times. The pain was nothing really, although her eyes prickled with involuntary tears from one particular blow that hit right in the nerve.

“Baby,” he scoffed, sending another well-aimed hit.

“Don’t call me baby!” she sneered and summoned a whip of fire that barely missed Kakashi’s torso.

Ryoko didn’t know how long ago it was since they started to fight. Each passing minute their attacks got harsher and harder. Neither of them showed signs of fatigue. While their chakra reserves allowed them to use countless ninjutsu.

Slowly things escalated until the moment Ryoko was waiting for. She heard it before she saw it. A distinctive sound of chirping birds. The next moment Kakashi was already running at her full speed.

He probably expected the girl to leap away or dodge, but Ryoko smirked and took a better stance as she prepared to embrace the blow that Kakashi could no longer stop. The momentum of his attack was reached. He wouldn’t be able to stop even if he wanted to.

She noticed the moment Kakashi realized that she’s not moving anywhere. The boy’s eye widened with panic. Ryoko smiled viciously as she met the Chidori with her left hand. This was it. The technique she wanted to try for so long.

Focusing chakra and elemental energy, Ryoko absorbed the jutsu with her palm, her right hand made a motion going down from her left arm, through her stomach, and then to the right side, and… the chirping noise was heard again!

Kakashi was shocked as he tried to pull away, but Ryoko held his hand tightly, with their fingers intertwined, while her other hand held his lightning.

“Uno reverse jutsu, bitch!” she yelled and was about to slam the stolen Chidori in the ground between them when she lost control. The lightning took shape and cracked around both of them sending the kids with a shock wave into opposite sides of the field.

Then everything faded to black. Ryoko only felt strong hands catch her before she slammed into a tree.

The next time Kakashi opened his eye, he found himself in a hospital room with a seriously frowning Obito by his bed.

“Seriously?” the boy said with a disappointment of a seasoned parent.

“She called me a bitch,” Kakashi sighed, closing his eye again.

“Yeah, no. Ryoko’s ten! Kakashi, why would you fight her?”

“She asked for it,” he sighed again and tried to sit up. Kami, he hated the hospital smell. His whole body felt sluggish. It was a feeling he almost had forgotten. The last time he was zapped by lightning this bad, was when he developed the Chidori all those years back.

“You aimed Chidori at her! You could have killed her!”

Kakashi scoffed. Clearly, Obito has not seen his cousin fight before. The brat actually managed to keep up with him at times during the fight.

“Yeah, as if. She stole it,” he deadpanned looking again at Obito.

“Sharingan cannot steal an elemental transformation jutsu!”

“She was not using sharingan.”

That made Obito shut up alright for once. “What happened?” Kakashi sighed, getting out of the bed. Obito didn’t even try to stop him.

“Orochimaru-sama brought you two here. Said you knocked each other in a spar.”

That sounded about right. As far as he remembered. Honestly, Kakashi was reluctant to accept the offer of a spar at first. But something about the smug look that little Uchiha girl had just got under his skin.

He was ANBU for Kami’s sake! And yet this little girl thought she could beat him??? What pissed him off the most, was that not even once did she use her dojutsu in their fight. Maybe if she did, he could explain why Ryoko could even fight back.

Now, he had nothing to blame on the result of the fight. It was not a win, even though Kakashi knew he could have won…

“Where is she?” he asked looking around, but there were no other beds there.

“Ooooh no! You are not fighting with Ryoko again!” Obito quickly said.

“Maaa, Obito-kun, I just wanted to check if she is alright?” the fake smile was not fooling his teammate, unfortunately.

“Yeah yeah! Tell that to sensei! He was not pleased to hear that his precious ANBU was not available because he knocked himself out in a fight with a little girl!”

“She’s a jonin, Obito,” he deadpanned again. How come no one was seeing what he saw? The girl was a monster! She was not a genin, but a freakin' jonin! And they still considered her a fragile glass doll. Fools! “So? Where is she?”

Obito sighed deeply as he rubbed at his temples. “Mikoto-sama went into labor. She’s with family in the waiting area. I don’t think you would want to go there when Fugaku-sama is present.”

Right. Kakashi exhaled pulling on his neatly folded clothing instead of the hospital gown he was put in. At this time, a big part of the village was under baby fever. Even his sensei was expecting.

“Alright then, see ya,” Kakashi waved before jumping out of the window. He felt an urgent need to train.

Chapter Text

“Sasuke, huh?” Ryoko looked down at the little baby sleeping in the crib.

“Hn,” Itachi was right next to her. She smirked leaning on the crib's rail.

“You heard, clan people are joking around that father will repopulate the clan all by himself?”

“I’d rather not hear that,” her brother sighed. He was truly adorably shy. As for Ryoko, she had no issues with her parents having a healthy sex life. It only proved to show their superiority. She was a tad proud of Fugaku even.

“Father is hard working with anything he does,” she snickered.

“Ryoko! Please stop,” Itachi hissed at her.

“Oh please yourself. It’s not like he’s the only one. You heard? Most of the clan heads had offsprings recently.”

Itachi could only let out an exasperated sigh. He was painfully aware of that fact working in the hospital and all. “Even Hokage will have a brat soon,” she added.

“Shouldn’t you be on a mission or training?” Itachi said instead of acknowledging her statement about the sex life of their respected clans of Konoha.

“Yeah, I wish. Sensei is busy with some research so I am bound to the village for the foreseeable future.”

“Good.”

She gasped with fake shock and hurt.

Ryoko was ready to rip the hair out of her head from boredom. It honestly sucked being an eleven-year-old prodigy. After her birthday in September, Ryoko started to practice stealth inside the compound to at least keep her skills sharp between the rare missions she got.

At least that is how she justified eavesdropping on clan meetings. One evening she was hidden above the ceiling of the meeting room an hour before clan elders started to gather. She at least learned some patience to lay there and wait.

Footsteps put her at alert. The girl quickly enhanced her hearing with the least amount of chakra possible. Thankfully, privacy seals covered everything until the roof, giving her a perfect spot in the attic to hear everything that was being said.

“Fugaku-sama, it was approved,” one particularly old and annoying man said as they all gathered.

“Do not recall giving my order to send for approval or inquiry in the first place,” her father's voice was cold, but she recognized the carefully suppressed anger. Oh oh, someone is in trouble… she smirked.

“We have discussed this matter with the village council and they suggested that it would be a good sign for Uchiha to nominate one of our own for the shadow ranks. It is our chance to get more of our own in higher ranks,” another old man persisted.

“Is that so? And who do you have in mind?” Fugaku’s voice was sharp.

“Well, Itachi-sama would be the best choice of course to represent Uchiha.”

“Out of the question,” her father cut the words short and his chakra swiveled dangerously. “Shisui-kun is just as capable.”

“Lord Fugaku, we must show an example! You cannot hold your children in a higher stand over others. He is clearly the most skilled Uchiha.”

“Yes, Fugaku-sama, it has been decided. We agreed to send our nominee by the end of tomorrow to Hokage,” the old geezer number one added.

Ryoko felt the blood in her veins run cold as ice. She stopped listening at this point. They seriously were suggesting to force her big brother into the shadows? Or her dear cousin? She had read enough about ANBU to know that it was not a place for Itachi or Shisui for that matter.

She loved her brother dearly and to imagine that he would be forced into doing the most dangerous and dirty work for the village… No. Ryoko could not let this happen. She knew that he was skilled enough, but that was not the problem.

Itachi, despite his talent, was a truly gentle soul. She could not let him be tainted by the shadows. More so, why would the village council be so interested in their clan now? A single name popped into her head with an image of a vicious smile and a sense of a revoltingly ominous touch.

Danzo.

That sneaky old shit… Ryoko raged in her mind. She knew that he would eventually try to do something. But to go after her brother? That was just low.

The girl had to wait until the meeting ended before she could leave her hiding spot. It was enough time for her to devise a plan. Actually, there was only a single thing she could do.

Ryoko left her home early in the morning. She left a little note for her father in his office, knowing that he would go there before leaving for the Police Station. Before that, she stopped by Sasuke’s room.

The little boy was already awake silently nibbling on his plush toy dragon. A gift from her.

“See you later, brother, be good, okay?” she leaned in to plant a kiss on his forehead. The boy used the opportunity to grab onto her hair per usual.

“Ane…” Sasuke giggled. He was already in the age when he started using simple words and it warmed Ryoko’s heart to hear that he recognized her.

“Yes, I’m your big sister. Now be good,” she gently pulled his little hands away and left without making any noise.

On her way, the girl muttered pent-up curses.

“Sleazy old man…”

“Princess, who got on your bad side?” Shisui flickered right next to her with a big smile. It looked like he just returned from a mission.

Ryoko stopped and sighed. She considered her words for a long moment. Orochimaru had already warned her and she was on guard. But what if Danzo tries again to come after Itachi or someone else while she is away?

“Listen, Shisui, I need you to promise me one thing,” her tone was serious and instantly got the boy's attention. His usual smile was gone in a blink of an eye.

“Cousin? What’s the matter?”

“You know the councilman Danzo?”

“Yeah?”

“Listen, my sensei warned me that he is… that he… has an odd interest in sharingan, so watch your back, key?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Just, be cautious, Shisui. And tell Itachi too. And Obito,” she frowned thinking that any of her talented siblings could potentially be recruited by the creep

“Princess! What happened?” Shisui looked positively worried by now.

“Nothing. Really. He wanted to recruit me and sensei said that would be bad, so yeah. Just don’t accept anything Danzo offers, do you promise?”

“Alright, I promise.”

“Hn. I have to go, see you later, cousin,” she gave him one last smile and left before he could ask anything else. Not like she could tell him anything more. Ryoko just had this bad feeling about the old man. No proof, but her gut feeling was enough to be concerned.

Ryoko reached the Hokage tower just as the village started to wake up. She knocked on the imposing doors of the Hokage office and flared her chakra as a courtesy too.

“Come in,” the bright voice of Minato sounded from inside.

“Hokage-sama,” she bowed slightly.

“Ah, Ryoko-chan! What brings you here? I don’t think we had a mission for you,” he asked, giving the girl his trademark ‘bright as the sun’ smile.

“First of, congratulations on your son, Hokage-sama,” she said politely. Ryoko was not stupid. She knew for her plan to work, the man had to be buttered up a little bit with pleasantries.

“Oh! Haha! Yes, thank you! We are truly blessed. Naruto-kun is healthy and we are truly happy that everything went well,” the blond rubbed one hand over his neck ruffling his hair in the process. “But that is not why you are here, Ryoko-chan, is it?” quickly, his eyes became serious.

“Correct, Hokage-sama. I was sent here as the Uchiha nominated for the ANBU ranks, sir.”

Minato’s eyebrows furrowed. Then he smiled more gently. “Ahh, that. Well… I was actually expecting to see your brother here… it was implied that…”

“Hokage-sama,” she politely cut off the man. “My brother has too many responsibilities at this moment with the hospital and the clan business. He is the heir to our clan and to be frank, he is too valuable to us, knowing the mortality rate among ANBU.”

This was low. To imply that she was not as valuable that is, but Ryoko had to push it. By the looks of a micro pained expression in Minato’s eyes, she guessed that her metaphorical kunai was right on the mark.

“With all due respect, if my skills will not suffice and I were to fail the ANBU examination, my brother would be reconsidered for this position, Hokage-sama.”

Minato exhaled deeply but didn’t close his eyes just yet. He couldn’t know yet that her words were a lie. Finally, the man nodded. He looked conflicted but determined. “Alright, Ryoko-chan. Boar, you know what to do,” ANBU agent appeared behind the girl and placed his gloved hand on her shoulder.

The next second she was transported to the depths of ANBU headquarters.

Fugaku could barely sleep that night. He had an impossible decision to make. That is if he thought there was any room to make any choices. It felt like the decision was already made for him.

The only solution that came to mind, was to send both Itachi and Shisui to ANBU. At least that way, the boys would have each other and could support one other.

With a heavy heart, he walked into the study to collect some documents. That is where he noticed a carefully placed note with his name in Ryoko’s signature. He frowned and opened it.

“I swear if she asks for a gunbai again I…” he stopped mid-sentence when he started to read the letter.

Father,
I know what the council asked for and I will not stand for Itachi to be shuffled into shadow ranks. By the time you will be reading this, I will be already reporting to Hokage that I was sent from the Uchiha clan for ANBU position.
I ask you to not interfere and trust in me to take this responsibility for our clan. Itachi is far too valuable to be lost in the shadows. Please allow him to choose what he wants to do as he is already bound to lead the clan one day and there is just so little left for him to decide about his own life.

P.S. If anyone dares to mention that that ANBU spot was initially orchestrated for Itachi, and I took it in his place, I will be upset.

P.P.S. I will probably be gone for a while for the ANBU examination and training, so please let the family know.

Love you.

“Oh Ryoko,” Fugaku whispered, crumpling the letter in his hand as he grabbed onto the table for support. His dear little daughter once more showed just how strong her Uchiha bond was with her brother.

She not only sacrificed herself for Itachi but took away the decision from his hands. The pressure on his mind was relieved only to be replaced by the worry over Ryoko.

The man took more than a few calming breaths before his mind started to work again. He had no doubt that Ryoko meant everything in her letter. She was probably already swooped away by ANBU. The deed was done. Now it was his duty to take the responsibility of telling the news to the elders and his family.

And Fugaku will gladly take their displeasure and anger. That was the least he could do. As far as they will know, he sent his own daughter there. That will be his story and the truth when he leaves this room.

Ryoko opened her eyes in a plain-looking room. A tall man with a mask of a boar stood in front of her. It was weird not to sense a buzzing village around her. Like being in an isolated containment. Too quiet.

“From now on, you are ‘recruit #8’. You will report to me or the commander,” the man spoke without any flavor in his voice. At least she could tell that it was a man.

Boar gave her a plain ANBU uniform. She didn’t think twice that they had such small sizes on hand. Then he gave Ryoko a porcelain mask. It was white with a symbol for the number eight on the forehead.

Without hesitation, the girl started to strip. She discarded her shirt and pants. What was left she carefully prepared that morning in anticipation of a scenario just like this. There were bindings on her chest, wrists, and ankles. Simple black underwear and that’s it. Not even a weapon… In sight.

Ryoko put on a black turtleneck shirt, she was given. Same material black pants that were carefully tucked into her leg bindings. Then a gray vest and a pair of long black gloves with arm guards. Gloves she actually liked. It felt… formal. Like she was about to prance into one of the banquets she used to go with her father in the past life…

The last was the mask. Ryoko brushed her fringe up just enough to slide the mask on her face. With the help of barely any chakra, it stuck to her skin.

“Sir,” she straightened up in front of the man ready for the next command. In her little head, it was like a game. Some live-action role playing. A challenge to be conquered while protecting her big brother at the same time.

“Eight, you will now join other recruits. You are not to communicate with anyone, am I clear?”

“Yes, sir,” Ryoko said calmly, but there was something stern in her voice. She wanted to make an impression, so the girl chose to act here a little more as she used to in her past. No emotions, no fear. Killing Intent carefully hidden, but always there ready to stun unknowing victims.

They exited the room into a dimly lit corridor. There were no windows or any markers on the walls. So she guessed that they had to be underground. After a couple of minutes, Ryoko was dropped off in a bigger yet similarly plain room where already at least a dozen people waited with the same uniforms and masks. All marked with numbers.

She felt their piercing stares even though she could not see their eyes. Everyone was at least two heads taller than her. Ryoko was sure that she had to be the youngest one here. If not ever.

The girl took a spot by the wall and stood calmly with her hands resting by her sides like a good little soldier. She wanted to cross her arms, as usual but decided against it. This felt a lot like a job interview where you have to be on your best behavior, pretend to be what they need. And then when you actually get the job you can incorporate more of yourself.

Two hours passed and she didn’t move an inch. When Boar finally returned with the last recruit number eighteen, Ryoko snapped back from her meditative state.

Here we go… she smirked under her mask. Let the fun begin.

Boar had seen a lot over the years of service in ANBU. What he didn’t expect is to have a recruit that was barely taller than his waist. A child… Two years ago he got Hound, but even that boy was older than Eight.

Yet it was not Boar’s job to question their Hokage’s orders. He dutifully led the recruits outside the village deep into the Land of Fire, where covert training grounds for shadow rank recruits were kept. Alongside him, there were six more ANBU members to help with the sorting process. And one ANBU medic as per regulation.

His goal was not to kill off Konoha shinobi during the examination but to pick the absolute best for the task they needed. A dead shinobi was of no use to anyone.

“Recruits! We will start with sparing to gauge your skill level for further assignments,” he announced to the group standing before him. “One, Two and Three will go with Hawk. Four, Five and Six with Viper. Seven, Eight and Nine with Weasel. Ten, Eleven and Twelve with Tiger. Thirteen, Fourteen and Fifteen with Mongoose. Sixteen, Seventeen and Eighteen with Neko.”

Each newbie was given a single kunai and then they all split into groups. Boar walked around watching the one on one fights. Ninjutsu was forbidden, but anything else goes. Slowly, one by one the recruits were incapacitated as per the procedure.

Neko and Viper now trailed behind him as all six of the assigned shinobi were knocked out. He noticed that Weasel was having a hard time with Eight. While Seven and Nine were already out cold, Eight continued to dodge and avoid.

“Eight! You need to go for the kill,” Boar ordered as he stopped nearby to watch. The kid nodded once in his direction. He noticed how the kunai shifted in Eight’s hand and the kid was off.

Eight ran head on towards Weasel. It looked like the brat was about to strike, but the last minute Eight slid on the ground between Weasels legs. In less than a second, the kid somehow now had a second kunai in their other hand. While passing between Weasels legs two precise slices were made to cut both tendons.

Before Weasel even got to fall down to the ground, Eight was already up on their feet behind the ANBU. With one jump, kunai impaled both of his agents hands to the ground effectively preventing Weasel from doing anything. The next second, the kid somehow had another kunai in his hand!

Eight grabbed Weasel by the hair to reveal their neck and placed a kunai there. It looked like the kid barely managed to stop mid action. Masked face tilted up to look at him as if asking for an order to continue or not with the kill.

“Stand down, Eight! Viper, Neko, take over,” he ordered. The medic already rushed to check on Weasels injuries.

For the love of Hashirama… Weasel is out of shape… he thought observing the fight. Soon other ANBU finished with their recruits and there were only three figures left fighting.

Eight dodged and weaved, but no longer as defensively as with Weasel. It was getting ridiculous. How could two of his seasoned ANBU not manage to subdue a single kid? Boar felt like he already saw everything he needed to.

With a well timed flicker, he appeared behind Eight and triggered the pressure point in their neck. The kid somehow managed to land a kunai on his hand before collapsing unconscious. Fortunately his arm plate protected from any injury.

“For fucks sake…” Viper panted crouching.

“Who.. the hell... Taught this kid?” Neko looked tired as well. Boar exhaled deeply.

“Orochimaru-sama,” he said. There was no point in hiding the fact from the ANBU by his side. The masks and anonymity was more for the recruits in case they don’t make the cut.

“That actually explains a lot,” Tiger said.

“Shit,” Neko cursed again, while the medic inspected her injuries.

“Hmm, maybe I should ask Lord Orochimaru to have some training sessions with our agents,” Boar thought aloud as he looked down at Eight.

“Alright, change of plans. Viper, take Eight. Neko, you come with us. The rest continue with the program,” he ordered as the three of them walked away with the kid. Looks like they would have to use the Level 2 program for this one.

After a thirty minutes run, they now perched on a cliffside of a ravine. Their presence was masked with chakra and genjutsu of the highest level. Three ANBU waited in silence while their eyes were trained on Eight.

Kid was in chakra suppressing cuffs handing on a long and thick ninja wire. Below them was a long drop to sharp edged stones.

The instant Eight gained consciousness, Boar noticed how slightly the kid tensed. There was a moment of stillness before Eight turned their head to look around. They watched as the kid swung their legs up and hooked on the wire.

Now upside down, it looked like Eight was inspecting the cuffs. I would like to see you get out of this one… Boar thought to himself.

Then suddenly, Eight let go of the hold his leg had on the wire. Little body dropped down like a puppet. Caught in the momentum, their legs moved in a calculated manner so the wire wrapped around Eight’s torso, while the little hands grabbed on to the wire so Eight would not untangle like a jojo.

Four more calculated motions with their legs and Eight was wrapped around the torso with a wire at least five times now. Three ANBU stilled in anticipation.

Eight took a moment and then they let go. Intensifying the unraveling motion with their legs, the kid dropped down. With the help of gravity, weight, and inertia the cuffs broke and now the kid was falling down into the ravine.

Clever.

Mid air Eight performed some kind of jutsu that made blue flames shoot out of their feet propelling the kid to the side of the cliff. Now using chakra to hang on, Eight stood securely. The kid looked around until the masked face settled on their location. They knew exactly where the ANBU were hidden.

“Sir,” Eight straightened up waiting for the next order. At that moment Boar knew that this would be interesting.

“Level 3,” he whispered to Viper and Neko by his side.

An hour later, the four of them were running to the next location.

“Eight, where did you learn that?” he asked the kid without looking back at them.

“Sensei dropped me off a few cliffs before, sir,” Eight responded. Well of course Orochimaru had. Boar exhaled wondering if maybe he should hire Orochimaru full time to train his ANBU.

Their little group stopped to rest a few times. They reached the target in two days. Still in the Land of Fire. The kid actually managed to keep up with them.

It was three in the morning. Pitch black. Only a flicker of light in the distance. Boar turned around to look at Eight.

“Your mission is to eliminate all targets in that building,” he said.

“Yes, sir.”

“Hand me all your weapons, Eight,” he said seriously. To be fair, he didn’t ask that before, so no wonder a kid had a few kunai stashed on their body. Obediently just like in the headquarters, Eight pulled one kunai after another into a neat pile.

Then Boar stepped closer and clasped a collar on Eight's neck.

“This is a chakra suppressing collar. You are not to remove it, am I clear?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Any questions?”

“Should I leave the bodies or get rid of them?”

Now that’s a first. Boar paused thinking it over. This mission was a low level. Some gang decided to cause trouble by the border so really no need to be discrete.

“Surprise me, Eight,” he settled for that just to see what the kid would do. They nodded and the four of them were off.

Eight went ahead, while he with Neko and Viper took a spot in the shadows of a nearby forest to observe.

“Viper, report,” he ordered the Hyuga to activate the byakugan. In the worst case, they were close enough to interfere.

Ryoko stopped by the little lake that bordered her target. It looked like a three stories high house. Without chakra, she couldn’t tell just how many enemies were inside, but that didn’t bother her.

The whole experience was rather entertaining for the girl. Finally she didn’t have to hold back. For the most part. Back when they spared, Ryoko noticed that ANBU were not even close to sensei’s level. That made it easier for her.

She understood well enough why the chakra suppressing was playing a big role here. They should be aware of her ninjutsu skills based on her chunin exam alone. They clearly wanted to see what else she had to offer without using sharingan.

“This is exactly what I have been training for,” she smirked under her mask.

The girl’s eyes didn’t notice any movement outside. What she did spot was a rain canal grate on the bank of the lake. Her way in, that’s what it was.

Silently and without causing ripples, she stepped into the lake until the water reached her neck. One last breath of air and she was under. She swam all the way across.

The grate on the other side was flimsy enough to open from a good shove. Inside the hole, Ryoko paused to catch her breath. Killing with her bare hands was definitely something Ryoko missed.

In her past life people didn’t have chakra. Sometimes even a knife was not handy. And there was just something special about snapping one’s neck with your bare hands. She could laugh now, but somehow managed to suppress the excitement.

Silently like a shadow, Ryoko got inside this hideout. She spotted her first targets bundled up playing poker. Carefully she picked up a dirty piece of carton and swung it to the other direction. One of the men stood up and went to investigate the noise.

Ryoko approached the man left behind and skillfully snapped his neck, before he even understood what was happening. At this moment she had no time to waste. The girl grabbed a dull knife that was on a nearby table and stalked towards the other guard.

One stab to the neck. Blood sprayed on the walls and on the ground. Bump. Then silence. She stilled listening in for any noises. Nothing.

Ryoko proceeded to look around and found a better knife. At least this one was sharp. Another thing caught her attention too. She smirked at the big boiler in the corner of this basement…

Ten minutes later she was already making her way up the stairs. The first floor went pretty much the same as the basement. Now when she reached the second floor, for some reason a ruckus started.

It seemed like these lowlifes finally noticed that there was something wrong going on just as she was snapping another neck.

“Fuck,” she whispered, dodging a sword that was swung at her. By the third floor, Ryoko was heavily covered in blood. She cursed again sensing that there was not much time left to finish things up here.

She cut one enemy, kicked another. The last one standing between her and the escape was shaking with his sword. Ryoko scoffed and attacked. Quickly the man was disarmed. She aimed her knife to his belly and made a long horizontal cut.

Then her arm reached inside. How reminiscent… she thought taking a hold on the man’s guts. Ryoko pulled her hand out and turned around.

She ran full speed through the window with the guts clutched in her grasp. The glass shattered all around her as the girl dropped down. She ran down the wall with the intestine serving as a rope. Last meters to the ground she let go and landed on her feet.

“Shit…”

“Report!”

“Eight just used the enemy's intestine as a rope, sir,” Viper said, almost not believing his own words, but the byakugan saw what it saw. There was no mistake.

“Any survivors left?” Boar asked watching as Eight casually walked away from the building.

“Yes, I can see a couple on the third...” Viper didn’t manage to finish his sentence when a loud explosion shook the ground. The building was engulfed in flames and started to crumble down. “No survivors,” Viper deadpanned as they watched the flames.

The kid didn’t even turn back as they walked away! Eight simply jumped into the lake and swam right back to them.

“Mission complete, sir,” Eight reported as water dripped from them. There was no trace of blood left on the kid.

“What was that explosion, Eight?”

“A boiler tank, sir. An unfortunate accident it seems,” he could practically sense the kid smiling behind that mask.

Boar didn’t comment any further. He stepped closer and took off the collar instead as Eight was already starting to shiver from the swim in the cold water without chakra to warm up.

Mikoto didn’t speak with him for a whole week. Itachi was colder than usual. At least the elders took the news better. They whispered, but did not object. After all, their suggestion about sending his kid to ANBU was met. Fugaku was grim and no one dared to object his decision. Almost no one.

“Where issss my student?” Orochimaru cornered him one day as Fugaku returned home from the Police Station.

“She has been recruited to ANBU,” the man didn’t see a point to lie to the sannin. Orochimaru was high enough rank to figure this out himself in time.

“By whoooo?” there was a dangerous tone in the snake’s voice. Fugaku narrowed his eyes.

“By me. I have suggested her,” he said, keeping up with the tale he concocted. Orochimaru’s reaction was rather odd to be completely honest. Looks like the sannin was more concerned by whose idea it was rather than that it happened in the first place.

It made Fugaku second guess. Where did this idea come from? he wondered in silence observing the pale man in front of him.

“I seeeee,” Orochimaru whispered and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Chapter Text

Commander read over the reports from Boar with complete focus. New recruit could mean life or death for other agents working with them. Some showed potential and were passed. Some failed. Out of eighteen candidates, only eight were moved to the last stage.

Talking about eight… Recruit Eight. He understood why Boar moved with the Level 3 program only after reading the detailed account of what happened. This child showed potential. They would fit in the ranks just like fish to water.

No, not they - she. Commander was pretty certain that no matter the results from the last stage, the girl would pass, so anonymity was no longer enforced inside the ranks.

“Commander! Recruits are ready,” Boar reported after stepping into his office.

“Understood. I will be taking Eight,” he said standing up. As usual, when it came to kids below age fourteen, he personally conducted the last stage of the examination.

It has been two weeks now since the process began. They thoroughly checked all the known skills of the candidates and all the unknown talents too. From taijutsu, ninjutsu, genjutsu, intellect to psychology. Every detail had to be noted and accounted for.

Commander shunshinned to T&I basement and walked to the cell reserved for ANBU training. This was necessary and had to be done with great care. While other ANBU agents tested the older recruits, he stepped into the room where Eight was already sitting strapped to the chair.

He stopped and watched the girl. Kami, her feet didn’t even reach the ground. She wasn’t moving or showing any other reaction to his presence.

Commander had a family and kids. That is why he personally tortured young candidates. As a parent himself, the man would know when to stop.

“Eight, do you have any questions?” he asked as the seals activated when the door closed behind him. Privacy seals would contain any screams. There were no windows. Not even a two-way mirror.

“No, commander.”

The girl was given a scroll beforehand with a code phrase. Now his job was to make her crack. To see how far an enemy would have to go to break his agent. The chakra suppressing collar was already on the girl.

Her being an Uchiha, they could not allow any chakra. She would break his genjutsu in an instant. That much she already proved during genjutsu spars.

“Let us begin.”

Commander weaved a genjutsu as he stood behind the girl, just in case she would recognize the hand signs. The room around them started to melt. His appearance took another shape. That of an enemy he once killed.

He leaned to the girl’s ear. “What is the code word?”

Silence. He proceeded with the usual. His hand landed a slap to Eight’s face. “Talk!” In reality, Commander has not moved an inch. The simulation of pain was all in Eight’s head. But that didn’t mean it felt any less real.

Silence. She didn’t yelp or make a single sound. For a while, that was the only thing echoing around the two - the sound of flesh hitting flesh. He grabbed onto her neck and squeezed just enough to make her choke.

“Code. Word,” he growled staring into the dark eyes no longer covered by the mask. She looked resigned and void of any emotion, despite her gasping for air.

Silence. The room melted around them again. Images of fire and war appeared. Konoha shinobi skewered like meat on long speers. Commander put even a few Uchiha in the mix of the fake bodies.

Silence. Not even a flinch. This lasted for hours. Horrible images of torture and literal nightmares.

He appeared again as yet another fallen enemy. His hand reached towards her face slowly. The girl didn’t shy away like most would after the hours of beating he did just now.

“You leave me no choice…” he said as the hand trailed down from her chin to the neck and lower. It was repulsive, but it had to be done. He expected to get a response at this stage, but Commander just didn’t expect… this!

Eight started to laugh. His hand stilled on her thigh.

“Something funny, bitch?”

“Maaaa, I didn’t peg you for a pervert. What is it? Unbound women are not giving you any?” she dared to taunt him. Sometimes this happened, but her voice lacked the usual despair other recruits showed.

He hit her hard in the stomach. She gasped and then laughed even harder. “Ooooh? Did I hit a nerve, big guy? You like little girls?” she cocked a crooked smile at him as the imaginary blood trailed from her mouth.

Commander stilled again. He was impressed with her lack of fear and tolerance to pain. She was promising. The surroundings again started to shift and melt. It changed from one nightmare to the other. His killing intent filled the room.

The man expected the girl to at least shiver by now. Instead, she continued to smirk bathing in the deathly aura around them as if it was sunshine.

Her psychological stability was impressive. Too healthy, if you would ask him, especially knowing that her sensei was Orochimaru-sama of all people. That would explain her tolerance to KI at least.

They were almost done. Commander would have finished already, but he just had this urge to try something more… He had to know what was her breaking point.

It looked like the room changed back to its original shape and form. He made fake hand signs pretending to release the genjutsu in front of her. Then the door opened and two 'ANBU agents' brought inside a person with a bag over their head.

ANBU left. Commander stepped closer to the person and took the bag off to reveal none other than Itachi Uchiha himself. It was a genjutsu, but for the girl, without chakra, he was as good as the real deal.

Now he noticed a change. Despite her leisurely smirk, the corners around her eyes twitched. Commander suspected as much. Uchiha were well known for their crazy obsession with their family. It wasn’t a bad thing until you are caught by the enemy.

He forced ‘Itachi’ to kneel on the ground in front of Eight. With a knife in his hand, he grabbed a fistful of hair.

“Codeword.”

The girl’s mouth twitched. She was struggling to keep her silence now. No more taunts. Her eyes just bore into her blindfolded brother. He slowly pressed the blade to ‘Itachi’s’ neck. Usually, he would make illusions speak or beg, but he imagined that the Uchiha heir would do no such thing.

“Last chance.”

Silence. Commander made a quick slash. Blood sprayed onto the bound girl. ‘Itachi’ dropped limply to the floor gargling something incoherent and twitching. He observed as Eight’s eyes widened. She was shivering.

She didn’t look away or couldn’t by now he guessed. He dispersed the illusion for real this time, but the girl was still staring at the spot her brother was laying dead just a moment ago.

Shit… he cursed noticing a single tear roll down her cheek. He stepped over a line.

Yes, tears were common in this stage, but not like this… He knew now that he went too far. She was still a child after all. Looks like he forgot that little detail. A careless mistake...

“Eight!” he called for the girl who was now shaking. She didn’t respond. Commander stepped closer and undid the bounds. Then he removed the collar. “Eight! The session is over. It was a genjutsu,” he said sternly, but it seemed like she didn’t even notice him.

Yamanaka will have his head if he just broke the child with his stupid curiosity. Scratch that. Fugaku-sama will have his head. And probably share it with Orochimaru-sama. He cursed again inside his head and crouched next to her.

“Ryoko, you are in Konoha. Itachi is alive and well, understand?” he said carefully. Only the mention of her brother got the girl to look up at him. She was teary-eyed.

For a moment there he really thought that this child was made out of stone. That was what prompted him to use this technique in the first place. Obviously, he was wrong. She gasped for air as the iron hold she had over her emotions crumbled.

The man scooped the girl up into his arms and hugged her. One hand brushed calming circles on her back, just like he would do to his own children when they got nightmares.

“Breath in. And out. In. And out,” he couched patiently until her breathing was steady again. After a couple more minutes, he let go. Eight now stood before him calm again, eyes slightly red.

“Did… I fail, commander?” she asked carefully.

“You did not give up the code word. You pass,” he said the verdict. She was young and needed to learn how to deal with experiences like this. It is good to locate the triggers in the safe environment of their village.

Commander looked deep into her eyes from behind his mask. When I’m done with her, nothing will break her again… he vowed.

Ryoko walked along the corridor of the headquarters slightly dazed. The whole experience in T&I shook her up. Genjutsu she could deal with. The pain she could endure. Seeing her brother hurt… she thought she could handle it.

Her mind screamed that it had to be fake. But the blood on her face felt warm. The smell was of copper felt real. The sounds… Somehow everything put together overwhelmed Ryoko. She blamed it on her growing hormonal body.

“What are you doing here?” a cold voice made Ryoko stop and lookup. She blinked at the boy blocking her way.

“Sightseeing,” she deadpanned. Next moment a kunai was placed on her neck. Ryoko didn’t have it in her to react so she gave a blank stare at that one annoying eye peering at her from above.

“Bullshit.”

“Maaa, you really are a genius, Bakashi,” she smirked with sarcasm.

“Hound! Stand down!” Boar’s voice ordered a few steps away. Reluctantly, the boy pulled back from her.

“I was just showing my new kunai, to my friend here,” he said.

“Yup, it’s really cool,” Ryoko nodded. She didn’t hear it but could feel Boar sigh.

“Don’t be late,” the older man only said before he left. She nodded, taking out a mask from inside her vest and putting it on her face.

Kakashi growled at her and did the same. His eye lingered on the mask she wore. No longer was it plain porcelain. She was now an ‘animal’ just like him.

Ten minutes later, Ryoko stood on a stage next to other new agents. There were seven in total. All wearing new masks. In front of them stood the rest of ANBU.

“These are the new recruits. Teams will be assigned in the next forty-eight hours,” Commander announced after voicing each of their code names.

Fox. That is how Ryoko will be known from now on. Personally, she thought it funny to even have a code name, when it was abundantly clear who she was. Her height, hair, and stance alone screamed Uchiha.

She returned home after debriefing. Her uniform and mask were left in her new locker at the ANBU HQ. By her count, it was a bit more than two weeks since she left for the Hokage’s tower.

Ryoko yawned as she stepped inside. All new members were given a single day off and she planned on sleeping the whole time. Her footsteps were silent as she made her way to her room. Tired eyes closed as soon as she dropped on the bed.

Sweet and soft bed. How she missed it. No wonder, she woke up only after someone started violently shaking her shoulder a few hours later. Her eyes opened up lazily to see Itachi’s face inches away.

“Hey, bro,” she yawned. The boy didn’t lose time in hugging her tightly.

“You’re back!” he whisper yelled into her ear. She felt like a rag doll, but it was nice to see Itachi again. Ryoko hugged the boy back, inhaling his scent. He was there, alive and well.

Somehow, he managed to drag her out of bed and into the dining room. Itachi’s hold was replaced by Mikoto’s bone-crushing hug. Ryoko sighed. At this moment, she would probably choose to endure more T&I.

“Welcome back,” her father said from his seat at the head of the table. She gave a wave in his direction after mother let her go. He looked serious as usual.

“ANE!” a little bundle tackled her side. She smiled at Sasuke and ruffled his hair. So much affection! As if they thought she wasn’t coming back.

After a hefty breakfast, father asked to speak with her in his study. As much as Ryoko wanted to return back to her bed, she followed him inside. The door closed and she felt privacy seals activate.

“Yes, father?” she asked curiously with her head tilted to the side slightly. Fugaku frowned and she couldn’t pinpoint what emotion was that on his face.

“Ryoko, don’t ever do that again.”

“Hn?”

“Go behind my back,” he clarified. She had almost forgotten about that little part of her plan. Ups. Ryoko didn’t have a chance to answer, as Fugaku now smothered her in a hug. He didn't show affection like this often and it really left Ryoko stunned.

“I love you, child, but why were you so reckless? What were you thinking?” he chastised after pulling away to look directly into her eyes.

“That I have to protect Itachi?” Ryoko offered.

“Ah, Ryoko. Don’t you think your brother can protect himself?”

“He can… but… ANBU would not be good for him! You know how he is… Itachi wants to save lives, not take them,” she frowned.

Fugaku exhaled deeply but didn’t argue. Who else if not close family would know the truth about Itachi. “What is done is done. As far as anyone is concerned, I ordered you,” he then said.

“Thank you, dad,” she smiled at him and hugged the man for good measure. It was somewhat exciting to conspire together with Fugaku. Felt like old times.

“Sensei, are you still mad at me?” Ryoko pouted trailing behind Orochimaru.

“I am not mad. I am dissssappointed,” he snapped back. Ryoko thought that the sannin was overreacting. She joined ANBU, not Root. So technically she didn’t break any promises.

“Sensei! ANBU is fun! I like it there,” Ryoko spent two weeks in the ranks officially now. She had about seven missions during that time with her new team. It was refreshing to work with someone consistently.

Of course, the agents looked at her with skepticism, but steadily she earned their respect one kill at a time. While other ANBU still gave her odd looks, whenever Ryoko walked the corridors of the shadow ranks.

Female agents were cold too the first few days she encountered them in the locker rooms. The first time, they openly gaped and scoffed when Ryoko entered. The cold wavered when she was assigned to the team specializing in assassinations. It completely melted after she successfully finished her first missions. Ryoko proved herself slowly but surely. They could not deny her competence for too long.

“Ohh, issss that so? So working with me was not fun?” Orochimaru raised an eyebrow as he placed a book back to the shelf of his laboratory.

“Sensei! Don’t say that!” the man was acting like a jealous lover. Ryoko swears that the whole village had a grave misconception about Orochimaru being colder than the Land of Frost. “I am not going anywhere. We can still train and go on missions. You won’t get rid of me that easily,” she frowned, crossing arms over her chest.

“Tsk!” he scoffed, but a small smile tugged on his thin lips.

“Sensei! You will always be my favorite teacher. Please don’t be upset with me,” she pushed with a fake pout. Although her words were no lie. Orochimaru exhaled.

“I’m not taking you on any missssssions for at least a month,” he said, narrowing his eyes. “Now hand me that scalpel,” he motioned casually.

Ryoko perked up with a smile. This was a start. She would coax the snake again. Orochimaru didn’t look as upset anymore at least.

Commander usually could enjoy the calm of the ANBU headquarters. A great benefit to leading underground and secret ranks. Nobody bothered him, unlike the more public Jonin commander or head of T&I.

So imagine his surprise when someone ambushed him walking home. Commander was not wearing his mask or cloak. He looked like any other civilian. Incredibly bland and nondescript. Yet Fugaku Uchiha himself now casually walked by his side.

“Uchiha-sama. What brings you down here?” he asked respectfully. Commander would be more concerned if it weren’t the clan head. They tended to have access others didn’t. They knew things others didn’t. As for the polite question… It wasn’t hard to guess why Fugaku was here.

“Hn. My daughter. I would like to hear your assessment of her progress.”

“Uchiha-sama, with all due respect, you should be aware that our missions are highly classified.”

“Not mission progress. Ryoko’s progress.”

Commander stopped and looked at the man next to him. He gets it. He really does. That need to find out if your children are doing alright. The worry you have to carry hidden from the public. He gave one nod and motioned towards a civilian bar.

They settled in the back. Commander got himself a glass of beer, while Fugaku settled for sake. He proceeded to share some of his observations about the girl's skills, intelligence, and endurance. He also mentioned her deep concern for her family. Fugaku didn’t look surprised.

“She is doing well, Fugaku-sama. You needn’t worry.”

“Hn. Please let me know if that changes.”

“Of course.”

If the commander understood Fugaku’s worry, then Orochimaru was a complete mystery. When Boar first presented his idea of involving the sannin with ANBU training, he could understand the agent's reasoning. Yet he was not that naive to think that Orochimaru would agree with it.

He was wrong. Snake sannin offered to discreetly review ANBU agent statistics and prepare a personalized regiment for each of them! Why was secrecy needed, the commander didn’t ask. He accepted the arrangement.

Only the Hokage, Boar, and himself knew about the sannin’s involvement. Commander looked over the paperwork Orochimaru presented him and was right away impressed. The insight into his agent’s skills was sharp as a kunai. Each ANBU now had a couple of pages of instructions and regiments listed for them.

Except for Fox. She got at least ten pages. “Of course. That’s why he agreed,” commander sighed looking over the report for the child in question. Now it was clear where the sannin’s generosity came from.

Ryoko sat in a small meeting room with her ANBU team. It consisted of the Viper she met during her first week as a recruit. Then there was a woman with a mask of a Cheetah. Their captain was another man with a Wolf mask.

As usual, while in the HQ they weren’t wearing their masks. Ryoko made sure to remember her team's appearance in great detail along with the feel of their chakra. She was relieved not to sense anything off about them.

Viper turned out to be a stoic Hyuga with a very sarcastic tongue. She liked him. Cheetah was a tall beautiful woman with bleach-blond hair. Very deceivingly fragile looking. While Wolf looked like everything you would imagine a captain to look like. Tall, broad shoulders, serious face, dark brown hair, and cold calculating eyes. A perfect team of predators, Ryoko often mused.

“Alright, team, here are your new personal regiments from the commander to improve your skills,” Wolf announced giving out pieces of paper to each. Ryoko noticed right away that she had the most. She pursed her lips but managed to suppress a scoff.

Did the commander really think so little of her skills? It was a natural and logical thought. It was also quickly discarded when the girl actually flipped through the pages. Her eyebrows narrowed.

“Anything the matter, Fox?” the captain asked noticing her reaction.

“The commander prepared these?”

“I am at no liberty to say. But it was given out by the commander, yes.”

“Hn.”

“Care to elaborate?” one thing she didn’t quite like, was the captain's need to make her talk. He was not very accepting of the Uchiha kind of language or the lack of it.

Ryoko sighed. “I am pretty sure I know who prepared these… That paranoid old…” she muttered reading over her regiment. “Yeah, I am almost certain that Orochimaru sensei prepared these, Taicho,” Ryoko deducted with a nod. She would know after training with the sannin for so long.

“REALLY? No shit!” Cheetah cackled. Ryoko liked her language, while Viper sent a disapproving stare. “Mine too?” the woman passed her own pages to Ryoko.

“Yes,” she confirmed.

“Alright. No matter who prepared this, your task will be to abide by the regiment, am I clear?”

“Yes, Taicho,” they all answered in chorus.

“Now, our next mission…”

Wolf had his reservations at first when the new ANBU members were sorted into teams. He couldn’t understand why a child was placed into his care. The missions his team ‘Ko’ did were less than savory or fitting for the young.

He proceeded with caution the first few missions. After a week, he felt comfortable enough to test Fox in the field. Now he understood exactly what the commander was thinking.

As Fox was slicing one neck after the other, Wolf nodded with approval. Yes, she will fit in just fine.

Another thing that worried him was having a Hyuga and an Uchiha in the same team. He expected to have to diffuse any conflicts, or for there to be at least tension. There was none. Viper had a sharp tongue, but the girl would only smirk at his remarks without getting provoked.

Wolf had a sense that the girl was still holding back in front of them. Like she was still testing the waters before she opened up. He didn’t mind it as long as she did her work and eventually gave into the team dynamic.

“Are you ready?” he asked Cheetah.

Team Ko got a mission to seduce the target before killing him. It was needed, so, to leave a tarnished reputation for the target. Killed by a whore was the assignment.

“Yes, Captain,” the blond responded, adjusting her short and provocative kimono. She would be the bait to lure the target into the reserved room upstairs. He gave her a tiny almost invisible earpiece for communication and then the woman left.

Wolf, Viper, and Fox stayed in the room waiting. Viper activated his eyes to track the actions downstairs.

“Alright, our intel was that he likes sweet ones,” Wolf talked into the radio connected to Cheetah’s earpiece. “What’s the situation?” he turned to Viper.

“The target is seated with a girl on each side. He has shown no interest in Cheetah yet.”

Thirty minutes passed with no progress. Viper reported back every five minutes about how the target drank, laughed, dropped money left and right. He was a powerful businessman. It was rather odd that he showed no interest in the blond. Their intel was very clear…

“Taicho, may I?” Fox extended her hand towards the radio. He thought for a second before nodding. The girl took the device and spoke into it.

“Cheetah. Listen carefully and do exactly as I say,” little minx mimicked his voice so that Cheetah would not be caught off guard from the change. “Walk straight to him. Look him dead in the eyes as you straddle his lap with confidence.”

“She’s doing it,” Viper added with a scrunched face looking somewhere down below them. “The target looks interested!”

“Good,” Fox continued. “Now grab him by the hair, pull his head back, and slowly spit in his mouth. Then walk away upstairs.”

Viper’s head snapped at Fox at such speed, that a loud crack could be heard. He didn’t have enough time to comment, because it looked like something was happening below.

“Shit… the target.. He’s following Cheetah!” Hyuga reported back mildly shocked. Wolf just observed in silence. This was… something. He didn’t recall any kunoichi handbook having such instructions…

“They are close!” Viper then said and the three of them scattered into the shadows of the room. After that, the mission ended just as planned - with their target dead in a brothel bedroom.

“Fox, why... Did you suggest… that?” Wolf asked as they were heading back to Konoha.

“WAIT! That was FOX?” Cheetah almost stumbled from the revelation.

“Hn,” the little girl gave a half shrug. He kept staring as their unspoken indication for the Uchiha to elaborate. “Well, the target seemed like a powerful man. People like that often want to be treated like the trash they truly are. I mean, if a girl did that to you, wouldn’t you be curious and follow her?”

She had a point... But still! Wolf was sure that he would never let a woman spit in his mouth. That was just nasty. Although… He might not be that against it if ANBU agent Mantis did that… The man shook his head slightly and chose not to question Fox further. He didn’t want to know where she got such ideas.

Chapter Text

“Pts! Someone’s following you!” Anko murmured to Ryoko’s ear as they stopped by a food stall in Konoha’s market.

“I know. Some creep,” she shrugged casually and picked up a sweet to purchase.

“Let’s fuck ‘im up!” her friend’s eyes positively shimmered. Ryoko thought for a second. Well, she was a bit curious to see who exactly found the nerve to trail her around.

“Sure, why not, it’s my birthday after all,” young Uchiha smirked at Anko. The two giggled and walked away towards one of the training grounds. He would have to come out sooner or later. Because it of course had to be a ‘he’ to have the audacity to track the two of them.

“Alright, you there, come out!” Ryoko abruptly stopped and turned around with hands tightly crossed over her chest. She is now twelve years old and Kami help them if people will continue to treat her like a baby by spying on her.

There was a sound in the bushes and then a blob of green assaulted her vision. She was repulsed and impressed by the audacity of this boy. Spandex suit? Really?

“AH! I would expect nothing less from the rival of my eternal rival!”

“Who are you?” she demanded.

“I am Maito Gai, but people call me the Leaf's Noble Gentleman!” the boy made obnoxious thumbs up with the widest smile she has ever seen.

“Oh Kami, Gai…” Anko rolled her eyes. She was obviously familiar with this teen.

“Why are you following me?” Ryoko narrowed her eyes. She didn’t sense anything sinister about the boy, yet he still gave her the creeps.

“FIGHT ME!” his eyes were big and sparkling. Ryoko swears that an illusion of chirping birds took shape behind the teen.

“Why should I?”

“If I ever want to beat my Eternal Rival, I must conquer his rival as well! Rival of a rival! Let the power of youth explode by us trading our fists!”

“Eternal Rival?” she raised an eyebrow.

“YES. Kakashi of course. He is my eternal rival!”

“Hn. Well, I hate to disappoint you, Gai-san, but I and Kakashi are not rivals.”

“Oh?” the teen blinked dumbfounded.

“Oh yes. We are just very good friends,” Ryoko said sarcastically. It all started with that one meeting in the ANBU HQ when Kakashi jokingly called her his friend. From then on, Ryoko too called him that with no less sarcasm behind the words.

Somehow their running joke born from animosity to each other spiraled into people actually believing that they are friends. It’s not like that was true… They only ever made fun of each other… Or spared… Or tried to sabotage each other without the other noticing…

So clearly they were nowhere near the zone of friendship.

“Ah! What a grave mistake I made!” Gai brushed off a tear and got even closer to Ryoko grasping her gloved hands into his. “Look deep into my eyes and accept my sincere apology! Also, notice my handsome manly features.”

A real shiver went down Ryoko’s spine from the smile he gave her. It was so… genuine! Creepy.

“No problem, honest mistake. Hn,” she muttered.

“I will do four hundred laps around the village to repent for my insinuation! I never wanted to disrespect Kakashi’s dearest of friends.”

Before Ryoko or Anko could say anything else, the boy was gone, leaving only a trail of dust cloud behind.

“Ooookay,” Ryoko nodded at that. She really hoped never to see the boy again.

“Don’t mind him. He’s always like this,” Anko laughed. Ryoko gave her a suspicious glance.

“Why are you laughing, Red?”

“I didn’t know you and the stuck-up Kakashi were besties.”

“We’re not,” Ryoko deadpanned.

“Hmm. Alright. Soooo, what are you doing later today?”

“Training,” she shrugged.

“With who?”

“Sensei…”

“Aaaaand?”

“...”

“Aaaaaaaaaaaand?”

“Bakashi.”

“You are besties!”

“I’ll make you eat your words!” Ryoko growled as she quickly unsealed her scythe and attacked her friend. Anko laughed as she drew her senbon to defend herself.

“Koko, even your birthdays are the same month!”

Ryoko stopped mid-swing. “Bullshit.”

“You’re both September babies!”

“How do you even know when his birthday is?” she narrowed her eyes even more at Anko. Ryoko’s lips turned into a smirk. “OH myyyy! You like the idiot!”

“NO!”

“You want to kissssss him… You want to huuuuug him... You want to looooove him... You want to smooooooch him... You want to…” Ryoko cackled in a sing-song voice as Anko tried her best to land a hit on the Uchiha.

“I stalked him only ONCE! ONCE!” her little friend panted.

Ryoko stepped into Orochimaru’s home a couple of hours before the spar. She found her sensei sitting by the kitchen table and staring without blinking at a pile of parcels on it.

“Sensei?” she called out stepping closer.

“Ryoko, have you noticed anything ssssstrange going on with your colleagues?” he was obviously referring to ANBU. She considered the question for a moment.

“No more than usual. Some oddballs as expected,” meaning ‘there are a couple of Root agents, but nothing concerning’.

“Hmmmm.”

“Sensei? Is something the matter?”

“Most definitely yesssss! I have been getting gifts from sssssome of your friends with thank you notes!” she smirked. Indeed, how appalling.

“Well, that makes sense,” the girl shrugged, reaching to inspect one parcel only for Orochimaru to grab her wrist.

“They could be poissssssoned! Or with paper bombs!” he hissed at her.

“No, I don’t think so,” she shrugged nonchalantly. Orochimaru narrowed his eyes and tugged the girl closer.

“What. Do. You. Know.”

“Well, everyone was really impressed and grateful for your training regimen. Many noticed improvements already,” she explained. And indeed, no matter how secretive the Commander was, all ANBU somehow knew who was behind their new training schedule. She heard more praise towards her sensei in these past months than over the four years he had been her teacher.

Orochimaru sighed, let her go, and started to rub his temples. “I don’t like thisssss,” he muttered.

“Why?”

“Remember what we talked before, Ryoko? About the councilman Dannnnnzo?” she gave a nod. “Has he approached you recently?”

“Nop.”

“Hmmm, sssstrange…”

“Why do you ask, sensei?”

“I have noticed him being in a rather fowl mooooood these past months...”

“Oh?” Ryoko blinked innocently. This reaction didn’t slip through Orochimaru. He looked down at the girl with suspicion.

“Do I even want to know?”

“Nop,” she smiled brightly at the man. It’s not like Ryoko was blind herself. She kept track and tried to remember each ANBU who felt like he was from Root. She also kept a very close sense of Danzo’s chakra.

Indeed, even she noticed the air around the old creep change. He was fuming about something. Ryoko guessed that it might have something to do with the Uchiha giving him odd stares and overall rumors going on about him being creepy. What in turn made civilians and other clans take a closer eye at Danzo even though Uchiha were not the kind to gossip outside the clan. People just had eyes.

She noted that the man steered clear of the orphanages now. Good she thought to herself. Her father in the past life always hated child abusers. Danzo definitely felt like a prominent pedophile at least.

“You’ll be the end offfff me,” Orochimaru let an exasperated sigh as he brushed the silky hair out of his face.

“I love you too, sensei,” Ryoko chirped and went to the training grounds, to allow the sannin a moment of peace to take in her words. He was still very awkward when it came to expressing emotions. She didn’t mind. For psychopaths like them, emotions took years of practice to perfect and be able to express.

“Do I have to go?”

“Are you part of the clan?”

“Yes…”

“Then you have your answer,” Mikoto was grinning from ear to ear as she shoved a kimono into Ryoko’s hands. She sighed silently accepting her fate.

An hour later, their family was in the clan’s families gathering. There were a lot of people, all with the children running around like maniacs. Ryoko reminisced about the previous events, which were far more peaceful.

Then her eyes spotted the color gray. She smirked and approached her target with stealth.

“Huh, what do they have on you to force you into this event, Bakashi?” she jabbed him with her elbow. The teen scoffed at her.

“Maaa, I see you’re looking like a decent girl for once.”

“Ah! Rude! But you still didn’t answer my question, scarecrow,” the urge to show her tongue at Kakashi was great.

“Sensei asked...” he grumbled.

“Hmm, I would still kick your ass even wearing a kimono,” she remarked casually.

Kakashi glanced at her a couple of times. She could swear there was a tiny smile behind his mask.

“Training ground seven,” was all he said before walking away.

Ryoko smirked. The boy was way too easy to manipulate around. But he was also a good opponent to fight against. Thirty minutes later, Ryoko managed to duck out of the premises and stepped into the training grounds where Kakashi was already waiting for her.

She felt like she just stepped into an old movie about samurai fights. The wind blews making the fabric of their kimono’s shimmer. Their standoff began.

“Why don’t you ever use sharingan in our fights?” Kakashi asked out of the blue.

“That would be an unfair advantage over you,” Ryoko replied simply. The boy raised his hand and lifted his headband to reveal the forever active eye of his.

“I don’t see anything unfair here.”

“Hmmm,” she hummed considering the chances. “Pft, you dare to show that eye to me?” the mood shifted quicker than Kushina devoured her bowl of ramen. A chill went down their bodies.

“It was a gift,” he spat out.

“Is that so?” she smirked. “If that’s such a precious gift to you, how dare you to neglect it like this? Don’t insult me.”

“What?”

“Your eye is barely more advanced than that of a sharingan novice! Have some respect.”

“Bitch.”

Ryoko laughed at that. “Maaaa, based on our masks, you’re the bitch here.”

That was the last straw. Both launched at each other in sync. They didn’t have their usual weapons or mobility of their usual uniforms, but their actions were no less graceful as they both were seasoned shinobi.

Ryoko heard her kimono rip from one particular kick. It revealed her naked skin to the moonlight. But that didn’t stop either of them to continue with the fight. It was a brutal yet elegant encounter.

They could barely stand by the sunrise.

“I hate you!” Kakashi panted brushing blood from his cheek.

“Feeling's mutual,” she nodded adjusting her sprained ankle.

They turned away from each other settling for the tie. There was silence.

“...”

“Same time next Friday?” Kakashi whispered.

“Hn,” Ryoko exhaled and vanished in a gentle swirl of smoke and flames like a suppressed explosion being sucked into the void.

“Fox, are you ready?” Wolf asked looking over the team. They were on another delicate assassination mission. This time Cheetah's expertise would not cut it, so he made the decision to test the girl’s skills instead.

“Yes, Taicho,” Fox responded with an uncanny sweetness to her voice. She was already in character. The girl was wearing a delicate yukata of pastel colors. She looked nothing like the cold-blooded killer he grew to know.

“Target is approaching!” Viper announced.

They all scattered with their own disguises in place, while Fox walked slowly into the market with wide innocent eyes as you would expect for a lone child.

He watched as Fox looked lost. Looking around with her face getting more alarmed by the second. Their target took note of the girl instantly and approached.

“Hey there, little one, are you lost?” the sleazy fat man leaned closer. Fox startled and stepped back on cue. She looked around frantically, her lip trembled just a bit. “Hey, hey, don't be scared. Where are your parents?”

“I...I… don’t know,” she trembled and shied away. The man stepped closer extending his hand with a warm smile.

“Ohh? It is dangerous for a little girl like yourself to wander around. Let me help you,” he smiled and smiled. Fox looked hesitant. The man lost his patience and grabbed her hand. “Come, I’ll help you,” he cooed.

Fox looked around one more time and gave a hesitant nod.

The two walked away. Woolf followed discreetly. So far, everything went by the plan. Usually, clan kids would not be forced into positions like that, but they were ANBU. There were no exceptions, no matter who you were behind that mask.

Very quickly, the man took Fox into a shabby inn, where very few questions would be asked. It wasn’t hard for Wolf to find the room their target booked. As he perched on the tree outside the window, Viper and Cheetah joined him.

“There’s the signal,” Viper whispered and they went inside.

Fox was seated on a chair, while… their target was humping a pillow on the bed. Completely ignorant of their intrusion.

“What the…” Cheetah scoffed.

“Genjutsu,” was all that Fox said.

“Sssh ssssh, baby, I’m your daddy now,” the target cooed to the pillow, making them all very uncomfortable to understand exactly what kind of genjutsu he was in.

“Let’s get this over with,” Wolf ordered. He probably will have to ask Fox to visit a Yamanaka after this...

Chapter Text

Ryoko hadn’t played with Shikaku for a while. So his invite was welcome and she stopped by Nara compound the same evening. The girl noticed their little boy sprawled on the tatami floor sleeping without a care in the world.

“Ryoko, come,” Shikaku called from the inner garden where they usually played on the porch. To her surprise, the man was not alone. Next to him was the same redhead Akimichi clan head and a blond pale-eyed Yamanaka. The holy trinity.

“Good evening,” Ryoko bowed her head slightly before taking a seat in front of Shikaku with a shogi board between them.

“I think we have not met before. I am Inoichi Yamanaka,” the blond introduced with a kind smile.

“Ryoko,” she said, minding her manners as the game started.

“Sooo,” Inoichi glanced between the girl and his friends. “I hear you have been doing well on your missions?”

“Hn.”

“Chem. Well, if you ever want to talk about… anything… mission-related or not… you are welcome to find me,” Yamanaka said, not at all smooth.

She glanced at him with suspicion. The man was acting weird. “Missions are classified, Yamanaka-san,” she deadpanned.

“Haha! Yes, of course. I mean… if anything troubles you..” she raised one eyebrow. Seriously? Ryoko had to wonder if the man was scared of her or simply awkward with children.

“Hn.”

“You look concerned, Ryoko,” Shikaku retored casually as he made another move to get her piece from the board.

“Hn. My brother’s birthday is coming. I am not sure what to gift him,” she said honestly, turning her full attention back to the game.

“Ah, Itachi-san, right?” Akimichi man smiled. She couldn’t recall his name at the moment as it was not significant to her.

“Hn,” she frowned.

The conversation flowed casually with minor effort from her side. For Ryoko, it felt like there was a hidden agenda behind this invitation, but she could not yet say what exactly. Nor did she care too much about their concerns.

Eventually, it looked like the Yamanaka head gave up on making her talk more than a few words. Shikaku won both games that night. Just as Ryoko was about to leave, Inoichi joined her with an excuse of leaving as well.

Ryoko walked in silence with no interest in starting another awkward conversation. Inoichi thought differently.

“So, Ryoko-chan. Would you mind stopping by my office tomorrow?”

She glanced at him with slightly narrowed eyes. “Why?”

“Just to talk,” he responded with a kind smile.

“If I must,” she sighed unaware of the psychological warfare that awaited her. From that point on Ryoko avoided Yamanaka at all costs. The man failed miserably at concealing his actual intent in their meeting.

From the first sentence that came out of his mouth, she realized that he tried to psychoanalyze her. He was looking for trauma or any other issues. Unfortunately for him, Ryoko was far too knowledgeable about psychology to actually fall for it.

The only thing she did wonder was who exactly put up the Yamanaka to this task. That person will pay dearly.

Obito stirred in his sleep with unease. Something prompted him to wake up and the teen was instantly startled by the figure perched on his window sill.

“KAKASHI! What the… what are you doing here???”

“Maaa, you should be more alert, Obito,” the boy said casually. Obito was not amused.

“What do you want?” he yawned shuffling out of his bed.

“...”

“I swear… if you are still paranoid… Listen, I am still here, you don’t have to stalk me,” he sighed pulling on a shirt. Somehow he sensed that there would be no more sleep this night.

“I’m not stalking,” Obito gave a judgemental glance at his friend.

“Yeah, sure you’re not. So what are you doing here?”

“Hmmm… teach me how to use sharingan.”

Obito stopped mid pulling his led into one pant hole. A genuine smile pulled on his face. Not in a million years did he expect the great Kakashi to ask for help from him.

“Before I actually agreed to this, what prompted you to want to advance your eye?” Obito was honestly curious.

“Ahh, there is this pesky fox that I cannot get a read on. I think sharingan would help in dealing with it…”

“A fox, huh?” he wasn’t buying it, but this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so Obito nodded. “Fine. Keep your secrets.”

He laughed and then both of the young teens left for a nearby training grounds. Obito suspected that Kakashi actually wanted to improve because of his position in the Hokage’s guard squad.

Ryoko flipped another page trying her best to concentrate on the text instead of the yelling and squealing of children around her. For once mother persuaded her to take Sasuke to the park. Even if her eyes were on the book, she never lost track of her little brother, who now chased around some other kid.

Her concentration was momentarily disrupted when she sensed two ANBU appear somewhere in a nearby tree. She looked around and noticed the cause. A little blond toddler with the widest smile she has ever seen.

Hokage’s brat, she could tell by the hair alone. The little boy was like a mini copy of his father. Behind him was Kushina. The redhead spotted her as well and waved. Ryoko sighed with a short nod.

“Ryoko-chan! Nice to see you again!” the woman perched next to her, while her child joined in the game of catch.

“Hn. Kushina-san.”

“You’re here with little Sasuke-kun?”

“Hn.”

Ryoko would rather join the ANBU in the tree instead of the mundane conversation she was stuck in. On second thought… no, she wouldn’t want to join them. Her senses recognized one of the chakra signatures. Kakashi undoubtedly was one of the guards stationed to watch over Naruto.

Kushina managed to fill the silence with endless talk. She clearly had experience in handling Uchiha and their manner of not speaking.

“Kushina-san, may I ask you a question?” Ryoko finally interrupted some story about ramen.

“Oh! Believe it! What’s up?”

“You are knowledgeable in fuinjutsu, is that correct?”

“Oh yes! We Uzumaki always prided ourselves in creating seals.”

“Could you explain to me how one would get started in learning this craft?” Ryoko wasn’t particularly interested in the subject. But now at least she could lean back and listen to something useful instead of plain gossip.

An hour later, a chunin messenger approached them. “Lady Uchiha, Hokage-sama has summoned you,” he announced and left just as quickly. Ryoko closed her book and stood up gladly ready to leave. She waved at Sasuke to come.

“Oh, Ryoko-chan, you can leave Sasuke-kun with me, I’ll look after the boy,” Kushina offered with no bad intentions. Ryoko shook her head.

“Thank you, Kushina-san, but that would not feel right. You are welcome to bring Naruto-kun for a playdate if you would like. I think my mother would enjoy your company,” she said hoping to get two birds with one stone. Mikoto really needed to socialize more and stop dragging her out on any possible occasion.

“Oh! That’s great! We will come!” redhead nodded just as Sasuke ran back with Naruto in toe.

“Home?” the boy asked with sad eyes.

“Hn. Come, I’ll take you the ‘ninja way’,” she smiled at him and crouched to pick the boy up. Sasuke no longer pouted, seemingly excited for her suggestion.

She sent one last nod towards the Uzumaki pair and then leaped away with her brother tightly held in her arms. He aww’ed and ohh’ed as they leaped from one roof to the other. Shortly, the boy was left home with Mikoto. While Ryoko left for the Hokage Tower in hope that the mission will not take long. After all, Itachi's birthday was tomorrow.

She didn’t change into ANBU uniform as she guessed it was a regular mission she was summoned for. Whenever Hokage needed his agents, he would call them via the tattoo.

“Hokage-sama,” she bowed slightly after entering the round office. There were already a few other shinobi gathered. Among them, was even her brother. She stopped by his side and waited.

“You’re going for an escort mission,” Minato announced reading from a mission scroll. “You will leave today to Kumogakure border. There you will take over escorting Daimyo’s sister's entourage back safely to the Land of Fire capitol. Keito will be the team leader.”

Ryoko glanced at the person in question. It had to be a Nara, she guessed by his appearance and stance. Besides herself and Itachi there were four other shinobi she did not recognize. What caught her attention, was three of them. Specifically, their chakra. It was cold as ice. Still and unmoving.

Root… she instantly recognised. But they were never in ANBU from what she could tell. She frowned sensing something bad in the air. She didn’t like it. Something about this mission rubbed her the wrong way.

Thirty minutes later, their group met up again by the gates. She was wearing her usual dark pants, dark long sleeve shirt with Uchiha crest, and a jonin vest on top. Ryoko adjusted her gloves and looked around. The chakra of the three men felt exactly the same as back in the Hokage tower.

“Something’s wrong, Koko?” Itachi whispered to her ear.

“Hn. It’s nothing,” she shook her head. The last thing she wanted was to involve her brother. So when Team Leader suggested a diamond formation for their trip, Ryoko took dibs for the back position. This way, she could keep her eyes on the whole team. Itachi took the front position alongside Keito Nara.

They ran quickly over the familiar land. In two more hours, they crossed the Land of Hotsprings and the Land of Frost. Ryoko was starting to think that her paranoia was unwarranted when everything went to shit.

An explosion appeared from nowhere in the front of their group catching both Itachi and Keiko off guard. They would have landed without much trouble, if not for the Root Asshole #1 and #2 jamming senbon into their necks.

Ryoko barely had any time to react, but somehow evaded Root Asshole #3. Their last comrade was caught in the blast and now laid motionless on the ground with blood pooling around him. Her sharingan activated instantly and helped to evade the traitors.

She managed to kill one of them. The second one took some time, but also fell to the ground from her fist engulfed in flames. The third one was gone. Ryoko stopped and looked around. She could not sense him anywhere.

“Bitch,” the girl cursed leaping towards the limp body of her brother. She plucked the senbon out of Itachi’s neck. Hesitantly her hands tried to use the medical diagnostic technique.

“You’re using too much chakra, Koko,” Itachi rasped, slowly opening his eyes.

“Itachi!” she yelped.

“Paralysing poison. Thankfully, my chakra is already taking care of it, but it will take time,” the boy said, but he clearly could not move just yet.

Ryoko wanted to praise Kami for his medical ninjutsu skills when something came into her sensory field. She counted at least twenty shinobi heading their way from the Lightning Country direction.

Shit… No matter how skilled she was, Ryoko would not be able to defend against all of them while protecting her comrades. Quickly, she dragged Itachi towards a tree. Then placed limp Keiko next to him. And lastly the third fallen shinobi.

Time was running out. With a help of a clone, she tied up the fallen traitors and got their bodies close by too.

“Itachi, listen,” she quickly shook her brother to get his fading attention back.

“Hn?”

“There are shinobi approaching. I will hide you all with a genjutsu and distract them until I know if they are a threat or not. Do you hear me?”

“No… Koko.. don’t…” he croaked out, but she was already weaving hand signs for a complicated concealment jutsu. One layer for smell. One for visual camouflage. Another for sound. Then one more for visuals just in case.

Without wasting any more time, Ryoko leaped away and started to run in the opposite direction, making sure that her chakra is noticed by the forces closing in. They followed her without hesitation.

As the shinobi cleared the distance, Ryoko now could tell that at least ten of them were jonin rank. Their chakra was bright and strong. She cursed aloud while taking off her vest on the run. Couple jonin she could manage, but ten… and ten more chunin? That would be troublesome.

Preparing for the worst, Ryoko took off her shirt with the Uchiha crest. From a single touch, the Uchiha symbol burned away. She flung the ruined shirt to some bushes and leaped away at the same time putting her vest back on. Underneath she was left only with bandages over her chest and a mesh top. Not ideal, but a passable look. At least her ANBU tattoo was hidden by a protective seal.

At this moment, her father's warning rang loud in her head. If you get caught, never let them know that you are Uchiha… She didn’t want to get caught by some low lives, but taking chances was not her way of life.

As she ran ahead. Her left leg faltered a step. Quickly her eyes noticed a senbon tip glimmering from her thigh. Son of a whore! Ryoko cursed loudly as she took the needle out. With adrenaline running high in her system, she didn’t even notice being hit until now.

The girl’s pace slowed significantly. Paralysis was slowly spreading through her system. She felt them closing in… Ryoko hoped that she was far away because her legs could barely move any further. She breathed heavily coming to a stop.

In a few seconds, she was surrounded by Kumo nin. Their headbands looked like the real deal. Their chakra also felt normal. Ryoko widened her eyes in fake surprise and staggered back.

“Get her!” one man ordered. Ryoko stepped back on instinct and stumbled. The next moment chains erupted from the ground and wrapped around her.

Fan-fucking-tastic! she yelped, hitting hard the ground as she fell. Then another man hit her on the head and Ryoko was out like a light.

Ryoko came in and out of consciousness in waves. Her body felt cold as she realized that someone was undressing her. Another waking moment she felt something being put on her. Fabric… And… metal restraints? Another time a gust of ice-cold water was poured on her causing the girl to gasp for air and wake completely.

She looked around to see only darkness. Her eyes had a hard time adjusting without the help of chakra. Ryoko quickly took note of chakra suppressing cuffs on her wrists and a plain white yukata covering her body.

Her eyes teared up as she imagined her brother dead. That is the only thought that could force tears into her eyes. And tears were a girl's best friend in captivity. She let out a pathetic sob unsure if anyone was there to listen.

“Please.. Where am I?” she whispered with a greatly exaggerated tremble.

Someone from behind grabbed her by the hair and pulled her head up. She heard a husky voice. “Is this one of the shinobi who attacked the outpost?”

“Hmmm, not sure. They had masks,” another voice said. She only saw the shape of a person hidden in the shadows.

The man behind her sent a kick to her gut. Ryoko forced a well-timed yelp and a choke as she tried to curl up whimpering from ‘pain’. The hand in her hair only tugged harder to stop her.

“Why were you by our border, shinobi?” the man growled.

“Mission! Please… I just had to meet Daimyo’s entourage,” she said the truth, curious if the whole mission was fake or only her so-called teammates.

“Then why did you run?” he whispered close to her ear. Ryoko shivered in response.

“I wa-wa-was scared… I-I-I didn’t know who you were…” she stuttered. In her mind what Ryoko heard was …and the Oscar goes to…

“Let the Raikage deal with her,” another man said. Ryoko felt a pinch to her neck and down she goes to the land of darkness.

Ryoko woke up the next time in a cell. She was still bound by her wrists. Still wearing the same white yukata and nothing else. Still alive! She carefully looked around her ‘quarters’ and had to suppress a scoff.

Her acting paid off. They put her in a room with a window. It had thick bars, but an escape route was an escape route. She would take it. There were three walls and bars served as the fourth wall to her confinement.

Kumo nin obviously didn’t think much of her. With her chakra being suppressed, her genuine stumbling and overall appearance of a young genin worked great together to build an image of a novice.

If only they knew better, they would not have put only cuffs on her. She let a tiny smirk on her lips appear as her thick black hair covered half of her face.

Without moving a muscle, not even breathing, she listened. She inhaled. She sensed. Most shinobi would be lost without their chakra enhanced senses. But she was not most shinobi. Ryoko was a born predator and could smell her prey from afar.

There were clearly some guards nearby as the smell of alcohol and tobacco was fresh in the air. She shuffled off the metal bed she was on and stilled. Nothing. Nobody noticed her waking up yet. The girl took this opportunity to jump up and grabbed on the metal bars.

She pulled herself up and sneaked a look outside. There were clouds. In the distance, she heard the sounds of a village. But the quality of the air told her that she had to be somewhere high up.

Her ears picked up the sound of steps. She quickly dropped down and curled back on the bed. Ryoko turned her back to the bars and shivered. Steps got closer until they stopped a few meters away.

Clung on the bars was a signal that someone opened them. Then there were steps again. The girl flinched and turned around abruptly from those noises. Her wide eyes gazed at a big imposing man. He was blond, tan, and shirtless. And he was the Raikage of Kumogakure. Fuck.

“What do you want from me?” she whimpered pretending to hide her fear. Ah, it was an elegant game of showing just the right emotions to fake distress. As the man stepped closer, Ryoko scrambled to pull away as far as she could. Her back finally touched the wall. She was very literally cornered.

“Who are you?” he asked leaning closer.

“Mi-mi-misa… Nabami,” Ryoko stuttered again, curling legs to her chest to make her look as small and fragile as possible.

“What village are you from?”

“Konoha...” the girl whispered, dropping her eyes in shame. Shinobi knew better than to talk in captivity, but her image as a frightened girl dictated that she would be loose-lipped. The man hummed and reached for her wrists.

He effortlessly tugged her closer then raised her bound wrists high above Ryoko’s head. “Did that stuck up Yellow Flash sent you?” he growled.

Ryoko blinked furiously with eyes wide. “Yes.. no… yes..” she stumbled on her words.

“So, which is it, girly?”

“I…” she choked up with fake tears while her mind coldly considered just how much she should reveal. “I didn’t hurt anyone… I just had to meet Daimyo's sister’s entourage...” she whispered.

“LIAR!” he gave her a sadistic smile. “Nobles left Kumo a week ago. Care to try again?”

Ryoko didn’t have to fake her surprise this time. “No! I’m not lying!” she said in a weak voice. He chuckled as a shadow came over his face. Something or better yet someone really fucked Konoha over with the intel, Ryoko considered.

Raikage leaned even closer and then… lowered her bound hands around his neck. It would almost look like she was hugging him on her own violation if not for the cuffs. His forehead was practically touching hers with their proximity.

“Last chance to come clean,” he whispered looking straight into her eyes. His hands now free from holding her wrists landed on her tights and pushed them apart. Ryoko made an audible gulp, while her insides were reeling with disgust and anger.

Calm.. Mind clear… No thoughts… she ordered herself to shy away from the murderous ideas that came to her. Killing a shinobi would be one thing, but a Raikage… Even in a situation like this, she had to escape discreetly. “Please… don’t…” the girl begged, forcing a few tears to roll down her cheeks.

“Gooood, girl. I like when they beg,” he said and leaned to her neck.

Well, this is not how Ryoko imagined her first encounter with men in a shinobi world to be. At least he didn’t go straight for her lips, because if he would have stolen her first kiss… well, let’s just say Ryoko would reconsider caring about the political fallout from Raikage’s death.

As it goes now, she dropped her head back, with pretend sobs and gasps as the man trailed her neck with open mouth kisses. “Please.. Please..” she muttered waiting for her moment.

There! Ryoko gasped loudly when his hand reached between her legs. The sound she made perfectly covered the noise of her thumb being dislocated right behind Raikage’s head. The idiot… she laughed in her mind while squirming under him.

“Give up! You’re my bitch now,” he smirked and pushed the lapel of her yukata aside to reveal her prepubescent breasts. Ryoko knew that she would have to make her move soon if she wanted to avoid any further disgrace and violation.

As carefully as possible, her hand slipped front the cuff, as her thumb no longer was in the way. One more. She needed one more chance. Ryoko inhaled deeply as the man started to grope her tiny body.

“Please!! I am… I have never… please,” she whimpered implying her innocents. The creep growled at her with obvious arousal. Men. Yet again so easy to manipulate and bend to her will. He was quickly engulfed with lust and harshly squeezed her nipple between his fingers to get another reaction from her.

Ryoko moaned out a startled scream. At the same time, her other thumb was dislocated. She slid the handcuff off and… chakra returned to her like air. It was a brilliant feeling. She could not dwell on it. The girl's eyes found the man’s gaze and then her sharingan activated.

Everything happened so quickly, that Raikage didn’t even have time to make a sound. He slumped over her unconscious. Using a bit of chakra, Ryoko pushed him away and winced. Right, her thumbs.

She inhaled and carefully set one finger after the other back in place. Not the most pleasant experience, but it worked. It is said that predators like wolves if captured, would rather bite off their paw than stay bound. She felt like a wolf.

Her predatory nature was in full swing. No longer was she trembling or crying. Face void of emotion, eyes cold and calculating as she looked around.

Ryoko adjusted the darn yukata to cover herself again. Then she looked at the slumped man. He would be an easy kill. Her hand trembled as she considered her options.

Death would be an easy way out for scum like this… she thought and smirked. A plan took shape in her mind. Ryoko carefully clasped the cuffs on his wrists. Using chakra it was easy to pick the lock.

Ryoko leaned to his face and carefully opened his eyelid to make eye contact with her sharingan. The illusion in his head stemmed from his own memories of a regular day in Kumogakure. She watched him walk around and ingrained the map of the city in her own head. She could not go blind if she actually wanted to escape.

Quickly, Ryoko took note of some key buildings. First the prison tower she was in. Then the ways out of the village. And then some buildings she could use for a distraction. The girl pulled away after ten minutes of exploration. She left the man to live his day in the genjutsu.

She stood up and inhaled. There were many guards that she could sense around. And they will come to check… Her hands already moved to create a genjutsu on the bars. Anyone walking past this cell would witness their esteemed Raikage in a very provocative sexual exchange. She added sounds and smells too for good measure. She imagined that he was a loud moaner.

Then the girl turned around and looked outside through the window, as much as she could see there were only clouds. Ryoko took another breath and shunshinned outside on the wall. With help of chakra, she stuck to the wall instead of taking the long drop down.

Ryoko’s chakra was completely suppressed and she used the smallest amount for her jutsu. With a complex genjutsu on top for camouflage. Careful but quick, that’s how she had to move. And she did. The girl found her way down from the prison tower. Thankfully, the guards were too laid back to notice her.

The idiots felt safe with the Raikage here. She took her chance and ducked into an alley. There she put on a henge of a local woman from Raikage’s memory and walked away cautiously. With all her efforts, Ryoko still managed to get unlucky.

As she turned the corner, the girl bumped into someone.

“Shit,” she cursed and activated her eyes again. It just had to be the same woman whose appearance she took. Genjutsu was sometimes very handy to brainwash those with weak minds. Ryoko convinced the woman that they were twin sisters…

“Misa! Long time no see!” the woman chirped, hugging her.

“Yeah..” Ryoko cringed but allowed it. This would be her cover, she decided. “Listen, sister, did you hear?”

“Oh? What?” the woman blinked dubiously.

“Well, Reina-chan said that Hitomi-san said to her that Fen-chan heard that our Raikage…” Ryoko made a dramatic pause and looked around as if making sure that no one was listening in. ”Our Raikage has an innie weeny teeny weeny shriveled little penis! The smallest she has ever seen!” her ‘twin’ gasped.

“NO WAY!”

“Yeah. Apparently, he is compensating with all those muscles,” Ryoko added sagely.

“OHhh! That would make sense,” her ‘twin’ agreed. Now the girl only had to put the last and final piece to her petty plan of revenge.

“But sister, don’t tell anyone!”

Ah, simple and obvious ask, when said makes you think of nothing else but sharing the secret. Ryoko already could see how the woman’s eyes sparkled and lips twitched to do the opposite of what she asked.

Next twenty minutes, this innocent woman, led Ryoko around Kumogakure. It looked like two women just went shopping… In reality, Ryoko managed to steal some paper bomb tags of a distracted chunin and then proceeded to place them around some more prominent buildings. Like food storage. Armory. Shopping district. Hospital.

Finally, Ryoko and her ‘twin’ stopped by a cliff and leaned on the railing admiring the setting sun. It was about time for her escape… The girl smirked and hopped on the railing.

“MISA! WHAT ARE YOU….” the woman yelled and tried to grab onto her.

Ryoko smirked, gave a salute, and jumped. As she fell over the clouds, her henge faded and she heard loud blasts trigger all around the village. Let the chaos begin.

Kumo shinobi will never again dare to mess with an Uchiha.

Chapter Text

Itachi grit his teeth as he watched Ryoko leap away. There was nothing he could do. Hands and legs were still paralyzed. If not for his healing chakra and medical knowledge, the effects probably would have lasted for hours.

He didn’t have hours! His sister needed him now! Itachi wanted to yell and scream and burn something down. But he was helpless.

As it stands now, his hand trembled with movement only after forty-six minutes. Young heir inhaled and pushed further. Wiggled one finger, then another. Then a toe. Then elbow. Then ankle. The process was painfully slow.

He shifted and slumped on the side. Another deep inhale, trembling hands forced him up. Itachi was so concentrated on healing, that he didn’t even have the capacity to think what to do next. Ryoko wasn’t back yet…

Itachi managed to stand up on shaky legs and looked around. He wasn’t as good of a sensor as his sister, but he could feel enemies well enough. It looked like they were alone here. He then summoned two crows. The birds fluttered away with one single task - to find Ryoko.

Then he summoned a clone and started to heal both of the fallen comrades. The team leader had the same paralyzing poison in his system, while the other guy had internal injuries from the blast. Itachi noticed two others dead.

What happened?... he tried hard to remember anything after the blast, but his eyes were blinded and then he felt a stab to his neck.

Nara under his glowing hands shifted.

“Team Leader!” he pulled back to allow the man to sit up. Keiko rubbed at his head and looked around. His eyes quickly took in the surroundings.

“How is he?” Keiko asked, nodding towards the still unconscious man.

“Concussion, broken ribs, some internal injuries. He needs a hospital,” Itachi reported trying very hard to stay calm. His shinobi training kicked in, but the teen shifted in his place eager to run.

“Where is Ryoko-san?” Keiko then asked. He clearly noticed how Itachi tensed.

“She sensed shinobi approaching us. She placed a genjutsu over us and set off to be a decoy and confirm if they were enemy shinobi or not,” Itachi’s voice was cold and efficient despite the fire burning in his gut. He couldn’t just abandon comrades Ryoko tried to protect. He couldn’t act without an order either.

“How long ago?”

“Almost two hours, sir.”

Nara shifted into a crouch and closed his eyes. Itachi’s clone disappeared and the boy leaned on the tree from exhaustion that washed over his body. Chakra he had plenty, but stamina… His body far too often struggled to keep up with the jutsu he used. Medical ninjutsu always left him weaker than actual fights with shinobi.

“Mission aborted, we cannot continue,” Nara announced, opening his eyes. “ We must report back to Konoha.”

“Captain! MY SISTER IS OUT THERE!” Itachi instantly pushed the fatigue aside. His hands were clenched into fists.

“He needs a hospital. You are exhausted. We have two more dead bodies. Even if we find her, we would be of no help,” Keiko reasoned, but Itachi could not accept it. For once, he struggled to comply with an order.

“I. Will. Not. Leave. Ryoko. Behind,” Itachi said and his killing intent filled the air. Nara sighed.

“None of us are trackers. We won’t be able to find her even if we wanted to,” the man reasoned and Itachi heard him. He understood the words. But that does not mean he would agree with them. Just as Itachi opened his mouth to say something, his crows returned. One of them carried something.

Itachi grabbed the fabric from his pet and inspected it. His hand shivered as he recognized Ryoko’s shirt. He brushed over the hole where the Uchiha crest would be.

“What is this?” Keiko asked.

“Ryoko’s… shirt… She took it off so those shinobi would not recognize her as an Uchiha…”

“Ahh,” Nara was smart and caught on the insinuation quickly. Dojutsu theft was something they all were familiar with. “Then we have to assume that she was captured,” the man deducted to Itachi’s horror.

“I must find her,” Itachi squared his shoulders and was about to step away when Nara grabbed his shoulder.

“No. We are returning to Konoha. And that is an order. Am I clear, Uchiha?”

“...”

“Listen, the quicker we get back, the quicker we can send help,” Nara said trying to be the voice of reason. Every cell in Itachi’s body wanted to ignore the voices in his head and just run. But his mind won.

“Hn,” he nodded slowly clutching the fabric harder in his hand.

Kakashi just finished his third round of katas, but she still hadn’t shown up. It was odd, considering that Fox was never late. Maybe she had a mission, he wondered while stretching. This was their usual sparring time. Sometimes one or the other would miss it if a mission came up. But even then, a message would be left behind…

The sixteen-year-old boy looked up at the darkening sky. He couldn’t wait any longer. His rotation in Hokage’s guard was about to start. What a shame. Kakashi was almost excited to try out his newly improved sharingan. Next time.

The teen quickly changed into his ANBU uniform and appeared in the Hokage Tower. Other members of his Team Ro were already there. They all nodded to each other in greeting and replaced other ANBU in the rafters of the room.

Minato sensei was working on some paperwork as usual, when suddenly a messenger chunin rushed in. “Hokage-sama! The team you sent for Daimyo’s mission just returned. They were ambushed before reaching the Lightning Country border.”

Kakashi tensed. Sometimes he wished to rather be on missions than listen in on the reports about their comrades getting injured. His hands itched to do something about it.

The chakra coming from Minato felt electric and dangerous. If Kakashi had to guess, his sensei used his sensory skills to locate the team in question. And the answer he got was not at all pleasing, by the way, Minato stilled.

Not even a full minute later, two figures entered the office. They looked battered. Kakashi’s nose picked up a scent of burnt clothing, blood, and dirt. He recognized the figures as Keiko Nara and Itachi Uchiha.

“REPORT!” Minato ordered in his most stern Hokage voice.

“Yes, Hokage-sama!” Nara straightened up, while Itachi looked completely detached. “Just after we entered the Land of Frost, a blast happened in front of us. Then someone poisoned us with a paralyzing substance.”

“Others?” Minato inhaled. The whole room tensed as Nara took out two scrolls.

“One in the hospital. Two unaccounted for,” Keiko added after placing the sealed bodies on Hokage’s desk.

“Who?”

“Toro Hitsumoto and Ryoko Uchiha, Hokage-sama.”

The temperature in the room dropped more than a few degrees. Kakashi couldn’t blink. His emotions were instantly locked away before they even had a chance to bloom.

“Did you see who took them?” Minato said after a heartbeat.

“No. We were incapacitated. Ryoko sensed a shinobi group approaching our location. She placed a genjutsu over us and acted as a decoy,” Itachi reported. Then a boy took out a dark piece of fabric and placed it on the table. Kakashi’s nose zeroed in on the object.

It had a mixture of the burnt smell he sensed before and undoubtedly the smell of Ryoko herself. “I believe she was captured by the group,” Nara concluded.

“Team Ro,” as Minato spoke, ANBU appeared before him kneeling on one knee. “Trace the scent to the last location. Do not cross the border to the Lightning Country. Send me a message the usual way.”

“Yes, Hokage,” they said as one and disappeared.

Kakashi led the way for his team. Just as they crossed the gates, he summoned his ninken and gave them the shirt to sniff. He too inhaled deeply the scent over his mask.

They moved in silence covering the distance at great speed.

“Boss,” Pakkun said ten minutes after they crossed into the Land of Frost. The group stopped on the clearing. There were still visible signs of a battle. Blood. Burn marks.

“How many marks?” Kakashi asked. His dogs sniffed around before answering.

“Six.”

He frowned. There were six people on the team. It was highly unlikely that the ones who attacked would not leave a trace of their own.

“What direction did they go?”

“Three back to Konoha,” Bull said.

“One to the West.”

“The owner of the shirt to the North.”

Kakashi considered their options before giving the order. He sent three of his dogs to the West. Team Ro followed the sent to the North.

“Trail ends here!” Pakkun announced. Kakashi didn’t have to be told twice. He sensed it too. After looking around they noticed signs of disturbed earth. There were a great number of other smells too. Other shinobi.

“Let’s go!” he ordered coldly and so ANBU followed the trail of this group straight to the border. They only barely stopped before crossing it.

“What now, Taicho?” Neko asked.

“I’ll notify Hokage-sama,” Kakashi said, taking out a kunai sensei had given to him. It had a special hirashin seal on it. With a chakra tap code, he could send a message back to Konoha. And now they wait.

Back in Konoha Minato paced his office. He just received the message that indeed, Ryoko was taken by shinobi to Kumo territory. Nothing made sense. They had signed the treaty so why would Kumo kidnap one of Konoha shinobi?

“Minato-san,” the old woman said as she entered his office with two other councilmen.

“We heard what happened,” Danzo said.

Minato glanced at the elders. News sure traveled fast. He was sure that only a few knew about what happened. So how would they know about it so fast?

“What are you going to do, Hokage-sama?” Danzo’s tone was rather disrespectful despite the formality.

He wanted to curse aloud. After disbanding the Foundation Danzo became rather annoying. Medling on every step. It also did not go unnoticed by Minato that two former members of Root were killed. So that probably is how Danzo found out about what happened.

“We must retrieve the Sharingan,” the old woman chastised. “This is unacceptable!”

“Yes, Kumogakure is obviously provoking us. We must show our strength. You have been too lenient on them, Hokage-sama,” Danzo added.

Not a moment too late a knock came on his door.

“ENTER!” Minato said, going back to sit behind his desk. He would need every ounce of self-control for what awaited him.

“Hokage-sama,” Orochimaru said casually glancing between him and the elders.

“Orochimaru-sama, I need you to go with a diplomatic mission to Kumogakure,” he said, noticing how Danzo frowned just a tiny bit. This proved to show that his decision to summon snake sannin was the right one.

“Ohh?” the sannin raised an eyebrow. The implication of sending a shinobi of his caliber for a diplomatic visit spoke louder than words.

“Yes. They have captured one of our shinobi. You must find out why exactly that happened and get them back home. This is a message for the Raikage,” he extended a scroll with a kage seal.

“I sssssee. And who was captured?” the man asked, taking the scroll.

Minato inhaled. “Uchiha Ryoko.”

Nothing else had to be said. Orochimaru disappeared in a blink of an eye. Only his KI lingered in the air. Minato exhaled. “You are no longer needed here,” he said coldly to the elders and proceeded to send a message with his chakra pulse to Kakashi.

Okay, so maybe dropping off the cliff without seeing the ground was not one of her brightest ideas, but Ryoko liked the dramatic aspect of the action. Also, she wanted to see the sky lit up by her explosions.

She managed to grasp on the cliffside with chakra and the rest of the way down she ran vertically. Without stopping, she darted to the forest below and ran for dear life. It was hard to say just how fast Kumo nin will track her so she had to make as much distance as possible.

After a while, she created a couple of clones and sent them in opposite directions to scatter her tracks. She ran all through the night. Ryoko couldn’t tell how long she was held in Kumogakure. Maybe a day or two. Hunger was creeping in alongside general exhaustion, despite her chakra reserves being close to full capacity. Also, running with her bare feet was no fun activity.

She needed to take a break. Otherwise, she won’t make it out of the Land of Lightning. By the sunrise, she spotted a couple of trails of smoke in the sky. Civilization!

Ryoko took a risk and approached. It looked like a small town. Villagers were already buzzing around with their everyday work. She had no money or things to trade. Stealing might also draw unnecessary attention.

After wandering for a bit, she stopped by a public well. Water. That was free. Ryoko scooped some into her cupped hands and drank greedily. Worst case, she could take a nap in the forest.

“You okay, hun?” a sweet voice called from behind. Ryoko turned around slowly. Before her stood a very beautiful lady with long pink hair and a kimono. She held a bucket for the water. The lady of the night, Ryoko deducted.

She nodded slowly stepping aside from the well.

“Hmmm,” the woman hummed looking her over. “Are you hungry, child?”

Kami, Ryoko probably looked quite disheveled to prompt such a question. She thought for a moment. The woman was not a shinobi, so in the worst case, Ryoko could fight back. The girl gave a hesitant nod.

After getting her water, the woman led a way to what looked like a brothel. “Call me Cherry,” the woman said with a gentle smile letting her inside.

Ryoko sensed only a few others inside. Probably the business was closing down after the night of work. She looked around carefully, but could not spot any danger.

“It’s okay, hun, you’re safe here,” Cherry said, getting some bread from a cupboard.

“How… how did you…” Ryoko asked hesitantly without actually implying anything. Being vague would force the target to reveal what exactly they knew.

The woman sighed. There was a sad smile on her face. “The bastard left marks on your neck.”

Ryoko raised her hand and brushed fingers gently where she remembered A nibbling on her skin. “Oh..” she said and nodded with thanks for the bread.

“Who’s this?” another incredibly pretty woman stepped into the room. Her kimono was far more revealing. It showed her… sculpted chest… Oh. Ryoko blinked as she realized that these women were actually men.

“What’s your name, hun?” Cherry asked.

“Miko,” Ryoko said another false name. “Can I ask where am I?”

The men shared a look. “This is a village of Tane. Are you lost?” the second man asked.

“I… I just ran… I didn’t look where I was going…” Ryoko admitted averting her eyes. Then she bowed. “Thank you for the bread. I will leave now.”

“Listen, you can wash up here, it's fine. You are safe with us,” Cherry said again.

A bath sounded divine. Ryoko hesitated. Her better judgment said to leave and not try her luck. But her tired feet asked for a break. Fuck it. Even in her past life gay men, crossdressers, and prostitutes were some of the kindest people she met. It could not be too different in this world.

“Yes, please,” she bowed again. Cherry led her to the back and prepared a bath.

“Let me know if you need anything, kid,” he winked.

“Emm… maybe… you could… mmm.. Do you have any… underwear and bandages I could borrow?” the man frowned. Yet his face still looked like a piece of art.

“Sure, I’ll find something for you,” Cherry nodded and left. The next time he returned with said items when Ryoko was already washed clean and wrapped in a towel.

She urgently put on the underwear behind a folding screen. After bandaging up her breasts, Ryoko stepped out to put on the damn yukata. Only it was no longer where she left it before the bath. Just then Cherry entered with clothing in his hands.

“I found...ohh… Kami…” the woman gaped at her. Ryoko blinked in response. She looked down at herself. Right… Now that she was almost naked, the bruises were clearly visible. There was a nasty mark on her abdomen. Cuff marks on her wrists. Marks left on her arms, neck, and chest from Raikage’s ministrations.

In silence, Cherry handed her a far nicer kimono-like dress. And, praise the lord, shoes! Ryoko had to bow her head once more in gratitude. She did not expect to get this kind of generosity from strangers.

“Miko-chan, who did this to you?” the second man she saw before stepped inside. His eyes were serious.

“I… cannot say…”

“You know, we know of the yukata’s like the one you wore,” Cherry said then. Ryoko stilled. “You escaped Kumogakure, didn’t you?”

She stayed silent, prepared to activate her sharingan if necessary although she did not want to harm these kind men. “Did you notify them?” she asked carefully.

The second man laughed. “As if! They abuse their power. We know first hand,” there was bitterness in his voice.

“I’m sorry,” Ryoko whispered.

“You know, you are lucky you escaped, kid. Not many do,” Cherry said.

“I… there was commotion… I took the chance and just ran…” it wasn’t a lie what Ryoko said.

“How old are you, Miko?” the second man asked.

“Twelve.”

“Scum…” Cherry pouted.

“You can stay the night here, child,” the second man said. “My name is Tsuki.”

“Nice to meet you both. And thank you! I will repay you!” Ryoko bowed again.

“Pfft, stop it, hun. That’s the least we can do after what you went through.”

That night Ryoko finally slept. She was still alert, but her body welcomed the moment of peace She rose as the last patrons left the brothel. Ryoko planned to leave without making a fuss, but Cherry was already waiting for her downstairs.

“Aww, not even saying goodbye?” he smirked.

“Apologies, but I must go. I cannot stay here any longer…” she trailed off.

“Where will you go, Miko-chan?”

“I have to find my brother… he’s probably already looking for me,” Ryoko said the truth again. Cherry nodded.

“Alright. Be safe.”

Ryoko stopped by the door and turned around. “I promise, I will repay your generosity, Cherry. I am in your debt.”

“Ahaha! Stop it, hun, or I might just take you on that,” he winked one last time before Ryoko left.

Chapter Text

Itachi left the hospital with his mind in a haze. Hokage had forbidden him from leaving the village. He had to obey… But how could he return home without Ryoko? The boy’s legs took him on autopilot. He opened the doors slowly and mechanically.

It was silent. He sensed that his mother was already asleep as well as Sasuke. Father… he was in the living room. Itachi inhaled and stepped inside.

“Welcome back,” Fugaku said, raising his eyes from the scroll he was reading. “Where is your sister?” he asked. Itachi was silent. His eyes stared down at the ground.

“Where is Ryoko?” Fugaku repeated slowly.

“She… is MIA.”

Father appeared before him with shinobi speed. “You were on a mission together!”

“Yes,” Itachi whispered even if it wasn’t a question.

Then a slap echoed over the room. Itachi’s cheek burned from the force behind his father's hit. Itachi could have avoided it, but he felt like he deserved it. This was the first time ever Fugaku had raised his hand, not in a spar.

“How could you let this happen?!” Fugaku’s voice was not raised, but it felt that much scarier.

“I… I’m sorry father…” tears that he held back so long prickled at his eyes. Itachi really wanted to be hit again. Kami knows he deserved it for failing to protect Ryoko.

Then… Fugaku engulfed him in a bone-crushing embrace. “Itachi… son! You returned, and I am grateful for that… your sister will be fine too…”

“Father… so-sorry.. I am sooo sorry,” the boy whispered as the tears now flowed freely out of his eyes and onto his father's robes.

“Shh… shh, boy, it will be alright…” Fugaku cooed with gentleness Itachi had never heard before.

“Itachi, I had a sister once too. I know what you are feeling now, but Ryoko will return. She is strong.”

“Wha-what?” the boy hiccuped. His whole chest shook from the sobs he tried to control.

“It doesn’t matter. Now tell me all that happened during your mission,” Fugaku led the boy to the kitchen and they talked the whole night.

Orochimaru barely stopped when he reached Kumogakure. He suppressed the growl and just showed the scroll with Hokage seal on it. As he waited for the messenger to come back from announcing to Raikage of his visit, the man looked around.

He noticed dark smoke coming from some parts of the village. Shinobi by the gates looked extremely on edge.Interesting.

After more time than he liked, Orochimaru was finally taken to see the Raikage. A looked red with fury. But he was not foolish enough to attack a sannin.

“What is the meaning of this?” A waved the scroll he just read.

“That issss what Konoha would like to know. I came to retrieve our sssshinobi you captured.”

“That spawn of the devil already fled!” Raikage smashed his fist into the wall. “AND DESTROYED HALF OF MY VILLAGE!”

Orochimaru smirked. That’s my girl. “Well, you will think twice before capturing Konoha nin without any reasssson again.”

“ANY REASON!??? Konoha attacked our outpost!”

Orochimaru hummed. This didn’t sound like something Minato would order. They spoke for another hour. Raikage was reluctant to share any details. Eventually, they did come to a compromise - kage meeting.

Sannin left slowly. His sharp eyes soaked in the damage left by his student. It was strategic. A distraction, he guessed knowing Ryoko better than anyone else. But now she was stranded in the Land of Lightning all alone.

At this point, nothing would stop Orochimaru from finding her. He summoned a couple of snakes to trace her scent. And then he left with a message for Minato securely tucked inside his guts.

Ryoko left the little village and stopped in the forest before going any further. She took out some extra bandages and started to wrap them around her wrists, neck, and chest. There was no bleeding injury, but the shame of having those marks made her resort to conceal them.

Finally, she was ready to return home. It helped that Cherry pointed out the direction of the border. With her fully rested it would not take long to reach it. Kimono was not the best choice for a full-fledged shinobi run, but it would serve as a good cover.

In a few hours, she reached her goal and had to completely slow down. With chakra suppressed as much as possible, she proceeded with caution. There were very few patrols, making it easy to sneak by.

Land of Frost sent a shiver down her spine. It was cold and covered in snow. But it was a step closer to Konoha. Soon she will be back home.

The girl tensed after sensing a presence coming her way. It was small, but the movement of it spoke of her being their destination. Ryoko stopped completely and waited. Then a little pug emerged from the bushes. With a headband. Huh.

“There you are, pup. Were looking for you all over,” he barked in human language.

She cocked her head with suspicion. Her eye hidden behind the fringe activated and she could not detect a henge or illusion. This had to be a summon then. Only one person she knew used dogs as their summon. Just her luck.

“Lead the way,” she nodded and they were off.

In thirty minutes they arrived in a clearing, where a camp was already packed up leaving four shinobi standing in wait for her. Ryoko stopped just a bit away from the masked ANBU. Her hesitation was noted. Could they blame her if only they knew about the betrayal she witnessed?

Quickly, Ryoko scanned the chakra signatures of the familiar mask owners. Two of them were suspicious.

“I’ll show you mine if you show me yours,” she said to the one with a dog’s mask crossing arms over her chest.

His hand rose slowly and shifted the mask slightly to the side to reveal the forever active sharingan eye. Ryoko did the same by activating her eyes. She used more chakra than needed and the ground around her cracked.

Why? Maybe a part of her wanted to send a message to the masked ANBU that felt like traitors. Or maybe she was still irritated from the whole experience. Details.

“Are they alive?” she asked as her eyes deactivated and Ryoko stepped closer.

“Yes. They are back in the village,” female voice of Neko said.

“Hn,” Ryoko gave a nod. “Could I get a kunai?”

Hound took one out from his pouch, stepped closer, and handed it directly. Ryoko proceeded to make two slits on her kimono for better mobility.

“Are you injured?” Kakashi asked.

“Pft,” she scoffed, pocketing the knife in her sleeve. “Don’t insult me. Let’s go.”

She was itching to report on possible spies in Konoha. But as they leaped away, her mind worked hard to make a plan. They probably would not believe her. So Ryoko would have to act very cautiously with her accusations.

“Did you meet Orochimaru-sama?” Hound asked.

“Hn? No?” Ryoko smirked. “Don’t tell me he went to Kumo?”

“Yes, he did. Yesterday afternoon,” another mask said.

Ryoko snickered. She could imagine his reaction to the carnage she left. Ups. But they couldn’t stop now. There was a high chance for Ryoko to be hunted down by Kumo nin.

She was relieved to see the gates of her village in the distance. There was a lone man standing. Waiting for them to return. Ryoko stopped in front of him.

“Father,” she said. Fugaku looked her over. The girl could tell his hands tensed as he restrained from hugging her publicly.

“Come. Let’s go home,” at least he didn’t ask if she was hurt.

“No. I have to go to T&I for debriefing,” she shook her head slightly. Fugaku frowned.

“No, you don't.”

“Father, you know the protocol in these cases. Now if you’ll excuse us,” she nodded to ANBU behind her and they went on ahead. She still felt his eyes on the back of her head.

Ryoko walked first, straight to the interrogation part of the building. Down the stairs to the basement and towards the familiar cells. Young looking boy was waiting for them. He motioned with his hand for Ryoko to step through the open door.

ANBU disappeared. She was left alone no more than a minute. Minato was the one to enter the room next, where she sat on a chair. The teen was leaning on the wall. He wore the T&I uniform so probably an intern or a full-time worker here.

“Ryoko-chan! So glad to see you. But we don’t have to do this here. You can make your report in my office,” Minato smiled gently.

“No, Hokage-sama. I insist we do it here. There are less… walls with ears in here,” she said cryptically. Minato’s expression sobered up and he nodded. “I also request a Yamanaka to facilitate the interview. I’d rather not speak anything else.”

Minato hesitated, but then nodded and motioned for the silent teen to get a Yamanaka out here. It of course had to be Inoichi. After she gave another vocal agreement for the mind walking technique, it began.

Inoichi needed a minute to stop gaping. When his technique activated, he and Minato appeared inside Ryoko’s mind which turned out to be an enormous hall with high ceilings. Extravagant stone sculptures and paintings lined the walls. He noticed that each art piece had a small card with strange symbols.

It had to be some code that only Ryoko could decipher. He had never seen anything like this. But it all made sense. Her mind was complex and far more advanced than he ever could imagine. Usually, he would face a dark void with abstract details, but this… Everything was precise and meticulous. Probably a result of having sharingan.

“Welcome to my mind palace,” the girl said. She was seated on a red velvet armchair sipping tea. “Shall we?” she said standing up.

Minato nodded silently. They followed Ryoko over corridors of her mind space until they reached a metal door without a handle. It opened from her touch. Behind it were stairs leading to the basement.

“This.. is extraordinary…” Inoichi muttered noticing the detail of every stone lining the walls.

“Thank you. I believe I have photographic memory greatly aided by sharingan.”

“Where are we going?” Minato asked then as they reached the dimly lit basement.

“As a user of genjutsu and a wielder of sharingan, I know first hand just how dangerous memories could be. So I make sure my mind is completely protected from any invasions. Here I keep more sensitive thoughts. Mission related mostly,” she explained taking them further down the labyrinth that was her memory palace.

They stopped by one similar-looking metal door. It faded out of existence and they entered inside the small room. Everything faded as memory took shape around them.

It was Konoha. They saw what Ryoko saw. The gates, her teammates. Then… they felt the people's chakra signatures.

“Can you feel what is off about their chakra?” Ryoko next to them said.

Minato only hummed, Inoicihi was not yet sure what to make of it. The memory faded into another one. The vision was moving as Ryoko jumped from branch to branch. Then an explosion happened. The blinding light lasted only a second before the world around them was crisp again.

Inoichi inhaled sharply as his senses were overwhelmed by the details sharingan presented. This was one of a kind opportunity to see what Uchiha saw. He couldn’t comprehend how they managed to deal with the amount of information their eyes gathered in a blink.

There was no time to contemplate and aww as the action happened all around. They saw how the team members with strange chakra attacked Keiko and Itachi. Then they turned on Ryoko. Inoicihi was lost for words. This… this was treason!

“As you can see, I believe Konoha has an infestation. I smell rats,” the girl said coldly.

“That is why you requested for T&I and the secrecy?” Minato muttered.

“Hn.”

“What happened next?”

The memory changed again. They saw how Ryoko was captured.

“From what they said, I assume that an attack happened and naturally they thought I was either the cause or culprit,” Ryoko deducted as they saw and felt her being bound and knocked out.

What followed was far less pleasant. Inoicihi cringed at the feelings manifested in the girl's mind from the memories. Of course, he knew that Kumo nin were following the procedure, just like Konoha’s nin would. But it still made his blood boil.

“How did you escape? I assume that happened before Orochimaru-sama got there,” Minato asked, giving the girl ‘a look’. She smirked.

“Ah, yes… about that… I hope you will understand that I had no other option… I will accept any repercussions that will follow from the political mess that will follow my actions,” said as true professional, as any high-level jonin.

The memory changed one last time. She was now bound in a cell. Raikage appeared.

“Kami…” Inoichi gasped from what he witnessed next. He was even more shocked to feel how calm and cold Ryoko was while A touched her. Minato didn’t say anything.

“I assume that me attacking the Raikage will not go down well, but…” Ryoko sighed, just like Shikaku would when faced with a bunch of paperwork. He couldn’t understand how this little girl could be so nonchalant.

“NO! Your actions are justified. I as the Hokage of the Leaf fully approve your actions and you will face no backlash,” Minato sounded angry. His chakra shimmered dangerously, almost disrupting Inoichi’s technique.

“Thank you, Hokage-sama. If I may also ask, can… this part be left confidential? I would rather my family was left unaware of what happened in Kumogakure. It is unfitting for Uchiha to be captured like this.”

Inoichi opened and closed his mouth a few times. He wanted to object and assure the girl that this was nothing to be ashamed of. But he couldn’t honestly say it. She was part of a noble clan. This would be considered a weakness and something that would shame any woman.

“Understood. As far as the reports will say, you escaped after placing Raikage under a genjutsu,” Minato nodded with clear distaste in his tone.

Finally, Inocihi released his technique. They again stood in the cell. It was very small compared to Ryoko’s mind space.

“Ryoko-chan, please remove your bandages,” Minato then said. The girl hesitated for a second but nodded. White bandages fell on the ground revealing marks on her arms and neck. Inoichi was again disgusted.

Hokage took her small hand and turned it around inspecting. As if committing to memory those marks. His lips were pursed together into a fine line.

“Hound, take Ryoko-chan to the ANBU medical sector,” Minato said just as the masked agent appeared by his side. Inocihi spotted the small falter in Hound’s step before the boy placed a hand on Ryoko’s shoulder. The two disappeared.

“Inoichi, nothing leaves this room, am I clear?” Minato turned to him. Blue eyes were cold as steel.

“Yes, Hokage-sama.”

“Ibiki, I need you to sweep all of your agents. Thoroughly. Look for you know what.”

Inoichi blinked between the two. Something was going on. Something he really didn’t like the sound of.

“Inoichi, I will need you to vet each and every agent. You know what to look for?”

“Yes, Hokage-sama.”

Rats. They are looking for the infestation.

Orochimaru tracked Ryoko’s scent out of Kumogakure and into a small village. His dear student probably was already near the border if not crossed it. But he was not about to leave anything to chance.

Finally, a scent led him to a building. He heard laughter inside. The smell told him exactly what it was. The sannin walked inside like he owned the place.

“Well hello there, handsome, looking for a good time?” a man with long pink hair instantly was by his side. Orochimaru narrowed his eyes and scoffed.

“I am looking for a girrrrl.”

“Ohhh? I’ll be anything you want, darling, for the right price,” the man dared to hook his arm around Orochimaru’s. The snake had to wonder that maybe he was losing the intimidation factor or the delusion from Konoha shinobi spread even to here.

“Ssssshe was here yesterday or today morning. Dark hair, ssssmall child,” Orochimaru took note of how the man next to his side stood still for a microsecond. His eyes were golden and darted from the sannin's face to the headband on his head.

“Mmmm, there are no children here,” the pink-haired man hummed.

“I can sssssee as much,” Orochimaru smirked and sighed. “Was she alright, can you tell me that much?” he asked then. This man didn’t look threatening and Orochimaru thought to better avoid killing or torturing civilians considering all that happened in Kumo.

“Hmmm, as much as one would after what she went through,” the man responded far more seriously.

“What did sssshe went through?” Orochimaru narrowed his eyes.

The pink-haired man tugged him away. Orochimaru allowed it. They ended up in a dimly lit bedroom. The man plopped on a big bed and leaned in a provocative pose obviously completely comfortable with everything.

“Call me Cherry,” the man said brushing a pink strand of hair behind his ear.

“Sssso? What happened to her?” Orochimaru asked again as his patience dwindled. He stepped closer.

“First, who are you to her? Did Kumo send you?”

“Obviousssssly not,” Orochimaru scoffed. He sighed again and pulled out a picture from his inner pocket. Kami knows why he carried it, but it proved to be useful at this moment. In the picture, it was him with Ryoko standing by a temple after one of their missions. She showed one of her rare smiles. They were both wearing festive kimonos.

“Hmm that’s her alright.”

“So? Sssspeak before I lose my patience,” there was a dangerous glint in Orochimaru's eyes.

“Oh, what will happen if I don’t, gorgeous? Will you spank me for misbehaving?” Cherry snickered after licking his lips.

Chapter Text

“Oh Kami…”

Orochimaru ignored Cherry’s sighs and simply put on his flak vest again. He usually didn’t resort to such tactics. They were far more befitting his former teammate Jiraiya. He also hated the sweat that lingered afterward on his skin.

“Noooowww, Cherry, talk,” the sannin glanced back at the man sprawled on the bed. Pink hair was scattered on the white pillow like a halo. Orochimaru proceeded to tie his headband back to its rightful place on his forehead.

Then he took the picture that was placed the right side down on the nearby bedside table. It was securely tucked in his pocket again. Orochimaru leaned closer to Cherry as the man only stared and didn’t speak.

“Oh, did I overdid it?” he chuckled, raising one elegant eyebrow.

“I swear,” Cherry sighed, “You are not a regular shinobi, are you? Kami… that was… ahhh… I think I’ll have to pay you,” the man smirked in the end, one hand extended to cup Orochimaru’s cheek. Sannin grabbed Cherry’s wrist and narrowed his eyes.

“Games are overrrrrr. Tell me what you know,” his voice usually would render victims motionless, but Cherry only smirked wider. That’s it. He really lost it now. The aura of a pristine murderer. The power to put fear into people is gone.

“Oh, don’t tempt me, handsome,” Cherry leaned closer taking advantage of his hand being clutched by Orochimaru’s iron grip. “Listen, I just wanted to give the girly a bit more time just in case you are not who you say you are.”

“Riiight. That’s all you wanted,” Orochimaru scoffed. Cherry could spin his tale any way he wanted, but in the end, Cherry was the one who moaned with pleasure all night long.

“Fine! You got me. I wanted to bang you just as much as I wanted to help the girly,” Cherry actually showed his tongue what would be a rather juvenile action if not for the way it moved, reminding Orochimaru vividly of what happened last night.

“I’m waiting, Cherrrrrrry.”

“Well, if you ask me, some scum from Kumo did quite a number on her. We do a lot of things here, but I despise pedos.”

Orochimaru stilled. His eyes widened a fraction. And then he vanished leaving only a small poof of smoke behind.

Kakashi stood silently in the small closed room in a distant and secure wing of Konoha hospital. It was reserved for ANBU and other high-profile people. Mostly for their identity security reasons.

“ANBU, I need you to leave,” the medic said to him.

“No. Hokage’s orders,” he responded, not entirely truthful. He was only instructed to take Ryoko here. But he had to make sure she was actually healed and not ran off. Like he would do in her place. Kakashi could say he knows Ryoko quite well by now and she hated hospitals just as much as he did.

“It’s fine, he can stay. Let’s just get this over with,” Ryoko frowned. The medic reluctantly started their diagnostics. Kakashi watched as the glowing hands shifted from the girl's neck to her hands, then chest, and then stopped on her abdomen.

His mind was blissfully blank, but the sharingan eye made sure to remember every bruise that he could see. Kakashi was on duty and had no luxury to break down and pity his comrade. That would come later.

Usually, he didn’t get as worked up, but the idea of how those bruises came to be on Ryoko… it was self-explanatory. Most kunoichi would rather die than this. And he would gladly kill their abusers.

“Alright, that’s it,” the medic said, pulling their hands away. “Now I will give you medication for… to take care of possible pregnancy.”

Kakashi already figured as much, but it took a medic to say it, for him to tense involuntarily. Ryoko was like a little sister to him. Annoying and rude, but still someone he grew used to spending time with. To see her hurt was equal to seeing one of his pups hurt.

“That will not be needed. Things did not get to escalate that much,” Ryoko shook her head completely unmoved by the medic’s concern.

“Ah, I see,” the medic exhaled easier. Kakashi didn’t notice, but he also relaxed in his stance. “Then, you are free to go.”

They left in silence. Kakashi didn’t quite understand why he followed Ryoko, but it felt familiar. Yes, he followed Obito just like this when his teammate returned. Strange how Kakashi found himself surrounded by another Uchiha that got kidnapped by the enemy.

“Bakashi, I can find my compound just fine,” the girl deadpanned as they jumped to the roofs.

He would usually snapback for Ryoko using his name or nickname while he is in ANBU uniform. Not today. Kakashi stayed silent and followed her. He stayed behind only when the girl entered her home.

Ryoko stepped right into Fugaku’s arms.

“Father, I’m fine,” she whispered halfheartedly. The warmth from his hug felt nice and calming. Ryoko relaxed slowly as if all her worries were washed away. The tension and frustration that plagued her mind was gone.

“I know,” Fugaku replied, finally letting her go. He looked deep into her eyes in silence. There was no need to use words to express the worry he had. She saw it in the way he took in her appearance. The way his hands clasped on her shoulders.

“Really. I’m fine, dad. Where is Itachi?” Ryoko gently pulled Fugaku’s hands away.

“He’s waiting for you in your room.”

“Hn. Good night,” she nodded last time before going to find Itachi. Just like Fugaku said, the boy was sitting in her room in complete darkness. His red eyes glimmered with quickly spinning tomoe.

“Itachi…” Ryoko sighed, activating her own eyes to see him better. Itachi looked terrible. Dark bags under his eyes. His face was puffy. Was he crying? She appeared before him and hugged the boy. “You’re alright,” Ryoko muttered into his neck more for herself than a question to him.

“I’m sorry, Koko…” his voice was ragged.

Ryoko pulled away and narrowed her eyes. “Itachi Uchiha! You’re the most stupid smart person I know. Don’t you dare apologize to me!”

“But I didn’t protect you,” his voice broke. Ryoko was so not having this attitude of his! She tsk’ed her tongue and poked his forehead like cousin Shisui would.

“Brother, do you really think I am that easily beaten?”

“Koko… I… was so scared that I lost you…” the poor heir was pouring his soul for once. Maybe it was the darkness engulfing her room that allowed him to speak his mind freely. Or maybe her actions and choices broke him.

“Itachi… I am sorry.”

Clearly, they were both idiots. Blinded by the love for their family and siblings. Ignorant of the destructive power each of them had. They were lost causes. The boy smiled gently at her.

“You’re the idiot,” he said, poking her forehead in return. Ryoko pouted, but shortly she smiled again. They settled to sleep in her bed that night. Neither wanted to be alone after what happened.

“Itachi, I’m actually sorry,” Ryoko repeated as they laid next to each other. Brother held her tight to his chest like he was afraid of losing Ryoko again.

“What for?” he asked.

“For missing your birthday… Happy birthday, big brother.”

“Hn.”

This was not the celebration they planned, but it was a blessing to be together again. Ryoko slept soundly that night. She didn’t have nightmares or things like that. Everything was finally back to normal.

The next day, just as Ryoko walked outside and towards training grounds, a hand grabbed her shoulder and spun her around.

“Morning, sensei,” she greeted Orochimaru calmly. He looked on edge so Ryoko didn’t risk provoking the sannin with sarcasm or jokes.

His hands started to glow green and go over her in a diagnostic, just like the medic yesterday. “Aww, sensei, were you worried about me? I can assure you, I am completely fine,” Ryoko smirked. Orochimaru scoffed at her, pulling his hands away. The man looked calmer now.

“I was under the impresssssssion that something happened in Kumo,” he said and Kami knows who told him. She didn’t think that Minato would be as suicidal to do it himself. It could also be Inoicihi or Kakashi. The snitching bastards! she cursed with a long sigh.

“Almost happened. I got away just before he raped me,” there was only a single person Ryoko could be so blunt with. At least that’s what she thought before. Now the expression on Orochimaru’s face begged to differ. He looked appalled. “Sensei! Don’t look at me like that!”

“Who.”

“Uh-uh. I’d rather not say. He only managed to touch before I knocked him out. And kiss… And bruise... But I swear nothing else happened.”

“Ryoko, you are going to tell me exxxxxactly what happened and who dared to touch you!” his voice sounded extremely strict. Like that one time, she fell into a tank with poison. The man was livid with her excuse about it being an accident, just like now.

“Oh, sensei! Did you hear that? Someone just called my name right there! Have to go! BYE!” she chuckled, jumping away from him. If Orochimaru was serious, he would not allow her to escape. And it looked like he was about to jank her right back down to the ground. Plan B she decided, evading his reaching hand. “You should ask Hokage-sama what happened. He mind walked my memories!”

Ryoko was not sorry at all for sacrificing Minato to the hungry snake. Honestly, it was his job to deal with other villages and stop any possible political nightmares before they happened. Orochimaru killing a Raikage sounded exactly like something a Hokage should take care of.

A month passed by quickly for Ryoko. She was doing her work like nothing had happened, even if Mikoto insisted on codling her. Even if Itachi got her to go out with him more often. Even if Kakashi practically hunted her down for their regular spars instead of patiently waiting like before.

She felt slightly insulted and choked by their insistent attention. Of course, Kakashi denied, when she brought it up. The teen clearly had a severe case of delusion. Ryoko was sure of it. Itachi on the other hand openly said that he was watching over her. She loved her brother to bits. He was impossible and yet the best person in the world.

At least Orochimaru-sensei preferred to keep her training and busy at all times of the day instead of invading her privacy. He simply didn’t leave any free time for her to have privacy.

“Hey there, princess,” a sweet voice appeared behind Ryoko as she stepped out of a dango shop. She turned around quickly and smiled at the boy.

“Shisui! Where have you been??” Ryoko hurried to hug him.

“Oh, here and there. You’ll know soon,” Shisui winked at her in a mischievous manner. She narrowed her eyes with a deep scowl. Her eyes looked the boy up and down. If it were a mission, he would have said so and he was gone for almost a month now.

Ryoko’s lips curled into a devilish grin. She reached out and grabbed his arm on the bicep. Shisui winced. “Welcome to the ranks, cousin,” she whispered. Her suspicion of a tattoo being hidden under the boy's clothing was confirmed.

“Awww, and here I wanted to surprise you in HQ, hime,” his pout was adorable. Ryoko was somewhat glad to know that she will not be alone anymore in ANBU. On the other hand, Shisui could get killed there… There was a thing she could do to help him stay alive...

“Ah, I just remembered something, Shisui. I must run,” Ryoko said, but the teen grabbed her arm.

“Hime, I heard what happened… I am really glad you are okay… and that Itachi is okay too,” he said without the usual aloofness.

“Hn,” what else could she respond?

“Oh and here,” he took out a box with a ribbon tied around it. “Happy birthday, princess. I know it’s only next month, but I will have a long mission, so I might miss it.”

Ryoko’s gloved finger brushed over the intricate pattern of the box. She nodded to Shisui with gratitude and opened it. Inside were two foldable fans. They had each thirteen tomoe, just as the number of years she will be celebrating.

They seemed to be made of metal, but pretty lightweight. Her eyes drank in the sight. They most definitely were not just your regular fans. “Are they… chakra conductive?” her big eyes looked up at Shisui.

“Yup!” he smirked satisfied with her reaction.

Ryoko leaped at the teen and smothered him in a hug. This was perfect! Exactly what she needed. Especially for the delicate work in the ANBU corps. Her usual scythe turned out to be too distinct...

“You’re the best, Shisui!”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard that before,” he laughed and poked her in the forehead for good measure. Life was finally settling back to its tracks.

It was a nice and quiet morning in the Uchiha household. Ryoko just finished her third bowl of rice, when Sasuke started tugging on her long hair.

“ANE! Play!” the little raven head boy demanded.

“Hn. Later, Sasu,” she winked at the boy. He was a smart one and already understood most of the words. Undoubtedly, he would be the next prodigy of their family. At least that is what Ryoko believed, forgetting that she herself had an advantage starting up with a fully developed mind.

“Father, mother, I will be leaving for the hospital,” Itachi announced after taking his plates away to the kitchen. Unfortunately, he had a weekend shift.

“Hn. Son, could you stop by home during your lunch hour? I have some documents you must read on for the clan business,” Fugaku said without raising his eyes from the scroll he was reading.

“Yes, father,” Ryoko was so glad that she would not have to deal with the boring paperwork unlike the heir of the clan. Each passing week Itachi was involved more and more in clan dealings. She sensed that father wanted to give up the reigns of control as soon as possible. Again, she felt lucky.

“Oh, darling, wait for me. I am taking Sasuke-kun to the park. We can walk together,” Mikoto chimed in with a bright smile. Hearing the word ‘park’ Sasuke perked up like a puppy hearing the word ‘walk’. Looks like her little brother started making friends. Although, she was not hundred percent sure if Hogake’s kid was a friend or a rival, based on how competitive the two children would get.

Both were plagued with popularity stemming from their family's status. Young Naruto was Hokage's son and Sasuke was an Uchiha clan head son. It is safe to say that the first fan girls started to show their alliance. They would say either ‘Team Namikaze’ or ‘Team Uchiha’. Ryoko may or may not have been the first one to name the girls this way.

Her mother left with her brothers and Ryoko was left to sip tea with her father. They enjoyed the comfortable silence between them. A couple of hours passed as they read in the same room. Fugaku was sorting through scrolls, while Ryoko read her favorite book on the Warring Era. It featured Madara’s achievements in great detail and each time she read about it, she would find something new.

There was a knock on their door. Ryoko stood up to open it without hesitation. Just as she got closer to the door, the girl realized that she could not sense the chakra signature of the one behind it. Maybe it was a messenger finally summoning her for a mission? After the door was opened, she understood exactly why the chakra was concealed.

“Danzo-san,” she frowned. The man actually dared to step into their compound? That could not be good. After the incident with Kumo, she noticed him keeping a low profile. What she didn’t notice, any action or suspicion directed to the old man.

Somehow, the old bastard fooled the Hokage in a false sense of security, but she would not fall for it. As the weeks went by, Ryoko noticed how shinobi with Root's chakra signature started to disappear. No one questioned it so she assumed it had to be Minato-san’s investigation cleaning the house.

“Ryoko-chan, is Fugaku-sama home?” his smile made her skin crawl. She wanted nothing more than to shut the door in Danzo’s face. But she could not. So the girl nodded and led the man inside the dining room where her father was still working.

“Fugaku-sama,” he greeted her father without a bow.

“Hn. Danzo,” she noticed the lack of moniker and suppressed a smirk only with Kami’s help. Ryoko took the spot to Fugaku’s left, as usual, while Danzo sat down in front of them.

Councilman being the rude piece of trash that he was, helped himself for a cup of tea. “I came here to discuss a matter with you regarding the Uchiha clan,” Danzo said.

This could not be good, screamed every fiber of Ryoko’s body. Maybe her father didn’t know the full extent of Danzo’s perversion, but her sensei made sure to clue her in at least on some level. That is why Ryoko stayed alert and ready to activate her sharingan at moment's notice.

“Oh? Do tell,” Fugaku said and surprisingly didn’t dismiss Ryoko. So maybe he was on alert too? Honestly, what could one man do against two high-ranking Uchiha in their own home? She felt confident and waited for a moment when Danzo would be shut down and leave.

“It has been a while since malicious rumors were spread about me. And I have reason to believe that Uchiha are behind it,” Danzo casually sipped the tea. She wanted him to choke on it. You bet we are! She cackled in her mind. “Furthermore, I believe what happened with your daughter in Kumo is… unacceptable.”

She blinked. Now he really lost her. What did those two things have to do with each other? She narrowed her eyes slightly. Oh my Kami, don’t tell me the shithead will try to recruit me to Root again??? If this was his motive, then he will be disappointed. There was not a chance in hell that her father would make such a sacrifice to pay for the rumors.

“Hn. And you are concerned with my daughter, why exactly?” Fugaku’s voice was ice cold.

Ryoko watched as Danzo tugged on the bandages covering his arm. Maybe he will spin some sob story about tortured shinobi, she guessed. Only behind the bandages, no scars showed up. There were just some weird-looking slits all over his arm.

To her and Fugaku’s surprise, one of the slits opened up to reveal an activated sharingan eye. Mangekyo patterns spun right at them. Ryoko was about to activate her eyes in defense but realized that she was paralyzed from that single eye contact. Even her chakra was still. Like the time stopped around them.

“You see, I have intended for at least one of your children to die there. So the outcome is really unacceptable for me,” Danzo spoke while immune to the Mangekyo effect. He stood up and walked towards them. Ryoko felt completely helpless and even slightly terrified from what would come next.

Yet Danzo didn’t walk to her. No, he crouched by Fugaku instead. Her unblinking eyes watched as a kunai appeared in the councilman's hand.

NOOOOOO! she could only yell in her mind with panic. Not a single sound came out from her lips. The blade swished and landed directly in her father's chest. Blood sprayed on the tatami floor.

“Don’t worry, Fugaku. I will keep an eye on your boys. I have been waiting for Itachi to be ready to join the Foundation since he entered the Academy. Looks like he needs a final push and you will be it. I am done waiting,” the man spoke without any emotion. Scratch that. There was an emotion in his tone. It was a sick satisfaction.

“Oh, and Ryoko too. Her eyes will be perfect for my collection,” he hummed and stalked towards her now. Instead of a blade, she received a needle to her neck. Her mind went dark, but she still caught a glimpse of masked shinobi appearing in her home. Root agents.

Ryoko opened her eyes to darkness. For a second she thought that she was dead. Again. But the smell of flowers and the feeling of fabric on her skin screamed that she was still alive. She tried to shift, but couldn’t. Her body was not responding to her actions.

Then she heard footsteps. Light suddenly invaded her vision as a fabric was pulled off her head.

“Finally awake, are we?” Danzo smirked at her. Ryoko felt her lips tremble as she tried to speak. Even that was not possible. Something was really wrong… Chakra was also not responding to her call. She was helpless even more than in Kumo.

There were no shackles she could sense on her body. No restrains, yet somehow, everything in her body was suppressed. She could only see around the room she was in. Part of her expected to see a cell, but it turned out to be a rather traditional room. With unbarred windows and paper shoji doors.

“Your father is dead so are you as far as anyone is concerned,” he said simply like talking about the weather. “You would be surprised just how well we can plant corpses to fake death,” Danzo was practically gloating. The man probably was eager to share his evil plot. And Ryoko had to listen.

“You can already give up. No one will ever see you again, Ryoko-chan. Ha! They would not even think to look right under their noses,” he chuckled. It was sick the way he tried to mess with her mind. Intimidate her. But she was not that easily broken. Someone would find her… Ryoko hoped.

“You are in my home now and you will stay here forever. Why you might ask?” he reached towards her eyes and brushed just under her eyelid like back in sensei's lab. “Sharingan is very useful for me, but those eyes of yours are expendable. They eventually always degrade.”

"..."

Her mind was ringing with blankness. Ryoko still could see her father being stabbed. The blood coming out of the wound. It didn’t really matter what would happen to her… but her family… They were still out there. Watched and hunted down by the likes of Danzo.

“A while back I came to realize that the only way it will work is if I had an endless supply of your kind and your eyes. That is why you are here, Ryoko.”

HELL NO!

“You are not my type, but I will make due. You are now thirteen and I can say that you have matured to an acceptable level. You have, what we call, perfect child-bearing hips.”

No…

“I have high hopes for you, Ryoko. You will bring me many children and I will take their eyes. Just like yours… Why would you need them if your sole purpose will be to make Uchiha children?”

"…"

“But. Before I can collect your sharingan, there is one last thing we must do. You see, Ryoko, I expect full compliance from my recruits no matter their purpose. Some fall under regular conditioning techniques. Some need more extensive mind-altering. I have a feeling you are the second type,” Danzo smiled like a vicious animal. His touch was practically burning her cheek now.

"..."

“For that, I need you to still have visual capacity. But trust me, when I am done with you, you will make Uchiha babies for me on your own violation and say thank you as I gouge their eyes from their sockets.”

"..."

“Come,” he grabbed her by the arm and pulled Ryoko up. Surprisingly, her body did not resist and stood up. What the… It was like an invisible force was in control of her. She guessed that it could not be only the sharingan Danzo already stole. It had to be drugs running in her system.

“I want you to meet someone. My most valuable asset. She was supposed to be in your role, but… the silly woman managed to injure herself enough to render her incapable of conceiving,” he said with distaste. “Her only saving grace is her eyes… The power she holds helped me to brainwash even the most stubborn recruits.”

Ryoko was led to a corridor. She noticed Root agents with masks stationed every few meters and art pieces between them. Danzo led her to another room… It was a bedroom. Fortunately, he didn’t stop by the bed but dragged her to one inconspicuous wall.

A seal appeared on it. It started to glow and then the wall opened up to a secret room behind it. It was lit by a couple of candles. There were no furniture or windows. Only hardwood floors and cement walls.

In the middle of the room, there was a person chained to a chair. Ryoko noticed seals placed on most parts of their body. Their hands… they were bandaged up in fists to prevent making any hand signs.

It was a woman, Ryoko could tell by long black hair. Her eyes were covered with a dark cloth. Yet to Ryoko, the visible part of the face looked familiar…

“Ryoko, please meet your aunt. Kyoko Uchiha. Haha! Even your names are similar, what a coincidence?” his laugh filled the room, but the girl could barely hear him anymore. There were not enough words to describe the turmoil in her mind.

Danzo… you will pay for this…

Chapter Text

Itachi stepped outside the hospital just as his break started. Usually, he would stay to help with patients, but his father's request could not be ignored. So the boy dutifully jumped to the roofs and headed towards the compound.

“Hey, Itachi-san!” someone called him from behind. He stopped and turned around to see none other than the Jonin Commander headed his way.

“Nara-sama,” he bowed politely like his mother drilled him since birth.

“Is your sister home right now?” the man asked.

Itachi never truly understood Ryoko’s friendship with the older man. But he guessed that it was an intellectual rivalry of sorts. Kami knows, he never understood why people call him a genius when his sister is the smart one.

The man before him was slouched, eyes tired. Shikaku always had a lazy and laid-back act on display, so to see him out and about, when a regular chunin could have delivered a message, was odd.

“Hn. She is home,” Itachi responded with a nod. “I am going there now. Do you need me to deliver a message?”

“Nah, I’ll walk with you,” Shikaku responded and they leaped away. The silence lasted for a bit until the Nara clan head spoke again. “I missed her birthday last month... “ he muttered and showed a wrapped present in his hand.

“Hn. She will be glad,” Itachi added. “May I ask what it is?” Maybe he was pushing his luck, but curiosity got the better of him. As a big brother, he often cared too much about Koko and who dared to approach her.

“Ahhh, well it's shogi pieces. Kami knows how she can play like she does without having her own set to practice on,” the older man shook his head slightly.

“Ryoko likes to read strategy books…” Itachi hummed just as they landed before the Uchiha compound gates.

“Haha! She’s an odd one. Why would a kid ever want to read boring stuff like that?” Itachi knew that Shikaku didn’t mean to insult his sister. Ryoko really was odd, even for an Uchiha sometimes. But other times… she was your typical Uchiha to the bone - fierce, powerful, and devoted to her family.

“Koko wants to be like Madara Uchiha… He is known to be the best strategist,” Itachi said. Even if his father denied the similarities, Ryoko was too stubborn and screamed 'Madara reincarnate' with everything she did.

“Father, I’m home,” Itachi announced as he opened the door. His hand stilled on the doorframe. There was an uncanny silence inside. And the smell of blood. And death. Instinctively he dashed inside without even taking his shoes off. Mother would kill him…

“Father…” Itachi froze as he entered the dining room. Shikaku was right behind him and grabbed onto the boy's shoulder.

“Breath,” Nara said calmly as they both took in the bloody carnage in front of them. Itachi took a ragged breath, but couldn’t exhale. His eyes activated the moment he stepped inside. It hurt. It felt like his eyes were on fire.

Then… there was movement!

“FATHER!” Itachi leaped to Fugaku’s side. The man blinked at him with dazed eyes. HE was still alive!! Without wasting any more time, Itachi’s medical training kicked in. His hands started to glow green as he touched the would-have-been-fatal wound on Fugaku’s chest.

Not many knew, probably only a handful of medics and their family, about Fugaku’s condition. His heart was actually on the other side than usual. This saved his father's life a number of times. It saved his life now.

There was a pool of blood around the two, but the injury itself was more to the lung. He could fix this. Itachi knew he could do it. With all the concentration on Fugaku, Itachi didn’t notice Shikaku’s movements behind him.

Nara was looking at the other body in the room. He carefully placed the present on the table and crouched next to her. It was Ryoko. Unlike Fugaku, it was clear that she was long gone. There was a kunai impaled deep into each of her eyes.

Shikaku took his own advice and inhaled deeply before summoning ANBU guards. He stood up with a blank face. Five masked shinobi were already looking around without questioning. He walked to one of them.

“Report to Hokage-sama that the Uchiha clan head was attacked. Notify the guards to track down the intruders. Nobody leaves the village,” he ordered. Usually, he would not have the authority to push around ANBU agents. This was an exception. Shikaku turned to another mask.

“Take her to the morgue right away. We need to find out what happened now,” his voice left no room for debate. Anyone who knew Ryoko would notice what was wrong with this picture. She would have fought back. She would have left marks of destruction. That is why it was so crucial to find out how she was neutralized.

When the two agents vanished, Shikaku inhaled again and started to look around himself. He noticed that Itachi was still working on Fugaku.

“Kid, we need to take him to the hospital. Now,” Shikaku said in his commanding tone, not daring to touch the boy's shoulder again so as to not disrupt Itachi's concentration.

Itachi was mute and practically unblinking. The only thing on his mind was to heal. When Nara leaned closer, he noticed blood drops running down the boy’s cheeks. His eyes… they were red, but the pattern was not your ordinary sharingan.

Shikaku motioned for another agent to come. “Take Fugaku-sama to the hospital, now,” he ordered. “Itachi! Go to the hospital, that’s an order,” he felt wrong saying it like that, but the boy was clearly miles away from reason. Thankfully, his training was still there. With shaking hands, Itachi stood up and shunshinned with the ANBU carrying his father.

At this point, Minato appeared in a blur of yellow. “Shikaku! What happened here?”

“Fugaku-sama was attacked. He somehow survived. Ryoko… she…” damn it! He choked up, unable to clearly say it out loud. In his mind, an image of his own son popped up. She was just a child like Shikamaru… young and clever flicker of life that was taken from them.

Minato was looking around the room and frowned. “I sense you sent Fugaku to the hospital. Where is Ryoko-chan?”

“I… sent her body to the morgue… so we could find out what happened… why she didn’t fight back,” he pushed the words out with great strain.

“YOU SEND HER BODY WHERE?” this probably was the first and only time Shikaku heard Minato raise his voice. He blinked dumbfounded.

“To.. the morgue, Hokage-sama… we need to…” he muttered unsure where the problem was. Minato was cursing loudly. When the blond looked up, he saw blue eyes filled with worry.

“Orochimaru-sama is working in the morgue,” Minato whispered. Shikaku’s mouth opened slightly, but he was lost for words.

“Shit…” he fucked up.

“Kami! He’ll destroy the whole village!” Minato cursed again then grabbed his shoulder. “You’re coming with me. I’ll need you to restrain the snake,” Shikaku didn’t even inhale to respond when both of them were gone with Minato’s trademark teleportation technique.

Orochimaru sighed covering the last cadaver for the day. He wished to inspect live beings again. It felt like so long since the last experiment he did with live subjects. It all changed since he became a sensei.

Ryoko was right of course. With the dead ones, he could still gather enough data. Plus collect some DNA for his… side project. And it all was still legal and even valued in Konoha. Absurd, but legal.

The door to his lab opened and a masked agent wheeled in a table with a body covered with a white sheet.

“Put that in the cooler,” Orochimaru waved his hand ready to retire for the rest of the day and continue in the evening as usual.

“It’s an urgent case, Lord Orochimaru,” the mask said and left quickly. Sannin hummed taking another look at the table. By the looks of it… It was a small corpse. Probably a child.

Taking a long breath he put on a mask of calmness. Dealing with kids was never pleasant, but somebody had to do it. The man stepped closer and pushed the white cover aside. He blinked. Surely he was seeing things from the long hours spent in this basement…

Then the smell of blood and jasmine tea assaulted his nostrils. She was pale as… corpse. Dark hair around her head was like a shadow consuming her.

“Ryoko… that’ssss not funny,” he whispered. Slowly his hand reached for her wrist… It was cold. No pulse. No chakra. Nothing.

Orochimaru pulled his hand away as if burned by the contact. The air around him started to buzz from the amount of chakra let loose. The floors and walls creaked and cracked. Only then he noticed the kunai stuck in her eye sockets.

His eyes were wide, looking the girl over from head to toe. “No no nononono…” he muttered in panic. The world around him went into a spiral. Darkness clouded his mind.

This could not be true. He could not have lost another one… His student… His precious child…

“WAKE UP!” he yelled out leaning closer and started to shake her shoulders. It felt like his body was shaken instead. With a jittery hand, he reached for the kunai and pulled it out. Then the other.

Empty holes stared right at him.

His hands started to glow green, but it was too late. Orochimaru felt the rigger starting to settle in her bones and muscles. The glow faded. His hands dropped down onto her limp body. Something was prickling at the corners of his eyes.

“Please…” Orochimaru whispered, bending over the girl. His long fingers clutched at Ryoko’s shirt. Kami… he sobbed unable to even say her name anymore. Something in his chest hurt. It was getting hard to breath. It felt like a knot formed in his throat.

“Pleasssse…” he said again. Hesitantly his head lifted to see Ryoko’s face again. Carefully, his hand cupped her cheek. He could practically see those bored yet vivid eyes staring at him. Dark and mysterious with a flame no match even for Amaterasu.

The sannin stilled and leaned closer. He was inches away from her eye sockets. Chakra around Orochimaru finally settled. The room fell into an eerie silence.

That is how Minato found him. Just staring at her face with a blank expression. Tears already dried. A determined expression on his face.

“Orochimaru-sama, I will find whoever did this,” Hokage said. Orochimaru felt as his body suddenly became paralyzed.

“Releasssse the jutsu, Nara,” he hissed without raising his eyes to the arrivals.

“Do it,” Minato said to Shikaku. Orochimaru felt control again and slowly raised from the bent position he was in. Eyes still fixed on her face.

“That’ssss not Ryoko.”

Silence.

“I know it’s hard to believe, but…”

Orochimaru’s head finally snapped at Shikaku. “That’s not her! It’s a fake corpsssse!”

The look on Minato’s face said that he didn’t believe his words. Orochimaru scoffed at that and rolled his eyes. Slowly he placed his fingers into the eye socket and fished the little tiny thing that caught his attention.

“Since when, does Ryoko have blue eyessss?” he said coldly, and yes, right there on his fingertip was what was left of clearly blue iris.

Shikaku and Minato shared a look. They finally stepped closer and inspected the corpse. “Shit..” Shikaku muttered with a long sigh.

“But I cannot feel her chakra in the village or near it,” Minato reasoned. Orochimaru clicked his tongue with irritation.

“Ever heard of sealsssss suppressing chakra presence?” he pointed out, not amused.

Ryoko stared at the face of her relative. It felt like looking in the mirror. Was that her future? To be bound and used as a tool. A slave for Danzo’s whims. Forever left in the darkness. If only she could move a single finger…

Danzo pushed Ryoko down on a chair in front of Kyoko. Then went to the bound woman and undid her eye mask. Instantly the girl was met with two vibrant red eyes… Mangekyo pattern spun and she felt herself falling into the darkness.

“And what do we have here?” a sickly sweet voice rang all around her.

Ryoko could guess what would happen next. She would be broken into pieces and then put back together into what Danzo wanted her to be.

“You’re niece!” she responded into the void. She would not give in, no matter how inviting the numbness of the void felt.

“HAHAHAHA! My brother is long gone, you fool,” the woman cackled.

“NO! My father is alive!”

If only Ryoko could activate her own sharingan… Like that time with Obito… She would have a fighting chance. But there was no chakra at her disposal. Ryoko felt only the woman's chakra around her.

If only I… hesitant thought wavered in her mind. If she could steal Kakashi’s jutsu, then why not someone else’s chakra? … Rationally thinking, the foreign chakra was already invading her body for the genjutsu to work… It was in her system…

The girl focused on the feeling she had when absorbing Chidori. The way nature chakra was consumed by her coils. The way Kakashi’s chakra was consumed…

“You will obey my will,” Kyoko whispered.

“Think again, auntie,” Ryoko felt her lips smirk as suddenly the world around her was bright again.

“BITCH!” she heard Danzo curse and then suddenly her eyes were covered again. “WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?” he roared at one of them. Kyoko laughed again.

“Shriveled man, you think an Uchiha can be so easily swayed? She got you, bastard,” her voice was dripping with malice. As sudden as the chakra appeared in her body, it was gone. Not enough time to do anything… but! Maybe if she had one more chance… she could…

“Shut up, slave!” Ryoko heard a slap echo in the room. The woman before her laughed even more.

“My eyes won’t work on a real Uchiha. Good luck,” that was the last thing she heard. Ryoko wanted to say something, but her body was still paralyzed and out of her control. She felt Danzo tug her up. The girl stumbled as she was pushed away.

Only by the sound of their steps, could Ryoko tell that they were back in the bedroom. She then felt another push to her back and her body fell on something soft. Ryoko was turned over to lay on her back. The cover over her eyes was lifted.

“Well, if you are this way, we’ll have to go with option one until there is nothing left in your mind to resist Kyoko’s technique,” Danzo looked livid. He walked away from her field of vision only to return in a couple of minutes.

He lifted a syringe to her face. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep you healthy. This, right here, will help to increase our chances,” he said with a sadistic smile. Then she felt Danzo lift her shirt just enough to bare her belly.

Dickhead… Ryoko cursed feeling the syringe stab her in the guts area.

“This is a very handy concoction, you know. It will help to make you fertile almost twenty-four seven.”

“...”

He was gone again. The next time Danzo returned, he pushed an IV into her arm. She wondered what shit was pumped into her system now. Was it the same paralyzing drug? Or a mixture of something even worse?

Ohhh…. Ryoko sighed as the world started to melt around her. Colors became vivid and almost neon. Danzo’s face also changed. The man looked like a shriveled jackal to her eyes now. This felt surprisingly similar to that one ACID trip she took in her past life.

The concept of time was lost on her. It could have been days or minutes before Jackal returned again. Ryoko was still very much tripping, but her mind managed to register a syringe somewhere in her vision.

The girl didn’t even feel the stab to her belly anymore. A little rational part of her mind reasoned that it happened, but that is all. Thankfully, Ryoko was way more tolerant of drugs than alcohol. She saw the visions, but could still think and reason their meaning.

“Danzo… what have you done…” the girl heard another voice. It sounded familiar.

“It’s the only way…” Jackal said. Then the owner of the new voice came into view.

A goat, huh? she would cock her head in surprise if she could. The goat was looking straight at her. It was white and old-looking.

“But did you have to put her on our bed?” Goat complained.

“Oh, Hiruzen, don’t be jealous now. Nobody will look for her here,” Jackal cooed. She watched how two animals exchanged what looked like a french kiss. It was weird, to say the least, but hey, she was not against interspecies relationships.

“She’s looking at us…” Goat whispered.

“Don’t worry, love, she is as high as the sun. Another day or two and her mind will be ripe for Kyoko’s taking.”

“I wish there was another way,” Goat leaned close to her face. “Know that Konoha appreciates your service.”

Strange… what is that ‘Konoha’ he’s speaking off? Ryoko wondered for a long while. When her attention snapped back, she realized that she was alone again. The walls and ceiling were spinning into one colorful mass.

She heard a distant sound. Jackal was back with another syringe. Ryoko felt the prick this time. More like a mosquito bite, really. The animal leaned to her face as if searching for something.

“You are mine until I don’t need you anymore,” he said coldly. Huh, so she belongs to Jackal? Is she a jackal too? The girl wondered as her wide pupils stared back at him.

“It would be much easier with Orochimaru taking care of the procedure, but you just had to take him into your clutches,” his voice sent a shiver down the girl’s unmoving spine. White snake? Were there more animals around?

Jackal looked angry. “I despise you. You’re like a cockroach that doesn’t die. You’re the pebble in my shoe,” he spoke making Ryoko even more confused. So was she an insect then? Or a stone? By the way she couldn’t move, maybe she was a stone… huh.

Then something was pulled on her eyes. Ryoko tried to blink the darkness away, but nothing happened. Hello? she called into the void. Silence. Jackal was gone. She was left alone. Maybe she died? It felt like she was dead.

Ryoko felt sick. She missed the colors and changing shapes around her. She didn’t like the emptiness that surrounded her. She didn’t want to be alone. Maybe Jackal will return soon? She could only hope.

Civil war? Or Panic? Or a gag order?

Minato rubbed at his temples. There was a hard decision he had to make. Orochimaru already shared his suspicions, not like he himself didn’t consider who the culprit could be.

“We need proof,” Shikaku finally said after a long moment he took to think.

“PROOF?!!! I have to find herrrr now!” Orochimaru yelled out. Minato couldn’t blame him, but he was also impressed by the level of control the sannin showed up until now. Were it his student, the blond didn’t know if he could stay still like that and plot.

“Fugaku. Nobody knows he’s alive. Maybe he’s already awake?” Shikaku said, bless the man of reason, Kami.

“Alright. Shikaku, I want you to gather clan heads and explain what is happening. We don’t have much time to mobilize the shinobi. If it really is Danzo, he won’t be alone,” Minato ordered in his stern Hokage voice.

“IF?? Are you sssstupid?? Have you forgotten about the Root he had infiltrate shinobi rankssss?” Orochimaru was like a little devil on his shoulder, urging him to act without thinking. But Minato was strong and level-headed despite the looming civil war.

“No, I have not. The ones we could find are still in T&I,” Minato said hoping that they were really there and not gone like Ryoko. “Orochimaru-sama, you’re coming with me to the hospital. I need you to keep an eye on Itachi. The boy will realize what happened soon when he’s out of shock.”

Orochimaru scoffed but didn’t protest anymore. In a million years, Minato would have not believed that kids were the factor that swayed a rattled snake. But he would use this to keep the sannin in check. He needed the man calm and clear-headed for the upcoming fight. It was in the air. No political juggling would solve the mess they were in.

“What about the Uchiha?” Shikaku asked.

“Hmm, tell Mikoto and only her what happened. She will keep them in check until we take care of everything. I am the Hokage of the Village Hidden in The Leaves and it is my duty to protect my people. I cannot let any more of them to get hurt,” Minato was determined. His will of fire never shined brighter.

Yet the thought of Danzo somehow managing to take down two of the strongest Uchiha was daunting. What could the man have up his sleeve to leave no evidence behind? Why would he even take Ryoko?

“Move, we have to assemble quickly and in secret,” Minato said to Shikaku before grabbing Orochimaru’s shoulder. Poof and they were gone.

Chapter Text

“He is out with Ryoko-chan, I’ll let him know you stopped by,” she smiled like a good wife she was. Behind her calm exterior, was bubbling and swirling furry. Mikoto was not a fool. She knew the danger lurking for shinobi. She knew the danger clan head families were under because of their position.

She knew all that. She prepared for that. Maybe that is why when Shikaku appeared before her with a solemn expression, she knew what it was about. Mikoto inhaled deeply and listened as he whispered to her ear.

The man whispered! If that wasn’t a sign enough, his words were. Even with a low voice, he still spoke in riddles.

“Some tea spilled at your home. Fugaku-sama is out to get some more. He should be back soon. Kushina-san will keep you company,” she nodded. Obviously, stationing ANBU guards would be too suspicious for whatever was happening. “By the way, Ryoko-chan was summoned to a mission,” he added nonchalantly.

“I see. Thank you, Shikaku-sama,” Mikoto nodded slowly. Her face was already tucked away behind a calm facade. “Sasuke, darling, we’re going now! We’ll have a playdate with Naruto-kun,” she smiled at her son like her life wasn’t being shattered by unknown forces.

And then she was back home. Kushina was there with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. At least little Naruto and Sasuke were unburdened by the truth of what was going on. Mikoto had to fend off a couple of clansmen looking for her husband. It was easy.

Kushina didn’t say anything to her. Mikoto didn’t ask. The woman smelled the lingering scent of blood in her home. It was all that she needed to know. Now sitting by the kitchen table, she stared blankly at the wall. Her hands were clenched tightly. She had to stay strong.

Minato and Orochimaru appeared in the hospital just as the ANBU head medic left the operating room with Itachi in tow.

“What’s the status?” the blond asked.

“Patient U059127668F2 is stable now. A vein was slightly nicked, a lung collapsed, but otherwise nothing life-threatening,” the doctor reported. “Patient will be conscious in around 30 minutes.”

“I want my personal guards posted at all times. Noone is authorized to visit or know of the patient,” Minato ordered before the doctor left. Then he glanced at Itachi who stayed behind. His hands were bloody. Even his face had streaks of blood. Poor kid… Dark eyes looked distant and cold.

“Itachi? You need to get some rest,” he tried to get the boy's attention. Young Uchiha started a hesitant nod.

“Yes, Hokage-sama… I will go home and check on my sis…” his words broke. Itachi was finally snapping out of shock and into grim reality.

Minato grabbed the boy’s shoulder, so he couldn’t run away. “She is not there.” His voice was calm, but it was doing nothing for Itachi. Young heir activated his eyes and tried to get away. Where it just a regular shinobi, the boy would have succeeded. Minato was called a Yellow Flash for a reason.

Faster than the human eye could follow and even sharingan would struggle, the Hokage blocked Itachi’s escape and placed a tag with a seal on the boy's chest. It was a variation on tranquilizer drugs and chakra suppressants. Not strong enough to knock Itachi fully out, but just enough to stop him in his tracks.

“Orochimaru-sama, please reason with him, while I talk with Fugaku-sama,” Minato sighed pushing the dazed teen into the snake’s hands. Not waiting for a response, he walked away to Fugaku’s room. If anyone could sweet-talk down an enraged Uchiha, that most definitely would be a sannin. At least Minato hoped so.

He stopped by the bed and looked over the man, once so stoic and invincible, now pale and bandaged. How could this happen to a clan head of one of the strongest clans?

“Fugaku-sama,” Minato asked, noticing a mild disturbance in Uchiha’s chakra flow. Older man's eyes snapped open and he was once again greeted with the spinning pattern of sharingan. “Damn.. Uchiha…” Minato cursed pushing Fugaku back down. “Please calm down, this is me. Minato Namikaze. You are in the hospital.”

Fugaku frantically looked around, not at all following Minato’s request. Very quickly the whole room was filled with blood stopping killing intent. “Ryoko! I have to find her!” Fugaku tried to sit up once again.

Minato was not left any other option - he used the same tag with a seal drawn on it, like on Itachi. That finally made Fugaku go limp on the bed, eyes deactivated, but still somewhat frantic.

“Please, Fugaku-sama, tell me what happened. I will get Ryoko-chan back, I promise,” the blond pleaded.

He noticed how Uchiha’s hands clasped the white sheet and shivered from all the rage that bubbled inside of him. “Danzo! He had sharingan eyes under his bandages!” the man growled an answer.

“...eyes?” Minato blinked severely dumbfounded, as concern started to build up inside his mind. He could not have heard it wrong… eyes… as in multiple sharingan eyes… The thought was unnerving, but at least it explained why Danzo could pull a fast one on Ryoko and Fugaku. Surprise alone would be enough to render anyone immobile for a second.

“Hn. He even had Mangekyou Sharingan! He did something… We could not move, but he could…” Fugaku spoke slowly and closed his eyes, reliving the event in his head.

“Did.. Danzo say why he attacked you?” Minato asked. This was already enough to prosecute the elder. Not only an attack on a clan head and their child but a dojutsu theft on top? He made a mistake once before, by allowing Danzo to retire unpunished for Root activity. Minato was not about to repeat himself again.

“He needs more eyes…”

“Ah…” the Hokage sighed. Of course… A thief would need to restock his collection… “Fugaku-sama, Mikoto-san was notified and is being kept safe discreetly. You will have to stay here until… we prune Konoha from the rotten roots. I promise I will bring Ryoko-chan back. You have my word as the Hokage of the Leaf.”

The man didn’t respond for a long time after Minato finished his vow. “Minato… Take Itachi with you. You will need someone with sharingan to fight against Danzo,” he said finally after closing his eyes. As if he just ordered his son to be taken for slaughter! Minato frowned.

“But, Fugaku-sama! He’s just a kid!”

“Trust me, an Uchiha is no kid, when his sister is in danger. He will go either way, so might as well with your guidance, Hokage-sama,” there was bitterness and pain and determination all mixed in one commanding yet pleading tone. Minato opened his mouth and closed it again.

He didn’t have parents growing up in the orphanage up until becoming a genin, but Minato imagined that this is how it feels when a father makes an argument you do not agree with, but have to obey, because it is reasonable. “Alright, Fugaku-sama.”

In the dead of night, the Hidden Village of Konoha was surprisingly silent yet alive under the false sense of serenity. Shadows shimmered with covert traffic. The tension built until it would eventually pop.

“Team Minato, is your mission clear?” he stood before three teens in his Hokage Tower. They were the ones Minato would bet his life on.

“Yes, Hokage-sama,” they answered in chorus. Three pairs of eyes looked serious and determined. Not children anymore. Not like the first time they went to war. All three have seen their fair share of blood and loss. Neither would lose another comrade without a fight.

The Hokage gave a stern nod. “Stand by. Kakashi, you are the team leader. I trust your judgment to make the right call,” he said sparing one last look at the silver-haired boy. This could be too much pressure to put on a child… but it was Kakashi. The ANBU captain Kakashi. The genius Hatake. If anyone could handle this, it was him.

“Understood, Hokage-sama,” the boy in question bowed and the three teens disappeared just in time before Shikaku entered the office.

“Hokage-sama, my reports are done. It is time,” Nara said, still very much cryptic. For the last two hours, he was tasked to gather clan heads and discreetly tell what is happening and who is behind it. Some didn’t believe it right away… Some knew exactly what was going on.

To Minato’s horror, more clans mentioned their own being swept away with mysterious accidents or deaths, while presumably recruited for the Root.

Only Hyuga remained adamant to give the elder the benefit of the doubt. That is until the mention of dojutsu theft was whispered out loud.

Finally - they all agreed that Danzo had to be apprehended. Minato could only hope that they would not be too late…

The last yet absurdly concerning piece of the puzzle for the blond was - where was Sarutobi-sensei? He couldn’t feel the Third anywhere in the village. There were no reports of him leaving… The only explanation would be, that the old man was with his friend… Danzo.

All roads lead to Danzo Shimura.

…

“They are coming.”

“I know.”

“What are you going to do, Danzo?”

“Only take what is rightfully mine. Konoha needs my help. It is dwindling by a thread. I cannot allow the incompetent fools to twiddle their thumbs any longer. We need to take action.”

“Hmmm, you know, I will always stand by you?”

“Yeessss, I do, Hiruzen,” the man smiled as he calmly poured more tea for both of them. His Root agents were already assembled in the perimeter. Nobody will come in or out without him knowing.

“Lord Danzo! Minato Namikaze just walked through your gates. He is headed inside,” one agent announced.

“Hmm, alone? How cocky,” he scoffed, sipping the green tea from his cup. “Let him in, I will take care of him,” Danzo waved his hand dismissively to the masked shinobi. Hey, if Minato is truly alone, then this could be staged as another unfortunate accident. It already worked once before with Tobirama-sensei…

…

Minato felt dozens of eyes on him as he walked inside the Shimura estate. He would rather face another thousand enemies head-on than… this! The shadow ranks of his own village… His heart was already bleeding for all the souls lost on his watch.

“This ends here!” Minato said as he stepped into the room with the two old men casually drinking tea. His eyes were burning yet calculating. He could not allow emotions to consume him if the enemy was as strong as everyone made him be…

“Oh, how nice of you to join us, Hokage-sama. Please, how may I be of assistance?” Danzo smirked, keeping up the pointless charade. The sarcasm in his voice was not lost on Minato.

“Where is she?”

“Who might you be speaking of?” Danzo placed his teacup on the table carefully and turned to look fully at him. Visible eye dead and cold.

“Drop the act, Danzo. I know what you’ve been up to and what you are hiding under those bandages.”

“I see,” the elder slowly stood up, Minato didn’t flinch back even if his instincts wanted to. The man tugged on the bandages of his arm.

“Minato, give up,” Sarutobi exhaled from his spot.

“Don’t even! How could you allow this, Third?” the blond yelled out as his anger bubbled into the surface. Till the last minute, he really hoped that it had to be a mistake. How could a former kage betray his people like this…

"It's for the greater good. It's for Konoha," Hiruzen said.

“Minato, it is time you give up the hat. You are no match for us,” Danzo spoke as his bandages fell to the floor.

“Ohhh, but he isssss not alone,” Orochimaru stepped inside from the shadows of the hallway behind Minato. And the sannin was not alone either. Right next to him was Shikaku Nara, Uchiha Itachi and Shisui, Hyuga Hiashi and Hizashi, and the very last in the back Shibi Aburame.

That’s right. As Minato entered the territory, he placed his seals around to summon those from behind the security barrier. Fellow elite shinobi and ANBU alike. As they stood in the hall, his shadow ranks were already taking on Root agents. Distant sounds of battle could be heard.

“I am the Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. And I will make you pay for the crimes you committed against Konoha!”

“So that’s how it’s gonna be?” Danzo smirked. With a sudden snap of his hand, he tore the last bandage covering his eye. Unmistakable red eyes were all the proof Minato needed.

The blond flickered along with Shisui and they attacked the elder. Itachi was observing from behind together with Hiashi.

On the other side, Hiruzen already summoned his monkey and tried to get a hit on Minato, but was blocked by Orochimaru’s sword.

“Ah, you will defy your sensei, child?” Sarutobi said with disappointment.

“You took my sssstudent! You will pay for that!” the snake hissed and his deadly aura filled the space forcing everyone to shiver.

Their forces split as the fight wrecked the building around them. In the open air of the night, a battle between former allies started. Hizashi and Shibi joined Orochimaru, while dojutsu wielders helped Minato.

He was strong, Minato never doubted himself in a fight. Until now. Those stolen eyes… somehow allowed Danzo to flicker back in top shape even after taking a killing blow.

“What the…” the blond cursed dodging and flickering to the back.

“It’s Izanagi. Every time he uses it, one sharingan eye closes rendered unusable, but it grants him the ability to nullify any injury,” Itachi said, dropping in the spot next to him. Minato nodded.

“Well, he’ll run out of the eyes eventually,” Minato smirked and attacked again.

Kakashi shifted slightly on the tree branch he was perched on. It would be much easier and faster if sensei allowed him to go alone… Obito he could understand… but Rin? Why did she have to go into danger? The logical part of his brain had an answer - his teammate was a medic. There was no telling what they would find inside.

“Now!” Kakashi commanded as he felt the pulse of senseis chakra on the tag with a seal he was given. The three nodded and gave into the pull coming of the tags. They were transported right inside the Shimura estate.

As predicted, most Root agents gathered to the main part of the house and garden to fight against ANBU and the adults. Their path was more or less clear. Those who did stay to lurk in the shadows were quickly spotted by Obito and got rid of by Kakashi.

Hatake’s moves were efficient yet deadly. Maybe he wasn’t wearing the Hound’s mask now, but he was the ANBU captain with every fiber of his being. No fake slouch or laid-back attitude. He was a shinobi with a mission.

“Straight ahead,” Pakun barked out as he led the way deeper into the house. The three teens followed in silence, careful to avoid any traps or hidden agents. “There! Behind that door!” Finally, the dog stopped sniffing around.

Kakashi approached slowly the imposing double doors and sniffed for himself. Jasmine. Blood. Medicin. Ryoko. She was there! His hand stopped inches away from the handle. Just now, he almost disregarded any common sense and allowed his instinct to take over.

“Obito, do you see any traps or genjutsu?” he asked. What good would they be if they fell into a trap? Caution should be their priority, not barging in head-on… Yet that is exactly what he wanted to do… deep deep inside.

“Nothing,” his teammate replied, still looking around with a bright red eye and one blue eye.

“There are fresh scents, but they went in the direction of the fight,” Pakun added.

“Alright, stay on alert,” Kakashi inhaled and pushed the door open. The boy crouched on instinct expecting to be attacked, but there was only silence in the dimly lit room.

“Hime!” Obito yelped and tried to go towards the bed, but Kakashi stopped him.

“Wait, let me check if that’s really her,” he whispered, stepping in front of both Rin and Obito. He would not make the same mistake as a captain of Team Minato again. He would not put them in danger. Never again. That is why he stepped forward in case everything here was a trap.

Kakashi stopped by the bed and leaned closer towards the unconscious girl. There was no movement, but he could hear her heartbeat. Slowly he lowered his mask and sniffed. That’s Ryoko alright. She always smelled like Jasmine and fire and blood and flowers and spices. She always smelled… like life itself. Vibrant and filled with flavor.

He gave a nod pushing his mask back in place. Serious eyes finally took in her appearance. Her clothing looked like something she would wear… compared to the ghastly kimono he found her in the last time she was kidnapped… She had an IV in her arm and… her eyes were covered.

Hesitantly he reached for the black fabric. Kakashi knew what he could find under it. He knew first hand how an empty eye socket looks like… A relieved breath escaped him when he was met by two big and dark as night eyes. Ryoko’s eyes.

“Hey there. It’s me, Kakashi,” he said slowly catching her gaze with his eye. She looked dazed… her pupils were almost as big as her irises. There was no recognition he could spot in her face. “She’s drugged,” Kakashi turned to Obito and Rin who watched the windows and the door.

“Right, let me check,” Rin pushed him aside with a medic’s authority Kakashi had never seen before. Huh. He really hasn’t been on a mission with them for too long. They changed…

His teammate quickly did the diagnostics, then took out a senbon and dabbed it into the IV bag. To his horror, she then licked said senbon!

“Rin! What are you doing! You don’t know what’s in there!” he hissed at the girl. For once, Obito was the quiet and collected one. Kakashi was definitely missing something about his teammates…

“Kakashi, I am trained in poisons and medical ninjutsu. I know what I’m doing, trust me for once,” she clapped back without even sparing him a look. Like she was used to saying this exact line on a daily basis.

He stayed quiet and observed. Five minutes later, Rin pulled back. Her face was sour. “You’re right. She’s drugged with some heavy stuff. There is something else in her system keeping her paralyzed. I’m afraid if I take paralysis away, Ryoko-chan might freak out from the drugs.”

“Then clear the drugs from her system!” Kakashi wasn’t seeing the problem here.

“It’s not that simple. It will take hours!” Rin exhaled again. Sensei gave them a strict time limit. They could not come early or stay too long. Or even leave before the signal is given.

“Alright, Rin. I trust you. Do as you see fit now. We still have around ten minutes,” Kakashi finally decided and stepped back to give the girl some space, while he and Obito would guard her back.

With the corner of his eyes, the boy watched as Rin took the IV out of Ryoko’s arm. Then her glowing hands hovered over Uchiha’s body. Ten minutes were spent in silence with the buzzing of healing chakra in the background.

“Alright. The drug is still there and paralysis too for the most part. I took care of… other things…” Rin brushed the sweat off her forehead.

“What other things?” Obito asked the question that was on Kakashi’s mind too. Rin shook her head.

“Not now. We should get ready to leave,” she was right of course, but he could not help exchanging a glance with Obito.

“Alright,” Kakashi finally agreed to put the questions aside in favor of completing the mission. He scooped Ryoko into his arms and carefully folded her hands on her chest, so they would not be in the way while he ran.

Her eyes, still wide and far away, made contact with his. Kakashi felt her hand clutch the fabric of his vest. “Hey, there. It’s me. You’re safe now,” he tried and failed to sound soft. All that came out of his mouth were cold and emotionless words.

Ryoko blinked twice. Kakashi stopped in his tracks.

“What is it?” Obito instantly was by his side and looked down with worry at his cousin.

“I think… she is trying to communicate something…” Kakashi guessed and felt her hand grasp the fabric tighter.

One long blink. So that’s a yes.

“What is it, hime? Tell us,” Obito pleaded. Kakashi could tell that his friend wanted to touch Ryoko, but couldn’t from fear or worry or all and more.

Her eyes darted distinctly to the side. Like pointing at something. Kakashi slowly turned around with the girl in his hands. There was nothing out of the ordinary. The bed, a couple of paintings, a chest of drawers…

“S…” Kakashi’s eyes snapped back at Ryoko. She made a sound!

“S?” he repeated and leaned closer. Her voice was distant and scratchy, but he made out one word.

“Seal? There is a seal here?” he asked and received one long blink in response. “Obito…”

“Already on it!” his teammate said scanning the room with his sharingan. Kakashi wondered if they really had fallen into a trap… if there was a seal preventing them from leaving… or something that tied Ryoko to this place… something that could harm her…

DAMN IT ALL! He didn’t even check for seals when they got inside. Kakashi wanted to berate himself further, but the middle of a mission was not a time for that...

“There!” Obito pointed at the wall next to the bed.

“Ryoko, is it a trap?” Kakashi tried to ask her before giving any further orders.

Two blinks - no.

“Is there something behind it?” Rin chimed in.

One blink - yes.

“Ryoko, we cannot waste time on this, we must get you…” Kakashi tried to explain even though the girl didn’t actually have a choice in the matter. Then her hand released the vest she clung on and… gave him a weak punch.

He looked very seriously into her eyes. Ryoko seemed miles away and yet lucid enough to understand him. She most definitely will kill him if he ignores her plea…

“Fine… Obito, can you… I don’t know? Evaporate it or something?” Kakashi let out a long sigh.

“Sensei will kill me if he finds out I can mess with his seals this way,” teen Uchiha snickered before his expression became serious once more. His sharingan pattern changed and shifted into Mangekyo. Kakashi tried himself to use it once… But it would leave him exhausted for weeks. Better leave Uchiha business to Uchiha.

He stepped aside and watched as the swirl of void consumed the wall with the seal still on it! Left behind was a gaping hole into a secret room!

“Be careful,” Kakashi said as Obito stepped closer and peaked inside. “What is it?” Something in the air shifted. The hair on Kakashi’s neck stood up from the KI in the air around them. “Get back, OBITO!” he yelled out ready to jump in, but…

Obito already staggered back… Only then Kakashi realized that his teammate was the one omitting the urge for bloodshed. Before he could ask anything else, Obito already dashed fully through the hole and into the darkness of the room.

“Shit,” Kakashi cursed and followed his friend with Ryoko securely clutched in his arms. Rin was right behind him.

It felt like the fight was going on for hours when in fact it was no more than fifteen minutes. With their shinobi speed and skill, life or death was a blink away. Minato felt like he never again wanted to be on the other side facing a sharingan wielder.

Those eyes were dangerous and deadly. If you even dared to make eye contact - you were done for. Having Shisui and Itachi by his side was a saving grace.

Most of the eyes on Danzo’s arm (and oh Kami, how did he have so many of them?) were already closed. They were close.

A loud yell followed by silence got Minato’s attention. He glanced back to where Orochimaru’s giant snake was crushing a no smaller monkey and spotted the source. Sannin’s blade glimmered black in the moonlight from blood. There, by the man’s feet, rolled a head without a body…

“HIRUZEN!” Danzo yelled with anger never seen before. So the man actually had feelings?

“You’re done, DANZO!” Minato responded and attacked again with the hope to take advantage of the commotion. He managed to kill the elder two more times. It looked like only one sharingan eye was left open.

Shimura went to full frenzy mode and lashed with wild techniques to anyone nearby. He flickered away and appeared right before Itachi with hand extended in clear intent of harvesting a replacement eye…

“NOT MY SON, YOU BITCH!” out of nowhere, Mikoto appeared between the two with her hand going straight for the last eye. Minato stopped in his tracks and just watched as she extracted her hand with an eye tightly clenched between her bloody fingers.

Danzo stumbled back and fell to his knees. “It’s done…” Minato whispered with awe.

“Not yet,” Hiashi said as he appeared next to Danzo and in quick succession of accurate hits, rendered the elder immobile.

“Mom?”

He heard that one magic word and stopped. Kakashi instinctively disrupted his chakra for any potential genjutsu, but nothing changed. Still in front of him was a bound and blinded woman, with Obito shaking and shivering before her, whispering that same word.

“Mom? Is that you?” Obito’s hand reached carefully for the woman’s face and stopped inches away. The woman tilted her head slightly to the sound but answered nothing.

“Obito… we have to go,” Kakashi said from the back.

“I’m not leaving her here! Kakashi, that's… that's my mom,” Obito glanced back with a smile and tears streaming down his cheeks. He nodded slowly. It was better to agree than to protest an emotionally compromised Uchiha.

Chapter Text

Ryoko felt overwhelmed by the number of animals in her space. She instinctively nuzzled closer to the wolfish dog's chest, who was carrying her. He looked like a husky or an actual wolf from the white fur she could see. There was also an outer with eyes of different colors. And there was even some kind of bird with strange marks next to its beak.

Too much. Her head was spinning. The bird did something to her… something that made her feel again. The pain in her arm, in her stomach, in her head. Ryoko closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on her breathing instead.

The moment of clarity to point out the secret room took too much effort in the end. As she was carried into the darkness, Ryoko gave in to the exhaustion and fell asleep. The dog's calm heartbeat was like a lullaby…

…

…

…

As if dosed with cold water, Ryoko suddenly snapped back to her senses. Chakra on alert and buzzing from her fingertips, she sat up on, what appeared to be a bed. Her sharingan activated instantly, no longer bound by unknown chemicals.

“Calm down, kid, you’re in the hospital,” a familiar voice said from the corner. Her eyes snapped to the noise and noticed a familiar mask.

“Taicho!” she rasped out. It has been a while since she spoke. Ryoko inhaled deeply calming her nerves, even though her blood wasn’t rushing. She was a cold-blooded killer after all. Wolf stepped closer and into the dim light.

“Mmm, how you feeling?” he asked.

Ryoko took a moment to digest the question. Her skin was crawling with cold sweat. Her insides were turning. She would gladly puke if she was alone. “Hn. Fine,” the girl said brushing sweat from her forehead.

“You’re going through withdrawal from the drugs,” he explained. That much Ryoko already figured. Not her first rodeo with drugs. She nodded.

Her hands were shivering as she tried to pluck the IV from her arm.

“Leave it,” Wolf ordered.

“But… I have to…”

“You have to rest. Everything is under control.”

“But… Danzo… he...”

“Under control, Fox. I order you to stay here until the medics clear you.”

“Hn,” not like she could disregard his authority. Ryoko looked around the room. It was a private one with only her bed in the center. There were so many questions in her mind… “My aunt… did you find her?”

“Hound and his team recovered her.”

Hound… slowly her memories recalled the husky dog. So that was Kakashi, huh? It was weird to think now, that she wanted to pet his fur. Thank god she didn’t or Kakashi would never let her live that down…

“Hn.”

“Stay. I’ll fetch a medic,” Wolf said before vanishing into thin air. Ryoko felt like a dog given a command.

This sucks major balls… she cursed in her mind leaning back on the pillows. Her hands were clenched into fists. Madara would have never allowed himself to be captured that way… Madara would have never allowed to be drugged that way…

She was so weak. Ryoko cursed again and dropped the covers off her body. IV fell from her arm as the girl stood up on shaky legs. Oh, Kami… the pain in her abdomen! She shivered and fell to her knees. It felt like the mother of all periods assaulted her insides.

“Fuckin Danzo…” she cursed again and pushed herself up from the very inviting floor. The girl would like nothing more but to curl up on the cold surface and wait out the pain. But there was no time… Her father… Her brother… Her family… She had to make sure they are safe!

Ryoko made her way to the window and pushed it open.

“Wherrrre do you think you’rrrre going?” someone grabbed the back of her gown and pulled the girl away from the window.

“Sensei,” she sighed, glancing at the sannin who stared at her without any emotions.

“Back to bed, brrrrat,” he hissed and dragged her to the bed that was still warm. He carefully placed the IV into her arm and even tucked her in… Ryoko sighed.

“Sensei… I have to check on my family,” she frowned.

“They arrrre all here,” Orochimaru spoke as his hands started to glow green.

“Hn.”

“How are yourrr eyes?”

“Fine?” she blinked and activated the sharingan to show exactly how fine she was. He hummed in response and continued scanning her head to toe. “When can I see them?”

“Soon.”

“What’s the wait for?” her eyes narrowed a bit as she observed the older man. He didn’t show concern, but Ryoko could tell there was worry in his eyes.

“Ryoko. What did Danzo want from you?”

“You know what,” she muttered looking away.

“Yessss. But your eyes are still in place. So I will asssssk again. What. Did. He. Want. From. You?”

This was embarrassing and degrading. She didn’t want to say it to her sensei. Ryoko was already humiliated enough by being kidnapped by an old fuckin geezer. The girl exhaled. She could feel the golden snake eyes watching her without blinking.

“He… said I have what they call ‘perfect child-bearing hips’,” Ryoko crossed arms over her chest, which wasn’t an easy task with the IV and all. Her skin was still crawling with a cold itch. The girl shivered from the sudden spasm from below.

Suddenly two long arms wrapped around her and Ryoko felt her face smothered into the man's chest. “Sensei…” she gasped out almost struggling to take a breath.

“He didn’t touch you, did heeee?” sannin whispered from above as his fingers brushed over her unruly hair.

“No, sensei. He needed me in ovulation first…” Ryoko whispered to his chest.

“I’m sorry, child. It’s becausssse of me… He wanted to get to me…”

Ryoko somehow managed to push herself away and scowled at Orochimaru. “No! He wanted sharingan. Aunty could not give him that so he took me. Is he.. Dead?”

“Unfortunately, no. But he no longerrrr has any stolen eyes,” the man sighed with obvious disappointment. “Third is dead, however.”

“Good riddance,” she nodded, recalling the image of a goat making out with the bastard. “He was Danzo’s bitch. Literally.”

“Ryoko! Language!”

“Sorry, not sorry, sensei,” she smirked at him, but then frowned once more from the pain.

To say that Itachi was overprotective would be an understatement. Ryoko felt like she gained a second shadow with her brother always following her around. Even Fugaku put aside any manners and hugged her every time he saw her. Even in public.

Such a pain. But… to see him alive and well, was reason enough to bear through the affection he showed. She didn’t believe Danzo’s statement that Fugaku died. Her father was a beast just like her. Scum like the elder would not kill him…

After two days in the hospital, Ryoko was discharged. She was taken off active duty for a week. Which she gladly spent sleeping.

What happened in the Shimura estate was highly classified, so obviously, the whole village knew about it. Or parts of what happened. Lord Third was publicly announced as a traitor, killed while going against the Hokage’s orders. Orochimaru was now praised as a hero that protected the Hokage and killed said traitor.

To her amusement, now not only ANBU showed their respect and affection to her sensei, but regular shinobi and even civilians looked at the snake in a new light. Sannin was naturally creeped out over the attention and locked himself in the labs.

The only thing known about Danzo was that he committed dojutsu theft, but nothing else. She guessed that the man was kept in the depths of T&I. Unfortunately. Uchiha were not too happy about the scum being kept alive. Only Fugaku’s composure kept the clan in line. He was as stoic and cold as ever.

When she asked about Aunty, he only said that she is being… treated. Eighteen years. That's how long she was kept in his captivity. Gone right after Obito’s birth. Speaking of her cousin. Dear Obito was smiling brighter than she had ever seen him.

Jeez, they should make a TV show about the life of an Uchiha… Ryoko thought once recalling all the drama that happened to her family.

“Good morning, Ryoko-chan!” a redhead woman chirped at her when the girl stumbled into the kitchen one day.

“Hn,” she muttered. It was still her week off.

“Ryoko, darling, would you like to go shopping with us today?” Mikoto smiled as she poured tea to her friend.

“No, thank you,” was all she said. Her instincts told her to get out of here as soon as possible, or mother would get other ideas…

“Alright. SO! Kushina, you said you had news?” thankfully, Mikoto’s attention was directed to the gossip rather than her daughter.

“Believe it! I’m expecting!”

Ryoko shivered. The thought of another blond menace was daunting. She didn’t really hate Naruto, but he was just too… happy… and bubbly… and sweet. The only rational solution was to pretend that she didn’t hear anything and retreat back to her bedroom. Even after closing the door, the girl could still hear two adult women squealing with excitement.

By the end of the week, Ryoko’s hands were already itching to kill someone. She was robbed of the opportunity to get her revenge on Danzo or even Hiruzen. She couldn’t even save herself… Ryoko knew that she had enough skills! Yet still, it nagged her to know that someone else saved her…

And especially, that someone being her rival. Naturally, Ryoko avoided Kakashi on the rare occasions she did step outside. Even now, as she entered the ANBU HQ the girl stayed vigilant for his chakra.

“Enter,” the voice sounded after she flared her chakra before the commander's office door instead of a knock.

“I would like a mission, commander,” she said, stopping in front of his desk. Fox mask was handing off her belt. She felt his eyes study her.

“Your team will be back in a few days…”

“I would like a solo mission, sir.”

“Hmm.”

“Hn.”

“Alright. I think I have something for you,” the commander finally said fetching a scroll.

Was Ryoko avoiding her team? Maybe. Did she have pent-up anger? Most definitely. Thankfully, there was no lack in solo assassination missions and Ryoko took each and every one of them. She stayed in the village no more than a mandatory two days break.

Just before going on her eighth solo adventure, Ryoko stopped by sensei’s home. Her task was simple enough - to stage a rival gang's assassination with a clear message. Now sending messages with the corpse Ryoko knew how to do.

Her former father was an artist in such tasks and Ryoko didn’t shy away to copy his creations in the shinobi world. One of her proudest moments was carving a target into perfect vertical slices and staging them between sheets of glass, like specimens of human anatomy.

For this mission, however, she needed some extra supplies. “Sensei?” she called, stepping inside his manor. It didn’t feel like the snake was home, but he also could masterfully suppress his presence when he wanted to.

She wandered around a bit and decided to check his study before leaving. Empty. There were only books and scrolls all around, but no Orochimaru. Her eyes did notice something out of place.

“Huh, haven’t seen you before,” she muttered leaning closer to inspect a cherry bonsai by the window. It was meticulously trimmed and prompted on a delicate table. The girl shrugged and left it alone. Not her business if sensei wanted to have a gardening hobby.

It only meant that she would have to gather her supplies on the way. Speeding through the trees and she crossed the Land of Fire border. After another half an hour her eyes spotted what she was looking for - a decent size blooming Sakura tree…

Finding the target was not hard either. She used genjutsu to distract the guards and knock out the man in question. With him laid limp before her, Ryoko began her work. She hung him on ninja wire, so he would stay up. Then she took her tanto and made a big incision across his chest.

“Here goes nothing,” she whispered, taking out a scroll. It was placed deep inside the man's gut. She inhaled and opened the scroll inside the man’s chest.

Smoke poofed around just as she stepped back. Her eyes were slightly wide from the shock that it actually worked…

It was no ordinary scroll - it was a sealing scroll and inside of it was the sakura tree she uprooted a while back. Now it looked like the tree grew right over the body making for a gruesome yet artsy picture. The tree and the body were as one. Entwined. Branches found their way from the cavities made by her and natural ones.

“Now, the final touch,” she whispered unsealing some flowers that carefully filled the empty spaces. Her father, Kami bless his soul, would be proud. And Ryoko felt instantly better with herself and her skills.

She was ready to join her team again.

It was a while when Ryoko took another solo mission. She liked working with team Ko, but sometimes… sometimes she just needed to spread her devilish wings. She needed alone time too. From her family and teammates.

Just as Ryoko washed away the last remains of blood from her hands, she decided to take a small detour. It has been a while and she had no joy going back… there. But she also had a promise to keep.

The girl put away her ANBU uniform and now in plain dark clothing crossed the border into the Land of Lightning. She had no trouble locating the small village and the brothel. Coincidentally, it was again early morning when she entered the establishment.

“Misa-chan! You’re alive!” Tsuki smiled from behind the counter.

“Hn,” Ryoko bowed respectfully. “Is Cherry-san here?”

“Ahh, Afraid not. Cherry bailed a while back. Got himself a nice sponsor.”

Ryoko blinked. Sponsor? Her lips curved into a smile. “Sponsor? As in a sugar daddy?”

“Sugar.. What?”

“Well, he supports and showers his baby with money and all things nice. Hence, sugar - as in all the things sweet and nice,” she explained casually. These people really were in dire need of her education.

“HAHAH! Yes, I guess he is a sugar daddy then,” Tsuki laughed.

“Well, good for Cherry.”

“Mhhmmm. I heard he got a nice mansion for Cherry in the Land of Sound. Lucky bastard,” Tsuki sighed looking through the window in the distance. “But I guess you didn’t come here just to check on us?” the man was perceptive, she had to give it to him.

“Hn. I owe you a lot for helping me. Here,” the girl took out a scroll and unsealed a substantial bag filled with money. For Ryoko that was barely a few ANBU missions worth of pay, but for civilians that would mean at least a year worth of income. Tsuki blinked at the bag. His eyes narrowed at the girl.

“You rich or something?”

“Or something,” she shrugged. “This was meant for you both, but I guess, Cherry doesn’t need it now, so you can have it all.”

“Are you my sugar daddy now?” Tsuki smirked.

“Tempting as that may be, it is only my honest debt for your kindness,” Ryoko bowed again. The kind people deserved every ounce of her respect. To help a stranger is never an easy task.

“Stop it, kid. It was nothing… Shit, I’ll have to write to Cherry that you stopped by. He was concerned after that man came looking for you…”

“A man?”

“Mhmmm. Really tall and pale one. Long dark hair. He a friend of yours?”

“Ahh… Yes,” she tried to hide her smirk, but her tiny heart was warmed by Orochimaru’s dedication to even step a foot in an establishment like this looking for her. He was the best…

“Well, Cherry probably was not that concerned though, if he eventually left with the man. His sugar daddy now, I guess.”

“He.. what? Left with.. Him?” Ryoko blinked. Her mind was quick to make the connection, but it was still hard to believe. Or maybe not. The girl imagined Cherry and Orochimaru together… They would make a nice couple…

“Yup. He showed up again after a while and just whisked Cherry away.”

“I see. Well, good for them,” Ryoko finally said and bowed one last time before leaving. She had a feeling that Tsuki, with his new funds, would not stay here either. Good for both of them.

Chapter Text

New Year's celebration was upon Konoha. So much happened over the past twelve months… Ryoko was ready to put it all behind her. Even if Danzo still breathed the same air, she could live with it. Just to spite the old man, she was determined to do well. To show everyone that no scum would ever break her…

But before that, a festival had to be attended. Ryoko sensed that her father somehow arranged for her to be off duty during this day. The girl was left with no excuse. Mikoto chose another overpriced kimono for her. Ryoko had to admit, though, that silk felt nice on her skin…

She tugged the obi one last time and shoved her folded fans into the crease. Obito’s gift came in handy when you didn’t want to show that you actually carried weapons. She had yet to use them to the full potential…

“Mother, I will meet you in the town,” Ryoko said as she was stepping out of the home.

“Don’t be late, darling!” a voice from the back responded, where Mikoto wrangled her little brother into formal attire.

“Hn.”

The girl walked out of the compound and towards sensei’s home. She would drag him out by force if needed. The man was seriously getting ridiculous with his paranoia. So what if locals started to greet him in the streets? Big whoop.

Ryoko was about to knock on his door when it opened. “Oh, sensei! Glad to see you are ready for the festival,” she chirped looking the man over. Orochimaru was wearing one of his extravagant kimono. He looked like something from a high-end art tapestry.

“Actually, I will not be joining you thisssss year,” he said casually, closing the door behind him.

“Ohh?” Ryoko walked beside him in what looked like the village gate's direction. Her lips curved into a mischievous smile. “I seeeeeee. Where will you celebrate the new year then?” ‘with whom’ was implied.

“Away,” sensei was tightlipped more than usual. “By the way, why arrrrre you avoiding Hatake boy? He stopped by looking for you a few timessssss,” the bastard hummed, changing the subject.

“I was busy, hn.”

“So I’ve hearrrrd,” she felt Orochimaru raise an eyebrow at her even without looking at the man. They finally reached the gates and stopped for a second. “When I return, we will ressssume your training,” Orochimaru said looking down into her eyes.

“Yes, sensei. Happy New Year!” Ryoko ignored the insinuation that her skills are not up to his standards and as retaliation, hugged the man right in front of the gate guards and some shinobi passing by.

He stiffed before relaxing. Orochimaru knew by now, that she would not let go unless he shows at least some sign of reciprocation. The sannin’s hand hesitantly patted her on the back.

“Chem,” he cleared his throat. “Happy New Year.”

Oh! And was that a tiny smile on his face? Ryoko had to bite her lip to not let a satisfied grin out on display. She waved at the man walking away from her.

“Oh, and say hi to Cherry from me!”

“...” Orochimaru’s step faltered. His head snapped back so fast, that she was afraid that he got whiplash. The grin on her lips was like a Cheshire cat. The sannin closed his eyes and took a long calming breath. “...the death of me… I ssswear…” she heard him mutter.

“Have fun, sensei,” she chirped with another wave ignoring the daggers coming from the older man’s eyes. Ryoko was now ready to join her family. Of course, it was a shame that sensei couldn’t join them, but… Somehow the girl felt that Orochimaru would feel much better in the small company of his significant other rather than a big crowd of their village.

“Off-balance my ass…” Ryoko muttered with colorful curses as she entered the female ANBU locker rooms. Orochimaru kept to his word and after New Years', their personal training sessions resumed.

It probably was naive for the girl to think that she could stand like an equal with her sensei now. Oh, how wrong she was… Sannin didn’t hold back in a fight or after it - berating her form, skills, and technique. Was it really Ryoko’s fault, that with her maturing body her center of gravity shifted and she had to lean and move more to dodge attacks?

“Stupid boobs…” she sighed while taking off her shirt. The usual way she did the bandages worked for everyday missions, but not in a serious fight. So Ryoko desperately tried to figure a better way… where are sports bras when you need them?

“Aww, let me help you with that, Fox,” Cheetah snickered, taking the bandages from her.

“Hn,” Ryoko pouted but was not in a position to refuse. Cheetah had tremendous ‘talents’ of her own, so the woman had to know some kunoichi tricks and tips.

“So you should do it like this… for extra support go under... and then over shoulder blades… the crossing really helps...” her teammate explained.

“Hn,” when it was all done, the girl stretched, jumped in place a couple of times. “Thank you, Cheetah. I can feel the difference already,” the girl sighed with a small nod.

“No prob. Oh, and if you need to quickly ‘unwrap’ if you know what I mean,” Cheetah wiggled her eyebrows. “Then just tug here and right there.”

Surprisingly easy the bandages dropped down after the woman's demonstration. “Huh… convenient,” Ryoko nodded.

“Cheetah! Stop teaching the kid things like that!” another woman dressing beside them hissed.

“Whaaaat?! Oh please! Remind me again, when did you start fooling around, Falcon?” Cheetah probably had a point, because the woman didn’t answer and turned away. Her teammate had a victorious smile on her face.

Meanwhile, Ryoko ignored them in favor of wrapping herself up again. With a little practice, she will get used to this new method. And as for boys… her piers still looked like children in her eyes. While men more her mental age regarded her as a child. Very deadly, but a child nonetheless.

“Fox, one advice, tho,” Cheetah turned to whisper to her.

“Hn?” the girl raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t recommend messing with teammates or even anyone from our ranks actually. We are all with issues here.”

“Ah, I don’t think that will be an issue for me,” Ryoko tilted her head slightly. “I am pretty sure I’ll get an arranged marriage,” she casually shrugged. As pragmatic as Ryoko was, a thing like that did not bother her.

When she was young in the past, Ryoko couldn’t understand how people would allow being ‘sold away’. Then she got older. Meeting new people was getting harder and harder… And the arranged marriage thing seemed not like a bad idea.

Here, in the shinobi world, belonging to a clan and having a heavily political goal in mind, an arranged marriage would be a great strategic step. Plus, she would not have to worry about putting on a mask to trick men into dating her. She might not be ugly, but it wasn’t like boys ever paid much attention to her in Konoha.

Of course, Ryoko was not aware that the lack of attention was by all means not because of her cold nature or psychopath tendencies. In fact, boys not only from her clan would send the girl glances. Some even tried to approach. Yet all was in vain when they would meet eyes with her constant shadows. It would either be Itachi or one of her cousins. Sometimes even Kakashi’s glare would turn any looker away.

“What?” Cheetah blinked.

“Clan things,” Ryoko shrugged again, putting her uniform on. “Father hadn’t mentioned anything about that yet, but he’s probably taking care of my brother first,” Ryoko thought aloud as she strapped her arm guards over her long gloves.

“Ahh… shit… right, you’re from a clan head family, sometimes I forget,” the woman sighed. “But how can you be so okay with it? I mean.. That’s just archaic traditions.”

“I don’t mind it. Saves me the hassle. As long as the sucker isn’t weaker than I am I’ll be fine with it,” Ryoko shrugged again. She considered what options would her father present one day. Would it be another Uchiha? Or maybe someone from another clan? Or maybe from another country?

“You’re weird,” Cheetah chuckled. “Oh, by the way, I heard about this supposed ‘Hashirama’s curse’ going around,” the woman’s eyes glimmered with mischief.

“Hn.”

“It’s the weirdest thing, you know. Some rogues started whispering that if you disrespect Hashirama-sama by committing crime in his name, then you get a divine punishment.”

“Hn.”

“Yeah, they say that a couple of dudes were found with a whole tree grown through them. A clear Hashirama-sama’s Mokuton sign.”

“How bizarre,” Ryoko said sarcastically.

“Indeed, how bizarre,” Cheetah smirked even wider.

“Yo,” Kakashi usually didn’t do things like this. To intentionally approach people in a place like this? He would never. He knew better. But something pushed the teen to do it. One minute he was entering the graveyard and the next he stood by a lone figure in front of an unmarked grave.

“What do you want, Kakashi?”

“Just to pay my respects,” he said, bowing his hands in a traditional manner.

The teen next to him laughed sarcastically. It was a dry and scratchy sound. One filled with pain and hurt and bitterness. “Bullshit.”

“Hmm. What are you going to do now, Asuma?” Kakashi asked just as the boy next to him took out a lighter and a cigarette.

“I’m leaving…”

“You don’t have to.”

“But I do…”

“They are giving you the stares, huh?”

“WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK, GENIOUS?” Asuma cursed and the cigarette was crushed between his fingers.

“That will pass.”

“HA! Yeah, right! I’m a son of a disgraced Hokage. A son of a traitor… it doesn’t matter what I do…”

“I am too.”

Asuma cursed again as he lit a second cigarette. He exhaled a thick cloud of smoke around them. “Shit… sorry… I…”

“Hn. I know...” how you feel.

For Kakashi, this was like an out-of-the-body experience. He observed the whole conversation like a bystander. Any and all feelings tucked away and hidden from the world.

“I need to make a name for myself, Kakashi. I cannot stay in Konoha if I want to do that.”

“Hn.” And he gets him, Kakashi really does. There were many times he wanted to escape the murmurs and the stares...

Asuma laughed. “Shit, dude, you’re spending too much time with the Uchiha. You’re starting to sound like them,” the light smile was gone just as fast as it appeared after the mention of the clan. Kakashi didn’t know what Asuma felt about the sharingan wielders and what his father did to them. He could only assume that the cacophony of emotions led the teen to his decision of leaving the village.

Kakashi himself joined ANBU to cope with things. He learned a lot there. Of course, he was too young to leave the village, unlike Asuma. Maybe if he did, his life would be different too...

“Yeah, not so much recently…” he responded after a while. That was the truth. Ever since the Shimura estate incident, Obito was distant and preoccupied in T&I where his mother was kept. He didn’t really communicate with other Uchiha… except…

Ryoko. She has been thoroughly and annoyingly successfully evading him until now. Kakashi only wanted to get his sparring partner back… He didn’t really understand what was her issue with him. It was like a problem for which he had no cause, reason, or solution.

“Kakashi… is the girl that was kidnapped… is she okay?” Asuma asked. The boy had to wonder why he got this question. Logically, Asuma probably didn’t speak that much with others with the stigma of being a traitor's son hanging over his head… That’s what Kakashi would do in his stead - just disappear in the shadows. But Asuma still could have asked Minato sensei about it…

“She’s a beast. She’s fine… I think,” he finally said. Both sentences true to Kakashi’s knowledge. Although, if Ryoko indeed was fine, she would not avoid him? Girls… they were weird. Althouuuuugh, sometimes he was not so sure that the young Uchiha was a girl or a human for that matter.

“Can you do me a favor?”

“Hmm?”

“Can you make sure she is alright? I mean… it’s just fucked up… I heard she’s just a kid…”

He couldn’t really reveal that this ‘kid’ was a seasoned ANBU, like him. Someone like Ryoko didn’t need his protection or concern. But Kakashi at least agreed that the whole thing was fucked up. No matter who you are, betrayal by comrades is no simple matter to bear alone.

“Alright. I’ll keep an eye on her.”

After speaking with Asuma, Kakashi was fired up to finally catch the slippery Uchiha. He took it as a mission of stealth and intelligence. He was a top tracker for a reason… Just as one evening he watched Ryoko from a distance, a loud yell made the teen's whole body shutter.

“MY ETERNAL RIVAL!”

Kakashi took his eye from the girl for one second and she was gone! He cursed under his mask and sighed sidestepping Gai’s attack. “Gai,” he muttered a greeting.

“You are as sharp as ever, my friend!” the green menace laughed and birds chirped that much louder in the background.

“I am busy, Gai,” Kakashi stood up and turned to leave. Gai casually followed him… walking on his hands… So embarrassing…

“AWW! I see that the power of youth has bloomed within you, KAKASHI!”

He blinked. He knew he would regret asking, but his mouth opened anyways. “Why would you think that?”

“The springtime of lust and desire is evident! I am so glad to see you pursuing a girl, my dearest friend,” Gai was somehow sobbing while still upside down. It almost felt like gravity laws did not apply to Gai.

“What,” Kakashi deadpanned, stopping dead in his tracks.

“Ryoko-chan! I have observed you following the young blossom!”

Kakashi really wanted to facepalm. Or hit Gai. Either would work, really. “I am not following her,” he growled.

“That’s quite alright, my rival! I have just the thing to help you with your youthful pursuit,” Gai jumped back up on his feet and pointed a shimmering thumbs up into the sky.

“Please no…” he whispered, preparing to shunshin away.

“Behold! Icha Icha Paradise! It is written by our own Legendary Toad Sannin Jiraiya!” the boy now had a little orange book in his hand.

“Jiraiya-sama, huh?” Kakashi glanced at the book with suspicion. But if it was written by a sannin, maybe he could learn something from it… He was his sensei’s sensei. That had to count for something…

…

…

…

Kakashi finished the book in a few hours locked away in his apartment. He closed the book and cursed Gai with the words his tongue never dared to utter before.

“This… this..” he dropped the book aside and looked at it as if the inanimate object personally assaulted Konoha and the whole Land of Fire. “THIS IS PORN!” he yelled out frustrated. What help could this be?

Besides the ‘juicy’ segments, it was just a romantic tale. But it did mention a lot of various techniques in approaching girls… Kakashi cursed once more and picked up the book to read it over again. He would be damned if he allowed his time to be wasted.

One way or another Kakashi will find a way to use this ‘knowledge’ or in other ways explain the interest he had in reading the book the second time...

Ryoko leaped over the trees with her team. They were in pursuit of their target. At least that’s what team Ko thought when suddenly the tables turned and there were shinobi all around them. A hasty free for all battle began.

It was messy. Their intel turned out to be only half right. Some of their targets appeared to be jonin rank instead of chunin. Ryoko couldn’t use overly flashy or aggressive techniques with her team around. So the girl used her fans instead.

Air nature jutsu helped a lot when combined with traditional Katon and fans. Sensei taught her only basic Air techniques, but it was enough. Like a perfect blazing storm directed at her prey with surgical precision.

She cut three shinobi down when a chakra spike caught her attention. The girl turned around just in time to see Wolf stab his opponent, while also being skewed by two other shinobi.

Fuckers!... the girl cursed. As quickly as jutsu allowed, the girl appeared next to her fallen captain. He was bleeding severely with obvious internal injuries and there were a few enemies left in all directions.

“VIPER! Watch my back!” she yelled out at her teammate, while Cheetah fell into a feral rage and went after the scattered enemies.

The girl placed Wolf carefully on the ground on his back. With a kunai, she slashed his shirt and assessed the injuries. Maybe she could not do the fancy medical ninjutsu, but Ryoko was no fool. Her medical knowledge was more advanced and practiced on corpses long before these fools were even born.

Her former father was a surgeon of sorts after all and she learned everything from him. Ryoko learned not only how to kill efficiently, slowly, or painfully. She learned how to survive and treat injuries.

When Cheetah crouched beside her, Ryoko knew that enemies were taken care of.

“Taicho?” Viper also appeared next to them. Captain didn’t answer. He was knocked out completely.

“He won’t make it to Konoha,” Ryoko said as she poked ribs, took his pulse, and listened to his heart.

“We must follow the protocol…” Viper started, but one look from Ryoko shut the Hyuga up.

“Viper! Find a secluded or secure spot. Cheetah! Secure our mission target,” Ryoko didn’t falter with her orders. Ain’t no teammate of her coming home in a sealed scroll.

Other shinobi might have not followed Ryoko’s orders, but she was a born leader. Team Ko worked with the girl long enough to trust her judgment.

In five minutes they settled in a cave. Viper kept watch, while Cheetah assisted her. Ryoko took out bandages and her sealed medical kit. It was not a standard-issue one. A while back sensei gifted her a personal set of scalpels. He truly was the best teacher a girl could ask for…

“I need a straw… or a tube.. or a pen,” Ryoko muttered while mentally going over her itinerary. Wolf’s lung was filling up with blood. He would drown before bleeding out.

“HERE!” Cheetah produced a pen.

One slash with a scalpel and a stab with an empty pen tube later, the blood slowly trickled out of the injured lung. Breathing - cleared. Now other vitals could follow.

Ryoko was calm as she performed this field surgery. Her small hands were pretty nimble and easy to get to the injured parts of Taicho’s body. Sewing things together was not a problem either, thanks to mothers lessons. Mikoto probably expected her to sew her husband's kimono and not body parts together.

Proper medicine and antibiotics she lacked. There were countless things that could go wrong. Infection. Sepsis. Split stitches… Her work will hold for some time, but they needed a proper hospital.

“Damn, nice stitching,” Cheetah whispered looking at Ryoko’s handiwork.

“Hn. It will have to do until we get back,” she said. Ryoko stood up after packing her tools and stretched. “Alright, Viper, I will take over guard, you take the captain.”

Hyuga man nodded and picked up Wolf. They would have to hurry. With her sharingan activated, Ryoko led the way back to Konoha.

“Fox, I’ve read your team's report,” the commander said as he laced his fingers together and rested his chin on top. Usually, follow-up meetings after a mission were rare. Ryoko wondered what it was about.

Medics said that Taicho would make full recovery. They got back to Konoha just in time. “Yes, commander.” the girl said.

“You showed good judgment and this is not the first time.”

“Yes, commander,” was that a compliment? Praise? Ryoko’s heart buzzed satisfied. She didn’t hear praise too often. Her skills usually receive shocked responses or critique in sensei’s case. Some also were not surprised when she succeeds - Ryoko being a genius prodigy is expected to do beyond average. So hearing her superior acknowledge her skills was… nice.

“I’ve watched your progress in our ranks. I think it is time for you to move up,” he finally said.

“Up?” Ryoko tilted her head slightly.

“Yes. I am promoting you to a team captain. Your team will be assigned in the next two weeks.”

The girl smirked under her mask. Excellent. Finally, she would be in charge! “Thank you, commander!” Ryoko bowed before him.

Working with team Ko was just another chapter in her journey. She didn’t have any regrets or concerns about leaving them behind. This was ANBU and not Konoha’s best friend’s ranks.

Fox Taicho, huh? I like the sound of that… she thought accepting the white cloak from the commander. Her time to shine has come.

Chapter Text

Ryoko was delighted with her promotion and celebrated in her usual way - by eating. She started with some sweet honey coated dango and then moved to street vendors of fried beef. They were served in a similar manner as dango - on a skewer. Was she crazy for having dessert first? Well, to regular people, maybe. For her, the meat was the dessert.

She just settled on a bench nibbling on the second skewer when a shabby dog hesitantly approached her. She glanced at the pup. It was cute. Sandy fur was dirty and floppy long ears were in a darker shade of brown.

Ryoko sighed and looked at the meat in her possession. Damn. Her heart slightly clenched at the homeless pup's appearance. He looked hungry. She has a sweet spot for animals.

“Fine, just one,” the girl smiled and plucked one juicy piece of beef with her gloved hand. She patiently waited with her hand extended, for the dog to approach. He was hesitant. Sniffing. Saliva clearly trickled from its mouth.

Finally, he dared to a step closer and quickly snatched the offering. She smiled again. The meat was gone in a blink. His tail wagged happily and that sight warmed her insides. The little guy now bravely approached the girl.

“You’re cute,” Ryoko whispered, allowing him to sniff her hand before she dared to pet the guy. Just as she was about to touch its head, the dog quickly grabbed her hand. Not bite, but grab. His mouth clearly took hold of her wrist but without teeth. Ryoko’s eyes narrowed.

“Huh, I didn’t expect for this to actually work,” she heard a familiar voice from behind her. Before Ryoko could whip her head around, said person grabbed her and they were gone in a puff of smoke.

When the surroundings came into view again, Ryoko tried to leap away, but she was tackled to the ground. “Bakashi!” she growled sending a punch to the teen's torso.

The boy pinned her down, expertly keeping a hold on her wrists to prevent her from making any hand signs. She bucked her hips up and they tumbled a few times before Ryoko managed to get free.

“WHAT THE FUCK?!” she snarled at Kakashi, who casually stood up like he didn’t just snatch her to, she looked around, training grounds?

“Stop avoiding me then, Koko.”

“Don’t call me that!” she jumped forward enhancing her momentum with chakra. Her fist was engulfed in flames as she descended an attack on the teen.

They fought for a good hour when finally neither could stand anymore. They laid on the dusty ground panting heavily with scratches and bruises hidden behind their jonin uniforms.

“Seriously… what the fuck, Kakashi?” Ryoko gasped, catching her breath.

“Why were you avoiding me then?” he said, keeping the shortness of breath hidden better than her.

Ryoko thought for a moment about saying an excuse, but… this was Kakashi. He was annoying, yet one of the few people the girl allowed herself to be straight with. She sat on the ground and glanced at him. “I was not pleased, that you had to… get me… from there,” she avoided saying the dreaded word ‘rescue’ or ‘save’.

Kakashi lifted his one visible eyebrow in a questioning manner. “So you preferred staying there?”

“Listen,” she sighed. “I am no damsel in distress. I don’t need any saving. I can take care of myself.”

“You were injected with drugs and whatnot,” he deadpanned. “Besides, I was just doing my mission. Trust me, I would not go out of my way to save you,” he shrugged his shoulders.

From what Ryoko heard so far about him, this is exactly what Kakashi would do. He was notorious for getting his teammates and comrades back home. But nonetheless, the girl was thankful for the explanation he provided. She nodded. It was an acceptable excuse. She would take it and they all could be oblivious together about it.

“So, that was one of your ninken I presume?” Ryoko said with the change of the subject putting the previous matter to rest. Kakashi was easygoing like this. They could rip at each other's throats one minute and then talk casually the next. No strings or hurt feelings left.

“Mhhhm,” he nodded and on cue, his pack came out of the woods. She noticed now the same pup was wearing a tinny jacket and a headband. Ryoko bit her lip. Kami, they looked adorable. “That was Guruko.”

The rest of the evening she spent being formally introduced to Kakashi’s pack. One of the little dogs even allowed her to touch its soft little paws. She aww’ed audibly.

Kakashi returned home satisfied with a mission well done. He glanced at the damned book on his nightstand and reluctantly picked it up.

“I cannot believe that the puppy ruse from page 52 actually worked,” he shook his head and started to reread Icha Icha maybe for the fifth time. His eyes consumed the text in a whole new light.

Who would think that a cute animal would work on someone like Ryoko? He thought, surely, that someone like her would be different from the main heroine of this book. But maybe, deep deep deep down, Ryoko actually was a girl.

Kakashi snickered. “Yeah… as if.. But…” despite her reputation, sometimes Ryoko did show signs of a normal human being. And today he noticed something else that usually would have not crossed his mind.

When he first pinned the girl down, Kakashi was for a second surprised to feel what he felt… Much like himself, the girl always wore a uniform and left about 90% of her body covered. Long pants, long sleeve shirt, gloves… So obviously it would be hard to notice unless you specifically looked for it.

Or if you pressed her down to the ground, like in Kakashi’s case. Yes, he clearly felt her breasts this time. An obvious proof of her being a girl. Interesting.

This thought aside, he was relieved to have sorted things out with her. It was reassuring to know that Ryoko would not avoid him anymore. Hopefully.

“Can I have seconds, please?” Ryoko extended her empty plate to Mikoto.

“My my, aren’t you cheerful today, darling? Something good happened?” her mother asked as she piled another portion for Ryoko. The girl gave a half nod.

“Hn. Classified,” she said. Maybe her position as ANBU was known by her family, but inside rankings were even more classified. She couldn’t openly brag. What a shame.

After dinner, however, Fugaku called her into his study. When the door closed behind her, she received a warm hug. “Dad..” the girl muttered to the older man’s chest feeling slightly embarrassed, but also pleased.

“I am very proud of you,” he said, pulling away.

Ah, so he knew… Somehow, he always knew. She had to wonder if maybe the commander was Fugaku’s buddy or something? “Hn.”

He cleared his throat. “I have something for you.”

The girl's eyes sparkled with hope, which was instantly crushed down by Fugaku’s raised hand and a stern look. “No! Not a gunbai.”

She pouted crossing arms over her chest. At least, she was pretty sure it won’t be a kimono or something girly Mikoto most definitely already prepared for her.

The girl watched as Fugaku unsealed a big scroll from a hidden section in his bookshelf. “This is a Summoning contract passed in the Uchiha clan,” he explained, unraveling the big and old parchment.

Ryoko didn’t have to be told twice. She had read about it before. Some people made contracts on their own, some had it passed down inside the clan. As for Uchiha, they had a pact with cat summons for decades. Yet she didn’t know any of her clansmen who would have cat summons.

“Hn,” the girl nodded, already plucking a kunai from her weapons pouch. Her eyes looked at names scribbled on it. There were very few of them. The last one was Kagami Uchiha. “Shouldn’t Shisui-kun have signed it before me?” Ryoko asked.

“Ah yes, his father was the last one, but Shisui made his own contract with Crows together with Itachi. You can choose too.”

“No,” Ryoko quickly shook her head. This was her clan's legacy. Another connection to her roots. “I am honored to sign it,” she nodded and made a slash on her palm.

Just as she finished the last kanji of her name, Ryoko looked up at Fugaku with one of her rare smiles. “Thank you, father.”

After a few days, a knock came on Ryoko’s door. “Yes?”

Itachi stepped inside without making any noise. He was getting really tall. Even his dark hair waved long below his shoulders. Despite all that, she could still see that her older brother was calm and relaxed. He almost looked content. As if the burden of being clan heir did not loom over his shoulders every waking moment.

“Sister.”

“Brother?” Ryoko raised her eyes from the open book on her lap.

“I have a favor to ask,” he said, taking a seat next to her on the bed.

“Hn?” she closed her book and placed it aside. If Itachi came to her for help, he would always get the utmost undivided attention.

“Hatake-san is your friend, right?”

“Oh yeah, best friend,” her sarcasm was lost on her dear brother. Itachi nodded as if his suspicion was confirmed. “What about him?”

“Could you bring him to the hospital for me tomorrow?”

Ryoko considered the request for a minute. Her brother obviously implied forcible methods of persuasion. Taking into account Kakashi’s aversion to hospitals, no other way would suffice. She smiled. Oh, the teen would definitely hate to be dragged to the hospital. It’s good that he owed her one kidnapping.

Her thoughts also circled around Madara-sama. Would he have betrayed someone like this? Surely Kakashi would take it as treachery... Yet, to betray one, they have to be friends, to begin with.

“Sure, you have my word, ‘tachi,” Ryoko nodded, her face representing calm seriousness. She didn’t need to know why Itachi needed Kakashi, or why he asked her, or why she agreed. The only thing on her mind was cold and sweet revenge.

“You know, you could ask a favor in return, Koko,” Itachi smirked.

Ryoko hummed as she rested her head on his shoulder. “A favor from you, brother? It feels like you already have something in mind.”

Indeed, Itachi usually wouldn’t waste words unless there was something deeper behind it. Also, Ryoko knew that she could ask him any time for anything. So if he suggested a favor, he already had something in mind.

“Hn,” Itachi only whispered as his hand draped over her shoulders for a very sweet side hug. Especially with Sasuke around, she noticed that both of her brothers liked to cuddle. Ryoko denied that she had the same urges, even though the girl scooted closer to her brother's side and her hands wrapped around the boy’s torso.

“So, tell me,” she poked his ribs.

“I want to teach you the basics of medical ninjutsu.”

“I know the basics,” Ryoko pouted. He really didn’t have to remind her of the absolute abysmal level of her medical ninjutsu. She knew all the theory in and out, but practical use was like trying to untangle shinobi wire. She would rather burn it to a crisp.

“I want to teach you jutsu that you could use in the field.”

“Sensei said that I would fry the injured person rather than heal them,” the girl's pout intensified.

“Oh, you don’t trust me, Koko?”

The damn… sly… bastard! She puffed out air and shook her head slightly. Of course, she trusted Itachi. The thought of failure was not inviting, but for him, Ryoko would at least try.

“Alright… I will try your way. But why did you come up with this idea?”

“I healed your captain after your last mission,” he said while brushing Ryoko’s long and puffy hair. Next to him, one would think that Ryoko was shocked by an electric current with how their hair was similar yet different from the other.

“Ah. Right… I said I knew the basics,” Ryoko smirked.

“Yes, your basics are extremely good. With the addition of chakra, you could do much more. And I know you have it in you, Koko. You have the control, the only thing you need to moderate is the amount of chakra you use. And…”

“And?”

“I will be less worried if I know that you can heal at least a little bit... I still think you should transfer from the shadow ranks…” Itachi spoke with deep emotions coloring his tone. It was sadness and care and love. She hugged him that much tighter.

Maybe after you become the clan head and they cannot shove you into ANBU… Ryoko thought to herself, but said nothing.

Ryoko watched from a distance as Gai raced with Kakashi down the street. Their goal was the top of the Hokage mountain. And if Ryoko suggested this race, Gai didn't share that information with Kakashi. She took a shortcut and made it there before either of the boys. She casually perched on the rail. A true image of innocence.

In less than a minute two blurs emerged in the distance. They were moving fast to the presumed finish line. The girl didn’t see who won nor did she care. Ryoko just casually approached the two teens while they tried to catch their breaths.

“Oh! Beautiful maiden! What a pleasure to see you this youthful morning!” Gai shot her thumbs up with a wink and a brilliant smile.

“Hn,” was Ryoko’s full response as she got closer to Kakashi instead. Unceremoniously the girl reached to his neck. “Oh, there’s something…” she said eyes narrowed as if implying that something actually was on Kakashi’s shoulder.

“Huh?” he mumbled and tilted his head slightly to where her hand was reaching. The poor boy let his guard down and it was now too late. Ryoko’s hand passed his shoulder and nipped Kakashi into the pressure point that instantly knocked him out.

“MY RIVAL!” Gai exclaimed with the concern anyone would envy.

She had to use chakra to get the bigger boy on her shoulder. Kakashi despite being lean, was surprisingly heavy. “Fatass,” she sighed standing up with her prey. Ryoko didn’t stay to explain anything to Gai. With a free hand, she only sent a wave in his direction. “See ya.”

Ryoko jumped off the cliff and darted towards the Konoha Hospital. Honestly, jumping off tall places was one of her favorite things to do in the shinobi world. The thrill and wind felt exhilarating. It made her feel alive and free.

In a high mood, she reached her destination only with a couple of shinobi sending her odd looks. Ryoko ignored them and jumped through the open window, where Itachi already waited for her. A little gray-haired boy was also there. He looked slightly older.

“Kabuto-kun,” she nodded at him. A light dusting of pink colored the boy's cheeks. Ryoko already turned away to place Kakashi on the hospital bed. “One elusive and hospital avoiding Hatake up,” she reported to Itachi. The girl turned to leave the same way she came in, but little brat stood between her and the window that was now closed.

“You have avoided your physical too, Koko,” she heard Itachi’s voice from behind. He sounded like he was smiling and plotting a genocide all at once. WELL FUCK ME! the girl cursed in her mind, desperately looking for a suitable escape.

She was like a little mouse caught in the mastermind's plot. Itachi arranged this all along! The genius decided to catch two birds with one of the birds' help and she fell for it!

“Now, now, let’s not make anything we would regret…” she raised her hands in a pretend defensive stance. Ryoko’s best chance would be going over Kabuto. That’s what she did. Quickly the girl darted beside the younger boy towards the window.

One tap. A single tap to her shoulder had Ryoko knocked out. She fell back to Itachi’s waiting arms. Hah, looks like both siblings had the same idea of how to neutralize resisting targets.

Ryoko found it the hard way, about her brother's stellar track record in getting shinobi into the hospital for a check-up. No one was safe from the genius Uchiha. Even ANBU. It appeared that Itachi was recently promoted as the head medic for the shadow ranks. And he was having none of their usual avoidance of the hospital.

Well, except kunoichi. They had no trouble in coming to see the young and handsome Itachi-sama. Ryoko shivered when she first heard one of the brauds approach her older brother.

“Taicho, we’re done,” a voice of her new underling brought Ryoko from her reliving the events at the hospital.

“Sleep is for completed missions! Now do another hundred,” she ordered the three agents. Two of them managed to suppress a whine, while the last one let it slip.

Ryoko has been training this bunch for the second day now. Their skills were already listed on paper, but only plain and honest work would show their true stamina, character, and versatility.

Lynx, Cobra, and Panda were her new team. Team Shi.

Lynx was a tall and slender male with amazing camouflage and stealth skills. He had pale blond hair brushed back and sculptured bone structure. He was almost cute if not for the annoying talent of his to stay unnoticed and invisible. Even Ryoko sometimes would have to do a double-take to make sure he is still there.

Cobra was an average-looking male with (obviously) deep knowledge about poisons. He was loud and vocal especially when annoyed, but nothing she couldn’t handle. On one occasion she spotted fangs in his mouth… Interesting. Her sensei would surely be intrigued by him...

Panda was the shortest and youngest-looking boy with an unorthodox level of stamina and speed. Despite his build, the boy easily outmatched all of them in strength exercises. He also specialized in taijutsu. Ryoko wondered if it would be a good idea to introduce Panda to Gai. Or worse - maybe they already knew each other.

Initially, all three men looked skeptical at the little girl assigned to them. They at least were professional enough to follow her commands. And after a couple of missions, one field interrogation session, and a gang slaughter their doubts vanished.

Ryoko was not there to play games. She didn't flinch or stutter ordering men twice her age around. She didn't hesitate to cut enemies down. She didn’t show weakness in getting the information they needed from a target. She was ruthless but fair.

They also witnessed how her genjutsu made a grown yakuza sob. Respect had to be earned and she wasted no time to do it.

ANBU missions were fun as always, so when she was summoned to Hokage Tower as a jonin, Ryoko slightly frowned. A regular mission was bound to be boring… Or maybe not, she thought, stepping inside the big hall where all active jonin apparently gathered for the same call.

“Chem,” Minato cleared his throat stepping in front of them all. Silence quickly engulfed the room. “In two weeks we will have a delegation from Kumogakure arriving to settle a peace treaty,” the blond announced.

Ryoko instantly perked up. Kumo, huh? Her old friends. A smile stretched her lips. This will definitely be a fun affair. Oh, how she hoped that Raikage himself would be there.

“You will all be assigned temporary teams to watch over our guests. I hope there will be no incidents,” and if Minato’s eyes momentarily darted towards Ryoko, she ignored it.

Right after the assembly, the girl practically ran to Nara compound. She caught her breath by the gates and only then stepped inside. Face void of any excitement.

“Ryoko-chan, what brings you here?” Nara matriarch greeted her.

“Is Shikaku-sama here?” Ryoko asked.

“Oh yes, in the garden. Go on ahead, we haven’t seen you in a while, he will be glad to play a game with you,” the woman smiled kindly.

She nodded and went through the familiar home straight to the garden. Just as expected, Shikaku was sipping sake with a shogi board in front of him.

“Hey there, kid,” he winked at Ryoko. She hated when he did that… The scars on his face would crinkle, the half-smile would tease his lips. The man was rather cute when he did that. Focus! she told herself, taking a seat in front of him.

They started to play a game as usual. He frowned after a good half an hour and gave the girl a suspicious look. “I’m not betting with you again, I see what you’re doing,” he commented.

Ryoko smirked. So her tactics wouldn’t work a second time? A shame. “I would like to ask a favor,” she came out and said it straight.

“Listening,” he sighed after gulping a good amount of sake.

“Please assign me to the team greeting the Kumo envoy.”

“You wanna be their chaperone?” he raised an eyebrow.

“Hn.”

“Why?”

“Old friends, we have a lot to catch up,” the smile on her face was serene and oh so eerie.

“Riiiight,” he wasn’t buying whatever Ryoko was selling. She obviously didn’t try too hard either. The man was smart enough to figure things out either way. “You do understand that the goal of their visit is peace?”

“Oh yes. And I will make sure to remind them that. You know, bad things happen when there is no peace.”

“Bad things?”

“Mhm, like explosions and such,” she looked up at the sky recalling the clouds illuminated by the fire she caused in Kumo.

The man let an exhausted sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He looked tired, so more or less nothing out of the ordinary. “Fine, make sure I don’t regret my decision,” he finally said.

Ryoko jumped up with excitement and took a chance to hug the man in gratitude. Or maybe she just wanted to inhale his scent from close up. Who could tell?

“Thank you, old man!”

“Yeah yeah, now take the game seriously,” he ruffled the girl's hair with that big and strong hand of his… Ryoko nodded suppressing the heat that threatened to go to her cheeks.

It wasn’t always like this. Probably spending hours with the man alone in the garden did have its effect on the girl. She was an adult woman mentally and this was somewhat romantic. Mostly because of how forbidden it was.

Ryoko could only sigh back in her room with longing. Nobody would understand her interest in older men when she looks like a kid. True torture. Speaking of torture… her mind leisurely drifted imagining how shadows could be used in far more intimate matters…

“Yoshino Nara is a lucky woman,” Ryoko whispered with a frown into the darkness.

Two weeks came and went and Ryoko now stood with a few other jonin by Konoha gates. She had a delighted smile on her face that disturbed her colleagues greatly. Unlike the last time she met Kumo nin, Ryoko was properly dressed, with her Uchiha crest visible on her sleeve.

“Stop smiling, you’re creeping me out,” Kakashi whispered to her ear.

“Can’t help it! I’m excited!” Ryoko chirped without taking her eyes from the horizon.

“What for? Babysitting missions are not really your thing,” he poked at the girl's ribs but got no response.

“Oh, I just really hope Raikage will come," finally Ryoko whispered.

“Raikage? You a fan or something?”

“Or something.”

“Wait, did you meet Raikage that time… when you were..?” Kakashi quickly put two and two together. Her nod only confirmed his suspicion.

“Yup. You could say we got pretty close,” there was a dangerous and maniacal glint to her words that only Kakashi heard. He barely suppressed a shiver.

“Kage don’t get close to prisoners,” he hissed barely audibly. There really was no need for other jonins to hear their conversation.

“Well, maybe not with male prisoners…” Ryoko felt herself in a cryptic mood today and spared the boy any more details. He was smart enough to get it on his own. And apparently, he did as the next moment Kakashi grabbed her wrist and tugged the girl to the side from anyone’s earshot.

“Are you telling me that…?”

“Relaaax. He didn’t get that far. He just skipped the first base straight to the second,” the girl shrugged, attempting to return to her previous spot in front of the gates. Kakashi’s iron grip prevented the action.

“What do you mean just?” was he suddenly deaf? Ryoko gave him a deadpan stare.

“He didn’t kiss me on the lips and just groped a bit.”

“A bit?”

“Kami, Kakashi, clean your ears for once and stop repeating me,” Ryoko rolled her eyes, not seeing what was his problem.

“What. The. Fuck. How did they allow you to be in this team after that?”

“Shikaku adores me,” yes, Ryoko showed her tongue to the teen. “Besides, it’s not like he managed to rape me or anything. I am pretty sure other guards might have touched me too when they undressed me,” she considered that statement for a moment. That was very likely, but because of the drugs she really didn’t remember.

Kakashi leaned close to her face and his single visible eye stared right at her own eye not hidden by the dark fringe. “How can you talk so casually about it?”

“Mmm, because capture and rape are covered in the Academy curriculum for kunoichi?” she said like it was the most obvious thing.

“And… you’re just gonna face the man that assaulted you? Without killing them?” he blinked stunned.

“Jup!” Ryoko chirped in response. Looks like his thick skull was finally getting it. “I can’t wait to see their faces! You know, I blasted a good part of Kumo when I escaped. I wonder if they already rebuild everything...” she thought to herself.

Kakashi finally let her arm go and walked away shaking his head. She didn’t understand why he was so surprised or moved. What did he expect that happened to prisoners? Tea and breakfast? Yeah, no. Even in her past life war and jails treated inmates the same way. It was human nature. Or more like man nature.

After another half an hour the envoy finally arrived. She didn’t recognize faces, but one of them openly stared at her. His eyes darted from her face to her uniform and then to her Uchiha crest. That’s right buddy. Drink it in. You messed with the wrong shinobi! the girl cackled in her mind.

Unfortunately, the Raikage was not there, but she would take what she could. One was enough. From the introductions, she finally recognized the man. His voice. It was the same voice that questioned her in the darkness. He had a great time pulling her hair then.

“Ryoko Uchiha,” she introduced along with others of the chaperoning team. The man stared at her even more. His lips were pursed with great force. She would love to hear what he had to say, maybe later such an opportunity will arise.

With their ‘guards’ the envoy moved to the guest lodging close to the Hokage Tower. After a break, they were escorted to the meeting with Hokage. So far everything went well. She was like a very annoying shadow to that one man. Wherever he turned, wherever he looked - Ryoko was there. Smiling without blinking. Taunting him to do something.

“Why are you targeting him?” Kakashi whispered again to her ear as they stood watching over the logging in the evening.

“I recognized him. From interrogation, if you could even call it that,” she scoffed. They barely even tried to pry information from her. “I would say he kicks pretty gently compared to you,” Ryoko added after another thought.

“He kicked you?”

“Mhm. He loves pulling by the hair too. Nothing unusual,” she shrugged.

“Does Hokage know?”

“Hn. I would think he should have recognized the voice too. Minato-sama did mindwalk my memories of that time.”

“So what is your plan?”

“My plan?” she glanced dubiously at Kakashi.

“Yes, you’re plan. I doubt you just gonna stare at him and that’s all,” aww, he was so naive and simplistic.

“Yes, that’s exactly what I am going to do. But he doesn’t know that. Even you thought I would plan something. So imagine yourself in his shoes. Scared of every shadow, every movement. Behind every corner, revenge could be waiting. It’s the perfect mental torture!”

“You’re fucked up!” he said

Ryoko only smiled happily. “Yup. Otherwise, my plan would have been far more… engaging,” she considered when a slight movement caught her trained eye. Quickly she pushed Kakashi aside and her red eyes looked around. She caught a glimpse of a shadow ducking in an alley.

“Continue watching the house,” she said before jumping away in pursuit. The girl could only hope that the idiot man had a brilliant idea of doing something stupid.

She kept her distance, but sensing unfamiliar chakra helped to not lose the trail. Interesting. Ryoko stopped just by the Hyuga compound wall. If she was right, the target slipped inside.

Well, this was truly the most stupid thing a man could do. Even the menace that was Hokage’s son, didn’t dare to make pranks on this clan. Most of the time… After another moment of hesitation, Ryoko finally dared to jump over the wall.

The girl decided to ask forgiveness later, not when there was a chance of a threat to her village and its people. Ryoko looked around, keeping to the shadows. It didn’t help that she hadn’t been to the Hyuga compound before.

Movement caught her attention after maybe five minutes of wandering around. She spotted a dark figure making a dash towards the wall. He had a little lump under his arm. The lump moved.

Seriously? Ryoko thought as she made her way towards the target. “Shit,” she muttered under her breath when her senses picked up on another presence. This could go bad really fast. The girl had to act first.

Ryoko shunshinned and appeared right in front of the target, making him stop in his tracks, while Hiashi stepped from the shadows behind her. She didn’t wait for introductions or for the clan head to do what he was about to do. Ryoko's sharingan placed the man under intense genjutsu. As he fell, she caught the limp child from his hold.

She didn't put him to sleep like usual. She didn't use a normal torture method either. Some people say, that the best genjutsu have something real in them. Something that you feel strongly about. Ryoko chose her memory from Kumo prison. The man now was placed in her stead and was actively fondled and assaulted by his own Raikage. Deliciously brilliant revenge.

Thud. Very anticlimactic, yet efficient. Ryoko allowed herself to breathe again and straightened up. She turned to Hiashi and gave him back his child. “Hiashi-sama,” the girl bowed politely. To be fair, the clan head held himself stoically just as you would expect from a Hyuga. Another man would have lost his temper by now.

“Why did you interfere?” the man asked in a low tone.

“Trust me, Hiashi-sama, you don’t want that scums blood on your hands,” she leaned to the fallen man and tugged the mask down. Yup, just as she suspected, it was the same man from Kumo.

“Head Ninja of Kumogakure,” Hiashi whispered, his mind quickly donned with an understanding of the political implications here.

“Hiashi-sama, I will report you as a witness to this attack. As you can see, the enemy is subdued and alive, I will make sure he stays that way to receive a full trial for his actions,” the man's byakugan was active and he nodded in agreement. Such betrayal to their fragile peace offering is a low blow.

Konoha should be grateful that Ryoko knew how to compartmentalize her personal issues from what is best for the village. Otherwise, the man would be dead. Now at most, he will be mentally scarred. She could only hope.

Ryoko flared her chakra in ANBU code and a minute later a squad appeared. This was bound to be a long night. She didn’t envy Minato right now. If Madara-sama were the Hokage, Konoha would go to war with Kumo. With Minato, it was a fifty-fifty chance. Ryoko could only guess what she would do as a Hokage in this situation.

Chapter Text

Ryoko watched from a one-way mirror as the man from Kumo was strapped to a chair in the T&I basement. Next to her stood a tall man with a bandana and a long black leather coat. He looked young even with the scars all across his face.

“Hokage-sama!” they both greeted the blond who appeared from thin air next to them. There was no trace of sleep in their leader’s face, despite it being the middle of the night.

“What happened?” Minato turned to them after sparing a long glance at the Kumo nin.

“During watch over our guests I noticed a shadowy figure ducking away from the loggings,” Ryoko spoke. “I follow the target into the Hyuga compound. After a while, I spotted him again carrying a child. It was Hinata Hyuga.”

Minato’s eyes widened as his lips pursed into a thin line. Ryoko continued with her report. “Before Hiashi-sama intervened, I incapacitated the target so we could get the full story instead of an autopsy.”

“Good job, Ryoko,” Hokage exhaled and thankfully didn’t use ‘chan’ while in front of her comrades. That would be rather… demeaning.

Shinobi who strapped the target in the cell stepped outside and cleared his throat. “Hokage-sama, the target is secured for the interrogation…”

“What is it?” Ryoko also noticed how the shinobi averted his eyes with hesitation, but Minato was the one that raised the question.

“He’s still under Uchiha-sama’s genjutsu and… he has… raised a salute,” he coughed while the poor boy’s cheeks colored red.

Ryoko knew she heard him right. Together with Minato and the other teen beside her, their eyes turned back to the cell. Indeed, their guest was clearly excited.

“Ryoko… What genjutsu was that?” Minato slowly asked as if dreading to hear the answer.

“Huh… well what do you know… I would have never expected him to have a kink like that,” she tilted her head slightly musing over this situation.

“Ryoko, please answer,” Minato asked again, rubbing at his temples.

“Hn. It’s nothing special. Just a flashback to Kumo-style interrogations, I assumed he would feel right at home. Looks like I was right,” she smirked. Now no one would accuse them of treating their prisoners badly.

“What exact part would that be?”

“Hokage-sama, do you remember that part with Raikage-sama?” she didn’t have to elaborate any further. The blond whined and closed his eyes. The teen next to her was listening with interest and contemplation. He seemed curious.

“Yes, I remember. You can release the genjutsu now,” he ordered entering the cell. Ryoko followed. When inside her eyes lit red and genjutsu was dispersed. The poor man looked dazed but quickly snapped into reality.

His beady eyes glanced at Minato and then stopped at her. Rage twisted his face. “YOU, BITCH! I should have taken YOUR eyes!”

“Shoulda, coulda, woulda,” Ryoko crossed her arms under her chest (crossing over her chest was no longer comfortable).

The man started to giggle that led to a full-blown maniacal laugh. “Oh, you just wait! I will get my hands on you again… Next time I won’t be so gentle, you whor…” the man didn’t get to finish that thought as he received a fist to his face from Hokage himself.

“Ryoko. Please. Wait. Outside,” Minato said slowly. She exhaled but obeyed the command without verbal protest.

“Do you know him?” the teen asked as she joined him behind the glass.

“Hn. One of the scum who ‘interrogated’ me in Kumo.”

“I am Ibiki Morino, by the way.”

“Ryoko Uchiha.”

“Lady Uchiha, huh? Or should I call you hime-sama?” the teen smirked at her playfully. Well, as it was only the two of them there, she didn’t hesitate and punched him in the bicep.

“Who gave you such preposterous ideas?” Ryoko would not be upset if the respectful moniker would have been used with actual ‘respect’ and not to tease her. She pouted.

“Obito is a close friend by now,” Ibiki shrugged.

“Ah. Hn,” that made sense. For months Obito was here. And now he visited T&I for his mother. It was only natural for a ray of sunshine like Obito to make friends.

“So, what are the interrogation methods in Kumo?”

“The usual. Plus the esteemed Raikage’s rape sessions.”

“...”

“...”

“You know… I can let you have a go at the scum when Hokage-sama is done with his interrogation,” Ibiki suggested casually. Ah, the man of culture like herself. She giggled.

“Thank you, but I’m good. I did blast a bit of Kumo when I bailed. Don’t want to waste any more of my energy on the likes of them.”

“So I’ve heard,” he also laughed and then gave her a little black book he pulled out of his coat pocket. “Page 36.”

She noticed a title on the first page, that said ‘Bingo Book: Kumogakure’. As Ryoko skimmed to the right page, she was greeted with a drawing of her own face. “Enemy-nin. Wanted for Level 3 village destruction. Attack on Raikage-sama. Escape from Kumogakure prison,” she read aloud. “Hn. Sounds about right.”

With her nod of approval, she gave the book back.

“Ten million RYO is a hefty bounty on your head. You sure pissed the Raikage off,” the boy snickered. She only shrugged, crossing her arms again under her chest.

“Iwa set more.”

The boy’s face scrunched. He picked another book from his coat and started listing its pages. “I don’t see you here.”

“Good, that’s how it should be,” she lightly teased.

“Which one are you?” Ibiki demanded shoving the book into her, Ryoko didn’t take it.

“Who knows? Maybe one day, you’ll figure it out,” Ryoko smirked right back at the teen. He was fun to tease. A fellow psychopath just like her. She could tell.

Later that night, she ended up playing cards with Ibiki, while they waited for Minato to finish up. The blond was too gentle in her opinion. Ryoko got to go home early the next morning. Her bed was practically calling her name, but before she even reached her room, father blocked her way in the hall.

“Ryoko, you got a letter. From Hyuga clan head,” he handed her a scroll with a very delicate seal on it. Even paper looked expensive. It probably was soft too, but she couldn’t feel it just yet over the gloves.

“Hn.”

“Something I should know?”

“Hmm… we are invited to dinner with Hyuga…” she answered after reading the letter. Word dinner instantly made her stomach turn. The girl had to make a hard decision between her eternal lovers - sleep or food.

“Ryoko. Why is the head of the Hyuga clan inviting us to dinner via you?” her father pushed. Cordial dinners were not that uncommon, but usually, clan heads spoke to each other about it. So yes, maybe this was a bit odd.

“Hn. It’s classified?” she offered. A major plus of being a shinobi is that you could say this single word and there would be no more questions asked.

“Hn.”

“Love you too, father,” she yawned passing him by. Sleep won and her bed was still calling her name. Ryoko needed her ‘day off’.

A couple of months passed when Ryoko was again called to the Hokage Tower. This time, there was no commotion or big gathering. The whole Kumo scandal somehow blew over without a war.

She didn’t know how Minato managed to persuade Hyuga from taking action, but he did. Maybe dealing with her own clan and her sensei taught the man useful tactics? She could only guess. In the end, as far as Ryoko heard, the peace was kept and Konoha got some extra bonuses to their contract. Boring, but politically the best outcome.

“Hokage-sama,” she bowed before Minato after stepping inside his office. Kakashi was already there. The idiot gave her a cheeky eye crinkle smile. Ryoko’s eyes narrowed.

Since the hospital incident, Kakashi made it his mission to mess with her. The girl would have not expected him to be so petty. A few times he personally dragged her to the hospital either after their spars or when she got back from an ANBU mission. It almost looked like he made friends with Itachi over this…

This other time he sacrificed Ryoko to Gai. Bakashi literally pushed her into the green menace with a proclamation that she wanted to challenge Gai and considered him a rival. Safe to say that Gai cried and thanked Kami for having not one, but two eternal rivals now.

So obviously, this time in the Hokage’s office, she looked at the bastard with suspicion.

“Ah, Ryoko-chan. Good, I have a special mission for you two,” Minato said as his face turned serious. Both she and Kakashi straightened up right away. Jokes aside, they were still professional and dedicated shinobi.

“Yes, Hokage-sama,” they both said in sync.

“You were picked, because… well, of your age. We received intel about a gang of children causing trouble in the north of the Land of Fire. The daimyo requested our help to find out the gang's goals and take them out.”

Usually, Ryoko cursed her young age and looks, but missions like this were a blessing. Nobody ever suspected a little girl like her to be a high-ranking shinobi. Plus, naturally being young saved her from using genjutsu or other deception techniques that can be tracked and noticed.

“Emm, Hokage-sama, with all due respect, I can do this mission alone,” Kakashi instantly protested with none of his cheeriness in sight. Even if Ryoko agreed with the statement, she was just feeling a tad salty today.

“Maaa, Kakashi-kun, I think it would be fun,” she chirped.

“Then it’s decided!” Minato clapped his hands and gave the mission scroll. “Kakashi, you’ll be taking lead on this. Your scope is to infiltrate and report back. The backup team will take care of the rest based on your intel.”

“Yes, Hokage-sama,” they both bowed and left.

In hindsight, maybe it would have been wiser to agree with Kakashi, but it was too late now. Ryoko sighed as she dyed her hair light brown. No transformations meant regular means of deception. Kakashi too dyed his silver locs.

In a few hours, they left the village with a cover story decided. They were to be wandering brother and sister looking for work. Their clothing was shabby and trusty kunai were replaced with a single knife.

“No chakra use,” Kakashi reminded her as they entered the village with the most recent sighting of the gang.

“Hn.”

They walked for a while. Stole some food not at all discreetly. As the sun was setting, they took shelter with other homeless under a bridge.

Ryoko shivered. Damn chakra gag. Without it, she couldn’t keep herself warm.

“Here,” a stranger leaned towards her, extending a cup of some warm liquid in it. He had a kind smile and pale green eyes that kept eye contact, despite her appearance. To clarify, yes, Ryoko looked young, like a child, but her breasts were far more obvious when not hidden under ANBU chest plates or Jonin vest. Other homeless already stared enough to make this stranger stand out.

“Ah,” she hesitated, but the steam coming from the cup looked inviting. The boy gave her an understanding smile and took a sip himself before extending the offering again.

She smiled and took it. Before she could even put the cup to her lips, Kakashi took it from her and sipped instead. And this was the first time she had seen him drink without a mask. When they got ready, back in Konoha, and Kakashi showed up without it, he looked expectant. As if Ryoko was supposed to be shocked or faint after seeing his face. She didn’t even blink.

“It was not for you,” the stranger glared at Kakashi.

“She’s with me,” the teen replied and then gave the cup to Ryoko after the taste test revealed no poison or other things.

“I see. Would you two like to join us by the fire?” the stranger offered.

She shared a shy look with Kakashi. A weak and pathetic act was her cover. Just your typical cliche female. Easy to fake and maintain and fool others. Kakashi finally nodded.

As they walked, Ryoko made sure to stumble, earning another endearing smile from the stranger. As they sat on a log by the fire, she spotted that the group was consisting only of children. A few looked more Kakashi’s age, but others were barely ten she guessed.

“Where are you headed?” the stranger asked, taking a seat next to Ryoko.

“Mm.. to the border..” Ryoko whispered with her eyes downcast. Her shoulders shivered naturally after a chilly gust of wind. The boy beside her was about to drape his arm around her when Kakashi did it instead. His grip was tight as he pressed Ryoko close to his side.

She played the role well, nuzzling her face into his chest, hand clutching at Kakashi’s pants. Ryoko was also thankful for the natural heat the teen exuded. He was warmer than the fire in front of them.

The stranger’s hand dropped after his attempt was denied, but he kept up the kind smile. She was starting to think that it was very well faked. “My name is Kato,” he introduced.

“Bac,” Kakashi said.

“And what’s your name?” Kato asked leaning as close to Ryoko as he could without being in Kakashi’s face.

“Mi-misa,” she whispered making the slightest eye contact. Quickly, her eyes were averted with all the possible innocents a girl could muster. Secretly, she was rather enjoying the sensual hug with Kakashi. It reminded her of Itachi...

Overall, the evening went well. They learned that indeed, these children were part of the gang. Kakashi played his overprotective role well and denied any offerings of help. That is until Kato pushed with the dirty line “Ah, but Miso-chan looks exhausted, you should at least take a break for her sake,” his smile was kind, but the glint in green eyes spoke of a scheme.

It wasn’t hard to tell that Kakashi/ Bac would yield if it was for Ryoko’s/Misas’s sake. After a few hours of back and forth, Kakashi finally obliged. That is how they ended up in the gangs camp.

They studied the group for a few days. There was a clear hierarchy and Kato was up in the ‘ranks’. He appeared to be their recruiter. They had yet to meet the leader.

Another day passed. Kakashi was invited to go with some older boys to do a ‘job’. Keyword for robbery. While Ryoko mingled in the camp. She carefully spun their tale of abused orphans that ran away in search of a better life.

After a few more jobs, they were told that finally, tonight, they would meet the leader. Kato took the pair to a shabby bar. It was full of all kinds of rogues so nobody paid attention to their age or looks.

“Boss, this is the two I spoke about. Bac and Misa-chan,” the boy introduced them to a guy sitting in the back. Their leader looked also Kakashi’s age. He was blond and lean, but Ryoko didn’t believe he was a weakling.

“Nice to meet you two. I am Ranga,” the teen said, extending his hand to Kakashi. He shook it. Then Ranga turned to Ryoko and opened his arms for a hug. She visibly hesitated averting her eyes to the side. Kato gently pushed her forward right into Ranga’s arms.

As innocent as the hug might seem, Ryoko understood what it was. The teen took this moment to feel her up and she allowed it, by pressing her full chest to his. When he finally pulled away, Ranga looked pleased. She forced a blush to her cheeks.

They sat by the leader's table and talked for a while sharing their life story. They were offered a few drinks. Ryoko barely sipped hers. Alcohol always affected her more than drugs, so she took it slow. Often faking a sip instead of actually swallowing it.

After a few hours, Ranga stood up to get another bottle for the table. When he returned, he not so discretely took a seat next to her. The teen took his chance draping a hand over her waist. The thin material of her shirt allowed her to clearly feel the grabby fingers making soothing circles on her. “Your sister is very cute,” Ranga snickered after she blushed.

To everyone's surprise, even Ryoko’s, Kakashi tugged her back to his side, effectively making Ranga’s hand drop. “She’s not my sister,” he said pointedly.

“Oh, I see,” the teen smirked casually. His eyes glittered with a familiar glint. Ryoko had seen it before. It was the same look Gai had when he saw a challenge.

If it were anyone else, they might falter with such a shift to their cover story, but Ryoko was a professional. She looked down, faking her shyness.

Before anyone else could comment, another pair of boys from the gang entered the bar. They made some kind of gesture/ signal to Ranga, making the leader and Kato stand up. “If you excuse us for a moment,” he said before leaving.

“What the fuck, baka,” she hissed to Kakashi’s chest, making sure her lips could not be read from afar. Kakashi on his part, nuzzled his face into her now brown hair.

“My lead, my decisions. I have a feeling they will try to split us up again. Will you be fine with Ranga?”

“Hn,” she not so gently punched the teen to his gut. It might look gentle, but it wasn’t. She heard a tiny wince, even if Kakashi’s facial expression didn’t change. “Don’t patronize me. I just need to steer clear of alcohol.”

“Hmm,” he hummed just as Kato with Ranga returned.

“Looks like we have an urgent job. Bac, we’ll need your nimble fingers on this one,” Kato said as Ranga sat back to his previous spot.

“Yeah, sure,” he stood up with Ryoko.

“Oh don’t worry, I’ll take Misa-chan back to the camp,” Ranga smiled. Kakashi clearly faked suppressing a frown. She knew what he was doing. All the boys loved to mark their territory, and the type Ranga was, he was bound to want things that did not belong to him.

“It’s fine, Bac-kun,” she whispered. Kato had the most innocent and fake smile she had yet to see on him. Kakashi was right with his earlier assumption.

What happened next, once more, Ryoko did not expect. Kakashi tugged her closer and leaned in. Their lips touched. Completely shocked and out of her element, Ryoko parted her lips from instinct alone. She felt his tongue slide in.

The noises of the bar faded as she froze in place from the sensation. Quickly she understood what Kakashi's intention was. As their tongues touched, she felt a pill being forced into her mouth.

Anti-alcohol measures. When he finally pulled away, she visibly gulped. Wide and shocked eyes masquerading her swallowing the pill. So this was it. Her first kiss. Rather anticlimactic to have it on a mission, but moderately pleasant.

This time, her cheeks colored red naturally. She didn’t hear the goodbyes the boys said. Her attention was brought back to earth when Ranga tugged on her wrist to sit back down.

“Aww, you’re so adorable, Misa-chan,” the teen smiled pushing a full glass of strong liquor into her hands.

“Ah.. well..” she mumbled and took a sip. It burned. The girl coughed. Her hands tried to put the glass back on the table, but Ranga put his hand on top of hers holding the cup.

“You’ll get used to it after another few sips,” he said gently pushing her hand with the cup up. Ryoko hesitantly nodded and tried again. It really burned less this time. Of course, it would not compare to the burning of a Katon jutsu.

“Soooo, he’s your boyfriend?” Ranga whispered to her ear after a few casual sentences. Ryoko had a couple of options on how to react. She chose the one that was bound to provoke him the most.

A big smile curved her lips, eyes sparkled with wonder as she looked up at Ranga. “Yes!” she chirped with childlike excitement. “Bac was always there for me. He takes care of me. He is so strong and… I really like him…” she rambled, noticing annoyance creeping on Ranga’s face with her every word.

“Well, you know, I could take care of you too..” he whispered to her ear and pushed the cup towards her face again. She sipped.

“I… I don’t know you, Ranga-san…” she whispered, turning away as if not being able to take his advances, but too weak to push him away from herself.

The teen took the bait and started to brag about his achievements all while pouring one drink after another to her cup. The pill did wonders as she didn’t feel any intoxication yet. That didn’t mean that she wasn't faking it by almost spilling her drink, slurring her words slightly. All while committing to memory every incriminating detail the boy said to her.

“You know, Misa-chan, a boyfriend is not a wall. He can be walked around or moved,” Ranga got even closer. His hot breath fanned over her neck.

“No… but… I.. canhg’t... “ she stumbled on her sparse responses. “PLeasE don’t…” she whispered when he finally dared to place a hand on her thigh. Ranga watched her carefully for a long moment and then pulled away.

The flirty expression was gone. “You are loyal. I like that,” he said. “You and Bac-kun will make a good addition to my team,” part of Ryoko was surprised to realize that this all was a test. She didn’t show it of course. Pretending, like she couldn’t even hear him, Ryoko swayed in her seat, the cup slipped from her fingers.

“Ah, shit, I overdid it,” the teen muttered barely managing to catch her drink before it spilled all over. “No more drinks for you, young lady,” he sighed, helping her stand. Ryoko stumbled and swayed, making him carry most of her weight. “Yeah, you’re not drinking ever again..” he muttered as they made way to the camp.

Kakashi made sure to be efficient on the supposedly ‘urgent’ job. He trusted Ryoko’s skills in a fight, but infiltration… seduction… He had doubts. From what he knew about the girl, she specializes in assassination and not this...

That is why he made the split-second decision to change their cover story. Posing as her boyfriend, he would give Ryoko a way out of any advances from their targets. He also noticed her caution with alcohol - hence the pill.

He could have just handed it to her, but the fake kiss served as proof of their relationship. In the end, Ryoko acted it out believably. She didn’t show inexperience or that it was the first time. He guessed that it probably wasn’t for her. He would know.

Things like this sometimes came up during missions and you could always tell who had practice and who didn’t. Overall, he rated her execution acceptable for the mission and his goal. Although, he couldn’t imagine who was the poor soul that dared to date Ryoko… Kakashi might just buy a drink for the sucker if he ever met him.

Now, his task was to return back, before the effects of the pill faded or Ryoko lost her shit and killed everyone. Either was likely.

There was no fire or destruction in the camp. Good. Kakashi noticed Ranga mingling with others. The sleezbag sent him a wave with a smile. In very little time, Kakashi made it to their allocated tent and slipped inside.

Ryoko laid on the sleeping bag. Fully dressed. Her vigilant eyes opened right as he zipped the tent flap. “Here,” she extended him a tiny scroll.

“So?” he waited for her report.

“All was a test. I passed, obviously,” she sat up slowly and cringed. The pill was wearing off.

“Good, don’t puke here or you’re sleeping outside,” he warned while combining her message with his own meant for the backup team.

“Shut it, fatass,” the girl mumbled on her way out. She squealed and Kakashi barely controlled the instinct of throwing his kunai at whatever startled her. Kato was right outside the tent. Ryoko pushed past him, her mouth covered by one hand. She clearly didn’t want to sleep outside. He smirked.

“Aww, you two are cute, but I wouldn’t call you fatass,” Kato mused glancing inside. The snake was clearly spying.

“Yeah… she had to carry me once when I was drunk and now I cannot live it down,” he shrugged and stretched. The secret messages were securely hidden in his sleeve.

“Yeah, I just wanted to check how Misa-chan was doing. Boss sometimes can push it too hard,” the teen explained and glanced at the distance where Ryoko had gone.

“Hmmm. I can see that,” Kakashi didn’t have to act too hard to show that he was not amused by Ranga’s behavior.

“Chill, he just likes to make sure that our newbies are not flakes or just after him.”

“He could have fooled me,” Kakashi muttered.

“Aww, are you always that jealous?”

“I am not!”

“Mhm, whatever you say, Bac. Although, in your place, I might be like that too. She does have a nice butt,” the teen winked and finally left. Kakashi exhaled. At least he knew that the mission would be over soon. He wanted personal space again. This wasn’t that bad as Ryoko truly acted professionally. She didn’t speak too much or annoy him. He could work with that.

Kakashi waited for the girl to return for almost an hour. Just as he was about to go looking, she came back. “You look like shit,” he deducted.

Ryoko deadpanned at him, but her eyes were a tad bit cleared now at least. “Bite me,” she replied, closing the tent gap for the night. Her skin looked paler than usual, her hair looked wet and she was very obviously shivering.

“Where were you?”

“Puked my guts out. Jumped into the river to sober up a bit. The usual,” she shrugged getting into the shared sleeping bags. “I think I passed out a bit on the grass too,” she added after a moment of silence.

“Charming.”

“Fuck off,” yup, she was fine alright. He too laid in the sleeping bag, but her almost violent shivering prevented any possible sleep. He exhaled after a long ten minutes and hugged the girl.

“You’re like an icicle.”

“I jumped in the river.”

“Very smart. Auch,” he didn’t expect to be kicked. In retaliation, Kakashi hugged her tighter and could swear he heard a rib crack. She winced.

After a few more friendly jabs and pushes, the two finally settled. She wasn’t shivering anymore at least. He slept without nightmares for once.

In the morning, Kato yet again disrupted their privacy. “You’re so adorable, you’re making me sick,” he commented on the entangled pair he found.

“Ah, so loud,” Ryoko winced somewhere on his chest. A hangover Uchiha was something he really didn’t want to deal with, so Kakashi gladly took Kato’s call for another job.

Overall, the mission lasted ten days. Their backup team appeared and apprehended the criminals, while Ryoko and himself slipped away unnoticed. He hoped to never have the pleasure of working with the girl again.

That was a lie. Ryoko worked with him far better than most. He could not fault her actions or skills. Kakashi had a feeling that she got his back. He didn’t have to worry about protecting her, like with Rin or others. Unfortunately, he would have to state those facts in the report as well as an official admission and acknowledgment of her. What a pain.

Chapter Text

It was a day of celebration in the Uchiha clan. Their esteemed, accomplished, and respected heir was turning fithfteen years old. For once, elders didn’t complain about him being a medic...

Their house was flooded with gifts and flowers not only from the clan. Each thankful patient and a thirsty woman showed their gratitude to her brother. So what could Ryoko get to the boy who already had everything? She contemplated for days until something came to mind...

During the evening celebration, Ryoko patiently waited until other guests showed their respect to Itachi. There were clan heads from all over Konoha. Even the Hokage showed up with his family.

Kushina-san looked like she had a balloon instead of a belly. “A month, really?” her mother mused discussing the due date. While Sasuke chased Naruto around in a game of tag. Somehow, the two boys managed to rope young Nara into it too.

“Good evening, kid,” Shikaku winked at her passing by.

“Hn,” Ryoko only said, face cold, arms crossed, while her mind wasted no time to settle in a nice shadowy gutter.

“Ryoko-san,” Hyuga entourage was far more respectful. She mirrored their bow only because father was watching.

All the noise and commotion was making Ryoko tired. Being a shinobi she stayed vigilant at all times. Gatherings like this were bound to be overwhelming. The girl sighed and waited.

Just before midnight, back at home, Ryoko finally got her chance to speak with Itachi. She knocked on his door and entered. He had a tired smile on his face, but he was smiling, so that’s that.

“Happy birthday, brother,” she said, extending a little box decorated with flower ornaments.

“Ah, and I was already thinking that my little sister doesn’t love me,” he snickered, accepting her offering. Ryoko said nothing as she took a seat next to him on the bed.

Inside the box, Itachi found a black metal pendant. He carefully opened what appeared to be a medallion and inside of it were two pictures. On one half, was father and mother. On the other, was her and Sasuke.

“So we could always be with you. Watching over you,” she whispered. Maybe this was not the manliest gift one could give. Nor something a shinobi would have use of.

“Koko…” Itachi clutched the necklace in his hand and hugged her almost Kakashi level of bone-crushing. “This is the best gift…” he grumbled into her ear. Ryoko sighed with relief and hugged the boy back.

There was nothing she wouldn’t do for her brother or her family. She would kill for them. She would die for them without hesitation. Sometimes it felt like her heart would explode from the strong feelings she had.

“I love you so much, brother.”

Ryoko had a bad feeling in her gut. It has been a week since her ANBU team was denied any missions and effectively grounded in the village. Even in the jonin mission center, she was denied. The girl noticed that restrictions did not apply to others.

That’s suspicious. Or maybe that’s her shinobi paranoia showing its ugly horns. Ryoko didn’t want to take a chance, so she let the frustration on Lynx, Cobra, and Panda. They spared, trained, and worked together on combined attacks. What else could she do?

She swore that if another day would pass in the village without action, she would go to complain to Hokage himself. Lucky for her, Minato summoned her himself. As ANBU.

She felt the undeniable pull from the tattoo on her shoulder. Finally! the girl perked up and got into her ANBU gear in record time. She met with others and they appeared in the Hokage tower together.

Kneeling on one knee before their leader, Team Shi waited for the order. They were not alone. In the office, was also the infamous Team Ro. Her gut feeling stirred.

“This is an S rank mission,” Minato announced. He looked pretty terrible. Slightly pale and unnerved. “Team Ro, Team Shi, you will serve as guards for tonight while my wife gives birth.”

Well shit… all this for guard duty? Of course, Minato was the Hokage, so he had a target on his back just like his family, but still… She had to wonder why all the secrecy?

“The birth will take place in an undisclosed location. I will take you there now to prepare and wait.”

Another interesting fact. Why not the hospital, where ANBU would be all around? Despite the questions, Ryoko together with other agents responded “Yes, Hokage-sama!”

Biwako sat without moving in her empty apartment. Shadows grew longer as she stayed immobile lost in her thoughts. How did it all come to this? At least now the village hated her just as much as she hated them…

It all started so long ago. It started with hope. A thought that maybe this new village of Konoha would become their home. It could have been that and more if not for her parents… They were the first ones to betray Biwako.

She was sold to the Sarutobi clan like a sacrificial lamb. And so the seeds of hate were planted in her heart. The loveless marriage. The public's scrutiny. The men Hiruzen brought home… She despised Konoha with every passing day.

At first, Biwako tried to accept her fate. She tried to understand her husband's devotion to Konoha. Silly Hiruzen did everything for the Leaf and how was he repaid for it? The man was villainized and she was left to bear the burden of a traitor's mark.

On this day, she recalled her family. One son had left her to atone for his father's sins. Dear Asuma was her light and moon. The only joy she ever found in these trees. Her daughter was supposed to be another precious child. Part of noble ANBU with her husband. Yet, she too severed all ties when the grey truth made it to the surface.

Biwako heard that her daughter recently gave birth to a son. She was a grandmother now… But she couldn’t even visit the child. She was all alone. Broken and discarded. Like a living walking proof of the shame on Konoha’s reputation.

She inhaled deeply and stood up. Her resolve was made. Now to play the part she so successfully owned for years. The woman made her way towards Konoha gate. Kushina was already there just like almost four years ago.

“Remember, hold down your screams,” she said to the redhead the same line as they walked towards the cave.

Just like last time, a barrier protected the entrance and there were four ANBU guards that she could see standing outside. Panda, Cobra, Lynx, and a white cloak wearing captain with a mask of a Fox. How fitting… she thought to herself passing by them.

Inside Minato already waited with another midwife. Just like the last time. “Everyone’s ready?” she asked just as Fourth took his position in monitoring the seal.

This time it has to work! This time… she will make Konoha pay and no Uchiha brat will ruin her plans!

Ryoko felt a chill in the air. Something was coming. Something… Kushina’s screams finally started and even reached them. The girl sighed under her mask. Maybe, by the time she is ready to bring children into this world, there will be such a thing as an epidural in this world. The girl could only hope…

“Taicho!” Lynx whispered turning to the west.

“On alert!” Ryoko commanded drawing out her fans. There in the distance, an odd mist was forming. It was unnatural, how it spread over the trees. “Cobra, Panda, you are not to leave this barrier at any cost. Lynx, with me,” she said and leaped closer towards the mist. Two of the team Ro members appeared next to them. Weapons drawn.

The air felt humid and quickly they all were surrounded by the white blanket of the mysterious mist. All sounds disappeared as if drowned out. Her sharingan picked up the chakra, but she couldn’t tell where the enemy was. Attacking blind could also injure her teammates.

Not good… the girl thought, but she was not about to roll over and die. Ryoko focused her chakra and with the help of the fans summoned a wild gust of wind. There! Right in front of her stood at least seven masked shinobi.

Village Hidden in The Mist. No shit! Ryoko cursed spotting their headbands. Without hesitation, the girl leaped forward and attacked those who dared to face her.

The enemy was not too strong or too weak. Just annoying enough to keep them busy. Ryoko wondered as she slashed another throat, why would their village provoke Konoha? What was their agenda? To start a war?

She had a bad feeling. There was clearly a missing puzzle in this picture. No sane person would attack a father during his child's birth. Especially when that father happened to be the genius Fourth Hokage. Maybe they had a death wish?

Ryoko cursed and made her decision. There was something underneath the underneath. She had to find out what. The girl dodged and weaved until finally, she managed to capture one scum alive.

A genjutsu was already created around them, while Ryoko pushed the man to the ground and stared right into his soul with her sharingan. She was no Yamanaka and mind walking was not easy, but she trained in interrogation long enough to know the basics.

After a grueling moment of breaking mental barriers, she saw a picture through the man’s eyes. It was a picture of a girl with brown hair, brown eyes, and… purple fuckin marks on her fuckin cheeks!

Ryoko cursed as she ended the illusion. With a single slash of her fan, the man was set on fire. She jumped high up, over the mist, and gave a signal to team Ro’s captain. Diversion.

While still in the air, she gathered chakra and sent a larger gust of wind down. This was not her main chakra nature, so it cost double that of a lightning or fire jutsu would. Thankfully, she had chakra to spare.

The wind blew the mist away once and for all. Ryoko didn’t stay to finish up the enemy shinobi and instead jumped towards Hound and another ANBU from team Ro. “Their target is Rin Nohara.”

She saw Kakashi tense. The teen was conflicted. Before he could respond, a loud bang and smoke came from Konoha’s direction. Ryoko knew what had to be done. “GO! Notify the guards and secure her, we’ll continue our mission here.”

By saying this, she gave Kakashi permission to do what he wanted to do. She would take responsibility if it came to that. Maybe she couldn’t tell now why the shinobi wanted Rin of all the valuable assets, but there had to be a good reason.

Hound nodded and disappeared. “SECURE THE LOCATION!” Ryoko yelled out a command and they jumped back into the fight. “PANDA, REPORT TO HOKAGE!” she yelled over her shoulder while slashing another Mist shinobi. There was no end to them.

“Hokage-sama!”

“What’s the noise outside?” Minato turned to the agent that entered their room. Biwako ignored them both as she already knew what they are going to say next. Her focus was concentrated on the little baby emerging from Kushina.

“Focus on the seal,” she barked out. “A little more, Kushina, almost there.”

“Shinobi from the Mist attacked. Their target is Rin Nohara,” ANBU reported. Well well, looks like this batch of agents were quick to find out what was hidden, Biwako mused. Minato will learn the hard way why it was not a good idea to have two jinchuriki's in one place - you could not be with both of them at the same time. Choices had to be made.

“Have you sent the message to Konoha?” Minato asked returning his eyes to Kushina.

“Yes. Hound taicho went.”

“Alright, return to others, protect this place,” Hokage ordered just as Biwako planned.

Maybe the first time she planned for the little girl to set an attack on Konoha it was stopped, but now… now Minato won’t be able to do anything about it… it was already too late. The gears were turning in motion of her master plot.

“It’s a girl!” she finally announced wrapping the baby in a cloth.

“Right. I’ll secure the seal now…”

“Minato, take the baby to safety first. You can check on the village too. If that student of yours is the target, we’ll be safe here. I’ll take care of Kushina until you come back, she is stable now,” Biwako said, pushing the baby into the man's arms.

He hesitated, glancing between the little bundle and his wife. “Go, honey. I’m fine. The beast is calmer this time around,” Kushina smiled over the fatigue.

Another moment passed and Minato was off. “Finally…” she whispered and let out a sigh. Biwako opened her empty eyes and a kunai was already in her palm. She quickly turned and stabbed the other midwife in the neck.

“Biwako-sama?” it was adorable how clueless the redhead was.

“Don’t worry child, I will do it quickly. It is time for Konoha to go up in flames of their will of fire,” she smiled with a grimace that did not look sane anymore. She has not been sane for a while now.

The woman made hand signs and summoned five masked shinobi. Without any words, they started the ritual. The ground and walls cracked from the chakra being released. Kushina screamed like never before and red poisonous chakra seeped from her.

“To hell with Konoha,” Biwako whispered when the final seal was made. She saw the beast forming and it was her cue to leave. The old woman scrambled outside together with her accomplices.

The sky cracked from the beast's screech. All nine tails appeared together with the fox. She would love to stay and watch the village burn, but her instincts yearned for freedom.

Biwako Sarutobi fled after releasing the Nine-Tailed Fox. If luck was on her side, the Three Tailed Beast would be released as well.

It seemed that they got the last of Mist shinobi, but it didn’t feel right. Ryoko looked around. It was too quiet. Too calm. As if their enemy fled on their own accord. Maybe they got the Rin girl? No, Kakashi wouldn’t let that happen.

And then the cave behind them exploded. She barely managed to land on her feet, when a dark shadow dropped on her team.

“Mother of…” Panda stuttered next to her.

Alright. So now everything made sense. Why the birth was kept secret. Why it happened away from the village. Why the enemy attacked...

“Is that…” Cobra whispered.

“Yeah…” Ryoko sighed tilting her head up to look at the humongous fox. Her eyes widened as she noticed the beast recoil. “TAKE COVER!” she managed to yell and duck just as a huge blast was sent by the fox. It probably would even reach Konoha.

Her hands were shaking. Not from fear. Adrenalin was now fully running through her veins. If the beast would reach Konoha… if it is not stopped… the village… her family…

Ryoko stood up and cracked her neck. “Retreat,” she said, while her eyes didn’t leave the fox for a second.

“Taicho?” Lynx's voice vaguely registered in the girl’s mind.

“RETREAT! All of you!” she yelled again. Ryoko’s hands clasped and discarded the fans with one fluid motion and they were left stuck in the ground like some kunai. She didn’t know if her legs could move. The chakra in front of her was frightening. It was all-consuming evil and rage.

She made the first shaky step forward. Her eyes burned with the intensity she yet could not comprehend fully.

“TAICHO! NO! You’ll die!” Panda yelled from behind her.

“Retreat. That’s an order,” she said leaving no room for debate. They had to leave. Her team would be safe. Her village would be safe. Her family would be safe. Itachi… “I will die before I let it near Konoha!” she said and she meant it. “Get Kushina and flee!”

ANBU cursed but had to obey. She was left alone with the raging beast. Soothing flames took over the forest around them. Ryoko felt buzzing in her ears. Her heart was set. She would likely die here. But if that is what it takes to save her family…

A pain like no other split her head. She felt something hot stream down her cheeks and the world became brighter. Clear. Sharp. She could see the chakra coming off the beast. There was not much time to think.

Honestly, this was the epitome of ‘I have no idea what I’m doing’. Ryoko was guided by the Uchiha instinct alone. Her mind recalled the tales of Madara-sama taming a tailed beast with sharingan.

That’s what she had to do. The girl tried to catch the fox’s gaze, with no luck. Well, then she would have to meet his eyes herself. Literally.

The girl vaulted up towards the beast’s head. With a miracle, she landed on its face and grabbed onto the furry eyebrow. Kami, she was so tiny compared to it. Her whole frame was the size of its eye.

Ryoko realized that her hand was burned by the chakra surrounding the fox. She didn’t let go of its fur. Through the pain, she opened her eyes and stared into the pupil. Her own reflection stared back at her from the shiny surface. She saw the moment her ANBU mask cracked from the chakra around them.

“Not today, fox!” Ryoko yelled forcing her way inside the beast psyche. It turned out to be not as difficult to place a genjutsu on it. Fox was an animal after all. A mind was more simplistic and easy to mold.

She watched as the huge pupil dilated and the sharingan pattern spun inside it. The beast calmed. No more screeching or setting things on fire. But what now? Ryoko let go of the fur and dropped down. She didn’t dare to blink.

Lay down, furball! she ordered while pushing more chakra with the command. Its tails waged like a cat and it slowly lowered its head and body down.

“RYOKO!” she heard the voice but didn’t turn around.

“Hokage-sama! You need to seal it! I don’t know how long I can hold it!” she heard herself say. “ANBU took Kushina-san. They can bring her back.”

“No… she won’t sustain the beast again…” that was grave yet expected news.

“Who else can?”

The silence fell heavily around them both. “Naruto…” the man whispered.

“Hn. I’ll hold it, Hokage-sama. Do the ritual,” it was cruel for her to accept the suggestion so easily, but Ryoko was just not in a mood to be sympathetic. Far more lives were at stake here. She heard him disappear with the teleportation jutsu.

Uchiha!... I’ll rip you to SHREDS!

Huh, so the damned could think and speak. Ryoko was not about to accept the threat. She would show him who’s in control here. Something inside the girl's gut forced her to give another command. You think you’re a big deal? I would disagree. You're small, just a regular fox… she sneered pushing the idea to the beast's mind.

If a regular sharingan drained her chakra like a lit candle, then this… Mangekyo sharingan felt like a flamethrower was used on her reserves. Yet it was effective. The beast changed shape slowly as if shrinking in the drying cycle.

“What’s… what’s going on?” Minato appeared again somewhere behind her.

“Don’t worry about that. Needed to take him down a notch,” she rasped and tasted blood in her mouth.

“A notch… more like a hundred..” the man whispered, but quickly she heard him mutter seal names instead of commenting on her actions. Good, she didn’t know how much time she had.

Ryoko felt uneasy not being able to see what was happening behind her. With a spur-of-the-moment decision, she walked towards the now rather small fox and… picked him up into her arms like a house cat.

This felt better. With touch contact, it was easier for her to direct chakra inside the fox. But the pain… For a long moment, Ryoko saw white from the scorching of chakra on her skin. Her whole left hand, neck, chest, and half of her body that touched the fox felt like it was consumed by Amaterasu.

She could smell the burning metal of her armor. The singing of her clothing. The blood. Her blood…

“It's ready!” Minato yelled.

She vaguely managed to turn in his direction and walked towards the man carrying the damn fox in her arms. Ryoko recognized a blond kid lying unconscious in the middle of a ritualist circle. She placed the beast gently on the ground beside Naruto and stepped away.

“Hurry,” she muttered as her eyes begged to be closed.

“Release the genjutsu now!” Minato finally said the magic word. She would have questioned if he was really ready, but the girl couldn’t muster any more words. Ryoko let go of her chakra hold over the fox.

It was a short-lived relief. Like a pressure of underwater was taken off her mind. The world blurred around the girl. She was hit with a new wave of pain. White. She saw white.

The girl stumbled back. She didn’t hear the Hokage or his chanting. Her job was done.

So tired… she thought, making a couple more steps until her back bumped into a tree. Ryoko couldn’t think clearly. The only thing on her mind was the need to rest. To sit down…

There was no more pain. Her body felt numb. The girl inhaled slowly as she stumbled further into the forest’s refuge from the sight of flames and noise that assaulted her senses leaving only a bloody trail behind. Darkness and quiet. That’s what she needed now.

Like an animal, Ryoko found a calm and secluded place for her rest.

She stumbled over a tree root. Enough. She couldn’t walk any further. Ryoko pressed her back to a treebark and slid down to the ground. Her hands fell down beside her so lifeless and useless.

The shadows around her twinkled and she vaguely realized that she was hallucinating. Ryoko saw figures. Her father. Her mother. Her brothers. They were all smiling at her. And they were safe.

She couldn’t tell if it was a tear or blood going down her cheek now. Something warm.

“Mommy… I… I don’t think I’ll make it for dinner…” she whispered to the figment of her imagination. “I’m sorry…”

Hello darkness my old friend… I've come to talk with you again…

Familiar music rang in her mind and then there was only the sound of silence.

Chapter Text

“Brilliant work, Kabuto-san. Your research findings will greatly help in our work with tissue reconstruction.”

“Thank you, Itachi-sama. I could have not done it without your support.”

Itachi gave a soft smile to his young apprentice. At least that’s how others called the grey-haired kid. He didn’t object. Teaching the boy medical craft was one of the highlights of his days. Itachi felt like he was finally giving back something instead of destroying.

Over these few years, it became even more obvious that Kabuto had a talent. His mind worked in a different way. A way that recognized a problem and was focused to find a solution for it. It was impressive the ideas the boy would come up with.

The two of them walked down the hospital corridor discussing the findings when Itachi’s alert ears picked up a sound. Not a usual scream or urgent orders by medics… It was more like a scuffle going on.

“Kabuto-san, please wait here,” Itachi said, giving his clipboard to the boy. The teen walked on ahead with his white coat fluttering behind him.

“It’s awfully rude of you to disturb my colleague like this,” Itachi whispered as he appeared behind a masked man who had Rin pinned down to the ground. Itachi’s hand was already clasping the man’s neck from behind.

A sudden bang shook the ground and now there were screams coming from the outside. Itachi frowned, pinching the man just right to knock him out.

“Are you alright, Rin-san?” he leaned extending a hand to the woman.

“Uhu, I just… he caught me by surprise…”

“Hn,” Itachi turned to the unconscious assailant and turned him over to check his face. “Mist…” the man straightened up instantly after seeing the foreign headband. This was an enemy attack and not some local nutjob.

From nowhere, Itachi already held a kunai in his hand. Like on cue more enemies appeared. “Stay behind me,” Itachi whispered to Rin and the fight broke out.

“RIN!” Itachi turned to see a masked ANBU yell out for the girl just as he forced a lightning jutsu into an enemy who was about to grab the girl. Itachi jumped back next to the pair.

“What’s going on?” he asked ANBU.

“Attack on the Village. They are after Rin.”

“Hn. I see.”

They didn’t get to talk more as another dozen shinobi appeared. The fight took them outside, both boys were tirelessly protecting Rin. More of Konoha jonin joined the fight and they could stand their ground.

Itachi wondered how the enemy even got past the security barriers… all for a girl? Strange.

“My my, where isssss the Hokage when you need one,” a new voice made Itachi whip his head around. There, on a nearby building, stood none other but their Legendary Snake sannin with a crooked smile.

Before anyone could reply a sudden roar screeched through the sky. They all froze as one and slowly turned in the direction of the noise.

“Ah… I guessssss, that’s where Minato issss…” Orochimaru tsk’ed his tongue seemingly unmoved by the sight of a nine-tailed fox in a distance.

ANBU with a hound's mask next to him cursed. But he also looked conflicted. Itachi understood him. The man obviously wanted to go help their Hokage, but he also wanted to stay and protect the girl.

“Boy’ssssss you better stay here,” sannin finally said with a sigh and then he was gone. Indeed, that fight over there was something neither of the boys could take on.

Enemies used the commotion to attack again and just like that their fight continued. Earth shook from the distant roars. Something else exploded. This was going to be a long night.

Orochimaru took his time leaping through the trees. He wondered about the plan of attack against a demon. There was a point where he had only a second to dodge an explosion sent his way from the fox.

The man heard the impact of it on the village wall. Impressive. The power and chakra themselves would put a godly level of fear into any man. Orochimaru only smiled wider. Then… Kami, he could not believe his eyes!

The beast was slowly shrinking in the distance until the sannin could no longer see it over the trees. Well, that’s certainly something new...

Orochimaru leaped through the trees with no idea what he would find at the end of this journey. The vile chakra in the distance faded as if being sucked into a vortex. That most definitely had to be Minato with his fancy seals.

“Minato,” he was right. Orochimaru landed a few feet away from the blond. The man was on his knees clutching the smaller copy of him to his chest. Snake spotted leftover ink on the child’s body.

“Is the village under control?” the man asked without lifting his head.

“Obvioussssssly. The enemy failed,” Orochimaru said, finally stepping closer. “Are you injurrrrred?”

The blond only shook his head. It took another long moment before the Hokage rose up to his feet with the child in his hands.

“Thank you...” Orochimaru was left confused. Why would Minato thank him?.. “... Ryoko.” Ah. Of course. Sannin smiled and turned his gaze to where Minato was looking. There was no one there. “Ryoko?” Minato turned fully and glanced from left to right.

“She’sssss not here,” sannin deducted. Maybe their leader finally lost it?

“Ryoko?” the blond called again, but there was no response or movement. “She was just there…”

Orochimaru’s eyebrows scrunched. “What happened herrrrre?”

“She… she used Mangekyou Sharingan to control the tailed beast…”

Ahh. Of course. The power of Uchiha’s eyes had yet to disappoint. He smiled. “Of courssssse she did,” he snickered satisfied. Only the alarm on Minato’s face wiped his smile away.

“Orochimaru! She’s hurt! She was hurt… from the fox’s chakra…” he didn’t have to say another word. The sannin walked past the blond extending his sensory field. There was nothing. No familiar tornado of Ryoko’s chakra, that he knew by heart even if she tried to suppress it.

His tongue tasted blood in the air. Then his golden eyes noticed a trail of blood. He walked urgently into the forest until he spotted a tiny hand from behind a tree in the distance. A second later and he was there. Rooted in place from the sight before him.

“No… not again…” he whispered, inhaling sharply. That was a mistake as the pungent stench of burned flesh assaulted his senses. It brought back old and buried memories of his first student… But the man could not stop hyperventilating.

Panic settled over him. Orochimaru dropped by her lifeless form with shaking hands calling for the medical ninjutsu. Only after a third try, his hands were engulfed in soothing green chakra…

His eyes sharpened when he spotted signs of life and a fleeting heartbeat under the mangled flesh. Orochimaru inhaled once more to push any emotions aside. Not again. He won’t let another student of his die if there was even the slightest shred of hope left.

Gently, he scooped the girl up into his arms. Ryoko was like a glass doll ready to shatter, but Orochimaru instinctively pressed her closer to his chest.

“My child… pleasssse… stay with me,” the legendary sannin whispered with his broken voice. He straightened up and urgently walked back to the clearing.

“Oh Kami…” Minato uttered with the heart-wrenching pain in his blue eyes. Orochimaru ignored it and crouched to pick up one of the discarded three-pronged kunai.

“What’s the distance cap for yourrrrr technique?” the snake hissed, eyes of steel bore into the blond.

“What… well.. Border of the Land of Fire…” Minato finally responded.

“I will leave Konoha. I will call forrrr you when I find herrrr.”

“Who?”

“A healer,” the man said and he was off. Orochimaru shunshinned every hundred meters to make the journey back to Konoha as fast as possible.

He jumped over the wrecked wall, over the rubble and the roofs. He ignored the fire and the shinobi rushing in all directions. Finally, Orochimaru made it to the hospital. He passed the seals of security straight into the operating rooms.

Medics didn’t dare to stop the sannin especially after noting what he held in his arms. He placed the girl on the operating table just as the head medic rushed inside the room after him.

“Chakra burns,” he answered the unspoken question. The head medic nodded and started to give out orders. Everything around Orochimaru fell into a haze. He could only stare at Ryoko’s pale face and the blood on his hands.

The man inhaled one last time and turned to the same medic. Anger burned in his snake-like eyes, killing intent consumed the room making every medic freeze in their tracks.

“Keep. Her. Alive. Until. I. Come. Back,” he said in the dead silence and his bloodthirsty aura was gone as if a switch was triggered. The medic gave a shaky nod. Orochimaru didn’t have to say ‘or else’. They all knew that the sannin’s wrath would have no bounds if this child dies in their care.

Orochimaru sealed his emotions. There was no room for error or hesitation. He was gone and out of Konoha before the medics even started to work on Ryoko.

Minato gently pushed the horrible image to the back of his mind. He took deep breaths before using the space-traveling jutsu for what seemed a hundredth time this night. The man appeared in his home and carefully placed a passed-out Naruto into his bed.

For the first time, he summoned the ANBU team straight into his home. Masked shinobi kneeled before him waiting for the next order.

“Guard them with your life. Nobody is allowed here,” he said before vanishing.

“STATUS!” the blond yelled out as he materialized in the command center. Shikaku was right by his side.

“Hokage-sama! Shinobi from the Village Hidden in the Mist attacked. Their target was the hospital it seems.”

“No. It was Rin Nohara,” Minato glanced at the shinobi keeping up the protective barrier. “But how did they infiltrate?”

“Ahh, we are not sure, Hokage-sama. There were no breaches to our walls.”

“So, somebody let them in,” he voiced what was left unsaid by Nara. “Get to the bottom of this, Shikaku,” Minato ordered turning away. He could always trust his shinobi, but now… any one of them could be the traitor and that was a scary thought.

That somebody knew, that he would be away with Kushina. That somebody knew about Rin being a jinchuriki. That somebody knew about the fox…

“Hokage-sama, everything is under control. We have apprehended the shinobi who were left alive. They are waiting for you in T&I HQ.”

Minato stopped and exhaled. “Let Ibiki take care of them. I have somewhere to be…”

“Hokage-sama? Is everything alright? We saw the fox…”

“...Come to the hospital later…” the blond muttered and vanished there himself. Using his senses, Minato quickly located the right floor. He waved the ANBU guarding the doors and stepped inside prepared for the worst.

“Hokage-sama!” the sole medic in the room straightened up, but Minato ignored him. He walked to the bed and leaned closer. His hand found the cold palm resting on white sheets.

“What’s her status?”

“Her chakra network was gravely damaged, but she is stable.”

“...Minato…” husky voice reached his ears.

“I’m here, Kushina… I’m here... “ he smiled through the sorrow in his heart. It was a genuine expression as seeing her alive was enough to calm his racing pulse.

“Our daughter?”

“She’s fine, honey,” he leaned closer and kissed her hand.

“Ahh… and the beast?”

“I… I sealed him… hey, hey, please don’t cry,” he urgently reached out to brush the stray tear from her cheek. His wife was no fool. They have talked about the worst possible scenario that came to life this day. They had agreed on what would have to be done… They have prepared seals long ago... Yet still, it hurt to think that their darling son will have to carry the burden of being a jinchuriki.

“Biwako…” she rasped clutching his hand tighter.

“Shhh, honey, you don’t have to worry about anything.”

“Minato… it’s her… she let out the fox… she…”

The man beside her froze. His feet felt heavy as if rooted to the ground. His stomach fell. “Bi..Biwako…?” a whisper escaped Minato’s lips.

“Yes… with some other shinobi…”

Minato forced a smile back to his face. He had to be strong for her. “It’s alright. You did good, Kushina. Now please rest,” the blond leaned in and kissed her sweaty forehead.

Five minutes later, he already rushed down the hospital corridors until he reached the ANBU sector. That was the only place in this building with high-level privacy seals. After the door closed behind him, Minato inhaled steeling his nerves, and summoned another ANBU team.

“Team Ro! Team Shi! Report!”

He noticed how the Hound glanced over Team Shi that was missing a member. Minato pushed the memory of her aside. Not yet...

It was just as he thought. The attack. Rin. At least Kakashi made it back in time to protect the girl. There were casualties. Fallen comrades. But there was no mention of Biwako…

“Hokage-sama,” the ANBU with a mask of a Lynx spoke after silence took over the room. He knew what the agent wanted to know. Not yet… Minato shook his head with a raised hand forcing Lynx to bow his head in silence.

“You have a new mission. Locate and apprehend Biwako Sarutobi.”

Seven pairs of eyes zeroed in on him. It wasn’t hard to guess what his order meant. “Yes, Hokage-sama!” they said as one and vanished. Minato inhaled again and the air that came out was shaky.

He couldn’t push the subject any further. He had to see for himself the cost for the safety of his village. Minato extended his senses one more time to locate one person. Just as expected, he was in the lower levels of the hospital. In the surgery room.

Hokage flickered away and appeared again in the corridor. He knew that he couldn’t enter inside while the red light bulb was turned on meaning ‘surgery in progress’. So he stood silently outside and waited.

Fifteen minutes passed before the first screams started. He flinched from the unexpected noise. Each following scream made his gut turn. Minato didn’t move from his place. He felt that it was his duty to stay there and listen.

Blood ran cold under his skin. Mind empty. Only screams. Never-ending screams. Heart-wrenching screams. He lost track of time and didn’t even notice when a man placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Shikaku…” he nodded to Nara by his side.

“Ho…” Shikaku was cut off by another scream from the other side of the operating room doors.

“Shikaku, I need you to send a message.”

“Yes, Hokage-sama.”

“Call Fugaku-sama here.”

“Fugaku?” the man next to him narrowed his eyes. Glanced at the doors, at him, back at the doors. Another scream. And the realization set on his friend's face.

“Yes, Hokage-sama,” Nara said with his jaw tightly clenched.

It lasted hours. At some point, Fugaku showed up. He didn’t ask anything. They just stood there. Listening. Couple more hours passed when finally the screams stopped. Minato couldn’t tell if it was a good sign or not.

The light changed from red to green. He perked up waiting for the medics to come out. The one who stepped outside was of course Itachi Uchiha. Despite the sweat and blood on him, the teen looked calm and collected. True professional.

“Hokage-sama. Father,” the boy stopped in front of them. ”It’s bad.”

Minato inhaled and nodded. “Full report. All details,” he said against his own mind that pleaded to avoid knowing what was going on inside that room. But he was the Hokage. He had to know.

“She suffered severe chakra burns. The chakra was so strong, that it melted her armor straight to the flesh. We just finished cutting all foreign matter out. Bones in her left arm are shattered. Also two ribs. One of them punctured a lung. Skin damage…” Itachi straightened up and inhaled before continuing. “The worst skin damage was done to her arm, chest, neck, and left side of her pelvis. The skin was completely burned. Chakra burned through the muscle and even left marks on the bones.”

“Is she..?” Fugaku had the courage to ask.

“She is stable for now, but… With her condition… any smallest infection… anything could turn the tables around. I don’t think we have the skills to fix such damage. Medics are now working to repair the bones and muscle.”

“I want to see her,” Minato said.

“Hokage-sama, it is not…”

He raised his hand, silencing Itachi. “I have to see her.” The boy nodded and turned around. Minato followed. Behind the doors was a small preparation room.

Young Uchiha guided him on how to wash his hands, face, and any visible skin. Then he was dressed in a special cloak, mask, gloves, shoes. Itachi and Minato were covered head to toe before they were ready to enter through the second door.

The first thing that caught Minato’s attention was the smell. Blood. Medicine. Burnt flesh. The cocktail almost made him nauseous, but the man couldn’t turn around. He stepped as close as Itachi allowed.

Surrounded by medics, there on the table, she laid. Ryoko looked like she was sleeping. Small beads of sweat were glimmering on her pale skin. His eyes forced themselves to look lower. Bright red flesh was visible right from her neck. It was vivid and completely raw.

“Itachi... Is she still in pain?”

“Physically - yes. Mentally, I knocked her out, so her brain would have a break. It was crucial to have her conscious for the removal of necrotising skin.”

“I see,” only then Minato looked around. Right. Orochimaru said he would leave. “You said… you don’t have skills to fix it completely… who has?”

“I could think only of one person capable of that. Tsunade Senju.”

Kakashi ran with his team in complete silence until they reached the former cave and current battleground. The fire was still simmering in some places, but the cave itself was only rubble.

“Locate recent scents moving away from the cave,” he ordered his ninken after summoning them. “Everyone else, look for signs as well. The target could be under the rubble,” he turned to the masks. “Lynx, a word.”

Others scattered and the two men were left standing alone in front of each other. “Yes, senpai?”

“Where is Fox?”

“When the tailed beast appeared, taicho ordered us to retreat with Kushina-sama.”

“Understood,” he said coldly and waved to the man to join the others. Kakashi was left alone standing. His hands slightly trembled by his sides.

You idiot… What did you do? he asked the question practically seeing the stubborn Uchiha’s face in front of his eyes. Kakashi slowly walked around until his eyes noticed two fans impaled in the ground.

He crouched and picked the items up. Even with the mask, Kakashi could still smell traces of her on them. He pocketed the items after folding them and walked further. Sharingan eye soaked in the destruction left behind. He couldn't imagine what it would feel to stand here in front of the fox...

That is when he noticed something glimmering in the grass. Kakashi carefully picked up the white porcelain mask. He knew right away what it was. Who’s it was. As he turned the object around, a fox stared back at him. And it was shattered right in the middle. A deep crack went across it. It was actually surprising that the thing was not in pieces by now.

It’s my fault… If I hadn’t left… Kakashi wanted to tremble and curl in on himself, but the mission was not done just yet. He pocketed the mask and turned to check on the teams. Mourning would have to wait.

Chapter Text

When Fugaku finally returns home, he feels drained and emotionless. Like he just spent the whole night and morning in torture chambers and not the Konoha Hospital. In any other case, after what happened yesterday, he would freshen up and head to the Police Station. There was still lingering unrest between civilians and shinobi alike. His job as head of the police was to keep the fragile balance and order.

Not today, however. Just as he left the hospital, Fugaku sent a message that he would be taking a day off. Something unheard of. Something he would never have done in a million years.

But Fugaku had no energy or will to even try and keep himself composed. Just as the door of his home closed behind the man’s back, he dropped the mask of calm. Carefully Fugaku shrugged off the jonin vest to the floor. Then pulled off his shoes and walked down the corridor like a brainless zombie.

“Darling?” Mikoto emerged in the kitchen doorway. Her gentle voice went over his head, as Fugaku passed her without making any inclination of noticing her.

The man somehow made it to their bedroom and sat down on the edge of the bed. His head slumped down, hands tangling into his hair.

Eventually, Minato had told him what happened. What Ryoko did for Konoha. And he shouldn’t be surprised by now of her actions. He really shouldn’t. Since childhood, his little girl always protected those close to her, despite the apathy and cold she feigned. With no regard to her own safety…

And his heart aced. No, it hurt. It bleed for her. No parent should ever be witness to the pain their child suffered. Her screams were the only thing he could hear.

He felt a hand rest on his own. “My love?”

That was the last straw. Fugaku’s whole body shook as he let out a strangled sob. Floodgates were open and tears streamed freely down his cheeks and trickled onto the hardwood floor.

He felt the mattress dip as Mikoto took a seat behind him. Her gentle hands entwined over his torso, her head laid on his back. She didn’t say anything else while he let the feelings go. The heaviness over his mind intensified before it too trickled away along with the tears.

“Itachi or Ryoko?” Mikoto whispered after a while. He didn’t have mental stability at the moment to admire her strength.

“Ry.. Ryoko,” he choked out a response. Her hands clenched tighter around him. Fugaku inhaled deeply. The breakdown had subsided and all that was left was emptiness and dried tears on his skin. “Alive, but...”

Mikoto let out a single breath of relief. He felt her shuffle and then her lips touched the nape of his neck. “It will be alright… we’ll be alright.”

She stood up after some time. Fugaku didn’t move. Then his wife returned and tugged his hand to stand up. Fugaku followed her without any energy left in his tired body. He was led into their bathroom where a bath was steaming.

Mikoto proceeded to undress him and then guided him into the warm water. She too undressed and joined him. Fugaku instinctively wrapped his arms around her, clinging to her with dear life. Tears returned. He cried honestly and untamed into the crook of Mikoto’s neck.

Her presence grounded him. She was his rock. The flame of his life. The purpose of his being. Fugaku was bare in front of her. Heart on display. Emotions free. He also wanted to scream at the sky, but at least controlled that one single urge. With Mikoto in his lap, he could try and reign in his control. For their family and their clan.

“She is in so much pain...” he whispered after a good half an hour of silence.

“She’s strong.”

“Hn.”

“Is Itachi with her?”

“Hn.”

“Good. Come, you need sleep,” Mikoto finally stood and he again followed her orders without any resistance. Fugaku wasn’t sure if he could sleep now.

Birds outside their window were chirping, the sun was shining. The world had not ended. Even if it felt otherwise. Mikoto closed the curtains and the darkness soothed his mood. Then she led him to the bed and tucked him in like a child. He fell into a deep sleep within seconds.

How do you find someone who doesn’t want to be found? It helps when you know their habits and vices. Orochimaru was lucky that he knew unwillingly of Tsunade’s more questionable activities.

The man raced with time as he made the journey towards the Fire Nation capital. With the first crack of dawn, he made it to the city. He skipped inns and casinos. He didn’t stop at bars or underground gambling holes.

Orochimaru went straight to the one person who would know the exact location of the slug princess. With no hesitation, he broke down the door, and ignoring the guards that took out their weapons, the snake approached a plump man counting his money.

“Where issssss she?” he hissed.

“Now, now, everyone calm down,” the man raised his hands defensively with a nervous laugh.

“WHERE. IS. SHE.”

“Ahh, well I wouldn’t know who you are looking for, but I am sure, we can…”

Orochimaru didn’t have time for this! He appeared behind the man and smashed his head to the table. “Tsunade. You are her bookie, yessss? Where is she?”

“TEA! Land of Tea!” the man hurried to stutter in fear for his life. Orochimaru was gone before the man could even blink.

By the time the sun reached noon, Orochimaru was across the country and crossing the border. Around twelve hours have passed since he left Konoha and the sannin struggled to keep his calm demeanor.

As he reached a port village, the man was near panic levels of anxiety. He burst through the door into a smoke-filled den of gamblers. Quickly eyes zeroed in on one particular blond woman in the back. Orochimaru marched straight to her, grabbed her collar, and dragged the woman outside. She seemed to be drunk enough to hesitate, before pushing his hand away with her incredible strength.

“What the fuck, Orochi?” she slurred taking in his appearance.

“No, time. We havvvve to go,” he hissed attempting to grab Tsunade again. She leaped away and he ran after. “TSUNADE! STOP!” he yelled as the anger bubbled dangerously close to the surface.

Finally, as they were crossing a small park, Orochimaru caught up to her and tackled the woman to the ground. “STOP!” he sneered into her face.

“Orochi… calm the fuck down!” she pushed him away but didn’t run again.

“We. Have. To. Go,” the air filled with killing intent. Tsunade stepped back as her eyes narrowed.

“I’m going nowhere until you tell me what’s this about.”

Orochimaru inhaled deeply. His hands were clenched into shaky fists by his sides. Breath, he told himself. Bloodlust was gone when he took another inhale. “Tsunade. I need you. In Konoha.”

“HEEEEEELL NO!” she stumbled back with her arms raised. “I’m going there only in a dead body scroll!”

“Tsunade… pleasssse…” his voice broke.

“Lady Tsunade! What happened!?!” a woman caught up to them, but sannin paid her no mind.

“Orochimaru, what happened?” Tsunade looked completely sobered up as her calculating eyes took another look at her disheveled teammate. She carefully stepped closer to the man.

“My.. my student is injured.. And there issss nothing I can do…” he spoke with such raw pain, that Tsunade was taken aback. She obviously never could have imagined him having such strong feelings. And Orochimaru didn’t care that his emotions were on display. He didn’t care about keeping appearances.

The man feared across the nations fell to his knees. “I beg of you, Tsunade! Pleasssse! Save her!” his head was bowed down and there was warm liquid gathering at the corners of his eyes.

“Orochi… I don’t heal anymore, you know tha…” she stopped mid-sentence when he lifted his head. “You’re… you’re crying!” the woman stepped back. Her hands went up quickly to dispel this illusion. Yet nothing happened.

“Pleasssse… I cannot losssse another one…” Orochimaru whispered.

“Orochi.. I am sure that medics in Konoha are skilled enough to…”

“It’s chakra burns… savvier chakra burnssss. You and I both know they are not equipped to deal with that.”

The woman crouched beside him while biting her lip. He looked straight into honey-colored eyes. She knew. He knew. If anyone had a chance and skill, it was Tsunade.

“Please,” he whispered. “She wants to be the next Hokage…”

Tsunade winced. This was a low blow. It showed just how desperate the man was. The woman cursed and threw her hands in the air.

“Fine,” he perked up hearing her voice. “But you’ll tell me in detail exactly what happened!”

Orochimaru pulled himself from the ground and gave a single stern nod. “We don’t have much time. Let’ssss go,” the snake said. Emotions locked away again. There was hope on the horizon.

Kabuto diligently made his rounds. There were many new patients as a result of last night's attack. The boy managed to avoid any commotion only thanks to Itachi-sama. He was about to report back when he entered his senpai’s office to find the teen leaning on a sink. Black hair like a curtain hid his face.

“Itachi-sama,” the boy cleared his throat after a second of hesitation.

“Kabuto-san,” a ragged voice greeted him. Kabuto adjusted his glasses and stepped inside. Surely his teacher could not be that upset over an overnight shift, no matter how demanding they were. The only logical explanation was that something else happened.

“I can come back later, senpai,” he muttered, placing the papers he had on the teen's desk. He heard Itachi take a long breath before the teen straightened up and turned to face him.

“It’s fine. I actually wanted your eyes on something,” Itachi said gently, but Kabuto could barely hear him. His eyes were focused on the red puffy eyes staring at him.

“Yes, senpai,” Kabuto answered.

“Here,” Itachi handed him a chart.

It was a patient chart. No name or code number, just injuries and provided treatment. The boy hummed flipping through the pages. He had not seen anyone with such injuries, so it had to be one of the classified cases. Talking about the injuries… it was bad. Very bad. But it could also be worse.

“Your work on tissue regeneration… could it be applied here?” Itachi asked after the boy stayed silent.

“Hmm. Maybe… but it still needs a layer of skin to be there. At least something to attach itself to and encourage the healing, Itachi-sama,” he thought aloud.

“Can you test it out and get the numbers for me?”

“Of course, senpai!” Kabuto carefully placed the chart back on the table and bowed before leaving. This was serious. His teacher entrusted him with something important here, Kabuto could feel it.

Even if the chances were slim, Kabuto will do anything in his power to not disappoint the one person who believed in him. Who gave him hope and a new life. Whoever this patient was, Kabuto knew he had to help them.

Tsunade wished to have a sake bottle in her hand right now.

“Shit…” she cursed again after Orochimaru finally finished recalling what happened in her village. To think that the fox appeared and was stopped by some Uchiha brat? She was impressed, although her emotional bandwidth for the day was slowly reaching the cap.

First, she was dragged out by the snake, then she witnessed his breakdown (and praise Kami, Orochi actually has feelings!), then she heard of the attack on Konoha. The image of what could be waiting for her there was not a pleasant one.

She didn’t say anything, but her mind already prepared for the very real possibility of arriving to a dead child. They were still miles away from Konoha. Suddenly, Orochimaru stopped.

“What is it?” she too dropped down on the ground next to him. Her eyes noticed him taking a kunai… Tsunade’s first instinct was to dodge and curse as it turned out to be a ruse and a masterful lie on Orochimaru’s part. Yet he dropped the kunai on the ground instead after infusing it with some chakra.

Now she really had to dodge as another man appeared where the kunai was just a second ago. “Minato!” she yelped recognizing the brat.

“Hold on!” the other blond said before hugging her and they were off. Flying Thunder God technique turned out to be an experience she would never forget.

It felt like her body broke down on a molecular level, was sucked into a void, and then recollected itself. She felt dizzy and nauseous and… “Never do that shit again!” she pushed Minato away after finding her footing.

“I’m sorry, Lady Tsunade, but there is no time we can waste,” he straightened up. Taller than she remembered him. There were many wrinkles of worry on the young face looking at her. Tsunade sighed.

“Yeah yeah, show me,” she brushed it off and finally looked around. They were at Konoha gates. Sun was starting its descent. As they ran across the roofs, she noticed more signs of the battle Orochimaru spoke off.

Two minutes later, she was back in the place where she swore never to step her foot again. The hospital was buzzing, full of life and death. “Is she still…?” Tsunade asked the blond leading the way.

“Yes. Medics kept her stable and fixed some internal damage,” Minato said just as they rounded the corner into the ANBU sector. She spotted masked guards hidden in the shadows. “In there,” Minato pointed at the last door, where protection seals were even more evident.

Tsunade left the Hokage in the corridor and stepped inside. The room was white, with no windows, everything sterile. There was a see-through curtain around a single bed.

“Tsunade-sama,” a medic turned to her from the table where he was preparing medicine.

“Chart!” Tsunade ordered without pleasantries. She was handed a detailed chart. Orochimaru wasn’t kidding… her status was on a thin line between death and recovery.

Putting the papers away, the woman stepped inside the curtained-off perimeter and started her own diagnostics. The little girl before her was covered with a thin and almost sheer fabric, but otherwise, she was bare. The red muscle tissue pulsed under her glowing palms. It was horrific yet something she had seen before.

Tsunade had to bite the inside of her cheek to cope with all that sea of red. She didn’t think of it as blood. No blood. That’s only muscle, she told herself, making the mind focus on what was inside and not her own past...

She scrunched her face. “Who was in charge of the initial operation?”

“I was, Tsunade-sama,” she turned to the medic and gave him a look over. He was young. Very young. Dark long hair, dark eyes. He looked like…

“Uchiha?”

“Itachi Uchiha, yes, mam,” the boy was polite and damn skilled! She noticed how carefully the blood vessels and muscle was treated while removing foreign material with the burned skin.

Tsunade turned her eyes back to the girl and focused. With internal injuries mostly taken care of, with exception of the mangled left arm bone, the biggest problem left was the skin. The child could easily fall into shock or get sepsis.

She inhaled and exhaled. “Come here, brat, I’ll show you how it’s done.”

When Minato disappeared in the middle of the meeting, Shikaku could only sigh as he was used to this already. Still, it left him to deal with the new council's concerns.

After the Shimura incident, the old council was retired and a new council was chosen. It represented the major elements of Konoha: the T&I chiefs, ANBU commander, head of the police, civilian representative, hospital head medic, the academy director, and himself as the jonin commander.

“Should we continue without Hokage-sama and Fugaku-sama present?” Inoichi asked.

“Troublesome,” he sighed, rubbing at his nose bridge. “Yes, we should continue and prepare our suggestions for when Hokage returns. What is the status at the hospital?”

“The injured are taken care of. Triage stations are working to accommodate everyone. But we need to send more medical supplies,” the head medic reported.

“What is the damage to our infrastructure?” he asked the civilian man.

“Mild. Most of the damage is concentrated on the village wall, but houses need only minimal repairs and… cleaning,” the man said referring to blood, guts, and whatnot. He also presented with the list of damaged structures.

“Alright. We should increase the border patrol security,” Shikaku nodded to the ANBU commander in mutual understanding that this job will fall on their divisions.

“Inoichi, how are your new… tenants doing?”

“We started preliminary identification and sorting of those who survived. As there are quite a few, it would not be feasible to mind walk all of them. We have to locate higher ranking ones that could hold the most information.”

The torture division chief nodded. Time was precious and sensitive. Before the news of the attack on Konoha spreads out, they had to get all the facts and prepare their public response.

“Could you also inform the daimyo about the upcoming political… negotiations?” Shikaku turned to the civilian again.

“Of course. A message was already sent. Are we expecting to start a war again?” the man’s question was frank but not out of bounds.

Former leaders had started wars for less. As it stands now, their Hokage’s family was targeted, the village was infiltrated and attacked. They could not brush such dire actions under the rug. The Village Hidden in The Mist made a grave error and they will pay one way or the other.

Finally, the meeting was over, Minato had not returned. Nara guessed that their Hokage was in the hospital either for his wife or…

He looked up at the darkening sky. It was colored in a deep shade of red as if bleeding together with all those they lost last night. They didn’t lose many shinobi. A few chunin, one jonin, and some guards. Civilians were evacuated by the police just in the nick of time before the fights really broke out.

Shikaku didn’t envy Fugaku at the moment. He would not wish this even on an enemy. No surprise that the man skipped the council meeting. Yet, it still worried him. Fugaku would be the first one to advocate for retribution. If he wasn’t doing that… then…

After another moment of deliberation, Shikaku walked himself to the Uchiha compound. He bought two large bottles of sake on the way.

“Mikoto,” he greeted the woman that opened the door.

“Shikaku. Please, come inside,” she showed him to the room with open doors leading into the inner garden. She looked calm and stoic, but even in her impeccable mask, he could see small cracks. Maybe he just spent too much time looking into her daughter's mask, to be able to see those cracks…

“Please wait a moment, I will get him shortly,” she said before leaving.

“Hn,” after a few minutes Fugaku emerged. The man looked like he just returned from war. Tired, disheveled, and empty.

Without saying another word, Shikaku poured two glasses. They drank in silence. Who would have thought that Nara would one day be supporting Uchiha like this? Shikaku’s father did not keep good relations with Uchiha before. He didn’t expect to do it either…

All changed after that first game of shogi with the tiny prodigy. Ten years he spent looking behind the cold exterior and the frowns and very few words. He learned of just how deep Uchiha relationships and bonds went.

He watched as the girl grew up into a fierce kunoichi. She was often mistaken for a cold and detached person. People could not be more wrong about her. He saw the flames in her eyes and the passion in them.

Oh, how he laughed, when Yoshino pointed out that the girl had a crush on him. It was very sweet and pure, that he could not hold back using that information against the kid. His one goal was to finally make her blush and lose the iron-clad control she had on her display of emotions.

She was a sweet child when you took the time to actually look at her. She was kind in her own way. Loving and fiercely determined. To see her hurt, was the same as seeing his own child injured… She still is that sweet child, he corrected himself and sipped more of the sake.

“She’ll be fine, she’s a fighter,” Shikaku said looking into the evening sky outside.

“Hn.” Silence. After a few sips, Fugaku spoke again. “Did she ever tell you how she awakened her sharingan?”

Shikaku raised his eyebrow. “No, she did not.”

“Ryoko didn’t know what sparring was at that age and she truly believed I was attacking Itachi,” Nara could very well see that exact moment happening. A smile tugged on his lips. “So she jumped in between us, right in front of my kunai. Without hesitation…”

The smile was swept away and Shiakus face scrunched in contemplation. Yes, that sounded like Ryoko he knew. She had no reservations when it came down to protecting those that are dear to her. “Hmm, yes. She did the same thing yesterday,” he nodded. “Only the danger was real. There could have been many more dead if not for her actions.”

“Hn.”

“Konoha is in Uchiha debt.”

“No… It was her duty. She wants to be a Hokage after all.”

Shikaku’s eyes widened. He glanced at his friend and, yes that was not a joke. Well, what do you know? Ryoko Uchiha the next Hokage? He could see that happening…

“Fugaku, this might be out of bounds, but… do you have any idea how she managed to take control of the Fox?”

“Ah yes…” there was a shadow of a smile on the man’s face. “There are scriptures about Uchiha controlling the tailed beast with sharingan. Specifically Madara Uchiha. I believe that is where she got the idea. He is her idol.”

“Waaait a minute…” he blinked rapidly. “So it was not a coincidence she had that scythe during chunin exams?”

Fugaku actually laughed. “Precisely. She is still trying to get me to buy her a gunbai to match.”

Shikaku chuckled. Ryoko was not making it easy for herself if she was so determined to embody the questionable Uchiha from her clan. The one that was feared across all elemental nations. No, he really could not see Ryoko being like Madara. She was too cute for that.

Kakashi returned with his teams empty-handed. They tracked the sents until they split up. They would have continued the hunt if not for the hostile borders in front of them. Entering Water Country was out of the question. So they returned to report back.

He was not happy. He felt ashamed to have failed the mission. He felt… angry at himself. As they stood in front of the ANBU commander, he reported dryly and hopped to get another chance to redeem himself…

“Alright, you are dismissed for now. Return after 24 hours for your next mission,” the commander said, making a couple of notes on the report.

Agents bowed and left. Kakashi remained. He straightened up when the commander gave him a questioning look. “Yes, Hound?”

He held his breath while taking out the mask he carried in the pocket close to his chest. Kakashi placed it on the desk and stepped back still without breathing. It felt like the air would make him choke.

“Ahh, right. Thank you, I should probably get this fixed. I have a feeling Fox will not be bed tied for too long,” the commander said turning the mask in his hands.

Kakashi froze. “Excuse me, commander. Did you say that Fox will return?”

“Mhm. You probably missed the debriefing as you were on the mission. Fox is in the hospital. Alive for now.”

He finally could exhale as the information registered in his mind. “For now?” he questioned carefully.

“Hmm. I cannot share medical records, Hound.”

Kakashi nodded, taking the hint. Right. He couldn’t, but someone else could. After bowing again, the teen disappeared. His heart fluttered in his chest. Fox wasn’t dead yet… There won’t be another name scratched into the Memorial Stone…

This was almost the same feeling he had when he saw Obito alive again. Damn Uchiha will be the cause for his untimely death one day.

Chapter Text

Part of Kakashi was appalled by what he was doing, but another part of him, greatly encouraged by Obitos silent whispers in his head, said that it was the right thing to do. That’s how the teen justified him sneaking into Itachi Uchiha’s office and snooping around his cases.

It wasn’t that hard to find one that stood out. No name or even code number. The date of hospitalization also matched. He urgently opened the file and skimmed through the notes.

“Eight hours?” he mumbled, impressed and horrified at the same time. That’s how long the first operation took. Removal of burned flesh and shrapnel. Kakashi didn’t have to understand the medical jargon to know that it had to be painful.

All because he abandoned his post as a captain and left her alone… The boy clenched his jaw and put the file back where he found it. He had to see it for himself. If just to plunge the kunai of guilt deeper into his soul.

Kakashi stalked the corridors of the hospital until he found the right room. Sharingan really helped a lot with that. Ryoko’s chakra was something he could not miss, no matter how weak it was. His hand hovered over the doorknob as he coped to open it.

“No visitors,” another hand was placed on his shoulder. Kakashi glanced over his shoulder to see none other than Itachi Uchiha himself.

“Ahh, just a quick peek?” he made an innocent smile crinkle his visible eye.

“She’s not something to gawk at, Hatake-san,” auch. The teen looked agitated and tired. His comment was not the usual example of politeness.

“Hmm… is she… alright?” Kakashi asked after a long pause. He didn’t feel like arguing with Ryoko’s older brother.

“For now.”

“Why does everyone keep saying that?”

“Because any infection or mild distress could sway the odds,” it was said so plainly and truthfully that Kakashi didn’t know how to respond. He gave a hesitant nod and pulled his hand away from the door.

Just as Kakashi was walking away, he heard Itachi’s voice. “Oh, and Hatake-san, I do not appreciate people snooping around my desk.”

Kakashi pretended like he didn’t hear that. A swirl of leaves was the only thing he left behind.

…

. . .

. . .

It hurt. It hurt all over. It felt like her body was burning from the inside out. And it also felt like her skin was stretched and puffy. Ryoko was awakened by that pain. She took a shaky breath trying to keep her composure before actually opening her eyes again.

“Koko?” a familiar voice called for her. It was soft and distant, but she heard him. Ryoko’s eyes fluttered open to see Itachi looming over her. She wanted to say his name, but he shook his head. “Don’t speak. Water first, okay?”

It didn’t look like she had much choice. Ryoko winked in understanding and felt a straw being placed to her lips. This was the best-tasting water she ever had. It felt so fresh and pure. Ah, it was delicious!

“Good,” Itachi smiled at her. Why was he treating her like a baby? Ryoko tried to shift in her spot, but a single movement shot a surge of pain through her. The girl cringed.

“Easy now, let me help you,” he gently placed his hands around her shoulders. They were glowing green and that light brought numbness to her flesh as he adjusted Ryoko to a sitting position.

Her eyes could now fully see the cause for the pain - bandages. She was covered in them. Her whole left hand and chest as far as she could see over the hospital gown were covered in them.

“Oh,” she whispered while taking in the sight. “How long?” she hesitated to ask, but the sooner she knew the better.

“You’ve been here for two weeks now,” he replied. As soon as Itachi took away his glowing hands, the pain returned. This time, Ryoko suppressed the frown and endured it in silence.

Her eyes closed to recall the last thing she remembered. It was Minato… a little blond child... Fox... the vision of her parents… a distant voice asking her to stay… “Everyone else?” Ryoko rasped as her eyes opened again.

“Everyone is fine. Thanks to you,” Itachi gave her a smile, but it looked sad.

“Don’t be sad, bother,” she tilted her head slightly. Auch. Wrong move. Now she clearly felt the bandages on her neck too.

“I’m not sad, Ryoko. I am happy to see you awake again,” he was honest, she would know. Another painful nod later, Ryoko was ready to get this over with.

“When am I getting out?”

“Ah, we’ll have to see what your doctor says,” he smirked. Ryoko scrunched her eyebrows in a questioning manner. She was under the impression that he was her doctor?

“Finally! You’re awake, brat. Honestly, if I’d have to suffer Orochi any longer, I would be left with no choice, but to use force to knock you back to the land of the living,” Ryoko turned to see a tall blond woman enter the room.

“Tsunade-sama?” she croaked out. The rhombus symbol on her forehead was a dead giveaway.

“That’s right, kid. Now let’s see what we have here,” she spared no introductions and proceeded to use the same medical ninjutsu as Itachi did. The cool buzzing of chakra washed over her body like waves in the ocean.

“When can I go?” Ryoko repeated her question.

“Pipe down, child. You are lucky you can still move after your stupid actions out there.”

Ryoko pouted. Sharingan was not stupid… She’s pretty sure Madara-sama used it on a Fox before. And he was not stupid!

The sannin exhaled deeply and pierced her with honey colored eyes. “Why did you touch the fox?”

“Contact made it easier to keep the fox under the genjutsu,” it felt like she was revealing clan secrets, but who cares anymore? Ryoko was pretty sure that nobody was about to repeat her actions anyways.

More questions followed. How did she feel? How were her eyes? Could she use chakra? And yes, thank you very much, she could! Sharingan felt nice as she stared at the woman through her red eyes. Moving her hand was a bit more challenging. It felt like every action would make her skin rip.

“Alright. Two more weeks here and bed rest at home,” finally Tsunade told her verdict.

“But! I’m fine! I…”

“Shut it, brat. You’ll be here as long as I tell you to be. And I’ll strap you to the bed if I have to,” the older woman looked serious. “You,” the woman pointed her long manicured finger at Itachi. “Home. Rest. I don’t want to see you anywhere near the hospital for at least 24 hours.”

Itachi looked like he wanted to disagree, but Ryoko gave him a stern look too. He looked tired, even she could tell. Eventually, her brother left. Tsunade stayed.

“So, how bad is it really?” Ryoko asked the woman.

“Nothing pretty, I’ll tell you that. There will be scars. But… there are a couple of options…”

“I don’t care about that!” Ryoko wanted to wave her hand but dropped the action after pain shot through her again after moving. “When can I be back on duty?”

“Ah, well. Mobility will take a while to get back. We have done sessions to regrow the damaged skin, but it will take some time until you are fully mobile again without damaging yourself further.”

“Hn.”

“ANE!”

Ryoko smirked at the little ravenhead that popped into her room. Sasuke was growing up fast. He had no trouble walking up to her bed, with watchful Mikoto behind him. The boy stopped himself just before leaping into her arms.

“Hm? Sasuke? You don’t want to hug me?” she frowned.

“Can I? I won’t hurt you?” the boy was adorable.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Come here,” Ryoko beckoned him. It was all the encouragement Sasuke needed. He happily smiled and jumped into her bed and into her bandaged arms. Ryoko suppressed a wince from the sudden impact. Holding Sasuke close to her was worth it.

“Sasuke-kun, calm down,” Mikoto said gently.

“It’s fine, mother.”

“Hn.”

“Hn.”

“Father will stop by later, after work.”

“Ah, you really don’t have to come here every day,” Ryoko rolled her eyes. After she had woken up, her family kept a strict visiting schedule. She swears that she had seen them more than when she actually lived at home.

Even Obito with Shisui made time to see her. Once, at night, Ryoko could swear she sensed a familiar lightning chakra outside the window. Her ANBU team stopped by on a couple of occasions. Along with the Hokage who thanked her until Ryoko had to fake sleep to get him to leave. There was only one person that had not shown his face yet…

“Nonsense! Besides, we are also visiting Kushina-san later,” Mikoto chirped.

“Hn. How are they?”

“She is almost fully recovered! Miraculous healing skills, every medic said so.”

“So I’ve heard,” Ryoko reclined to her pillows, while Sasuke cuddled to her side. Gently she brushed his untamed black hair. Itachi already filled her in about the tailed beasts healing abilities. Of course, the damage made on the woman's chakra coils is almost irreversible, but she would live. As well as their newborn daughter.

“Uchiha-sama, Uchiha-hime,” the gentle voice took their attention to the gray-haired boy who entered the room.

“Ah, Kabuto-kun, nice to see you,” Mikoto smiled at him. “I’ve heard you started an apprenticeship under Lady Tsunade?”

“Yes. Thanks to Itachi-sama’s recommendations,” the boy bowed with respect. He could be a carbon copy of her older brother if not for the difference in looks. His manners were pristine, no wonder the two got along so well. “I am sorry to say, but visiting hours are over. I am here to continue with treatment.”

Ryoko frowned. Hospital. She hated them before, but now… She would never step a foot in here again. Reluctantly, Sasuke was taken away and her mother left.

“If I may, Uchiha-hime,” he said curtly. She nodded and heaved herself up into a sitting position. It would be embarrassing if not for the respectable manner Kabuto handled himself in. He gently yet efficiently lifted her gown and started to redress her bandages.

“Uchiha-hime?”

“Hn?”

“Maybe you reconsidered? The treatment would be very effective to reduce scarring…”

“No. I am not putting fish skin on my skin.”

She noticed a smirk on his lips. “Well, technically you don’t have skin.”

“Yet.”

“Yet. The last procedure is tomorrow, but… I would still strongly recommend that you reconsider.”

“Listen, smartass, I don’t care about scars as long as I can still cast jutsu and move.”

“I see,” he nodded and continued applying the medicine on her. The cold of it was soothing. But still, she hoped it would be all over soon.

It felt like an end to an era, when in actuality it was just an end to a very long year. Ryoko was finally back at home with her family. Tsunade performed the last surgery to regenerate a layer of skin. It still felt tender and weak, but it was a start.

Ryoko stood in front of her mirror wearing only underwear. Her fingers traced over the scars. Even a minor touch sent tingling pain to her nerves. Annoying. Itachi assured her that it would pass, but her patience was wearing off.

It had been a month since everything happened. She was still under house rest and off the mission roster. “So weak…” she muttered before applying medicine as Kabuto taught her to. Then bandages followed.

She smirked. If her hair was cut shorter, she could probably pass as Obito now. That was an amusing thought…

“Ryoko! Are you ready?” her mother called.

“Yes,” she said tying the bandage around her waist. Her clothing hid most of it. Only her left arm was still bandaged to the tips of her fingers and her neck… Ryoko inhaled and stepped outside into the garden. There was a table with generous amounts of food and her family around it. This. This is what she was fighting for.

“Happy birthday, cousin,” Shisui appeared next to her and gave a hug before the girl could even greet him.

“Ryoko-san, happy birthday,” a tall woman approached next with Obito by her side.

“Kyoko-san,” she bowed her head slightly. They’ve met a few times now. It was still a bit awkward, but the woman was her family. She was Obito’s mother. She was someone Ryoko would protect too.

Maybe my fourteenth year in this world would be better? Ryoko thought looking over her family with hidden tenderness in her eyes. Together they would surely be okay.

Chapter Text

Ryoko was going out of her mind from boredom. She was not only banned from missions but training as well! She felt like a child again. So she slept. A lot. And just like in her youth, Mikoto quickly fed up with that behavior and forcefully dragged her out to Nara compound.

That wasn’t such a bad thing really. Ryoko was already fed up with her clansman whispering behind her back. She heard them complain. The displeasure among Uchiha was growing. To Ryoko, it sounded rather immature, but she could not blame them too much.

For the most part, her clan was getting restless from Danzo being still alive. And now, after the nine tails attack, you would think Uchiha would get the gratitude and respect they deserve? No, of course not. People feared the power of sharingan. Their reputation was very much like during the warring era.

“You okay, kid?” Shikaku’s voice brought Ryoko back from her thoughts.

“Hn.”

“Your game is sloppy today,” he remarked, claiming another of her pieces.

“Old man, do you know if Orochimaru-sensei is still out on a mission?”

Who would have thought that her sensei would become the diplomatic liaison with the villages that in one way or another harmed her? Ryoko was highly impressed to learn that. Her respect for sensei's self-control was never higher. She wasn’t even upset anymore that he didn’t visit her in the hospital. But she still missed him…

“Ah, I think he should be back tomorrow,” Nara answered with a kind and knowing smile.

“Hn. Wanna bet on our next game?” she smirked.

“No chance in hell.”

“Do I have to go?” Ryoko frowned, tugging her shirt over freshly changed bandages. It was a warm night, so for once, the girl wore something without sleeves, compensated only by a high turtle neck. It was reminiscent of her ANBU uniform. She sighed.

“Yes, cousin! We have to celebrate!” Obito chirped from the other side of her bedroom door.

“I still don’t see anything special that should be celebrated…” Ryoko would have rather spent her night asleep, but here she was, unable to turn down an invitation from her favorite cousin. She sighed again and tied her Leaf headband over her bicep, conveniently covering her ANBU tattoo.

“Well, for one, Itachi is not here to stop us,” the boy chuckled when she finally stepped out. That was true. Her big brother would surely be opposed to her going to a bar. But he was away with father on clan business.

“Still..”

“Second,” Obito cut her off as they walked outside. “If you stay inside any longer, people will start thinking that you’re detained or something.”

She scoffed. That was a ridiculous claim. Ryoko was pretty sure that her cousin was full of shit. But he was entertaining, so she allowed it. Shisui met them by the gates of the compound. This combination would not end well, she could feel it.

As they walked down the evening streets of the village, some people openly stared. Either because they were Uchiha, or because of Obito’s looks, or because of Ryoko’s bandages. You could hardly pick a single reason for the looks they received.

“Shisui, I think you’re not fitting in,” she said randomly.

“Huh?” the boy looked dumbfounded with innocent big eyes staring at her in confusion.

“Princess, that’s mean,” Obito chuckled. “But, we could always beat him up to match us if you want?”

“Nah, he’ll probably risk his life stupidly sooner or later,” Ryoko shrugged.

“Or maybe! I’m just that good that I can get away with it without being disfigured!” Shisui finally caught on to her insinuations. They all laughed unaffected or insulted by the dark humor. It was refreshing to have someone to talk to who didn’t tiptoe about her injuries.

They ended up in a shinobi bar. Ryoko was never the one to go out with friends. For that, you would need to have friends in the first place… But this felt nice. She got a drink and settled by a table in the back with Shisui and Obito by her sides.

Ryoko, even being only fourteen, was considered an adult in Konoha. Back in her past life, it would be different. Even though drinking happened far too often, it was still illegal. Not like anyone cared too much about teenage drinking problems… It’s good to be a shinobi. She guessed that some needed the haze to forget the blood on their hands. She just liked the taste of it.

“Jeez, you would think shinobi would be more discrete,” Obito shook his head slightly. He was right. Other patrons in the bar did not hide their curiosity over the trio.

There was a group of Hyuga who sent chills with their blank eyes. Ryoko noticed her former teammate Viper among the group and gave him a covert ‘hello’ with a hand sign. There were a few other jonin and chunin around, but she didn’t care to look for familiar faces.

“So, Obito, any advice on the whole ‘scared survivor look’ you have going?” she smirked over her tall glass.

“Well, first, don’t wear stripes,” he said seriously.

“Cousin, how can you be so chill about it? I mean… you’re a girl and all… and usually girls care about how they look,” Shisui asked then.

“Hm,” Ryoko took a moment to think. Then her eyes darted to the distance, she leaned closer to her cousin and pointed with her finger in the same direction as her eyes were looking. “Shisui, look there. Do you see it?”

“Huh? What?”

“There, in the distance, the last fuck I gave about other people's opinion just disappeared. Majestic,” she wiped away an imaginary tear. The boys laughed, she liked to hear them laugh.

“Boy… Bakashi was right. You do curse,” Obito shook his head. Ryoko shrugged. Not like she was hiding it. It’s not her fault that her family was not insufferable therefore did not test her temper, unlike Kakashi.

They all drank in silence for a bit. The bar was busy with new patrons coming in and others leaving. It looked like today was the ‘karaoke night’. Drunk enough shinobi had no trouble getting on the stage and sing out of tune songs. It was hard for Ryoko not to cringe. Especially when one Hyuga girl took the spotlight and pulled what Ryoko could only describe as a ‘Britney ™’ vocal run. She cringed.

“Hime, you can sing, right?” Shisui poked her in the ribs.

“No.”

“Oh, why not?” Obito joined in.

“You will stop this train of thought if you know what’s good for you,” she frowned. But the idea was already out there in the void and some mysterious power decided to act on it. Ryoko’s sharp eyes noticed the same Hyuga girl approaching their table. Hyuga had a saccharine smile on her face.

“How nice to see you out and about, Ryoko-chan,” the girl said after nonchalantly taking a seat by their table.

“You know her?” Shisui whispered not so quietly.

“Oh who doesn’t know Ryoko-chan these days?” the girl smiled. “I am actually surprised you couraged to go out looking… like that,” her eyes pointedly dropped to Ryokos’s neck and left arm. Even without pupils, it was easy to tell what the Hyuga was talking about.

Ryoko didn’t want to even bother responding to that. She was not insulted or touched by the girl's jabs. Teenage rivalry or whatever this was, never concerned Ryoko. But after another moment, the girl finally remembered where she had met this Hyuga.

“We were in the Academy,” Ryoko said. The Hyuga girl’s smile looked strained for a second. Yes, this was one of those girls who talked behind her back. One of those who thought her to be only an entitled bookworm.

“That’s right,” the girl confirmed. “We had a spar during your first week.”

Ryoko wanted to smirk but didn’t. Yes, that she remembered. How the girl got annoyed and eventually fell to the ground beaten by a child. “Hn.”

“Soooo, Ryoko-chan, please do share. Are you really not upset that people no longer adore you? I think most fear you now. Think of you as some monster, as truly it would take one to beat one,” the woman spoke softly, but her words were anything but soft.

Shisui’s chakra simmered dangerously out of balance, but Ryoko put her hand on his arm to calm her cousin down. With one look, she made him stay silent instead of the protest he was about to yell out. Ryoko turned her head back at the Hyuga and smiled with a Kakashi level of fake smiles.

“I think if you have any sort of intelligence you can't succumb to adoration because people adore so many things. They also adore things that you might think quite worthless so you can't take it too seriously,” she casually said.

It took a moment for the Hyuga to realize that she was basically called stupid. Props to the woman, as she laughed to camouflage her lack of a rebuttal.

“Ah, you’re sooo funny, Ryoko-chan. Hey, you should sing then, in front of everyone. if you really don’t care,” Hyuga shoved a microphone to her expecting Ryoko to have cold feet. This was a challenge. A test on Ryoko’s pride and words she just said.

“Ohhh, I don’t know…” Ryoko feigned hesitance but finally smirked. “But if you insist.”

She wasn’t sure what came over her. Ryoko only had a minute to panic in her mind as she made her way to the stage. Everyone’s eyes were on her. She felt like an animal in a zoo or a circus. But if they wanted to stare, she would give them this one chance. And if her song will hold veiled threats, well, nobody would comment, she hopped.

Ryoko used to love music in the past life. She wasn’t a singer then. She wasn’t one now. Yet she was blessed with her mother's voice when she tried a few times to hold a melody. Uchiha's genes never stopped to amaze her.

The noise in the bar fell into a silent murmur. They all waited for her to fail. Ryoko stepped on the stage, took a breath, and started the first song that came to her mind. It was a song everyone liked. It was like an anthem in her past, so it had a good chance to work here too if she changed some of the lyrics just right...

“I'm gonna fight 'em off. An elemental army couldn't hold me back. They're gonna rip it off. Taking their time right behind my back,” she snapped her fingers in the right rhythm. The band quickly felt her mood and joined in in a slow jazzy style.

“And I'm talkin' to myself at night Because I can't forget. UUuhhh, Back and forth through my mind Behind a cigarette,” as she sang, Ryoko’s eyes made contact with other shinobi. She would force them to relate. To find a bit of themselves in this song. It was a universal phenomenon. Every shinobi in this place had things on their mind they could not forget.

“And the message comin' from my eyes says, ‘Leave it alone’,” she was serious and clearly sending the message to everyone watching: ‘Leave me the fuck alone because everyone was in the same spot one way or the other’. She continued with her nondirect way of saying ‘fuck off’ via a song.

“Don't wanna hear about it. Every single one's got a story to tell. Everyone knows about it, yeah. From the Fire Daimyo to the hounds of hell,” her eyes stopped at each person who looked as burdened as Ryoko was presumed to be. Just looking in their eyes, she could tell they felt it.

“And if I catch it comin' back my way. I'm gonna serve it to you,” pointedly Ryoko glanced at the Hyuga girl who was fuming with displeasure in the back of the bar.

“And that ain't what you want to hear, But that's what I'll do,” she smirked. “And the feeling coming from my bones says, ‘Protect your home’.”

Ryoko just let go. She let the music guide her voice into casual vocal play. It was rather liberating. “I'm going on a Mission. Far from this Academy forevermore. I'm gonna work the kunai or Make the sweat drip out of every pore!”

It turned out to be not that hard to switch the words around, but make complete sense in a shinobi context. Ryoko was proud of herself. She hoped that White Stripes would be proud of her too…

“And I'm bleeding, and I'm bleeding, and I'm bleeding, Right before my Kage,” at this part, Ryoko allowed for her emotions to show. The frustration, the anger, the dedication. She wasn’t an emotionless puppet. She was a person.

“All the chakra is gonna bleed from me And I will see no more… And the stains comin' from my blood tell me, ‘Go back home’.”

By the end of it, others joined in to the ‘ooooh oh oh oooh ohh’ part of the song. It was a bonding experience. Ryoko counted this as a victory as she stepped off the stage and returned to her table.

“How was that?” she smiled sweetly handing the microphone back to the Hyuga girl. Before the woman could even grasp it, Ryoko let go and the microphone fell to the ground. No, she was not petty, even if it looked like it.

“Damn, hime, you really can sing,” Shisui pushed a new glass for her to drink with a wide smile. The Hyuga girl fled away without another word.

“Just wanted to make a point,” she shrugged, taking a small sip. After the mission with Kakashi, she didn’t want to risk getting drunk again.

“Yeah, you were not too discreet about it,” Obito chuckled.

“DAMN GIIIIRL!” Anko appeared with a loud bag of her bottle hitting their table. She took a seat next to Obito. Her eyes were viciously mischievous. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, Ryoko thought that adding Anko in the mix with Obito and Shisui would not end well for anyone involved… She ignored that thought and smiled just for a second at the woman.

“Anko. Have you met my cousins before?”

“We’ve met,” the woman poked Obito’s side. They looked familiar with each other. “I’m internshipping at T&I,” she added to answer Ryoko’s unspoken question.

This was going to be interesting.

Orochimaru returned in the dead of night. He felt much calmer now after visiting the Land of Sound on his way. But now, he was desperate to see his student again. Just to make sure that she is still there. Alive.

He summoned his snake that had kept watch over her for the past month and got her current location, which surprisingly was not the Uchiha compound.

“What do you think you’rrrre doing?” he asked drily the teens casually swimming in a lake as he stood on top of its surface.

“SENSEI!” Ryoko yelped and swam towards him. Her cheeks were slightly red, and although she did not smell of alcohol, he could tell she was drunk.

“Orochimaru-sama! Aww, you came to join us?” the girl's cousin gave him a dopey smile. Shisui, was it? While Ryoko struggled to climb to the surface of the lake. The sannin tsk’ed his tongue.

“No chakra,” he chastised the girl grabbing onto her collar and pulling her up. She looked like a wet cat dangling in the air from his arm.

“Aww, sensei! I missed you!” her hands reached out, but he kept her at a safe distance so as to not get wet. Orochimaru sighed and averted his eyes to the other three idiots in the lake.

“Don’t drownnnn, I’m taking Ryoko for a while,” Orochimaru finally said before jumping away. Kami knows he did not want to find out what Obito and Anko were doing under the water. Better to leave before they could even try to think of an explanation for this nonsense.

“Oh, I think I’m gonna be sick,” Ryoko wobbled on her feet after they appeared in his home.

“Don’t even think about it,” he shot a warning stare at the girl. She gave a thumbs up instead of a nod and took a couple of long breaths.

He looked her over carefully. She was alive. She was well. She was there. It reminded the man of how light his heart felt the first time Tsunade reported on her condition getting better.

“Yourrrrrr bandages are ruined, what were you thinking, child?” he said instead of the words his mind wanted to say. He wanted to say just how much he missed Ryoko. He wanted to say how much she worried him.

“Ah, I’m pretty sure we were not thinking much,” the girl shrugged. Yes, that sounded about right. He exhaled.

“Come,” the snake turned to leave to his study. The girl trailed behind him. Never out of his field of vision. After a few minutes of searching, he pulled out a scroll.

“Write your name in herrrrre,” he ordered. Ryoko looked closely at the paper presented before her.

“Mmm, sensei? But… I already have summons?”

Clever girl. He wanted to smile but didn’t. “That’ssss not a problem. Now do it.”

“Alright, sensei,” the smile on her face was full of trust and confidence. She would do anything he asked for and it warmed his empty insides.

Even if Orochimaru was away, he still got regular updates on Ryoko. He was aware of her health and mental status. It worried him, that she kept herself isolated for a long while. He feared that she might eventually turn out just like him. That is why he made this decision to share his contract with the snakes.

It might sound counterintuitive, but there was a reason for it. He wanted Ryoko to shed her old skin. He wanted her to grow unburdened by the marks left on her by the monster. That is why he was ready to share one of his more guarded secrets with her. Just like Ryoko trusted him, Orochimaru trusted her.

When the final kanji was left with blood, Orochimaru summoned a pair of snakes. Without another word, snakes coiled around them and poofed out of existence and into the realm of serpents. Dragon Ground Cave.

“Oh, I’m really gonna puke now,” Ryoko tumbled to the side and indeed emptied her stomach this time. Orochimaru reminded himself that he would have to have a talk with her cousins.

“Come,” he ordered the girl when she was all done. They walked in silence deeper into the cave. Snakes slithered in the shadows whispering about their presence. It has been a long time since another human stepped a foot in here.

Ryoko didn’t question where they were or why they were going there and that is another reason Orochimaru was fond of the girl. Even dazed she was clever enough to figure it out.

“OROCHIMARU!” Manda’s voice echoed from a distance. The colossal snake wasted no time attacking them. Sannin ignored the creature and with Ryoko securely grabbed in his arms, dashed further into the depths of the cave.

“White Ssssnake Sage,” he bowed slightly before the elder. Split eyes stared curiously at the girl he placed before the snake.

“You’ve changed, Orochimarrrru,” the sage said after a while.

“Hn,” he didn’t think so, but arguing would not be wise.

“Very well. I have heard your requesssst before, and I will honor it. I am curioussss to see where the flame of your world will take you next,” the sage nodded as his jaw clicked and opened up wider.

“Sensei?” Ryoko turned to him clearly unsure of what was about to happen.

“Don’t fight it, child. I’ll see you again sssssoon,” he smirked and watched as the great white snake ate Ryoko in one quick move.

“Sensei?!” she yelled one last time before the world around her changed into what could only be described as a belly of a snake, which it was.

Ryoko held her breath unsure if she could even breathe in here. She felt pressure from every side. This sucked. Yet it felt oddly soothing too. Calming even. Maybe she was crazy, but Ryoko felt safe in here. Or maybe it was the leftover alcohol in her system making the girl drowsy.

He said not to fight it… Ryoko recalled as her eyes closed. If this is how she dies, so be it. Her body relaxed and she succumbed to the warmth. Sleep came to her like an old friend.

Such a calm, little thing you are.. she heard a foreign voice in her head.

Hello? Ryoko said, ignoring the absurdity of everything that was happening.

Do you trust Orochimaru this much? the voice asked.

Yes. She answered without hesitation.

Why?

He is good. He cares about me. He understands me. I care about him. I understand him. I love him as a father. Her thoughts blurred as she could not stop them. This was definitely not like speaking where you can control what comes out of your mouth. She would never be so blunt otherwise. But it was the truth.

I see. Your thoughts are sincere and true. I do not doubt you. The voice said again. She felt a shift around her. Her skin was tingling as if she was high on ecstasy. Maybe she was.

There was pressure again. Ryoko almost wanted to stay where she was, but all good things eventually come to an end. Her eyes opened to see a light in the distance. She was headed towards it.

Chapter Text

The first breath of air felt like it burned her lungs. It was oddly similar to her birth in this world. Ryoko would have laughed if she could. As it goes now, the girl was unceremoniously spit out on the cold cave floor. She was covered in slime and shivering from the sensations going through her body.

“Sensei?” she called out weakly while her eyes adjusted to the dim light. The man approached her carefully. She looked up at his pale face searching for an explanation.

“Goooood. You’rrrre alive.”

“What… what do you mean?” Ryoko blinked.

“Well, if the ssssage didn’t deem you fit, he would have devourrred you,” he shrugged.

“Hn,” probably Ryoko should be mad at him for being placed in a situation like that. But she wasn’t. Of course, she would be good enough, she was an Uchiha. The girl nodded and tried to stand up. It was a hard task as every part of her body was slippery.

Her drunkenness was gone, so was the pain and other sensations. Ryoko felt oddly calm. As she continued to struggle with standing, Orochimaru finally gave in and wrapped his arm around her shoulders to steady the girl.

Ryoko pressed to his side and sighed with relief. She really missed him. So that’s what she murmured into his chest.

“I’m here now, my child,” he responded brushing one hand over her long hair. “Let’ssss go home.”

Ryoko barely nodded and they were gone. Dragged through the vortex of transportation jutsu. She didn’t feel as dizzy this time, but definitely not pleasant either.

“Take a bath,” Orochimaru ordered as he guided her into his bathroom. Ryoko had some sense to nod before she was left alone.

I wonder how much of that was me being drunk and how much was real… she contemplated while peeling off each layer of her clothing. Then she took off the bandages and paused.

“Huh,” the girl muttered, brushing her fingers over what used to be open wounds, muscle, and burn marks. It was all gone. The skin felt sensitive, but it was skin! Her own flesh!

“Oookay… I’m just not gonna ask…” she shrugged, accepting whatever magic was done to her. Being from a normal, no chakra, world, it was easy for Ryoko to accept all the weird things of the shinobi world. If they could spew fire from their mouths then healing inside a snake was not the oddest thing.

She washed the slime carefully and slowly. With mild adoration to how the sense of touch felt to her skin now. As far as she checked, everything else on her body was left untouched. Her ANBU tattoo was in its place. That one scar on her torso was still there. All her body parts were there. No harm, no foul, was her eventual summary of the situation.

When she stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel, Orochimaru was already waiting for her with a cup of tea. His golden eyes looked closely at her visible neck and left arm. The man motioned her to step closer. His green-lit healing hands hovered over her.

“Go to Tsunade tomorrow forrrr a final checkup.”

“Yes, Sensei.”

“Oh, and Ryoko.”

“Hn?”

“Don’t ever do that again,” the snake looked more angry than serious.

“Sensei?”

“Going alone againsssst a tailed beast. You were barely alive when I found you.”

“Ah, I’m sorry, sensei, but…”

“But?” he arched one delicate eyebrow in question laced with mild irritation.

“I had to protect everyone.”

“And who will protect you?” he chastised. Ryoko could hardly believe that her sensei would ever get this worked up. It’s not her first brush with death and probably not the last. When in doubt, kill them with kindness, she thought, approaching the man who still sent cold daggers in her direction.

Ryoko wrapped her hands around his waist tightly. “I’m sorry, sensei. I’ll be more careful.”

“Don’t think I don’t know what you’rrrrre doing, you manipulative little brrrat,” he scoffed but there was no heat behind his words. Actually, Ryoko could tell that he was smirking from his voice alone. She chuckled still pressed close to him.

“Alright, I am not that sorry. But I do apologize for worrying you, sensei. I would never want to distress you.”

Orochimaru let out an exasperated sigh. “Your existence is distressssssing me,” he whispered, but his hands already moved to return the hug. He was so kind, Ryoko was proved right once again about her assessment of the sannin.

“Hn, it’s a weird sannin thing, ask them,” Ryoko shrugged to the bewildered expression on Itachi’s face.

“Incredible,” her brother muttered, examining her once again. She didn’t speak a word of the snake contract or the details of how the healing happened. She was a bit ashamed to tell her father that she signed another contract behind his back.

At least now Tsunade cleared her to resume training. Missions were still under debate to Ryoko’s dismay. With a scowl, she took what she could get. Ryoko booked the training grounds number 7 and spent there the whole morning practicing jutsu.

Her left arm felt pretty normal. The odd thing happened only when she used more chakra - strange marks would appear on her skin. Like shadows resembling a crackling of lightning. Proof of her former injuries.

It was mid-day when Ryoko finally took a break. She summoned one of her cats and watched it play around with tall grass. At least her first contract was still valid, it was a relief. The girl leaned in the shadow of a tall tree and closed her eyes.

“Yo,” a familiar voice called from above.

“Bakashi,” she greeted without opening her eyes. The teen was probably here to taunt her, she guessed. But the day was so warm and nice, that she did not feel like indulging him.

“Nice pussy,” he remarked innocently.

Ryoko cracked a small smile. She wondered if he was even aware of the innuendo. “Thanks. Cats are way better than dogs.”

She felt Kakashi appear next to her. His shadow looming over her. “Oooh? Is that so?”

“Hn.”

She heard a clung of a kunai and then a poof of smoke around them.

“What’s up, boss?”

“Boss?” Ryoko opened one eye and looked over Kakashi’s pack.

Kakashi ignored her sarcasm and turned to a little pug. “My friend here, says that cats are better than dogs.”

“They are faster for sure,” Ryoko supplied the fuel to the upcoming argument.

“Hmm, that could be true,” the pug nodded to Ryoko’s amusement. She chuckled. Kakashi grabbed his heart as if wounded.

“Hmm, Bakashi, I think my cat is even faster than you.”

“Bullshit.”

“Try catching it then,” she smirked at him. The teen looked torn, but it was a well-known secret that Hatake was competitive. Gai proved it on a daily basis.

“Fine. If I catch it, you owe me.”

“Fine.”

“Fine.”

And Kakashi was off chasing her black ball of fur that darted into the trees. She snickered wishing him good luck. This particular cat was one of the fastest from her summons. And covert too.

“Sooo, boss lady, have any treats?” the pug poked her hand with his wet nose.

“Nop. I can give you a belly rub if you want?” she suggested instead. Kami, she actually liked animals a lot. Dogs were soft and cuddly. And Kakashi’s pack was all for getting free pets.

Eventually, they settled around her. Ryoko hugged the one named Guruko, who looked more than content to lay his head on her chest. The big one, Bull, served her as a pillow. The smallest one, Pakkun, rested on her thighs and others just lounged around.

It was nice and warm. In no time Ryoko fell asleep right there on the training grounds. She missed when Kakashi finally returned with her cat in his hands. She missed how he stared at her. She missed how Pakkun refused to leave just yet. She missed how Guruko nuzzled closer in between her breasts. She was just happily dreaming of killing shinobi. What a life.

“Welcome back, Taicho,” Panda perked up when she stepped into the meeting room. Her Fox mask was fixed and back in place on her face. It has been a month since Tsunade cleared her for training and finally, she got back to shadow ranks.

“Yeah yeah, spare me the pleasantries, we have a mission,” the mask hid her mischievous smile, but her excitement was evident in her tone.

An hour of planning and team Shi was back in business and out of Konoha. Their mission was to infiltrate a noble estate and get evidence of trading with a local mercenary gang. Easy enough, considering their team skills. Or so they thought.

“Seriously?” Lynx whispered as they observed the gates to the estate.

“Yeah, looks like they have some barrier against henges and genjutsu,” Ryoko confirmed after deactivating her sharingan. But they were shinobi for a reason. “It's a temporary setback. It's a momentary loss. Let’s take shifts and observe who comes in and out.”

“Yes, Captain,” her pupils responded in chorus.

After a few days of watch, their target was set. They noticed a woman, clearly a lady of the night, visiting the estate every other evening with her entourage.

“Taicho, how will we get over the barrier?”

“We’ll use the plain old art of disguise,” she smirked. “Cobra, your task is to intercept the woman. I will pose as her. Lynx, Panda, you will come with me. Cobra will keep watch outside and over the victims, in case they come to it before we’re done.”

“Yes, Captain.”

They planned carefully for every possible outcome until the night of action came to be. Cobra used one of his paralytic poisons to subdue the woman and her carriage handler. The two were tied in a secure location.

“Alright, how does this look?” Ryoko asked as she stepped out of the carriage wearing one of the women's kimono. It was in a dark blue shade with intricate embroidery of sparrows. It was a bit tight on her chest, but nothing too bad. She left all weapons behind as her eyes would be enough for this mission.

“Emm,” Panda stuttered looking her over, while Lynx gave a nod, and Cobra just tensed in his place.

“Well?” she asked again impatiently pinning each of them in place with her stern gaze.

“It will work,” Cobra finally cleared his throat. She nodded and turned to look over the bound woman. She couldn't just go dressed as her. She needed to know exactly what would be expected of her.

Ryoko crouched by the woman as much as the kimono allowed, and carefully pried one of the woman’s eyelids open. Her sharingan delved into the woman's memories similarly as she did to Raikage.

“Seriously? Why am I not surprised…” Ryoko sighed after watching over some of the memories.

“Is something wrong?” Panda asked.

“No. The usual. Alright, let’s move,” she stood up brushing the wrinkles away. Her posture straightened and for once Ryoko did look like a noble Uchiha hime people thought her to be.

Panda and Lynx also changed from their uniforms into regular attire. From the memories, she saw, it looked like the men with the woman served as her guards. That served them well, as nobody would question her team's masculine built.

Panda respected his captain. He really did. Fox was amazing in ninjutsu, strong, smart and fair. But damn did she look good in a kimono. He would have lost his cool if not for all the ANBU training he went through to control emotions.

He had never seen her out of the uniform before. Not even in the village. She was like a ghost. He knew of her of course. Who didn’t? Young Uchiha hime in ANBU? She was talked about. He also had seen her face before…

But the combination of it with her in feminine clothing… it was almost too much. He sighed raining stray thoughts back to the mission in front of them. Passing through the gate guards was easy enough.

Fat and imposing noble of the estate greeted them. As per the captain's instructions, he and Lynx kept quiet and followed the pair inside. They were left standing outside the bedroom door, waiting for the signal word.

“Relax,” Lynx whispered to him.

“I am relaxed,” he uttered fidgeting in the spot. Chakra enhanced hearing allowed them to listen in on what was happening in the room.

“You’ve been naughty,” he heard Fox say in a commanding tone. Kami, it was all too familiar to him. She would use the same tone commanding them around! Then there was a sound of something cracking the air.

“Is that…?” he glanced at Lynx.

“Yes. A whip,” his comrade confirmed. Panda swallowed thickly… Man, he wouldn't mind if Fox used a whip on him… He quickly shook his head to banish that particular thought for later.

Then there was a manly yelp and a few more cracks of the whip. “Please, mistress, punish me,” they heard the noble whimper.

“Silence! Did I allow you to speak?” the captain's voice sounded sweet yet still menacing. “We have a looong night ahead of us.”

Lynx straightened up. That was their agreed signal phrase. His comrade nodded once and disappeared in the shadows to collect evidence. Panda was left standing there on guard.

Stay professional… this is a mission… Panda told himself as he listened to the undignified yelps from the other side of the door. Yet his imagination supplied plenty of material to be distracted by. He could just see Fox in that kimono with a whip doing all kinds of things to him...

When Lynx finally returned, Panda was tense and rigid in his spot by the doors. He never imagined for their captain to have such dirty talk skills. He was impressed and aroused at the same time.

“You okay?” Lynx gave him a look.

“Mhm,” Panda stammered out.

Another hour passed before Fox finally emerged. She sighed. “Had to leave marks on him, genjutsu alone would not be enough,” she explained the delay. “Ready to go?”

“Yes,” Lynx nodded, patting his chest casually, where copies of documents were stashed. Panda tried his best to look into the captain's eyes instead of where his eyes really wanted to wander…

The trip back to Konoha was like one big blur to him. He could still hear her voice ordering the nobel around. He would never look at Fox the same way again. Oh, he was going to hell for sure, but his mind still wondered… does taicho have a boyfriend?

The New Year's celebration came once more to Konoha. Ryoko refused to leave her sensei behind and dutifully approached his estate. She knocked twice before the door opened. To her surprise, it was not Orochimaru who greeted her.

“Oh,” she smiled.

“Long time no see, kiddo,” Cherry smiled at her too. Long pink hair was flowing off the man’s shoulders tied in a loose ponytail in the end. He looked pretty, just as she remembered.

“Ryoko Uchiha, nice to meet you. Again,” she formally introduced, bowing her head.

“So I’ve heard,” the man chuckled.

“Is sensei home?”

Cherry stepped aside to let her enter. As he was closing the door, he yelled to the back of the house. “Sugarboo, your kid is here.”

Ryoko did not even try to suppress her happy smile. To think that her sensei finally made a move to bring his mate into the village? This was a big development. “Sensei! You have to join the celebrations this year,” she chirped stepping into the living room area.

Orochimaru was just stepping out of his bedroom quarters adjusting the festive kimono as he walked. “She’ssss not my kid, Cherry,” the man sighed. Yet the way he reciprocated Ryoko’s welcoming hug would say otherwise.

After all that happened, Ryoko got used to greeting Orochimaru this way. She wanted him to know how much she cared about him, even if she disobeyed some of his orders. Especially when her safety was concerned.

“Cherry, you have to meet my brother!” Ryoko finally pulled away to glance at the tall man.

“Ryoko! Thissss…” Orochimaru was about to protest, but she would not have any of this.

“Sensei! It’s fine! If you brought Cherry-san back here from Sound, then it means it is safe enough. And eventually, I will introduce Cherry-san to everyone anyways, so might as well do that today,” she said. Ryoko was not an idiot. She knew why Orochimaru kept his private life away from Konoha.

It was definitely not about what others would say. If her sensei cared about such things, he would do a lot of things differently. No, as a sannin, Orochimaru was a prime target material. With Konoha having Root issues, it was no surprise that the man was paranoid about showing things that would make him vulnerable.

Ryoko was living proof of that. On a few occasions, Orochimaru tried to apologize blaming himself for her being targeted by Danzo. But now, Konoha felt safer. Maybe not entirely cleansed yet, but they were getting there.

“Hmm, fine,” the snake finally folded and gave in.

Ryoko smiled brighter. She was excited to have the most important person with his significant other during tonight's celebration.

“She has you wrapped around her finger, doesn’t she?” Cherry chuckled. He wasn’t wrong.

Chapter Text

You would think that ANBU is just a collection of strangers that part ways after a mission is completed. You would be wrong. You could think of ANBU teams as more dysfunctional genin teams. You would be wrong again.

The bond between comrades who go on missions that 90 percent of the time could end in death is something beyond these concepts. You bond over the pain and blood and sweat. They are more like a distant yet close family.

At least that’s how Ryoko saw her team. Or maybe that was endless hours of training and missions making them bond. Either way, after all that happened last year, she felt overly protective over her boys. She drilled them without mercy.

After the training, they would even eat together in the mass hall in ANBU HQ. Who would have thought that there would be warm food waiting for shadow ranks 24/7? When you think about it, it makes sense. After some missions… you cannot just go back to the village. You need downtime in a safe space.

Today team Shi followed this pattern. They trained, changed, and went to eat together. Ryoko took a bit longer changing (curse them breasts), so when she got to the mass hall, her team was already seated with their food.

Panda gave her a wave indicating that he grabbed her a tray as well. What a good boy. She sat down next to them feeling positively tired.

“Fox!” she turned her head slightly to see Cheetah come her way with a bright smile.

“Cheetah.”

The woman sat next to her and placed her food on the table. “Haven’t seen you in ages! Oy, Viper! Drag your ass here!” the blond turned to call over her former teammate to the same table. The Hyuga man came together with Wolf.

“Senpai,” Ryoko nodded to her former captain. He looked well. Alive at least.

Cheetah’s bubbly personality easily started the conversation between the two teams. They shared some of their stories that normally would not be spoken of while eating, by normal shinobi that is.

“Ey ey, Fox, you know what, I met this amazing guy!” Cheetah poked her in the ribs, while boys conversed by themselves.

“Hn. And why is he amazing?” Ryoko decided to indulge in the conversation for now.

“Weeeelll, I visited his home recently. Turns out, he has a good pipe,” the woman giggled.

“Ahh, I see. Good for him. And you, I suppose,” Ryoko nodded.

“MMmm, what does plumbing have to do with a guy being amazing?” Panda asked and only now Ryoko noticed that the boys were actually paying attention to them.

Cheetah blushed and tried to restrain her snickering. “Fox… I can’t… Can you explain?”

Ryoko glanced at Panda, then Cobra, then Viper. Each looked puzzled. While Lynx casually ate unbothered, Wolf was avoiding making eye contact. Ryoko put down her chopsticks, turned to Panda, and spoke with complete seriousness.

“By saying ‘good pipe’, Cheetah here, is referring to her male suitor's penis being acceptable to satisfy her needs.”

Viper choked on his rice. Panda looked bewildered and dumbfounded. Ryoko continued in the same cold and clinical manner. “In this context, ‘plumbing’ would be more suited to refer to Cheetah’s reproductive system.”

“No way! You gotta be kidding me! Girls don’t talk about such things!” Panda tried to deny. Ryoko only gave him a small smirk.

“Oh? But they do. Women, just like men, judge everything about their partners. In great detail,” the boy paled, while Cheetah nodded with approval.

“This is inappropriate...” Cobra muttered.

“No more than discussing how your latest poison can eat the victim's organs from inside out,” Ryoko shrugged.

“Besides,” Cheetah finally stopped giggling to add her two cents. “Don’t tell me you guys don’t judge girls on their boobs & butts?”

“She got you there,” Wolf casually remarked.

“Wait wait wait! So, what else do you guys judge?” Panda finally regained his voice.

Ryoko shared a look with Cheetah. They both turned to the guys and said as one. “Butts.”

“Okay, now you’re just messing with us,” Viper shook his head.

“No, not all. Any woman appreciates a man with a nice thick ass. Simple as that,” Ryoko casually said picking up her chopstick again and eating like this conversation didn’t happen.

“Oh yeah, you can ask anyone,” Cheetah nodded.

The boys looked deep in contemplation and the rest of the meal was spent mostly in silence. And if after a few weeks, Ryoko noticed male shinobi doing more squats than usual, she didn’t comment. Her eyes still wandered though… Damn hormones and those tight uniforms...

Ryoko shifted on the green sofa and winced from the action. It has been a while since the last time she got hurt during a mission. Today, their teams returned all battered in one way or the other. But of course, she was not about to go to the hospital. No, never again.

“Here,” Kakashi threw a medical kit at her as he stepped from the bathroom. He was also hit in the back, but just like her, refused to go to the hospital. Both captains actually hid the injuries well from their teammates. But not well enough to fool each other.

So that is how Kakashi eventually suggested to come and do first aid at his place. He leaned on the wall with his eye closed, while Ryoko searched the kit for antiseptic. “You’re bloodying the wall,” she remarked after glancing at the teen.

“Washable paint,” he grunted out.

“Hn.”

Ryoko finally found what she was looking for and proceeded to rip a bigger hole in her pants over her thigh. The wound wasn’t too deep, but she didn’t want to risk an infection. After it was cleaned and generously covered with medicine she started to wrap it up. She looked back at Kakashi. It would seem that he was almost dozing off while still standing.

“Come here, unless you want to bleed out,” she said and received another grunt in response. After a minute, the teen finally moved to her. She gave him an unimpressed look. “I’m not standing up. Sit,” she pointed with her good foot at the floor in front of her.

“You’re annoying,” he muttered but sat down presenting the girl with his back. Ryoko lifted his shirt just enough to see the wound, she didn’t bother taking it completely off. The injury turned out to be dangerously close to his spine.

Without a warning, she started to clean it with antiseptic. Kakashi tensed for a second but didn’t let out a sound. Honestly, the guy should be grateful that she was doing this much. Her medical skills allowed Ryoko to be efficient and actually do good and not worsen the injury.

“All done, you’ll live,” she said sarcastically and reclined on the sofa without bothering to lower Kakashi’s shirt back in place. He was a big boy, he could do that much at least.

“Don’t bloody my sofa,” he grumbled.

“Ass,” Ryoko kicked him in the side, mindful of his back. Her eyes lazily looked around the apartment. She noticed very little personality in the decor. No personality to be exact. The only thing that stood out was a bookshelf.

“Hey… is that…” she suddenly snapped up as her eyes spotted something familiar.

“Hn?”

“Why do you have my fans?” Ryoko narrowed her eyes at the gray-haired teen who was still seated on the floor.

“Ahhh, I found them?” sure he did. Ryoko rolled her eyes and limped to the bookshelf to get them back. While there, her eyes looked over the book spines. She recognized most of them. The only one unfamiliar was a small orange book.

She picked it up and read the title. “Icha Icha Paradise?” Her hands were quick to list a few pages before Kakashi snatched the book from her. His eye was wide as he stared at her. “What?”

“It’s not mine.”

“Hn?” she raised an eyebrow. From what her sharingan captured so far, it looked like a romance novel. Borderline a fanfiction. But too tame for her taste. She shrugged. “I really don’t care,” the girl responded moving towards the window. “See ya,” Ryoko gave one last wave and jumped outside.

This repeated a few more times during the months that followed when their teams joined for missions. They would wordlessly agree not to drag each other to the hospital and heal at Kakashi’s apartment instead.

After one particularly close call, Ryoko didn’t even realize how she ended up there. She woke up sprawled on his sofa. The smell was familiar so the girl was not alarmed.

“You owe me a new sofa,” she heard Kakashi’s voice.

Ryoko carefully lifted her head and noticed the pool of blood below her on the green cushion. “Fuck off,” she whispered turning slowly on her side. The pain let itself be known then. “Bitch…” she cursed under her breath and clutched to her side.

“Let me see,” Kakashi sighed crouching beside her.

It was too early for Ryoko to argue, so she moved her hand away. The teen lifted her shirt a bit to reveal a long gash along her hip bone. “It’s nothing,” she muttered.

“You’re an idiot,” Kakashi poked her and Ryoko yelped in response. “Doctor Hatake is ready for you,” he gave that annoying eye crinkle fake smile. He was clearly enjoying her pain.

“Bite me,” Ryoko hissed instead of thanking him for his ‘care’. At least his hands were warm as Kakashi cleaned the cut. She passed out again after that.

The next time Ryoko’s eyes opened, she found herself laid on the floor, covered with a blanket and a pug cuddled to her side.

“A blanked, but no pillow? Fantastic,” she whispered, sitting up and cracking her sore neck. The pug stirred from his sleep.

“Welcome back, boss lady.”

“Hey, Pakkun. Where is that fatass out now?” her senses did not pick up Kakashi’s chakra in the apartment.

“Ah, called on a last-minute mission.”

Ryoko sighed and looked at the little dog. He looked adorable with the sleepiness still in his beady eyes. She could not resist the urge to pick the little guy up and hug him.

“Aww, you’re wasted on him, you know that? I might just steal you one day,” she cooed.

“Any time, boss lady,” the pug barked with what she could call a smile on his face. Eventually, she convinced the ninken to go away back to his realm and she left as well. Kami, she was starving.

The sun was slowly rising when Ryoko finally got home. “Morning, brother,” she greeted Itachi who was preparing breakfast.

“Hn,” he gave her a disapproving look.

“What?” Ryoko snatched a freshly baked piece of bacon. Without another word, her brother walked towards the girl and hugged her. Instantly she felt his chakra invade her body.

“Hey, I’m fine,” Ryoko protested.

This became a usual occurrence. As Ryoko continued to refuse hospital care, Itachi would ambush her with hugs laced with medical chakra.

“Your broken rib and that wound on your torso say otherwise,” he chastised after letting her go.

“Itachi, please don’t…” she was just so tired. This was barely anything to be concerned about.

“I’ll stop when you’ll quit ANBU,” he countered.

Wisely, Ryoko bailed this conversation and went to sleep in her own bed. She could still feel Itachi’s disapproving stare on her back.

Life was simple and monotone as much as it could be for a shinobi. Ryoko fell into a comfortable routine of missions and the time flew past her. She sometimes went out with Anko and Ibiki for a drink. Obito would eventually join them. It was fun, dare she say it.

Today her routine had a slight shift. Ryoko entered the ANBU female locker rooms after another successful mission to find a few women in a heated conversation.

“AH! I HATE THEM! She’s such a bitch!” Cheetah yelled out slamming her fist into a metal locker. Ryoko ignored this as she inclined not to participate in local drama. The girl moved to her locker and started to change.

“I swear! They are just driving me nuts! The jealous bitches are fucking testing me!” Cheetah continued to rant. Even if Ryoko chose to ignore it, she could not turn off her ears as effectively.

From what she gathered, Cheetah’s boyfriend's ex with her gang of friends was being nasty and possessive. Sore losers, obviously, in the game of love.

“Imagine that! They called me a slut! I swear!.. Ghhrr…”

Ryoko sighed, closing her locker. Her eyes looked over the disheveled comrade of hers. “Listen, Cheetah,” the blond raised her head. Ryoko noticed her eyes were red and puffy. “It’s none of my business, but there will always be people who will try to bring you down. And that’s because they are already below you. So you have to keep killing it. And in a world full of bitches be a bad one.”

That could probably be Ryoko’s rule of life. With all the hate and fear she received from those disapproving of Uchiha and her in particular, the only choice was to pay those bitches no mind.

“Fox, you’re soooo cool,” Cheetah sobbed a little, but there was a hint of a smile on her beautiful face.

“Yeah yeah, unless they're paying your bills, pay them bitches no mind,” she shrugged.

“Hey, Fox, do you have a boyfriend?” Mantis who was previously talking with Cheetah asked.

“No,” noticing a raised eyebrow, Ryoko added. “Don’t get me wrong. I love men, I think men are the coolest. But you don’t really need them to live.”

“Hmm, that’s true,” Mantis nodded. A consensus was reached that day. Feminist powers prevailed. And the women dragged Ryoko to a bar.

Meanwhile in the men's locker room…

“So, Lynx, do you think Fox has a boyfriend?” Panda finally dared to ask the question that plagued his mind for months.

Lynx shrugged. He was a man of few words. A genuinely quiet soul in this noisy world. Panda sighed. No help at all.

“Why do you even care?” Cobra asked after putting his uniform away.

“Well…” he fidgeted. But they were a team, right? They should have seen what he saw? “Fox is kinda hot, don’t you think? I mean.. Damn… she has that nice figure and all…”

Panda completely missed how Cobra’s eyes widened and he shook his head slightly in attempts to stop the rambling praises.

“Ohh? Who has a nice figure?” a hand was placed tightly on his shoulder. Panda turned his head around to see agent Otter standing behind him with the most innocent smile. It was creepy. And scary. And dangerous.

“Emm… Fox taicho…” he whispered slowly. It took Panda to see sharingan to realize who Otter was outside shadow ranks.

“Hmmm, it’s a bit disrespectful to talk like that about your senpai, don’t you think, Panda-kun?” the voice was sickly sweet and the hand on his shoulder clenched harder.

“But.. but… she is hot…”

“Shhh… you know what? Let’s move this conversation to the training grounds, nee?” Otter didn’t wait for a response and dragged him outside. Yeah, he probably should have known better, than to speak like that about the Uchiha hime.

This also proved as a valid reason why Fox would not have a boyfriend. Uchiha were scary. Hot, but scary.

Itachi’s birthday passed. He turned sixteen this year. Ryoko barely managed to notice the date with all the missions on her plate. And just like that summer was coming to an end too. Ryoko found herself lounging on Kakashi’s new green sofa sucking on a popsicle. She was casually reading the Icha Icha Paradise, while Kakashi took care of his bruises in the other room. They had a very productive training session earlier in the day.

“You know, this book is better reading it a second time,” she said loudly.

“Kami, if you don’t put it away, I will tell your brother what you’re reading,” Kakashi responded.

“Yeah yeah, as if you would go even ten feet near him,” she chuckled. Her brother's reputation as a ruthless medic was still going strong. No ANBU or suicidal Jonin was safe.

The next moment, Kakashi was back and grabbed the book from her hands. “This is not for children,” he smiled sweetly.

“Screw you, I have bigger balls than you do.”

“I swear... “ Kakashi let out an exasperated sigh. “Don’t you have a home? Why are you even here?”

“Because you owed me ice cream,” yes, she wanted to rub in the loss of their recent fight. Kakashi dragged a hand over his face and looked like he just gave up. For a while now, the teen stopped wearing his mask around her at home. She didn't care much one way or the other, but at least his expressions were more readable without the mask.

“Rematch,” he finally said with a stern look.

“No can do, I’m actually already late,” Ryoko smirked viciously. She bit down the last bits of her treat and stood up. “Maybe on Friday,” the girl added on her way to the door.

He muttered something under his breath about insufferable Uchiha. From Ryoko’s perspective, Kakashi was the annoying one. They could agree to disagree in this endless rivalry.

Ryoko stepped outside and inhaled the warm air. It was still hot at the end of August. Maybe she could take a nap before visiting Nara?

“Oy! What are you doing here?” Ryoko turned to see Genma exiting an apartment next door.

“Shiranui-san,” she nodded but didn’t answer. Kami knows she didn’t need to be snitched about her ‘no hospitals’ agreement with Hatake. Everyone knew that Gemma was the king of gossip in this village.

So Ryoko chose to pass the man nonchalantly as if he did not just see her exit Kakashi's apartment. Genma walked next to her not letting go of the subject. Troublesome.

“Soooo, you and Hatake, huh?” he smirked, draping his arm over her shoulders. Ryoko shrugged it off.

“Hn? No idea what you’re talking about, Shiranui-san. Maybe you got a heat stroke?”

“Good try, princess,” the man snickered. “Give me a valid reason then why your lips are so red and puffy.”

“He owed me ice cream,” Ryoko finally said the truth. More or less.

“Mhm. Suuuuure.”

“Hn.”

This was pretty ridiculous. She and Kakashi? That would never happen. He was annoying to the core. Maybe the stick in his ass loosened over the years, but Kakashi still had the talent to get under her skin.

“But he’s your friend, right?”

“Oh yeaaaah, best friend,” Ryoko said sarcastically.

“That’s all I needed to know,” Genma winked before their ways parted unaware of how this little interaction will come to bite her in the future. At least she had her birthday to look forward to. Another year survived successfully.

Chapter Text

“Just pick something already!” Kakashi sighed by her side at a dango stand.

“Don’t rush me or we’ll take even longer,” Ryoko said quite seriously. He could only sigh again and follow the girl while paying for her sweets.

“I thought you wanted lunch?” he deadpanned, while Ryoko nibbled on a white color dango.

“Dessert is part of lunch.”

“Yes, the last part.”

“That’s a matter of opinion.”

Kakashi wanted to start ripping his hair out. The girl was impossible! His frustration only grew as keen ears caught on people whispering around them. No, not people - shinobi. They would glance and smile and whisper. Odd.

He was no stranger to stares or whispers following him, but this felt different. Were they amused by his and Koko’s bickering? Was it that obvious that she tested his patience? Was it clear that he lost and was forced to buy her food? That would be embarrassing if that was the case.

So naturally, he pushed the annoying Uchiha with one hand on her back towards the takeout place they were headed to. The faster this is done, the faster his humiliation will end. He quickly paid for her order and dragged the girl away before she got any other ideas. As Ryoko was truly an endless pit when it came to food.

A shiver went down Kakashi’s back as a warning, before a voice reached him from another side of the crowd…

“ETERNAL…”

“Shit!” he cursed painfully aware of Gai closing in on them. Without thinking it over, Kakashi pushed Ryoko into an alley and covered her mouth with his hand to keep her silent and still, while his free hand made a discreet genjutsu around them.

He sighed with relief and dropped the illusion only when he felt Gai pass. Kakashi glanced back at the girl next to him. She was way too close… Not like she had where to go, being boxed into the building wall by him. Her scent was very vivid and distracting. So much so, that another voice caught Kakashi by surprise.

“Oy, whatcha’ doin’ there, lovebirds?”

Silver head of hair snapped to Genma perched above them on the ledge of the building roof. He felt Ryoko pry his hand away from her mouth.

“Hiding apparently,” Ryoko said, sounding not particularly amused. Slowly Kakashi’s mind finished processing Genma’s words and he urgently stepped away from the girl.

“Genma, get your mind out of the gutter,” Kakashi sighed. Uchiha looked rather clueless and for that he was thankful. He didn’t want the single non-fangirl girl getting any ideas about him.

“Riiiight…” Shiranui snickered as if he knew something they didn’t. Kakashi narrowed his eye on the annoying man.

“Oookay…” Ryoko just glanced between the two. “If you’re done being weird, can we go now? My food is getting cold, Bakashi.”

“Always about the food,” Kakashi rolled his eyes.

“Gosh, you two are adorable!” Genma coed and received double the glares for his careless remark. “Ey! Don’t look at me like that! You’re the ones arguing like a married couple!”

“We’re not!” they both said in unison. Kakashi was officially done with socializing for the day. He roughly grabbed Ryoko’s shoulder and flickered away from the scene. No, he did not run away. It was honestly pointless to argue with Genma.

“What’s gotten into him?” Kakashi muttered as they jumped over the last few roofs before landing at his apartment's front door.

“Oh…” Ryoko echoed in the back deep in thought.

“Oh?” he raised an eyebrow unlocking the door. The girl followed him inside acting far too comfortable in his home. Kakashi sighed in defeat. At least now no one could keep staring at them. “So? What’s that ‘oh’ all about?”

“A few weeks ago, Shiranui-san ran into me when I was leaving your apartment. I believe he assumed that we have a relationship,” Ryoko explained casually as she took the food out on the dining table.

Kakashi stared. And stared. Finally, he laughed like he hadn’t laughed in weeks. This was absurd! And hilarious! And oh boy, he could mess with Genma with this information.

“I know, right?” the girl also snickered. “I didn’t actually correct him too much, as he would have snitched to my brother about our ‘hospital agreement’.”

Kakashi nodded with understanding. Honestly, he probably would have done the same. Ryoko managed to be crazy and still think on the same wavelength as him. He took a seat across from her and lowered his mask.

In the safety of his home, Kakashi allowed his face to be bare. Even if Ryoko was there to witness it. At first, he expected her to act like all the women and girls he’d faced on missions or when he was a child. She didn’t. She didn’t even blink at him. Like this was the most natural thing.

“What?” Ryoko raised her eyes. Kakashi didn’t notice that he was staring. But it was always strange to see her act so casually about things that held importance to him. She never even once questioned about his mask. About Icha Icha. About his family. About his reputation. She was just there and let him coexist next to her without prodding or poking at his being. Another reason why he felt at ease relaxing like this with an Uchiha.

“Are you not curious?” he asked.

“About what?” Ryoko seemingly was losing her interest in the reasoning behind his staring as she moved on to eat rice with edamame beans.

“About my mask,” he had to know. Curiosity be damned!

The girl glanced up at his face, her eyes trailed down to the bunched mask around his neck then back to his eye. “What does your fashion choice have to do with me?”

He growled. “It’s not a fashion choice!”

“Fine. A fashion statement,” she shrugged. Kakashi will deny that he sent his chopsticks to her head.

“It’s not about fashion!”

“Oh? So why do you wear it then?”

Kakashi sighed. He realized that he brought this on himself. So it would feel odd to lie when he brought it up. The teen inhaled deeply and his nose was filled with all the smells circling his home. The most prominent ones were of his own, his ninken and Ryoko. “Smells.”

“Hmm, makes sense,” Ryoko nodded.

Kakashi opened his eye to once again stare at her. Really? That simple? She noticed his questioning gaze and shrugged. “Well you have ninken, you are a Hound, so naturally I would expect you to have a good nose. And if you have a good nose, many smells would probably distract or overwhelm you if you cannot cope with them.”

“Yeah… but how do you know so much?” Kakashi was skeptical, but her words were exactly what he would have said. Since childhood, when his nose started to fully develop, the smells became his enemy. Kakashi could not focus or even comprehend them all. The mask was like a filter then. Now it was more of a crutch and on occasion a tool for annoying others…

“Hmm. My nose is pretty good too. I also had… a friend who could smell really well. But he was also very bright, so his mind could cope with all the information his nose provided.”

Kakashi blinked. “Did you just call me stupid?”

“I don’t know, Bakashi. Did I?” she had an innocent smirk on her lips as she munched on fried shrimps.

That’s it. Ryoko was undoubtedly the bane of his existence. The thorn in his side. The rudest manipulative brat he had ever met. “I hate you,” he said sincerely.

“Boo-hoo, are you gonna cry?”

“Seriously?” Kakashi was not impressed. Ryoko looked like she was enjoying this. After some time, he had noticed that the girl was far more open here, behind closed doors than outside in the village.

She would always wear that annoying mask of hers. The cold and frowning face suited for a traditional Uchiha image. Kakashi wasn’t a fan of it. It took years before she finally let a smirk slip in his presence. Now she was comfortable enough to show a full smile, even if it was coated with mirth. It was still progress.

But it was not the smile that put Kakashi at ease in Ryoko’s presence. While facial expressions can be hidden and masked and acted and trained, the smell could not be changed so easily. She always had that warmth in her scent. The smell of fire mixed with spices. It was calming and soothing. Like a warm hug.

Without a mask, in the way, Kakashi inhaled again of her scent. It was pleasant. For it alone he could bear with her horrible personality…

“Ryoko?”

“Yes, father?” she answered dutifully after swallowing a particularly large bite of veal. She noticed a glimmer of red and it made her fully turn to face Fugaku seated at the head of the table. His sharingan was active.

“Are you dating that Hatake boy?”

“Eww! No! Why would you think that, father?” Ryoko was appalled by the notion and didn’t hide it. Itachi, seated in front of her on father's right side, looked up as well. The sharingan of her father’s faded away into black.

“I see. You are telling the truth.”

“Of course, father. But still, why are you even asking this?”

“There are rumors going around…” Itachi answered instead.

“Hn. But I am glad to know that they are only rumors,” Fugaku added.

“Father, hypothetically, if one jonin beats up another jonin for spreading malicious and false rumors, what would be the repercussions for that?” Ryoko gave her best angelic smile, by the look on Itachi and Mikoto, it didn’t work as she expected.

“Nii-san, I’m scared,” little Sasuke whispered by Itachi’s side.

“Hypothetically? Well, there is nothing to prove if there are no marks left,” Fugaku casually said in response with a gentle smile of his own.

Somewhere on the other end of Konoha, in his own bathroom Genma sneezed, coughed, and shivered all at once. Then a mirror shattered right in front of him.

Jiraiya was finally home after a long time away. Sure, he visited his adorable student after the inauguration and the ‘Shimura incident’. But he could never stay for long. Minato counted on him to keep their enemies in check and Konoha’s secrets hidden.

What the new Hokage didn’t count on, was the soft spot the sannin had for pretty ladies. After much deliberation, Jiraiya caved and came to Konoha not alone. He inhaled sharply and plastered a bright smile for his companion's sake.

“Enter!” he heard Minato’s voice from behind the double doors. “Sensei, finally I was…” Minato’s voice was cut short as the blue eyes zeroed in on two delicate figures behind Jiraiya. He watched as his student’s eyes flashed with different emotions and thoughts.

“Are they…? They are!” Minato jumped up with the 100-watt smile on his face. Jiraiya smirked. Looks like Minato’s sensory skills were as sharp as ever.

“Hokage-sama, I would like to introduce to you my two lovely damsels that I rescued while on my journey of life - Akane and Karin Uzumaki.”

Two women bowed deeply and their red hair fluttered like a loyal shadow. “It is an honor to meet you, Hokage-sama,” Akane whispered, still too shy to make eye contact with the imposing figure that was Minato. While her adorable daughter shied behind her mother's legs.

“One second, please!” Minato beamed and with a flash of yellow, he was gone. Keeping to his promise, the boy appeared again within a second, but not alone. Another redhead graced their presence.

Jiraiya phased out the happy squeals coming off Kushina, the joyful chatter from Minato. He was pleased to see that his one decision to intervene was the right one to do. It went against everything a true Spy Master stands for, but… Even after so many years, regrets of leaving people behind still haunted him at night. He did not want to regret anymore. He wanted to do something good for a change.

When the women finally left the kage’s office, Jiraiya relaxed and really looked at Minato. “How have you been, kid?”

Minato let a long sigh out. There were prominent wrinkles on his youthful face. “Little by little. One step at a time, but I’m getting there,” Minato stood gazing out through the big windows where Konoha was lit up by the evening sun.

“Peace is a fragile mistress,” Jiraiya hummed.

“Indeed. The new Mizukage seems reasonable at least.”

“So I’ve heard... Is she really…?”

“Yup.”

“Double D’s?

“Yup,” both men sighed contemptuously with the image their minds supplied.

“So, I assume there will be no trouble with the addition of two Uzumaki to Konoha?”

“Do you even have to ask?” Minato smirked over his shoulder. No, the sannin didn’t have to ask, but it was nice to hear the confirmation. He already tested both women in case they were spies. No suspicion fell on them. They were just another pair of survivors after the long wars. Another pair looking for their ‘forever home’.

“Alright, I will take my leave then,” Jiraiya stood and stretched his old bones.

“Where will you go now?” Minato took his place behind the desk again.

“Well, I thought to take a little break to continue my research,” he snickered.

“Ah, I’ve heard your book was doing well.”

“Indeed. I might also hunt down Tsunade to check how she’s doing.

“Huh?” Minato looked puzzled.

“Yeah, I will try the usual villages she likes. Will have to check with my contacts…”

“Sensei… Tsunade-sama is in Konoha.”

Jiraiya froze and had to do a double-take on his student. “I’ve heard she visited…” he spoke slowly. “But I really didn’t think hime would stay…”

Minato’s face had a kind and understanding smile beyond his years. “She’s helping Orochimaru-sama with his research and she was highly appalled with the Hospital state.”

“Ahh… Orochi still up to no good?”

Another puzzled expression was quickly replaced with a devious smirk. “Hmmm, I’ll let you be the judge of that, sensei.”

Now his interest was piqued. Sannin said his goodbyes and went to the bar where undoubtedly Tsunade should be lurking at this time of the day. Before even entering, he heard her boisterous laughter. Yet not the sight of the blond was what made him stop in his tracks.

Across the table from Tsunade was his other former teammate with… a delicate beauty draped on his arm, resting her head on his shoulder like Orochimaru wasn’t one of the deadliest shinobi across the nations.

“No fuckin’ way…” the sannin muttered as he stepped closer.

“JIRAIYA!” the blond yelped, her cheeks were slightly red. For once, he ignored the hime to stare at the welcoming smirk on Orochimaru’s lips.

“No fuckin’ way!” he said it again, slumping by Tsunade’s side.

“Jiraiya,” the snake tilted his head slightly. The pink beauty smirked at him. He just stared in response until Tsunade poked him in the side. He almost fell off his seat from the 'light' tap.

“Who’s that?” he looked bewildered at Tsunade with a hand pointing at Orochimaru’s companion.

“Cherry,” the blond smirked viciously. They were all enjoying his loss for words. But what could Jiraiya say? That he never expected for Orochimaru to publicly show signs of affection? That he never expected for someone as pure and gorgeous to return that affection?

“Ara ara, is that the one you spoke off?” Cherry said with a silky voice that could lure men into an obvious ambush.

“Hn. That’s him,” Orochimaru nodded. Only now Jiraiya noticed the snake’s arm draped around Cherry’s waist. They sure were chummy! Sannin pouted, crossing arms over his broad chest.

“I missed a lot, haven't I?” the man finally exhaled. Tsunade laughed again.

“Oh, not really. Just that Orochi is human, has feelings, and has a personal life that is basically as sweet as an ice cream sunday with a Cherry on top,” Tsunade’s words slightly slurred, but he got the picture.

Wait a minute… Cherry on top… she could not possibly mean… Quickly the sannin tried to banish those images out of his mind, but it was too late.

“Someone get me a drink! This will be a long night…” the man grumbled. His teammates laughed. Jiraiya pouted even more. So much for leaving Konoha soon.

Ryoko was petty and she was not ashamed to admit it. As she switched another lightbulb in Genma’s apartment to the ones that give out annoying buzz when turned on, she smirked to herself.

After a few more days, she broke into the same building and replaced Genma’s underwear with two sizes smaller ones, while his pants with two sizes bigger ones. She then proceeded to meticulously move every item in his home exactly two inches to the right.

The next time she broke in, the girl was happy to see that her sabotage was still in place. But it was not enough. She proceeded to replace every item of literature with self-help books. Then she replaced all of Genma's coffee and tea with their counterparts with more… interesting side effects. Like laxatives, or sleeping pills, or blue pills. It would be a gamble each time, she mused.

Carefully Ryoko closed the door behind her and sighed happily with her work. Nothing beats mild inconveniences. Her eyes drifted to Kakashi's apartment door. She noticed a small spec of blood on them.

“That idiot,” the girl shook her head and went to check on said idiot. He never learned to ask for help. One day, Ryoko was sure she would find him almost bleeding out somewhere in that apartment.

“Bakashi, you good?” she called into the dark apartment. No answer. Instead, a pug emerged from the corner.

“Boss lady, good timing. Pup needs… something,” Pakkun was cryptic, but he didn’t have to say it twice. Ryoko closed the door and went inside.

Instantly her face scrunches with a prominent scowl. Kakashi was on the ground in the middle of his living room surrounded by his pack. That would not be too off if the teen hadn’t been shivering in a fetal position.

Slowly Ryoko stepped closer so as to not startle a fellow ANBU. “Hey there, it’s Ryoko here,” she called but got no response. Pakkun brushed along her legs. She crouched.

“Boss lost one shadow pup on a mission,” Pakkun explained.

“Hn.”

Ryoko took a long moment to process it. Kakashi was covered in blood, hard to tell what was his and what was those of his enemies. He was also covered in dirt and grime. Face hidden and buried in his knees. Visible neck and hands were pale and sweaty.

How does one comfort a person like Kakashi, she wondered? Absent-mindedly, she recalled what sensei would do in her place. Words would do no good in a situation like this.

“Brute force it is,” she nodded to herself before inching closer to Kakashi. Her hand reached for the teen and stopped close to his head. It was reminiscent of how she let his ninken sniff it before touching.

“I’m gonna touch you now,” Ryoko said and proceeded to place her palm on the teen's shoulder. Instantly Kakashi had a kunai in his hand aimed at her neck. Ryoko swatted the weapon away and tackled him to the ground to prevent any further disobedience.

She noticed his eye was distant, glazed, and red. “Hound, stand down,” she ordered in her serious Taicho voice. Kakashi fell limp under her and seized all movement.

Slowly Ryoko pulled away and dragged Kakashi up with her. “Fatass,” she grumbled all the way to his bathroom. Ninken watched closely behind her. Unceremoniously she dropped the teen in the shower, he slid down the wall and just stayed seated like a living dead.

“For Amaterasu’s sake,” Ryoko cursed under her breath. Looks like she would have to do everything herself until he came back from his PTSD episode.

Young Uchiha turned the showerhead on to lukewarm water and got in the shower as well. She crouched by Kakashi’s side and slowly started peeling off his armor. He didn’t resist. Water was running down their frames washing all the dirt and blood away. She waited for the water to be clear before she removed Kakashi’s shirt with the mask. Mindful of his heightened smell recognition.

She looked over him to spot only a few scratches. No major injuries. So the blood was mostly not his. Good. She reached to pull his headband off, but Kakashi’s hand clasped harshly over her wrist.

“LEAVE ME ALONE,” he growled, charcoal eye looking wild and feral at her steady obsidian.

“No,” she said, her gaze not wavering even if his fingers clasped harder over her wrist. “You have two options. Either I wash you, or you take a shower yourself.”

“I..” after maybe five minutes he managed to stutter. Her eyes noticed a small glimmer of recognition in Kakashi’s eye. And if the water mixed with tears streaming down his cheeks, Ryoko said nothing about it. Her eyes didn’t waver for a second. She just patiently waited.

“I… will… do… myself…” finally he managed to say it. Ryoko nodded and stood up. She had to unclasp Kakashis’ fingers first, but at least he looked like he was somewhat conscious again.

On her way, Ryoko grabbed the clothing she discarded before and left the teen alone in the bathroom. She stood outside the door and listened for a bit until she was sure that Kakashi started to move and actually followed her instructions.

There was a small puddle left where she stood, but that was nothing compared to the hurt Kakashi was going through right now. Ryoko could only recall how she felt when she saw her brother stricken down by traitor shinobi.

The girl took the liberty to snatch a change of clothing from Kakashi’s wardrobe. She quickly changed out of her wet clothes and into his big t-shirt and shorts that reach over her knees. Then she grabbed some for the teen to change into. A hoodie soft to the feel and long pants.

She knocked on the bathroom door. “Change and come out. If you’re not done in five minutes, I will come in,” Ryoko said coldly as she slipped the clothing through a small crack of the open doors.

Thankfully, her threat was left as a threat. Kakashi stepped outside dressed, head bowed down and staring to the floor, while water trickled down to his shoulders from wet silver locks. Ryoko nodded pleased and guided him to his bedroom. She settled the man on his bed and pushed a cup of tea into his hands.

This was awkward. She felt awkward at least. What was she supposed to do? Like never before, she related to her poor sensei. Recalling Orochimaru’s hesitant attempts in affection and support, Ryoko reached in and patted Kakashi’s head.

“There there,” the girl muttered. Her other hand moved to push the cup in Kakashi’s hands closer to his lips. He finished the action taking a few sips.

After ten minutes, the teen slumped to his side out cold. Yes, she put sleeping pills in the tea. With a sigh of mild relief, Ryoko stood up and stretched. This was exhausting. The girl took another glance at the sleeping figure. Sleep worked well enough for her when she was upset.

Ryoko was now debating if it will be a good idea to leave Kakashi alone or not? On one hand, there was that male pride of being caught vulnerable. On the other hand, there was the trauma of losing a teammate and waking up alone.

“Fuck, I have to stay, don’t I?” she mumbled glancing at Pakkun, who settled by Kakashi’s legs.

Chapter Text

Before the sun dawned, Ryoko startled awake from the chakra pulse to her ANBU tattoo. Quickly and mostly on autopilot, she stood up from the floor where she slept by Kakashi’s bed, grabbed her weapons pouch, and flickered away.

Her own clothing still felt damp to the touch, plus she would change to ANBU uniform either way, so there was no great need to wear wet items. Wearing the same clothing she borrowed from Kakashi, the girl appeared in the locker rooms and changed.

It all took her a minute and fifteen seconds. With a mask in place, she flickered to the Hokage office. Kami knows why the man was so early, but at least that had to be a sign for an interesting mission…

She appeared kneeling on one knee before her leader. “Hokage-sama.” Silence. It dragged on, so Ryoko looked up to spot Minato giving her an interesting glare. “Hokage-sama?”

Minato waved his hand to dismiss other ANBU agents hiding in the shadows. Privacy seals have activated with a slight flicker of the blond's chakra. “How is Kakashi doing?” he asked.

Ryoko tilted her head to the side ever so slightly. How did he… Oh. Namikaze was a sensor, so he would know where she was… “He’s… coping?” the girl responded unsure of what exactly he expected to hear. Kakashi was not just another ANBU agent to the Hokage. He was his sensei, mentor, and probably even a father figure.

Minato gave a nod with a deep sigh. “I see. If I had known before… I would have not dragged you here, but this mission requires your… skills,” he handed her a scroll.

Ryoko nodded, not completely sure what was the issue in summoning her if her skills fit the parameters? Choosing to ignore the strange comments, the girl glanced at the mission. A smile tugged on her lips. It has been a while since she could go all out as a shinobi while being part of ANBU ranks. “Understood, Hokage-sama.”

“I expect your team to depart as soon as possible. They were already summoned to the HQ for briefing.”

With one last bow and salute, Ryoko was gone. She flickered to the shadows just as the privacy seals were lifted. The girl entered the meeting room 20 minutes later after making a small detour…

“Taicho!” her team greeted like the trained puppies they were.

“Yea yea, we have some preparations to do before we go,” Ryoko said, taking a seat behind the round table. Her underlings followed. “Our mission is of three parts. Infiltration, information gathering, and destruction.”

Lynx caught on first as his eyes narrowed. “Destruction? Not assassination or eliminations, so that means…”

“Bang,” Ryoko confirmed with an ominous smile. She then took out a small parcel from her pocket. “For the infiltration, how is everyone's tolerance to substances?”

The boys shrugged. “Alcohol I am not a fan of, but it is the easiest to fake,” Ryoko continued unwrapping her parcel. She split its content into four equal parts and handed it out to others. “If you are handed this, show me what you would do,” she explained and observed.

Lynx and Cobra hesitated for a minute but demonstrated acceptable skills as they rolled their joints. Panda looked more flustered but followed their example. After five minutes she was handed three blunts. Ryoko picked each one up and examined.

“Lynx, yours is acceptable. Panda and Cobra, watch and learn,” Ryoko said. “We will be infiltrating into a gang who prefer drugs,” she spoke while flattening the little paper on her side of the table. “You can stick with alcohol, but eventually, you will be tested with this too,” her nimble fingers bent and twisted the paper into a cylinder to make the filter.

“Taicho, how do you know all this?” Panda aww’ed as he observed her carefully distribute weed onto the paper in a thin line.

“General knowledge, kohai,” Ryoko smirked. “Now if you know that you will be the only one smoking, you can lace it generously with tobacco,” she added demonstrating how to tip tobacco from the end of a cigarette. “If you plan on giving this to someone else, you can be smart about it too. Put more weed in the end if your target will be smoking first, or more next to the filter if the target would smoke last,” she continued to talk as she demonstratively placed some more on her creation.

Lastly, she picked the paper up and twisted it until it was tight enough. Her tongue darted out to give a gentle lick on the edge and it was done. Her fingers brushed over the joint to smooth it out. “Make sure the filter is tight enough, but everything else is not too tight. It’s a dead giveaway that you are a novice. Next, make sure to do a variation of this,” she said while taping her joint at the table filter end first.

“Why?” Cobra asked as he watched her actions with interest.

“They say it is to pack the content better,” Lynx commented.

“Precisely,” Ryoko nodded and twisted the end. “Feel it, that’s how it should be done,” she passed the item around for the boys to familiarise themselves with it. “Now, tolerance,” she said, getting joint back and with a press of her finger, the end was lit up.

She inhaled deeply the familiar smoke. As she exhaled, the girl passed the joint to Lynx. “Do not cough, it will make the effects worse,” Ryoko said. Her brain quickly recognized the substance and her fingers felt tingly. Chest light and warm.

Lynx inhaled without any issues. Cobra almost choked but managed to keep himself together. Panda… poor boy coughed just as she expected him to.

“Taicho, won’t it be dangerous to go in the mission... high?” Cobra asked.

“It would be, yes, but we need everyone to be familiarised with the sensation. Panda, take another drag,” the poor boy gave a shaky nod and smoked again before passing it along.

“Now for the information…” Ryoko continued to lay out their mission parameters while the joint made a second and then a third circle around the table.

In half an hour team Shi was off. They ran quickly, without making any sounds at the top of the trees. Ryoko’s eyes made sure to keep a close watch of Panda as the boy stumbled already on a few branches.

Now, this was a mission she would remember for a while. Drugs, alcohol, sneaking around, death, and fire. Ryoko passed a joint to her left as they stood in the shadows of a forest admiring the blaze that engulfed the former hideout.

“Was that really lava, taicho?”

“Jup,” she smirked at the incredulous voice of Panda. “Good job with the boiler trigger, Lynx.”

The silent man nodded passing the joint to his left. Who needs team bonding when you have missions like this one? As team Shi returned to Konoha, they all felt at ease and positively giggly. Her team was left wondering how the esteemed Uchiha hime could possibly know so much about drugs.

Kakashi woke up feeling like he was hit in the head with a pile of bricks. His hand felt something soft and warm under his fingertips and the man exhaled with relief before the memories flooded his mind taking away the peace of his mind.

The blood. The screams. The pain. The despair. The anger. Death. He inhaled again, fingers clenched in the fur of his ninken. His mind felt not as heavy as yesterday. Kakashi opened his eye and wondered how he managed to get back to his bed from the living room?

Ryoko. Her scent was strong in this room. “Pakkun? Was she here?”

“Yeah, boss. Boss lady washed you up and tucked you in,” the dog shifted by his side.

“Hmmm,” he muttered, but memories of last night were still hazy. His senses didn’t feel the girl in the near vicinity so probably she had already left. Good. It would be embarrassing to face her after his breakdown… His reputation would surely be ruined in her eyes.

“Boss lady left an hour ago,” Pakkun added as if reading his mind.

“She did?” Kakashi scrunched his face. Why would she stay the night? Did he really look that pathetic? What a pain. He sighed and curled back in the sheets. His report could wait another few hours…

Sleep didn’t come to him. Kakashi looked over the shadows in his room. Mind blank and numb, only distant feelings in his chest circled with unease. He failed his teammate. One miscalculation and his charge perished in the blast. At least he managed to whisk Tenzo away...

Kakashi hasn't lost anyone in a while… Truly lost that is. Rin was taken for a bit, but he found her. Ryoko was taken and again he found her. Both times. The last person he lost… Obito. For months he grieved his teammate until he returned… He was in charge of Obito and failed him. That feeling never went away.

The only difference now was, that there was not a single chance for his ANBU to return back like Obito. “Pakkun, you can go,” Kakashi whispered.

“Are you sure, boss?”

“Yeah,” he sat up in the bed and watched as his ninken vanished in a cloud of smoke. He didn’t plan on staying alone for too long. He didn’t want to be alone now. Following the urge, the teen changed into his jonin uniform and left to find an Uchiha to take his mind off things.

“Father, do you hate me?”

“Ryoko, we’ve talked about this. I do not hate you. This is your duty as the hime of Uchiha clan.”

Ryoko pouted with arms crossed over her chest. When she asked to participate in the clan meeting, she didn’t expect to be dragged on diplomatic trips as well. “But Itachi should be going with you.”

“He went last time, now it’s your turn,” Fugaku said, hiding his amusement under the calm Uchiha exterior. Ryoko still felt it in his buzzing chakra.

“Fine. But why are we forbidden to use chakra!?” this was mind-boggling to the girl. When father told this rule for the first time, Ryoko laughed. They were shinobi! From a noble shinobi clan! Chakra was like air to them!

Fugaku sighed. “It is a sign of good faith and self-control. It is tradition.”

Ryoko pouted harder. Traditions could eat her ass! She was a shinobi! Shinobi use chakra! “No. I’m not going,” the girl deadpanned.

“Too late,” she noticed a small twitch of father's lips that made her eyes narrow with suspicion. “Hokage-sama already approved your leave, and Daimyo was also notified about you accompanying me. Guards were already chosen. Everything's already set. You are going, Ryoko.”

“Guards?” Ryoko’s eyes widened.

“Well of course. We cannot use chakra, remember? No weapons either. No weapons,” he repeated before she could even start protesting. “ANBU guards will go with us for our own safety.”

“I will be the laughing stock of the entirety of the shadow ranks!” she looked to the ceiling in despair. To think that her comrades will have to guard her? Did all her work mean nothing? Ryoko whined and slammed her head to the table. “That’s it. My reputation is done for.”

“You’re being dramatic, Ryoko,” Fugaku snorted, but he still sounded amused. “Listen, I have a suggestion.”

Hesitantly she tilted her head and peeked over her fringe at her father to see a mischievous glint in his eyes. Maybe there was still hope. “Yes, father?”

“Consider this an infiltration mission and a test for your skills. The mission will start as soon as you step from the compound. You will have to fool not only the Daimyo but also our guards and the Hyuga traveling with us.”

“Hmm, infiltration?” Ryoko considered as she slowly straightened up. She hadn’t worn her ‘mask’ in this world yet outside regular missions. So maybe this could be a good opportunity to test if she still had her deception and manipulation skills? To pretend around people who potentially already know you and fool them - that is a challenge.

“Alright. I will do this, father. I will be Ryoko Uchiha hime for this trip,” and not the ANBU captain FOX was left unsaid. With one last assertive nod, she left to prepare.

It has been a while since she wore a kimono. Probably the last time was during the New Year's celebration. Ryoko has been completely consumed with her ANBU missions. If not with Team Shi, then sometimes she was asked to join Team Ro until a full-time replacement agent is found for them.

Ryoko also had a small inkling that this arrangement was orchestrated by Minato as he no doubts heard the rumors about her and Kakashi. She didn’t care much if her Hokage decided to play a matchmaker or not, work was work. She could only hope that guards for this mission would be no one she personally knew from the ranks.

Kakashi leisurely leaned on the wall by the gates as he waited for others to show up. Team Shi members appeared slightly before his own members. Seven masked shinobi would be overkill for usual missions, but there was nothing usual about today's task.

This was practically an S rank bodyguard mission. Two clan heads and their heirs were bound to be targeted. The only saving grace was the entertainment he would get. Kakashi snickered to himself, imagining Ryoko’s face when she saw him.

“Is something the matter, Panda?” he glanced at the young man who was fidgeting since he arrived. Cobra snickered by his side.

“Are you still not over it?” Lynx remarked.

“I mean… she will be? Right?”

“Huh?” Kakashi leaned closer as Panda kept mumbling. “Spit it out.”

“Taicho will be in a kimono, right?”

Kakashi blinked. He could not really understand why that was of any significance. “Most likely, yes. What about it?”

Panda whined and fidgeted even more. Cobra snickered again. “So? What about it?” Kakashi pushed. He didn’t want to be stuck with a distracted comrade so it was best to get to the bottom of this weird behavior, he thought, pinning the boy with his cold glare.

“Well… we had this one mission where taicho had to disguise in a kimono…”

“And?”

“Taicho looks really banging in a kimono,” Panda sighed as he clearly relived the experience in his head. Kakashi could only continue to stare. Seriously? She managed to fool her team into thinking that she is a normal girl?

“Panda, is that how you should be speaking about your superior?” he leaned in to be face to face with the masked agent. An ominous aura surrounding them send chills to those nearby.

“Well.. but… she is!”

He sighed. “Let me tell you something about this mission. You three think you know your taicho, right?” masked heads bobbed in confirmation. “Well, then what do you think your taicho thinks about this mission?”

“What do you mean, Captain?” Lynx tilted his head slightly.

“Well, do you think she is happy to be guarded by her kohai and forbidden to use any jutsu?” they could not see his malicious smile, but they could definitely feel it in his voice.

“Oh..” Cobra gasped.

“That’s right. If I was in her place, I would be more than displeased. So my advice would be to not provoke her unless you are ready to suffer the consequences later,” Kakashi was a complete hypocrite at this moment. Even if this was valid advice, he had no intentions of following it himself.

“Captain, Hyuga are approaching,” Viper announced. He was filling in as a co-captain for the mission with Team Shi and Team Ro. The ANBU group fell into silence and straightened up. Hiashi Hyuga arrived with his nephew Neji Hyuga. Both stoic and stuck up as expected.

A few minutes later a gust of wind brought her scent to Kakashi’s nose. He gave one last warning glance to Panada and turned to watch as Uchiha arrived. Fugaku-sama was walking with a mild smirk on his lips and on his left side…

“Is that…” Tenzo whispered silently, but Kakashi still heard him. All of their eyes fell on Ryoko. She walked slowly like a true lady with her kimono shimmering behind her. Her hair was pulled up in a fancy and meticulous hairdo. Hairpins making a gentle sound as she walked.

“I told you!” Panda hissed.

Kakashi still could not agree with the boy. He only felt shivers rise on his back. Ryoko’s serene expression was creepy beyond belief. She looked like a completely different person. It was unnerving.

“Hiashi-sama.”

“Fugaku-sama.”

Clan heads greeted each other. Kakashi stepped forwards and bowed his head to both. “Uchiha-sama. Hyuga-sama. Whenever you’re ready.”

He felt Ryoko’s dark eyes go from him to the teams behind him. She smiled and nodded her head. “Thank you, shinobi-san. Please take care of us,” her voice was soft and gentle like a spring morning. Kakashi almost shivered again. Creepy.

“Carriage is this way,” he motioned to where the horses were waiting.

“Carriage?” Ryoko’s smile faltered only for a split second, but Kakashi still noticed it. This will be fun. It was a shame that her chakra was completely suppressed. He could bet a lot of money that the girl was livid right about now.

“Hime,” he opened the door for her with a big smile hidden under his mask.

Ryoko sat next to her father, with Hyuga seated in front of them. A CARRIAGE? SERIOUSLY??? her mind went into a full-blown rant about the absurdity of it all. She never once before regretted being part of a clan. Until today.

And to find her and Kakashi’s teams guarding them? It was the last straw. She would have bailed if not for the promise made to Fugaku to behave. At least the whole journey Hyuga didn’t try to spark a conversation, even if the young boy, Neji, was giving her odd looks from time to time.

Ryoko kept herself vigilant and highly aware of the chakra signatures following them. It felt like Kakashi was almost as excited as Panda judging by how their chakra buzzed. Her mind could not stop plotting for revenge on those who dared to enjoy her suffering!

The girl closed her eyes and fell into her mind palace. Slowly walking through the halls and rooms she climbed the stairs to the very top. The attic. Here the memories of her fallen enemies lai. Chopped and dried heads hung from the tilted ceiling. There was a katana carefully placed above what could be named an altar.

This was her instrument to bring retribution. Ryoko kneeled before it and focused on the smells and thoughts that circled in the shadows. Did Madara-sama go on such trips as well? He must have… Did he obey the rules? Was he teased by Senju for it? Most likely.

It was all for the sake of the clan. To ensure good trade for the next year. But was it worth her dignity? That is a big price to pay. The girl was almost sixteen years by now. She was already an adult in the eyes of her village. Her rank demanded respect. Her skills instilled fear. Yet now she had to pretend to be a weakling fragile little thing.

Her reputation was in the shadows for far too long, that is the conclusion Ryoko came to.

“We are here,” Hiashi said, bringing everyone back to their senses. The carriage stopped. She felt ANBU take their positions and the door was opened.

Show must go on.

Ryoko stepped out carefully with her gentle smile in place. They were greeted by servants and taken deep into the extravagant estate. Daimyo of this region turned out to be a man of her father's age. Outwardly everything you would expect from the nobility - manners, smiles, perfect image.

Next to him was his eldest son and heir. Target located... Ryoko thought to herself as she made her bows. Eyes lingered on the young man only for a second to lock with his pale grey eyes. After that, her attention was pointedly directed only to the man’s father.

The first day in the estate went by quickly. It is on the second day when the negotiations had to start. Ryoko sat by Fugaku’s side discreetly following the conversation with Daimyo’s financial advisors.

She felt how Daimyo’s son took a seat next to her in the most nonchalant and casual manner. Like he didn’t plan for it. Ryoko glanced at him and gave her kind smile.

“Tea?” she offered.

“Oh, yes please, hime,” the man smiled back pleased that her attention finally fell on him. Ryoko gave a small nod and reached for the teapot. Her left hand held onto her right arm kimono sleeve to reveal her wrist. As she gently twisted it and poured the hot beverage, she felt multiple pairs of eyes watching her actions.

Yes, fools! Watch and weep… she cackled in her mind using the most subtle methods of seduction right in front of everyone. Due to her age and overall position, nobody would think twice about her intentions.

“This must be boring for you, hime,” the man remarked after clearing his throat. She handed him the cup of tea. Fingers a millimeter away from the skin on skin contact.

“Oh, not at all, this is my duty,” Ryoko responded glancing up over her dark eyelashes at the man by her side.

“Hmmm, would you like to take a walk? I am sure you must be exhausted from these dull financial talks.”

Bingo. Ryoko forced a dusting of blush to her cheeks. She then turned to her father, who of course had to be listening in. Fugaku eyed her for a minute, but then nodded with approval. She hoped that he would start regretting his decisions about now.

“Hime, would you like to see my horse?” the man asked as they walked the corridors towards the gardens. She felt Kakashi’s chakra trailing not far behind.

“A horse? Do you ride?”

“Oh yes! Come, I’ll show you, my horse is amazing!” he grabbed her hand and guided the girl outside. A brave man he was. Ryoko was honestly amused by his forwardness. It was refreshing and somewhat nice to get such attention. Although, in her mind, she knew that it was fake. The man was manipulated in this position and if he knew the real Ryoko, he would not act this way…

“Here! Have you ever ridden a horse?” he was enthusiastic as he showed her to the stables. Ryoko shook her head. Shinobi don’t ride horses…

He still didn’t let go of her hand as they stopped by a true stallion of a horse. Black and shiny it looked worthy of the Daimyo. “Would you like to?” he leaned into her ear with conspiracy clearly written all over his face.

“Can I ride your horse?” Ryoko mused with a more honest smile on her parted lips.

Instead of an answer, the man spun her around, grabbed onto her waist, and the next moment she was seated sideways on the back of a horse. Ryoko blinked, mildly surprised. He was fast and confident. “Oh..” was all she managed to whisper before the man himself took place next to her.

His arms wrapped around her to hold on to the reins. “Hold on,” she noticed the man’s playful smirk.

“Onto what?” Ryoko whispered, but had no time to think it over as they were off. She suppressed a yelp of surprise and instinctively clung to the man's chest.

The horse was fast, but a shadow still dutifully followed the pair. Ryoko watched with amusement how the world blurred similar to when she ran across the trees as a shinobi.

“At first, I thought you were shy,” the man whispered to her ear. She felt his heavy breathing and it put all sorts of impure thoughts into her head.

“Oh? And now?” Ryoko responded somewhere to his neck.

“Now… I think… you are adorable and respectful and… wait, how old are you, hime?”

“My sixteenth birthday is next month.”

“Ah, excellent!” he cheered but didn’t elaborate further.

Chapter Text

Fugaku regretted his life choices. Maybe if he left like Madara-sama he could settle on a quiet farm and just care for crops, get drunk in the evening and watch the sunset. But no, his sense of obligation forced the man to sit and watch as his darling daughter was whisked away by the Daimyo’s son.

When did she grow up? he wondered taking note of everyone’s eyes on her. It felt like only yesterday she said her first words… The man sighed under his breath and turned back to the stack of papers in front of him. The negotiations were going well so far.

“Where have you been?” he found Ryoko later that evening and pulled the girl aside from prying ears to speak with her.

“Horseback riding,” Ryoko kept her smile, which looked almost out of place. He knew her real smile and this was not it. Believable, but not the same.

“...Hn…” he didn’t have words to that. Fugaku could only hope that tomorrow will be better. Kami didn’t listen to his prayers…

“Hime! Are those fans?” the young Lord again settled by his daughter's side the next day and pointed at the fans tucked behind her obi. Fugaku’s eyes narrowed just a fraction. Are those… she wouldn’t!... no… she definitely would… he thought.

“Yes, they are,” Ryoko pulled the items out and revealed their red coloring marked with thirteen tomoe. Oh, Kami, they were what Fugaku feared them to be! The fans Ryoko used in the field.

“Ohh! Why do you have two?” the man asked. And it would be foolish to say that other people in the room were not listening in on the young couple's conversation just like Fugaku. Ryoko brought a touch of chaos to the otherwise boring deliberations.

“Entertainment of course!” Ryoko smiled brightly as her unfolded fans twirled in the air and then one was flipped to the other hand. A hypnotic yet feminine sight to behold. Although, the better half of the people in this room knew what else Ryoko could do with those same fans…

“Ooooh! You’re so good at it!” Daimyo's son cooed and clapped his hands. He was completely wrapped around her finger. Fugaku didn’t know if he should be proud or concerned, but that was a worry for another day.

Thankfully, they were done before another day passed. Fugaku watched as everyone said their goodbyes. He didn't like how the young Lord's eyes lingered on Ryoko. ANBU captain reported to him, that nothing inappropriate happened between the two, but Fugaku could see the urges in Daimyo's son's eyes. He sighed just as Hiashi stopped by his side.

"You are sneaky, Fugaku. Using your daughter to get the better part o the deal? I would have never thought you were capable of this," the Hyuga looked like he just ate a lemon.

"Hn," Fugaku chose not to confirm or deny instead. He most definitely did not plan on Ryoko turning the tables around in favor of Uchiha. But the development was not unwelcome, even just to see Hyuga's sour expression. Hiashi glared the whole trip home and suddenly Fugaku didn't feel as displeased with Ryoko's act anymore.

Ryoko was not amused. Not a single bit. She glanced at the goofy face of her partner and barely managed not to roll her eyes. “It’s your fault!” she hissed at Kakashi.

“Well, the mission said that there are three targets. Technically, it wasn’t wrong,” he gave that annoying eye crinkle of a smile, while their captor reentered the room.

“SILENCE, YOU HEATHENS!” the man said as he dropped a pile of firewood to the corner of this sorry shack. Ryoko once again tugged on her restraints but they were surprisingly formidable.

“I hate you,” she mouthed at Kakashi, who didn’t even try to get free by the looks of it. Ryoko on the other hand felt completely done with this whole situation. She didn't even have time to get her revenge on Kakashi after the trip to Daimyo's home.

Just a few days later after returning she and Kakashi were summoned. Their mission was supposed to be simple - come in, locate targets and eliminate them. Minato yet again assigned the mission to both of them and it would not be an issue if not for Kakashi falling for an obvious trap.

He defended by saying that it was to lure the other two targets out. Of course, they did not predict the assailant to have chakra suppressing cuffs. So here they are now, bound and annoyed in a company of a mental case.

“You will repent for the senseless murders your kind committed!” the man roared as he took the belt of his pants and edged closer to Kakashi. He clearly hated shinobi, not like Ryoko could blame him too much. They were killers.

“Maaa, why so serious?” her idiotic gray-haired partner joked as the man took Kakashi's sandal off. The belt cracked the air and whipped at Copy Nin's bare foot. It was as if this man was punishing a disobedient son and not a deadly shinobi.

“Stop it!” Ryoko yelled out feigning girlish distress. Kakashi barely managed to contain his laughter. Maybe he was a masochist, she considered as the man now approached her instead. Belt was dropped and his face was completely skewed.

“Shhh! Shhh! Calm down, I’ll help you,” the man said in a different - gentle tone, his eyes pulled down with empathy. His second personality appeared to be more submissive and troubled than the first.

The man reached into his pocket and pulled out a little bottle. For AMATERASU'S sake! Why me? Ryoko mentally looked at the skies as she prepared to receive a dose of who knows what. As the man gently opened her mouth and poured the liquid in, it gave Kakashi more than enough time to shed his restraints.

The substance tasted sweet and spicy, definitely not what she expected. It didn’t feel like poison or the usual drugs, so Ryoko just leaned back and watched as the man evaded Kakashi’s kunai. The fight broke out revealing the third personality of their target.

“You should have never come here! I will protect my family from you scum!” the man yelled. Obviously, there was no family here. Ryoko guessed that the stern personality was the father figure, while the submissive one had to be a feminine representation of a mother. Now the current one logically would be the child persona.

“What a mess,” Ryoko muttered as she finally picked the lock of her restraints and dropped them to the floor. The girl didn’t hurry to aid Kakashi. If he was arrogant enough to get them into this mess, he could kill the target by himself too.

She crossed her arms over her chest and watched as the two figures danced in a battle to the death. Surprisingly, the frail-looking man had some moves. He used a chakra conductive sword. Chakra nature being wind of all things!

“Sucks to be a lightning user now!” she yelled at Kakashi with glee.

And to spite her, Kakashi of course just had to whip out his trademark Chidori to finish the deal. Honestly, it was a bit impressive to see his lighting technique go against its natural opposite and win. Ryoko sometimes forgot how skilled Kakashi could be when he wanted to.

“You were saying?” he landed in front of the girl with the dead body swung over his shoulder.

“You owe me lunch.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“I bet that it couldn’t be three targets for the reported crimes.”

“Well, but technically…” Kakashi tried to argue that split personalities counted. Her glare quickly shut that thought down. She was hungry, tired, and annoyed. Yes, she was hangry. And you don’t mess with a hangry Uchiha. He was wise enough to concede and agree to get her lunch when back in Konoha.

They sealed the body into a scroll and finally left into the night. A couple of miles away, they stopped to change from the disguises into the regular Konoha jonin uniforms. As they were running back home, Kakashi kept glancing in her direction until Ryoko finally couldn’t take it anymore.

“WHAT?”

“Are you… do you need an antidote or something…?”

Ryoko shook her head. The effects of whatever the man gave her, did not show up just yet. The girl hoped that it was just her tolerance doing its magic. While deep down, there was an inkling of concern.

“It wasn’t poison,” she added lost in her thoughts.

“Hmmm, tell me when it kicks in,” Kakashi said as a matter of fact. His concern was not welcome, and that was shown by Ryoko’s intensified scowl.

Thirty minutes to Konoha, it finally ‘kicked in’. Ryoko groined as she pushed off a branch. Her breathing became heavy, chest felt hot along with her whole body, actually. “Fuck this mission,” she muttered breathlessly.

“You good?” Kakashi glanced over his shoulder.

“Fuckin’ fantastic.”

Hatake didn’t take her sarcasm well and stopped immediately. Ryoko barely managed to avoid him as she sidestepped and leaned on nearby tree bark. He reached to check her vitals, but Ryoko just swatted his hand away. “I’m good. Just… just… ghr..” another labored breath. The feeling was not like other drugs she tried.

No, it didn’t feel like she was hallucinating or ‘high’. She didn’t feel pain per se, but she was definitely feeling something. Something hot that twisted her insides. “I’m fine, let’s get this over with,” she steadied her breath and jumped away before Kakashi could try to touch her again.

By the time they reached the village, Ryoko felt the full brunt of the substance. Oh Kami, did she feel things. Every move and brush of her clothing sent shivers across her skin. Every breath was like a new sensation leaving the girl craving for more. It wasn’t hard to guess now what that substance was. An aphrodisiac.

She stood before Hokage, barely containing her shiver. Maybe her mind was affected by it too because Minato looked unusually handsome today… She shook her head slightly and forced herself to listen to Kakashi’s report instead of undressing Hokage with her eyes.

“Anything to add, Ryoko?” the blond asked.

“Nope,” she squeaked out, averting her eyes.

“Are you alright, Ryoko-chan?” Minato sounded concerned. Did she really look that bad? Ryoko wanted to curse out loud but contained her flaming temper to save the last shreds of dignity and avoid any further questioning.

“Totally fine, Hokage-sama,” Ryoko exhaled. With the dismissal, the girl was gone before Kakashi even managed to send her another puzzled stare.

She flickered as far away as she could and took refuge in a distant park. Ryoko plopped on the ground by a tall tree, where she finally exhaled with a grunt. She hasn’t felt this turned on since that one time she caught Shikaku training with his former genin team…

Her mind blurred as she recalled the fond memory of the sweat dripping down his toned neck… Ryoko swallowed the saliva that gathered in her mouth and tried to suppress the urge of rubbing her thighs together.

“I thought you wanted lunch,” Kakashi of course had his ways of finding her. Ryoko muttered something under her breath, while her mind said, yes, she was definitely hungry for something… The man sat next to her. She felt his eye watching her.

“Stop staring, Bakashi.”

“So are you going to tell me what is happening or will I have to tell your brother that you were injected with an unknown substance?”

Ryoko groaned. Itachi was the last person she wanted to know about her situation. That would be one embarrassing conversation. She opened her eyes with a contemplative glance at Kakashi. “Oh, the best nose in Konoha can’t tell by the smell alone?” she quirked one eyebrow, but anything was better than voicing the truth. Even Kakashi literally smelled her arousal was better than talking about it. He would smell it eventually either way.

Kakashi never known to step away from a challenge, lowered his mask and smelled in her direction. To his credit, the man didn’t react as most would. He only went still and pulled the mask back up. “I see…” he muttered.

“You smell,” she corrected, rolling her eyes.

“Here, this should help,” he extended a bag with what smelled like lunch from the corner store she liked. Ryoko nodded with mild gratitude. Maybe this would at least take her mind off things.

They ate in silence. Ryoko almost forgot about her predicament until her eyes zoned out watching the shadow of a tree get longer from the setting sun. She licked her lips and let out a shaky breath.

“Are you spacing out again?” Kakashi asked in a roundabout way if she was coping or not.

“I’m not spacing out again, I’m fine,” Ryoko said. “Mentally my mind is…” her words trailed away as she considered the image of shadows warping and tangling with her limbs. Spreading her legs far apart… Pinning her to the ground… She let out a shaky breath before she could speak again. “Just considering the benefits of shadow possession jutsu…”

“Riiiiiiiight.”

Jokes on Kakashi, because she actually was considering that. Only not in the way he would think… Oh boy, will she masturbate to her heart's content tonight. That thought allowed her to continue eating for now.

“You know, some people would say that you need help,” he retorted.

Ryoko glanced at the idiot and poked his chin with her chopsticks. “Well, some people can fuck off and go to hell.”

She turned away back to the food with her opinion on getting help loud and clear. Kakashi’s silent chuckle still reached her ears. It sounded deep and dark and almost attractive… Almost.

“Cousin, why do you think there aren’t more Uchiha in the ranks?” Shisui asked as they sat down together in a bar. It was a rare occasion for them both to be in the village at the same time. So when it did happen, they would meet. And drink. And gossip.

Well, Ryoko mostly listened, but she enjoyed his sunny company. Even the darkness of ANBU missions couldn’t cloud her favorite cousin's attitude. She hummed slowly sipping on her drink. “Well, most of our clansmen are in the Police Force. Others in Jonin ranks.”

“Hmm, it’s almost as if they don’t trust us with shadow ranks!” the boy… no, a young man, pouted.

“They?”

“Yeah! The councils. The leadership.”

Ryoko’s eyes drifted over other patrons in the bar. This was a rather dangerous line of conversation. Shisui was basically criticizing the Hokage, Council, Fugaku, and their decisions. She wasn’t blind or deaf. She knew that more of her clansmen had the same thoughts.

“So you think our clan is not appreciated enough? Discriminated against? Not given the same opportunities?”

“Don’t you?” Shisui’s smile looked tired at this comment. She sensed the same displeasure that other Uchiha showed if you looked close enough. Interesting.

“Hmmm. I get what I want, so I do not feel like I have been wronged,” she shrugged considering his words. Indeed, Ryoko felt that it was more a personal attitude issue - if you bitch around you stay in the same pathetic state you are. But if you do something about it, then you are the victor.

“Seriously?” Shisui raised his eyebrows.

“What?”

“You think you are not affected by it? By the air of Uchiha? By other people's perspective of us?” Ryoko could only blink dubiously at him.

“Yes?”

“Then tell me, back in the Academy, did you have many friends? Did teachers treat you fairly?”

“Well…”

“When you walk down the street, do people stare and whisper behind your back even if you did nothing?”

“Shisui…”

“Tell me that our own comrades value and respect the hard work you do? Tell me,” he looked stubborn and there was not a single smirk in sight.

“Shi-chan, did something happen?” Ryoko softened her voice, while her face remained seriously pinched. Complaining and sulking was not what her cousin did. Ever.

“Hime, doesn’t it bother you that people fear you?”

“No, why? They should fear me,” she was completely honest with her answer. In a shinobi world, fear was just another daily occurrence. Those who are strong are feared and she wanted to be the strongest. Shisui winced.

“But enemies should fear you, not your comrades… They are ungrateful and annoying…” he continued to rant and she again got the sense that there was something more going on. Something provoked her level-headed cousin to lose his cool.

“Shisui. What happened? Tell me,” she insisted pinning the boy down in place with her stern eyes. Somebody dared to upset her cousin and she would not stand for it. He fidgeted in his seat but eventually caved.

Shisui apparently walked in on a group of jonin bitching about Ryoko being of the same rank as them and overall her getting where she is only because of being an Uchiha. And contrary to their complaints, they basically putting her down, while insinuating that soon another Uchiha will come and be even better than her.

“So basically they were saying I am a weak entitled brat that got her position because of her name yet they still could not have enough balls to say it in my face?” Ryoko summarized deceptively calmly.

“Yeah…” Shisui sighed and downed his drink. Who knows what else he heard. Ryoko had to consider what would be an appropriate response. It was one thing to fear her, but to say that she can be so easily replaced? That is unacceptable. For once she could relate to her clan's displeasure with the villagers.

She wanted to scream out. Once more her reputation was dismissed and her age and gender and clan were all people could see. Maybe it was alcohol speaking, but Ryoko did not want to let this go. She forced Shisui to tell her the names of those jonin and off she goes.

The girl didn’t bother remembering their names. They were just that insignificant. And that same night she found the group just a few blocks away in another shinobi bar. Ryoko strode directly to their table and slammed her palms on it with a smile on her face.

“May I have your attention, please,” it was not a question. She noticed among the group a few Hyuga and a few clanless men. They stared at her with wide confused eyes, fear, and realization for the reason of her presence here dawned on the poor bunch.

“What? You act like you’ve never seen an Uchiha before. Jaws all on the floor as if Madara-sama just burst in the door,” Ryoko smirked, pleased with the effect of her dramatic entrance. “I'm sick of you little boy and girl groups, all you do is annoy me,” she scoffed. They were silent.

“You think someone better will just come along like that? There's a hundred of us Uchiha just like me. Who fight like me, who just don't give a fuck like me. Who dress like me, walk, talk, and act like me. And just might be the next best thing, but not quite me. I put my work in so don’t you ever dare to underestimate me again or think I have not earned it,” Ryoko said without even getting winded. Her sharingan was deactivated, yet it still looked like her eyes were ablaze. She straightened up and crossed arms over her chest emitting as much ‘Madara’ness’ as she could.

“Oh, and the next time you decide to gossip about your fellow comrade, grow a pair and do it in their face.”

She left the bar and its occupant's speechless. Only fools would dare to mouth off Uchiha. Ryoko stormed out still very much pissed. As she walked down towards the Uchiha compound, she could not help but think that Shisui was right. Her clan was segregated. Their bloody history was still held over their heads.

The power of sharingan is great, that is a fact, but it is not a reason to hate the whole clan. To fear them or ignore them. To prevent them from getting high-ranking positions. Ignorant people would say that being in charge of Konoha's Police Force was a high-ranking position, but in actuality, it was not. Enforcing law, rules, and order only made people hate Uchiha more.

Ryoko sighed and looked at her clan's crest on the wall of the compound. Her dearest people are being discretely and passively isolated from the community. They were placed in a position to be the 'bad guy'. If she was angry, then how were other, less composed, clansmen feeling? She had to think of something before the boiling point is reached.

Uchiha will be respected and appreciated as they deserve! Itachi was one of the few openly valued because of his medical position at the hospital. Now how could she force the clan to make the first step in mingling with others? Thoughts kept Ryoko awake till the sun started to emerge from the distant trees.

"New day, new start," she whispered with determination to bring change and peace to Uchiha. How could she be the next Hokage if she could not even help her clan?

Chapter Text

Minato has been staring at the little box on his desk for about an hour now. He knew this was a bad idea. It was a terrible idea, actually. Yet he still went through with it. At first, he wanted to simply give a helping hand, but as time passed he realized his mistake.

He assumed that his genius shinobi would eventually figure it out. He was wrong. You should never assume anything. Despite their intellect, the two were complete emotional retards as it turns out. There were countless missions, countless opportunities, and Kakashi, or Ryoko for that matter, yet had to make a move on one other.

So Minato convinced himself in giving one last helping hand in the matter of teenage love. The two were just too adorable together. How could he ignore their chemistry? Half of the village already believed that the two were an item. They understood each other without words. They cared for each other. They felt comfortable with each other.

All the ingredients were there. Someone just had to create a spark. Plant an idea in the thick heads of those two. Minato inhaled and summoned his trusted guard.

“Hound,” he said as Kakashi kneeled before him.

“Hokage-sama!”

“Please deliver this to the Uchiha clan head house. This is for Ryoko-chan. Return back immediately,” he pushed the little box towards Kakashi, who obediently took it and disappeared.

The blond leaned back in his chair and sighed. This was the right thing to do, he was convinced of it. For many years Minato watched as his most promising student tethered between light and darkness. Kakashi was so detached and obsessed, to the point where ANBU seemed like the only place for the boy where he could get some sort of stability.

That was until Ryoko made her entrance into their lives. She pushed the boy even further skill-wise. That would be good enough, but the girl also managed to somehow break through the barriers Kakashi had set up around himself. She pulled the boy to the light and Minato would forever be grateful for that to the young Uchiha hime.

“Happy birthday, Ryoko-chan,” he smirked and turned back to the pile of documents waiting on his table. If he finished the work early enough, he might just join her clan celebrations.

“Welcome back, honey,” her mother greeted from the kitchen.

“Hn,” Ryoko was almost at her wit's end. For years her birthday was celebrated quietly with the closest members of her family. So it was odd why this year the celebration was so public. And because there would be guests from other clans, she had to endure shopping and other trivial matters.

“Oh, by the way, your friend, Hatake boy, dropped by and left you this,” Mikoto had the brightest grin on her lips as she extended a little box towards Ryoko. She took it with a normal level of caution. Knowing Kakashi, this might be cursed or sabotaged as ‘payback’ for her own ‘sabotages’.

Mother looked expectantly at her as if waiting for Ryoko to open the box in front of her. The girl ignored the look and went to the safety of her room instead. If it was trapped, she might as well hide the consequences from Mikoto.

After carefully inspecting the box, Ryoko didn’t notice any tags, seals, or trap wires. Using a kunai, she carefully cut the ribbon and opened the lid.

“Huh,” her hand reached inside and took out a delicate silver chain with a pendant. It was in the shape of a wolf or a dog. It actually reminded her of Kakashi in a way. Suspicion not yet dispelled, the girl looked even closer at the item.

A gift? For me? How odd… she considered. Usually, Kakashi would just get her a dessert she never tried before on her birthday. This was something new. Well… it’s not ugly… Ryoko carefully put the pendant on and glanced at the mirror.

Silver looked nice on her pale skin. The profile of the wolf laid on her chest region like it was always there. The overall shape of it resembled an upside-down teardrop. She kinda liked it. Her fingers brushed over the delicate craftsmanship of it.

“Hmmm… if he expects thanks for this, he’ll be disappointed…” she muttered to herself. That’s what he gets for being a scared little child and not giving it to her in person.

“Honey, get ready. We’ll have to go soon!” Mikoto yelled with one sentence urging all of her children at the same time. Efficient.

Ryoko sighed and tucked the necklace inside her shirt. This felt like a private thing she wouldn’t like to share with others. The girl proceeds to put on one of her festive kimonos to her big displeasure.

For once she actually liked Mikoto’s pick. It was a midnight blue kimono with a dragon pattern in gold thread. She smirked at the reflection. Yes, this was an acceptable level of elegance and power. She was Ryoko Uchiha, Konoha’s Midnight Dragon.

“Congratulations, Fugaku-sama.”

“Hn.”

“You have a beautiful daughter, Fugaku-sama.”

“Hn.”

“Is it true that Daimyo of the North sent a personal gift to Ryoko-hime?”

“Hn.”

Fugaku would rather not be reminded of that, but people were impressed and he could only respond in a polite non-responsive Uchiha manner to that. He glanced at Ryoko talking with her cousins with a discrete sigh. She had grown up without him even noticing.

“Here,” Hiashi handed him a glass of sake. “You shouldn’t be this grumpy, Fugaku, on a day like this.”

“Oh, just wait when Hinata-chan grows up,” he smirked, but there was no heat behind his words. Despite the popular belief, Fugaku kept good relations with the Hyuga twins. They had the same taste for alcohol and the same distaste for their clan elders.

“What are you implying, Uchiha?” Hiashi narrowed his white eyes.

“Oh, nothing at all. Just cross those fingers for Hinata-chan to be shy,” Fugaku replied without losing a beat. Someone behind them let out a choking sound. The two turned around to see the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. Inoichi was red in the face, still choking on his drink, while Shikaku and Choza chuckled beside the man.

“Ahh, how’s Ino-chan doing, Inoichi,” Hiashi smirked.

“Fine, just fine,” the blond choked out.

“I wouldn’t be smirking if I were you, Fugaku,” Shikaku said with a knowing glint in his eyes. The man now had to replicate Hiashi’s expression.

“Hn?”

“I heard Ino-chan took a liking to Sasuke-kun,” Nara responded in the most casual manner one could while talking about another person's misfortune with his children. Fugaku would have cursed aloud. So it has begun. The curse of Uchiha men to attract the most… determined female admirers.

“Hn.”

“Good luck,” Hiashi patted him on the back with a dark chuckle. Rude. But unfortunately, that was not the end of it. Hyuga dared to raise another troubling matter with his next words. “So, who will you marry off Ryoko-chan to?”

Luckily, Fugaku was not that easily baffled. He smiled and turned to the crowd where his eyes caught the attention of Ryoko. He beckoned the girl to come over.

“Father,” she greeted him, not at all moved by the presence of other clan heads.

“Ryoko, Hiashi-sama here was wondering what are your plans regarding marriage,” the men next to him probably assumed that he had any say in who Ryoko would marry. They were wrong of course. Fugaku was her father and he knew his stubborn daughter well by now.

“Hmm. My only criteria is that it would be a person at least as strong as I am. As it goes right now, Konoha does not have much to offer across all the clans.”

Fugaku heard a silent ‘ouch’ coming from the Nara, while Hiashi suppressed any reaction. “Oh? Even between Uchiha?” Hyuga asked, clearly implying the weakness of their clan.

“Well, the ones that could rival me are my brother and my cousins,” Fugaku could hardly suppress his vicious smirk as he knew what would follow those words. “And unlike some other clans, Uchiha do not condone incest. So you would be correct, Hiashi-sama.”

For once, his pale-eyed friend was lost for words. The jab was subtle, yet clear. Ah, he truly loved his braise daughter sometimes.

“Now considering shinobi outside Konoha…”

Fugaku blanched. “That will be alright for now, Ryoko. You can join your friends now,” he cut her statement short. She nodded and left the snickering men alone. Kami, give him strength for when the elders start pressing on the matter...

A week later, Ryoko stood in front of Minato after her mission. The report was done and she was ready to go back home to her precious bed. Running for six hours after committing a mild massacre would make anyone tired.

“Good job, like always. Team Shi, you are dismissed. Take a few day's break. Fox, stay,” Hokage said as he was putting away the written report. Her teammates bowed and left.

“Hogake-sama,” she said, waiting for his next orders.

“Fox, I need you to do a couple of things for me with your discretion.”

“Of course, Hokage-sama.”

“First please take that little box. Keep it safe, while you do it,” the blond pointed at the item on his desk. He didn’t hand it to her, so Ryoko stepped closer and took it herself. She tucked the item behind her chest plate close to her heart - the safest place there could be.

“I need you to immediately pick up a scroll from T&I. Ibiki will know what you came for. You might have to wait for him to… finalize last remarks on it. Then it has to be delivered right away to Orochimaru-sama. This is your top priority. After that is done, please take that box to Kakashi’s home. He is out on a mission at the moment, but I believe you know where he lives?”

“Yes, Hokage-sama,” she nodded committing to memory the instructions. If Minato was sending ANBU on what looked like a courier mission, this has to be important. Maybe concerning sensitive information if it involved her sensei too…

“You can leave the box at his home. Kakashi will know what to do next.”

Maybe it was just only Ryoko, but she wasn’t too convinced by Minato’s words. It looked like the man was doubtful that Bakashi would know what to do. Of course, it was not her place to question the Hokage, so she didn’t.

“That’s it, you don’t have to report back,” he smiled brightly and it was hard for her to tell if the smile was fake or not.

“Yes, Hokage-sama,” Ryoko bowed one last time and left. Not even five minutes later, she was already in T&I going down to the basement where she felt Ibiki’s chakra.

The girl waited patiently in the corridor for about two hours until the man emerged from what she remembered to be one of the interrogation rooms. He brushed fresh blood from his cheek and smirked at her. “Look what the cat dragged in,” he smiled and winked. That just looked bizarre. She would have laughed at him if she wasn’t wearing her Fox mask.

“Hokage-sama sent me.”

“Ah, so professional,” he sighed but extended a scroll towards her. Ibiki didn’t let go when she grasped it. “You know, you are always welcome here. Why don’t you visit sometime? We’d have a great time, Foxie.”

Ryoko tilted her head slightly to the side. Damn, Ibiki was good. How did he know she would most definitely like to torture someone? Maybe it would be a good opportunity to find out. Ryoko slowly nodded and Ibiki finally let go with the same crooked smile on his face.

She didn’t hesitate to flicker away. Her task was an urgent one. Only her sensory skills stopped the girl from barging in straight to her sensei’s home. Since Cherry started living in the same home, Ryoko showed more respect for their privacy. More for Orochimaru’s sanity as she herself didn’t feel bothered about walking in on the two.

“Oh, honey, what are you doing here so late?” Cherry opened the door wearing a silk robe.

“I have a delivery for Orochimaru-sama,” Ryoko announced like a professional. Even if she would rather chat casually with Cherry-san instead. The pink-haired man smirked and turned around.

“Sugarboo, your illegitimate child is here,” the man snickered as he walked away leaving the door wide open for Ryoko to enter.

“She is not mine,” Orochimaru let out an exasperated sigh as he emerged from his study.

“Mhm,” Cherry did not sound convinced. Ryoko could only wonder why the man assumed this idea in the first place… Not like they even looked alike. Well, except for the dark long hair. And pale skin. And stern attitude. And inclination for wild ninjutsu creation. And taste for good tea. And disregard for other's opinions…

“Minato sent you?” the snake glanced at her.

“Yes,” Ryoko extended the scroll. Without another word or goodbye, the sannin returned to his study. Mission successfully completed.

“Cherry-san,” she bowed to the man and left to do the last task.

The box was small. It didn’t feel too special, but if Minato needed her discretion it had to be special. She considered for a moment how to do it and on her way to Kakashi’s home stopped by a bookstore.

Luckily, copy nin’s birthday was just yesterday, so she could make it look like a present instead of an important item from the Hokage himself. The girl purchased the sequel to Icha Icha series and left it together with the box on Kakashi’s dining table. She may or may not have snatched a conveniently left box of mochi from his refrigerator.

Well into the night, Ryoko returned home. She still made time to change her uniform in ANBU HQ even if sleep was already yelling her name across the lands. The girl dropped to her bed without undressing. Her eyes were closed in an instant. Finally, she could rest.

“NARUTOOOOOOO!” alas, Kami did not allow her to sleep for too long. Probably about six in the morning, she jolted up from her bed and appeared in Sasuke’s room where she heard her brother yell out. Itachi was right next to her. They both stopped with kunai in hand and just stared.

“Brother?” Itachi tilted his head.

“I AM GOING TO KILL HIM!” the small boy yelled as he stared at his own reflection. Ryoko could not blame him. Sasuke’s hair was bright orange.

“Oh.. Ryoko?” Itachi glanced towards her, his voice was barely a whisper. She glanced at her older brother ready to ask, but her questions were answered the moment her eyes fell on Itachi. His hair was also bright and orange.

“Father will not be pleased,” she sighed, taking a strand of her own hair to look at. Yes, it was also orange.

“Aneeee! Lent me your tanto!” Sasuke whined with wide puppy eyes staring right at her soul.

“I don’t have a tanto,” she didn’t even blink as she lied. All ANBU had a standard-issue tanto.

“But you do! You are..” she clasped a hand over Sasuke’s mouth before he could even finish that sentence.

“Shinobi don’t talk about that, Sasu,” she said. The boy nodded and only after that was released from her grasp.

“What’s all the ruckus?” they heard Fugaku’s voice coming from the corridor. Initially, Ryoko planned to be serious about this prank, but seeing their father with orange hair, made even her snicker.

Uchiha were officially pranked. In their own home. Full of shinobi. And compound guards. It turned out after a few minutes of yelling and scrambling, that the whole clan got a makeover. Unlike Ryoko and Itachi, most clansmen of theirs and especially the elders were livid.

“I would not want to be the Hokage now,” her brother whispered as they watched Fugaku leave towards the tower. Eyes blazing but surprisingly matching the absurd hair color. At least it was not something atrocious like pink…

Chapter Text

It was the first mission with the new member of Team Ro. Kakashi’s first impression of the guy - he’s annoying. Talks too much and makes too little sense. Looking at the eyes visible behind the Otter’s mask, Kakashi almost got flashbacks of his genin team.

Another Uchiha was placed under his care. Gods were truly cruel. And he could not shake the feeling of something bad happening to Shisui Uchiha. The boy had skills of course making Kakashi’s fears irrational. He understood the cause for those feelings too, but he could not shake them off.

It was a relief to finish the mission and go home where he could contemplate and reason with his own mind. Maybe entertain a mild panic attack or anxiety flush… He might also sneak into Obito’s house later just to make sure his former teammate is still alive and well…

Kakashi’s planning was cut short when he noticed something new in his home. His nose picked up only on one familiar scent. He followed the smell to the dining table. Kakashi’s hand instinctively reached out for the book with less caution than he would have liked. But this was Icha Icha!

Even Ryoko would not dare to mess with it! And oh… it was the new sequel he planned to buy after the mission! Quickly he flipped through the pages to confirm that it was the new issue and not a cruel prank. It was the real deal.

“Hm… why would she…” he whispered, closing the book shut. There was also a little box left on the table. Maybe it will have the explanation he looked for. It was definitely left by her because Ryoko's scent was the only one he could pick up from the box.

Kakashi opened it to find a pendant inside. It was a silver fox. “Right… she’s mocking me now?” he raised an eyebrow. This definitely looked like something Ryoko would do, to prove her dominance - force him to wear a symbol that represents her.

“But then why the book?” he looked between the necklace in his hand and the book in his other palm. Then his eye fell on the calendar hanging on the wall. “No way…” he whispered. The man had a hard time believing that she would leave a gift for him. This was odd.

Suspicion reaching its crescendo, Kakashi looked closer at the necklace. He didn’t notice any inscribed seals or marks. Even sharingan didn’t show anything odd. “Hmm… oh!” his eye perked up from the realization. “It is a challenge! She thinks I would not have balls to wear it!”

Kakashi let out an evil laugh as he clasped the pendant over his neck and tucked it under his shirt. He was not about to lose to her. Does she think he can’t wear a little piece of jewelry? She’s wrong. Kakashi continued to snicker as he settled on the couch. Now was the time to disconnect from reality as he consumes Icha Icha Paradise second part of the series.

This was a special day. Ryoko specifically asked to have a day off and that within itself was an unusual occurrence. Obviously, she was granted her request, because usually, the Commander would have to force her to take a break.

The girl stood impatiently outside her home waiting for Itachi to return from the Hospital. With arms crossed over her chest, she saw him walking in the distance. Itachi has gotten even taller and despite working most of the time in the hospital, he still managed to find time for training to keep his form. Her brother was truly amazing.

“You’re late,” Ryoko said when he got close enough.

“Hn. Actually, you are early. You should relax sometimes, little sister,” he smirked and poked her forehead in passing. Ryoko opened her mouth to protest but decided against it. She didn’t want to bring Itachi down when he looked so at ease.

Her work in the shadows literally and figuratively took a lot of the burden from his shoulders. Even if he wasn’t aware of it. Besides, she never expected the medical path to allow Itachi to thrive to this extent. She knew it was because he preferred to save lives instead of taking them. “Hn,” the girl just pouted harder, rubbing at her forehead.

Inside the home, Sasuke mirrored her scowl almost perfectly. “But why can’t I go?” the boy whined at their father.

“We’ll talk about it when you become a genin,” Fugaku left no room for discussion. Ryoko ruffled her little brother's hair as she trailed after Itachi inside.

“Ane! This is not fair!” Sasuke decided to try the puppy eyes on her with no luck.

“Have you finished reading all the books I gave you, Sasu?”

“No, but…”

Ryoko shook her head. “In that case, I cannot help you, little brother. Behave,” she poked him in the forehead as Itachi returned after changing. Finally, they were ready.

Together with their father, siblings left the home to the clan meeting hall. It was in one of their temple’s secure rooms. Elders from across the compound were already gathering. It was not Ryoko’s first official clan meeting, but it was special because Fugaku promised to raise her suggestions tonight.

She sat on Fugaku’s left side, Itachi on his right. They were respectfully silent as the elders complained about various issues. There was still a lot of displeasure in the air from the prank that happened about a month ago.

It turned out that Naruto, with or without his parent’s help, placed seals on their compound walls to change the hair color of those inside the perimeter. It was genius and stupid at the same time. Ryoko and Itachi found it funny, others not so much.

Elders took it as an obvious sign of disrespect from their Hokage and Konoha as a whole. It was like fuel to their other ongoing complaints. And here is where her suggestion comes in. Fugaku cleared his throat, making the room go quiet.

“I understand your concern. Yet segregation does not happen one-sided. We have to encourage Uchiha integration in Konoha’s ranks if that is what the clansmen wish for,” Fugaku paraphrased her words, but the meaning was the same as she told him a few weeks ago. The Uchiha clan needs to start making changes and open their close-minded heads if they want to be part of the community.

“What are you suggesting, Fugaku-sama?” one scrunchy elder narrowed his eyes.

“I believe it is time to empower our fellow clansmen to choose the career paths they desire. Would it be academics, medicine, shinobi ranks, or other.”

“Blasphemy!”

“Absurde!”

“Police Force will suffer!”

There was a lot of noise. Fugaku allowed the elders to voice their concerns over each other. He was basically treating the old men like children - allowing them to finish the tantrum as he patiently waited for the room to be silent yet again.

“As for the Police Force, I believe it is time to open it for other clan members to join.”

Queue round two of yells, shouts, and overall denial of any suggestions. Ryoko’s head painfully pulsed by the end of the meeting. No matter what arguments Fugaku had, the old men were stubborn and did not want to accept that it was time for a change.

The authority from being the only police in Konoha was not worth the public's opinion of the whole clan. Not even mentioning their clansmen being tied to a single path. Itachi had already started the change by becoming a medic. Elders could not complain too much because of his position as an heir.

Then it was Obito who chose to be a sensei. Again, elders could not complain too much, as the boy was like a dark sheep between Uchiha with a disgraceful loss of his eye to top things off.

And then there was Ryoko and Shisui. Members of elide shadow ranks. The ones to sacrifice their lives for the sake of elders feeling like something was accomplished. That Uchiha were taken into account.

Even if the old men resisted now, they could not stop the change that was creeping in. Yet Ryoko felt like it was not coming soon enough. The displeasure among Uchiha only increased after Naruto’s prank.

Obviously, they could not punish the son of Hokage, causing even more friction in the clan's relation with the village. Naruto ended up shadowing Fugaku at the Police Force as a learning experience about law and consequences.

She had a big urge to say ‘it’s just a prank, bro’ to all those elders. But Ryoko knew it was not about the prank in the end. It was about how people perceive Uchiha. About how they are treated. It is about a childish prank being the last straw after decades of malicious disregard started by Senju.

Elders were not happy. Not at all. Today's meeting only proved that their rage was making the old men blind to reason. Ryoko returned home with even more thoughts in her mind. What concerned her the most, was that the elders started to voice their doubts about Fugaku’s leadership. It was subtle, but she still noticed. And she didn’t like it one bit.

It was bound to happen sooner or later. Ryoko was surprised it took them almost three months to actually do something. Obviously, they waited for the right conditions. For example, for the clan head and his heirs to be away from the village.

Fugaku and Itachi were traveling with clan business and were supposed to be away for at least two weeks. Ryoko, as the next one in line, was on missions practically non-stop. So of course, during the two weeks absence of the clan head and his heir, there would be a time where Ryoko would be gone as well.

The only mistake they made is assuming that Ryoko is the type of person to take her time with missions. Another mistake was expecting the whispers about the secret clan council’s meeting not to reach, self-proclaimed prince of gossip, Shisui Uchiha.

When Ryoko saw his raven in the sky, she could have guessed what the message would say. Thankfully, Team Shi was already tying loose ends and could depart home shortly. She flicked her wrist with the fan and an invisible gust of wind cut two enemy's scalps clean off.

Ryoko extended her arm to the sky for the raven to perch on. Just as expected - the message urged her to return home. She probably was the closest compared to Fugaku and Itachi who were now somewhere in the Land of Tea.

“Taicho, is everything alright?” Lynx appeared by her side, calm as ever.

“Hn. Let’s wrap this up, I have a date,” she said as the black bird poofed out of existence. Lynx didn’t have to be told twice. Both of them scattered to tackle the remaining enemy shinobi and ten minutes later their team was off towards Konoha.

Ryoko could feel Shisui’s disturbed chakra in the distance as they neared the Konoha gates. The sun was already descending behind the line of trees. It will be a long night for her…

Take a break. We report to Hokage at 0800 tomorrow. Ryoko signed instead of speaking. Others melted into the shadows, while the girl jumped down in front of her cousin wearing his Otter mask. He didn’t have to say anything. She was not deaf - she heard the whispers too.

Shisui placed his hand on her shoulder and flickered them both away deep in the Uchiha compound. As they walked inside the temple halls, Ryoko took off her Fox mask and tucked it behind her chest plate. Elders knew she was ANBU, but there was no reason to proclaim her shadow identity.

“Shit…” Shisui cursed and stopped abruptly.

“Hn?”

“Hokage has been calling me for the past ten minutes, I really have to go unless we want him involved.”

“No, Shisui, go. I’ll take care of this. No need to show Uchiha nonsense to the public,” Ryoko nodded with determination. Elders will regret the day they decided to go against her family. The boy nodded in response and flickered away. She took one last deep breath and pushed big doors open where the room buzzing just a second ago fell into complete silence.

“My, my, looks like I made it just in time for this urgent meeting. Please do continue,” Ryoko smirked as she spoke in a sweet and calm voice. The girl walked by the long table to the end of it, where Fugaku would usually sit. As he and Itachi were absent, Ryoko took the head seat.

Elders started to whisper again and their voices rose as they got more comfortable with her silent presence. She just watched and listened, catching bits and pieces of their rants. One elder in the back finally banged his hands on the table grabbing everyone’s attention.

“I will not stand for the perversion of our illustrious clan!” elder Tanaka roared.

“Tanaka, have you gone mad? I will not tolerate this! You're disrespecting our clan leaders! Apologize!” another elder, Honda-san yelled across the table. He was usually the one to support her father.

Ryoko clapped her hands to force the old geezers to pay attention to her. “Tanaka-san, of what perversion do you speak?” she said sweetly keeping her voice level.

“My father… along with yours… and along with yours, started this council,” Tanaka spoke nodding at other members. “And while you laugh like stupid donkeys, they weep in the afterlife over the perversion committed every day by those unworthy of the task handed to them.”

“Outrageous! Tanaka, it is you who insults this council!” another elder by the name Oza snapped back. “Bastard!” he yelled and threw his folded fan at Tanaka.

The elder caught it surprisingly well and threw it right back at Oza with an endearing insult of his own. “Fuck face!”

Ryoko would be amused if she weren’t completely outraged. “Gentlemen!” she raised her voice slightly to cut over the yells and complaints. When silence fell in the room again, gentleness returned to her voice. “Tanaka-san obviously has something on his mind. By all means, allow him to express it.”

“I speak of the perversion done to this council and clan... which I love... more than my own children… I cannot stand by while a bitch weakling is set as its leader!”

“Are you challenging the head of the Uchiha clan?” Ryoko felt her blood turn ice cold under her skin. This was going too far. Elder or not, he would regret insulting her father and brother.

“Yes! In fact, I am! Shi e no kai!” he jumped up on his feet, while a murmur trickled down the table. This was a first, since Madara-sama took control of the clan.

‘Shi e no kai’ was an official challenge to the reigning clan head. It is literally a ‘meeting to the death’. As the leader cannot leave alive the one who showed such a level of disrespect. Kill or be killed was the only rule, where the winner takes everything.

Madara was challenged a few times, but soon clan members saw it as a fruitless affair. He was too strong to be beaten. Elders now got too comfortable in their position and too blind to the reality of things. They actually believed that they could overthrow Ryoko’s family. She smiled and stood up.

“Shi e no kai it is. Let us commence,” she said walking out of the meeting hall and into the temple courtyard. Elders followed her, still whispering. Some were horrified, some agreed that this was the wisest choice. Ryoko was just a girl after all. How hard would it be to beat her as the representative of the clan head family?

“What are you going to do? You've got nothing. Nothing but your bloody knives and your fancy kata gimmicks. I have decade's worth of skills!” Tanaka laughed as he took his place in front of Ryoko. Yes, he was right. By the rules of this duel, clan head representatives could not use sharingan, chakra, or jutsu. Unlike the challenger.

“No. What you have are jutsu and the hope that when your hand signs are done, I'm no longer standing. Because if I am, you'll be dead before you create another genjutsu,” Ryoko responded coldly. A gust of wind made everyone shiver.

“Die for the better future of Uchiha clan!” he yelled one last time before his eyes bled red.

Ryoko ignored the visions placed over her eyes. This was child’s play. Her nose knew better than to believe the smell of tortures her eyes saw. Her skin knew better than to believe that she was being attacked. Elder was not that stupid to engage her directly even if she was under a genjutsu.

If he was the scared scumbag she pegged him to be, he would… Thunk! A kunai impaled her left thigh. Ryoko didn’t let a single sound out, she didn’t move an inch, her face was stone cold.

“My turn,” was the only thing the girl said as she plucked the weapon from her leg. Ironically, the pain was what disrupted the genjutsu allowing her to attack. She didn’t hurry and leisurely swiped at the old man. She was playing with Tanaka like a cat plays with a mouse before devouring it.

“Die! Die! Why won't you die?! Why won't you die?” Tanaka was getting desperate with his attacks, but he didn’t have anywhere to go. Ryoko was upon him like a gloom of death.

“Beneath this face, there is more than flesh. Beneath the name Uchiha, there is an idea, Tanaka-san. And ideas are death-proof,” Ryoko whispered emotionlessly before she went for the kill.

It was a quick succession of moves practiced well in her ANBU career. One hand grabbed onto the elder's hair, the other holding a kunai slashed his neck around effectively cutting that part of the body off. With one last tug, the body fell down, head left dangling from her hand. Arterial blood sprayed up like a geyser. Silence. There was only a cicada song in the nightly air around them.

“I will say this once and only once, so you all will know the seriousness of my warning,” Ryoko straightened up ignoring the blood that pooled below her feet and covered her left arm entirely. The elders, long ago fallen into a deathly silence, only stared at the girl that was left standing.

“As clan leaders, we encourage you from time to time, and always in a respectful manner, to question our logic,” her voice was the prime example of diplomatic courtesy. Hell, you could add it to tea, as it was sweet like sugar.

“If you're unconvinced that a particular plan of action we've decided is the wisest, tell us so, but allow me to convince you and I promise you right here and now, no subject will ever be taboo. Except, of course, the subject that was just under discussion,” her eyes crinkled for a moment into a smile. She missed openly threatening people...

“The price you pay for insulting the clan head family or implying us being weak... I collect your fucking head. Just like this fucker here,” Ryoko raised her hand clutching the fallen elder's hair for everyone to see. “Now, if any of you sons of bitches GOT ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY, NOW'S THE FUCKING TIME!”

For the first time in this life, Ryoko truly yelled and showed her anger. Her chakra may be bubbling under her skin, killing intent eager to fill the air, but she managed to stay in control. Nobody said a thing in response.

Her hand let go and the head dropped to the ground with a plop. “I didn't think so.” Ryoko’s eyes shifted revealing her sharingan. Tomoe spun quickly until they merged into her Mangekyo pattern. “Amaterasu!”

Black flames engulfed Tanaka’s lifeless body parts. She specifically ordered to burn his flesh only, and dark chartered bones were all that’s left. This was a rather traditional part of the whole ceremony. Ryoko read about how Madara would keep the heads of those who disrespected him as a reminder to others. She leaned down and picked up the black skull to do the same as her idol.

Elders whispered amongst themselves and were about to leave when Ryoko spoke again. “Where do you think you all are going? You had an urgent meeting, didn’t you? Do not let this interruption stop us from addressing the urgent matters you have.”

With a serene smile, she led them back inside and so they sat once more around the long table. Tanaka’s skull was placed in his vacant seat. Elders looked hesitant to speak up. “Well? As I said, no subject will ever be taboo. So please share with me your concerns in a respectful manner and I will do everything in my power to resolve them.”

Elders looked around until one finally spoke up. “We’ve heard rumors about you and a non-Uchiha. It is unbecoming for an Uchiha to have such a reputation! You must marry to secure the virtue of the clan!” he was defiant with his statement. Almost shivering from possible consequences. This was a test to her last statement.

Ryoko smiled and nodded. “That is a valid request. Please prepare a list of possible candidates you would approve off and Fugaku-sama will review it together with you during the next meeting,” she said without losing a beat. They obviously didn’t know or expect Ryoko to have planned for this situation for years.

It felt like the elders took a collective sigh of relief and as if a dam broke, they started listing other concerns. Most of them she already heard in the previous meetings. Some were new, some required more thought before a decision could be made. In the end, her suggestion to open the Police Force for other clans was approved.

She spoke freely and convinced them of the poor image law enforcers had in the public eye. Besides that, her suggestion to have more Uchiha in the medical field was considered. Her main argument was that having medic Uchiha would allow them to work towards eliminating the negative effects of sharingan overuse.

The meeting lasted all night. At the end of it, Ryoko decided to say one last thing for her own peace of mind. “Now that all of your concerns have been discussed, I hope you will also take my earlier warning to heart. You should be grateful that my brother is the heir to the clan and not me. As, if it were me, I would be far less tolerant of such blatant disrespect. Let today be a learning experience. This meeting is now adjourned.”

All elders bowed as she stood up and walked away. They looked calmer. The anger vanished from their hearts. The pressure was taken from them for making any decisions. Their doubts were appeased and squashed.

Ryoko inhaled the fresh air outside and glanced at the dried blood on her hand and leg. Father will not be thrilled with this turn of events. She sighed again and glanced at the position of the rising sun in the sky. It was almost eight in the morning.

“Mission report… right…” she muttered and pulled the fox mask on her face. Without wasting any more time, the girl flickered away to the Hokage’s Tower. Her team was already there. She felt their odd glances at her disheveled appearance.

Lynx handed in the written report as Ryoko retold it verbally. Minato nodded with minimal attention. “That’s it, Hokage-sama. Mission successfully completed,” she announced.

“Right right,” Minato flipped through the pages. Suddenly the blue eyes were on her. “Are you injured, Fox?”

She shook her head, not completely sure where that question came from… Her eyes looked down at the blood. Right. The lack of sleep was making her mind hazy. It looked like the injury on her leg, that Ryoko completely ignored, was still a bit bleeding.

“I don’t see any mentions of you getting injured in the report,” Minato lightly pushed with that genuine look of concern on his face. “The rest of Team Shi are dismissed. Take a day off. Fox, how did you get injured?” he asked more directly when her teammates shunshinned away.

“I got stabbed, Hokage-sama. But it is nothing, just a scratch.”

“Hmmm, is there anything I should be concerned about, Fox?”

“Not at all, Hokage-sama.”

“Who injured you, then?”

“Former elder Tanaka Uchiha, Hokage-sama.”

“Former?”

“Yes, Hokage-sama. May his soul rest in peace.”

There was a long pause. Blue eyes stared at her without blinking. He was waiting for her to laugh and say it is a joke. Ryoko didn’t do any of that. She was too tired to play games. Either way, Minato would find out about it, sooner or later.

“Am I to understand that Tanaka-san is deceased?”

“Yes, Hokage-sama.”

“How?... Why?...” he stumbled unsure where to even start. Was Ryoko finally losing her shit from all the PTSD? Or was she the victim of an attack? Or was there something more serious going on inside the Uchiha clan? Minato would have all of these questions plaguing his mind right now. Even ANBU hidden in the shadows tensed.

“Shi e no kai. This is clan affairs, you need not be concerned, Hokage-sama.”

“Ahh… I see,” Minato finally looked like he was not so lost anymore. Thankfully, it was her father who would have to do the explanations later on. Ryoko was just too tired to do any more talking at the moment. The girl slightly swayed in her spot. The lightheadedness from the blood loss on top of Mangekyo use was letting itself be known.

“Hound, make sure Fox gets to the hospital,” the blond finally ordered and she allowed to be swept away by the familiar staticky chakra into the shadows of teleportation jutsu.

Chapter Text

Fugaku was glad to finally return home after a long trip. He missed Miko and his children. Itachi was good company, but he could never replace his mother. They stepped through the gates and were greeted with deep bows by a few Uchiha from the police who were just passing by.

Well, that’s oddly respectful. Usually, a single nod was enough in public and especially for the shinobi on duty. “Hn,” he hummed after another pair of clansmen bowed even deeper as Itachi passed by them.

“Son, let us go directly home,” he said, feeling suspicious about the odd behavior. Of course, he liked the sincere respect he saw, but what could have changed over a few weeks they were away? Just before the trip, the clan was getting restless about his decisions…

“Yes, father, I agree,” his ever perceptive son nodded in agreement.

Before they reached the compound Shisui appeared before them with a wide smile stretched across his face and a hand rubbing at the back of his neck. Suspicion confirmed! “What happened?” Fugaku cut to the chase as his eyes narrowed on the boy.

“Oh nothing much,” the boy nervously giggled.

“Shisui,” Itachi said very calmly. The boy before them paled slightly, but his fake smile remained.

“Hhaha… well.. You see… maybe not here?” he said. Fugaku shared a look with his son and only then nodded. Shisui clasped on their shoulders and flickered away.

He instantly recognized the familiar craftsmanship of the Spring temple in the Uchiha compound. An odd, but understandable choice. “Talk,” Fugaku crossed arms over his chest waiting for the bad news. He already expected the elders to devolve into mutiny, so he was ready for anything Shisui had overheard.

“Ahh, maybe it would be easier if I showed..” the boy said, still nervous about whatever knowledge he heard. Shisui led them deeper into the temple until he finally opened the big doors leading to the meeting hall.

Fugaku’s eyes instantly noticed a black charred skull sitting on the table. He froze in the spot feeling like his legs got rooted to the ground. “What’s the meaning of this?” he practically growled at the poor boy.

“Ah, Fugaku-sama,” Shisui hesitated for a second before inhaling and straightening up. “When you were gone and hime was out on a mission, elders gathered for a secret meeting.”

“Old bastards,” he muttered as his assumptions were confirmed. “So, what happened? Who is it? Don’t tell me it’s elder Honda...”

Shisui shook his head hesitantly. “Well… I sent a message.. Because I knew where her mission was… and she was the closest… I could not let them go against family…”

“So you called my sister?” Itachi snapped his cold manner of speaking wavering.

“Yes, cousin. I sent a message to hime and she came. She took care of everything.”

“What?” Itachi said what was on his mind as well. “What does that mean?”

“...elder Tanaka challenged her to Shi e no Kai…”

Maybe it was fatigue or another kind of exhaustion, or maybe desperation and relief, but Fugaku laughed. “He challenged Ryoko? You gotta be joking, Shisui…”

“Emmm, no, Fugaku-sama. He really did. She was very angry… She cut his head off and burned him away with Amaterasu.”

Itachi turned away and instantly left presumably to find Ryoko. Fugaku stayed staring at the skull. He brushed a hand over his face and let out a tired sigh. “What happened then, Shisui? I am not even going to ask how you know all this.”

“Ah, well I left one of my summons in case hime would need any help,” Shisui smirked apologetically. “So, after that… she… made a point that such behavior will not be tolerated… and then proceeded to hear out their complaints and they even approved her suggestions about opening up the Police Force to other clans…”

Shisui spoke fast and his stray thoughts blurred together. Fugaku was still hung up on the fact that his little princess was forced to protect the honor of their family… She had already done so much… Poor darling of his was always there when he needed her…

He exhaled once more and picked up the skull. Right. Now that he is back, Fugaku has to deal with the outcome. He has to either approve or condemn her actions. Not like Ryoko had any choice if she was challenged by an elder with him and the firstborn heir gone. She did what she had to do.

Dramatical flair was something he would have gone without, but she made her point. “Thank you, Shisui. I value your loyalty. Is… Ryoko alright?” Fugaku glanced at the boy.

“Yeah, she wasn’t that injured so…”

“INJURED?” his eyes instantly widened and chakra around him sparked with a dangerous glint.

“Ah, it’s really not a big deal. Hokage-sama ordered her to be taken to the hospital, so she is completely fine, Fugaku-sama.”

He sighed again. “Shisui… I swear… Tell me exactly what happened detail by detail… no, better yet, show me. Right. Now,” he ordered. If Hokage got wind of any of this, he must know exactly how bad Uchiha would get from the council for the treacherous rumors of a coup.

After long thirty minutes of watching Shisui’s memories and those of his summons, Fugaku finally walked towards his home. Skull casually clenched in his hand for everyone to see. Face calm and collected.

Clansmen bowed deeply as he walked past them, as they should. He was ready to rip a couple more old heads off but contained his anger. Fugaku stopped at the central square of their compound. With a kunai impaled into a wooden post, he placed the skull on top of it. He was not about to brush aside blatant disrespect shown to their family and keep the evidence of it hidden away in a temple.

No, Fugaku will make them see what happens to those who doubt his leadership. Who doubts his family. And maybe this was a tad too dramatic, and maybe this is where Ryoko got it from, but Fugaku was pissed and he wanted everyone to know that.

Calmly he turned around and walked away. Back home, he was greeted by Mikoto. She didn’t dare to hug him just yet, sensing his current chakra state. Which was not great.

“She’s sleeping,” Mikoto whispered, taking his traveling robe off his shoulders.

“Hn.”

Fugaku passed Itachi who just left Ryoko’s room. The boy nodded and his relaxed face told Fugaku that his princess was indeed fine and not injured. He saw her form calmly sleeping on the bed.

Ryoko had grown so much, but she was still his little girl. He walked towards her without making a sound. I’m sorry that you had to do it alone… he thought while gently brushing a hand over her hair.

“Daddy?” she stirred and her eyes fluttered open to meet his.

“Thank you, Ryoko,” he whispered leaning in. A gentle kiss was placed on her forehead with all the tenderness and care he felt deep inside for this child.

“Hn.”

“Hn.”

“...”

“You shouldn’t leave skulls in the temple,” he remarked, still looking deep into her sleepy eyes.

“Oh… that’s where I put it! I forgot it there actually,” she yawned.

Fugaku raised his eyebrow. “You forgot?”

“Yes. After that meeting, I had to report on a mission. Then I just slept for a few days. Father, can I decorate my room with it?”

He blinked a few times and smiled. “Let me think about that. I don’t think your mother would like it,” Fugaku was not about to disappoint her, but to ignore such a macabre request was also hard… He probably should speak with Inoichi about this…

“Ah, alright,” Ryoko nodded in understanding.

“Sleep now,” he said one last time before leaving. There was much to be done. “Itachi, come, there is work to do, thanks to your sister's efforts,” he said to the boy. She opened the gates for them to start on the initiatives of integrating the clan back into the village. Ryoko was a blessing in disguise. A true Uchiha he was proud to call his daughter.

Spring was coming to an end and Itachi admired the blooming Sakura tree in their garden. The way nature managed to raise from the dead always fascinated him. His musings were interrupted when he heard little feet tapping on the hardwood floor, and then Sasuke pummeled into his legs for a hug.

“Good morning,” he smiled sweetly at his adorable little brother. Sasuke might even be more adorable than Ryoko was at that age.

“Aniki! Can we really train later today?” the little boy chattered excitedly as he led them both into the kitchen to help mother prepare breakfast.

“Yes, I promised, haven’t I?” Itachi said taking the plates and handing them to Sasuke.

“Darling, call your sister for breakfast. She returned late yesterday,” Mikoto said to him as she stirred the soup in a big pot.

“I’ll do it!” Sasuke perked up. He was full of energy today. Itachi could only smile at the little boy, who left without waiting for their response.

As Itachi took a seat next to his father by the dining table, shortly Sasuke returned, dragging Ryoko by the hand. She was completely immersed in a thick book in her other hand. He slightly frowned looking her over.

Ryoko looked pale and tired. She was clearly overworked and very likely injured from some mission. He didn’t like to see her this way. Mostly, because there was just so little he could do for her. He could not wait to become the official clan leader and drag his little sister away from the shadows before she faced an untimely end.

They ate more or less in comfortable silence. With Sasuke sharing a few stories about his new friends from other clans and Ryoko flipping the pages of her book in the background. This was nice, Itachi thought, nodding at Sasuke together with Fugaku.

“Honey, you barely touched your plate, is there something wrong with the rice?” Mikoto asked Ryoko. He raised his eyes slightly and noticed that their mother was right. The girl barely touched anything on her plate.

“It’s fine. I’m not hungry actually. If you’ll excuse me,” Ryoko said nonchalantly and retired back to her room ignorant of the frozen in shock stares from her family.

Mikoto’s chopsticks dropped to the ground from her hand. Fugaku scrunched his face staring intently at where Ryoko was just a moment ago. Sasuke was the only one who continued to eat without an obvious reaction.

Itachi was no less stunned than his parents. It was one thing for Ryoko to not ask for seconds, but to skip a meal entirely? That’s suspicious.

“Maybe she’s sick?” Mikoto whispered with her wide eyes glancing from Fugaku to Itachi.

“Ane is not sick,” Sasuke commented casually as he picked a slice of tomato and put it on his plate.

“Hn? Then what is the matter?” Fugaku asked.

“Ane is upset. She has been for a few weeks now,” the boy shrugged leaving everyone else speechless. “You can see it in her eyes when she thinks that no one is looking,” the boy shrugged.

Right. Sasuke was an Uchiha just like him. He was not an ordinary brainless child. He noticed things. Now that he thought back, for the past month Ryoko did act more distant than usual. He only assumed that it was because of missions...

“I’ll check on her,” Itachi put down his chopstick and stood up. If his sister was upset, it was his duty as the older brother to fix it whatever it was. Fugaku nodded, hiding his concern behind an emotionless mask that Ryoko had mastered as well. Mikoto didn’t object either, with her own worry far more visible. The woman hugged Sasuke instead.

Itachi knocked on Ryoko’s door before entering. She was curled up on her bed and looked so small and fragile, that his heart ached. Something was definitely wrong. He carefully sat down on the edge and brushed the hair covering her face.

Her eyes looked slightly red, but not sharingan kind of red. The kind of red he never wanted to see on his sister’s face. Itachi’s hand froze for a second before he started brushing her hair in a soothing manner.

“Talk to me,” he whispered barely audibly.

Ryoko tilted her head up and he saw the pain Sasuke mentioned before. Tears were already gathering in the corners of her eyes. She looked broken and hurt. “Why don’t people like me, ‘tachi?”

His hand in her hair stopped once more. This was not just a regular question. He pushed the anger that was rising inside of him aside. “Who hurt you?” was the only thing he asked. The boy knew firsthand how cruel others could be towards an Uchiha.

Itachi only never expected those words to get to his strong sister now. He protected her for years until it started to look like she was not bothered. He was wrong. Ryoko clearly was bothered and hurt to the core. Yet she didn’t tell him anything else.

The boy hugged his sister and allowed her to cry on his shoulder as long as she needed. Every little sob and shutter going over her body pained Itachi. It was heartbreaking to hear as Ryoko never cried before. Ever.

1 month ago.

Ryoko has been contemplating her future ever since the marriage question was raised by the elders. Father of course was on her side and had no issues shooting down the potential candidates presented to him. However, he will eventually have to make a choice.

Whereas her older brother was concerned, he had already chosen a local girl from the clan. It was not official or something he talked about, but everyone inside their family knew about the shy Izumi who circled the boy since they were children.

His marriage was planned to happen no later than his 20th birthday. That is when Itachi would officially take over as the head of the Uchiha clan. Fugaku didn’t have this luxury at his time. During the war, many died including the former head of the clan. The young heir had to take over. That is when Fugaku vowed to secure peace so that his children would not be burdened before they are ready.

Ryoko was granted the same courtesy of time as her brother. Yet, being a hime, she got the short end of the straw - her due date was until her 18th birthday. So that means one and a half years to find the right match.

It is not a lot of time, but not nothing either. Ryoko didn’t complain when her father announced this. She only nodded and continued with her hunt for a potential match. Elders suggested members from the Uchiha clan, but none could even compare to her strength. Leaving Ryoko to hunt for a worthy candidate herself.

(Un)fortunately, one of the strongest bachelors was Jiraiya the Toad sannin, and self-proclaimed pervert. She would not mind his kinks, but Ryoko had a feeling that her clan would not approve of their age difference.

Then there were a bunch already married, potentially strong men, to her displeasure. There was a moment or two when she considered playing dirty… Another woman was not a wall after all. You could walk around it, crush it, remove it… That was left as her last resort if everything else fails.

Now taking away those who are taken, those who are dead or too old for her clan's liking… only a handful remained. Not at all an impressive handful.

“Hmm… strongest you ask? From our generation? Maito Gai, despite his… well, everything, is actually a fierce taijutsu master,” Anko thought aloud after Ryoko asked her friend about it.

Ryoko blinked. Gai? That green beast… Kami, she said to herself that anyone would do for this political marriage, but… Gai? Even if he was a God of Shinobi, Ryoko was not sure that she could survive spending more than a few days with the man.

“Hn,” she muttered, stabbing one dango with her skewer and munching on it. The girl thought that maybe public records were not as accurate, so that is why she asked Anko instead. The girl was mingling with a lot of shinobi and knew what’s what.

Ryoko herself spent the most time in the shadows. Her eyes spotted a few potential candidates between the ranks. The only problem was, that they were not public figures. Hell, she didn’t even know some of their names. The whole point of this marriage was to be a power couple and not completely merge into the background.

“But I guess, besides Gai it’s pretty obvious who’s the strongest from our generation,” Anko added after a long pause she took to think.

“Hn? Who? And my brother or cousins don’t count.”

“Oh… well, your brother would be my second pick. My first pick is Bakashi of course. He is a prodigy like you.”

“Huh, Hatake? I didn’t even consider,” Ryoko looked into the distance mildly stunned. Indeed, she saw his name in the statistics list. But somehow, her eyes would just skip it, because it was just… Kakashi. The stupid idiot she spared with from time to time.

“Are you looking for a new sparring partner?” Anko asked.

“Something like that,” the girl hummed in response. Her thoughts were now busy pulling the memories of Kakashi. The way he fights. The level of his skills. His attitude would be an issue, but she was not some weakling. Ryoko was an Uchiha and she would endure it.

After parting ways with Anko, she went to the library to get more information on the Hatake clan. As expected, his predecessors were no less famous and skilled. That’s a good sign. The girl spent a whole week gathering intel and debating over the subject.

No matter how you look at it, Kakashi was the only one of appropriate age, heritage, and level of skill to stand with her. Ryoko laid on her bed thinking if her clan would approve… They probably would. Him having a sharingan eye is already a reason why they would want to keep the man close to the clan.

Ryoko twirled the necklace between her fingers and approached the last hurdle - Kakashi himself. Obviously, she didn’t have any feelings for the idiot. He was more of a friend and a comrade than anything else. The girl didn’t know if he felt the same. She thought so before, but then her birthday came…

She looked at the wolf pendant in contemplation. If he made such a gift to her, maybe he would be open to this arrangement? For an instant, she considered simply manipulating the guy and charming him, but it would be rather disrespectful to him. Kakashi already knew the true her, more than anyone.

That is how Ryoko came to a conclusion, to be frank with him. Well, as frank as one could be with a man. They were fragile beings after all. One wrong word and they will make an emotional drama out of the simplest matter. So she decided to take it slow, test her waters and see where he stands.

Another week passed when an opportunity presented itself. Ryoko walked to the training grounds and found Kakashi already stretching for their upcoming spar. The sky was gray and chilly, with storm clouds gathering above their heads.

Alright. You got this. Just ask and that’s it. If he says no, that’s fine… Ryoko told herself although she was not sure where the feeling of dread was coming from. This was Bakashi, for Kami’s sake! He will probably think it over and present his arguments and then they could discuss it and then…

“Yo!” he raised one hand leisurely coming out from a handstand and settling on the grass for the last part of stretching.

“Kakashi, I have a question,” she stopped a few feet away, face calm, serious, arms crossed over her chest. Proud Uchiha just like any other day.

“Hn?”

“Would you like to date me?” yes, she decided to take baby steps. His opinion on dating would show her if Kakashi has any intentions other than their friendship. That will allow her to choose an appropriate plan of action for suggesting an alliance via an arranged marriage…

Kakashi paused for a second and then dropped his head back with a burst of boisterous laughter echoing over the clearing. “Hahahah! That’s funny! And here I thought that only Obito had any sense of humor between Uchiha…”

He was saying something else, but Ryoko stopped listening. If this were a scene from a movie, the camera would pan out, the colors would fade, and the whole world around her would shatter from his laughter. Ouch. It hurt.

Yes, she expected him to say no, but… to laugh? Right in her face? That just plainly hurt. She didn’t like him that way either, but to react like this… It was as if she just got a wet slap on her face. Was her idea really that absurd?

“Right, funny, I know,” she muttered coldly and turned away. Something was clutching below her ribs. A hurt that could equal a stab with a kunai. She felt sick, humiliated, and insulted. She couldn’t stand hearing his voice anymore.

“Where are you going?” Kakashi called from behind.

“Something came up. I’ll let you know when I have time again,” Ryoko managed to choke out with a voice devoid of any emotions. If he had seen her eyes, Kakashi would probably notice the deep hurt in them.

The girl flickered away to the safety of her compound. Only back in her room, Ryoko allowed her mask to completely crumble. She clutched a hand over her chest and heaved. Ouch. It hurt so bad. His laughter was still ringing in her ears and intensifying her pain.

“Seriously? Am I that horrible of a person that he thought it was a joke?” Ryoko whispered, completely confused. All shinobi were killers, so what’s the difference between her and others? Just because she doesn’t pretend or put on a ‘cute’ act, it does not mean that Ryoko doesn’t have feelings.

Currently, her feelings were hurt. Her pride was bruised. Her confidence wavered. She snickered bitterly. “Not like I should be surprised… no one ever liked me without my mask…” the girl looked up at the ceiling with tears swelling in her eyes.

Chapter Text

Shikaku’s frown deepened as he watched the girl play shogi with his son. She looked distant. Her eyes, while still following the game, looked miles away. Preoccupied with whatever troubles clouded her mind.

“Shikamaru, go help your mother with dinner,” he finally said.

“But, daaad! One more game, pleaaaase,” he knew exactly where his son was coming from. To play against Ryoko was fun for any Nara. Her mind just worked differently. It adapted quickly and challenged their strategies. And it didn't matter if she lost in the end or not. It was all in the way she moved her pieces.

“Now, Shikamaru,” he said and practically shoved away his son, then smoothly took his place against Ryoko. She had grown up a lot from the small pouty kid he first met a decade ago. Shikaku looked at her for a second before pouring a glass of sake for her.

“Hn,” in translation: ‘Thank you, Shikaku-sama, for the drink. I appreciate it.’

“Hmm. Just don’t tell your father about it,” he playfully winked after clunking his own glass to hers. Ryoko didn’t react like she usually would. Her eyes were extremely plain. Not a single shred of herself was left on the surface.

This was concerning. If he didn’t know better, he would think that Ryoko took a lesson or two from Root operatives. But unfortunately, that could not be the case. Shikaku had a guess, no, a theory. Yet it was a delicate matter.

A few months ago the council was notified about what transpired in the Uchiha clan. He, like some others, was not happy to hear about the death of a fellow Konoha citizen, but it was what it was. The Nara clan had their own history and age-old traditions. He was not the person to judge Uchiha.

Shikaku was more concerned about one specific Uchiha. Ryoko. The elders made a grave error by challenging her. Young Itachi would probably have shown mercy. Not her. Ryoko was her father’s daughter - ruthless, proud, and oh so strong. Even Shikaku would think twice before challenging this girl.

Despite her battle skills, the man was worried about her mental state. Uchiha cared deeply about their own so to kill a fellow clansman would be a substantial trauma. He watched Ryoko from afar, even spoke with Inoichi who apparently was asked by Fugaku to have a session with her (and thank Kami Fugaku asked for it, otherwise Shikaku would have had to intervene).

All seemed fine and well until it wasn’t. Shikaku would have missed the signs entirely if not for the worried looks Itachi gave Ryoko, whenever the two walked around. That made Nara look closer until he saw it too. Iciness in her eyes. Detachment and complete neutrality.

“Ryoko, how are you?” he asked straight when her empty cup was placed back on the ground. She moved a shogi piece before answering.

“Fine.”

“You look preoccupied. Is there a problem you cannot solve?”

“Hn. More like a dilemma.”

“I see. Would you like to discuss it?”

“No.”

“I would like to help you, Ryoko.”

“Why?” for the first time she raised her eyes from the board to look at his face. Her question was as genuine as a child would say it. She honestly wanted to know why he extended the help. Could it mean that she is struggling and his act came as a surprise because no one else would offer their help?

Only, he knew that Ryoko had her family behind her. She had her comrades. So why would she be questioning the reasoning behind his offer? Shikaku opened his mouth to answer but stopped himself at the last minute. His instincts were telling him that this was a trap.

Shikaku has been married for almost as long as Ryoko was alive. And the success behind his happy relationship was simple. He quickly learned to trust this exact instinct to guide him while communicating with his wife.

Ryoko was a girl. No, she was practically a woman now. He could not be as blunt with her anymore. He had to think carefully before answering the tricky question. “I want to help you, because… I care about you. You are a dear friend to me.”

She stared for a good moment as if judging his sincerity. Was it odd for her that such an old man considered her as a friend? Or would she be upset that it is only a friendly bond they have?

“Hn,” her eyes returned to the board. Shikaku could only interpret that as ‘alright, your answer is acceptable’. “I will think about your offer,” she added more quietly as the game continued. Shikaku smiled gently. This was a start.

Mikoto had many skills. One of them was to act like nothing's wrong even when everything is burning down. She ignored the way Ryoko didn’t struggle at being dragged away to the village on her day off. She ignored how her opinionated daughter didn’t complain even once.

“You’ll love it, honey,” she smiled, tugging Ryoko farther into the buzzing village towards their destination.

“Hn,” the girl muttered without much fight in her. It was sad to see her baby so upset. That is why Mikoto planned today's outing.

“Here we are!” she pointed at an old traditional hot spring.

“Hn.”

They settled in a private room where they could change in peace from any prying eyes. Mikoto needed privacy for what she wanted to talk about with her daughter. As they settled in the hot water, she glanced at Ryoko.

“Darling, do you know how old I was when I married your father?”

The girl shook her head slightly. Long black strands would have mimicked the gesture if they weren’t stuck to the girl's wet skin. Mikoto imagined that her husband would look similar if he only grew his hair longer. The two were more alike than either wanted to admit. She smiled at Ryoko with fond eyes.

“I was thirteen when we were wed. Fugaku’s father had just passed and our clan head cannot lead alone… so there we were,” her eyes looked in the distance remembering that day. Fugaku was so shy and jittery next to her, that it made her feel instantly better about the whole situation.

“Hn.”

“What do you think about that, Ryoko?” she asked knowing full well, that otherwise, her daughter won’t comment.

“It makes sense. The clan needs both to stay united,” the girl finally said a very diplomatic response. But that is not what Mikoto wanted to hear. She hummed considering her options.

“Are you concerned about being forced into an arranged marriage?”

“No.”

She watched her daughter intently and could not spot a lie in her words. Huh. Looks like it really didn’t bother Ryoko, as she suspected. Of course, after that day of realization, Itachi shared with them how deeply Ryoko was upset. And it was concerning yet endearing. Mikoto felt like for the first time she could help her independent daughter. Or at least just do something besides watching her grow up on her own.

“Good. So, is there a boy you like then?”

“No!” the answer came swiftly and sharply, contradicting Ryoko's statement. Mikoto smirked. She just knew there had to be a boy involved in her daughter's despair! No Uchiha woman would be that upset over nothing.

She was about to pry further when movement caught her sharp eye. By the look of how Ryoko’s hand twitched, she too felt it. Mikoto extended her senses and spotted the target. Her eyes opened with a vicious glare burring in them.

“PERVERT!” the woman yelled as she produced a kunai from thin air and flung it to the wall separating their bath from someone else's. In a blink, she was wrapped in a towel and sending a kick to follow her kunai at the target.

She punched straight through the straw wall. Eye’s figuratively seeing red, she grabbed onto white hair and picked up the man whom she successfully hit. “You looking at my daughter, scum????!!!”

“Now now! Wait a minute!” the man sputtered to explain. “I’m just doing research!”

“Mother, don’t waste your time. That is the Legendary Pervert Jiraiya,” Ryoko appeared by her side with an impassive face looking at them through the hole in the wall.

Mikoto instantly dropped the sannin as if she just touched something gross. Her face soured as well. Eeeew! Who knows where that man had been! Only then she noticed someone else present in Jiraiya’s side of the bath.

“Oh! Cherry-san! Apologies for disturbing you,” she chirped happily. Mikoto really liked that boy. He was not only easy on the eyes, but fun to be around. Her anger flipped into a cheerful expression without even blinking.

“Oh, not at all. Would you like to join us for lunch?” Cherry said smoothly and here they are. Sat on tatami floors around a joint table, wearing their robes, fresh out of hot springs.

“So, you’re Orochi’s brat, huh?” Jiraiya leaned towards Ryoko but did not elicit any reaction from the girl. Her motherly instincts tingled, that that man cannot be left alone with any woman. She spotted how his eyes traveled from Ryoko’s face down her neck and…

“You move those eyes any lower and I will cut your balls off!” Mikoto hissed with a kunai poking at Jiraiya’s side.

“Yes, Orochimaru-sama is my sensei,” Ryoko said casually, while Jiraiya only laughed nervously, his head dropped back to look at the ceiling. Good choice.

“You haven't stopped by in a while,” Cherry sat next to her daughter, while Mikoto was still whispering threats to Jiraiya's ear.

“I was busy.”

Mikoto sighed. Her darling daughter was always so proud and determined to take the world on all alone. Maybe if they talked… no! The goal of this trip was to have a break and distract her! The woman reminded herself of the task and smiled.

“Soooooo, Cherry-san, what are you two doing here?”

“I want to do something special for Maru’s birthday this year,” dreamy eyes looked somewhere in the distance. Mikoto could almost aww audibly at the sweet boy. Orochimaru was one lucky man. Cherry, despite being young compared to the sannin, was surprisingly considerate, mature, and even wise.

“Isn’t it still almost six months away?” Ryoko asked. Bingo! She finally showed genuine interest in the conversation and Mikoto could not be happier about that. She silently thanked Cherry in her mind.

“Yes, but it is hard to think of something… that would surprise him. That’s why I asked Jiji to meet with me and give me some ideas,” the pink-haired one explained.

Jiraiya inhaled sharply as if hurt from being called that. “Oi! I’m not an old man! I am the same age as Orochimaru!”

“I didn’t say it was a bad thing,” Cherry hid a smirk behind his sake glass, while the sannin blushed. To distract himself, the man turned his attention back to her daughter. Unfortunately.

“So, hime, why are you sulking? You would look much better with a smile, ahaha!” something about the way that man laughed just creeped Mikoto out. So naturally, she hit him over the head.

“I am looking for a worthy husband. It is a drag as local shinobi are too weak,” Ryoko deadpanned as blunt as one can be. “Are you still single, Jiraiya-sama?” the girl leaned closer with a koi smile on her lips.

The man’s eyes almost popped out of his sockets as he urgently scrambled back away from Ryoko. And people still called him a legendary sannin! Mikoto laughed at the scene, internally glad that her daughter finally joked and ate and at least smirked. This was progress.

Alright. When he said it, he didn’t expect her to actually show up again. But here she was in all her Uchiha glory. The one and only Ryoko hime. Ibiki smirked at the teen who waited in his office leaning on his desk.

“Hmm, I’ll have to start feeding that cat that keeps dragging you in here,” he chuckled, walking around the desk and placing the files he carried in one of the drawers. His eyes took a chance and peaked at the girl's back. Just as expected, the sight of her behind on his desk was alluring.

“Should I leave my cat in here for you to look after then?” her voice was neutral and it really got Ibiki by surprise. He stilled for a second.

Noooooo way… But… Nooo! This cannot be! Uchiha would not use an innuendo…. But maybe?... he carefully considered his next words. “I wouldn’t mind petting your cat.”

She glanced over her shoulder and there it was! A mischievous smile proving that angelic princess knew exactly what she was talking about! That little minx!

“Well, you said I could cum any time?” she asked as if nothing just happened, her face again neutral and angelic. As if she didn’t drop another innuendo on his head. They both knew exactly what she said. Oh, this was a challenge he would gladly participate in!

“Hmm… That I did. Wanna check out my latest guests?”

“Sounds fun!”

Kami, she looked hot when her eyes sparkled like that from the prospect of torture. Girls usually scoffed at his job. Even kunoichi gave him side glances. They all pretend like they were better than him. Even though most of them used mental warfare on a daily basis!

Ibiki was glad to find a kindred disturbed soul like his. Ryoko gets it. The importance of torture and the art behind it. So he waves the procedures and takes her down to the basement.

What he liked the most about her, was that you could be in complete silence with her, not saying a word for hours and it would still be completely fine. Probably the best hours of your life. Comfortable and relaxing.

Then you could spend hours talking with her about any possible subject and it would be equally as entertaining. Her intelligence never ceased to amaze Ibiki. It never was too much either. Ryoko’s presence didn’t overcomplicate anything. She was just there existing without bothering those around her…

“Wanna try?” he whispered as they watched a session over the two-way mirror window into one of the interrogation rooms.

“Can I?” her eyes glimmered with excitement. It looked genuine. And there was something more to it. Something dark. He recognized it as anger. Interesting.

Ibiki didn’t want to ask outright. He knew that Ryoko probably had plenty of things that plagued her mind. He was not here to judge. He was here to support her and give her the good time she needed.

“Sure thing, foxie,” the man winked at her and that was the start of an unexpected connection between the two.

Ryoko stopped by surprisingly often. So much so, that he actually listed the girl as an intern at the T&I division. Ibiki was of course not stupid, he knew that something was bothering her and this was her outlet. He also could not complain because her methods were highly effective and creative.

And then there was the fact that Ryoko was incredibly nice to look at. He loved watching her from a corner of a cell or from the other side of the glass. How she held herself with prisoners. How she put the fear of kami into them. How her hips moved when she walked. Breathtaking.

Shisui just finished another mission and it was a tough one. Something he hoped to forget sooner rather than later. So to speed up the process, he walked into a bar. To his surprise, he right away noticed a familiar head of hair there.

“Princess! It’s not good to drink alone,” he hugged the girl from behind.

“That’s a stupid thought,” Ryoko deadpanned unamused. He chuckled and took an empty spot next to her by the bar. This was actually perfect. He was the one who didn’t want to drink alone...

“Soooo, why are you drinking, cousin?”

“Because.”

Shisui gave her a side-eye. Itachi already told him about what happened and now he saw it for himself. It was true. Ryoko was upset. Naturally, he felt a duty to cheer her up. Or at least get her drunk enough to find out who exactly was the cause for her pain.

In hindsight, that probably was not the brightest idea Shisui ever had. Somehow, the fact that his cousin was a complete lightweight when it came to alcohol, just slipped his mind. He poured her one glass after the other. What eventually led him to this - Ryoko passed out in his arms.

He couldn’t just bring her home in the state she was in. Itachi would definitely kill him. The only logical solution was to say hello to their little friend - mr. lake. “Please don’t kill me, hime,” Shisui whispered, brushing a loose strand from Ryoko’s face as he said his prayers standing on the end of an old wharf.

The boy inhaled and jumped in.

It was summer, so the water wasn’t that bad. Yet it was the middle of the night, so Ryoko awoke immediately after the two submerged. She flailed in his grasp until her eyes adjusted. The girl trusted him and relaxed completely before the two emerged back to the surface.

“Welcome back, Koko,” Shisui winked, still holding Ryoko by the waist underwater just in case she is too drunk to swim on her own.

“Shisui… You got me in here, you’re taking me out,” she said not at all amused, but at least her speech didn’t slur anymore. Ryoko wrapped her arms around his neck and just floated next to him without attempting to swim back on her own.

“You can trust me, princess,” it was supposed to sound strong and reassuring, but his voice was consumed by the night. “Can you tell me something?” Shisui whispered to her ear.

“Hn?”

“Are you okay?”

“Hmmm… I’m okay right now,” she said, resting her chin on his shoulder.

“Is there any way I can help you?”

“Don’t be my family anymore…”

“What?” he swears he heard it right. But it did not make sense. Did he upset Ryoko? Shisui could not recall anything of that sort.

“Nothing… nevermind,” her voice trailed away and it did not reassure him in the least. Shisui scrunched his face before making his way with the girl to the shore. The two finally plopped on the grass exhausted from the physical activity after a long night of drinking.

“Koko, did you mean it? Did I upset you?”

“Yes and no.”

He blinked, mildly shocked by her bluntness. Of course, this was nothing new. Ryoko always spoke her mind straight. So that led Shisui to believe that she really did want them to be strangers… and it hurt. “Why… why don’t you want to be family anymore?”

“Because then I could marry you,” she sighed.

His mouth opened in a perfect O shape. The teen gaped at his cousin for a while before words came back to him. “Ah… mm… well…” he stammered, while his heart increased its pace. So she really wasn’t upset with him. She actually liked him enough to want to marry him. That thought made his whole insides warm and fuzzy. “I’m sorry?”

“Don’t be,” she sighed again and pushed from the ground to sit with her head dropped back to look at the stars. “It’s not your fault that everyone else around is so weak and pathetic.”

Shisui snickered as he watched her form. His hand reached Ryoko’s palm and intertwined their fingers. “You worry too much, Koko. You’ll find someone good, I am sure of it,” he squeezed her hand gently to accent his words. Mentally telling her to believe in his words. He was here and he would always support her.

She glanced over her shoulder with a small smile on her lips just for him. Ryoko’s dark eyes looked almost like the starry sky behind her. Her wet hair made the girl look smaller and gentler than Shisui ever saw her before. She was not the same little girl that played NINJA with them in the back garden. Ryoko was and always will be someone very important to him.

“Thank you, Shisui.”

Chapter Text

It was the last day of August when Kakashi realised something… As he returned home from a long undercover mission, he stepped over the threshold of his apartment and inhaled deeply the familiar scent. Strange. The smell was missing something he thought.

He tugged the mask down and searched for the answer with his sense of smell alone. It felt like everything was in its place, yet something was definitely off. Kakashi thought back to how his home smelled months ago… It had the unmistakable scent of spices that was now completely gone.

Ryoko, he realized. So she hasn’t been here even when he was gone… The man never thought he would say this, but her not breaking into his apartment was weird. Just in case, Kakashi checked his kitchen and there was yet another proof.

Her favorite tea was still there untouched as well as the sweets he always kept in the refrigerator. The first thought in his mind was that maybe something happened to her. He quickly shook his head to get rid of the paranoid idea. No. Ryoko probably was busy with missions.

Worry not yet fully gone from his mind, Kakashi decided to take a shower as if the water would wash away his thoughts too. As the man undressed, he brushed over the pendant on his neck. Right. The last time he didn’t get the chance to show her that he took the challenge.

He smiled thinking how angry Ryoko will be to have lost to him. “Maybe I should look for her tomorrow…” he contemplated. It would be great to stretch and fight her again. Noone like that little Uchiha managed to push his limits.

As he stood under the hot stream of water in the shower Kakashi recalled the last spar he had with Ryoko. Instinctively his mind dissected her moves and strategy to mentally prepare for tomorrow.

Ryoko lazily turned in her bed content to sleep a few more hours on this rare day off she had between the missions. Yet the sun was already invading her room. She growled and pulled the covers over her head.

Just five more minutes… she pleaded, closing her eyes in hopes to fall back to the land of dreams. Nothing happened. That’s it. Her training regiment and missions finally broke her. She was officially unable to sleep for hours anymore. The girl felt dread creep into her.

She didn’t want to go anywhere or do anything. It would be just fine with her to stay in bed all day. With mind empty like a blank canvas. Only it was not that simple. With her senses awake and sharp, the girl could not ignore the silver chain around her neck.

Why did she even wear the stupid necklace, Ryoko could not answer even to herself. Her hand clasped around the wolf charm and she considered crushing it in her grasp. But it would be too easy. This item was now a reminder. A reason to steel herself from being hurt like that ever again. To give away her trust more carefully or not at all in the future.

“Urrrgh!” she snarled while sitting up. That’s it. She had to clear her head from the pesky emotion creeping into her mind. If at first she felt sad and hurt, now all that was left was anger. And it was far harder to push aside.

Ryoko got dressed in her everyday dark plain clothing, gloves and jonin vest included. Even if it was still warm outside, Ryoko had a shirt with long sleeves on. The only thing she compromised on for the change of seasons was the turtle neck part. On this rare occasion, she actually had a V-shaped neckline.

Ten minutes later the girl was already walking down the street towards the nearby market. Her only goal was to get a snack and nap somewhere in the forest. Simple enough. If only life wasn’t a cruel mistress to the Uchiha kind…

“Yo,” Ryoko twitched from the familiar greeting on her left side. She spared a glance at him but didn’t say anything back. Simmering embers of her anger ignited under her skin.

He followed her in silence towards the sweets shop she liked. And it would not look odd from aside. The only difference was the lack of any acknowledgment from her side. Maybe if she ignored him long enough, he would just go away.

Ryoko walked to the park, with her unwanted shadow. She settled in the shade of a tall oak tree expecting for him to get the hint and leave her alone. He didn’t. She tried very hard to be the bigger person and not explode.

Kakashi sat next to her and hummed. “I noticed you’re not yourself today… I noticed the improvement immediately,” his eyes creased in the familiar teasing smile. Before she would snarl at such comments and tease him right back. Now, however, she sent daggers with her eyes. He was clearly provoking her.

Then the man pulled something from beneath his shirt. It was a silver pendant in the shape of a fox… It looked very similar to her own necklace. WHAT. THE. FUCK.

“Are you patronizing me?!” she snarled, finally losing her vow of silence. And here goes her efforts to seal the pesky emotions away.

“Maybe?” he kept the fake smile up and it really was getting on her last nerve. Ryoko grunted and punched him in the shoulder. This was not your regular playful hit. She heard a bone crack. Kakashi didn’t flinch, even his eye smile didn’t waver.

Slowly the silence between them dragged on. And then he did the unthinkable… He reached his hand and hit the bag of sweets from Ryoko’s other palm. It fell on the grass, spilling its content very effectively.

Ryoko’s lips tightened into a thin line. The air around her cracked with chakra. There was only a single shred of control in her left.

“Bitch.”

One word. He said one word and that was it. Ryoko jumped on her feet and lunged at the guy. He flickered away and she followed. Her sharingan was already active as the girl chased Kakashi to one of the training grounds.

The anger that built up in her for months could not be held back anymore. Her hands moved quickly into hand signs. Then fire engulfed everything around her. He wanted to provoke her? Fine. She will stoop to his level.

With war on her mind, Ryoko attacked the man she loathed. He crossed all possible bounds. She was done with his shit and it was time to end it. The ground cracked, the trees fell, she was out for blood.

Two hours later.

Minato looked completely out of patience. He glanced between the two of them as if expecting them to answer some unspoken question. Neither Kakashi nor Ryoko said anything or even showed that they acknowledged there even being anything wrong.

Ryoko sure as hell was not about to admit her embarrassment in front of the Hokage. She would rather fight Kakashi again and destroy five more training grounds. It looked like Minato guessed what was on both of their minds - neither would talk publicly. The blond sighed.

“Alright, you two,” he said, activating the privacy seals in his office. ANBU guards were already dismissed. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you two, but I need it to stop. You completely destroyed the Training Ground 13 and came at each other with the intent to kill! That is not acceptable,” to Ryoko this felt like she was being scolded by her father. It was uncomfortable mostly because the man was right. Killing a comrade was not something she wanted to do…

Yet that is exactly how Minato found them. He appeared right before hers and Kakashi's lightning techniques made contact with each other. Only Hokage's superior speed allowed him to divert their hands and send the two in opposite directions. She crashed into tree bark, while Kakashi flew somewhere into the bushes.

And just like that their fight was stopped. Minato lost no time in grabbing both of them by the back of their shirts. One teleportation later they ended up here to be rightfully reprimanded. Ryoko silently scoffed.

“I am leaving for the capital and I will be back in two hours," Minato spoke after a short pause. "If you insist on being treated like adults, then act like it! You two will stay here and sort your shit out like adults - with words! AM I CLEAR?!”

“Yes, Hokage-sama,” they both answered in sync, while actively avoiding those big blue eyes. Wooden floors looked pretty interesting to Ryoko right now…

“I cannot have my two best ANBU captains at odds,” the blond shook his head in deep disappointment. With a flicker Minato was gone, leaving the two teens locked inside his office.

There was silence. Neither even moved from their spot in front of the Hokage’s desk. Kakashi, being Minato’s pet, spoke up first. “What is your problem?”

Ryoko clenched fists by her sides. He dares to ask her that?? She abruptly turned to him and practically yelled out. “YOU’RE MY PROBLEM!”

Kakashi stepped back with surprise. “Excuse me? I’m not the one who lost their shit and went all crazy back there,” he scoffed. As if he wasn't the one who provoked her. Hell! He even caught her hair in one instance during the fight. That alone is unforgivable even on a good day.

“Oh. My. God. You’re so dense!” she just could not stop herself talking anymore. Or moving. Her fist quickly raised to land on that annoying masked face. Kakashi dodged but did not retaliate.

“Alright. So tell me then, why am I dense? What is the real reason you’re angry with me?” he said it casually as if Ryoko wasn’t trying to stab him right now. To fight in a small office was not the easiest thing to do, all while trying to not damage Hokage’s things. But Ryoko couldn't care less about the consequences. She just wanted to see the teen in pain.

“Why? BECAUSE YOU LAUGHED AT ME!”

Kakashi blinked and almost missed the senbon aimed at his neck. Laughed? When did he do that? Or more precisely - which time exactly is she speaking off? They laughed at each other all the time…

He evaded her halfhearted swipes while calling back on his memories. The last time he could recall… it was a while ago. More than three months ago even! Kakashi only now realized that the whole summer Ryoko was not simply busy, but actively avoiding him. And before that… during spring…

“But… it was a joke… right?” Kakashi blinked as he caught her fist aimed perfectly for his face. Really? She was upset over that? Why would Ryoko be so bothered over a joke? It was funny… Unless… his eye widened to comical size. “RIGHT?” he tried to get confirmation, that yes it was a joke, but she only jumped back and looked away.

“You were serious…” he stepped back in shock. Again.

Ryoko crossed arms over her chest with her trademark pout in place, yet Kakashi did not hurry to drop down his guard. “You really can’t blame me for thinking it was a joke,” he deadpanned and it turned out to be not the wisest choice of words.

Ryoko literally growled and lunged at him. Kakashi silently cursed as he turned, twisted, and then grabbed both of her wrists, so the girl could not run away or hit him again. “HEY! Stop this already!” he yelled back at the girl in hopes to get her to stop the fighting for once. Ryoko stilled, but her eyes held a burning flame.

Right, Minato-sensei said to use words… Kakashi thought before speaking. “What was I supposed to think? You never showed interest before, so of course, I thought it was a joke.”

“You think I’m interested in you? Ha! Never,” well now Kakashi was completely confused. What else could she possibly mean by asking him out? He raised an eyebrow and waited for Ryoko to elaborate all while still keeping her in place.

She fidgeted for a bit, but with her efforts to get loose being futile, Ryoko finally spoke again. “Clan requires me to get married before my eighteenth birthday so I was looking for someone who could at least be close enough to my shinobi skill level for that… From every one of my generation, you are the closest match… and you also gave me that necklace so I thought you would be open to that idea... I would never be interested in an ass like you otherwise!”

“Marriage..?” he echoed dryly. Kakashi’s mind was railing from all the information. First of all… MARRIAGE? Ryoko really thought they… the two of them… oh, kami no! Second, was she really considering him to be the only strong shinobi in the village? He was flattered, for a second, before confusion took over his mind once more.

Necklace? He didn’t give her anything… Kakashi couldn’t dwell on that though, because her last insinuation sparked a flame within him.

What does Ryoko mean, that she would never be interested in him??? Kakashi noticed before that this Uchiha was not like other girls. Yes, she never showed interest, but he assumed that it was her age… or her upbringing… Eventually, all girls try to charm him at one point or another.

So why was she so certain? What does he lack for her not to like him? Kakashi knew that this line of thought was absurd, but his ego insisted that she had to be delirious! No girl in her right mind wouldn’t want to date him! He was sure of it.

And maybe it was his bruised ego that spoke next because when his mind caught up, it was already too late. “Well, you're alone in thinking that! There are plenty of girls who would like to date me. Hmm, strange, I don’t see any boys running and chasing after you though.”

There was silence. He blinked. His instincts were telling him that danger was in the air, but for some reason, his mind just went blank. Kakashi couldn’t move from his spot and just stared at the girl in front of him.

Ryoko looked almost as stunned as he felt. He still held her wrists by her sides and was thankful for that. Kakashi felt her slightly shake in place as her head tilted to the side. Shit. This time, he instantly knew he said something out of bounds…

Before Kakashi could open his mouth to explain, Ryoko leaned back and headbutted him. His skull rang from the impact. Her hands were released as he stumbled back. When his vision finally cleared, Kakashi was ready to defend again.

Yet there was no need for that anymore. His hands dropped as he saw Ryoko’s face. He didn’t see anger as expected. Instead, there were two big watery eyes looking at him. “I know nobody likes me... but that does not give you the right to disrespect me! You didn’t have to laugh at my face…”

“Ryoko… I…” he was cut off by the sound of opening doors. The privacy seals dropped as the Hokage entered. Ryoko took her chance and ran past the blond outside. Kakashi turned to make his own escape through the window, but his sensei was called a Yellow Flash for a reason.

Minato appeared in front of him with a serious expression on his face. Privacy seals were once again activated. “Kakashi! What did you do?”

“Nothing!” he backed away with his hands up in surrender.

“Ryoko just left my office crying. Ryoko. Crying!”

He rolled his eyes hiding the guilt that was slowly creeping up on him. “I swear, nothing! She just asked me out, out of the blue, a few months ago. I thought it was a joke and laughed at it…”

“YOU DID WHAT???!!” Minato’s eyes widened beyond what should be humanly possible. Kakashi still didn’t understand what was the big deal here! He crossed his arms over his chest in defiance.

“I mean really, why would anyone want to date her?” he blurted out. Sensei froze in his spot, face turning serious in an instant.

“Oh Kami…” the blond whispered. “Don’t tell me you said that to her?”

“I did. I don’t understand what’s the big d…” Kakashi didn’t finish the sentence as he was interrupted by Minato’s hand landing a hard slap on his face. The man blinked confused. He would never expect Minato to be capable of this…

“ARE YOU STUPID?” Minato roared. He was glad that the privacy seals were in effect because if not, the whole village would have heard his sensei yell.

“I…”

“After all that I did for you two! You just go and sabotage everthing!” Minato was pacing back and forth, but his words were what caught Kakashi’s attention.

“Everything you did…? Sensei? What did you do?” Kakashi narrowed his eyes, getting a bad feeling that he was missing something in this picture. Something that would explain Ryoko’s bizarre behavior.

Minato stopped by a wall and literally banged his head at it. “I swear… how are you a genius... “ the blond muttered.

“Sensei?! What did you do?” Kakashi repeated the question more sternly.

Ryoko flickered away as soon as she stepped out of the Hokage’s office. Her emotions were all over the place now. After the anger was spent in the fight, adrenaline also vanished, she felt just completely exhausted and empty.

She didn’t look where she was going. The only thought in her mind was to get somewhere where she could feel safe to break down. So naturally, Ryoko appeared in front of her sensei’s home. She stepped to the door just as the first raindrops started to fall from the sky.

Even the weather mirrored her emotional state.

Ryoko’s shaky hand reached for the door and knocked. Thankfully, it was Cherry who opened it. The man's smile was gone when he looked into her eyes.

“Oh honey,” he whispered, tugging her inside. “Maru!” he yelled while leading the girl to the living room couch. Ryoko was too tired to struggle or think for herself. She slumped on the soft cushion. Tears were leaving hot tracks on her cheeks.

How stupid was of her to cry over an idiot like Kakashi. How weak… She felt Cherry sitting next to her and wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

“What’ssss the matter?” she distantly recognized her sensei’s voice. Then she felt his hands on her knees as he crouched in front of her. “Ryoko? What happened?”

This was embarrassing. This hurt. She didn't want to look weak in front of the snake, but there was no stopping it anymore. Ryoko’s vision blurred as she struggled to answer. “Wh… Why… don’t people like me?”

Cherry beside her sighed. “I’ll make some tea,” the man said, pulling away. His place was instantly occupied by Orochimaru, who hugged her without hesitation. Long fingers brushed over her hair, as Ryoko hid her face in his chest.

She didn’t know how much time passed. Eventually, her sobbing stopped. Ryoko was sitting with her knees pulled close to her chest, holding a hot cup of tea in her hands. Sensei didn't push her or ask any questions. He only patiently waited by her side.

"Ryoko?" Cherry called her. He was seated on the couch opposite her. His voice was gentle and soft. "What happened?"

"I... I know that I could act in a way that would make people like me... They would see an idea of me that would be acceptable... but..."

"But?" Orochimaru coaxed her to continue. It was hard to phrase the insecure thoughts circling her mind. This was the dilemma she struggled with. The zugzwang of her life.

"But that would not be me. People would like an idea of me. Not the true me. And if I don't act and actually be me, then I will be alone, but I will be myself. I... don't know if I..." she choked on those last words. Honestly, Ryoko never cared much about relationships or attention. She took what she needed and that's it.

But it didn't mean that it didn't hurt to know that her true self was something no one liked. She really shouldn't care about it. But she did. Ryoko could no longer hide from that truth. She was upset and feeling more alone than ever before. As if she was standing in a crowd of people, yet was isolated from them. Lonely. She felt lonely.

"Lisssssten," Orochimaru put his pale hand of hers and Ryoko peaked over her bangs at the man. "I understand what you mean," he spoke with genuineness in his voice. She could tell that it was not empty words. "I would like to tell you that life will get eassssier, but it won't. It'ssss never easy for people like us."

It felt like he was talking from experience. Ryoko rested her chin on the top of her knees. "But... sensei... people like you. The whole village likes you. Cherry-san likes you..." she whispered.

"Are you sure she is not your bastard child?" Cherry then spoke. "You and Orochi are so alike," the man shook his head slightly. The man then stood up and returned a minute later with a bottle of wine. Orochimaru sighed.

"Honey, whoever said that to you is an idiot," Cherry spoke as he poured the wine into three glasses. She was handed one. "You are precious and you should always be yourself."

Ryoko sighed. The wine tasted rich and it reminded her of the past life she had. That's right. Because of her past, Ryoko decided not to put on the mask in the first place.

"Who did say that to you?" Orochimaru asked with his calculating eyes narrowed on her.

"It doesn't matter... You're right Cherry-san," Ryoko added after another sip. "Even if I would pretend, deep down I would still wonder and know the truth so better not to waste my time on that at all..."

This was one existential crisis Ryoko didn't plan on having, but here she was. Questioning whether being liked was worth the price. Wondering if she could fool people anymore. By now, even her clan was aware of some part of her true cold self. Her family was an exception content to give unconditional love.

They were her family, so they were forced to like her. Preconditioned to ignore her shortcomings. But maybe that's for the best. Who even needs bonds and connections? Ryoko felt her resolve settle. That's it. Her goal was to be a Hokage and not win a popularity contest.

After the bottle was empty, Ryoko fell asleep with her head on Orochimaru's lap. She was exhausted and determined to become even stronger. But not today. Today she allowed herself to be vulnerable for once in presence of those who wouldn't judge her.

Chapter Text

Orochimaru looked down at his lap and brushed another strand of dark hair from Ryoko’s face. She was not a child anymore, but at this moment, he saw past her adult looks, and what was in front of him, was the same small girl that huddled next to him in the cave of The Land of Frost.

Cherry on his left side leaned closer and rested his head on the snake's shoulder. This was probably the closest he would ever get to the notion of family. Instinctively, his hand found Cherry’s palm and squeezed it.

“You really care for her, Maru,” his blossom whispered.

“It’ssss more than that... She changed my life. She ssssaved my life.”

“How so?”

“When I firssst met Ryoko… at that time I wassss going off the deep end and into the darknesssss. Somehow, she hooked me and didn’t let go. She ssssomehow saw right through me and saw something in me that otherssss, even my sensei or my team, did not. The next moment I found myself too bussssy caring for her to lament over my own exisssstence.”

Cherry hummed nuzzling closer. “I am glad she did meet you. Otherwise, we would have never met either.”

“That isss true,” he turned and placed a kiss on Cherry’s temple.

How bizarre. Because of Ryoko, everything changed. Over the last few years, even his relationship with Tsunade started to rebuild itself. As they worked together in the hospital things got easier. Orochimaru was still carrying the hurt in his chest over the blond, leaving him behind all alone. But it was getting better. At least they were on speaking terms again.

Jiraiya’s return was not unexpected, but not entirely welcomed either. They could not just go back to the way Team 7 was before. You could not erase decades of hurt, but he was working on it. At least now Orochimaru recognized his bitterness, anger, sadness, and loneliness, while Cherry kept him grounded. Helped him to stay centered and work on those issues instead of shoving them to the depths of his mind.

“Do you plan on finding who upset, Ryoko-chan?”

“No, not intentionally,” he sighed and glanced at the redness around the sleeping girl's eyes. “If she sayssss it is not important, I trust her. But if I ever do find out the truth… I will make them feel the world of pain they never knew exissssted in this realm.”

“Awww, you’re so adorable, when you’re being overprotective,” Cherry chuckled.

“Adorable?” the snake arched his eyebrow. “Really? Sigh, only you could think that…” then shook his head. Honestly, Orochimaru still had a hard time believing that Cherry did not reject his affection.

Yes, at first he was convinced that the man only went along because of money. And sex. Because let’s face it, it was an extraordinary experience for both of them. For a while, that was enough. Then Orochimaru noticed thinking about Cherry more and more each passing day until it became unbearable to stay apart.

He was shaking like never before in his life that day when he arrived at the mansion in The Land of Sound. Even as a genin Orochimaru never felt this way. Yet, the prospect of putting his feelings and desires out in the open terrified him unlike armies of enemy shinobi.

That day he said three simple things to Cherry. I want you. I need you. I love you. The object of his affection answered without words, but with an embrace and a passionate kiss. His heart fluttered the moment their lips connected. And they have not been apart ever since.

“I love you,” Orochimaru tilted his head down to look deep into Cherry’s eyes as all the memories flooded his mind.

“I love you more, Sugarboo,” the man smiled back at him and Orochimaru yet again realized that he could not live without the color pink in his life. Cherry was his world. Cherry was the future he always dreamed of.

Thank you, Ryoko… he thought again before leaning in to share a kiss with his other half.

Ryoko woke up the next day feeling refreshed even though she spent the night on sensei’s sofa. Before leaving, she arranged to have training sessions with Orochimaru again. Her mind was buzzing with ideas for new techniques.

There was one particular goal the girl set for herself. It was ambitious considering her struggles with chakra control. But she felt like this little detail would have not stopped Madara-sama, so it most definitely will not stop her from trying.

Ryoko walked down the street with fresh determination. The anger from yesterday was not gone but rather placed in a freezer, where it could be left forgotten. She realizes now that she honest to Kami hates Kakashi.

Eat the rude, her former father would say. Copy Nin was extremely rude, that is a fact. He was also still a comrade, that was also a fact. Therefore, killing was not an option. At least the usual kind. Yes. She would take another approach. Contrary to what people would expect of her, Ryoko decided to instead kill Kakashi with kindness.

She will be nice, polite, helpful, and cordial. And nothing more. He does not deserve a single more of her nerves deteriorating in her head. Fuck him and his opinion. He is not worth her time and energy. And… And… Ryoko just felt like that part of her life was done, she turned the leaf and would move on back to her true goals in life.

A few days later, Ryoko’s eyes opened wide with the first rays of sunshine. She jumped out of her bed and started to do her morning routine. At some point, she dropped to the ground and started to do pushups on her fingers alone. How else would one strengthen the tools of creating jutsu…

After sweat started to drip down her forehead onto the floor, Ryoko stopped. She looked up, breathing only slightly elevated. Her eyes stopped for a second on the pendant on her bookshelf. The girl took it off the moment she returned from sensei’s home and hadn’t touched it ever since.

This was still a reminder to her. The only reason why she didn’t destroy it, was to always remember what people actually think of her. What she’s up against. A reminder of her moment of weakness. Never again.

After a large breakfast, Ryoko left for the training grounds at Orochimaru’s estate. Her family looked pleased to see her active again. Only little Sasuke acted the same way as always, and Ryoko was grateful for that. The boy didn’t make a big deal of her hormonal drama. She made a note to herself, to buy him a nice katana for his next birthday.

“You mentioned a new technique?” sensei asked when she appeared before him.

“Yes. Sensei, I have read about shinobi using only a single hand to make hand seals. Please teach me how to do it. It is crucial for my technique,” Ryoko explained with fire in her eyes.

The snake smirked. He was clearly intrigued. “Alright. But it will requirrrre a great level of chakra control.”

“I understand, sensei. Big brother has been teaching me some basic medical ninjutsu. I believe I have started to grasp how to measure my chakra output better.”

“Ahh, I ssssee. Show me then,” he took a kunai and their spar began. Orochimaru was going at her with full force making slashes and cuts without hesitation. Then they stopped and she showed her healing skills. They were nothing compared to what Itachi could do. Yet despite being small little things, Ryoko mastered them to perfection.

After a few more rounds, Orochimaru was pleased enough to start the actual training she asked for. Ryoko had an idea about why two hands are used in making seals. She also had an idea of how to take advantage of using only a single hand.

Sensei's explanation proved her assumptions right. Seals were like guidelines on how to pull and direct chakra. Two hands were used because most people did not have the mental capacity to concentrate on more. Thankfully, Ryoko was not most people.

Ryoko being who she is, always, even in her past life, could follow several trains of thought at once without a distraction from any. One of them was always for her own amusement. Either inappropriate or deviant in most cases.

Therefore, she needed only minimal attention to concentrate while creating a jutsu. Other thoughts always lingered on what was happening around her, what could happen, and so on. Her problem was sending the right amount of chakra into it.

Ryoko usually used too much chakra in her jutsu. Her instincts came from the fact that her chakra pools were well above average even for a clan-born kid. Orochimaru once compared her being close to Uzumaki levels of chakra amount. Having met Kushina-san, Ryoko took it as a compliment.

And so she trained. Starting off from the most basic, academy level jutsu. Her goal was to create them effortlessly using either left or right hand only. Let’s just say that Cherry watching them from the sidelines was entertained the most. Ryoko did not hold back her curses of irritation for the first hours when jutsu failed or only partially worked.

“Son of…****&^#$@!!!” she yelled out when her transformation jutsu looked nothing like what she imagined. Orochimaru now rested next to Cherry while carefully observing her progress.

“It will take a while,” he commented.

“I. Know.” she growled but did not stop cursing. Distantly her ears caught on the two men conversing.

“Would you like me to teach you the basicssss?”

“Me? Ah… I don’t know, Maru… But it does look interesting…”

“It would make me feel better, knowing that you could protect yourself ifff anyone targeted you becausssse of me.”

“Please, I am not helpless.”

“I know.”

Deep sigh. “Fine. I cannot resist when you look at me like that all concerned and worried,” Cherry chuckled.

Ryoko meanwhile let another yell out, this time with a burst of flames from her palms and mouth. Then she took a few calming breaths. Anger and frustration will get her nowhere. She has to simply put her blood and sweat into it. Plain and simple.

“Ryoko, I would prefer you not burn down my training groundssss,” Orochimaru chastised.

“Yes. Sensei.” she grit out a response and continued with her practice. This time, all emotions pushed back and locked in a bottle of her mind space until only determination and concentration were left.

Itachi finished dressing when he heard Ryoko leave the home. She has been busy lately, he noticed. At least she ate again as before and that was a relief in itself. He waited five more minutes before carefully opening the door to her room.

Usually, he would never invade sister's privacy like this, but her birthday was just a week away and he had some checking to do. Carefully, Itachi stalked to her bookshelf and with active sharingan memorized all the titles. He was planning on getting her a book, but for that, he had to make sure she doesn’t have it yet.

Some would say that a book is a boring gift, but he knew Ryoko and she valued reading above all. Ever since he can remember, the girl was drawn to them. He wasn’t sure how or when she learned to read, but it was always a trait he associated with her.

When he was done, Itachi turned to leave, but his eye caught onto something glimmering on another shelf. He carefully picked up the item and it turned out to be a pendant in the shape of a wolf. Interesting. He has never seen Ryoko wear it. Maybe it was a gift she did not particularly like?

To be fair, you cannot say Ryoko doesn’t care about her appearance. She actually does, very much. Itachi knows by now that his sister loves smooth and silky fabrics. She likes muted colors and clothing that covers her up. She also has a particular fondness for gloves. It took Itachi a few years until he noticed that her wardrobe inspiration is taken from Madara-sama.

What she doesn’t give mind to, is the bling most girls would want. Ryoko never wears any jewelry, unless it is a formal event. He never asked if she actually likes it or not…

Itachi carefully placed the necklace back where he found it and left. Today was supposed to be the first day of the new training group he was assigned at the hospital. It was actually a group of Uchiha that decided to switch from the Police Force and into the medical career.

After the incident of his sister placing the elders in their place, almost a full year passed of planning and switching things around. People from other clans were now trained enough so his clansmen were allowed to do the switch from the police into the fields of their choosing.

He was excited about everything that had yet to come. Itachi felt like he was the perfect person to share with his own people the great art of healing. Especially now that his former apprentice, Kabuto, was training under Tsunade-sama.

One less burden laid on his father's shoulders and therefore his own, as the future clan head. Itachi was now eighteen years old and seriously contemplating on taking over the position sooner than his father planned him to.

Sister, please stay safe for another year. Soon I will get you out of the shadows…

Cherry strolled down the cobbled road of Konoha contemplating over his life here. Everything changed so quickly. He never once was the type to turn down an adventure, so obviously, he agreed when Sugarboo appeared again to sweep him away from The Land of Lightning.

After arriving in Konoha, the man fully expected to get the usual treatment of disrespect and gossip. To his surprise, Orochimaru showed not a single sign of discomfort walking in public with him. Chery was even more amazed when local people noting his affiliation with the sannin showed him the same respect! He was never before referred to as 'sama'.

He also quickly noticed, that his loves statement of having no friends was quite false. Even if Sugarboo denied it, people looked up to the man. Then he met the so-called 'former teammates'. Cherry was again proven right that his darling was not only respected but had people who cared about him.

He felt a smile stretch across his lips even from thinking about that day with Tsunade and Jiraiya, while Maru did not shy away from the public display of his affection. The man covered his lower face with a fan and chuckled to himself. And all that happened because of one girl that he stumbled upon.

Ryoko looked like she was a fighter, even with all the usual marks of a victim. Now that he had front row seats to see her in action, the man was shocked. Ryoko was not only a fighter. She was an incredible and powerful force to be reckoned with. And she was also still very much adorable, like any child he had met in Konoha.

Children were something he adored. For a few months now he contemplated on bringing up the subject with his lover. Yet, considering how paranoid Sugarboo got leaving him alone for a few days while traveling away for missions, would probably be a problem.

That is one of the reasons why Cherry even accepted the suggestion to learn some shinobi arts. Of course, he was aware that his lover was powerful, well known, and therefore targeted as well as the people around him. But Cherry had not lived his life locked away in a safe home all these years.

There were plenty civilian and shinobi alike, who threatened him while he worked as the entertainer of the night. Cherry was not easily scared or baffled. But if there would be a child in the picture… He would want to protect them.

The man sighed and glanced towards the direction where a chorus of childish voices sounded from. The Academy. It looked like the lessons had just ended. He smiled gently as he watched parents take their offsprings away. One day…

Then his eye stopped at one particularly pale-looking boy. Hah, he looks just like my Sweetness… the man thought while his legs moved to get closer. Before he knew it, Cherry was standing next to the dark-haired boy. The precious thing was drawing something.

His brushstrokes were incredible! Cherry did not like to brag, but he had a talent for calligraphy for as long as he could remember. So to his trained eyes, the little child looked promising.

“May I help you with something?” the boy tilted his head up with a fake smile.

“I was admiring your brushwork. My name is Cherry,” he introduced. Looking around, he noticed that most of the children had already left. “Is someone going to pick you up, honey?”

“Hmmm, looks like not today,” the boy smiled despite how sad his statement sounded.

“Well then, let me take you home,” he smiled, extending his hand to the child. The boy thought about it for a moment but then nodded. He carefully put away his notebook and brushes, then clasped Cherry’s hand.

It had to be faith, the man thought as they finally stopped in front of an orphanage. Out of all the places the boy had to live here. “What is your name?” Cherry asked as they walked to the door.

“Sai.”

No last name. Definitely an orphan. How fitting… The man lingered by the doors not too keen to leave just yet. The boy somehow sensed it. “Cherry-san, would you like to see my other drawings?”

How precious! “Yes, I would. Very much.”

Both of them walked inside and he was led to the boy's room. There were countless drawings plastered on the wall behind one of the beds. Another side of the room was in contrast completely tidy and lacking any personal touches, but not vacant either.

For the next hour, Sai eagerly showed his favorite works. Each proved the great talent the boy had. Cherry even showed him a couple of simple calligraphy techniques. Suddenly, a door opened and another boy barged in with wide panicked eyes.

“SAI! Where were you!?? I was late and… you were not there!” then the boy took note of his presence. Cherry smiled softly and waved.

“Hello there, my name is Cherry,” he introduced.

“Shin,” the boy answered dryly. He looked older, yet his composure was cold and mature. Not uncommon for orphans. Each had a story behind the cold facades.

“See, Shin-kun, I told you your brother is just fine,” another old woman appeared in the doorway. Her eyes widened, noticing the man in the room. “Oh! Cherry-sama! What brings you here?”

“Oh, I just met young Sai-kun at the Academy and escorted him home, I hope that is alright?”

“Of course!” the woman smiled, while Shin’s suspicious glare intensified.

“I noticed his skill with the brush and I was intrigued.”

“That’s inappropriate…” Shin muttered.

The man could only chuckle at that. “Shin! Don’t be rude! Cherry-sama is very skilled in calligraphy. As a matter of fact, maybe you would like to teach the boy some of your art? I think little Sai would really enjoy it,” the woman cooed.

“Really, mister? Could you?” the pale boy perked up.

“It would be my pleasure,” Cherry smiled.

“So… you’re not a shinobi?” Shin asked as his cold demeanor wavered.

“Ah, heavens no. Although, I am trying to learn some basic things to get by.”

After spending a few more hours teaching Sai under the careful watch of his brother Shin, Cherry finally left. As he was about to step outside, the same woman approached him. “They are really great kids,” she said.

“Yes, I can see that,” he nodded with a sigh. They sure were an interesting pair.

“But so you know, they come together,” she winked and left him stumped. What could she mean by that? Could she possibly be suggesting what he thought she was suggesting?...

Chapter Text

There were so many things for Kakashi to think about that he ignored all of them and just went to sleep back home. His mind was emotionally exhausted from the day he had. Only in the middle of the night, when his eyes opened again, did Kakashi curse out loud.

It was all sensei’s fault! If not for Minato’s meddling, maybe he would still have a friend. What was the man thinking sending gift in his name? And to Ryoko of all people! Of course, she would misunderstand it and assume there is something when there absolutely isn’t.

Even Kakashi was fooled by that stupid necklace. But on the other hand, even if Ryoko got a gift from ‘him’ why would she ever assume anything but a challenge of it? Kakashi thought long and hard but he could not recall a single instance where his own actions would have given the girl the wrong impression.

Then there was the whole Uchiha marriage part, only thinking about it made his head hurt. Kakashi never once wanted a girlfriend, so marriage was as far from his comfort zone as relationships go.

Yes, he was flattered to be considered as a strong shinobi by Ryoko, but that does not excuse her outburst! How did she expect him to accept it? Or even consider it? They were not strangers, but they were not attracted to each other either.

Nothing made sense in his head. Especially Ryoko’s tears. Why.. why… why!?? Was he wrong about her? The girl never once showed a weakness like that before. For Kakashi, this was no different from the usual banter they shared.

And he knew for a fact that Ryoko had heard worse words said to her. So why did he suddenly make the ice queen Uchiha herself break? This had to be another of her manipulations, even though his gut said otherwise.

That treacherous little voice in his head kept whispering that it wasn’t just a simple banter. It was something more. Something significant. Yet Kakashi’s brain was still in deep denial. The only emotion that did make sense was anger. Towards Minato and most of all, towards Ryoko.

It was her fault for messing things up between them. Kakashi was not going to apologize for what he said. He was right. Right? …

…

For the next few weeks, he went on missions like nothing happened. Kakashi ignored a few rumors going around. Looks like their little fight in the training grounds was not left unnoticed by other shinobi.

“Trouble in paradise?” Genma once commented when they met in the hallway between their apartments. Naturally, Kakashi did not comment or acknowledge him.

Copy Nin was a master at keeping his emotions bottled up and this was no different from any other unfortunate event of his life. He could not dwell on it. As per usual, the natural course of action was to pour all of his energy into missions. That had to take his mind off things…

So obviously, he felt confident in his mental state, when the day came for his team to have another joined mission with Team Shi. He fully expected Ryoko to give him a cold shoulder and that would be understandable. Yet it didn’t happen.

She was polite. Even sweet and understanding as they discussed the mission parameters. What baffled Kakashi, was that her attitude did not feel fake. That was disturbing. He knew every time when Ryoko faked being nice. It gave him the creeps. Not this time, however.

There was a slither of hope in his chest, that maybe, just like him, she was acting mature and ignored what happened. Yet at the end of the mission, when he approached her, Ryoko simply disappeared. She didn’t spend a single moment more than necessary in his company.

For some reason, that ignorance of the many years of their comradery made Kakashi even more pissed. She was insufferable! Why couldn’t she just let it go??!!

He let a frustrated sigh out as he returned home. His eye caught on a little package left by his door. Could it be…? Did she remember..? The man picked it up before going inside where he could open the parcel in privacy.

Alas. The card on the box said ‘from Rin’. Kakashi dropped the item on the table without even unwrapping it. So Ryoko really did ignore his birthday for the first time since they knew each other.

For some reason, that fact hurt somewhere beneath his ribs. This was unfair… Sure, he didn’t congratulate her either, but that was because he was still mad and waiting for that apology. So fine, if she wants to be like this, he will mirror her, staying true to his moniker as the Copy Nin of the Leaf.

When October came, Kakashi was starting to get a feeling that his sensei was yet again up to something. The Hokage insisted on pairing not only Team Ro with Team Shi but him and Ryoko exclusively. They were sent on countless dangerous missions. Just the two of them.

Maybe Minato expected them to bond or resolve the clear cold war going on, but he sure underestimated both of them. Kakashi, much like Ryoko, had no intention of sharing each other's company more than necessary. That led to the missions being completed flawlessly and in record time. Which in turn led them to get even more missions.

Like a vicious cycle of the two individuals being forced into working together despite their shared anger for one another, Kakashi was stuck with Ryoko whether he wanted it or not. Whatever was the Hokage's plan, it clearly backfired. Kakashi was feeling numb and cold and not entirely because winter had come to Konoha.

Like every day for the past three weeks, Orochimaru stopped to admire the three paintings Cherry had gifted him last month on his birthday. They were hung on the wall of his home almost presenting a timeline of events.

First was a drawing of him and Ryoko. Despite there being no smiles on their faces, Orochimaru saw how the artist managed to capture warmth in the eyes of his subjects. It was a precious reminder of his beloved student.

The middle one was of him and Cherry in an embrace. The snake was sure that there was no picture of this in existence, yet the artist again managed to accurately represent what he shared with his lover. The warmth and casualness in their body language. The love in their eyes. This was his favorite painting.

The last one, on the right, was of him with Tsunade and Jiraiya. Most books would represent the Legendary Sannin in battle-ready gear and imposing stances. The unnamed artist once more managed to show the truth on his canvas. His team was painted like three ordinary friends sitting down for a group picture after a drink or two. This was the future Orochimaru wanted to have…

For a while, the man tried to find out who was the creator of these works. Cherry did not share for some unknown reason. That was odd, considering that his blossom never before bothered to keep something from him. But it was not a big deal. Cherry could keep his secrets, he had Orochimaru’s full and unwavering trust.

“Cherry?” he called finally moving from the painting to the living room, where the pink-haired man sat on the floor reading a book on seals.

“Yes, love?” the man lifted his head up with his beautiful smile. It made Orochimaru smile in return.

“Can you tell me why there issss a kid stalking you?” the snake sat down with one eyebrow raised in a questioning manner.

“Oh? What did he look like?” Cherry did not look surprised, only mildly curious.

“I don’t know. Ssssome child.”

“Hmmm… I wonder which one is it…” Cherry hummed returning his eyes to the book.

“There are more than one?” Orochimaru in turn allowed surprise to twist his features. Was he missing something? Was someone bothering his mate? Well, that was unacceptable! Before Orochimaru could spiral down a full-blown revenge plot strategy, he felt Cherry’s palm rest on his knee.

“It’s nothing, I promise.”

“Cherry…” he almost whined with an exasperated sigh. “Pleasssse tell me what is going on.”

The man looked away, taking his warm hand with him. Orochimaru frowned. There was no other choice. He inhaled and slid off the couch to sit next to Cherry on the ground. “Please,” he whispered, wrapping his arms around the love of his life.

“Do you promise to be open-minded?” Cherry whispered back with hesitation.

“Of course!” he sounded far more sure than he was feeling inside.

“Orochimaru,” oh… Cherry almost never used his full name. This was a sign of how serious the man’s words were. Snake stilled and patiently waited for him to continue. “I want to raise kids with you.”

He blinked. “I…” Orochimaru inhaled and thought back to the promise he just made. Open-minded. Right. Yet doubts sprung fast in his mind and he had to voice them. “I am not a good influence on kidsssss…” Orochimaru carefully said.

“Ryoko seems to be just fine to me,” Cherry challenged.

“But I didn’t raise her! She hasssss a loving family,” despite it being an undeniable truth, his own words hurt to voice out loud. From that night, when Ryoko cried on his lap, he was even more convinced that it was his doing what caused her pain. Being associated with a snake sannin had its price.

“Right. And in a moment of hurt and weakness, she came to you!”

“Cherry… Her being associated with me issss what caused it in the first place…”

“Oh please! Don’t be so self-centered! It was obviously a teenage drama and some idiot of a boy that upset her. If what you say was true, I would know, Maru. Nobody has ever been unkind to me because I am with you!”

“Cherry,” it was hard to argue with an intelligent man like his lover. “I don’t want to hurt an innocent child becausssse of who I am…”

“But you would not be against raising one with me?” Cherry smirked as if he just weaseled out an answer from him. Orochimaru sighed and smiled back.

“Family issss all that I ever dreamed of. With you.”

“Good. Then I want you to meet someone.”

“Kami… how long have you thought about thisssss?”

“A while,” the man chuckled. Sannin of course was not mad or upset. He was more impressed if he were honest. Not often people could hide things from him. Cherry as it turns out was an exception to this rule.

“Alright. I will meet whoever you want me to meet, but you cannot force them if they are afraid offff me, can we at least agree on that?”

“Pffft! Sure! But I don’t know who would ever be afraid of my sweet Sugar bear!” Cherry spoke with a teasing smile as he planted kisses on Orochimaru’s neck. At this moment the sannin felt very weak. Maybe even hoped that his partner was right…

A family, huh?

December did not bring change. The flowers wilted away, the leaves colored in the shades of brown and red. But Kakashi could not shake off the feeling of anger from his being. At least that’s how the man labeled it. In reality, it was frustration that bothered him.

Sure, he hoped that Ryoko would come to her senses by now. She didn’t. The girl still showed her genuine politeness around him and nothing more. No joking, insulting, or fighting. Damn, he missed their spars…

There was a knock on his door. Kakashi picked himself up and opened it to find not the Uchiha he actually wanted to see…

“Taicho,” the teen smirked, rubbing one hand over his neck.

“This better be good, kouhai,” Kakashi almost crossed arms over his chest, but the last second aborted the action as it reminded him of her. Shisui looked around as if making sure that no one was listening in. He looked hesitant.

The boy lingered some more before leaning closer to whisper what was the matter. Instinctively, Kakashi also leaned in, simply to get this over with. “I’m sorry, Taicho, please don’t murder me in my sleep…” the boy said with a small unapologetic grin.

“What did…” Kakashi was about to ask when Shisui grabbed him and teleported away.

SON OF A….!!!! he cursed the second his nose picked up on the smell of blood and sterilizers. And sure thing, when his eyes opened, Kakashi found himself in a white hospital room. Without windows.

The devil himself was standing by the door with a serene smile. “How nice of you to drop in, Kakashi-san,” Itachi said as he locked the door and stepped closer with a chart in his hand.

“As if I had a choice…” he muttered.

“Now then, the sooner we start, the faster we’ll be done with it,” his voice was gentle but left no room for arguing. Itachi was a rather intimidating person even with the kindest smile on his face.

“Fine,” Kakashi grumbled and started to shed his clothing.

Itachi’s glowing hands were quick to mend old injuries and assess the general situation. “Please lift up your shirt,” the man said standing behind him to inspect the lungs.

Kakashi closed his eyes and followed the orders. At least, Itachi did not insist on getting his mask off. He was like Ryoko in that sense… Kakashi frowned and tried harder to push an image of her from his mind. Maybe they didn’t spend as much time together anymore, but his mind still insisted on reminding him of the girl at every step.

How annoying!

“Everything looks good in the back,” Itachi said as he circled around to check his chest. Kakashi waited and waited, but the familiar chakra invasion into his body never came. Carefully, he opened his eye to see Itachi staring below his neck.

He too glanced down and noticed the damn pendant. And Kakashi could see how Itachi’s eyes sparked with realization. Like a dozen stray dots finally finding a connection between them. And that connection was Kakashi. Shit he cursed in his mind.

“It’s not…” Kakashi started, but the Uchiha heir raised his hand to silence him.

“Hatake-san, I will ask you this only once. And I will know if you lie.”

Shit…

“Were you dating my sister?”

“No!”

Itachi’s eyes narrowed only a fraction and the boy slowly nodded. “But. It was you who upset her?”

Kakashi opened his mouth and then closed it. The memory he suppressed all these months came back to the surface. Big onyx eyes glimmering with unshed tears. He felt mildly delirious as he gave a minuscule nod in response.

“I see,” Itachi’s shoulders straightened up as he pinned Kakashi in place with his gaze. “You know, Hatake-san, I have been wondering who was it that made my sister cry. She suffered a lot after that. The whole summer she only slept. She didn’t eat.”

Kakashi winced. Ah. He didn’t know or even consider that his initial words had made such an impact on Ryoko. And here he was completely oblivious the whole time until Minato forced them to speak about it again. He stayed silent.

“As a big brother, I feel it is my obligation and duty to protect her from people like you,” there seemed to be something more behind those words, but Kakashi could not tell what exactly. Maybe Ryoko shared something with Itachi? … “Yet it would not bound well for my clan if I commit homicide on a fellow Konoha shinobi. That would also go against my medical oath. But... accidents do happen...”

Kakashi’s lips were closed shut. He felt really uncomfortable. This was worse than when Minato tried to explain why exactly he was in the wrong in the whole argument with Ryoko…

“Hatake-san. This is one and only warning you will get. Stay away from my sister. You’ve hurt her enough already.”

Kakashi had half of a functioning mind to nod while his thoughts became blank. This here before him was an embodiment of the fierce Uchiha everyone talks about. Yet Itachi also painfully reminded him of Ryoko.

When did this kid grow up so much? Jeez… he thought bitterly recalling the prodigy in the jonin examinations. All while, Kakashi gave a small nod and stood up to leave.

“We’re not finished yet,” Itachi smirked, placing his hand on Kakashi’s shoulder. With a stern push, the Copy nin was forced to go back to his seat. He was sure that there would be a bruise left on his shoulder from that one simple touch.

You would think that a confrontation with Itachi Uchiha of all people would be equal to getting a pass to move on from Ryoko. Kakashi’s mind thought otherwise. After leaving the hospital he could not stop thinking about her.

The anger he carried melted away as he thought over what she felt because of him and his insensitivity. Even deep in the night, he could not fall asleep from the mix of memories and images that his imagination supplied. Ryoko not eating was a good indicator of just how bad she was hurt by his words.

Each passing day was not any better. He would work and return home just to spend another restless night tossing and turning. Then morning would come. Kakashi would get another mission. Kami forbid, with Ryoko herself. And he had to control himself, even more, to not explode when she’s around.

This was driving him insane!

Fuck! That’s it… I have to speak with her… he decided on New Year's Day. It shouldn’t be that hard to find her… Kakashi would only have to catch her away from Itachi...

Ryoko returned home before the sun was up. She hoped to catch some sleep before the evening celebrations began. Before stepping any further into her home, Ryoko activated her sharingan to make sure not to disturb anyone.

Father and mother were sleeping. As well as Itachi. Sasuke… oh. Her little brother was not alone. Through the wall, she saw two chakra signatures huddled together. One was southing blue of Sasuke, the other was bright as the sun. Naruto.

They are so cute... she thought considering all the times she was witness to the boys playing and causing overall mischief. Surprisingly, it was her brother that grounded the wild Namikaze offspring.

Shaking her head, Ryoko finally found her own bed and passed out. Without celebrating with her family, she also got a message from her sensei. He apparently had news he wanted to share with her. It was bound to be a long day…

Not even three hours later, she was woken up by not so discreet whispering in her room.

“Don’t be a scaredy-cat!”

“But… are you sure it’s okay?”

“Yeah, mom said to wake her.”

“Well.. alright.”

She listened to the tapping of feet getting closer to her bed.

“Koko-san! Koko-san! Wake up!” the blond boy tugged on her covers lightly. Roko jolted up and grabbed his wrist with a blank expression. The little boy paled.

“YOU. Dare. To. Disrupt. My. Slumber.” her voice was cold, eyes unblinking.

“ANE! Stop messing with him!” Sasuke whined by the door.

To Naruto’s surprise, her expression changed in an instant. She smiled letting him go. “Alright alright. I’m up. Naruto, if you want to be a shinobi, you need to learn how to sneak better,” she commented, stretching with a yawn.

The boy blinked and she felt his stare. “What?”

“OH MY GOD! NARUTO! STOP STARING AT MY SISTER’S CHEST!” Sasuke used the speed Ryoko was not aware he had, to drag Naruto away and out of her room. If she didn’t know any better, she would think the little boy was jealous.

Ryoko ignored them and glanced at the kimono her mother prepared the day before. Life was such a pain for a female in these traditional times…

The whole day went by Ryoko as if in a haze. She was still exhausted from her last mission. Plus the added duty to socialize and by the evening, the woman could barely keep her eyes open. Ryoko excused herself from her family and found a more secluded spot in the shadows to watch over the buzzing crowd.

She was standing by a railing on the edge of the central park, overlooking the main square where most of the celebrations took place when she felt a presence behind her let itself be known. Ryoko didn’t turn around as it was a chakra signature of someone she knew…

Steps got louder as the person approached until they stopped right behind her. Ryoko closed her eyes thinking if they would speak or not. Either would be fine with her. She just had no energy left to react first. Even to run away.

His trained eyes spotted the person he was looking for. It was not hard, considering all the attention the Uchiha clan head family brought to themselves just by walking down the street. Ryoko was there looking… like she always does. Effortless and alluring.

Ibiki smirked to himself. Kami, he was still nervous about what he had planned to do today. He’s been watching her for months. The untouchable princess of the Uchiha clan. It was not hard to understand why Ryoko was single as the most recent rumor entailed.

For one, she was the hime of her clan. Not every regular shinobi would be foolish enough to approach her. And even if they did decide to try their luck, there was another obstacle. His eyes shifted from Ryoko to meet a direct gaze from Itachi Uchiha.

The smile on Ibiki’s face didn’t waver. Yes, most would definitely be intimidated by the clan heir. The teen was like a hawk watching over the precious gem that was his sister. That didn’t scare Ibiki a single bit. He’d seen worse. There was very little out there that could scare him away.

So he patiently waited for the right moment. Even if Itachi didn’t bother him, Ibiki was not about to approach her so publicly. Ryoko would not appreciate it, he was sure of it. And maybe, just a part of him was anxious about what her response will be.

They have flirted for a while now. She was always honest and open with him. But those kinds of actions can be easily misconstrued. So Ibiki approached with caution. An opportunity presented itself when Ryoko drifted away from the crowd and stood gazing down on them alone.

Ibiki uncloaked his chakra and walked closer without suppressing the sound of his steps. He stopped just behind her. Less than a foot away. He could smell her perfume from this distance and it was just as intoxicating as Ryoko.

“Good evening, foxie,” he said to her, while his eyes slid down from her exposed neck to the shoulders covered in her expensive kimono.

“Hn,” she only muttered her usual greeting. She also sounded rather tame, probably bored out of her mind.

The koi little creature didn’t even notice him from the height of her beauty. Ibiki was not a fool. He knew that he was not on her radar the way he wanted to be. But I can make it so that you will learn about me… he thought leaning down closer to her ear.

“I have a favor to ask,” Ibiki whispered.

Ryoko glanced over her shoulder with a bored expression laced with curiosity. Her gaze scrutinized him for a moment before she nodded. “Hn?”

People could say that he was nobody compared to her. Not only was she breathtaking, but her skills were also something that demanded utmost respect. She herself might say that he was not ‘it’, but… “Ryoko, I would like to ask you something, but no matter what it is, I would also need you not to stab me or try to stab me.”

She glanced at him once more, but this time there was a small smile on her lips. Boredom completely gone. “Alright,” she whispered back, before turning away. Some would think that her not facing him was disrespectful. They would be wrong. She was a shinobi, and to allow someone to stay out of sight, in their back,... That was a show of trust and respect.

Ibiki straightened up before her scent completely turned his mind to mush. “Ryoko, I would like to ask you on a date.”

There were many things Ibiki expected to happen. For once, he was prepared to be stabbed. He also prepared to hear her laugh or scoff. To his surprise, Ryoko made a small step backward, so that her back was now pressed to his chest. She tilted her head to look up. And there was something odd in her eyes.

“Ibiki Morino, what is your agenda behind this?” she asked sweetly.

In all honesty, he was more baffled by their body contact than her words. It came to him with no surprise that the woman was guarded in getting such propositions. Probably, most of the time people asked her out in hopes of getting something in return. Were it clan support, notoriety, or something else that comes with dating a clan hime.

“My only agenda is to spend time with you alone,” he said honestly, suppressing a gulp. She was so close, teasing, or better yet, testing him.

“Hmm.. well then, go on, ask away,” Ryoko smirked with a devilish sparkle in her eyes. Or maybe it was the village lights reflecting in the obsidian.

This time Ibiki did inhale sharply. There was no time like the present. “Give me one day. One night. Give me at least one chance and you will not fall asleep while I’m around, I can promise you that,” he leaned down to have a better look at her eyes, while his hands instinctively found a resting place on Ryoko’s hips.

He could swear he saw a dusting of blush on her cheeks as her eyes stared up at him, looking for a lie or deception. She won’t find it however and not because Ibiki was good at mind games. On this rare occasion, he was completely honest.

“Are you sure about it?” she asked seriously.

“Yes. I understand that your position would require discretion from my side and I am completely fine with it. No one will have to know unless you would want it otherwise,” he had to reassure her, to show that he is interested in her and only her. No matter who she was in the public eye.

Ibiki almost waited for Ryoko to pull away, but she didn’t. The woman hummed as her head turned away to look into the distance. Her body was still very much flush to his own. So petite and yet curvy.

“I accept,” she whispered into the night just as the fireworks cracked over the sky. She might as well have yelled it, as Ibiki heard her loud and clear. He took a shaky breath basking in the moment. The first step was always the hardest. Yet feeling her under his fingertips already made it worth it.

Chapter Text

Well, this was something new. Ryoko definitely had relationships before in her past life. But it was the first time someone actually asked her out here. Or hugged her in this way… Sure, she had physical contact with her family, but this was different.

The way the heat traveled from Ibiki’s chest into her back was different. The way his hands rested on her hips was different. And it was not unpleasant, she had to admit. Her eyes watched the fireworks, while her mind considered if she could trust his word for it.

Ibiki was definitely not the type to make jokes with her. Well.. not that kind of jokes, anyway. They playfully flirted for a while now and she didn’t think much of it until now. Was he serious even before?

People down in the square cheered as the sky cleared. She felt Ibiki shift behind her and lean close to her ear. “See you soon, foxie,” he whispered in that deep voice and planted a kiss on her neck. She felt shivers. And then he was gone.

Ryoko glanced back to watch his imposing figure vanish into the crowd. He was tall. And muscular. Thick was the word that came to her mind. Sure, her taste usually fell onto the scrawny type of guys, but she was open-minded enough to give this, whatever it was, a try.

One thing that Ryoko already liked about Ibiki - he was handsy. Feeling manly arms on her was something she didn’t know she missed. And he was as direct as herself, which was a plus. As the girl walked back to find her family, she wondered what his idea of a date was.

Just a week later, Ryoko got her answer. She was summoned to the Hokage Tower for a regular jonin mission. Inside the office, her eyes spotted Ibiki leaning by the wall.

“Ah! Ryoko-chan! Great, there is a mission for you,” Minato smiled.

“Yes, Hokage-sama,” she said, stopping in front of his big desk.

“So, as you were doing your internship in T&I for a while now, it is time to give you a related mission as a final test for what you have learned.”

Ryoko nodded while resisting an urge to show emotions on her face. It probably would not be great to show just how excited she was about the prospect of torturing someone on the field.

“Ibiki here, will come along and supervise you. Here is the mission objective,” the blond extended a scroll, while she exchanged a glance with Ibiki. Sneaky sneaky. Well, he did promise her discretion. What could be better than a trip outside Konoha and away from all the nosy gossipers?

Minato continued. “Your main goal is to get the intel. You will have to be in disguise and blend in with locals. No one should find out that you are a Konoha nin, am I clear?”

“Yes, Hokage-sama.”

When the mission was officially accepted, Ryoko took an hour to get ready. Besides the usual infiltration mission kit, she wanted to be ready for the so-called ‘date’. It was stupid, but Ryoko felt slightly anxious. Did he expect her to be in a dress or something? What would they even do?

Ibiki of course said nothing, even when they left the Hokage’s office. Only his teasing smile confirmed her assumptions about the underlying reason for the mission. Fuck it, they would have to blend in with civilians either way, so might as well… Ryoko inhaled and packed one of her few summer dresses.

They left the village wearing the usual jonin uniforms. And they haven't spoken to each other yet. There was no need to disrupt the silence. Only by the Land of Fire border, Ibiki spoke for the first time.

“We should get into our disguises,” she nodded and they split up into their respective bushes. A minute later, Ryoko stepped out wearing her summer dress, hair tied in a high ponytail. Unlike Konoha, the Land of Tea even in the winter season was just as warm as in the summer, so wearing an actual dress felt almost refreshing.

Ryoko turned around when she heard Ibiki come out. He chose a similar style of plain clothing without his trademark trench coat. Simple shirt with short sleeves, gloves, pants… So bland that a regular person would not even notice him walking down the street. Also, his bandana was missing, revealing short silver hair.

She didn’t feel bad about looking him up and down, because the man did exactly the same. He smirked, extending his hand towards her. “You look lovely, Ryoko.”

“I am aware,” she smirked right back and took the offered hand. She expected to feel awkward walking like this with a man, but something about how confident Ibiki was, made it feel right. “Is there actually a mission there?” she added.

“Of course.”

Ryoko only nodded as they approached their destination. She decided to follow Minato’s instructions and blend in first. They were granted at least three days for the mission. So day one will be spent acting the part of a lovely couple.

They didn’t speak much, as even without words they understood what to do. Ibiki led her around the port village. By lunch, they have checked in to the local inn and now sat in one of the outside cafes grabbing a bite.

“Have you been to this village before?” Ibiki asked as they got served tea and desserts.

“Hmmmm, I may have passed through once or twice,” she recalled as her chin rested on her intertwined fingers, elbows propped on the table. Ibiki was sitting right next to her, their thighs touching under the table. His arm was leisurely draped over the back of her chair.

“In that case, would you allow me to take you out tonight?”

“Hn. That would be acceptable.”

Ryoko didn’t look in his direction, but she felt him shift, and then his other hand was placed on her knee just where the hem of her dress ends. She hid a smirk behind her palms, Ibiki misunderstood that action as he leaned in and whispered to her ear. “You should relax, I won’t bite… hard.”

Ryoko chuckled. She felt his fingers teasingly graze over her exposed knee just barely hooking under her dress. “Oh, I am relaxed, don’t believe me?” she cocked her head at him, with a twinkle in her eyes. And to further prove her point, Ryoko moved her leg slightly providing Ibiki with more access and non-verbal permission to continue.

He didn’t hesitate. The arm on her chair shifted and landed around her shoulders to press Ryoko closer to his side. Ibiki now rested his chin on top of her head, while his other hand casually brushed up and down her thigh.

“You’re a tease, aren’t you?”

“Who? Me? I would never!” Ryoko pulled back with feigned shock. But as the smile returned to her face and she leaned back to his side, her arms rested on his thigh in return. Gentle like feathers, her fingers brushed over the tense muscles. Mmmm definitely thick… she mused.

The pair sat like that enjoying the tea and each other's company for a while. All while covertly teasing each other. They were not strangers after all. Verbal flirting was done for some time already and it was only natural to jump to physical contact by now. Even if it was their official first date.

When the sky started to darken for the evening, Ibiki, as promised, took her out. He didn’t say where they were going, but she probably would have enjoyed anything. Ryoko wasn’t that picky.

“How did you know?” she glared at the man, with arms crossed under her chest as they stood in front of an old yet lavish-looking building with the crowd of other guests.

“Have you forgotten what I do for a living?” he smirked very self-satisfied. Prick. “Now come, we don’t want to miss the start,” he placed a hand on her lower back and led her to their seats.

Ryoko was tempted to respond with ever so classy ‘make me cum’, but she held her tongue. For now. She was rather distracted by the activity awaiting them this evening. Theatre. Out of all possible things he chose theatre.

She couldn’t understand how he found out her love for arts. But he did. No matter what world, day, or age, she would always admire a good performance. Ryoko guessed that acting was just another crucial part of Ibiki’s trade. Therefore, he would enjoy this evening too.

When the curtain split in two the stage was revealed and the show began. Ryoko stared almost unblinking, slightly leaning towards the action as she was mesmerized by it. The costumes. The music. The script.

“It’s brilliant!” she smiled at Ibiki just as the applause rang over the hall for the last time. Feeling generous, the girl reached up on her tippy toes and gave the man a kiss. The crowd around them melted from existence. She felt Ibiki’s hands wrap tightly around her waist as she was pulled in closer to deepen the kiss.

Ryoko was pretty sure that this was a great, textbook date, as far as dates go. She was dined, entertained, and got her dessert too. They made out a few more times on their way back to the inn. Ibiki was an acceptable kisser, but she preferred more the feeling of his hands on her body. They were big and warm and manly…

“Sleep tight, Ibiki,” she whispered, finally pulling away from him with a teasing wink. Ryoko knew that he wanted more. Who wouldn’t? But she still had a tiny bit of sadistic tendencies in her and wanted to see just how much he could endure before breaking…

Day two was the time to actually complete the reason for their trip. She spotted the target a few times yesterday as they walked across the village. Ibiki was even more clingy, but not in a way civilians would notice. Only Ryoko saw it in his eyes and the way he held her hand. The man was simmering with lust.

Not hot enough… she considered as they trailed behind the target while appearing to others as a regular couple. A few hours and a lunch later, it was time to act while shadows only started to drop on the streets around them.

Ryoko gathered that the man they were after lived alone most of the time when he was not gambling away his illegally laundered fortune. To break into his home was almost too easy. “Aww, he even has a basement!” she chirped, dragging the unconscious man towards the stairs going down.

“I knew you would like it,” Ibiki gave her a fond smile as he opened the door for her into the dark cellar. While Ryoko tied the man down to a chair, Ibiki started to light up candles.

“A bit excessive?” she raised an eyebrow to the dozen more candles the man took out of his bag.

“What can I say, I am a romantic at heart,” he shrugged. Ryoko could only chuckle in response. Yes, this was rather romantic. Maybe she will drag it on for a bit instead of finishing it quickly…

And drag on she did. Ryoko took her sweet time torturing the guy, while Ibiki observed from a dark corner. By the time they emerged to the surface, more than twelve hours had passed. Ryoko stretched, popping her shoulders. Ibiki approached from behind and wrapped his arms around her waist. She felt him flush to her back, almost like during New Years'.

“You were…” he started to whisper, but cut himself off by kissing her neck instead. And these kisses were nothing like the chastise New Year's peck. It was a passionate show of affection that will definitely leave marks on her skin.

“Mmmm… I feel like getting a drink,” Ryoko suggested while leaning her head to the side, to give Ibiki even better access to her neck. This was pleasant. And feeling him all hot and bothered pressed to her back was even more pleasant.

At some point, they finally found a bar and stayed apart long enough to order a drink. When that was done, Ibiki wrapped her back into his tight embrace. “I want to eat you up,” he whispered.

“Am I stopping you?” she chuckled. It was fun to tease the man, but her own patience was dwindling so after their first few drinks, Ryoko decided to kick the gears up. She placed her palm over his hand, fingers slightly entwined, and guided him to her leg and under her skirt. Ibiki got the hint quickly and continued on his own.

She felt his rough fingers brush over her thigh and go up until the inevitable dead end. The table in front of them was hiding everything from other patrons of the bar, although it would not be hard to guess what the couple was doing based on their closeness and blushed cheeks.

A sigh escaped Ryoko when he finally touched the damp spot on her underwear. She was feeling fuckin horny! And the alcohol didn’t help. Ryoko turned to bury her face in Ibiki’s neck, as he started the experimental brushes up and down and around with his fingers.

She had to reach a bit, but her lips finally found his ear. Ryoko placed a few kisses of her own below it and then a teasing lick from his jaw to the ear. Her teeth grazed over the soft lobe tugging it, just as he pressed what she guessed an index finger to her core.

Another sigh, far more intimate, only for his ear to hear. Ryoko felt him take a sharp inhale of air as he grabbed her waist more forcefully with one hand, while the other teased her over the underwear. Her hands rested on his chest, nails purely by accident brushing over his nipples.

“Hmmm, we have a problem,” she whispered between the soft kisses on his neck.

“Hmm? What is it?” he croaked out.

“I am completely soaked.”

“Kami… woman…”

“Mmmm, will you help me get changed out of my soaked clothing?”

She didn’t have to say it twice. Even if feeling his hand retreat was not great, she knew that they will return soon… They finished the drinks and stumbled back to the inn. Ryoko’s room was closer, so that is where the two finally ended up.

Before the door even fully closed, Ibiki’s lips crashed into hers. His hands hooked under her skirt and grasped her naked thighs to pull Ryoko up into an embrace, while her legs instinctively wrapped around his torso.

She was clearly no shy amateur, Ibiki could tell solely by how confident and assertive Ryoko was. She quickly tugged his shirt up to bare his skin. The man complied. He stumbled to the bed and leaned down placing the woman under him. Her ink-black hair spread on the pillow highlighting the contrast of her pale skin.

“Fuck, you’re hot,” he muttered taking a moment to admire her, before leaning back to place kisses down her neck. Fingers gently brushed over her breast, testing the waters. Even if Ryoko looked experienced, he didn’t want to force her into anything. Not like he really could with the power this woman had…

She arched into his touch. So that was a green light to go further. His fingers squeezed the voluptuous form that barely fit into his palm. Ah… how many times has he wondered if her breast would fit in his hand. The answer is - barely.

Ibiki tugged on the dress strap to reveal her to the night and his hungry lips. She was perfection. Despite the armor hiding her beauty most of the time, it was still clear to any onlookers. Now, when her chest was naked below him, Ibiki almost was lost for what to do with all that was there.

“Mmm, now you’re the tease,” Ryoko practically whined, but it sounded more like a teasing mewl. He smirked.

“I’m just admiring art,” he whispered before diving down to kiss her, caress her, squeeze her and do so much more. He really wanted to consume her all. Ryoko would let a gentle moan whenever he tugged her nipple just right. She would sigh when he touched her just right.

Kami, he felt like he was getting delirious. Ibiki could not hold back anymore. His hand was already under her dress and between her legs. Ryoko was soaked just like she said. Even though he wanted nothing more than to bury himself in her, the night was long and he decided to take his time.

Ibiki slid down tugging her underwear with him. Ryoko sighed after losing contact of his mouth from her chest. His hands bunched the dress up to reveal her fully to him. With fleeting kisses on her thigh, Ibiki inched closer to the sweet nectar between her legs.

Without hesitation, Ibiki dove in her pussy with his mouth like a dolphin. His eyes watched as the woman arched and trembled from the stimulation. He wanted to give Ryoko an orgasm with his tongue alone. It was like a challenge. Sure, it would be easy to use his fingers, but there was plenty of time for that.

The teasing from yesterday and today helped greatly. He was not stupid to disregard the importance of foreplay. Since the mission started everything has led to this. Ibiki twirled his tongue like an eel inside of her, while his long arms had a perfect reach to her supple breasts.

Just a little more… he thought sensing another tremble. Fingers skillfully pinched her nipple earning a delightful moan that echoed in the room. Music to his ears. Ibiki licked and sucked until he felt her thighs tense and squeeze around his head.

This is it. This is how he wants to go out of this world. Squeezed by a woman's thighs around his head while she cums in his mouth.

“Oh… my… kami..” Ryoko trembled and he knew that was it. With the last stimulation to her clitoris, she crumbled in his grasp. He panted when he finally pulled away. With sweet kisses, he traveled down her leg and then back up soaking the responses from her sensitive body. He felt her relax completely.

By the time Ibiki’s lips reached her neck, Ryoko’s breathing was steady again… Too steady. He stopped and blinked a couple of times. Then he laughed burying his face into the crook of her neck.

“So you are a lightweight,” he chuckled, half amused and half frustrated. The girl was out like a light. The night of torture combined with alcohol and then this, did its job. “I guess, I should be flattered,” he said while watching his fingers brush from her collar bone, down between her breasts, over her flat stomach, and then over the wet mess that was her pussy.

“Beautiful,” he sighed. The rumor of Uchiha hime having low alcohol tolerance proved to be right and now he was left to admire her sleeping form. At this moment, Ibiki wished to be a scumbag. He wished to have no shame and take her sleeping body. But he could not.

With another sigh, he carefully removed her dress completely, pulled a blanket on both of them, and cuddled Ryoko like she was a plush toy. Next time.

Chapter Text

Kakashi watched Ryoko walk with her family from afar. He could not talk with her when Itachi was around. At least that was the logical excuse his brain provided. He could wait in the shadows and grab her when she is alone and… and then what? What could he say to Ryoko to fix everything?

Next time… Kakashi jumped away over the roofs back to his silent home and away from all the festivities. He will have a better chance of confronting Ryoko on a regular day, but even then, he was not sure what to say to her.

Kakashi just wanted his friend back.

Naturally, the Copy Nin started to avoid Ryoko over the next few weeks. He tried to practice what to say to her but had a hard time picking the right words. Maybe it was because he still could not fully understand why she was so mad at him in the first place…

I need another perspective… Kakashi finally decided without actually admitting to himself that what he needs is help. Someone who knows Ryoko and understands her thinking… and is close to her… and understands him too…

“Yo!” Kakashi appeared on the windowsill with one raised hand in greeting.

“I swear! Bakashi! If you do that again! I will trap you in Tsukuyomi!!!” Obito yelped as he wrangled his bedding after being startled in the middle of the night.

“Oh good, you’re awake!” Kakashi eye-smiled at his former teammate without a shred of remorse in his voice. Then he leaned back to avoid a handful of senbon thrown his way. “Ahh, Anko, you’re awake too?”

The woman glared at him from beside Obito on the bed. Then she yawned and turned away to continue sleeping. She couldn’t care less what was Kakashi’s problem and he was completely okay with that.

“What do you want?” Obito hissed after dragging him outside to the small living room. Kakashi wanted to curse out loud at this moment. For Hashirama’s sake! How could he ever speak with Ryoko if he didn’t even know how to explain everything to Obito?

“Emmmmm..” the man made a profound sound running a hand over the spiky gray hair. Obito sighed and started putting on his jacket. He motioned Kakashi to follow and the two walked for a while until they were completely out of the Uchiha compound and headed towards a nearby forest.

“It’s about Ryoko-chan isn’t it?” Obito said with his hands in his pockets, looking straight ahead.

“Maaaa, I didn’t know that Uchiha were such gossipers,” Kakashi tilted his head just in time to avoid a kunai.

“Stupid. Sensei told me,” that stopped Kakashi in his tracks. He blinked dumbfounded at the man before him.

“What?”

Obito also sighed, exhaled, and turned around. “Seriously? All of you geniuses have the emotional capacity of a spoon,” he shook his head.

“Oy!”

“Oh? So why did you come to me then, Bakashi? Aren’t you looking for advice? Because I have a girlfriend, while you only have your hand?”

The copy nin grunted flailing his arms up in the air. “Kami! It’s NOT like that!” Why people always jumped to the conclusion, that he felt something more towards Ryoko beyond a friendship was beyond him.

Obito sighed once more and continued walking. “I know.”

“Why did sensei tell you?”

“Because I know both of you and he doesn’t want for either to kill the other. Well maybe not kill per se, knowing you two, more like seriously maim. Anyways, he knew you would eventually come to me instead of him and asked me to speak with you.”

Kakashi walked in silence with arms crossed over his chest. “Yeah… I’m still mad at sensei for messing things up…”

“Hn.”

“So?”

“So what?”

“What do I do? Should I just say sorry or something? How do I make her listen?”

Obito gave him an odd stare before sighing again. Finally, he stopped in a clearing and sat down by a tree on the frosty grass. “First things first, Kakashi, do you even understand why hime was upset in the first place?”

He sat down in front of Obito and thought for a moment. “Because of sensei, she thought I liked her or something and she was upset because I rejected her?”

“EHHH!” Obito made an annoyingly loud negative answer sound. “Try again.”

“I don’t know! She’s weird like that. One moment she was fine, then she tried to kill me, then she yelled, and then…” Kakashi went silent looking down. It felt wrong to make a friend cry like that. It wasn’t ugly Gai level of tears. It was a controlled expression of deep hurt. But why, Kakashi could not find the answer.

“Alright, then I’ll ask you this way. What do you know about Ryoko?”

“Hmm… she’s… strong, loyal, good team player, blunt, likes to kill, is a complete psycho most of the time... I don’t know. What does it have to do with anything?” he didn’t look amused but went on with Obito’s train of thought as his friend patiently listened. Kakashi felt like he was back in the academy.

“What are Ryoko’s values?”

“Mmm… family?”

“Hn. That is correct. But there are other values too, like an unwavering instinct to protect her own and most of all respect in all relations with others.”

“I can see that, but still, what does it have to do with me fixing things?”

“If you want her to listen, you have to first understand where Ryoko is coming from.”

“Okaayy…”

“Kakashi, do you know why hime joined the shadow ranks?”

“...she got lost while sightseeing…”

“What?”

“Nothing…” Kakashi whispered as he recalled the first time he met Ryoko in the headquarters. She was so tiny back then… “She joined because she likes to kill and is skilled enough?”

“Incorrect. Shisui told me that at the time, the council requested an Uchiha to be sent to ANBU to represent the clan. And it was basically a choice between Itachi or Shisui. Fugaku-sama told him so himself, then suddenly, the next day Ryoko was the one sent away.”

“What father sends his daughter to ANBU?” Kakashi’s eye widened slightly.

“Again you are making the wrong assumption, Bakashi! You said it yourself - one of Ryoko’s values is family. Do you think she would just sit by watching her brother or cousin be sent to the shadows?”

“No, she would not,” that was probably the first thing he was certain of. And the thought of Ryoko acting so selfless was at the same time baffling as it was understandable. Yes, he could see her do exactly this.

"Precisely. Plus, Fugaku-sama is a big softy when it comes to Ryoko-hime,” the man smiled as there was no hidden insult in the statement, only warm admiration. “Anyways, when you interpret her or anyone's actions, especially when they are driven by emotion, you have to look through the prism of their values.”

“Okay…”

“So. You agree that family and clan are important to her?”

“Yes.”

“Have you heard what happened last year with Ryoko and the Uchiha council?”

“Yeah… I was on Hokage’s guard duty that day...”

“So, considering that she values family and her clan, why would Ryoko do what she did?”

“Rules of the challenge?... wait, no. If we look through values, I doubt she would take into account rules above her clan…” Kakashi thought out loud.

“Good, you’re learning!” Obito chirped annoyingly satisfied with his answer. His teammate was truly becoming a teacher figure even outside the academy... “By challenging her, the council disrespected Ryoko and her family,” he added, all joy gone from his voice.

“Ahh… so her respect value combined with family value…” Kakashi gave a slow nod as the patterns started to take shape in his mind. Yes, now things made more sense. Yet his face still scrunched from the disconnect present in his head. “But I did not disrespect her or the Uchiha.”

“Are you sure of that?” Obito looked like he knew something and that expression was getting under Kakashi’s skin. WHAT COULD HE BE MISSING? Never in his life, did the copy nin feel so dumb. He could kill and cripple whole villages, but why couldn’t he figure out one female?

“I mean… we call each other names all the time, I don’t know why that would upset her all of a sudden…” but it was the only logical explanation Kakashi had - the insults he said that day to her.

“It didn’t.” After a moment of silence, Obito exhaled seemingly losing his patience. “You laughed, you moron!”

“So?”

Obito whined rubbing one hand over his face. “Listen, I am sure Ryoko would have accepted a proper rejection with no issues as she was asking you out of necessity only. But your laughing was a show of great disrespect to her as a person and a friend. You didn’t take her seriously.”

“I mean… we always joke… why would I take that seriously?” Kakashi was slowly getting even more confused. This is similar to what Minato said to him, but then why was Kakashi’s fault? It wasn’t him who gave Ryoko the wrong idea. How did Obito expect him to know that she wasn’t joking???

“That is fine. So why didn’t you explain that to her later?”

Kakashi blinked. Seriously? Did Obito just agree? “I… I did try…” slowly he recalled that meeting on the first day of Autumn in Hokage’s office. Come to think of it, Ryoko did say that he disrespected her… Why didn't he remember this before?

I would never be interested in an ass like you otherwise! he recalled her yell. “Oh…” right, she was not the only one emotional out there. He overreacted because of her comment…

“I see you are starting to understand?”

“Hm… yeah… I think… I know why I am sorry, but…”

“But?”

“You know Ryoko. She’s proud… Will she…” Kakashi looked away considering if she could forgive him for being thoughtless, mean, no, cruel, and disrespectful to her.

“Kakashi… remember the day I returned? When Rin was hurt?”

He could never forget it. The day he almost lost his second teammate. Failed Rin. The day Obito returned. The day he met Ryoko for the first time… she was so annoying, but… She saved his pack. Kakashi gave a small nod. He remembered everything.

“And you remember when hime came to visit me in the hospital? You remember what I said…”

“You tortured her…” Kakashi recalled. Strange, back then he completely overlooked this detail as Ryoko distracted him by asking about the sharingan eye. Was that… intentional? She didn’t want Obito to get in trouble… because he is family.

“Hn. And it was serious. Not your usual genjutsu mind games. Yet she forgave me. My disrespect to her. Hime might look cold and selfish, but she’s anything but that. She cares too much and she’s always unapologetically herself with those she trusts. Despite her strong nature, she is sensitive and can be hurt by those she opens up to. She trusted you Kakashi and was honest with her intentions, yet you…”

“I insulted her. I disrespected her,” Kakashi finally said remembering the last words she said to him before leaving. “What should I do, Obito? I… I didn’t mean to…”

“Yeah yeah… I know. You’re probably the smartest dumb person I ever met,” the man sighed finally picking himself up from the ground. “What you have to do is to trust her to forgive you and to be honest with her.”

“Mmm.”

“Come,” Obito said, stepping to the center of the clearing. “Lift your headband.”

Kakashi slowly followed doing what Obito asked for. His friend’s eye was already spinning wild. “Obito?”

“Kakashi. I hope you take my words to heart and stop being stupid. But now… You see, I am your friend and teammate, but I am also Ryoko’s cousin. I love her like a sister. So I cannot let go of your actions towards her so easily,” he said, taking out a kunai.

Shit… was the last thought Kakashi had before the fight broke out. Only hours later did he finally return home when the sun was already dawning on the horizon. He had some nasty cuts and bruises, but somehow, Kakashi felt lighter. He felt calm.

A few weeks more he spent thinking and planning his approach. He knew that Ryoko was stubborn and would not give in easily so the man would have to tread lightly. That hesitation was strong in his mind. Kakashi didn’t want to mess things up even more.

One morning, as the man was pulling a shirt from his dresser, a familiar scent reached his nose. Spices. Jasmin. He inhaled deep and allowed his nose to pinpoint the source.

“Ahh…” Kakashi sighed, clutching a dark shirt that no doubt belonged to Ryoko. He didn’t recall how it got here… But it was the incentive he needed to finally make a move. The first step in rebuilding the bridge between him and Ryoko again.

Ryoko was consumed by her duties and her work. After the mission with Ibiki, they barely got another chance to meet alone. And if that happened, the time always flew by so fast because of the shared paranoia of keeping their fling under wraps.

Luckily, it was not strange for Ryoko to be seen with Ibiki in public, so when she entered a bar, the woman did not hesitate to casually sit next to him, with Obito and Anko cuddling in the seats across the table.

“Cousin, do you have some free time?” she said without introductions. She felt Ibiki’s supple thigh graze her leg under the table.

“Nice to see you too, Ryoko,” Anko smirked.

“Hn,” she spared a single nod at her friend. There was a more pressing matter at hand. She could hardly wait any longer. Obito smirked at her too.

“Hime, how may I be of help?”

“Do you have a free hour right now? I want to test out a technique with you.”

“Oh, why not with Itachi-kun?” Ibiki teased. She couldn’t pint point why he always looked so amused when mentioning her brother. She could only guess that there might be some history between the two, but it was hardly any of her concern. Instead, Ryoko simply kicked Ibiki in the shin under the table. No reaction showed on Ibiki’s face.

Hmm. She wondered what could she do to finally leave the man speechless and confused when Obito responded. “Sure. I have some time now.”

“Eeeeh??? What about our date???” Anko pipped up.

“Hmm, why don’t we all meet up next Friday? And Ryoko-hime could come too so Ibiki-san would not be a third wheel again,” Obito suggested with a twinkle in his eyes.

“UUU! Like a double date?!” Anko looked pleased with the suggestion, while Ryoko chose her next words carefully so as to not give anything away about herself and Ibiki being beyond just two friends tagging along.

“Sure, whatever, let’s go,” she stood up. Obito followed her into one of the training grounds in the Uchiha compound.

“So, why not try this with Itachi, hime?” he asked.

“I don’t want him mastering it before I do,” she lightly pouted with arms crossed over her chest.

“I highly doubt people can just copy any of your creations,” cousin complained under his breath, taking a stance in front of Ryoko.

“Alright. I’ll do hand signs for simple katon, see if you can copy watching me alone, as I assume you probably know that jutsu already or at least a variation of it.”

To Obito’s visible surprise, Ryoko performed the technique one-handed. He struggled to follow, resulting in failed technique. “Shit. Cousin, this is… you’re learning to do it one-handed?”

“Hn. One more time!”

So they continued. It took Obito three tries to fully copy the technique, yet it still required him to use both hands. Sharingan allowing him to fill in the blanks no matter what hand Ryoko used.

“Yeah, looks like it takes getting used to but I can copy it,” Obito nodded.

“Alright, now, how about this,” she smirked as her anticipation reached its pique. Her smile only widened when Obito scrambled to try and comprehend her actions.

“What the…” was the only thing he had to say after a solid half an hour of failed attempts in copying her new skill.

Ryoko was pleased to return home that day knowing that Sharingan could not copy everything. So pleased, that she decided to reward herself with some alone time in her room. In other words, finishing herself off on a good note.

Strange how fooling around with Ibiki made her far hornier than before. It might also have to do something with her increasing hormones, but Ryoko didn’t think too long as she closed her eyes.

The woman tried to imagine herself with Ibiki finally doing ‘the dirty’. She frowned. Oddly enough, even if she found him attractive, Ryoko did not feel as pleased as when her thoughts drifted towards Nara clansmen. But she was not in the mood for shadows today either…

“Rainy day guilty pleasures it is…” she whispered, closing her eyes again, as her hands roamed her body. This time her imagination supplied someone else. Someone she rarely fantasies about. Someone that was almost like a forbidden yet tempting fantasy.

Long dark hair. Traditional kimono. White pupil-less eyes. Ah… The Hyuga twins… Being sandwiched between the two even as a thought was exhilarating. Ryoko arched from her bed, her legs trembling as she imagined being ravished by both of them at the same time.

Overall it was a good winter’s day with a… banging ending to it.

Chapter Text

Ryoko woke up bright and early. She felt like finally, her training with sensei was paying off based on the little training session with Obito. Now, knowing that it works, Ryoko only had one question left - how to fuck with people the most using this new technique.

She stretched, got dressed, and was about to leave when she spotted something out of place. Her eyes narrowed at a little box sitting on her windowsill. It definitely was not there last night. Curiosity drove her to ignore the potential danger. Ryoko picked the box up and opened it to find daifuku inside.

Her eyes narrowed more at the deliciously looking sweets. She carefully smelled for potential poisons, but… if anyone dared to do that to food, Ryoko would bring her ass back to life to cast her revenge if she had to.

With no obvious signs of deception found, Ryoko took a bite. The strawberry inside was juicy and sweet and oh so delicious. Her eyes closed, savoring the taste. What a great way to start the day… But who would leave this for her?

Itachi probably would give it to her directly. The same goes for her cousins. Ibiki probably would do it in person too. And it wasn’t even her birthday.

Odd.

This strange phenomenon kept happening every time Ryoko slept at home. She wasn’t complaining, nor was she bothered enough to find out who was behind it. Food is food. And Ryoko was ready to savor it until the ballless fool will show his face directly.

After a week or so, Ryoko started to go to bed excited for what she would find in the morning. Each day it was something different. Sometimes new, sometimes things she already was familiar with. It made her smile as she took the next box every morning. Little things can go a long way.

Ryoko was straddling Ibiki’s lap, which was a challenge in itself because of the man’s thick thighs when their kiss was finally broken apart. It was a nice midday makeout session, but it had to be cut short. She sighed pulling away.

“Don’t go just yet,” Ibiki grabbed her hand and pulled the woman back between his legs and his desk. His office probably was the safest place in all Konoha to share the intimacy. Ryoko didn’t mind it at all. It fit well with her years of imagining such scenarios with the jonin commander.

“I’m already almost late, Ibiki,” Ryoko smirked, but didn’t push his grabby hands away from her body. It felt nice and she was not against being touched.

“Oh? I didn’t know you had plans today,” he whispered, casually sliding a hand back under her shirt.

“Yeah. Very last minute. Have to go on this date…”

“Date?” he paused after pulling away slightly to look straight into her eyes. “You… are seeing other people?” Ibiki was blunt, one of the reasons she liked him.

Ryoko perched herself on his desk. “Hn. Mother has been arranging dates for me. Clan thing,” she shrugged like it was no big deal because for her it really wasn’t. Mikoto has been gently pushing her to find ‘the one’. Being the good daughter Ryoko was, she agreed to at least go on one date with mother's chosen candidates. Honestly, it was more because of Mikoto - to keep her from nagging about mariage all the time.

“I see,” he hummed. “So you are not dating anyone else?”

“Correct.”

“What about Hatake?”

“What about him?”

“You two seemed pretty close.”

Again Ryoko noticed that odd look in Ibiki’s eyes. Like he was thinking something more than he led on. She scrunched her face in response. “Eww. No.”

Ibiki then stood up, caging her in place with his long hands placed on either side of her on the table. He loomed over the woman with a dark expression that made Ryoko’s core tingle. “Good. Because I don’t share.”

Ryoko sighed again, dropping her head back. She will definitely be late now. With her legs spread wide to accommodate the man between them, it was a rather enticing position she found herself in.

“What’s the matter?” she could feel a smirk in his words, warm breath fanning on her neck.

“I enjoy it when my legs are spread like this,” Ryoko answered without missing a beat. She heard him let a shaky breath out. Ibiki turned out to be surprisingly respectful and hadn’t pushed for anything more since that mission almost a month ago. That of course did not stop Ryoko from teasing and provoking the poor guy.

“Oh really?” he whispered.

“Hn. Too bad I’m late,” she chirped viciously, while her hand ghosted over his broad chest.

“Foxie… you’ll get burned one day if you keep playing with fire.”

“Uuu, scary,” she chuckled, then raised her face to leave a chastise peck on his lips. And she was gone in a swirl of fire. Off to yet another of her official dates with some man her mother found.

March came quickly to the Land of Fire with cold winds and occasional light snow to coat the rooftops. Ibiki was a patient man. He chased after something that could not be obtained quickly. Ryoko was something special and he didn’t want to ruin his chances by being too overzealous.

Sure, it has been a few months now since he started courting this woman, but there was no rush. The chase was just another form of foreplay. Memories of her naked form were enough for now. He closed his eyes and recalled the soft and white skin. Ibiki sometimes glanced at his own hand recalling how her breast fit in there…

These thoughts were not helping him to concentrate on the work at hand. Yet Ryoko still lingered in his mind almost every minute of every day. Like a madness, he could not run away from.

“Speak of the devil,” he smirked, sensing her chakra. Ibiki glanced at the clock. It was almost the end of his shift. She probably had a report for him… The smile threatened to stretch his face. Then there was a knock. “Come in.”

Ryoko walked inside without making any sound. She looked as calm and emotionless as ever. Except for her eyes. They always betrayed her intentions.

“I have my report,” she said, placing a scroll on his desk. Ibiki laced his fingers while carefully observing her.

“So. They sent you or did you volunteer?”

The woman smirked with arms crossed under her chest. “Just pretend you’re surprised, Ibiki. Either way, I came to get you because I technically had a good reason to be here.”

“Is that so?” he stood up. Casually Ibiki took the scroll and looked it over. Today was his birthday and he already knew about the party Anko planned for him. It was only a matter of time before someone came to ask him out for a casual drink that would actually end up in a surprise party.

“Yes,” Ryoko smirked, he felt it in that single word. A shiver went down his spine, so to hide it, the man turned away and walked to the cabinet to file the scroll away. “I do still have to give you my oral report, senpai.”

Ibiki barely managed not to flinch or turn around. He gulped as his thoughts ran wild considering the double meaning to her words. Oh, he didn’t hope to be right, but a guy could dream… He cleared his throat and turned around. “Alright, let’s get it over with then…”

And there she was. Standing right behind him with the devilish twinkle in her eyes. Kami… is this really happening… Ibiki’s mind blanked as he watched Ryoko’s hand touch his chest and then slide down together with her.

The woman was on her knees in front of him. It was like a dream. He didn’t dare to speak so as not to break this illusion. “Happy birthday, Ibiki,” Ryoko said instead as her hand reached inside his pants.

He inhaled sharply, feeling her breath on his bare skin. Ibiki’s eyes didn’t dare to blink. He watched from above as Ryoko’s mouth made contact. Instantly he gasped, while his hands grabbed on the cabinets for support. “Kami…”

Has she done this before? Oh, gods… her tongue… her mouth… it felt like nothing he had ever experienced before. So warm, gentle, and yet strong and commanding. Ibiki had no delusions about being in charge in this situation. Ryoko very literally had all the power in her hands at the moment.

No matter if she was on her knees or standing tall, Ryoko was still in control and he loved every bit of it. The tension in his body melted as he felt being drawn deeper into her mouth. There was a big urge to weave a hand into her hair, but even in a position like this, dazed from lust, Ibiki was not stupid enough to do it.

“OH… Ryoko…” he moaned out after a particular bob of her head that made his cock touch the very depths of her mouth. He was getting very close. Ibiki felt himself throb and shiver. His release was like a wave of pleasure that washed over him from head to toe.

At that moment, he opened his eyes and looked down to see the look on her face as he came deep into her mouth. She stared right back at him with half-lidded eyes. “You’re so hot…” he whispered, but that thought was cut off as he watched the woman swallow.

Officially, the best birthday ever.

Ryoko pulled away, with his dick popping out free. She then blew cold air at the tip and again a wave of pleasurable shiver washed over him. That’s the kind of torture he would not mind enduring any day.

“Now, let’s go. We don’t want to be late,” Ryoko smiled as she stood back up. Her sharp tongue darted out to lick her lips.

“Just… just give me a sec…” he muttered trying to steady his breathing. Kami. He wanted to push her over his desk this very instant. Damn his patience.

Kakashi didn’t know how he got roped into this, but here he was, lurking in the back of the bar, away from the big crowd of people. Celebrations were not really his forte, yet Obito managed to con him into going.

What was even worse, was that he knew for a fact that Ryoko would be here. And maybe this was exactly what Obito planned on. His friend somehow knew that he hadn’t spoken with her yet.

At least his treats were received well, that was a small consolation prize. But it was progress. Getting to Ryoko via food and especially sweets was definitely the right way to go if he wanted to get back in her graces.

An hour later she finally showed up with the man of the hour. Maybe this could be his chance? While everyone greeted Ibiki, Kakashi slowly inched to the bar, where Ryoko waited for her drink.

She didn’t turn around to greet him, nor did she show any sign of acknowledging his presence. Standing next to Ryoko was making his heart beat faster from tension. Should he greet her? Ask her how she’s doing? Or right away say sorry?

While Kakashi considered the words, her scent finally reached his nose. The familiar spice with a hint of jasmine. It was warm, just like he remembered it. And Kakashi was about to open his mouth when his nose caught onto something else.

Is that… He quickly glanced back in Ibiki’s direction. Seriously? With him? Did they just…? Honestly, Kakashi wasn’t sure why he was so surprised. Of course, Ryoko had a life. Of course, she dated people… Now he felt even dumber, for saying that no guy would ever want her.

Clearly somebody very much wanted her. Ryoko just hid it well. She was a shinobi. Kakashi shouldn’t be surprised. Yet he was. By the time, his mind somewhat digested this new information, Ryoko already had her drink and left to join the group.

She acted friendly with Ibiki, but Kakashi now knew that they were more than friends. As if, eyes open, for the first time, he looked over Ryoko. The girl was not the same annoying brat anymore. She was a woman with her private life kept very private.

Then he glanced over Ibiki. Seriously? With HIM? If Ryoko having her fun was more or less understandable, then her choice in men left Kakashi stunned. Morino was a complete creep! What could she possibly see in him? Or was it only a physical ‘fuck & bye’ thing?

The only logical explanation was that Morino had to be using her. Why else would the two even get together? Maybe he manipulated her? Or threatened her? Kakashi wouldn’t put it past Ibiki. That’s why the copy nin waited till the early morning to approach the man in question.

As Ibiki walked down the street back home, Kakashi was already waiting by his door. “Hatake?” he raised an eyebrow in a questioning manner.

“What is going on between you and Ryoko?” Kakashi said it straight.

Despite being still somewhat intoxicated, Ibiki didn’t show any surprise on his face. “None of your business.”

“It is my business if you are using her.”

Ibiki laughed. “Seriously? Who is she to you that you’re so concerned all of a sudden?”

“She’s… a friend,” Kakashi gritted his teeth, unsure where the frustration in his tone came from. Just a second ago he was completely calm.

“Suuuure. You know I can tell when people lie, right? Hatake, what I do with Ryoko is none of your business, so you better back the fuck off. I don’t share.”

Kakashi perked up as he got into Ibiki’s face. The man seriously irked him the wrong way. “She is not a thing you can own.”

“That’s true…” Ibiki hummed. “So don’t pretend like you own her,” sharp eyes were no longer dazed as he stared at Kakashi.

“I don’t!”

“Oh, so then what are you doing here threatening me?”

“I am... looking out for her,” even Kakashi himself could tell that was a lie. To be fair, he was not sure what exactly was his intentions in approaching Ibiki. It just felt wrong knowing that the two… did… things together.

“Yeah, sure. Although… I cannot blame you too much. She is… something. I heard you two were dating a while back? Seriously, how could you have let her go? Trust me, when I say this, I will not let her go.”

“We were not…” Kakashi was about to deny it, but it looked pointless. Everyone still believed the rumors. It was too late to backtrack now. “You can think what you want, but Ryoko will be the one to let you go,” Kakashi settled to say less. He knew that even if there was something going on between Ibiki and Ryoko, she would not marry him. And he was aware of her deadline.

Ibiki’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Try me.”

Kakashi tsk’ed his tongue and started to walk away. He had nothing else to say to him. Unlike Ibiki, who whispered just loud enough for him to hear. “I bet she has never moaned your name out loud like she has mine.”

…

That… that... was a vindictive and cruel comment that left Kakashi completely stumped. Sure, if Ibiki thought that they dated before, he would think they did… things. Which was untrue. Kakashi never even entertained such an idea.

Clearly, Ibiki wanted to rub his face into the fact that he was with Ryoko now. Kakashi wouldn’t care too much if not for the involuntary images that appeared in his mind.

Ryoko… moaning out… his name.

By the time Kakashi brought his mind back to reality, he found himself standing alone in the street. Ibiki had gone a while ago. “That son of a…” he whispered, leaping away back home. Ibiki proved to be as big of a mind fucker as people whispered him to be.

That night something in Kakashi stirred. Something he suppressed before it even took shape. He couldn't procrastinate any longer. It was time to approach her. And maybe... just maybe, he could reason with her about Morino and her other dubious choices.

Chapter Text

“Are you going to tell me, Koko?”

“Nope! Not yet,” she smiled sweetly at her dear elder brother. He’s been getting curious about the new technique Ryoko has been working on. Probably heard some comments from Obito by now, but it doesn’t matter. Ryoko promised to reveal it to Itachi only when it is completed.

Knowing her brother well, Ryoko expected this little creation of hers to blow Itachi’s mind. It will open his perception to all kinds of new ideas. And maybe this was still the attitude from her previous life speaking, but she wanted to raise a brother that would be open-minded and curious and would not lock himself in a ‘perfect Uchiha’ cage.

It should be completed by Itachi’s nineteenth birthday in a few months. Ryoko had a feeling that it will be a special day. Also, judging by the way her brother was spending even more time with his girlfriend, they might even get engaged. That is what her shinobi instincts and common sense dictated at least.

After spending almost eighteen years with Itachi, it was hard to imagine that he would be moving on. They will be apart. She will be left behind. Ryoko imagined that this is probably how twins feel when they are separated.

A bittersweet feeling would gloom over her head sometimes as she thought about the future. And then the feeling would be gone as her eyes fell on the little Sasuke running around. Little brother… don’t you worry about a single thing… I will make sure that you have not a single care in this world… she thought with a serious expression.

“Ryuu-chan, can we go now!!!?” Naruto appeared right behind Sasuke, barely stopping from crashing into her brother's back.

“Hn.”

Unfortunately, today was her job to babysit the Hokage’s little monster. The problem was not Naruto himself, but his combination with her little brother. Where the blond was energetic and creative, Sasuke was the clever and strategic one. Meaning that Naruto’s crazy ideas would end up being polished and actually see the light of day.

A very dangerous combo these two were.

Ryoko had a genius idea though. Her dear sensei had officially adopted two kids right after New Years'. They were actually tolerable, especially the older one - Shin. Even the younger one Ryoko could bear as he kept to himself and drew instead of causing trouble.

When she brought Sasuke into the mix, her brother reflected the calm and collected stature of the two boys. So the woman could only hope that Shin and Sai would have the same positive effect on Naruto as well.

“So, uhn, will they go to the Academy with us?” the blond chattered away as they walked towards Orochimaru’s & Cherrie’s home.

“Sai-kun will,” Sasuke chirped right back. Shisui’s smile and positivity clearly rubbed off on the boy, despite Fugaku's wishes to have a 'normal' son.

“Ohhhh! That’s cool, ya’ know! I bet we’ll be best friends!”

Ryoko should have known that these were ominous words sent to warn her. But she was too ignorant to see it. Still hopeful and naive she led them forward.

It turned out that Naruto plus Sasuke plus Sai equals a catastrophe. With the young Namikaze’s ideas, Uchiha brains to back it up, and Orochimaru’s & Cherrie’s teachings to achieve it, the trio worked like a well-oiled machine that was scary effective & efficient with their causes.

Ryoko looked away once… only once! And the trio was gone. She cursed as her senses stretched to look for the boys. Nothing. “I’ll kill them myself…” she whispered under her breath, while her hand automatically weaved hand signs for the summoning of the hunter cats.

“Listen up. We have three little kittens that strayed away from home. Please hunt them down for me and I’ll get you all… a ball of yarn each,” Ryoko ordered, arms crossed under her chest, voice stern and serious as if it was an army before her and not six little cats.

Six pairs of eyes sparkled with mischief and determination. They scattered in different directions without anything else said. It wasn’t the first time Ryoko used her summons to find Naruto and Sasuke. Much more convenient than running around the village herself.

“Maybe it’s Shin and not Sai?” she muttered aloud while writing a note for Cherry. The man was currently out with Shin in the market. Hopefully, Ryoko can get back with her lost wards before dinner time.

Thinking more about it, Shin indeed seemed like the calmest one of the kids. Yet, for some reason, he avoided Ryoko. She couldn’t tell why just yet, but it did not look like something serious… Maybe Sai could give her some insight… Sai... Right. Kids.

Ryoko exhaled, feeling pained by this ordeal already. The only thought moving her forward was the possible shame from being fooled by a bunch of kids. So she jumped out of the window and stood tall on a phone post observing the surroundings.

It was pointless to sense for Sasuke or Sai, both had calm chakra that they could already mold and shift to deceive people while sneaking around. Naruto, even after his stealth improved tremendously, still carried a beacon among all chakras.

“Here, Foxie Foxie,” she whispered looking around. The vile feeling of the nine-tailed fox chakra she would never forget. Her arm and neck still tingled whenever she stood closer to Naruto.

Ryoko started her search by methodically passing each clan’s compound. They were the obvious targets for a prankster like young Namikaze. Two hours later her hunch was confirmed. Ryoko dropped down from the trees in front of the three kids fleeing the scene.

Arms crossed, face serious, she looked over the frozen trio. “Hyuga? Really? Do you have a death wish?” she said, arching one of her eyebrows.

“A-a-ane…” Sasuke stuttered. He was a clever boy plus, being her brother, Sasuke knew better than to piss Ryoko off. Naruto next to him gulped, while Sai looked calm as a cucumber.

“Let’s go before you are actually in trouble,” she finally said as there was no yelling coming from the Hyuga compound just yet. Ryoko could only guess what prank the boys pulled this time.

Uchiha hair was not the only casualty in Naruto’s wake. Inuzuka could only whisper for a whole month (what a blessed peaceful time that was). Nara had to suffer from insomnia for a whole week. That one, got Naruto in serious trouble, so moving on the boy naturally got better at hiding his tracks. Resulting in the day known as the Yamanaka Chicken Beak incident.

Looks like finally, the day had come for Hyuga to join the pranked clan club. Ryoko was excited to see what Naruto had in store for the stuck-up, silky hair bastards. Yet she did not want to be anywhere near when the prank is discovered. Thankfully, the kids won't tell a soul about managing to run away from Ryoko, because she was their only alibi.

The woman slung Sasuke over her shoulder, grabbed two other boys by their shirts, and jumped away. The faster they return to Orochimaru's home, the less suspicion there will be on the kids and therefore herself.

When Cherry and Shin returned, they found Ryoko calmly sipping tea, while the boys were doing pushups. “Honey, let the boys play,” Cherry chirped as he plucked Sai up to hug the little boy in greeting.

“Ah, so? Naruto-kun, what do you say? Play or more training?” Ryoko gave the blond a saccharine smile. Credit where credit is due - Naruto did not miss a beat and smiled brightly as if he didn’t fear her at all.

“TRAINING, Ryuu-sama!”

“Goooood. Now a hundred more pushups and we’ll move on to situps.”

“What did they do?” Shin whispered, taking a seat next to Ryoko. She didn’t say anything, just smiled. Shin was clever and would put two and two together soon enough.

Sai was finally released from the deathly grasp of his parent and joined the other boys in training. Overall a normal day in Ryoko’s life. Or so she thought…

Ryoko’s official shift ended at eight in the evening. She clearly felt two hidden ANBU guards appear in a tree a hundred meters away from the house. “Sasuke, Naruto, let’s go home.”

“Aneeee, can we stay the night here with Sai and Shin-kun? Orochi-ojisan won’t mind, I promise we’ll behave!” her brother pleaded with big doe-like eyes.

“Cherry-san, is that okay with you?” she glanced at the man who watched the little exchange with a fond smile.

“Of course, hun. They are always welcome here.”

Ryoko was skeptical as she looked over the hopeful boys. Well, her shift is over so they are no longer her problem, technically… “Fine. I’ll let mother know. Sai-kun, could you send a message to Kushina-san?”

“Yes, Ryoko-san,” the boy already had his ink and scroll out as if preemptively expecting such a decision from her. Ryoko didn’t even feel bad about brushing off the responsibility on sensei. Despite how much Orochimaru denied it, it was clear that he loved dotting over kids in his own way.

Ryoko finally said her goodbyes and left. She didn’t hurry home yet as Cherry made sure to feed her before leaving. Maybe a small snack before the second dinner at home? Ryoko planned as her feet already brought the woman to the market.

Most of the stalls were already closed for the day, only cafes, bars, and food vendors were left. Her favorite kind of vendors. Ryoko casually walked around until she picked some Yakitori. Chicken with sweet honey sauce grilled on open flames was something out of her dreams.

“Bull?” Ryoko whispered when she spotted the big dog nestled by a bench. It was clearly Kakashi’s summon, based on the attire the animal was wearing. No normal dog, even Inuzuka, wore headbands.

After another moment of debating, she approached. Mostly because she couldn’t sense Kakashi anywhere around. “Hey, Bull. You alright?” Ryoko asked as she reached a hand to pet him.

The big head lifted up to meet her palm. Despite his size, Bull was a sweetheart and enjoyed head rubs most of all. “Mmm, Boss Lady. You got something tasty there?”

“Have at it,” how could Ryoko refuse? Without hesitation, she sacrificed her chicken for the dog. It was gone in seconds. “So, what are you doing here all alone?”

“Waiting on boss,” he rumbled after the last bit of chicken vanished. Bull's big head returned to her own palm for more rubs.

“Ah, I see, then I should probably go,” Ryoko said even though she didn’t move to leave just yet. The prospect of seeing Kakashi didn’t cause her any feelings unlike before, but she still preferred not to be in his company. His ninken were an exception.

“Boss lady, you can’t go.”

“Why is that?” she tilted her head at Bull, who in turn kept eye contact before he jumped on her. Ryoko’s hands were flushed to the ground by the enormous paws, preventing her from making any hand signs.

Oh Kami… not again… she thought just in time before her senses registered a familiar chakra appearing beside them. Quickly, she was grabbed by Kakashi and shunshined away.

It felt like one big deja vu. The bastard used his dogs again and she fell for it! Just like the first time, Ryoko found herself pinned to the ground, with Kakashi looming over her.

“What do you want, Hatake?” she said coldly, unprovoked by his blatant kidnapping. Ryoko knew exactly what he was after. The silly man expected her to react the same way as last time - start a fight. No, she refused to stoop to his level.

Kakashi could hardly believe that this worked for the second time. The puppy ruse seemed to be very effective when going against Ryoko. He absently wondered if it would work a third time…

“What do you want, Hatake?” Ryoko’s voice was cold and distant, even though they were so close to each other. Kakashi grasped her wrists tighter because he couldn’t let her get away. Part of him expected to get at least some retaliation, but there was nothing. She was completely still.

What a shame. Is this the level of anger, when a person no longer throws a fit but goes completely still? It would be scary if Kakashi was not a seasoned ANBU agent. He looked at the woman below him, searching her eyes for something.

A sign maybe? Or a glimmer of hope? There was only endless darkness. “I…” he whispered. What did he want? Before this happened, Kakashi was certain that he just wanted his friend back. Now, he was not so sure anymore.

He felt his heart rate increase, eyes glued to her face, hands gripping her for dear life. What is this strange feeling? There was a sense of warmth inside of him. Logically, Kakashi would say that it is only a byproduct of touching another human being. But that was not the case here. The warmth was somewhere in his core, making his throat dry, and his stomach turn.

At this moment Kakashi knew.

Subconsciously he probably felt it for a while now. It took forcing himself on Ryoko to realize it. And now Kakashi was too aware of the position they were in. On the ground. Together. Him on top. Ibiki's taunt ringing loud and clear in his mind. And what was even worse, Kakashi realized that he was not against this. He actually felt rather aroused by their current position.

At this very moment, Kakashi Hatake realized, that he, the infamous Copy nin with over a 1000 jutsu, a son of a traitor, a lone prodigy, he… he likes Ryoko Uchiha more than just a friend.

NO! Noooo… Oh Kami! WHY??! Why her? Anyone but her!... he froze up petrified from the thought. It was clear as day. The girl under him was attracting Kakashi like no other. The way she looked, the way she acted… She brought back a long-forgotten feeling of home to his existence. So warm and familiar...

“So, what do you want from me, Hatake?” she repeated the question as he stayed silently staring at her.

“I…” he started once more, while his brain raced. He didn’t want to be just friends with her anymore. He wanted more. Taking a big risk, he decided to actually say it. To hell with caution. It was already too late since the moment his hands touched her delicate wrists. “Ryoko… I don’t want to be friends with you anymore.”

The silence felt impossibly loud to him as Kakashi waited to see the woman’s reaction. Surprisingly, she didn’t react in any way at all. If only, the cold in her eyes intensified.

“Likewise,” Ryoko whispered.

Kakashi didn’t hurry to be happy about her response, because something sounded off. He opened his mouth slightly as he pulled back. “Wait..” Kakashi said with his eye wide in panic, but it was too late. Ryoko took his momentary retreat and used a substitution jutsu, leaving him straddling a log.

“Wait…” he reached into the distance weakly. “I don’t want to be just friends…” one word. He missed. One. Word. And the meaning of his statement was completely changed. He looked up to the sky still not fully grasping what just happened.

“I am a fucking idiot,” Kakashi said to himself.

Ryoko landed on a tree branch about two hundred meters away. Instantly she jumped further to get from this place as fast as possible. Seriously? That’s all Kakashi had to say? Honestly, the man acted as if this was some big revelation.

They were not friends as far as she was concerned. “Whatever… he’s such a weirdo,” the woman said under her breath just as she landed on the cobbled street. She had better things to do than spend her energy on someone like Kakashi.

Leisurely she walked towards the Uchiha district when her ears caught a wave of whispers. It was not hard to pinpoint their cause. Ahead of Ryoko, pompous as ever, walked none other than Hiashi Hyuga in an urgent pace headed towards the Hokage tower.

Ryoko almost laughed out loud. “Kami… those kids are something…” she said to herself. Their prank on Hyuga was now on full display. And it was brilliant. And Hilarious. And so fitting.

Hiashi Hyuga had an afro. Puffy and curly and oh so glorious. It was now pretty easy to spot other Hyuga in the crowd. They all had afros! “I need to buy them something nice,” Ryoko decided before she eventually got back home.

“Father, you look cheerful,” Itachi said as they all gathered for late dinner. “Did anything good happen?”

“Hn. Nothing in particular,” Fugaku grumbled, but Ryoko could guess the reason for it. It’s not like Hyuga and Uchiha were at odds with each other… More like competitive rivals that can still laugh at each other.

“Father, if I may suggest, we should do something special for Sasuke’s birthday this year,” Ryoko added, as a matter of fact, subtly suggesting about her little brother being compliant with the prank that cheered him up today.

“Hmmm… Where is he today?” Fugaku asked instead.

Mikoto served rice while she spoke. “Oh, Sasuke is having a sleepover with Naruto-kun and Sai-kun at Orochimaru-sama’s home.”

“Ah. I see,” he nodded. “In that case, Ryoko, I think you are right,” father understood exactly what she meant and he clearly approved. As long as his boy got away with his deeds, Fugaku could passively support him.

It was an eventful yet good day overall. Ryoko didn’t remember Kakashi even once since their sudden meeting. He was as insignificant as any other stranger in her way.

Chapter Text

Kakashi didn’t know how he got back home after that… that... that disastrous failure of a conversation. He slumped on the floor in front of his sofa and rested his back while his mind continued to race. Oh, Kami. WHY?

Maybe a hundredth time he asked himself. WHY? WHY Ryoko? Why her? Kakashi was completely content being alone with a distance he carefully managed to maintain from other people. Somehow, without his knowledge, that woman got close to him… Got under his skin and into his heart.

But how? When? WHYYY? Kakashi couldn’t even deny this feeling, because the moment he imagined Ryoko, all he could think about was… holding her… kissing her… or just simply being next to her.

“Stupid stupid… this is all bullshit! I cannot like Ryoko!” he muttered, settling his mind on the only possible explanation. “That’s right. Any feelings I think I have for her are simply a byproduct of my empty life. Yeah… this is just a crush… nothing more…”

Because surely he couldn’t like her. Anyone but Ryoko would be better. Liking her seemed simply wrong. She was a friend. A rival even. She was also incredibly stubborn, and annoying, and insufferable, and… strong, and graceful, and determined, and loyal, and smart, and… pretty.

“Grrrh! NO! I need to get this out of my system,” he yelled out in frustration because for once his mind was not listening to him. Even if the logical part of Kakashi tried to deny it, the other part of it kept derailing his trains of thought.

The man stood up and decided to find a distraction. Thankfully, he still had a few days off. That should be enough for a small trip to the neighboring village. “She should still be there…” he considered recalling one of his past flings.

Surely if he takes care of the annoying physical tension, his mind will come to reason too. That was his plan. The problem was that Kakashi forgot one small little detail... That woman he laid with once before…

“Shit…” he cursed watching her from a distance. That woman… she had long black hair… was pale and curvy… A lot like someone else he knew… Someone he wanted to get out of his mind! “Hmm… but maybe this will work even better… I can just think it is her and get my frustration out…” Kakashi nodded to himself before approaching the woman.

Hours later he had to curse again. Things did not get better even when his body felt spent. On the contrary! It got only worse… His mind could not stop imagining Ryoko instead of the woman moaning beneath him.

Would she be vocal? Would he be able to take her breath away? Would she… moan his name? Oh, Kami! Why? Why does it always happen to him? Why did he like Ryoko? Why couldn’t he stop thinking about her?

Why?

Why!?

WHY!

Why…

Kakashi felt completely lost in this situation. He could not recall ever experiencing feelings like these. Even thoughts like these. At most, he read such things only in the Icha Icha series, but real life was different.

Sure he had people dear to him. People he cared for. Minato sensei and his family. His team. Even Gai had a special place. But he never once liked anyone like this, especially girls. Was this how Obito felt about Rin? Or how Rin felt about him? The crush that is bound for failure.

Just like Kakashi was sure of the feelings he had for Ryoko, he was also sure of her never returning them. They were not even friends anymore… So maybe… maybe this is for the best. He can like Ryoko from afar without any expectations of having his feelings reciprocated.

Somehow this thought managed to calm him or maybe it was the ANBU training kicking in to lock the emotions away.

Yes. That will have to do. He can deal with being alone. That he knows how to do. After all, despite there being a lot of people around, Kakashi was still all alone in that crowd. He felt numb.

For a few weeks, it seemed like Kakashi had a handle on things. The truth was, that he was living mostly on autopilot. Numb to his surroundings. Emotionless. Just a mindless robot completing his missions, returning home, resting and repeating everything once again.

This was the only way Kakashi knew how to survive the emotional turmoil that brewed in the depths of his mind. He wasn’t running away from his problems. No. He was simply ignoring them as if they did not exist in the first place. If Kakashi acted as if he didn’t care for long enough it would come true...

The cracks in his resolve started innocently from one simple book. It was the new issue from the Icha Icha series. Another perfectly good way to escape his life. Kakashi gladly chose to read instead of thinking about his life and the mistakes he’s made.

But the world clearly was against him. After a few chapters, the man scrunched his face. This… this new main heroine… Her looks and attitude sounded rather familiar. Maybe he was projecting now?

Kakashi wanted proof. Either he was indeed projecting and going insane or this was just a coincidence. That is why he hunted down the Toad sannin. Honestly, it wasn’t that hard to find the pervy man.

Everybody knew by now that he either spent his time with other sannin or ‘gathering research’ as he called it. At this time of the day, or evening actually, Kakashi decided to first look in local bars. And sure, lo and behold, there he was, drinking with Tsunade sama.

“Jiraiya-sama!” Kakashi approached.

“Ohh! You’re Minato’s brat, right?” the man blinked a few times. His cheeks were heavily flushed, while Tsunade by his side looked barely even tipsy.

“Ah… yes…” Kakashi decided not to argue. This was not why he came here for. He took the little book out of his vest and placed it on the table.

“OHHH! A fan? I see! You want an autograph???” Jiraiya got a pen from the thin air and was already putting a signature when Kakashi managed to put his question out in the open.

“Jiraiya-sama, who is the main heroine in this book based off?”

“Oh… well there are many…”

“Oh you, old oaf, just answer the kid, I am curious too,” Tsunade smirked after drinking straight from her sake bottle.

The pervy man giggled like some shy schoolgirl. “Well… there was this one time… ah about a year ago… I saw the most… voluptuous goddess of a creature in the hot springs…”

“You sleazy perv! You were peeping again!!!!” Tsunade bashed him over the head. It looked like it hurt, but Kakashi didn’t care much about Jiraiya’s feelings as long as he could still speak.

“What was her name?”

“Name… hmmm..” Jiraiya rubbed the bump on his head while either masterfully pretending he doesn’t know or not even trying to remember such a small detail as a name. “Oh, I know!” suddenly Jiraiya perked up as he spotted someone in the distance. “Cherry! Come here!”

He beckoned the tall handsome man to come closer. Kakashi eyed the pink-haired one suspiciously, but he didn’t comment. “Good evening, everyone,” Cherry greeted with his silky voice. So smooth. Kakashi most definitely will use that on his next seduction mission.

“Cher, you remember that time we went to the springs to think of a gift for Maru?” Jiraiya babbled as he poured a glass for the other man.

“Ah yes, I remember. Why do you ask?” sharp eyes glanced between the sannin and Kakashi. He didn’t like that gaze and shifted uncomfortably in his spot. Cherry seemed far more observant than Kakashi would like him to be.

“You remember we met those two ripe beauties there? What were their names?”

The look Cherry gave… it was something between not impressed and mildly amused. “You mean Mikoto-sama and Ryoko-chan?”

“Yes yes! The Uchiha women! Damn, they were…”

Kakashi stopped listening after that. Kami. So he was not going crazy. And this was not a coincidence… Casually, he pocketed the book and left ignoring the way Cherry watched him leave.

He practically trembled thinking that the few chapters he already read were about her… Surely, with this knowledge, Kakashi should throw away the book and forget about it. Yet he could not lift his hand to do it.

Back home, Kakashi stared at the Icha Icha volume placed in the middle of his kitchen table. What to do? He really shouldn’t continue reading… It will do nothing good to his mental resolve… But maybe… maybe it will help him cope?

Maybe if he read just one more chapter…

His fingers were itching. Really, what’s the worst that could happen?...

...

By the time he finished rereading the book for the second time, birds were already chirping outside his window. He apparently read the entire night. Slowly, he closed the book, placed it on his nightstand, and curled up on the bed.

It was… he felt…

...

Overall, Icha Icha had the usual plot that was filled with drama and romance and… more. Yet this time, it left Kakashi feeling devastated inside. He could not stop imagining himself as the main character getting enthralled by the female character that was so clearly an embodiment of Ryoko. That was not the upsetting part, however.

The thing that left Kakashi disheartened was knowing that such a plot was only possible in fiction. In real life, he could never be with Ryoko like that. He could not hold her like that. He could not even take her hand at this point…

Yet he could not stop pining over it. Over the idea. The fictional scenario in his head. Surely he and Ryoko was a bad idea. And yet he still wanted that bad romance with her. No matter how bold and crazy she sometimes is, Kakashi wanted it all. He wanted her love. Despite the drama she would cause, Kakashi still wanted to hold her hand. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted Ryoko’s love.

Even if he didn’t deserve it.

No matter how hard he tried to ignore or deny it, Kakashi knew that it was not just a simple whim. He needed her. He wanted her bad. That feeling made his chest feel heavy as if a bolder was preventing him from breathing.

But Ryoko was not here. She was as attainable as the Moon. Kakashi was pretty sure that she hated him. And even if she didn’t, the woman was already with someone else… A lump formed in his throat.

Hopeless. He felt utterly and completely out of his depth. Lost in his thoughts like a child fumbling through a maze with no guidance. There was no clever answer to his problem or a good strategy that would change anything.

Kakashi shivered and only then realized that it was already dark outside again. How long has he been here? Well, nobody came looking for him with a mission, so probably not that long. Besides the messengers, nobody else would come looking either away.

He groggily stood up from his bed. The pounding in his head intensified like an annoying migraine. Kakashi felt tired, but also just too numb to do anything about it. Instinctively his feet took him to the one place where he usually went in a state like this.

The man stood all alone in the graveyard in front of his father's memorial stone. It was small and practically blended in with the surroundings. Even that was too much for a traitor like his father…

“I… don’t know what to do…” he whispered, staring at the headstone as if it would magically speak back at him. It never did, but Kakashi still had the urge to speak out loud when he was here.

“How.. how can I fix... this?... Dad… I messed up…” Kakashi shivered as a gust of wind blew restlessly around him. “You… you never taught me how to…” he choked up unable to say what was on his mind.

Maybe… just maybe! If his father was there… if he had taught him how to act with girls… if he had loved Kakashi instead of being selfish… If… if his mother was there… Maybe he would know how to act around Ryoko instead of continually making the situation worse.

Who was he kidding? He probably would still find a way to ruin everything… That’s all he ever did - fail the people around him. Kakashi always knew that his mere existence was a hindrance to those around him.

Maybe if he didn’t exist, his father would have chosen a different path. Maybe Obito wouldn’t have gotten hurt. Maybe Rin wouldn’t have been kidnapped. Maybe Minato and Kushina would have been safe during their childbirth. Maybe…

“Oh! Kakashi-kun! What are you doing here so late?” he heard a familiar voice of Kushina behind him. Kakashi didn’t turn around, despite how his body flinched from hearing someone else speak.

“Kakashi-kun?”

His shoulders trembled again involuntarily. Part of him wanted to stay alone. Another part of him was relieved that he wasn’t. Every feeling and thought in him was conflicting at this moment. It was just getting too much to handle.

Kakashi felt a small hand on his shoulder. “I…” he whispered with a trembling voice. “I can’t anymore… I ruin everything… I’m a failure...” he didn’t have time to voice anything else, as a head of red hair came into view when Kushina engulfed him in a hug.

At this moment he really did feel weak and worthless. Something inside him cracked and finally broke. The pounding in his head. The lump in his throat. The dark thoughts… it was all too much.

Kakashi hunched over and nuzzled into Kushina’s neck, feeling like he could stand only because she was holding him. It felt like both of his eyes were burning now. Something hot trickled down his cheeks.

Kushina’s hands brushed his back in what would usually be a soothing motion, but instead, it made Kakashi weep even more. He didn’t deserve this either! He failed to protect Kushina when she was giving birth… He didn’t deserve to be held like this by her of all people…

“Shh Shhh Shhh, honey, it’s alright,” she cooed into his ear, but it only hurt more.

He didn’t deserve this kindness just like he didn’t deserve Ryoko or her forgiveness.

“Kakashi… can you tell me what happened?” she asked softly. Is this how mothers speak? He wouldn’t know. But he imagined that yes. Kushina was like the embodiment of a mother and her manners only proved it to the man.

So for some reason, Kakashi told her everything. About the misunderstanding with the pendants. About Ryoko asking him out. About him insulting her with his reaction. About the avoidance. About the horrible turn of events in the Hokage tower. About him making Ryoko cry… again. About accidentally rejecting her as a friend on top of all of that.

“Then… then… I realized that I… I like her… but it’s too late now…”

“Oh, honey… it’s not too late. You just need to properly talk with her.”

“What’s the point? It’s better if I stay away…”

“No, Kakashi! Listen to me! You just need to make it right. I am sure that Ryoko-chan will understand if you explain it to her.”

“But… what if… I don’t want to?”

“What? What do you mean?” Kushina tilted her head in small confusion as she continued to rub his back.

“What’s the point?... People always leave... they never stay… I am better off alone… I… I almost lost everyone… Obito… Rin... Minato-sensei… You… If I get close to her... she… I am cursed.“

That is honestly what Kakahi thought. The facts were on his side. It really felt like anyone he got close to eventually died or got close to death.

“Oh… Kakashi…”

Even if physically Kakashi felt better after talking to Kushina and crying on her shoulder, mentally he was still struggling. She assured him that everything would work out, but he had a hard time believing those words. Of course, he only thanked Kushina and did not dismiss her care. It felt nice even if just for an hour to be consoled by her.

A few weeks went by and just like that the month of May ended with Kakashi being as numb as at the start of it. Nothing changed. The only thing keeping him functioning were the missions he got.

For some reason, he didn’t get as many ANBU missions anymore. Was he failing there too? Were his results not enough so that he was slowly being pushed out of the ranks? If he loses ANBU there will truly be nothing left in his empty life… Kakashi will then be a well-rounded failure.

The next mission.

He cannot fail it.

He has to complete it.

Even if it kills him.

Kakashi was determined to at least not become a traitor like his father, but complete the mission and keep everyone safe at the same time.

The next mission Kakashi received once again as a regular jonin. He didn’t show any reaction or displeasure in Minato’s presence, despite how low his heart sank standing in the Hokage Office.

“Is the mission clear?”

“Yes, Hokage-sama,” he said automatically with two others by his side assigned to the same task. It was Genma Shiranui and Anko Mitarashi.

The clouds were gathering above their heads as the trio left the village. It was an infiltration mission with a lot of unknowns. Unknown location. Unknown gang. Unknown inner relationship structure. Unknown skills. Unknown if they will make it back alive…

“Hmmm, you’re awfully gloomy, Hatake,” Genma remarked with the senbon for once missing from his mouth.

He didn’t deem that with a reply. Kakashi was completely and utterly focused on the mission ahead. He could not allow himself to fail. In situations like these the numbness plaguing him was actually welcome and appreciated. He didn’t have to worry about anything, even himself. Kakashi was desperate to complete his task. This was the only thing he had any control over.

Chapter Text

Ryoko had to hand it to the kids - seeing Hyuga walk around with puffy afro’s was something she didn’t know she needed in her life. For two whole weeks, she enjoyed the sight until the matter was resolved.

“What a shame,” she whispered as her eyes trailed after Hiashi Hyuga and his silky smooth black hair. Ryoko sighed once more when he turned the corner.

“There you are, princess!” Shisui appeared behind her without making a sound or even a poof of smoke. She turned around to greet him with a hug. No matter their age, an embrace still was something they did every time.

“You smell like you were training for the past two weeks,” she scrunched her nose with an attempt to get away from Shisui. He laughed, hugging the girl tighter to his chest.

“And you are so soft and squishy, that I cannot stop hugging you, hime!”

“For Madara’s sake, Shisui, unhand me!”

“Alright alright,” he laughed loudly and joyfully, without a single care in the world about what the onlookers thought of his actions. Ryoko crossed arms under her chest and pouted at him.

“I am not a plush toy for you to cuddle,” she grumbled as they started walking down the busy street. It wasn’t so odd for Ryoko to meet Shisui like this. Besides being from the same clan and even cousins, they were in the same shadow ranks as well.

ANBU work was not something you could share with just anyone if you even could talk about it. Ryoko didn’t feel like she needed to talk about it as most of her missions were rather fun and enjoyable for her. It was all for Shisui. She didn’t want to see the smile on his face fade.

So she would invite him once in a while to meet up for lunch or a drink. They would walk, talk, share stories, and joke around. It was nice. On occasion, it almost reminded her of the old days when she would hang out with Kakashi like this...

“Aww, you wound me, princess!”

“Oh, stop it, drama queen!”

“I am not!” he gasped, further proving her point.

“Anyways, Shi-kun, I was meaning to ask you, will you stay in ANBU after brother takes over?” Ryoko voiced her main question just as the two settled on the bank of their favorite lake. Shisui casually laid down, so that his head would rest in her lap, begging to be pet. Ryoko complied with her glove-covered fingers threading in the wild dark locks.

“Hmm… Maybe..” when Shisui spoke it seemed like his head was miles away. He was clearly thinking about something that to him associated with ANBU. Or her brother. Or the future.

Ryoko scrunched her face into a frown. She didn’t like this kind of walking around the subject. “Maybe? So you plan on staying in the shadows? Why?”

Dark eyes looked up from her lap as if calculating if she could be trusted with the truth. Maybe a year or two back, Shisui would have laughed it off and just changed the subject. But they were closer now than ever before. Ryoko and him were not only relatives now but two connected by a strong bond of bloodshed their work entailed.

“I… well… there is someone from another team… that I want to keep my eye on...” he finally said. Ryoko’s hand brushing his hair stopped mid-action. Her visible eyebrow raised, she took a good look at his eyes. Shisui wasn’t joking.

“Oh… so, you like someone from another team?” she dumbly repeated as if to confirm the statement.

“Yup,” the smile on his face was blissful and bright, just like always. Maybe even more. The man stared at the sky clearly thinking of someone else at the moment. Honestly, she wasn’t that surprised.

Itachi was practically married to Izumi. Obito was already living with Anko. No surprise that Shisui too had someone he pined for. Ryoko could only guess who it was… “I see… Hn,” she said, meaning ‘thank you for sharing, and please be careful in ANBU. I care very deeply about you. But I am also happy that you found someone you like.’

“Hn,” he responded, meaning ‘I appreciate your care for me, dear cousin. I will be careful as the whims of my heart take me to never before seen adventures in the name of love.’

They sat in silence for a bit contemplating over life or not thinking anything at all. “Do you like anyone, princess?” Shisui asked after some time.

She hummed considering her options in a very rational and logical manner. There was Ibiki who she enjoyed making out with. And teasing. And sneaking around with. But did she like like him? No. Her heart didn’t race thinking about him after the first month of their secret relationship passed.

There was also good old trusty Shikaku who never disappointed her. In Ryoko’s dreams. Even thinking about him, Ryoko could not hold down a sigh that escaped her lips. He was truly a gorgeous man. Like an idol, that may or may not be completely shattered if approached in real life.

There were also a few others who managed to get into her fantasies over the years, but none that would make her knees weak. There was no one that came to Ryoko’s mind when thinking about… love.

Ryoko sometimes considered that maybe she will never feel it. Not like she wanted to… Or needed to… The woman was also aware that she was capable of love in general. As a living proof was her undying and never dwindling affection for her family. So she was capable of love… just not with any man around her.

“No, I do not like anyone,” she finally answered and Ryoko was completely fine with that. With being alone. As long as her family was there.

Later that evening Ryoko met up with Ibiki in the shadows of a park on top of the Hokage mountain. He embraced her immediately. For some reason, men really enjoyed hugging her tightly…

“Hmm… you smell of a man…” he muttered after taking a few inhales by her neck.

“Yeah, I was with Shisui today,” Ryoko said when Ibiki finally pulled away.

“You spend a lot of time with him…”

“Obviously. He is my cousin,” she shrugged like it was the most natural fact out there, while they walked to the edge of the cliff for a better view of the village.

“You could be spending that time with me...”

“Are you telling me what to do?” her eyebrow arched, almost daring Ibiki to confirm, but he stayed silent. Despite all the secrecy and distance between them, somehow he managed to get possessive over her. Ryoko was mildly amused by it, so she didn’t really say anything.

Of course, if Ibiki would ask to choose Shisui or him, there was no doubt in her mind what she would choose. Ryoko was almost flattered by the small hints of jealousy he showed from time to time. It was like proof that she was wanted by someone. Ryoko was almost tempted to further provoke the man. Almost.

The funny part was, that they haven’t even slept together yet and Ibiki still managed to lose himself completely in her. Meanwhile, Ryoko just wasn’t feeling it, despite the occasions that occurred from time to time. Yes, she was attracted, but she did not feel aroused enough, which was odd, but not something she questioned.

In her past life, Ryoko was familiar with both types of sex. The one where you just do it to do it. And the other, when you do it because you feel like you will die otherwise. The need and thirst in those moments is something better than drugs. She wanted to feel something like that in this world too…

Ibiki didn’t say anything else. Instead, he hugged her from behind and trailed kisses on her neck as they watched the sunset.

Minato didn’t consider himself to be superstitious. Yet, when the glass of the window behind him cracked in his office, Hokage knew that it could not be a sign of anything good. There was this ominous feeling lingering in the air. Like static right before the storm.

“I probably should finish up early today,” he said to himself with a shaky smile. Minato quickly shoved the last batch of papers into a drawer, dismissed his ANBU, and went straight home.

“I’m home!” He chirped, stepping over the threshold of his home. Another odd sign was the lack of noise around. Minato felt the chakra of his children upstairs in their rooms. “Honey?” he called carefully for Kushina.

Her chakra was completely suppressed, but there was the faintest scent of her presence. Minato ventured deeper into his home, with his hand itching to take out a kunai for protection. Maybe he forgot an anniversary again? Or missed a promise he made to Naruto?

There was light coming from the kitchen. The man bravely glanced inside and exhaled with relief. Kushina was there, with her back turned to him. Probably working on a tasty dinner. “Honey, you probably didn’t hear me…” he started to say when Kushina glanced over her shoulder.

Her grey eyes were now red and split, with the red hair framing her face like the tails of the beast she once carried in her body. “Sit!” she growled.

Minato hurried to follow her command, all while taking a second look at her eyes. No, they were not actually red. But the way she looked at him… it might as well be the Nine-Tails Fox staring him in the face.

“Honey?” he carefully asked despite the better judgment urging him to stay silent.

“My dearest husband, SIT!”

Minato ducked his head like a child about to receive a scolding, for what, he was not yet sure. And if he had to wonder what exactly Kushina was angry about, just proved to show that the scolding was justified. He waited silently as the woman sat across from him.

“You know how long I have been planning it?”

“What?”

“I knew from the start… and I have already planned for so much! The venue… the date… I think winter would fit them well… or early spring… I even chose the flowers and started making speeches in my head…” she was rambling, while Minato was still beyond lost about the subject of her frustration.

“Kushina… my love, what have you been planning?” he asked carefully.

“THEIR WEDDING OF COURSE!” she yelled out, eyes ablaze.

“Whose wedding?” he blinked, taken completely by surprise.

“KAKASHI’S and RYOKO’s! And now you RUINED IT!”

Oh. His mouth made a perfect round shape of surprise to that. He wanted to say something, but Kushina cut him off. “But YOU,” she pointed a sharp finger at Minato. “Just HAD to meddle with the kids! And now they are miserable! Kakashi is DEVASTATED!”

“I…” he muttered as the news hit him. Kakashi never showed much emotion. He looked completely fine the last time he checked too… Maybe a bit more distant or closed off… but nothing major. Looks like Minato was wrong to assume that his student was fine.

“FIX IT, Minato!”

“But… you said… shouldn’t I stop meddling?” he winced.

“UNBELIEVABLE!” Kushina yelled again as she abruptly stood up and started pacing around the kitchen. “IF you broke it, you have to fix it! Or so Kami help me, I will make your life a living hell!”

The flames in her eyes left no room for doubt. She really would make hell on earth just for him if Minato doesn’t remedy the situation.

“Yes, Kushina, I will… think of something,” he sighed, but honestly, he would have done it even without Kushina’s asking. Minato, after all, cared deeply about Kakashi and his happiness.

For the next few days, the young Hokage thought long and hard about what to do. First, he decided to start slowly pulling Kakashi out of ANBU. He knew that if he asked the man outright to quit shadow ranks, there would be trouble. A slow and steady transition felt like the best course of action.

Next on the agenda was Ryoko. Minato still felt bad about deceiving her, so it felt only reasonable to take responsibility for his actions. After another week of planning and thinking the man finally summoned her for the dreaded conversation.

“Hokage-sama,” she bowed after appearing in his office. “You summoned me?”

“Ah, yes, Ryoko-chan, walk with me,” Minato smiled as he stood up from his seat. The two walked out of his office, outside the Hokage tower, and down towards a small park with blooming sakura trees.

The girl was silent. Not a single emotion showed on her stoic face. A pure embodiment of her proud clan. A very strong and scary clan. Minato was not that kind of man, to deny that on some level, the girl's power scared him. He probably learned that from having Kushina as his wife… A woman's wrath is something he would not wish even for his enemies.

“Ryoko-chan, there is something I want to talk with you about.”

“Yes, Hokage-sama?” they stopped on a small bridge.

“I don’t know if Kakashi told you this already, but… It was me who sent you that pendant in Kakashi’s name. Please take my sincere apologies for deceiving you both, he had nothing to do with it,” he bowed his head before her.

“I see… Why are you telling me this, Hokage-sama?”

Minato straightened up and looked down into her calm face. So far, it went better than he expected. “I don’t want you to be upset with Kakashi over it. This misunderstanding is entirely my fault.”

“Hokage-sama, first, I am not upset with Hatake,” he winced at the use of the surname. “Second, misunderstandings do not excuse one’s behavior or spoken words. He was very adamant about his opinion over the subject.”

Minato wasn’t sure what she was talking about, but he guessed that Kakashi once again said something stupid or insensitive. “I, as Minato Namikaze, not your Hokage, would like to ask you, Ryoko-chan, to consider that in Kakashi’s situation words do not always mean what he actually thinks. By now, you probably already noticed, that he is… well, for better words, stupid when it comes to expressing his emotions. Please be reasonable, and don’t jump to judgment.”

“What exactly are you asking of me, Minato-san?” she tilted her head slightly, arms carefully crossed over her chest. Usually, that would be a rather defensive stance, but on her, it looked like a show of strength and stubbornness.

“I ask you to give him a chance to explain. Just speak with him calmly and I am sure he will manage to put his thoughts into words… eventually,” he smiled almost apologetically.

“I… will consider it,” she finally nodded. Maybe Ryoko was blunt and rough around the edges, but he could always count on young Uchiha to be reasonable and smart about things. She was intelligent enough to see different perspectives and that gave him hope.

“Thank you. That is all I could ask for,” Minato smiled sincerely. His heart felt lighter like he just got rid of a big boulder by the name of guilt from his chest.

Ryoko spent the rest of May deep in thought. She tried to ignore it at first, but Minato‘s words would always find their way back into her subconscious mind. The woman could definitely agree about Kakashi being an idiot. That was almost like its own law of physics by now.

But to think that his words would not reflect his emotions? That was an odd concept, yet not a far-fetched one. They were shinobi. Most of the time, if not always, their emotions were hidden, while their words and actions had the life of their own.

So maybe there was truth to what Minato implied. The only question was why? Why would Kakashi say they were not friends if he didn’t mean it? Why would he say all the things he did if he didn’t mean it? Was there another reason for him disrespecting her? People always have their motives for the way they act. She was no exception.

To be fair, Ryoko herself approached Kakashi only because of her marriage predicament. She also didn’t act nice and girly because of her own reasons. It would make sense that Kakashi had reasons that made him act the way he did.

Maybe she really could hear him out… Just to prove to Minato that he was wrong. Or prove to herself that she was right with her judgment of Kakashi…

Ryoko was suddenly brought back from her thoughts by a loud angry yell down the street. There was some commotion going on between civilians. Like a dutiful shinobi and member of Uchiha, she approached just in time to catch an angry fist that almost made contact with a small child pushed to the ground.

“You’ll get it now you scum…!” the civilian she grabbed was yelling before she stopped his hit. The man quickly cut his words short after he noticed her jonin vest.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Ryoko asked in her authoritative voice.

“Ahhh, sorry, shinobi-san! That piece of trash was stealing,” the man sent a glare towards the kid.

“I WAS NOT!” the kid piped up, with teary eyes looking up. His face looked already bruised, but he was showing brazen determination despite his position on the ground. The kid was obviously not scared, even though the words might have hurt him.

“That’s not the way to speak with a child,” Ryoko said calmly. This probably was one of the few traits she still had from her past life. Her former father's attitude towards children was deeply ingrained in her soul.

“But he is a no-good…” the man stopped speaking after he noticed her ice-cold stare. There was just a tiny bit of killing intent in it, but for a civilian, that was enough to freeze him in place like a deer in headlights.

The child took this moment to run away. Ryoko tsk’ed her tongue and finally released the man’s hand. “Don’t be rude again,” she warned him before chasing after the child. She might as well check if he was okay or not. Maybe she could ask sensei to look after this one too…

In no time, she chased the boy down on top of the Hokage mountain. He somehow managed to find a place on the Third Hokage’s head. Ryoko appeared beside him, leaning against the wall of the cliff.

“You hurt, brat?” she asked.

“What is it to you?” he snapped back. Ryoko used her shinobi skills to give a gentle swat over his head.

“I asked you a question, brat. Now you answer me or I will personally drag you to the hospital.”

The little boy looked up at her with a clear mixture of emotions in his eyes. “I’m… fine…” he whispered. “Why… why are you so kind to me?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Everyone…” he looked down at the buzzing village. “Everyone thinks that I am a spawn of a monster. That… I am trash… they all hate me. BUT I WILL BECOME HOKAGE AND PROVE ALL OF THEM WRONG!”

“Step in line, brat, because I’ll be the next Hokage,” she smirked. This kid was almost amusing with how dedicated he looked. She could understand his goal of attaining the ultimate status of respect to assert his dominance.

“You’ll… be the next Hokage?” his eyes became big and sparkly.

“You bet. I am Ryoko Uchiha and I will be the first Uchiha and first female Hokage.”

“Woooow! But… you’re so pretty…” he blinked as if that was a problem. Ha! He was still such a naive child. “Oh, by the way, I am Konohamaru Sarutobi!”

Oh. That explains a lot. Ryoko didn’t show her surprise, but she could understand the villager’s reaction now. Of course, they would treat the child poorly because of his relative’s actions. Personally, she didn’t care too much about who Konohamaru was related to. It’s not like he was responsible for Hiruzen.

“Hn. I’ll take you home,” she finally said after a nod of greeting. She picked the boy up by the back of his shirt and leaped off the mountain. With little guidance from the child, she shortly appeared before the shabby-looking Sarutobi compound.

A woman appeared from a building and ran up to them. Ryoko recognized her immediately. Interesting...

“Taicho,” the woman bowed before her. Even without masks, many ANBU still referred to each other by their statuses of captain and kohai even outside the ranks. “I am terribly sorry that my son has inconvenienced you.”

“Hn. You should find him a sensei,” Ryoko said nonchalantly, dropping the kid on the ground.

“Sensei???” the boy perked up with the same stars in his eyes.

“Yes. If you are serious about your goal, you should get one of the sannin to teach you,” Ryoko said before giving a wink and disappearing in a swirl of flames.

Yes, Ryoko agreed to give Kakashi a chance to explain himself but it didn’t mean that she would actively hunt him down. Maybe part of her was still feeling petty, or maybe she just didn’t want to face him yet… Either way, Ryoko let the month of May pass without doing anything.

Early in the morning, a scuffle outside her window woke the woman up. She sprung out of the bed, holding her kunai, and looked outside to find a dog and a cat tumbling on the grass.

“Huh, oy! Stop it!” she ordered both of them. Ryoko recognized her own summon, Raikiri, the snow-white baby lynx cat. She summoned it a week ago to send a message. Clearly, the cat just happened to return now. While the dog...

“Pakkun?” she blinked, staring at the little pug that still growled at her summon. The woman was about to ask what he was doing here, but that is when she noticed a little box on the ground next to him.

No way… So it was Kakashi who sent her sweets every day?... Was he crazy? What did this mean?... Yes, he most definitely had to be crazy…

“Yo, boss lady, guess I am busted now. Please don’t tell boss you saw me.”

“Wait! So Kakashi told you to bring me these?” she said his name for the first time in a while and it came naturally to Ryoko. Like riding a bicycle…

“Yeah… Honestly, it was a matter of time until boss fucked something up, so I was not too surprised when he asked,” the pug shrugged. Carefully he picked up the box and jumped on her window still to leave it there.

“But… it has been months since…” she looked wide-eyed at the box and then the dog. Why did Kakashi go to these lengths instead of just speaking to her if he had something to say?

“Yeah… he is slow with these things..”

“What things?” she frowned. Ryoko didn’t like that she couldn’t understand his motives. This was odd, but also strangely on point with what Kakashi would do.

“Talk to you later, boss lady!”

Ryoko didn’t get a chance to ask anything else as the dog poofed out of existence. Her lynx left her message scroll and also vanished. She was left alone and confused with her little treat.

Now, knowing who was behind it, Ryoko hesitated to eat the treat. She didn’t even look inside the box yet. It really annoyed her that she didn’t understand what Kakashi was thinking. His actions truly didn’t match his words. Nothing about him made any sense!

“What’s that?” Ibiki asked as he took place next to her in the small lunchroom of the T&I department. Ryoko stopped by for her shift, but her mind was still distracted.

“Hn. It’s a dessert.”

Ibiki glanced from the box to her and back to the box. “If you don’t want it, I’ll eat it,” he smirked playfully. Ryoko hurried to grab the box before he could even reach for it.

“Careful, Morino. You shouldn’t joke like that about my food,” she said casually, while her fingers finally opened the little lid. Surprisingly enough, inside was your regular dango… Her favorite dango.

“Hm. Considering the content… someone gave this to you… Who was it?” he asked, making full use of his observation skills. It was pretty obvious. No one would buy dango for themselves like this. Or be protective over it.

“That is none of your business,” she muttered, taking the skewer out. Ibiki was really starting to annoy her with that possessiveness of his. Maybe it was only his shinobi paranoia showing its ugly head? But it wasn’t like they were in a relationship or something…

On the other hand… maybe they were. Ryoko didn’t really recall them having a conversation about being exclusive or anything. She only assumed that this was casual… Maybe that was her first mistake. Assuming. She assumed a lot in Kakashi’s case too.

“By the looks of you, this very well is my business,” he grumbled.

Chapter Text

Ryoko finally lost her patience and decided to address the issue head-on. It was June already and it felt like not long ago the whole drama perspired, yet it has been over a year now. It was time. She stopped by Kakashi’s apartment and knocked.

No answer.

Casually she opened the door to check in case the idiot was avoiding her, but inside she found only a layer of dust. He was probably on a longer mission. This seemed like a divine intervention giving a sign - the time is not now.

The woman didn’t know if she should be relieved or annoyed by it. Something in her urged to settle the matter faster, but now Ryoko will just have to wait for Kakashi’s return.

Looking around the empty apartment she checked the fridge from habit… There was a box of dango inside. “Don’t mind if I do…” she smirked already munching on the sweets. Young Uchiha settled on the couch with one of his books in hand. It looked like a new issue of the Icha Icha series.

The dango was finished before she flipped the last page of the book. She didn’t think too much about the plot of the story as it was a mere distraction for her. One thing did surprise her. Unlike other books from these series, the main heroine for once was portrayed as a strong and capable character.

“Maybe the pervert was finally influenced by Tsunade,” she muttered, placing the book back on the shelf. She didn’t have anything against Jiraiya per se. Only his loud and boisterous character was what annoyed her the most. It reminded her far too much of that little blond Naruto actually.

Finally, she left and thankfully didn’t run into Genma outside. Luck was on her side today. And it continued to smile at her as Ryoko shortly after felt a pull to her ANBU tattoo. She is being summoned! FUCKIN’ FINALLY! I was getting so bored.. Ryoko thought to herself as she flickered to the HQ for her uniform.

With her mask in place, Ryoko appeared in the Hokage Tower kneeling on one knee. “Hokage-sama!” she greeted the imposing blond, who looked uncharacteristically serious.

“Fox. This will be a high-ranking mission for your team. It is time-sensitive so I am counting on you to complete it with utmost urgency in mind.”

Ryoko straightened up to take the scroll extended to her by Minato. “Yes, Hokage-sama.”

“Fox… This is a rescue mission. I know that it is not the type of mission your team usually takes, but I cannot entrust it with anyone else but you.”

Her heart would have started to race from the praise and trust if she weren’t a cold-blooded killer. Yet, when she opened the scroll her heart did miss a beat.

“A team was sent to investigate an underground mercenary group. Their last message indicated the location of the hideout, but it also included a distress call. Two of the three shinobi sent were captured. They need to be extracted ASAP!” Hokage’s voice betrayed just how concerned the man was.

Anko… Genma… Kakashi… She read their names to herself. “Understood, Hokage-sama.”

“I don’t say this often, but… Fox. No discretion this time. Not a single enemy to be spared on this mission.”

“Yes, Hokage-sama. You can count on me. I will bring them back,” Ryoko said sternly with her resolve clear. She just got a green light to raise hell and boy did she have plenty of reasons to do so. Three reasons to be exact. Three very important reasons…

“Also..” before Hokage continued a knock was heard on the door. Another masked shinobi entered. “Just in time. Beatle, you’ll be joining team Shi for this mission. Fox is taking the lead.”

The tall masked man nodded at Minato then at her with respect. By the unsettling buzzing of his chakra and the name, it was clear to her that it was an Aburame. Perfect. She didn’t get a chance to work with this clan before, but they sure seemed like someone Ryoko would get along with just fine.

Not even ten minutes later, her team gathered and they were off. The trip took a while. It was actually completely dark by the time they reached their destination.

“Beatle, please investigate,” she ordered the man as they hid between the trees observing a very inconspicuous-looking building. There were civilian-looking people milling around outside with a few shinobi standing on guard.

Aburame’s pets took the queue and dispersed. “Alright,” she turned to her team for the final briefing. “Distress message was sent by Genma-san. He is probably hiding not too far away, but he is injured. The two that were captured… I trust that neither will give out any information even when tortured, but that does not mean that we will find them in the right state of mind, so, be cautious.”

“Yes, captain,” four men in front of her nodded.

“Kill anyone and everyone in sight. No exceptions,” her words were cold and final. They could not risk any person to survive and leak anything about Konoha’s elite shinobi.

“Yes, captain!”

The wait was excruciating, but it was inevitable. They had only one chance to do it and mistakes were not acceptable. Finally, Beatle returned to them with a single insect perched on his finger.

“What’s the matter?” she asked, sensing the uneasy circling of chakra in the man before her.

“The hideout is completely filled with poison in the air. Most of my insects died before they could even get inside. Surprisingly, the people out there are not affected or immune to it,” he reported. Of course. There had to be something like that if jonins like Kakashi were captured.

“Cobra, Lynx, find the source of it!”

“Yes, Taicho!” both men vanished. She could trust Lynx to use his big head and lack of presence, while Cobra could deal with the poison itself. She didn't hope, the woman knew they could do it.

“Have you found Shiranui-san?” she turned back to the Aburame.

“Yes, two hundred meters in the north. Follow me.”

They reached a cliff and Ryoko instantly noticed a genjutsu placed on the side of it. “Send your pets first, Beatle. Let him know that it’s not the enemy,” Ryoko was using high levels of caution as she approached this mission. From her bitter experience with Obito, you can never know what you will find, when an enemy gets involved with your comrade.

After a minute Beatle nodded giving a green light for them to approach. Panda stayed outside, while the two of them stepped inside the hidden cave. “Genma-san!” she called for the man that was on the ground. His eye opened carefully. A smirk appeared on his chapped lips.

“What a sight for my sore eyes,” he choked out.

“What happened? What powers does the enemy have?” she quickly asked while her hands weaved signs for the medical diagnostic jutsu. That one at least she could do to assess the situation.

“Poison. The one in the air around the base, the invisible one, it paralyzes intruders.”

“The invisible one… there are more?” Ryoko quickly asked as her face grew more serious by the minute. At least it didn’t look like the man was injured. Or she just couldn’t tell with her limited capabilities.

“Yeah… The blue one takes your chakra. The red one… it brings out illusions, but you cannot dispel them like genjutsu… That’s what got us...” he coughed as Ryoko helped him sit up. “Argh… I was in the back of formation… Hatake… he pushed me away just in time… but he got caught instead… I had no choice but to call for backup…”

“Right. They are using kekkei genkai, aren’t they?” Ryoko deducted and Genma gave a nod of confirmation. “Were you injured? I couldn’t find any traces.”

“No… but the blue mist… it did something to my chakra coils. I can feel the chakra, but I cannot use it… like some Byakugan bullshit.”

“Understood. Beatle, can you inspect Shiranui-san with your insects?”

The masked man nodded as a swarm of his pets flew from the cloak towards not at all enthusiastically looking Genma. Ryoko walked outside with a plan taking form in her head. She trusted her team to have already figured out at least a part of it.

An hour later, Lynx and Cobra returned and she was not disappointed. Just like Ryoko expected, the two figured out about the shinobi using a kekkei genkai. They even determined which one was responsible for the invisible mist surrounding the base and managed to capture the woman in question!

She laid bound and paralyzed by Ryoko’s feet. Ha. It felt like her kittens brought her a present. And it was ironic, that the one responsible for the paralyzing mist now was paralyzed herself. “Good job, prepare, we will be out in five,” Ryoko said to the men in masks as she herself crouched next to the woman.

“Behave, scum. You are living on borrowed time,” her voice was cold as sharingan activated. It didn’t take long for Ryoko to mess with the woman's brain enough to convince her that five of them were new members of the gang.

It appeared that they used chakra seals to mark people that should be immune to the paralyzing mist. The woman marked Ryoko and her team. “Genma-san,” Ryoko finally turned to the man who at least could walk now. “Kill her when you hear the commotion start in the base. Her mist should disappear when she dies, but we will use our factor of surprise as long as we can.”

“Understood,” he smirked, taking out a kunai. The two were left in the shadows of the forest, while Ryoko left to infiltrate the base and shed some blood. If not for the mask, others would have seen her maniacal smile. Although, by now, at least her team probably already guessed that Ryoko was brimming with excitement.

As Beatle’s insects were infused with his own chakra, it turned out that they were too now immune to the invisible mist. In no time at all, they got a rough plan of the base. Very obviously, the prisoners were kept in the basement rooms. How cliche Ryoko thought as she sliced a throat of one unsuspecting shinobi in her way.

“Hatake is down there. Mitarashi is actually upstairs on the top floor,” Beatle whispered as they stopped by the stairs.

“Alright. Beatle, Cobra, Panda, you go up. Lynx, with me,” just as her last word left the woman's lips, the sound of a bell started ringing. A moment later, they all felt the seal placed before vanish. “Let’s get this party started,” she nodded at the men and the two groups split up.

Ryoko sprinted through the dungeon following Beatle’s insect. It was like a little tracker saving them time and energy. As they went deeper, there were more and more enemies in sight. They even faced one shinobi that used the red mist technique Genma mentioned.

Here is where the power of knowledge shined. Because they knew of the mist's effects, Ryoko and her shadow easily evaded its effects and killed everyone in sight from a long distance. Team Shi was an assassination squad for a reason. There was nothing they did better than murder.

Finally, her eyes spotted the insect settling on a door in the distance. This was it. I swear! If you’re not alive, I’m gonna mutilate your corpse, Kakashi! the woman growled in her mind as the few last meters melted away.

She stopped by the door and took a breath. With Sharingan, she could clearly see three chakra signatures inside. “Lynx, stay here, watch for anyone approaching,” Ryoko whispered. The masked man nodded, turning his back to her, ready to guard this area.

With one kick Ryoko got the door open and off its hinges. At the same time, her palm flung three senbon into the room. Thud. Thud. Thud. Silence. The targets were not so scary anymore when their poisonous gas was not around.

She stepped inside towards her target. Her hand didn’t shiver as she extended it to check the pulse of the man bound to a chair. We’re not too late… he’s alive… she thought to herself, while the full extent of the situation before her trickled into her mind.

“First things first,” she whispered as her hand weaved a simple water jutsu. Lukewarm liquid appeared from her palm and washed over unconscious-looking Kakashi. Now that old blood, dirt, and vomit were gone, she could evaluate his condition.

It was bad.

There were some clear wounds on his arms and legs, but the worst one was in his torso. There was still a knife impaled deeply into him with blood slowly trickling down from the cut.

“TAICHO! We got Anko!” Panda ran towards their location. She straightened up.

“Don’t come in!” Ryoko ordered as she leaned in towards Kakashi. Her hand gently pulled his mask back up to cover the lower part of his face.

“Yo,” she heard a low croak from him then.

“Bakashi… stay still, now,” Ryoko replied as her hands engulfed in green healing chakra after the hand signs she made. It was just a diagnostic technique to check the extent of the wound. The first and golden rule when impaled was to never pull the object out, after all.

Her face scrunched. It was worse than she expected. The knife was clearly twisted when it was lodged in, slightly nicking the vein next to it. If she were to pull the knife out now… If she were to move Kakashi now…

“...”

“Leave me. Just burn everything,” his voice rasped, clearly aware of the circumstances. But Ryoko was having none of that! She pulled back and gave him a harsh slap to the face.

“TAICHO!” both Lynx and Panda rushed inside after hearing the commotion.

“Stand down. Hatake is clearly delusional if he thinks we’ll leave him behind,” she scoffed.

“Taicho…” Panda whispered as he too realized what position they were in.

“There’s nothing you can do for me now, Fox, so just…” another slap echoed in the small room.

“Lynx! Stay on the lookout. Panda, I need you to keep Hatake steady for me. Hold down to his shoulders,” she ordered.

Her young kohai approached slightly hesitantly. “Taicho… shouldn’t we take off his chakra suppressing bounds?” he asked.

“No. It will be better this way for what I am about to do…” she said while staring at the knife like it personally offended her clan. This will be tricky and Ryoko could not afford Kakashi resisting with the instincts he has deeply ingrained in him.

“Taicho, if you pull it out then…”

“Yes, he can bleed out. I will have to cauterize the wound before he does,” she looked around and pulled a belt from one of the fallen enemy's pants. “Panda, close your eyes,” she ordered. Only then did she lower Kakashi’s mask back down. “This is gonna hurt like a bitch, so bite on unless you want to lose that sharp tongue of yours in the process.”

Kakashi’s eyes were slightly dazed but clear enough to comprehend what she was asking for. His mouth opened and the belt was now securely bitten down on. She placed her hand over the knife handle and took a couple of deep breaths.

“Panda, hold him down. The pressure in veins is high, so we cannot afford him moving even an inch,” Ryoko spoke while her other palm started to heat up. Slow wapper trickled from her glove as the temperature rose.

Three fingers folded down, while two remained ready to replace the knife. Even with gloves, her fingers looked like they were red superheated steel. This was a bastardized version of a Katon jutsu.

One last breath and she pulled the knife out quickly replacing the blade with her fingers. Kakashi squealed like a pig being marked. His body shook under Panda's iron grip. The air was quickly filled with the smell of burned flesh.

Slowly she pulled her fingers out and now once more her hands glowed green to remedy the situation even a tiny bit. There is no telling how effective this will be, but it has to last until they reach Konoha…

Ryoko took the belt out and pulled Kakashi’s mask back in place. His skin looked pale and beaded with cold sweat. “Oy, you still with us?” she tried to catch Kakashi’s eyes. Now she noticed, that he had a contact lens over his Sharingan. Thank Kami, or that eye would have been taken before anything else.

“Peachy,” he muttered vaguely, but hey, he was still alive! And the wound was no longer bleeding, so she will take this as a win.

“Good. Panda, you can look now. Take off the restraints,” she ordered while still making eye contact with Kakashi in case he decided to faint on her. “Kakashi, who did this to you?”

“Mmm… some… gorilla looking oaf…” he replied after a while.

Ryoko gave a nod and stood up. She brushed the remains of Kakashi’s dried blood from her hand. “Let’s move out to rendezvous with others. It’s time to wipe this place out of existence.”

Panda slung Kakashi’s arm over his shoulder and the four of them raced outside, where distant sounds of fighting could still be heard. Their insect companion led the way directly to the fighting.

“Report!” Ryoko yelled out as she landed beside Cobra. With one kick she sent an enemy away from her kohai, while the other two got hit by Lynx.

“Taicho! Anko was taken by Beatle to safety with Genma,” looks like their plan was going well. All that was left, was to kill everyone else.

“POISON MIST!” she heard Lynx yell out. Ryoko quickly turned around and spotted the incoming black fog. It was moving far faster than your regular mist. They clearly won’t be able to outrun it. And the black color of it was ominous to say the least.

“Stay close!!” Ryoko shouted as she sent chakra towards her eyes. The familiar feeling of her head splitting in two appeared the moment her sharingan pattern changed into mangekyo.

Fuck… I really hate to use this… but… she cursed aloud while visible chakra leaked from her engulfing the team and Kakashi. Just as the mist reached the group, they were completely covered by what looked like a huge translucent set of ribs. Slowly muscle materialized and then skin and…

“Kushinada jutsu,” Ryoko whispered to herself with contempt. Gods were truly misogynistic in this world. Instead of a grand Susanoo, she got this… His wife Kushinada. That is one of the reasons why she hated to ever use the technique. It was embarrassing. Despite the fact that technically it had the same grand defensive abilities as Susanoo.

“Woooouw,” Panda awed as he looked around from the inside of the chakra monster she summoned. It looked like a female goddess with ceremonial robes made out of chakra.

Finally, their enemy appeared as the mist split in two. He was a bulky hairy man with a wild grin on his face. The darkness like steam came directly out of his hands. The man whistled and laughed as he gazed upon her creation. The ultimate defense would not be penetrated by such a measly thing as a mist.

“Taicho… what do we do?” Panda asked quickly as it looked like the mist was not going anywhere. She sighed. As it always goes, to get rid of annoying things like this poison, you have to get rid of its source first.

“Just stay here and be pretty, you three, I’ll take care of the trash.”

Ryoko extended her hands to the sides and her Kushinada mirrored the action. More chakra seeped from her body to the side. It swirled and shifted until a huge scythe materialized as the weapon of her Kushinada. The blade was perfectly curved with kanji ingrained in it.

‘Death to the fallen in the name of Susanoo’ is what it said. Very fitting.

It didn’t look like the enemy was stupid enough to approach. He clearly wanted to keep the distance taking advantage of the poison's long-distance capabilities. Ryoko could see that he was speaking something to them. Probably taunting them, but she was not that interested to hear him. Fuck him.

The stupid gorilla forced her to use this degrading technique and if Ryoko was livid before, now she was positively murderous. “Know your place,” she said coldly as her hand moved with Kushinada's scythe.

One swish of the blade and it felt like the air itself was cut to shreds. The wave of the aftershock washed over their surroundings splitting even the chakra mist into clear halves. The smile on the man’s face froze. He choked on blood and slowly… the top part of his body slid down. His other half of the body left standing for a minute longer before it too fell to the ground.

Ryoko was not satisfied just yet. She started to weave her hand signs one after another in record speed. “Homusubi jutsu!” a fire bullet slipped from her mask and there it was. Explosions. Thunder.

Her trustworthy fire dragon emerged leaving destruction out of the former hideout. When the last roar echoed over the sky, only rubble was left in front of them with human bones sticking out of it all black and splintered.

Kushinada faded and they were engulfed with a blazing hot gust of wind. Ryoko exhaled feeling as her anger finally got a proper outlet. She turned to the group of stunned men. “Let’s go, we need to hurry,” she said dryly. Not for a second did she forget about Kakashi’s state. That is one of the reasons why she decided to end the whole thing quickly.

At this point, their split-up team regrouped with Genma, Anko, and Beatle. Shiranui thankfully already could travel on his own, while Anko was carried by Lynx. Ryoko looked over their group considering the formation.

“Beatle, scout ahead with your pets. Cobra, Panda, you guard the back,” she ordered around taking Kakashi from her worried underling. “I’m running low on chakra, so I need you to have my back, kohai,” she explained while Kakashi didn’t even resist her manhandling him.

And they were off.

“A bit overkill, don’t you think?” Kakashi whispered as they jumped from one branch to the other. It didn’t really matter if her actions were too much or not. Ryoko did what she had to do. Her revenge on Konoha’s enemies had no bounds. Besides, she got permission from Hokage himself, so how could she not go full out?

“Shut it, fatass,” she grumbled as the position Ryoko was in was not the most comfortable one. Ryoko sighed, clutching the man’s waist tighter. His weight on her shoulder was nothing compared to the pain she felt from mangekyo. Even now she kept the sharingan active just to be able to run without stumbling. After about twenty minutes of travel, she finally gave up and…

“Kami no… please, kill me now…” Kakashi whimpered as she picked him up bridal style.

“Shhh, my damsel, not so feisty now, are we?” she smirked under her mask and it almost felt like they were back in time when the two could playfully make fun of each other like this. But they weren’t. Ryoko knew that even after a mission like this nothing has changed between them.

For now, the only thing that mattered was to get back home in one piece. To make sure that everyone lives. To protect her people. There would be time to fix things if they are all alive...