Chapter 56 - Naruto: Blessed be the Snake Kid! Part 1.

In the Uchiha plot—because it's no longer a compound—five children, like worker ants, moved around, each pulling a dolly filled to the brim with charred remnants of the Uchiha residencies.

Blackened hands, clothes, and faces, covered in ashes and charcoal, decorated them, along with sweat and self-fulfilled smiles.

"Hey, Broody Hyūga!"- Sayaka called to Neji Hyūga.

"Sayaka."- Neji replied curtly.

"Why are you brooding like an Uchiha—or a chicken, take your pick?"- Sayaka teased. He was sooted like the others, pulling a dolly with a frown marring his face. 

"Father said I should go with Hinata when she asked for my help because I'd be able to train under you. I don't know why my father thinks it's beneficial to train under a girl younger than me, and this 'training' proves my point."- Neji huffed, dropping the charred wooden logs he was carrying.

"Pfft! Hahaha!"- Sayaka laughed at his perceived misery. 

"Hehehehe!"- Naruto, who was arriving while pulling a load of burned wood, laughed as he overheard Neji.

"Fox boy! Shut up!"- Neji shouted, his face flushed with a fierce blush. He could tolerate Sayaka because he'd noticed the deferential treatment all the elders of his clan gave her, but not Naruto.

"Don't be mean to him, Neji. Besides, we're just starting. This will soon turn into training—just wait for it."- Sayaka said after composing herself. 

Neji was unconvinced but waited as she suggested. True to her word, after several trips pulling the heavy dolly, he began circulating chakra to assist himself. When his chakra was running low, Sayaka would transfer some of hers to him, making him go back to 'training.' 

The dynamic of the work was repetitive but exhausting. They would gather debris, bring it to Sayaka for storage, and then go back for more. After a few trips, all of them except Naruto needed to recharge their chakra.

"Naruto! How come you don't need to recharge?"- Shikamaru asked, breathing heavily like the others.

"Ehmm, I haven't used up all my chakra—I still have plenty."- Naruto answered, tilting his head in confusion at his friends' exhaustion. 

"Eh? That's not fair."- Ino, whose hair was now a few shades darker from the soot, complained.

"Naruto has about one Shikamaru less chakra than me. He has a long way to go before he's depleted."- Sayaka explained.

"Why do you have to use me as a measuring unit?"- Shikamaru grumbled. 

"Because you're the minimum unit here."- Sayaka grinned at him.

The rest of the kids laughed at Shikamaru's expense. 

A few hours later, they were met with an unusual visitor that made them all pause.

"Hah! I knew it! I wasn't the only one who understood what youth is all about! Friends working and training together—if that isn't youthful, I don't know what is!!!"- A bowl-cut, raven-haired man with pearly teeth and a blinding smile exclaimed. 

"Sensei, this... this is exactly what my training needs!"- A child sporting the same style as the older man shouted, just as energetic. However, unlike his immaculate sensei, the child had traces of effort all over him. 

"Is your name perhaps Guy?"- Sayaka asked, a fire lighting behind her eyes as she inched closer to the man's face, hovering up and down.

"Hehehe, it seems my youthful reputation precedes me. Yes, I am Might Guy, Konoha's Sublime Green Beast of Prey!"- He introduced himself exuberantly. 

The rest of the sooted children tilted their heads in confusion, unsure of what they were witnessing. The man's student, however, basked in his sensei's energetic aura. 

"KYAAAH!"- Sayaka shouted with uncharacteristic glee.

"Can I have you sign my jumpsuit?"- Sayaka pulled a black-and-red jumpsuit from her storage along with a white permanent marker. 

'The multiversal counterpart of Guy Senjurama!'

|His body is amazing—the structure of his bones, the way his muscle fibers tense, his endocrine system—even his organs, all of him seems forged for taijutsu. And that's without the monstrous regeneration of Guy Senjurama.|

'What a monster!'

"For my little fan, how could I refuse?"- Might Guy beamed, grabbing the permanent marker. 

"Sign it to M-A-D-E-L-Y-N-E, please!"- Sayaka bounced around him in anticipation. 

"Hinata-chan, do you know him?"- Naruto asked. He would be the first to admit he wasn't a people person, but he was sure he had never encountered the man Sayaka was fangirling over.

"I've seen my father speak with him a few times, but I don't remember anything in particular."- Hinata replied.

"He's a jōnin taijutsu specialist."- Neji added.

"Might-sama, it's a pleasure to meet you."- Neji said, walking over to greet him. 

"Aren't you Hizashi's kid? It's good to see you dedicating yourself to sculpting your body into perfection."- Guy gave him a thumbs-up. 

"Thank you."- Neji bowed in appreciation. 

"My little fan, what's your name?"- Guy asked. 

"Sayaka Uchiha."

"May my student join your training?"- Guy asked, his eyes gleaming.

"Sure."- Sayaka agreed.

"What's your name?"- She turned to the student.

"Rock Lee, Sayaka-chan!"- He replied with energy that matched his sensei. 

|His body is interesting.|

'Why?'

|His chakra pathways are arranged in such a way that makes him utterly talentless in ninjutsu and genjutsu.|

'That's odd. He doesn't seem to have poor chakra capacity, though.'

"Lee-kun, do you have trouble with ninjutsu and genjutsu?"- Sayaka's question dimmed the light in his eyes, and he balled his hands into fists.

Seeing his student's reaction, Guy answered for him. 

"My student isn't very talented in those fields. Will that be a problem?"- Guy asked, placing a reassuring hand on Lee's head.

"No? Why would it be?"- Sayaka looked at him curiously.

"Because Rock Lee is famous for not being able to use ninjutsu or genjutsu at all."- Neji answered, knowing of Lee's reputation. 

"But that's not a problem. You can mold chakra, right?"- Sayaka asked Rock Lee.

"Ehmm, yes. I can mold it."- Rock Lee replied, slightly downcast. 

"Then all you need to do is perfect your chakra control. You could replicate ninjutsu or genjutsu like the others. You simply can't use normal jutsu because your pathways are different—way different."- Sayaka explained.

Her comment left both the sensei and student duo tilting their heads in confusion. 

"... You don't know what I'm talking about, do you?"- Sayaka asked, noticing even her friends looked confused.

"Could you explain, please?"- Chōji asked. He was curious, having heard about Rock Lee's situation from his father.

"You can cast a fireball with hand signs or with pure chakra control and chakra nature manipulation. Let's use this jutsu created by the Fourth Hokage: Rasengan."- The name made Naruto perk up.

"You don't need hand signs—you only use chakra manipulation."- In Sayaka's tiny hand, a Rasengan appeared, white as the color of her chakra.

"Rock Lee should be able to use this jutsu, but the way his body learns it would be different from how Ino, Neji, Hinata, Chōji, Shikamaru, or Naruto would learn it because Rock Lee's chakra pathways are too distinct."- Sayaka absorbed the chakra back and dispelled the Rasengan.

"I hadn't thought of that."- Guy admitted thoughtfully.

"He would have his own path, but technically he should still be able to use ninjutsu and genjutsu once he learns nature transformation."- Sayaka clarified.

"What's nature transformation, Sayaka-chan?"- Chōji asked again.

"Take this cloud of chakra."- Sayaka exhaled a fog of visible chakra.

"Use nature transformation, and you can turn it into fire."- She demonstrated, turning the fog into a breath of fire.

"With hand signs, you use a shortcut to reach the same result."- Sayaka dispersed the fire breath and glanced at the surprised group.

"So, I can use ninjutsu like the rest?"- Lee asked, hopeful.

"No, were you not listening? You need to create your own chakra system. It won't be ninjutsu; you could call it whatever you like—Rockjutsu? Leejutsu? The point is that it would be an entirely different system. Good luck!"- Sayaka gave him a thumbs-up with a wink, mimicking his sensei.

From that day on, Rock Lee joined the group in training and cleaning the Uchiha compound. Might Guy visited often at first but soon had to leave the village on a mission. He was part of the squad tasked with hunting Itachi Uchiha.

Late at night, after the third consecutive day of cleaning, Sayaka floated home after flying the children to their houses. When she arrived, she found Kahoi waiting for her, or as he was known in the village, Elder Kahoi Futagami.

Kahoi had founded the Futagami clan, which joined Konohagakure during its early days. To maintain appearances, he used a special variant of transformation jutsu to appear as a wizened, weathered old man.

"Hello, Kahoi! What a pleasant surprise."- Sayaka said, floating toward him and greeting him with a hug around his neck.

"Aya-sama, as lovely as always."- Kahoi replied, rubbing her tiny back as he returned the hug.

To avoid suspicion, the Futagami clan rarely approached Eiko Senju or Sayaka Uchiha, mostly communicating through the Hashshashin.

"Follow me; you can tell me what this visit is about."- Sayaka invited him.

Once inside, she served him lemon pie and tea. It was late for sweets, but neither cared.

"Sayaka-chan, there's been a new development I thought you might want to know about regarding Danzo Shimura's investigation, among other news that will soon reach the village."- Kahoi began.

"Do tell. I'm interested in knowing what tragedies my dear old playmate has orchestrated."- Sayaka replied.

"It's about the cause of the Third Ninja War. It all goes back to when Mito Senju almost destroyed Kumogakure and Iwagakure, killing their four jinchūriki during her rampage. After the Second Ninja War, Kumo and Iwa were left in such a devastated state that Hanzo was considering declaring Amegakure a Great Ninja Village since his village was doing better than theirs."

"Their respective daimyōs had to heavily invest in the repair and aid of their ninja villages if they wanted them to remain functional. It also took a while to recapture their tailed beasts after they were reborn because they lacked the manpower to subdue them. Kumogakure managed better using the Amber Purifying Pot, but Iwa was in disrepair."

"Kirigakure and Konohagakure were the only villages doing relatively well after the war, which created an imbalance. Under Hiruzen Sarutobi's leadership, Konoha remained passive and didn't seem interested in subjugating the weakened villages. This was partly because the daimyō of the Land of Fire was more interested in controlling these countries through political maneuvers rather than conquest."

"It was a sound decision, given how likely the shinobi would have been to rebel if subjugated by their enemy."- Sayaka commented.

"Kirigakure was odd. Initially, they kept to themselves, but over time, they became crazed, coveting land, even though it was unrealistic for them to hold onto it even if they succeeded."

"Madara's doing."- Sayaka confirmed, to which Kahoi nodded.

"They still weren't attacking Konoha, mostly skirmishing with Kumo and Iwa, but something changed—or rather, someone gave them an opening."

"Mummy."- Sayaka guessed.

"Yes, Aya-sama. Danzo Shimura had advocated for Hiruzen to take advantage of the weakened villages and wipe them out for good. Danzo was vocal about it; he even sought support from my clan. The Futagami, Uchiha, and Hyūga clans backed him, but Hiruzen was in his prime, and only the Hyūga could have opposed him—at least officially—but they didn't want to start an open conflict with the Hokage."

"I'm not happy to admit it, but Mummy was right. If they'd destroyed Kumo and Iwa, we'd probably be close to lasting peace by now."- Sayaka grumbled in resignation.

"I thought you'd say that."- Kahoi smiled tenderly at her expression.

"Danzo, feeling cornered, decided to initiate the Third Ninja War to take out Kumo and Iwa during the conflict. He leaked information, pulled some strings, and incited Kumo and Iwa to start an armed conflict in the Land of Rice. However, the conflict didn't escalate as needed to start a full war because the daimyōs interfered, trying to keep Konoha out of it."

"In response, Danzo leaked information about Konoha to Kiri. In their crazed state, they couldn't hold back and launched attacks on the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Forest, forcing Konoha to respond. Danzo coordinated for Sakumo Hatake to take a mission to kill a Kiri high commander and staged the mission's failure. The attempt on the Kiri-nin's life enraged them further, sparking an all-out war with Konoha."

"I can guess what happened next. Kumo and Iwa saw Konoha was busy with Kiri and decided to grab land from Konoha, and before anyone knew it, they were in a free-for-all, right?"- Sayaka asked with exasperation, a hint of disappointment in her eyes.

"The order was a little different, but the outcome was the same, Aya-sama."- Kahoi chuckled.

"This leads me to the news I wanted to share. The Third Ninja War was Kumo and Iwa's last attempt to recover from their earlier losses, which—as we know—went terribly wrong. Kumo maintained its rivalry with Konoha because the Raikage was too stubborn to admit defeat. Admitting defeat would mean their official fall from the Great Ninja Villages."

"So?"- Sayaka asked, intrigued.

"Kumo and Iwa just merged into an official alliance. This is their response to fight back against their shared adversity."

"... What?"- Sayaka asked, stunned.

'How is that possible? I thought they all hated each other.'

|They're being manipulated. Remember the attacks on various countries by the 'Sand People.'|

"Is this Danzo's doing?"- Sayaka asked.

"Yes. We don't know the full extent of his plan, but the staged attacks from Sunagakure and the leaked information about you made these two villages fear Sunagakure more than anything else. Two days ago, the Tsuchikage and Raikage, with their daimyōs as witnesses, signed the alliance."

|Either he's trying to make Sunagakure and you the common enemy to achieve peace, or he's just being shortsighted, aiming to curb Sunagakure's growth by using the other villages to harass them—and possibly find a way to safely eliminate you after extracting your knowledge.|

'Yeah, one of those sounds more like my playmate than the other.'

"So messy, as always. Well, this doesn't change much for us."- Sayaka concluded.

"Not at the moment, but since Konoha has been the least affected by the staged attacks, the Alliance might try to pressure Konoha into joining to prove they're not complicit with Sunagakure."- Kahoi added.

"... Ugh, this feels like the start of another war."- Sayaka lamented.

"Possibly, but based on the intel you've given us, by the time the Fourth War begins, Black Zetsu should be making his move."- Kahoi explained.

"Ah, I see. It won't matter much then, since they'll all lose their weapons of mass destruction and try to kill Akatsuki."- Sayaka surmised.

Kahoi and Sayaka spent the rest of the evening exchanging information—Sayaka about Black Zetsu, and Kahoi about the world.

__________________________

Abeyance.

To Mikoto, waking up in Abeyance was easier than acknowledging that she was awake.

When she first opened her eyes after the massacre of her clan, she found herself embraced in the strong yet lithe arms of someone.

She didn't know who this was, but she felt such a sense of comfort that she wanted to lie to herself, believing she didn't need to wake up. She didn't need to face reality—she could simply ignore everything and rest in these arms.

She didn't need to confront what her husband and older son had done to her. Or so she wanted to tell herself.

"Mikoto?"- She heard a soft voice from behind her, coming from the person holding her.

"…Kushina?"- Mikoto asked, turning slowly and finding her long-dead friend—the only true friend, aside from Sayaka Uchiha, she had ever made.

"Hello, Mikoto."- Kushina tightened her hold on her.

"What's going on?"- Mikoto asked in alarm, though she didn't pull away from the warm embrace of her friend.

"Sayaka saved you and brought you here."- Kushina said, gently raising a hand to Mikoto's face and tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

A flurry of thoughts ran through Mikoto's mind in an instant, her kunoichi training subconsciously desensitizing her from her inner turmoil. She had many questions, but managed to compose herself.

"Is this the place where Sayaka said your soul was stored?"- Mikoto asked.

"Mmmm, I don't know exactly what she told you, but this place is called Abeyance. It's a separate dimension connected to her soul. People like me, who died, can reform here if she marked them while they were alive. But people like you, who arrive with their bodies, can also be accepted. In other words, I'm dead, and you're technically not."- Kushina explained, oversharing to bring Mikoto up to speed.

"I'm not dead?"- Mikoto touched her stomach, trying to find the wound where her son had driven a sword through her.

"Yes. Sayaka used this pendant to forcibly move your body here in case of fatal danger."- Kushina pointed to the pendant hanging limply from Mikoto's neck.

Mikoto looked at the necklace, remembering that Sayaka had gifted it to her two birthdays ago.

"…My boys?"- Her voice wavered as she forced herself to ask the question.

"Itachi is alive and has defected from Konohagakure. Sasuke is alive and hospitalized, but he should make a full recovery in a couple of days, according to Sayaka."- Kushina replied quickly.

"Can I see him?"- Mikoto asked.

"Itachi or Sasuke?"- Kushina asked.

"Sasuke... Itachi made his choice. I don't think he wants me to be part of his life—he made that clear... What happened to Fugaku, by the way?"- She snarled when she said Fugaku's name.

"Sayaka unsaved him after he confessed what he did to you."- Kushina replied, petting Mikoto reassuringly, sensing the toll it took on her to speak of Itachi.

"Unsaved him?"

"Yeah, she had saved him here, but then she unsaved him and let him go to the Pure Lands, which he was so eager to reach—and drag you to as well."- Kushina cursed under her breath.

"She killed him?"

"Technically, he was willing to die with you and the Uchiha. Since Sayaka saved him, she considered it a pause in his journey to death. When she learned what he did, she simply let him continue that journey. Or so she said. But yes, she killed him after saving him."- Kushina explained.

"No!"- Mikoto cried.

"Ehmm, what? You wanted him alive?"- Kushina asked, confused.

"Yes! I wanted to kill him myself! I have all this rage inside me—what am I supposed to do with it now?"- Mikoto's Mangekyō Sharingan activated, the pattern a simple triangle with a pupil in the center.

"I'm sure Sayaka can revive him in a few years if you want to take it out on him."- Kushina suggested with a slight twitch of her lips.

"That's... acceptable."- Mikoto murmured as she began to calm down.

After her outburst, Kushina explained more about Abeyance, what happened to the Uchiha, and who Sayaka truly was.

__________________________

Konohagakure.

Almost a week after the Uchiha Fire, Sayaka hovered at the exit of the hospital. Sasuke had been discharged.

He was but a husk of what once had been a hateful child to Sayaka and a loving child to his family.

There was only rage, pain, sadness, and vengeance left in him.

"..."- He stood silently, gazing at Sayaka.

It seemed like he was glaring at her, but Sayaka, who had known his glares since childhood, knew he was not. He was feeling remorseful, if the guilt blasting through her empathy sense was to be believed.

Sayaka was right to surmise this.

After waking up, Sasuke had met with several shinobi tasked with getting the full story from him, including the Hokage. He learned that the only one who opposed his brother was Sayaka Uchiha, the girl he had hated fiercely.

"You don't have to look at me with so much guilt, Sasuke. I didn't do it for the clan. Now, let's go—you'll live with me until further notice."- Sayaka spoke flatly.

"With you? Why?"- Sasuke replied, gnashing his teeth. He was torn between the hate he had always felt for her and the gratitude that, no matter the reason, she had at least fought for his clan.

"My house is protected with layers upon layers of scripture. It's the only structure left in the Uchiha Compound."- Sayaka didn't wait for permission; she lifted him and flew to her house.

She flew fast enough for Sasuke to swallow whatever questions he had. He didn't have a chance to ask any before they arrived at the Uchiha plot.

"See for yourself."- Sayaka pointed.

A blackened, empty plot of land—one house still intact in a distant corner.

"...This... It can't be."- Sasuke fought hard to swallow the tears building in his eyes.

"You should thank Naruto, Hinata, Shikamaru, Ino, Chōji, Neji, and Lee when you have the mind to do so. They helped me clean up the place."- Sayaka said, looking away from him. She thought it might help him maintain some of his pride.

Sasuke's silence was his answer, and Sayaka brought them down to her house.

"The kitchen is to the left. I'm in charge of cooking, so don't worry about that. There's a bathroom at the end of the corridor. At the back, there's an open bath if you prefer that. The training room is next to your room. I used scripture to expand it, so don't be surprised if it's bigger inside. That's the living room, and that's my room. Welcome to your temporary home. I hope we get along enough."- Sayaka said, giving him a rushed tour. She smiled at the end.

"...Thank you... I don't have clothes... or money... I think."- Sasuke said, struggling to admit he needed help.

"There are clothes in your room. I prepared them beforehand. Don't worry about money. I'll give you an allowance twice a month."- Sayaka replied, with Naruto and Hinata's help procuring the clothing.

"You will?"- Sasuke found it strange.

"As the more experienced one between us in handling money, I'll assume temporary control of the Uchiha finances until you've grown up enough, or until you prove you're capable. But with how filled your heart is with vengeance, I doubt you'll dedicate any effort to learning commerce or anything unrelated to killing Itachi. Am I right?"- Sayaka commented absentmindedly.

"What do you know?!"- Sasuke exclaimed, irritated by her tone.

"Choose your enemies wisely, Sasuke."- Sayaka said, ignoring his outburst.

"You!"- Sasuke shouted, his anger growing.

Her white orbs, looking at him with no expression, as if he were insignificant, bothered him to no end. They reminded him of the dismissive look in his brother's eyes.

"Yeah, me. Sasuke... *sigh*... it doesn't matter."- Sayaka swallowed whatever advice she had been about to give him. No Indra reincarnation ever took advice from her.

"Be mad at me if you want; I don't care. Just be courteous while we live under the same roof. Once I've prepared a house for you, you can go back to glaring at me from a distance, and I'll go back to ignoring you, just like always."- Sayaka teleported to her room before the little avenger could explode.

Contrary to expectations, their cohabitation was mostly without problems.

Sasuke would wake up, shower, and then head to the dining room. Breakfast would float out from the unmanned kitchen, which took him a while to get used to. To avoid giving him reasons to burst the fragile bubble of his anger, Sayaka cooked from her room, and the meals floated to him when he sat down to eat.

Afterward, the utensils would float back to the kitchen and clean themselves. Sasuke would spend the rest of his time in the training room, which was as big as the Chūnin Exams' Arena, until lunchtime. When it was time for lunch, the ground would shape into a table and chair, and his meal would float in through the door.

More training followed, then another shower before dinner. Though they lived together, days could pass without them seeing each other.

Sayaka often flew to Naruto's house in the morning, walking with him to Hinata's before heading to the academy. She spent her days annoying Naruto's ANBU or playing with her chakra, occasionally dealing with assassins after her bounty. After training the kids in Hinata's home, she escorted them home before returning to her house. Because of this, she and Sasuke could go days without crossing paths.

Sasuke was different from Naruto, whom she was caring for. Despite her friendship with Mikoto, Sayaka didn't take Sasuke's wellbeing too seriously.

There were many reasons for this. Among them, not wanting to take responsibility for a brat who had hated her his whole life was one. But the main reason was that Itachi had left Sasuke broken.

Sasuke thought of nothing but killing Itachi. Sayaka had seen it in how he trained, studied, and learned ninjutsu from the library she built for him using Uchiha scrolls she had saved. Everything revolved around killing Itachi.

While it's true she could have helped him, even using telepathy to mend his mind, she saw no reason to do so.

Aside from her disgust for Indra's chakra—despite her relationship with Naruto proving she could overcome that—Sayaka saw in Sasuke many of the traits that were wrong with the world. Why help someone who would twist her assistance into a tool for killing Itachi?

Maybe she was being selfish—she definitely was—but she had done enough for everyone around her in her previous lives, she was tired of that.

Sayaka wasn't opposed to Sasuke claiming revenge. Denying him that would be too hypocritical. The problem was that vengeance had consumed him entirely. Even with the subtle mental healing she did through his dreams—on Mikoto's behalf—Sasuke always cycled back to his hatred for Itachi.

Sayaka had even slipped a few scrolls into the library detailing ways to revive his clan. Sasuke barely glanced at them, briefly considering using them to defeat Itachi, only to dismiss the idea.

Sasuke lived so deeply in his brother's shadow that he couldn't conceive of reviving his clan while Itachi still lived.

"Sayaka."- One day, Sasuke knocked on her door.

'Yes?'- He heard her voice in his head—something else he had grown used to.

"Is it true you can bring people back from the dead?"- Sasuke asked.

'Who told you that?'- Sayaka replied, surprised by his sudden interest.

"Rumors are going around the village. They say you can bring the dead back, but you don't because you don't care about your clan."- Sasuke explained.

Sayaka opened the door, giving Sasuke a glimpse of the massive inside of her room. He began to understand why she rarely left.

"You want me to bring back the Uchiha?"- Sayaka asked bluntly.

"No... Itachi would return and kill them all the same. I'm just letting you know that people are talking."- Sasuke said. In his vengeance-driven mind, he believed Itachi would simply return and slaughter the Uchiha again.

"I see. Thanks for the heads-up. And yes, I can—but not without losing my life."- Sasuke nodded at her words and headed for the training room.

'Mummy?'

[Possibly, but I don't understand what he's aiming at.]

'Let's see... if I were a withering mummy with two main fetishes—the Hokage seat and protecting the village—the latter being questionable given how much harm he's done... If I were him, I'd see myself as a loose end. He probably wanted to use me to drive a wedge into the Uchiha. Now that the clan's gone, he likely views me as a threat to his aspirations.'

[I don't think he believes you want the Hokage seat for yourself, but maybe he thinks that since he gained your enmity, you might oppose him if he ever has a real shot at the position.]

'Which would imply he thinks he might have a chance at it someday and that my peaceful existence in the village could somehow be an obstacle.'

[So either he recently gained something that he believes gives him a chance, or he found a path to the Hokage seat that you would block... but nothing realistic comes to mind.]

'Me neither. Should we ask the Grumpy Fox for some chakra and drop an explosion or two on him?'

[He's moved his base under a populated area now.]

'That's unfortunate, no explosions then.'

A few months passed, and Sasuke's house was ready. Sayaka moved the scroll library to his new place, and they officially stopped being roommates.

There wasn't a tearful goodbye or anything like that. Sayaka built his house right in the middle of the Uchiha plot, and it was a grand structure resembling a small castle.

Sayaka thought that if Sasuke ever planned to make the Uchiha great again, he'd need a harem—hence the house's size.

She even sneaked in a few scrolls about sexual education and a book titled "How to Repopulate Your Clan 101."

'I've done enough.'

[More than enough. Mikoto can't complain now.]

Initially, Sayaka had offered to bring Mikoto back to life and raise her son, but Mikoto said the village would likely kill her if she were 'resurrected'. So instead, she asked Sayaka to just ensure Sasuke had the necessities for life.

Mikoto was saddened by Sasuke's obsession with his brother, but she understood there wasn't much Sayaka could do without being intrusive. Mikoto even thought about writing a fake will or letter to Sasuke, saying that Sayaka had made a pact with her. However, every option she considered seemed to end with Sasuke against either the village or Sayaka, and in Mikoto's opinion, those were worse opponents than Itachi.

Her inability to help her child because of the village's constraints filled her with rage. But she was too busy helping to raise the new Uchiha babies to dwell on something she couldn't change, and that helped her mental health somewhat.

A year passed, and not much changed in their lives.

"Sayaka-chan, I think this year you've taken my spot as the most hated in the village."- Naruto commented as they walked through the village to buy ingredients for a recipe he asked Hinata's mom to try.

"I can see that. I think it's funny, no?"- Sayaka replied. As they moved through the crowd, eyes filled with scorn and revulsion darted between Naruto and Sayaka.

Not everyone treated Naruto that way, though. Shinobi recognized Naruto for who he was, so it was rare to see a shinobi glaring at him. Most avoided him, not wanting to get involved in the affairs of the council and their weapon of mass destruction.

Sayaka, however, was a different story. Few shinobi liked her. She was an outsider to the village and openly showed how little she cared about that. That's why Naruto said she'd taken his spot.

"Funny? How?"- Naruto asked.

"Because I could crush these worms, and they couldn't do anything about it. I just don't because they are worms, and I'm a dragoness. Do you think a dragoness cares about the ridicule of worms? I barely even notice them. Imagine it for a second: a huge dragoness minding her own business, and in some dark corner, a few worms filled with scorn. Isn't that hilarious?"- Sayaka spoke loudly enough for others to hear.

Naruto's ANBU, already accustomed to dealing with her, shook their heads in disapproval. But they knew better than to trifle with Sayaka.

The villagers, fearful of the rumors about her, shivered and quickly looked away, focusing on anything but the 'Fox Demon' and the 'Dragoness'.

"Pfft! Hahahaha!"- Naruto burst into laughter. The combination of imagining worms scorning a dragoness and the villagers' coordinated reaction to Sayaka's words amused him.

That evening, when Naruto returned home, a message awaited him on his kamidana.

{Would you like to summon your inner fox companion?} The message read.

"My inner fox companion? Is it talking about the orange fox sealed inside me?"- Naruto wondered aloud.

'I don't see why not'- He thought.

Naruto trusted the entity behind the kamidana more than almost anyone, with Hinata being the only exception. But that was him playing favorites—Sayaka had taught him that the smart choice is always to prioritize your partner.

"Sure."- Naruto confirmed aloud.

The ANBU outside panicked when they heard his words and tried to storm his house, but a barrier of isolation stopped them.

Showing quick thinking, the squad leader immediately sent one subordinate to fetch the Hokage and another to find Sayaka.

Inside, Naruto felt a prick on his thumb, and a thin string of blood began flowing. His shirt and undershirt were removed, and the blood scribbled over the now-revealed seal on his stomach, eventually covering his torso and back.

Naruto received a sudden input of information and performed the necessary hand signs.

"[Summoning Jutsu: Nine-Tails]."- Naruto said.

With a poof, his room filled with tails and fluff. An orange fox the size of a minivan appeared.

"You!"- Naruto pointed at the fox, recognizing it from his dreams.

"..."- The fox looked around, seeming to hear something, then let out a heavy sigh.

"Hello, brat."- The fox said before lying down and assuming a sleeping position.

"Uh... want some kung pao chicken?"- Naruto asked.

This clearly wasn't what the fox had expected, but given the strange way Naruto had been raised and his trust in the kamidana, he saw the fox as a friend and immediately tried to be a good host, reasoning that the fox might be hungry after being sealed for so long.

'That monster raised him so weirdly, even for my standards.'- The fox thought.

"Sure, brat."- The fox agreed.

Naruto's seal was different from those of other jinchūriki. Since Minato knew Kushina didn't have a bad relationship with the Nine-Tails, the seal was more lax. This allowed the fox to experience the outside world through Naruto's senses.

While there were things he didn't want to feel through Naruto, the positives outweighed the negatives—one of the main benefits being the chance to taste Sayaka's cooking.

Naruto, after Sayaka, ate better than anyone in the village. The quality and variety of his meals, thanks to Lucian's knowledge of thousands of recipes, was unmatched.

Now that the Nine-Tails was partially outside the seal, he wanted to experience Sayaka's cooking firsthand.

"Give me a few minutes to set the table and find you a big enough bowl."- Naruto said, running to the kitchen, excited to share a meal with someone.

Naruto was an odd kid. Calm and collected, educated and eloquent, but terrible at making friends. Most of his friendships, except for those at Rāmen Ichiraku, were thanks to Sayaka. So he didn't know how to start friendships on his own. It wasn't that he wasn't friendly; he just didn't know how to approach it. That's why, instead of doing something else, he offered the fox food—because he knew how to be a good host.

'Isn't he adorably clumsy?'- Sayaka asked the fox telepathically.

'He's strange—different from you, but strange all the same. Kushina wasn't as... needy. Though she craved affection just as much, her character wasn't as trusting as his.'- The fox replied.

'That's because he trusts me... or rather, he trusts the kamidana.'

'Why don't you introduce yourself to him properly?'

'Because I might have to leave the village in a bad light.'

'Are you going after the one who killed Nawaki Senju?'

'Yes. Danzo was also involved in the deaths of Kushina and Minato, as well as the Uchiha Massacre.'

'That human is like a cancer. I'm surprised you haven't dealt with him yet.'

'There are reasons. But don't worry, he won't last more than a few years. I'm just waiting for Naruto to be strong enough to protect himself, then I'll kill him.'

'You should take the Hokage with you.'

'Oh? You don't like him?'

'No. I hate manipulative humans like him. He did the same with Kushina, and now he's pretending to be a good grandfather to Naruto. I have to swallow the act. The only thing I hate more than Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha are manipulative, hypocritical humans like Hiruzen Sarutobi.'

'Hahaha, you're protective of your hosts. You've come a long way, Grumpy Fox.'

'Spare me.'- The fox retorted.

'I'll consider it.'- Sayaka teased. 'Maybe I'll take him down along with Mummy.'

'Really? Just because I asked?'

'I don't care much about him one way or another, but you matter to me—because of your connection to Kaguya and Naruto. So if you want me to kill him, I might consider it.'

'Then I'll be thankful if you do. Good riddance!'- The fox spat hatefully.

'Have fun, the Hokage is calling for me. P.S. Try the garlic bread.'

On the other side of the village, in contrast to the joyful ambiance in Naruto's house, a somber atmosphere lingered in the Hokage's office.

The two elders, the Hokage, and the heads of the Yamanaka and Nara clans stood opposite the floating last female Uchiha.

"Just ask, I don't bite."- Sayaka cut to the point.

"Sayaka, what did you do to the seal?"- Hiruzen asked.

"I modified it to allow the fox to come out without harming Naruto."- Sayaka stated, her words chilling them.

"You freed the Nine-Tails?!"- Koharu shouted in alarm.

The feeling of imminent dread was shared by everyone in the room, even the hidden ANBU.

"He was always free. I just allowed him to be safely free."- Sayaka answered, glaring at Koharu.

"What do you mean, Sayaka-chan?"- Shikaku Nara asked, his tranquil voice betraying the chaos in his mind.

"Shikaku, when Kushina sealed the fox in Naruto, the seal Minato created wasn't built to imprison the entirety of the fox—at least not if the fox fought back. I think the seal wasn't fully developed because Minato wasn't expecting the tragedy that befell them."- Sayaka explained.

"Are you saying the fox allowed itself to be sealed inside Naruto?"- Shikaku asked, eyes widening at the absurdity of the claim.

"The fox had a deal with Aya Uzumaki. His part of the deal was better fulfilled by staying inside Naruto."- Sayaka explained without elaborating.

"A deal? What kind of deal?"- Homura asked.

"Do you remember how initially Mito Senju couldn't fully use the power of the Nine-Tails, compared to other jinchūriki?"- Sayaka asked.

"... Yes, now that you mention it, during her youth, she couldn't use the Nine-Tails as skillfully as other jinchūriki. Her bloodline allowed her to use its chakra, but not as effectively as she should have been able to."- Homura replied.

It wasn't that Mito Senju was weaker than others—she wasn't—but considering the amount of chakra the Nine-Tails originally had, she should have been even more terrifying. She only reached that level of power near the end of her life, when she nearly destroyed two villages singlehandedly.

"Aya Uzumaki made a deal that purified the corrupting properties of the fox's chakra. That deal involved the fox cooperating with its hosts for several generations, Naruto included."- Sayaka said.

"Why would she do that? What did she gain?"- Koharu voiced what everyone was thinking.

"I don't need to answer that, do I?"- Sayaka replied curtly.

"Girl! The jinchūriki is the village's property and patrimony! Your meddling was tolerated because it aligned with our interests. But now? You freed the fox without consulting us! How can we guarantee it won't escape or attack us? How will you take responsibility if it turns on us?"- Koharu demanded, her voice full of trepidation and rage.

Though no one said it aloud, they all supported Koharu's questioning. They had all felt the immense power of the Nine-Tails before. It wasn't something easily forgotten—the chakra's oppressive weight, the despair it instilled, the devastation from its tailed beast bomb. They couldn't rationalize their fears after hearing Sayaka had freed the monster.

"... You humans are really something."- Sayaka muttered, making everyone in the room feel a pit in their stomachs as her words broke their momentum.

Slowly but surely, Sayaka's ascension toward godhood was changing her perspective. It wasn't that she had grown arrogant, but her evolving status gave her a new outlook on life. Her thousand-year journey from a bodiless soul desperate to help her only friend had matured her in many ways. Now, her apotheosis brought with it a colder view of humanity.

Part of this change stemmed from the countless disappointments humanity had dealt her. But it was also because she had lost the idealized view she once held of humans during her time in The Void with only Lucian for company.

"You should be grateful to the fox and Aya Uzumaki. Did your ears fail you when I said the fox could have escaped anytime? You should be groveling at his feet, thanking him for not leveling your rotten village all these years, while you treated his host like an unwanted pest."- Sayaka smiled sardonically at the 'adults' in the room. To her, they were children, immature and ungrateful children.

Though Koharu had been the one to question her, they all tacitly agreed with her stance.

"You're disgusting. I sometimes wonder why I tolerate your existence. Is there any worth to you? You can't pull your heads out of your asses for a moment. You shinobi are nothing but tools—tools of your Kages, your Daimyōs, your narrow-minded desires..."- Sayaka spoke with chilling calm.

"Let's do this. If the fox rebels, I'll resurrect anyone who dies and give you full access to my knowledge and skills. How about that?"- Sayaka offered.

Her knowledge and skills were priceless to them. They had seen what she had done for Naruto and how she inscribed her house for safety, they had seen how her tattooed scripture helped her grow powerfully every day, and they knew about the treasure of knowledge she held of the desert and its secrets.

Immortality? 

Sagehood?

Unthinkable technologies?

Agrarian reforms?

Health improvements?

Genetic enhancement?

Power?

Beauty?

Women?

Men?

Peace?

Might?

No matter what exorbitant wish ran through the minds of the Elders and the Hokage, they believed her knowledge and skills could grant it. She was like their own personal genie. 

They almost wanted the fox to rebel after hearing that counteroffer, maybe they could poke it and have it attack their village, perhaps they didn't need to go that far, maybe just find someone with a good Will of Fire and have it sacrifice themselves to it, it's all for the village's sake, they would understand. 

"You're disgusting."- Sayaka broke them out of their thoughts.

Shikaku and Inoichi initially didn't understand her cutting remark, but a quick glance at the greedy faces of their leaders revealed the truth. The disappointment they felt for their leaders was only matched by the shame under the scrutiny of Sayaka's cold, white eyes.

"Sayaka, this isn't about making deals for a possible tragedy. It's about the risk you've placed on the village by making a unilateral decision about something you had no authority over."- Hiruzen said after composing himself and realizing that Sayaka's offer was intended to expose their inner desires.

Sayaka gazed at him, emotionless.

"Hokage, should I seal the fox back? Would that satisfy you?"- She asked, though the smarter ones in the room knew it wasn't that simple.

"... The Nine-Tails would break free, wouldn't it?"- Shikaku's words set off a chain reaction of realizations.

"Maybe, maybe not. As I said, it was always free, but it stayed because of the deal with Aya Uzumaki. That debt is now mine. So if you keep this nonsense up, I could cancel it and reseal the fox. I wonder how many lives it would cost you just to drive it out of Konohagakure."

"We never had a choice, did we?"- Inoichi concluded.

"You approached Naruto with this plan from the beginning."- Hiruzen added.

"I think you're mistaking me for yourself, Hokage. You're the one who likes to act like Naruto's grandfather, even though you're responsible for his opprobrium. I would have approached Naruto later if you hadn't been trying to starve him. Who in their right mind drives a two-year-old out of an orphanage?"- Sayaka said as she floated to the window.

"This conversation is as pointless as you are. I reseal the fox, it escapes and levels the village. So? What's the point of talking?"- She said, to their dismay.

"Girl, you could upgrade the seal. Place one like the one Kushina Uzumaki had."- Homura suggested.

"For someone who's supposed to 'advise', it's a wonder you haven't lost your job. You should be grateful for Hiruzen's nepotism."- Sayaka said disdainfully before flying away.

After that, the village took a more respectable distance from Sayaka—more than before. On the side of Naruto, there were not many changes. He had the presence of mind to only 'summon' the Nine-Tails when he was at his home or in the private training grounds of the Hyūga.

For a kid whose positive interactions could be counted with his fingers, having the fox in his private life meant a huge support to him.

Naruto started to receive jutsu after that year through his kamidana. Initially, Sayaka was not sure about which fighting method he would lean towards. It was clear he wanted to focus on Speed-CQC due to his father's legacy, but that didn't mean that would be his sole focus. 

Sayaka taught him a few things to discover where his talents lay. 

Unlike his 'fiancée', he was not built for long-distance combat, his skill with the bow was laughable. Shurikenjutsu was a no, and he could barely do with a kunai. Katanas and all of its variations were not his thing. 

Naruto tended to lean heavily on CQC. So Sayaka—through the kamidana—taught him an original form of chakra coating for his arms and legs. She took inspiration from the Susanoo of Indra Uchiha—the one she had seen multiple times.

This form of chakra coating would allow Naruto to arm his extremities with armor, meant to be both defensive and offensive. 

Taking a page of his new companion's shape, the armor took the form of clawed hands and legs. Its cutting edge worked in a similar way to the chakra scalpel, except it didn't require the dextrous and delicate control the chakra scalpel demanded. 

By the end of that year, Sayaka had taught him the basics of his father's space-time ninjutsu. From that point, it was a matter of practice and dedication. With Hinata by his side, he always had an able sparring body.

The following year, during the first month, Sayaka answered a call on her door at the late hours of the day from a guest she didn't expect. 

Sasuke was all beaten up covered in dried blood and filth. 

"Who beat you up?"- Sayaka asked as she made way for him to enter her house. 

"..."- Sasuke didn't want to speak and gnashed his teeth while balling his hands into fists. 

Sayaka was used to dealing with his broodiness, so she patiently guided him to a chair and started healing him with her glowing green hands. 

"You even know medical jutsu."- He said with some badly concealed self-depreciation.

"I know more jutsu than this village. So? Who beat you up? Do you need me to go and break a few bones? Or maybe make some humans disappear?"- Sayaka and Sasuke were very distant from each other. 

There was no hate in their relationship—there never was from Sayaka and after growing up Sasuke lost the hate he had for her—but that didn't mean they were close. 

If the blame had to be placed on someone it would be Sasuke's growing environment. Monkey see, monkey do. He saw how his clan hated Sayaka and he imitated them. 

Yet, after living with her for some time and learning that she was the only one defending his clan that night, he lost his previous preconceptions of her, but the damage was already done. 

This was not to say that Sayaka wouldn't stand up for him, he was still Mikoto's child.

"Are you going to beat up Naruto if I ask?"- Sasuke asked, already knowing the answer. 

"Oh, so Naruto-kun beat you up. Was it sparring?"- Sayaka was not surprised about an Asura reincarnation fighting with an Indra reincarnation. 

"... Yes. I was completely bested..."- Sasuke said while his nails dug into his palms as he remembered the beat down he took. 

"That is to be expected."- Sayaka didn't mince her words. 

She was done healing him and sat opposite him, she made a few desserts float from her fridge and a chilled milk tea. 

"To be expected? Why?"- He spat.

"I don't think there's anyone who trains more than I do. I spend every free hour of my day training, trying to improve, trying to get closer to that man's power, I sleep only four hours a day!..."- He was breathing hard and glaring at Sayaka, not because he had a problem with her, but because he had a problem with life and was taking out on her.

"And it's all useless... Naruto spends a few hours every couple of days or so training under you and he has enough strength to pummel me down while trying to hold back! If it was only him I could understand that maybe it is a matter of talent, but Hinata is not far from him, sometimes she appears stronger than him... Sayaka... What am I doing wrong? Am I wasting my time with this? Will I never be able to claim that man's life?... I just..."- Sasuke's outburst stopped as if something was blocking him.

"Need help?"- Sayaka asked as if filing in the words he was too prideful to speak. 

"... I... please."- Sasuke's pride caved in, and all it took was the continuous beatdowns from Hinata and Naruto, plus the humiliation of knowing it was done while they were holding back. Seeing the rest of their friends visibly improving made things worse for him.

He leaned on the only person who somewhat supported him in his life. Yes, their relationship was in no way close. Yes, he had hated her for longer than he hadn't. Yes, she looked at him with the same cold eyes she bore the villagers. But, even so, he knew Sayaka supported him if he asked. 

'What do you think? Should I put aside my provenly based conceptions of him and try to fix him one more time?'

[You don't sound so willing.]

'Because I'm not. I'm sure that whatever I teach him he will distort into something for his vengeance or ignore it.'

[Yet, you feel culpable toward Mikoto.]

'Yes, I see so much of my friend in him and then I start to remember Mikoto's face filled with depression and guilt back in Abeyance... and I feel like maybe I should give half a shit and try to help Sasuke like I'm doing Naruto, but then I remember how he thinks and acts and I... I... Just feel like it's not worth my time... I'm torn between Mikoto's friendship and Sasuke's stupidity... I don't even feel as much revulsion for Indra's chakra in him as I feel for his character. If he had Madara's character I would be happy to help him. But Sasuke only thinks about following a path that at best will bring him to his death. At best!'

[Do you want me to give it a shot?]

'You?... No mental manipulation, right?'

[Not of the psionic type.]

'So the normal type... Maybe I'm not so reluctant about it... What do you have in mind?'

[I'm going to make him realize the faults in his clan and distance himself from the idea of Konohagakure. Then I will slowly make him understand that the village was involved in the ending of his clan.]

'Won't that simply turn him against Konohagakure?'

[Not if he turns individualistic and self-centered, and finds a new objective.]

'Individualistic? How?'

[Making him see the clan for its faults and how its ending could have been averted if the clan was led by capable leaders.]

'Are you trying to make him turn against the memory of his clan? Is that possible? Martyrs are faultless, you know?'

[Yes, but we will have to make sure to kill the leadership of Konohagakure and involve him in their ends.]

'That's alright, I was half a mind into killing them either way.'

[Yes, if we give him closure about the wrong that the village did to him and make him feel like he is a victim of both his clan and the village then he will have to find another thing to focus on, he will have to start thinking by himself and for himself.]

'You're not wrong in that he is a victim of his clan and this village, he was just a child after all.'

[If we manage to make him see the death of Itachi as a second-place priority we won't have to worry about vengeance dictating his life, that should make Mikoto happy.]

'And this new objective you have in mind for him?'

[The restoration of his clan.]

'You're not thinking of making me his broodmare, are you?'

[No, not unless you want to be his broodmare.]

'Ok, fine. Just asking.'

[I will be needing some of your eggs, though.]

'... Gestational surrogacy?'

[Indeed.]

'This... might work.'

[Yes, we will need to manipulate him carefully, but it might work. Also, considering that Mikoto's grandchildren will be technically yours, she will be more agreeable to the idea.]

'You're assuming that from the Uchiha we saved only Mikoto will want to return.'

[I don't think Izumi or her mother would want to return to the world that got rid of them, they also have no ties to this world, Shisui is in a similar situation. The babies will be raised as born and bred residents of Abeyance, they would feel as much connection to the Uchiha as you feel to Essex.]

'I feel like we will be playing matchmaking for Mister Broody here... Somehow, I'm thrilled about it. Taking the reincarnation of Hogoromo's child and twisting him into something irreconcilable makes me shiver—the good type of shivering—and considering that Indra and Asura were as much my grandchildren as they were Kaguya's I feel entitled to do so. I like this idea of yours, Luci.'

[I've been thinking about it since I saw how you felt about Mikoto and Sasuke's development.]

'I love you, Luci. Go ahead, take over, transform this reincarnation of Indra into something his predecessor would both dread and be proud of while being ashamed at the same time.'

"Sasuke Uchiha, I can help you. With a few conditions."- Lucian asked while taking over Sayaka.

"I don't expect charity, Sayaka."- Still as prideful as ever, Sasuke said.

"It will be pretty much charity, Sasuke. Don't get the wrong idea, you have nothing of value to me. I'm doing this because of my relationship with Mikoto... And I meant it when I said conditions, I didn't mean that I wanted payment from you."- Lucian said, talking savagely, speaking only in facts.

"... What are your conditions?"- Sasuke had never felt as humiliated as this before in his life, but he knew that Sayaka was probably the most direct person he had met in his life.

"I will train you and you won't fight me back, no matter how stupid you think my instructions are; that's my first condition. The second is for you to listen to a story from me."- Sayaka raised her index and middle finger in gesticulation. 

"A story?"- Sasuke had no qualms about the first condition.

"It's the story of the Uchiha Clan from the perspective of one Sayaka Uchiha."- Sayaka pointed with her index and her chest. 

"... I agree."- He didn't see why not.

"Then let's start with the story: Once upon a time a clan of very prideful yet big-hearted individuals existed."- Lucian spoke as if retelling a children's story. 

"They were outwardly cold and could never admit to their faults or feelings unless they were on their deathbed. Yet they understood each other very well, so there was hardly any in-fighting. The clan was one of the two founding clans of Konohagakure, and even when their strongest abandoned the village, the clan didn't because they loved their village."

"Times of war abounded, the clan fought fiercely in the frontlines to protect their village and companions. They were an integral part of the village, but all of this changed slowly after the Second Hokage took the seat of power. Sasuke, what do you think is the relationship between the village and its leadership?"- Lucian asked.

"The village is led by its leadership?"- Sasuke answered as if that was obvious. 

"Do you think the leadership is part of the village?"- Lucian posed a conundrum.

"... They are not, as individuals they are, but as 'leadership' they are not."- Sasuke said after thinking for a few seconds. 

"Very well, if you had to equate the leadership-village to a parent-child relationship, who would be who?"- Lucian. 

"Although the leadership is born from the village, the village would be the child and the leadership the parent."- As individuals the leadership was born from the village, but in the hierarchy, the leadership stood atop.

"The roles of a parent are similar to the roles of the leadership of the village. A parent has to protect, feed, educate, heal, admonish, and guide their child into functioning adults, right?"- Lucian. 

"... Yes, there are other responsibilities, but you're right."- Sasuke thought about how a parent should also love their child. 

"The responsibilities of the village's leadership can be similar. There's the Ninja Academy in charge of education, the hospital in charge of healing, and the Hokage in charge of guiding, but who is the one who admonishes the child when it misbehaves?"- Lucian.

"... The police?"- Sasuke thought about the responsibility that his clan used to shoulder. 

"Right, the clan in this story was the one in charge of policing the village. What do you think about this, Sasuke?"- Lucian asked with a knowing faint smile. 

Sasuke didn't have much thoughts about this. What else is there to think? The Uchiha has always been the police of the village. 

"It was the honor of the clan to be in charge of the internal security of Konohagakure."- Sasuke replied with the textbook answer he had heard from his father before. 

"Sasuke, if between your parents Fugaku was in charge of only scolding you, would you love him the same as your mother? That's all he would do, no feeding, no loving, no guiding, no protecting, no educating, solely scolding you when you made a mistake, nothing more, nothing else. Would you still love him?"- Lucian asked an easy question.

"... No... Are you implying that the village hated our clan?"- Sasuke asked with a bewildered expression. 

He still remembers the pride and responsibility reflected in his father's eyes when he spoke about the police force. 

"Sasuke, if your father explained to you patiently where you made a mistake after scolding you would you feel the same? What if he gave you a detailed rulebook with explanations about which mistakes he would scold you for? What if he scolded you with an understanding expression and tried to explain to you how to avoid the next scolding?"- Lucian replied without answering his question. 

"... I don't think I would love him as I would my mother, but I wouldn't hate him."- Sasuke realized that his family dynamic was somewhat similar to the example. 

"Great, that's it for today. We will continue with the rest of the story as the training moves forward, alright?"- Lucian asked with a smile. 

"... Alright. I'll come by tomorrow."- Sasuke stood up in a contemplative mood.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow after classes."- Sayaka—this time, not Lucian posing as her—waved him goodbye. 

'So you plan to do it slowly.'

[You can't change an Uchiha abruptly unless you make him awaken his Sharingan or his Mangekyō Sharingan. Like Madara did with Obito.]

'Idiot clan made up of idiots!'

The next day, Sayaka waited at the end of the school day for Sasuke. Her friends exited first. 

"I won't be going with you guys today. We will also spend less time together for a while."- Sayaka explained from her sitting position while floating next to Hinata and Naruto. 

"Is the Hokage keeping you busy again, Sayaka-chan?"- Hinata asked her with a subtle frown. 

"No. I will be training Sasuke."

"That guy? He swallowed his pride and asked for help?"- Naruto asked with an expression of surprise mirroring the one on Hinata. 

"Well, you did beat him up badly. Besides, I was friends with his mother, I also feel bad sometimes when I see him throwing his life away in a futile pursuit of his idiot brother.

"... Well... Good luck, Sayaka-chan. We're not the ones who will have to deal with his 'upstanding' character."- Hinata spoke while looking at a tree a distance away from them. Sasuke's character was too upstanding for her to even speak seriously of it.

"Bye-bye, Sayaka-chan. I will miss you."- Naruto said with honey in his voice.

Sayaka saw them walk away and then looked at the tree Hinata was eyeing. 

"Let's go, Sasuke."- Sayaka said. 

Sasuke dropped from the tree and glared pointedly at her.

"Is that what you think?"- He asked, he had heard everything Sayaka said about him. 

"Sasuke, that's what you will grow to think as well. Now, stop wasting time trying to listen to explanations your pride won't allow you to understand."- Sayaka took hold of his body with a psionic grasp and flew to the Uchiha Mansion.

She unceremoniously dropped him to the ground and he fell on his feet, thanks to his reflexes, he looked back at her as if he had done something great only to meet her unimpressed expression. 

"I'll focus your training on Fire Release, Lightning Release, and Yin Release."- Sayaka—who had switched with Lucian—said, she observed him from head to toe, as if examining him. 

"Yin Release?"- Sasuke had a vague idea of what to was but was not sure.

"Genjutsu."- Lucian clarified. 

"I don't like cheap tricks!"- It was common knowledge that genjutsu couldn't kill, so Sasuke looked down on this form of chakra application. 

"Those cheap tricks are half of your brother's strength. It's also what put you in bed for so long."- Lucian pointed out his stupidity.

"... Nh."- He grunted.

"Use words, I don't speak grunting."- Lucian stared him down. 

"... Yes, Sayaka."

"You're gonna focus on katanas for close combat, and javelins for long distance. Lighting for close combat, fire for long distances. The maximum expression of lighting for long distances and the maximum expression of fire for close combat."- Lucian said.

"It's the other way around?"- Sasuke asked about the contradictory way in which Sayaka said it. 

Lucian made six clones and stationed them in a hexagram around them, the six clones erected a barrier, that imprisoned Lucian and Sasuke. Within the barrier, space started to expand, and before Sasuke knew it the area was large enough to fit a few Konohakagures in it.

Lucian pulled out a javelin that closely resembled its Olympic counterpart instead of the medieval type.

"When his Lightning Release Chakra Mode failed to keep up with a battle, or when close-quarters combat was not possible, the Third Raikage used javelins like this one to attack from a distance. He made use of his innate strength, reflexes, and sight further enhanced by his jutsu to take down enemies from a distance."- Lucian pulled out some binoculars from his storage script and handed them to Sasuke. 

He moved them to one side of the barrier and on the other side he made the ground lift up.

Lucian activated Lightning Release Chakra Mode to the maximum and enveloped the javelin in the same cloak. He took aim and before Sasuke could register that he had taken the shot, he saw a perfect hole in the target with cracks spiderwebbing out. 

He blinked and looked back at Sayaka's empty arm and then used the binoculars to look back at the target.

"In close combat, you will use this chakra mode because of its speed and penetrative power."- Lucian made a skeleton Susanoo of chakra appear around Sasuke and then pointed with a finger and slowly drove it through the skeleton's rib, only to stop before he pierced Sasuke's gut. 

"That chakra skeleton is called Susanoo, it's about the strongest defensive power your brother will ever have. As you can see, with this technique you could potentially kill your brother, just as much as you could protect yourself."- Lucian turned off the techniques. 

"Susanoo?"- Sasuke asked with curiosity abound.

"It's something you gain when you evolve your Sharingan to the level your brother did."- This statement made his eyes widen. 

"Then what's the Fire Release for?"- Sasuke remembered that she had said that it was for long distance and then close combat, but Lightning Release appeared to be an all-rounder to him. 

"Crowd control, distractions, torture, and because someone could counter the Lightning Cloak."- Sayaka explained.

"What? How could that be countered?"- It was pretty much invincible in his eyes.

"Aya Uzumaki countered it with Wood Release, using its chakra absorption properties. Someone faster could counter it, and other techniques could have better defense."- Lucian.

"But if there is a technique that could have a better defense how could Fire Release be better, I don't see much penetrative power to it, right?"- Sasuke had read the Lightning Release was the chakra nature with the best piercing power.

"Because shinobi need to breathe and fire burns Oxygen."- Lucian explained. 

Sasuke tilted his head in questioning. 

"Let's say you're about to be attacked by a bunch of ninjas."- With Lucian's words, thousands of statues rose from the ground, simulation an army.

"As is normal, not all of them are elites."- Lucian took a deep breath and then released the equivalent of a Great Fire Annihilation jutsu.

The result? Charred remains.

"This was the jutsu that burned down your home."- Lucian added. 

Sasuke observed the consequences of the jutsu, tightened his fist, and bit his tongue strong enough to draw blood. 

"And close combat?"- Sasuke asked, after calming down his ragged breathing.

Lucian stepped away from him and then ignited in a ball of heat. There was no flaming fire but Sasuke could see the air hazing around Sayaka.

'Throw a shuriken.'- He heard her voice and followed her instructions. 

Two things happened. First the updraft created by the expansion and heating of the air veered the trajectory of the shuriken upward. Second, the shuriken quickly went from black, to, reddish brown, red, orange, and finally yellow, before dispersing into drops of liquid and harmlessly splashing behind Sayaka after flying above her but nowhere on her.

Lucian turned the Heat Cloak off. 

"The difficulty in mastering these techniques upscale in the importance they have in combat to the proximity of the enemy. It's easier to handle Jutsu related to Fire Release for long distances than close combat. It's easier to handle Lightning Release for close combat than long distance. There are other jutsu that you will learn for support, like healing, flight, and stealth, among others."

"When do we start?"- Sasuke asked with a bright fire in his heart.

"You should know that I just showed you the peak, right? Don't get ahead of yourself and think that you'll be able to power these techniques tomorrow. We will start with your chakra control—it's greatly lacking—and you will follow a routine at the crack of dawn to condition your body for the Lightning Cloak—you're no Raikage, after all—I'll handle your dietary necessities and you will learn other stuff from me from the afternoon to the evening."- Lucian explained.

"I understand."- Sasuke replied after holding the reigns of his enthusiasm.

After that Lucian passed him through the village's ritual of leaf sticking, tree climbing, and water walking in a session. The more advanced practices for chakra control would come the day after. 

With Sasuke heaving up and down, lying on the ground, unable to move a muscle not related to breathing and living, Lucian started the next part of the story.

"After the clan was made the police of the village, the idiotic clan members saw this as proof of the favor from the Second Hokage."

"... as... favor?"- Sasuke asked between breaths. 

"Yes, because they always had to have clan members stationed in the village, even during war times. So less of their people met their inopportune ends. Sasuke, do you think the Second Hokage was favoring the Uchiha?"

"... Yes... Why do... you make... it sound like... he wasn't?"- Sasuke asked.

"Sasuke do you know how the Sharingan and the Mangekyō Sharingan are normally activated?"

"... Training... and no."

"Training is a way to do it for the normal Sharingan, but you can also do it by experiencing pain. Whether personal pain—all manners of pain—or the pain of your loved ones. The Mangekyō Sharingan is normally achieved after seeing the death of one of your most loved ones. For your brother, it was Shisui Uchiha's suicide."- Lucian.

"What?!"- Sasuke asked in a breath.

"I have to see my best friend die or kill them myself if I want to attain the same eyes as my brother?"- Sasuke asked, all of his tiredness disappeared. 

"That's the usual method, but there are other ways. You're missing the point. The Second Hokage was the best expert concerning the Sharingan after Madara Uchiha, so he knew what I just told you. Knowing this, what do think about my previous question?"

"... He wanted to limit the clan?"- Sasuke asked in realization. 

"While there's no proof of that, I believe so."

"No proof?"- Sasuke thought the proof was in the facts. 

"Yes, because you can't say that his policy didn't help the Uchiha keep almost as many clan members as the Hyūga, but it was also undeniable that although fewer Uchiha were dying, none were awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan—which was what made Madara as feared as he was."

"... But why?"

"Exactly because Tobirama Senju feared the birth of another Madara without his brother to stop him or her."

"But the clan fought for the village!"

"That is what politics is about."

"Politics?!"- He spat in anger. 

"Personal interests can't be removed from a healthy human being. The leadership had personal interests that could be endangered by the rise of a 'Hokage Uchiha'. By the time Tobirama Senju died, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura were already polluted by his way of thinking."

"Who's Danzo Shimura?"- Sasuke cocked his head in questioning. 

"The man who runs the underworld of the village. He and Hiruzen didn't want an Uchiha in power, actually, they didn't want a Hyūga, Senju, or Uchiha in power."

"... Why?"- Sasuke felt like his head was spinning. It made no sense, these were the backbones of the village, why would they not want them in power? 

"Think about from the perspective of self-interests and not the theoretical responsibilities of the Hokage."- Lucian wanted him to reach his own conclusion—conclusions he was stirred to by his guidance.

"... Because then their clans wouldn't see the position of the Hokage again! These three clans were too big and powerful for them... but then why didn't they target the Senju and Hyūga clans?"- Sasuke managed to grow a bit of brain. 

"... The Hyūga never showed interest in the position, not a single member did. But the Senju?... Do you see the Senju clan in the village?"- Lucian mimicked coldness in his voice. He was not mad about it, but he was emulating human emotions to guide Sasuke's thoughts.

"... There are none?"- Sasuke felt a pit in his stomach. 

"That's something that we will talk about in the next session. Your homework is to think about why the Uchiha leaders didn't notice the trap in the policies of Tobirama Senju, or why they acted like they didn't if they ever did."- Lucian said as if to avoid talking about something heavier today. 

"... But... *Sigh*... Alright."- Lucian collapsed the barrier and they were back to normal space.

Sasuke dragged his tired body back to his mansion under the eye of Sayaka and Lucian. 

With Lucian still in control, he raised his palm pointing upward at an angle, and then made a grasping motion.

'What was that?'

[The Hokage was spying on us. I broke his toy, which should make him understand our boundaries.]

'That's weird, he never spied on us when we were training the kids.'

[Probably because we abruptly changed our routine. Maybe he was testing our limits.]

'Probably because if something happens to Sasuke, Itachi would flip the table.'

In such a way, the training session of Indra's most recent reincarnation went by. 

Sometimes Lucian would not tell him about the past of the Uchiha but would teach him about management. Sometimes he would tell him small snippets of the story and then follow with a story of other clans related to the village. Sometimes it was just training. 

From time to time he would teach him about the qualities of other clans and their jutsu. He was not limiting the lessons to the clans from Konohagakure. Teaching him about other clans so that he would not be as ignorant and naive as he had realized the previous heads of the Uchiha were. 

About twice a month he would drag him to a high-end restaurant and have him dine with him while he had him observe the mating rites of the humans. Sometimes Sasuke would point out where the human male lost the interest of the female one. Sometimes he would be surprised by the skills of the male looking for a partner.

Lucian would have him plot an ideal mating rite for a particular female they had stalked for a few weeks, and then grade the plan. Sometimes he would have Sasuke read the behavioral patterns of females and their expressions to determine what they were feeling or thinking, he would then confirm with his empathy or telepathy. Depending on how good Sasuke did, Lucian would reward him with a jutsu or technique.

Lucian would mask all of this under the disguise of infiltration and reconnaissance practice.

In reality, he was teaching him how to seduce and ensnare females. Lucian taught him all manners of psychological and emotional manipulation focused on the female sex. Sayaka would back or teach him with her feedback as the only female between the three of them.

On weekends, he would have him either help him with the businesses of the Uchiha that Sayaka was handling or teach him medicine. 

When Sayaka would catch an assassin after her head's bounty she would store them and then have Sasuke use them as training supplies. Sometimes she would catch them alive some others just a corpse.

As Sasuke spent more time with Sayaka (Lucian) he started to open up to them. This led to Sasuke getting closer to Sayaka's circle. 

Although Naruto and Sasuke never stopped having their usual quarrels, it got to the point where they could be called friends.

These quarrels lessened after Hinata took the initiative to side with Naruto and Sasuke recognized that he couldn't beat both at the same time. 

During the first times he was beaten up by the now official couple, he would then look at Sayaka pointedly as if asking her why she was not siding with him and helping him with his bullies. Uchihas together... strong!

Of course, more than a lackadaisical smile he never got anything else. 

Ino Yamanaka took pity on the fool and started to side with Sasuke. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Ino's type was the dark and broody, or maybe she just wanted to spar with Naruto and Hinata, it wasn't clear. 

When Ino Yamanaka saw that even with her help they couldn't overcome the couple, she summoned Shikamaru, as expected he declined and unstably floated away. Chōji was then involved and Hinata unjustly said that it was not fair, so she brought her Oni-sama Neji to the fight. 

"What a drag."- Shikamaru said before joining Sasuke's side when he saw how they were losing pathetically. 

Sasuke carried his team, but there was no winning the combination of long-rage support from Hinata and close-quarter combat from Neji and Naruto.

"Dynamic Entry!"- Rock Lee joined with a 'surprise' assault on Neji—his sworn rival—his leg was shrouded in wind chakra, a recent breakthrough in his application of making his own ninjutsu path.

"What a youthful disposition I always find in these kids!"- Might Guy commented after taking a seat next to Sayaka and grabbing a beverage from her. 

"At least their quarrels are useful for training."- Sayaka commented. 

"But I never find you sparring with them."- Guy subtly inquired. 

"You really should keep up with the rumors and news, Guy."- Sayaka said while shaking her head. 

"Are you perhaps famous?"- Guy understood she was implying that there was a well-known reason why she wouldn't join their spar.

"You can ask that guy."- Sayaka pointed in the distance at one of the newest shinobi monitoring Naruto. 

Guy narrowed his eyes while trying to find Waldo. 

"I can't see him, but I feel it in my bones. That's my eternal rival!"- Guy shouted with his usual emotion-filled voice. 

Sayaka pointed at the hidden shinobi and then made a pulling motion, a grey-haired shinobi fell from a tree in a crunching stance. 

"That wasn't very nice of you."- The shinobi glared with his dead fish eye stare. 

"Said the stalking ninja."- Sayaka made an uncharacteristic grin at him. 

"Kakashi! You should have told me you were here!"- Guy bounced at him to challenge him to a duel.

"Rasengan!"- A distant voice sounded.

"Chidori!"- Another distant voice replied. 

"I didn't teach them to shout their attacks' names like that."- Sayaka shook her head in disappointment as she observed the clash.

"How did you know those jutsu?"- Kakashi asked after returning with a crestfallen Guy who had just lost a rock-paper-scissors match to Kakashi.

"If the village can spy on me, I can spy on them. Those jutsu were among the recorded ones I happened to come upon."- Sayaka half lied. While it was true for the Chidori, Kushina had taught her the Rasengan.

But aside from Mikoto, Fugaku, and Tsunade, no one knew that she had Kushina's soul in Abeyance.

"Is that something you should be saying out loud?"- Kakashi asked, watching as Naruto and Sasuke's confrontation left them open to their enemy's teammates.

Naruto and Sasuke were knocked out and Sayaka made them float to her side. 

Even after the initiators of the fight were removed, the quarrel continued. 

"It's not a problem, I let you from time to time observe as I teach my friends. The give-and-take balance has not been broken."- Sayaka healed the pair of instigators back to consciousness. 

"Ah, damn it! Shikamaru did me in!"- Naruto complained. 

Sasuke didn't say anything but he recognized the non-lethal arrow that hit him at the back of his head.

"You look idiotic when you shout your techniques' names like that. You should only shout the technique's name when it's to mess with the enemy."- Sayaka floated to them their favorite beverages.

"Or to let your teammates know what you'll do."- Kakashi added. 

"Or make an impactful move!"- Guy said. 

"The Hatake guy is right, Guy... maybe, but only when you are strong enough to have leeway to play like that. Guy is the strongest shinobi in this village, so take what he says with a grain of salt."- Sayaka.

"Guy-sensei is the strongest in this village? I thought the Hokage was supposed to be the strongest?"- Naruto asked. 

"If it's a fight to the death, Guy would even kill me if he managed to find a way to block my escaping. The Hokage is probably the third strongest shinobi in the village."- Sayaka.

"Third? Who is the second?"- Sasuke asked, he was interested in the conversation now. 

"Itachi Uchiha."- Sayaka replied as if it was normal to count him in the village's payroll. 

The way she said it made Kakashi uncomfortable and Sasuke gnashed his teeth. 

"Technically, the Hatake guy here could kill the Hokage if he uses the technique of his Mangekyō Sharingan. But he is too much of a dunce to even know he has a Mangekyō Sharingan."- Sayaka eyed the shocked expression under the mask of Kakashi.

Sasuke gazed at his covered eye with uncanny intensity. 

"Is that similar to the eyes of Itachi Uchiha?"- Naruto asked on behalf of Sasuke who was too busy glaring.

"Is the same type of eye, but probably a different technique. I don't know what his does, though."- Sayaka replied. 

"How do you know it's a Mangekyō Sharingan?"- Kakashi asked with a hand over his covered eye.

"My eyes can see it."- Sayaka said. 

Kakashi kept silent for the rest of the spar until Naruto asked him:

"Are you related to Sakumo Hakate?"- Naruto was probably better educated than most of his peers, so he knew about notable figures from the past. 

"He was my father."- Kakashi replied without thinking much. 

"You don't seem to practice his swordsmanship, that's a shame."- Naruto said after not finding a sword on Kakashi.

"I diverted to another direction early on in my life, but I did initially."- Kakashi.

"Naruto, do you want me to teach it to you?"- Sayaka asked. 

""You can?""- Naruto and Kakashi replied in unison. 

"Aya Uzumaki and Eiko Senju used to watch him train. Sakumo Hakate was a good nature man who enjoyed playing with Aya Uzumaki and Tsunade Senju when they were little, and later when Eiko Senju used to prattle around the village playing princess Sakumo would sometimes be assigned as her samurai, by her."

"Huh, I didn't know that. But I don't think I'm very compatible with any manner of swordsmanship, but thank you for the offer, Sayaka-chan."- Naruto said.

"I didn't know that about my father, either."- Kakashi said.

It was before he was born.

The end of that battle was won by the Hyūga 'siblings'.

Life kept moving at a constant pace with the weekends flying by faster and the Mondays crawling by slowly.

"Sasuke, why do you think your brother was made part of ANBU?"- Lucian asked one day at the end of the training. 

"... To calm and distract the clan from the pressing matters. The clan was being cornered from all sides. Itachi and Shisui—before he died—from the inside and the village from the outside."- Sasuke replied. 

"~Heh... Good, you are learning how to think by yourself."- Lucian said, sounding almost proud. He would be if he could feel pride.

Sasuke didn't reply, nor did he grunted. Sasuke understood what Sayaka was talking about. 

"... Itachi was in cahoots with the village when he massacred the clan, was he not?"- Sasuke gathered his courage to ask something he didn't want to hear an answer to. 

"Yes."- Lucian replied simply. 

"Was my father in it as well?"

"Why do you think so?"

"His actions... he was either a stupid clan head or in it with Itachi... You said he had awakened the Mangekyō, right? I don't think Itachi would have been left unscathed after fighting Father if they had fought, why did Father not fight back?"- Sasuke asked after some introspection. 

"He found no benefit to opposing Itachi when he discovered his betrayal. You were not in the compound that night, so he assumed that Itachi had made a deal with your protection in mind."

"But that makes no sense! Where was this consideration for my protection before when Father was making idiotic decisions about the clan and my future? Where was this courage he found to peacefully face his death when it was needed before everything blew up? How come no one could even think about adding other ninjas to the police force to lessen the burden? Why did Shisui not use his Mangekyō on the village leadership?... This makes little sense! It's..."

"Idiotic? Neglectful? Careless? Negligent? Stupid?"- Lucian filled in for his lack of vocabulary.

"All of them! Sayaka you only needed to explain things to me once. That's all it took, ONCE! How come the adults who were supposed to guide the clan didn't see reality for what it was?... I don't understand... It makes no sense!... They could have allied themselves with other clans, as the Ino-Shika-Chō does, they could have done many things to control public opinion—they had that chance as the clan in charge of the police force!"- Sasuke stopped including himself in the clan, and turned from 'we' to 'they' in his heart. 

"... I know hindsight is 20/20, but this much?... They were played like fools! And I bet it didn't take that much!"- Sasuke sat on the ground with his head between his arms and his elbows on his knees, in a defeated position. 

"It's not your fault, Sasuke. It's not mine. You know that, don't you?"- Lucian whispered like the devil to his ear.

"What could a pair of kids have done?... *Sigh*... I need some time to think..."- Sasuke stood up with his legs trembling in exhaustion from the training, and walked to his mansion. 

[My work is almost done.]

'He'll fall into depression, won't he?'

[Yes, that's part of the plan. After that, I give him a light. A new path. A new objective. A new dream. Something greater than just killing Itachi.]

'... I'm not going to lie. I'm eager to find out what will happen.'

For the following week, Sasuke didn't show up to training. During classes, he would have this listless look uncharacteristic of him. 

Some say they saw him seated in a swing under the shade of a tree, observing the academy students come and go with their parents. 

Some say he would give up in the sparing matches before they began. 

Some say he would feed the cats on the streets. 

Some say he didn't even fight with Naruto. 

"Sayaka-chan, please do something!"- Ino Yamanaka pleaded one day. 

"Look at him!"- She pointed at Sasuke sitting by a pond with a fishing rod. The fishing line was pulling, yet Sasuke didn't reel in and just let it sink and sink... like his life. 

"Why don't you help me help him, Ino-chan?"- Lucian asked.

"I would if I could, but every time I speak to him he responds with a nod or an okay. I have tried all, but he doesn't come out of whatever that is!"- Ino exclaimed in desperation. 

"I even had Sakura help me but neither was successful at it."- She muttered. 

"Sakura? Who is that?"- Lucian asked. 

"She is a classmate and friend of mine, a pink-haired green-eyed girl, have you seen her?"- Ino asked.

"Ah, you're right. I saw a pink head from a distance a few times. Why don't you bring her to our training sessions?"- Lucian asked. 

"Uhmmm, she is from a civilian family. She is kinda afraid of you and doesn't like Naruto very much, Hinata doesn't like her because she's been rude to Naruto a few times. Sasuke gets annoyed by her because she fangirls around him at any chance."- Ino said.

"Weren't you the same until I pointed it out?"- Sayaka had told her that she would only earn Sasuke's annoyance with the way she was going about courting him.

"Shut up! I changed, okay?"- Inoa blushed. 

"Going back to Sasuke... Do you still like him?"- Lucian asked.

"Hey! Don't make me say it! You know I do."- Ino squirmed. 

_____________________

→ Continues on Part 2 →