Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Shisui knew that it was the end of the road for him.

The pain throbbed in his guts and lungs, the deep, excruciating feeling like someone had their hand in there and was squeezing his organs. A deep wound was sliced in the flesh of his upper right arm, heavily oozing out blood, and it trickled down the length of his arm, his fingers and onto the dusty ground below.

Sharingan faded and the jade-colored chakra construct that protected the young ninja from the last assault with it.

The raven looked in front of him blearily. Unfortunately, he was unable to get rid of all these Root scums, and he had no strength to run away or use chakra anymore.

His right eye socket burned like it was showered in hell-fire. The teen gritted his teeth, blindly reaching for a kunai. Danzo managed to steal one of his eyes and that was already bad enough, but if that sly bastard got his greedy claws on his second eye… it would be a disaster.

It was kind of ironic that he ended up cornered on the cliff of the Naka river – the same place where Itachi and he used to play and train and just spend time together.

Itachi.

Shisui could clearly imagine what kind of face his adoptive brother would make after hearing the news that he passed away. He felt guilty for leaving him without a word, but there was no way that he would allow his second eye – the power that came with it – to fall into the wrong hands and be abused or worse – used against the people he was trying to protect.

Another barrage of kunai whizzed towards the Uchiha's legs, aiming to injure but not to kill.

The teen took a deep breath and closed his eye. With the last drop of his strength, he jumped backward and straight off the cliff. Whipping out his own kunai while in a free fall, he moved it to slash it over his left eye…

The blade never made contact with his flesh. There was a sound of rattling chains and suddenly he felt something cold and sturdy slither around his limbs and body, leaving him completely immobilized in an instant and suspended mid-air. And then Shisui was yanked back up with the force so powerful that it knocked the wind out of him. He flew over the edge of the cliff and stopped high up above the ground. His eye widened at the sight.

The same chains were restraining the remaining Root ninjas, wrapping around them like golden glowing snakes with the sharp spikes on their endings pointed straight to their hearts. Then they shot forward and drilled themselves deep into their victim's chests, penetrating it like a wet tissue and bursting out on the other side in a mesmerizing fountain of blood and flesh.

Shisui went rigid, chill crawling up his spine. His gaze snapped to the spot from where all those chains sprouted.

The first thing he saw was scorching and fiery red hair, capturing the light of the setting sun in vibrant ruby hues. It tumbled over the person's shoulders like rusty water, flowing in gentle, warm curls of lava to their mid-back.

Shisui wondered if it was burning to the touch as it gave an impression from afar before the chains around him tightened and his heart sped up. He wasn't afraid of death, he was prepared for it – even as gory as getting impaled by these things – but he didn't recognize this person, didn't know if it was an ally or enemy, and thus uncertainty over the fate of his remaining eye caused the dread pool in his gut.

But instead of being speared through, the stunned raven was settled gently on the grass right next to the red-haired savor. Chains unwrapped from around him and slowly retreated, sinking into the back of their summoner who finally turned to face Shisui and fixed the most brilliant cerulean eyes he had ever seen on him.

It was a girl in her mid-teens, wearing a simple black jacket with orange trims and black ninja pants. The affiliation symbol to the village was missing on her person, but Shisui noticed a small crest of Uzu embroidered just over her heart.

The sun dipped lower between the trees, bathing the world and the kunoichi in a glow of red and gold, and if Shisui had to describe her at this very moment the word used would be – luminous.

"You're an Uchiha," the redhead spoke, her eyebrows knitting together.

It wasn't a question, it was a blunt statement. Shisui didn't know what to say to that. He felt those startlingly sharp blue eyes boring into him, visually dissecting him, pulling his very core apart bit by bit, until there was nothing but a bare soul laid in front of them, waiting for a judgment in a helpless suspense.

Honestly, it was a harrowing experience.

"But you're not an evil Uchiha," she said with a small smile. "Hey, how old are you?"

That threw Shisui for a loop. He was bleeding here, poison eating at his organs, his eye stolen by a traitorous bastard, and his unexpected savor wanted to small-talk? He answered her anyways, "Sixteen."

"Oh!" The kunoichi's face lit up like a bonfire. She nodded as if agreeing with whatever thought came to her. "Perfect. Marry me!"

The raven squinted at her, trying to determine if he heard her right. "Come again?" was the only thing that he could think of to reply, because, seriously, what the hell?

"You're an Uchiha, I'm an Uzumaki. We're of the same age, it's perfect!" she cheered.

Shisui briefly wondered what their respective clans had anything to do with marriage. It was the first time he even laid his eyes – eye, he reminded himself bitterly – on someone from that clan. Apart from the current Jinchuuriki Menma Uzumaki, of course, whom every Uchiha avoided like a plague.

"Uzumaki and Senju clans are distant blood relatives, and considering the animosity between Uchiha and Senju, our marriage might help to ease the unrest and integrate your clan into Konoha's society better. Don't you agree?"

The teen just stared at the redhead, trying to comprehend her logic. After a moment, he had to admit that her idea had some merit and could be given the benefit of the doubt; it seemed feasible – in some weird, unique, unconventional, roundabout way.

The girl narrowed her eyes when he said nothing. "What?" she asked, putting her hand on her hip and pursing her lips. "You think that Uchiha like yourself is above Uzumaki, 'ttebane? My clan might be nearly extinct, but we're still equally powerful and prestigious clan just like yours. So, don't you think that–"

"No…" Shisui croaked, feeling blood well inside his throat and coughed it out into his palm. "'M kind of dying here."

The girl's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "AH!" she gasped in alarm, crouching beside him and looking over his injuries. "I'm so sorry! I can't believe that I did this again… My friends always said to get my priorities straight! And I was so busy thinking about how to prevent Uchiha coup! There is so much blood, so much! And your eye is gone! I don't know what to do! I'm no medic! I should have learned from Baa-chan… Dammit! Don't die, please. I don't want to become a widow before I'm even married, 'ttebane!"

She was blabbing so quickly, completely flustered, a genuine worry pouring out of her in waves. Shisui couldn't help but chuckle. It was heartwarming. "You can't become a widow if you're not married," he wheezed out.

The redhead shot him a withering look. "Well, bite me!"

The teen was about to laugh at her again, but a naked arm shoved to his face sobered him. "What?"

"Bite me."

"Is this some kind of weird Uzumaki mating ritual?"

"No, you idiot!" the girl hissed frustrated, but Shisui could swear he saw a red hue spreading across her cheeks. "My chakra has healing abilities and the only way to transfer it to someone else is by bite. I don't offer it to just anyone, so, bite me before I changed my mind!"

Oh, that made sense. He might have heard something about it somewhere… Shisui suddenly felt so tired. His eye drooped and he slumped, any leftover energy leaving him altogether.

Someone winded an arm around his back holding him in place when the young Uchiha couldn't support sitting straight any longer. He could feel a gentle touch to his cheek – the left one, the one not smeared with blood.

"Hey, hey, hey! Don't pass out now, 'ttebane!" the girl was panicking. "Come on, open your mouth and bite."

Warm skin pressed against Shisui's lips and he obeyed – opened his mouth and sunk his teeth into the offered flesh.

It was warm and pleasant feeling, spreading from his mouth down to his lungs and stomach, then splitting into all four of his limbs. Like the sun bathing him in its ethereal light, soothing the agony, easing the tense muscles, and calming his mind.

Slowly, a peaceful sleep dragged Shisui into a blissful darkness.

Sleep
let the angels in
to shield your dreams with their wings

A soft singing voice woke Shisui up.

Sleep
leave the fears behind
I'll be here to guard your peace of mind

A beautifully filigreed sound weaved around him, smooth and clear and quiet yet powerful. It was the beautiful promise of tomorrow, and he wished that it would never stop.

Sleep
the road is long
followed by tales and legends of old
Sleep
till their story's over
only then can your adventure begin

Fingers were gently combing through his hair, and Shisui realized that his head was resting on someone's lap; someone's who smelled of sunshine and summer breeze.

Wake
I'll be here to guide you
to help you spread your wings and take flight

He opened his eye and stared up at the kunoichi who saved his life. She looked so relaxed and at peace, a serene expression on her delicate face, her hair curling around it in fiery, thick rays of red, crystal blue eyes gazing somewhere in the distance, beyond the sunset-tinted skyline. There was longing and sorrow and grief reflecting in them, and Shisui wondered what could have happened to put such emotions in such captivating eyes.

The girl sighed after the last syllable of the song, looked down, and their eyes met. For a split second nothing happened and then…

"AAAAH!" the redhead shrieked, pushing the teen away from her lap with an amazing amount of strength for such a frail-looking kunoichi.

Shisui hit the ground with a painful yelp. He lifted himself up into a sitting position and rubbed the back of his head. And then it dawned on him that apart from this bump, he felt no pain. His right eye was still missing, but it didn't hurt anymore, the injury on his arm was gone completely and he felt no poison in his body. Even his chakra surged through his coils with a renewed vigor, overflowing with vitality like a waterfall instead of a small spring.

"You, you, you…!" The girl was pointing a finger at him accusingly. "If you're awake, then say so, 'ttebane! Don't stare like some lowlife, white-haired, senile, sake stinking, porn writing pervert!"

The raven offered a sheepish smile, absent-mindedly wondering about the odd, suspiciously specific description. "I'm sorry."

The kunoichi huffed indignantly as she stood up. Brushing the dust and blades of grass from her legs, she meticulously smoothed out creases in her clothes. Then drew herself to her full height and looked down at still seated Uchiha, furrowing her brow. "How are you feeling?" she inquired. "Can you stand?"

Shisui heaved himself up, standing just a few inches taller than his unexpected savor. "Yeah, thank you…" he trailed off. "I don't know your name yet. I'm Shisui Uchiha."

The girl grinned, bright and ferocious, like a roaring inferno ready to swallow the whole world. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki!"

The teen raised an eyebrow. That sounded like a boy's name, but amazingly suitable for this feisty little redhead.

"Hey! I know what you're thinking!" The accusing finger pointing at him was back with vengeance. "Yeah, it's a boy's name, 'ttebane! My parents thought that they were expecting a boy and gave me the name before my birth! And then…" she quieted down somewhat, a grief and hurt fluttered over her features. "And then they died on the day of my birth and others thought it was wrong to change it, so that's why I'm Naruto! And I'm proud of my name! Deal with it!" the girl finished putting her hands on her hips and glaring at the Uchiha, openly daring – challenging – him to contradict her opinion on the matter.

Shisui lifted his hands up in a placating gesture. "I have nothing against your name, Naruto."

Naruto squinted at him. "Good," she said. "Because I'd have to punch you if you did and that would be unfair because you're injured and… Oh! That's right. I have your stolen eye right here."

"…What?"

A small scroll puffed into existence and the girl grabbed it from mid-air. "While you were resting, my shadow clones dealt with Danzo and took it back. I sealed it into this stasis seal."

It took a few seconds for those words to sink in. "Dealt with Danzo?!"

Naruto looked at him like he was slow on the uptake – which in this particular situation he definitely was – and her lips stretched into a toothy savage grin, azure eyes sharp and gleeful, that of a predator's after a successful and satisfactory hunt. "He's packed up and delivered to the Sandaime with all the proof about his shady deeds. Good riddance, 'ttebane! Now we just need to stuff this eye back into you," she proceeded to smack the scroll across her open palm and it landed with a sharp slap sound, "and you'll be as new as before."

Shisui suppressed a cringe, but still subtly inched away from the redhead, half expecting to get his eyeball punched back into his skull at this very moment. He'd rather stay one-eye blind in that case, thank you very much.

Uzumaki women were kind of scary.

And that reminded him. "You think that… our marriage could stop the coup?"

Naruto faltered at that, but just for a brief moment. "I don't know. It's the only way I can think of. I don't want to see Uchiha annihilated like my clan was," she said quietly before throwing the scroll with Shisui's eye to him and he easily caught it, blinking in surprise. "I understand that Uzumaki clan is really not worth anything at this point. As a new clan leader, I'll revive it at all cost. But I don't intend to ride on Uchiha's name to get it back to its glory, just so you know, 'ttebane! We already have four members, two of them currently traveling to Konoha, and my clones are all over the Elemental Nations searching for survivors, and while they–"

She was rambling again. Shisui noticed that she tended to do that when she was apparently nervous or excited. He smiled. It was endearing.

"–worth trying. Better than let a good person to overuse his Mangekyou Sharingan until he goes blind, don't you think?"

Shisui choked on the air. "What– How do you– You know about blindness?"

Naruto quirked an eyebrow at the question, a smirk pulling at the corner of her mouth. "It's a long story. Perhaps, I even tell you someday."

"Right," he grumbled.

The girl sighed. "I know that I'm not really… wife material." She grimaced as she said that. "I'm loud and brash, and weird, my cooking tastes like crap, and I ramble a lot, my hair is weird, my eyes don't match, and–"

Wow, Shisui thought, Naruto really didn't have much self-esteem. Such a contradictory personality was a bit jarring. And she was definitely rambling again, her fingers fiddling with the hem of her jacket anxiously. Suddenly, she looked so lost and so insecure, it was mind-blowing. "I think your hair is pretty," he blurted out.

Naruto's endless chatter ceased instantly. Her eyes were wide and expression shocked as she gawked at him like he said something world-shattering.

The raven winced. Not that he wanted to take the compliment back, but he said that without thinking. Maybe things like that were insulting for an Uzumaki? Damn, he would have to do some research on that clan's people and their traditions.

Naruto's face turned into a deep shade of red. She turned to the side, distractedly stroking and wringing the lock of her hair around her fingers. And then she smiled to herself, the small bashful curve full of so much warmth and kindness, so heart-wrenchingly beautiful that it put all of the other smiles in the world to shame.

Shisui's heart skipped a beat.

"You're the first guy who ever complimented my hair," Naruto said, her voice quiet, awed. "So…" She spun on her heel to face the Uchiha again and was upon him in a blink.

A small lock of red tickled Shisui's nose as Naruto's lips touched his cheek, gingerly, carefully, just a feathery brush, simple gesture yet very special.

She pulled away silently, but their eyes locked, having a private conversation of their own as the time seemed to come to a halt and the world fell away.

"Marry me?" Shisui asked breathlessly.

Naruto rewarded him with a grin straight from her heart. "Yes."

The tips of his fingers caressed the strands of her hair and when she didn't shy away from his touch, the raven leaned closer, his breath ghosting over her lips, just an inch apart…

An awkward cough nearby startled them. They both whirled in unison, kunai in hands.

Itachi stood there as unperturbed and cool as ever, but there was an amusement dancing in his eyes. "Hokage-sama sent me to get you two," he informed dryly.

Naruto's shoulders slumped and she threw her arms up into an air. "Urgh, way to ruin a moment, brother-in-law!"

Shisui nodded. "He's an ass."

"Totally, 'ttebane."

Chapter Text

"Please, go in, Uchiha-san. Hokage-sama and Uzumaki-sama are already waiting for you."

Shisui nodded at the secretary, walking past her without a pause. Of course, they were waiting. Today was the day, the day when Uchiha and Uzumaki clan heads met for the first time to negotiate the alliance between them in a form of a political marriage.

This matter could go either very well or very badly. Fugaku was hard to deal person on a good day, but with all the pressure from the clan, their patriarch all but radiated contempt and enmity day and night. He didn't bother to hide it even in front of Hokage anymore. While Shisui knew how strong Naruto really was, he feared that the petite and emotional girl like her would become an easy prey for Uchiha.

The teen stopped in front of the Hokage's office door and let out a deep sigh. The Sandaime agreed to act as a mediator in this crucial meeting, so there was hoping that he would help Naruto and she wouldn't get completely crushed.

The door suddenly opened with a whoosh so fast that Shisui was left standing in the doorway like an idiot with his arm lifted for a knock. A fist latched onto his shirt and yanked him into the room, catching him by surprise. Before his ninja instincts could kick in, the young Uchiha came nose to nose with the already familiar tanned face, framed by the scorching red hair, and his black orbs collided with incredibly blue ones.

Naruto placed both her palms just below Shisui's ears and tilted his head a bit to the side, critically inspecting his bandaged eye. Her arched eyebrows furrowed after a moment and her gaze focused back on his face. "What the doctors said? Will it be alright? Will your eye regain full function?" she questioned in one breath. Before the raven could insert a word, she gritted her teeth. "That damn Danzo, 'ttebane! I wish I could have just killed him there! I'm so sorry that I was too late…"

Shisui stared into those bright azure eyes, currently brimming with worry. It had been years when someone so openly showed concern over his wellbeing. His mother passed away soon after his father did several years ago. He had Itachi, of course, but, well, that guy never was that good at displaying his emotions. This girl, though, wore her heart on her sleeve.

The teen grinned. "Good day to you too, my dear lady," he greeted her cheerfully. "Is this how Uzumaki women greet the guys who might become their future husbands?"

"It's just you. I usually don't like touchi–" Naruto trailed off, blinking in confusion. She glanced at her hands still resting on the raven's face, then at his teasing smirk, and her eyes widened. She was suddenly very aware of their close, intimate proximity.

However, the girl didn't back away like Shisui had thought she would. Instead, the redhead stubbornly kept her position, even if slightly flushed cheeks betrayed her true feelings about their current position.

"D-Don't change the subject, you damn Uchiha!" the girl demanded, glowering. "It's not because I like you or something!" She paused, realizing what exactly she just blurted out. This time she did jump away from him, her face heating up. "I-I mean… I don't like you, 'ttebane!" she declared in a petulant tone before gasping. "No, that's just rude, I'm sorry! It's not that I don't like you, I do, but it's not because of that! …Stop smiling! E-Even if I do like you, it's not in the way you think! Although, I don't know what you're thinking… But don't get any silly ideas, 'ttebane!" The further Naruto talked, the more embarrassed she got until finally, she hid her face in the long sleeves of her kimono dress.

Shisui was already grinning as wide as possible at this point. That must be the most hilarious way of putting one's foot in one's mouth he had ever seen. And so damn adorable!

"The hell I'm even saying?" the redhead murmured, her voice muffled by the fabric, barely audible. "It's the first time I feel like this… Do you know why, Kurama?"

The raven couldn't help but snigger. Teasing this feisty Uzumaki was so much more fun than teasing Itachi. Her reactions were just as colorful and lively as her appearance.

Speaking of, Naruto looked fabulous in her bright orange kimono dress with long, wide black sleeves, decorated by the embroidered red and yellow intertwined spirals. Her long hair was pulled into two messy buns, leaving only long thick strands in front on both sides of her face. Her weapon pouch was missing and she seemed so innocent and utterly harmless.

A cough in the room startled the young jounin. Oh, shit. He totally forgot about the Hokage's present. "Hokage-sama," he intoned swiftly, offering a quick bow to his leader. His keen eyes definitely didn't miss an amused and a bit surprised expression on the man's face. "Representatives from the Uchiha clan have arrived and are waiting in the meeting room."

Hiruzen nodded in acknowledgment. "Before we go, my boy, I'm also curious what doctors said about your eye."

Shisui shifted his weight from side to side. The Hokage should have already known about his status, so he surmised that the inquiry came forth because he weaseled his way out of replying to Naruto. "Because it was ripped out so violently, some blood vessels and nerves got damaged," he reported dully. "The doctors did everything they could, but a complete recovery is not assured."

The Sandaime scowled while Naruto's head shot up from where it was still hidden in her kimono's sleeves with an alarmed, "What?!"

A wry smile curled on the raven's lips. "I'm sorry that you might end up with a crippled husband."

The girl gawked at him like he grew a second head. "I don't care about that, 'ttebane!" she screamed suddenly, throwing her arms up to emphasize her words. "Your clan is obsessed with eyeballs! Ripping eyeballs, sharing eyeballs, and turning a moon into a giant eyeball!"

Shisui stared, at a loss of what to say to that, his mind reeling. She couldn't mean the stuff written on the secret stone tablet, right? That would be absurd. Apart of his clan, nobody else had even seen the thing, not to mention that no one could read it without possessing Mangekyou Sharingan.

"The person is not just his eyeballs, you know!" Naruto finished her rant with a huff, folding her arms in front of her and fixing the boy with a no-nonsense glare. "There are other things that I like– No! People! I meant other people! There are other things that other people like about you!"

"Erm," Shisui scratched his cheek awkwardly, trying very hard not to laugh, "I'm sorry?"

Seemingly appeased, the Uzumaki hummed in contemplation. "You'll have to bite me again," she stated after a moment.

"You sure about it, Naruto?" the Hokage asked in concern.

"Yes. It's the second time, and while the risk is still there, Fluffy assured that Shisui will be fine."

The raven raised an eyebrow. Fluffy? What a curious name. He didn't ask about the person hiding behind such a cute codename though. "Fine with what?"

Naruto and Hiruzen shared a look. Few seconds of intense staring later, the Sandaime heaved a sigh, "It's your choice."

The girl flashed a quick grin. "My chakra is very special," she began. "Its healing properties are beyond even for an Uzumaki. The problem is–" There was an abrupt pause. Naruto bit her bottom lip, clearly hesitating, but after a moment she continued in a more subdued voice, "It's highly addictive. And the addiction literally drives people insane."

Okay, this was certainly not what Shisui had expected to hear at all. He didn't even know that chakra could be addictive. Or drive people insane for that matter.

"But because my chakra carries more Yin than Yang due to Fluffy and Uchihas inherit Yin Release from their ancestor Indra, you assimilate my chakra better and thus the threshold for you is higher. So, two times in such a short period should be fine."

Fluffy again. The information contained on the stone tablet again too.

Naruto was looking at him with that anxious and insecure expression Shisui had already witnessed on their first meeting, obviously expecting the rejection, and his heart ached. He wouldn't be Shisui Uchiha if he let the girl he was sweet on to think so low of herself, questions and secrets be damned. Not if he could help it.

"Sounds like we were made for each other," the boy said smoothly, his mouth curving into a cheeky smile.

The Sandaime simply smiled kindly at his flirty remark, thank goodness. Naruto's face flared red like her own hair and she instantly turned her back to them both, feverishly mumbling something under her breath.

"Shisui," the elderly Sarutobi called, drawing the jounin's attention. "Please, keep the information about Naruto's chakra a secret. It would be disastrous if someone dangerous got wind of it."

"Of course, Hokage-sama."

The man observed him, then gave a small nod of approval and turned to the redhead Uzumaki. "Naruto, Fugaku is a hard man to deal. He will most likely try to intimidate you, despite my presence."

"I know, Jiji," the girl replied and there was a cocky smirk present on her face when she faced the old Hokage. "You underestimate me too much. Have you forgotten who I am? I'm Naruto Uzumaki, the proud Hokage of Konohagakure, 'ttebane!"

Shisui's mind screeched to a halt as his eyes widened. Just how insanely insolent the person should be to declare such a thing in front of the Hokage himself? Did this girl have a death wish? It was one thing to announce your wish to become the Hokage, but completely different to covet the position in such an overbearing manner.

But, apparently, the Sandaime was absolutely okay with it for he didn't even bat an eye at the bold proclamation of the boisterous redhead.

"I just want to ascertain that you know who you are dealing with."

Naruto scoffed. "I've faced the Tsuchikage and the Raikage. Both at the same time," she stressed over the last words. "Granted, I had Gaara and Mizukage on my side, but–"

Shisui decided right there and then that he was out of his depth.

"–considering that the Tsuchikage had a grudge against my dad bigger than his ego and the Raikage was the one who ordered that… scum," she all but spat out the insult in utter disgust, "to kidnap me when I was eight. Well, I'm not scared of one stuck-up Uchiha."

'Whaaaaaaat?!' Shisui screamed internally. Kidnapped? By Kumo?! Everyone knew what Kumo did with kidnapped women from other villages and he felt nauseous from a mere thought of them getting their filthy hands on Naruto.

Damn it, he'd have to keep this trouble-attracting girl safe!

The teen didn't let a single drop of his sudden killing intent to leak out, however; his expression stayed a carefully crafted blank mask. Uchihas were good at that.

The fact that Naruto was now officially on his list of people to protect at any cost – which, after his parents' death, contained only Itachi – went either unnoticed or ignored.

"Fluffy and I worked out the plan," Naruto continued with an easy-going tone, blissfully oblivious of the murderous thoughts of the boy next to her. "Let me handle it. Whatever happens, please, don't interfere, Jiji. I know what I'm doing."

"Very well," Hiruzen agreed readily, a sign of how much he really trusted the young Uzumaki.

"Same goes for you, Shisui."

The raven stared at his might-be wife. Apart from the marriage part, he knew nothing of the plan. Last time, Naruto said that she was still working on it and they hadn't met during the week after Danzo's fall.

He and Itachi were so desperate to find a peaceful solution. He had already lost all hope the moment his eye was stolen and he was cornered, but then this red-haired whirlwind stormed in, saved his life, and even offered a way from their hopeless situation.

"You have my absolute trust," Shisui informed her sincerely before bowing. "Please, help me save my clan from its destruction without plunging Konoha into a Civil War."

A hand landed on his shoulder and when he looked up, a sight of a warm and reassuring smile met his gaze. "Don't worry," Naruto said quietly, an immense tenderness and understanding upon her features. "Everything will be fine."

The teen let out a breath. He believed her. He didn't know why, but there was no doubt lingering in his heart anymore. Sometimes even he needed to take comfort in other person's reassurance instead of giving it himself.

"Shall we proceed to the meeting room?" the Sandaime urged gently. "Fugaku must have already started to run out of patience."

Naruto's smile shifted into a full-blown grin as vicious as the glint in her luminous cerulean eyes. "Let's go!"

As Shisui followed the Hokage and the Uzumaki out of the room, he couldn't help but call himself an idiot. This redhead was anything but harmless. A wolf in sheep's clothing, that's what she truly was.

Fugaku was not amused. He was tired, irritated, and desperate beyond belief. His clansmen were getting more restless and agitated with every passing day, thus he had his hands full of trying to keep them in line. He had no time to sit here doing nothing! No time or patience meeting a teenager who considered herself old and important enough to make a proposition to him or his clan!

Fugaku was tapping his finger at the surface of the low café table impatiently, killing intent rolling from him in waves. He didn't bother to rein it in. Even the three Uchiha men that he brought with him to this meeting steered clear of getting in his sight, choosing rather stand right behind him. Shisui on his right sat taut as a bowstring, his posture poised and attentive.

But the red-haired teenage girl, sitting on the other side of the table, looked relaxed, even comfortable in the murderous presence of the Uchiha delegation. She stared into Fugaku's eyes confidently, confronting his scowl with a cool gaze and an easy smile, barely touching the corners of her mouth. She didn't cower under the pressure of his and his clansmen united animosity, brushing it off without any visible effort. Her head was held high, her back was straight, and an unexplainable aura of authority surrounded her petite form.

An impressive feat, indeed. Unconsciously, Fugaku pushed the girl a bit higher on his respect ladder.

Everyone had heard about this mysterious Uzumaki who claimed the position of the clan head, the clan that could have been considered all but extinct now. The once proud name didn't carry the same weight as before, didn't make enemies shudder by mere echoes of its mention. And while Konoha had one member alive, the boy himself didn't even know about his own heritage. Uzumakis were destined to die out, their name – be forgotten, the legendary techniques that could ensnare the godly entities to do their bidding – be lost among the dust of the bloody past.

A sad fate for such a powerful clan, respected and feared throughout all the Elemental Nations.

Until this little lass popped out of nowhere half a year ago, gathering the attention of the villagers and ninja alike with her extraordinary abilities in Sealing Art. As the Chief of Police, Fugaku read reports on the updates of Konoha's old barrier seals and the establishment of at least several new ones all around the village. The security from external and internal threats shot to an unimaginable height. He even heard from Itachi that the Hokage managed to root out a spy infestation among ninja ranks.

All thanks to this Uzumaki girl.

Who knew what kind of safety measures were implemented without the Police's knowledge.

The Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki had his clan protecting him now too.

Despite this new development, Uchiha clan was still pushing for a coup d'état. The patriarch's face darkened further, his hand curling into a tight fist. This revolt was just a fool's errand now if you asked him. He sometimes wondered if his clansmen thought that even traitor's death was better than their current existence in constant scorn.

"What is the purpose of this alliance, Uzumaki… san?" Fugaku sounded far from pleased and was making a marked effort to be at least somewhat polite.

"United Konoha," Naruto replied smoothly.

The answer made Uchiha patriarch pause. It definitely came as a surprise.

"There're enemy forces rising out there as we speak and Konoha needs every capable ninja to fight against that overwhelming danger," the Uzumaki continued. "We can't let our internal conflicts weaken us, 'ttebane."

The atmosphere in the room grew heavier. The three Uchihas outright snarled at her words, but the redhead didn't even grace them with a sidelong glance. Her azure eyes drilled into Fugaku's black ones and his frown deepened as he suddenly felt unnerved by that piercing gaze.

"Besides," Naruto spoke again, "it would be sad to see another great clan annihilated. I feel bad for survivors. If there will be any."

There was a loud silence in the seconds that followed. She might have uttered the words softly, gently, but no one could miss an undeniably hard edge in her voice.

Regardless of the girl's motives behind saying it, Uchihas took it in as an insult (they would be killed off!) and a threat (she definitely knew about the coup!).

Four pairs of Sharingan flared to life. At the same instant, the sound of rattling chains filled the room as nine of them sprouted from Naruto's back, fanning behind her like a protective, nine-headed Orochi.

Uchihas moved. Not all of them, of course. Wide-eyed Shisui held his position, the promise not to interfere rooting him in place, even if his knuckles were paper white from gripping the fabric of his pants. Fugaku didn't move either, red eyes locked with the blue ones in an intense staring battle.

The golden chains shot forward, swiftly wrapping around the attacking three men and efficiently stopping them in their tracks with ease. Their Sharingan faded as chakra got suppressed by the innate sealing abilities in Uzumaki chains. The spikes on their endings hovered a mere inch from each of constrained ninjas' face, ready to skewer their most prized possession.

Two ANBU operatives appeared behind the Sandaime, flanking him from both sides protectively. The man himself remained impassive, not letting a single emotion slip through his deliberate mask of composure and aloofness. He said nothing.

Seeing that his clansmen were swiftly subdued and the Hokage chose not to intervene, Fugaku risked taking a step further. His Sharingan twisted, the three tomoe swirled, coalescing and morphing into something different, something much more sinister.

A seal appeared on Naruto's forehead: a small Uzumaki spiral with four diamond-shaped petals around its upper half. As one petal vanished, the previously soft golden glow of her chakra chains bled into an ominous red, casting an eerie crimson light upon the whole meeting room.

These augmented chains emitted an unsettling, dangerous, tyrannical sensation, a power that could undeniably rival Mangekyou Sharingan.

When Naruto's smirk widened into a grin as sharp as razors, Fugaku realized that he greatly underestimated this tiny, harmless looking girl. She was somewhat similar to his Academy friend Kushina, but whereas Kushina was a kunai, this redhead was a kunai coated in wind chakra, making it decidedly more deadly.

A smart man should never underestimate an Uzumaki for they can become your worst enemy or your greatest ally, his grandfather's raspy voice floated to forefront of his mind from the time when he was just a child. The quickest way to get yourself killed is to get on the bad side of the Uzumaki Seal Master.

Fugaku considered himself a smart man. While he never witnessed the carnage that Uzumaki Seal Masters could unleash upon the battlefield, he heard many stories about them in his childhood. They were the force that changed the tides of war, the fearsome boogeymen for the enemy armies.

And this girl was obviously a genius. She had a very bright future ahead of her. This kind of prodigies never went unnoticed for long. Her list of achievements would only grow longer and her reputation stronger until one day, Naruto Uzumaki would become a force of nature to be reckoned with.

Uchihas always respected the strong and this girl was worth their respect.

This alliance definitely had merits. Despite that it required to let one of the strongest ninjas in this generation marry out of clan – Naruto was a clan head, after all – this union would undoubtedly strengthen the bond between two clans and their children would bring honor to Uchiha and Uzumaki both.

Fugaku closed his eyes, knowing all too well that it meant admitting defeat in their stare down, and let his dojutsu fade away. Chains rattled again and, as he opened his black eyes, they were slowly unwinding from around his men and retreating into Uzumaki's body.

"Fugaku-sama!" one of the men bristled angrily.

"Silence!" the Uchiha patriarch roared, sending a murderous glare toward the offender until all three stepped back in submission. He turned to the girl and bowed his head respectfully. "My apologies for our transgression, Uzumaki-dono."

"Apology accepted," Naruto replied happily.

The Sandaime decided to chime in at that moment, sweetening the deal, "As per the agreement with Naruto Uzumaki for her service as Konoha's newest and most advanced Seal Master, once this alliance is official, any suspicion against the Uchiha clan will be cleared."

"Will be cleared?!" the oldest raven growled, before taking a deep breath to compose himself. "The villagers will not change their opinion just because you tell them so."

Naruto's expression shifted and her grin and eyes were suddenly full of playful mischief. "With a right push, they will."

For some unexplained reasons, it put Fugaku on edge more than her former predatory baring of teeth. By the way Hiruzen's body tensed ever so slightly in alarm, he assumed that the old monkey felt the same.

"I'm an apprentice of the Spymaster," Naruto stated proudly. "I learned a trick or two during our few years journey together. Even if he's a damn pervert…"

Fugaku's brow furrowed, mind whirling with this new piece of information. Konoha had only one Spymaster. It wasn't a well-spread knowledge, but as the Chief of Police, he knew of him. Coincidentally, the man was known for his perverted behavior.

So, this girl was an apprentice of Jiraiya the Sannin. No wonder the old Sarutobi seemed to put so much trust in her.

But wouldn't that mean that this person was being groomed to become the next Hokage? The likelihood of that happening was too great to dismiss it.

The Hokage who held no prejudice against the Uchiha clan. A minuscule smirk tugged at the corner of Fugaku's mouth. He liked the sound of that. It made him feel lighter. As if the weight of the world was lifted from around his shoulders and didn't threaten to crush him.

"Let's talk about details of this alliance next time," Fugaku said in a surprisingly cheerful tone. "I need to inform the clan about the news."

"Of course, Uchiha-dono," the redhead agreed with a cordial smile.

The older Uchiha clapped a hand on the young Shisui's shoulder, earning a startled, confused look from the boy. "I hope I can count on you to act as a proper gentleman, Shisui."

The teen blinked at him. Then his eyes narrowed, searching the man's expression for any hidden meaning behind his words. When he found none, a cheeky grin spread across his face. "Absolutely, Fugaku-sama."

"Good," the man approved with another pat on his shoulder. "In the meantime, you two can go on a date and get to know each other."

Naruto's face flushed deep red all the way to the roots of her hair. "D-D-Date?!"

Fugaku couldn't help but smile at her reaction. Ah, young love.

Maybe, if this alliance panned out, he could invite Mikoto for a date. He couldn't recall the last time he saw his wife smiling. A date would certainly make her happy, he was sure of that. Family outing even more so.

Chapter Text

"Shisui."

Shisui rolled his eye at the seemingly emotionless voice behind his back. He might be the only one in this world who was able to recognize the impatient, agitated, and a tad bit whiny undertone in it. The teen halted his steps and turned around to look at Itachi. Among the hustle and bustle of the late morning's Konoha and with an expression he was making, the younger boy resembled the lost puppy.

"I've already told you," Shisui sighed in exasperation. "My eye will heal in no time! Stop worrying."

Itachi shook his head. "Not that."

The older Uchiha scratched his cheek and then spread his arms to the side as if saying 'hit me with it'.

The other jounin's thin lips twitched down into a frown. "You once said that you'd rather die than be part of the political marriage," he deliberately spoke slowly, clearly pronouncing every syllable. Like speaking with an idiot.

Shisui blinked. After a second, he burst into a merry laughter. "It was so long time ago, Itachi! I was… what? Ten years old maybe?" He chuckled. "Getting a girl like Naruto and saving a clan in the process, I feel blessed."

"Are you truly fine with that? Marriage is for life."

The older raven's gaze softened. Ah, this guy. Such a worrywart. He put a hand on his younger friend's shoulder and squeezed it. "I'm absolutely okay with it, I promise," he assured before a wicked smirk curled on his lips. "Besides, you know the saying – the love is a hurricane!" he exclaimed cheerfully.

Itachi gave him a blank look.

Shisui dropped his head in defeat as his attempt to brighten the mood with a joke fell flat in an instant. "Obviously, you wouldn't notice even if such hurricane hit you in the face," he grumbled, sympathetically patting the other teen over his shoulder.

The younger Uchiha squinted at the pitying expression of Shisui's face. "What?"

"Aaah, I feel so bad for Izumi-chan!"

Itachi stared, his brow furrowing slightly. "What does she has anything to do with this?"

Shisui shot him the look of 'are you serious?', but then just waved him off. "Forget it! You'll know when that special time comes," he decided with a grin. "Or until someone jumps your bones…" he murmured under his breath as he turned towards the direction of the Hokage Tower. "Come on, the Hokage is still waiting for our report on the result of the clan meeting."

"…despite some dissidents, the majority of the clan voted in agreement with the Uchiha-Uzumaki alliance," Shisui reported.

The Sandaime who was seated behind his office desk nodded in satisfaction, a small pleased smile hanging on his geriatric face.

"Fugaku-sama also shared his suspicion on Naruto being selected as a candidate for the Hokage title," the young Uchiha deliberately made a pause after saying that.

"And?" Hiruzen urged to continue as he calmly stirred his tea. "How did your clan took it?"

Both jounins stared at him for a bit, dumbfounded. The lack of objection to the stated fact was as good as confirming it to be true.

"Some of those who still hesitated were finally swayed into accepting it," Itachi replied.

Shisui's mouth pulled into a tight line, his whole face darkening with anger. "But some elders suggested trying to control her once she'll become the Hokage."

"Control her?" the Sandaime echoed in disbelief.

"Well, Fugaku-sama shot it down after…" Shisui trailed off when the elderly Hokage suddenly laughed, his rich and bright laughter ringing of his office walls.

Two Uchihas shared a baffled glance. Their clan head had exactly the same reaction when the elders proposed that shameful idea.

"It seems your elders already forgotten the volatile nature of Uzumaki clansmen. One cannot simply control the Uzumaki, especially that girl," Hiruzen said with a smile, his voice carrying the distinct tone of amusement. "Naruto is like a hurricane. We can either sit in the eye of it and be protected, or go against it and be swept away with all its force." The Hokage's words were filled with deep admiration and strong fondness. After a moment, he caught himself and cleared his throat. "Will those elders be a problem?"

"They might be," Shisui said, clenching his teeth. "They are the main instigators behind the coup. I doubt they'll abandon the idea just like that."

The Sandaime narrowed his eyes and the dangerous glint flashed through them. "You think they will try to do something?"

"I secretly followed the elder Saburo after the meeting and saw him conversing with several people who were outspoken against the alliance the most," Itachi explained. "I couldn't get too close, so I heard only fragments of their conversation. They discussed the new protection seals implemented in Konoha by Uzumaki-san and that the only one who could deactivate them all is her."

An uneasy silence settled upon the office. Hiruzen stroked his beard for a while. "Naruto definitely can protect herself, but I still worry," he mused. "I even assigned a team of Anbu to protect her, but alas she does not want them to follow her around and always leave them in the dust."

Shisui's eyebrows drew together. "Surely, Naruto understands that they are there for her protection."

"That girl doesn't trust easily." The Sandaime heaved a weary sigh, massaging his temple in an attempt to relieve an incoming headache. "Besides me and Menma, there are only three other people currently residing in Konoha that she trusts fully. One of them is the person who came with her and the other two have the latter's support." He fell silent, staring at the older of the two Uchiha. "And most likely you, judging by your interaction yesterday."

The corner of Shisui's lips twitched up. He could feel the warmth spreading in his heart by hearing his leader's words. For every ninja trusting others was the most difficult task.

"I shall assign you two to work under Naruto's command on the pretext of helping her with the current stage of her plan," the Hokage spoke again suddenly. His voice was back to the firm and solid tone, full of undeniable authority that made both ninjas in front of him straighten up unconsciously. "Your mission will be to protect Naruto Uzumaki!"

"Yes, Hokage-sama!" two jounins intoned dutifully.

Hiruzen rubbed his forehead. "Just don't tell her that, she will be so ang–"

A gust of violent wind abruptly sweeping through the open window interrupted him. Naruto emerged from her shunshin, her fiery red hair billowing behind her in an intimidating and fierce display. "Jiji! I asked thousands of times already to stop sending those Anbu guys! I don't trust them and I can't stand someone stalking me, 'ttebane!"

"I understand," the Sandaime replied calmly.

"Do you want me to lock them up again in one of my special seals?!"

An odd expression settled on the man's face. "Please, don't do that. The previous team still has trouble to cope with their experiences."

"When stop sending them to protect me, 'ttebane! I don't–"

"Alright."

"–need protection! I'm fully capable of protecting myse–!" Naruto suddenly paused, confusion fluttering over her features. She took a second to backtrack the course of their conversation. "Wait." She narrowed her eyes into stormy blue slits. "You said alright? You won't send any Anbu anymore?"

"Yes. I promise."

The redhead folded her arms in front of her chest, staring at the elderly Hokage, suspicion, and doubt written in every inch of her face and body language.

Hiruzen coughed. "By the way, I found a couple of people to help you with your current plan," he said, motioning towards two Uchihas.

Naruto looked at them and her face lit up with a beaming grin. "Hey, Shisui! Itachi! What about the clan meeting? Did they agree on the alliance?"

Shisui grinned back at her. "Yes, they did."

"Awesome!" the redhead cheered, fist pumping the air. "So, you guys wanna help me with the next step?"

"Of course! We're a team now!" Shisui informed enthusiastically.

"Eh? Team?" Naruto questioned before glancing at the Sandaime for an explanation.

"They will be under your command from now on," the Hokage clarified. "Your plan needs some assistance and the sooner Uchiha clan's matter is resolved the better."

The girl stared at him suspiciously. "Why do I feel like it's some kind of trap, 'ttebane?"

Hiruzen sipped on his already cold tea. "You overthink," he replied serenely.

"Ah, well, better them than those random Anbu. At least I trust these two." Naruto shrugged. "So, I can keep them, right?"

Shisui sniggered.

"Certainly," the Sandaime assured with an amused smile. "Just make sure to feed them on time."

Naruto tilted her head slightly to the side. "Sure, I can take them to Ichiraku for ramen, but why…?" A realization suddenly dawned on her and her eyes grew wide. "Th-th-that's not what I meant, 'ttebane! They're not some kind of pets or something like that to-to keep them... I just… I meant…"

Shisui flashed a cheeky grin. "I don't mind being kept by you."

The redhead was rendered speechless as she gawked at that shameless flirt. Her heart suddenly began to race, her face heated up, and she was unable to form anything in her mind, let alone her mouth to respond. "You, you, you…!" She tried to put a coherent sentence and failed miserably. "You… You… You damn Uchiha!" the girl finally shouted, throwing her hands up in surrender and spinning on her heel to head towards the window that she had come in through. "Let's go, we have a lot of work to do!"

"Uchihas get grumpy if not fed," Itachi unexpectedly chimed in his usual deadpan manner. "Dango is the best choice."

Shisui melted into a fit of mad cackling.

Naruto was already climbing through the window when he spoke and she jumped in a startle, hitting the upper frame with her head. Rubbing her abused crown, she shot an indignant glare towards the Uchihas. "Fine! You'll get your dango!"

After Itachi gave a serious nod of approval, the redhead turned to proceed with her climb through the window.

"I'm fine with ramen!" Shisui chirped. "After feeding little Itachi, we can make it into a date!"

Naruto's foot slipped in that instant and she tumbled outside with a very girlish squeal.

As the elderly Hokage silently observed the antics of his young ninjas, a warm fond smile pulled on his lips, deepening the wrinkles around his eyes. "Are you alright, Naruto?" he inquired kindly.

The girl popped right up in one fluid motion as if nothing had happened. "Of course, 'ttebane," she replied coolly, though a pink tinge across her cheeks betrayed her inner embarrassment. She swiftly dusted off specks of dirt from her ninja pants and smoothed out creases in her orange-trimmed black jacket. Conveniently ignoring Shisui's comment, Naruto ordered, "Let's go."

As their new team's captain leaped away, both boys rushed to follow her.

"Guard her well, Shisui, Itachi."

"Yes, Hokage-sama!"

Shisui and Itachi caught up with Naruto after a few minutes. They found her standing on the roof of one of the highest buildings in the area and staring down at the bustling market below.

The crowd had a life of its own. There was chatter between sellers and buyers, old friends catching up, new friends made. The sun shone mercilessly down upon it and the people moved like enchanting shoals of fish. The salty odor of sweat mingled with the nose-tingling aroma of spices, various fruits and vegetables, and meat roasting on roasting skewers.

All of these smells mixed together and gave the market a rather unique scent, which hung in the air from early morning to late evening, encased by the cacophony of new deals being heckled every passing minute.

The boys flanked the Uzumaki from both sides, also looking down at the noisy marketplace, wondering what she was looking at so intently.

Naruto's face was awash with indifference, her lips pulled into a barely perceptible snarl, her azure eyes uncharacteristically cold, sharp, and focused, that of a predator observing its prey from afar. She carried herself with a pose and grace that all but exuded some kind of regal aura, however, dark and dangerous feeling lurked just below its surface, threatening to spill over and devour everything in its path.

And the gut instinct that saw underneath the underneath clearer and faster than conscious mind put both Uchihas on high alert the moment they approached her.

Noticing their discomfort, the redhead exhaled all air out of her lungs and reeled the entirety of that suffocating killing intent back in. "Sorry," she apologized quietly. "I hate crowds."

Shisui glanced up at her pale face. "We should go somewhere else," he suggested softly.

"No." Naruto pursed her lips. "This is the best place to start."

"What's the plan?" Itachi asked curiously.

The girl's gaze never shifted from the mass of people below as she began to speak, "The crowd as a single entity is dumb, simple-minded, and easy to manipulate. The more people talk about something, the more they are inclined to believe in it. A single rumor can either pardon or condemn a person. In the end, the truth is the belief of many and the reality is the privilege of the few."

The older raven hummed. "Are we about to spread a bunch of rumors?"

"That's right!" Naruto smirked. "The rumor almost destroyed your clan, so we're gonna use the same method to save it! The reputation of the Uchiha won't change in a day or even a week, but this should push the people's opinion about you in the right direction. We'll plant the seed and wait for the tree to grow on its own."

Shisui and Itachi stared at her. When they looked down at the Konoha's people, busying themselves in the market, hope and admiration blossomed in their chests.

"This sounds like a really good plan!" Shisui praised with a delightful big grin.

"Of course! Fluffy and I racked our brains to make… hm?" Naruto suddenly cut herself off, tilting her head slightly to the side as if listening to something. "Fluffy-chan and I!" A mischievous smile slowly tugged on her lips. "Mm… The Most Adorable Fluffy-chan and I sounds even better!" Her laughter didn't build gradually but simply exploded, filling the air with its contagious mirth.

Shisui couldn't help but look at her, baffled by her strange behavior. He watched his girl laugh, unbridled and free and so full of life, her cerulean eyes bright and sparkling, her scorching red hair seemingly glowing under the sun.

Naruto was like the sun itself – warm and powerful and utterly luminous.

"Alright!" she exclaimed in excitement, a dazzling grin still perched on her lips, though, for some reason, it now undoubtedly contained an evil edge. "Let's start the biggest prank in Konoha's history, 'ttebane!"

Shisui and Itachi were stunned. "Eh?"

Chapter Text

"Have you heard already?"

"Heard what?"

"Danzo Shimura was behind the attack seven years ago!"

"Seven years… You mean the attack of the Kyuubi?!"

"That's right! People are talking about it these days."

"Oh my god, you can't really judge a person by his appearance! Shimura seemed such a nice old man. I was wondering why he didn't come to my tea shop anymore…"

"It seems that it wasn't the Uchiha behind the attack of the Kyuubi."

"Seriously?! Where have you heard that?"

"There was this family in the shop today who talked about it and I accidentally overheard them."

"Accidentally? Hehehe, you sly dog. Eavesdropping on your customers, eh?"

"Shut up! How an old cripple like me should know what's going on in Konoha otherwise? Humph!"

"Yeah, yeah. …But are you serious about the Uchihas?"

"The relative of those people works in the Hokage Tower, so must be true. Right?"

"…Danzo Shimura? As in the advisor for the Hokage-sama?"

"Yeah! Can you imagine? And he even managed to push the blame on those poor Uchihas."

"Hmm… Something seems fishy about this, Mai."

"God, I feel so bad for being so nasty with Yumiko just because I thought her clan was at fault for the death of little Akio."

"You shouldn't listen to every rumor out where."

"How could I do that to her? We were friends!"

"Mai? Mai! Where are you going?"

"To apologize!"

"Hey, don't you think those guys from the Uchiha clan are really handsome?"

"They are downright gorgeous!"

"I know right! Just look at the one standing over there!"

"He's a ninja! His eyes are so enchanting, but he still has that bad boy aura about him, oh my god!"

"Right, right! Even with clothes, he's so hot! Could just eat him all up!"

"I really want to jump on him and rip his clothes off, just to see what's und– Kyaaaaaaah!"

"Aaaaaaah! Where had this freaky wind come from?!"

"My documents! Catch them! Catch those sheets!"

"Why did you use a wind release on those girls? What did you overhear?"

Those three chattering teenagers were a bit too far for Shisui to eavesdrop on their conversation, but Naruto definitely had heard them due to her extremely sensitive hearing. He found out about it during this covert mission as they were running around Konoha till exhaustion, using Henge to transform into unremarkable civilians and spread rumors for the last three days without any break.

The plan was coming along nicely; people were starting to gossip on their own. Despite the obvious wariness and cautiousness surrounding Konoha's general populace, the planted rumors began to take root into their minds slowly but surely. That's why the trio allowed themselves to take a short break today. It was an unbearably hot day, so they settled under the tree, reveling in the coolness of its shade, far from the usual gathering spots of big crowds. Though Itachi somehow managed to wander off who knows where.

Naruto jumped as the Uchiha spoke to her, caught by surprise. She swiveled around to face him, revealing bashful and embarrassed expression on her face. "Nothing, 'ttebane!" she cried out immediately, sounding suspiciously defensive. She kept wringing the lock of her hair around her finger, her eyes shifting from staring at nothing on the side and unwillingly scrutinizing him all over.

Shisui raised his eyebrow, intrigued. The longer he stared at the redhead without saying a word, the quicker nervousness took over her, until she couldn't keep her composure up anymore. He was rewarded with a flustered glare.

"It's your fault anyway, you damn Uchiha!"

The teen schooled his features into an innocent what-did-I-do expression and batted his eyelashes pitifully. The effect was halved since the bandages covered his second eye, but it still worked like a charm.

As per usual while dealing with this particular Uchiha specimen, Naruto was rendered speechless. She opened her mouth, closed it, opened again, but nothing came out. "You…" she tried again, but to say more while being exposed to that kind of lethal puppy eyes was near impossible. Soon the redhead slapped a palm across her forehead. "I guess Bastard was right. They are everywhere and now I understand why," she grumbled under her breath, turning away from her husband-to-be, but not before shooting an accusatory glower.

"Hm? Who is everywhere?"

"Doesn't matter," the girl waved him off and then huffed, determination flashing across her eyes. "I won't go down without a fight!" She shook a fist in front of her, looking, for all intents and purposes, geared up for a war. "What's mine is mine, 'ttebane!"

Alright, now Shisui was completely baffled and curious beyond belief. What was she talking about? Before he could ask, however, Itachi's voice reached their ears.

"I'm back."

Both ninjas looked at him. Their team's youngest member chewed on dango without any care in the world, another full skewer in his other hand.

The older raven shook his head and chuckled. "Should have realized that you'll run off to eat dango at the first opportunity."

Itachi didn't bother to refute. He was about to take a bite of the dango on the remaining skewer, but paused when he noticed Naruto eyeing it hungrily. This girl was the person who managed to solve Uchiha's coup peacefully, their benefactor. All clan, including him, owned her a great deal, so offering one portion of dango wouldn't even start to pay her off.

Itachi still hesitated. "Do you want it?" he decided to ask in hope that she would refuse.

Shisui's eye narrowed while the redhead's face lit up like a bonfire. "Yeah!" she exclaimed. "I'm famished, 'ttebane! Had no time for a proper meal in days!"

The boy extended the dango to her. The moment Naruto was about to grab it, the older Uchiha suddenly put his hands on her shoulders and swiftly turn her body around. "Come, Naruto," he urged, his arm subtly snaking around her waist to gently push her to walk alongside him. "I'm gonna treat you to as much dango as you want. Or we can go and grab some ramen."

Shisui's attempt to entice the girl paid off because her grin flared like a sun and her big, bright eyes sparkled, twin oceans of wonder and delight. "Really?!"

The raven's face softened, his expression radiating indulgence, and he smiled warmly at her. "Of course," he reassured.

Naruto didn't shake his arm around her waist off, so Shisui could feel how thin she truly was. Way too thin for his liking or to be healthy. She definitely needed someone to take care of her and help her to put some more meat on her bones. No more neglecting food for her!

Fugaku had mentioned to him that the Uzumakis loved good cooking and the easiest path to earn their affection was through food. But not when others offered their food for his girl.

Shisui shot a disgusted glare at the Itachi's dango over his shoulder and a greatly disapproving look at the boy himself.

Itachi blinked, slowly. His black orbs flicked from the couple's retreating backs to the sweet in his hand and he fiddled with it for a bit, trying to see if anything was wrong. Maybe some kind of bug got stuck on it? He couldn't find anything. It was a very good dango.

Itachi shrugged, banishing Shisui's odd behavior out of his mind, and ate his dango happily.

"Niisan!"

The team of three stopped on their way to Ichiraku's Ramen and turned towards the direction of the excited shout.

A little, black-haired boy came to a stop in front of Itachi, his mouth stretched into a wide, proud smile. "Niisan!" he exclaimed again, slightly out of breath, his two charcoal black eyes peering up at the older boy with all the adoration seven-years-old could muster. Which was quite a lot. "Guess what?!"

Itachi stiffened and his face blanked out as if he didn't know how to properly react to that kind of genuine idolization. "Sasuke," he said quietly, his voice layered with a tinge of helplessness.

Shisui sniggered, then leaned closed to Naruto and whispered, "Itachi is so awkward with showing his love to his brother, it's pretty funny to watch them."

The expression that crossed the girl's face was heartbreaking and vanished just as quickly as it appeared. Then she smiled, the curve full of so much warmth it cut Shisui's breathing a little short. For as warm as it looked, the sadness behind her eyes threatened to choke him. "Sasuke seems very happy," she murmured.

"I got the first place in our class' shuriken throwing competition today!" the littlest Uchiha boasted, his whole posture brimming with that pure, natural childish pride by succeeding on the thing that he had a great passion about.

A tiny smile tugged at the corners of Itachi's lips as he said, "Good job, Sasuke."

The younger boy's face brightened up even more, obviously preening under his big brother's praise.

Naruto was observing them and Shisui was watching her instead. His heart seemed to lurch in pain because the sadness didn't dissipate from her features; it actually deepened and even her smile now displayed a vast array of contradicting emotions. Relief. Fear. Hope. Grief.

Shisui couldn't hold out any longer and reached for her, thinking maybe looking away would help her. Because whatever she saw definitely wasn't two brothers interacting, it was something bad and hurtful and he wished to somehow erase all of that out of her mind and heart.

Before his hand could touch her chin, an orange blur zoomed through the people and straight into Naruto with a high-pitched scream of, "Neesan!"

Naruto stumbled from the impact. Luckily, Shisui reacted on time to steady her, otherwise, she would have been wrestled to the ground. The teen glanced down at the little offender. The latter hugged Naruto's waist with his thin arms as if his life depended on it and Shisui recognized him instantly. No one else in this village had such vibrant golden hair and three whisker-like marks on both cheeks – the most prominent characteristics of the Konoha's Jinchuuriki, Menma Uzumaki.

"Neesan! Neesan!" the boy chirped, lifting his head up and revealing the familiar eyes of the brilliant blue color and a beaming grin.

Shisui suppressed a smirk. These two were definitely a family.

"Guess what, 'ttebayo! I managed to–" Menma abruptly stopped talking and his grin died faster than wisps of smoke from a candle. "Neesan?" he questioned, furrowing his brow. "Why are you sad?"

Naruto stared, her expression completely devoid of understanding and her mind drawing a blank for the moment.

The blond's eyes hardened, a seriousness that was too mature for his age settling on his childish face. "Did someone hurt you? I'm gonna kick their asses, 'ttebayo!" he threatened darkly. After a moment, his expression faltered when a realization hit him. "Did you… Did you get bullied because of me?" he whispered, looking down at his feet.

Menma could feel the hatred, the dislike, the annoyance, the contempt, and a hundred other ugly things, all directed solidly at him and consequently to those around him. His breath caught in his throat at the thought that his presence was causing the villagers to start hating his precious big sister. The boy suddenly pushed away from her, trying to distance himself.

Naruto's arm hooked around Menma's neck, holding him in place, close to her. "How are you supposed to kick someone's ass while being this tiny, eh?" she asked with a lopsided grin, giving him a thorough, albeit rough hair ruffle.

"Neesan!" the little Uzumaki spluttered, squirming in her embrace. After finally freeing himself, he glared up indignantly at her. "Even if I look like this now, one day I'm gonna be strong enough to protect you!" he declared, that statement layered with the sheer conviction, the promise roaring in his veins. "And then I'm gonna become the Hokage, 'ttebayo!"

Naruto huffed, amused and filled with fondness. "Just because you'll become the Hokage doesn't mean that you'll have the strength to win against me," she stated, peering at the kid with half-lidded eyes and a smirk curled on her lips. "And the winner is always the one who protects the loser."

Menma's jaw dropped. "That's not fair!" he protested. "You're too strong, 'ttebayo!"

"Hehehe," Naruto chuckled wickedly before pulling him into her arms again for another round of hair ruffles. "It means that your neesan will be protecting you for the rest of your life, 'ttebane!"

"N-Neesan!"

Shisui marveled at the scene between two Uzumakis. The way they interacted was a complete opposite how usually Uchiha family interacted with each other. His clansmen were naturally aloof and prone to isolating themselves even from their closest people.

The teen actually preferred Uzumaki way. Just standing next to them filled him with warm and fuzzy feelings. He wondered how Naruto would look like surrounded with more kids. He also wondered how their children would look like.

Shisui's mind screeched to an abrupt halt at that particular thought and blood rushed to his face. No. Nonono. Too early for such ideas! He was still trying to woo her, dammit!

Denial didn't stop the image of a black-haired, blue-eyed child pop into his mind.

Ah. He had totally fallen for her.

While Shisui flustered over his own feelings, Menma managed to free himself from his big sister's clutches and jump away.

"Watch it!" Sasuke warned angrily when the blond almost collided with him.

Menma's head snapped towards him in an instant and his face twisted into a sour expression. "Sasuke, what are you doing here?"

The youngest Uchiha scoffed. "I'm here with my niisan," he replied smugly.

The Jinchuuriki shot a guarded look up at Itachi and unconsciously retreated to stand next to Naruto.

"Sasuke said your class had shuriken throwing competition today and he got the first place," the redhead informed. "How did you do, Menma?"

Menma wilted like a flower without water under her curious gaze. He bit his lip, hands clutching the hem of his jacket. "I… I was… I was the twelfth…" he said in a soft voice, cheeks flushing.

Sasuke laughed mockingly.

Menma deflated even more, unable to hold his head high.

Itachi scowled at his little brother. "Don't be rude, Sasuke," he reprimanded him sternly.

The boy scrunched his face into a displeased frown. "Why? Everyone mocks him, even senseis don't like him much," he muttered under his breath so that only his brother could hear him.

"Just because everyone does it, doesn't mean that it's the right thing to do."

Sasuke said nothing, but put his brother's words to his heart. Itachi was his idol after all. He always knew best. If he said it was bad, Sasuke would definitely don't do that again.

"Going from the last place to the twelfth in a few months is amazing, 'ttebane!"

Menma whipped his head up so fast that it made him dizzy. A dazzling grin met his startled eyes and Naruto ruffled his hair again, but this time it was a gentle, encouraging motion.

"You did very well, little brother," she praised sincerely. "If you keep this up, you'll get into the top in no time. I believe in you!"

Menma beamed, his happiness welling inside his chest and bubbling outside as a lighthearted laughter. His previous energy rushed back, double in strength, and he practically bounced up and down, vibrating from excitement, eyes alight, his every muscle in need to move, to dance, to jump. "You're the best, neesan!" he cried out straight from his heart.

Sasuke couldn't help but butt in, "Niisan is much better."

Menma glowered at him. "Neesan is the strongest!"

The little raven returned his heated gaze with a glare of his own. "Niisan is much stronger!"

Naruto and Itachi shared a helpless glance.

"How about me?" Shisui who seemed to be forgotten by everyone suddenly chimed in cheerfully. "I'm also strong!"

"You look weak, 'ttebayo."

"Hn," Sasuke agreed with a grunt. "You're weaker than niisan."

"When you're definitely weaker than neesan."

The oldest Uchiha's eyebrow twitched. "Wha– Why you little brats!" he bit out through clenched teeth.

Sasuke scoffed. Menma tensed at his obviously angry tone, fully expecting a furious outburst, a bunch of insults and maybe even an attempt to strike him. Nothing like that happened though.

The next moment the teen's head dropped and he heaved a dramatic sigh. "Heh, why am I always the uncool one?" he questioned nobody in particular. "And here I thought of showing some tricks in shurikenjutsu to the little Uzumaki as I had to Sasuke previously."

Menma's eyes almost popped out of his skull. "Eeeeeeh?!"

"Alas, he thinks that I'm weak," Shisui continued as if not noticing the little Jinchuuriki's desperation, "and how can a weakling teach anything? I even gave some pointers to Itachi, the guy over there."

The blond followed his finger, pointing at Sasuke's older brother, and he grew even more anxious.

"I should probably hide from the world for the rest of my life. But don't cry for me! For it is my sin of being the uncool one. Oh, the tragedy!"

Naruto snorted, but couldn't really hold it in, so proceeded to giggle madly into her palm. Itachi observed his friend with an odd expression etched on his features, Sasuke felt completely out of his depth, and Menma broke into a cold sweat.

"So, friends, it's time for me to bid you all my farew–" Shisui was about to turn around, but a desperate scream stopped him mid-move.

"Wait! Wait! Wait!" The blond boy stepped closer to him. "You… You're cool, 'ttebayo! Very cool! And probably strong too. Not as strong as my neesan, though," he babbled quickly lest the guy would change his mind and really go away. "So, can you teach me? Please, mister?"

Shisui hummed, tapping his chin with his finger, acting as if it was such a hard decision. "Call me Shisui-niisan from now on and we'll have a deal," he offered as his mouth stretched into a wide grin.

Menma froze. "You want me to call you niisan?" he asked, his voice a bit hoarse.

Shisui was suddenly alarmed, however, he didn't let it show on outside. "Well, yeah," he answered lightly. "We're gonna be family soon, so you calling me niisan sounds right."

"…Family?"

Naruto put her hands on the little blond's shoulders from behind and smiled. "It's fine, Menma," she assured. "Shisui and I are going to marry and he'll become your niisan."

The boy beamed. "Really?!"

"Yep."

"I have a niisan! Just how cool is that, 'ttebayo!" Menma yelled as he jumped and fist-pumped the air. "Hey, hey, hey, Shisui-niisan, will you teach me shurikenjutsu? What other jutsu do you know? Do you know some cool ones? Can you teach me a cool jutsu, Shisui-niisan? Please, please, please!"

"Easy there, squirt, don't forget to breathe," Shisui placated, putting a hand on the blond Jinchuuriki's head for a gentle pat. He ignored a tiny flinch that seemed to be an unconscious reaction to the unfamiliar touch. "I'm not going anywhere. We have all the time we need to get to know each other."

Menma stared at him with practically stars shooting out of his eyes. "Awesome, 'ttebayo!"

While they conversed, Shisui caught the sight of Naruto and Itachi speaking before the latter gave a small bow and walked away with Sasuke in tow. "What's up?" he asked curiously.

"Itachi's father summoned him, so he had to leave. We agreed to meet later," the redhead explained.

"Alright," the raven nodded. "So, are we still going for that ramen?"

"Of course, 'ttebane!"

Menma stilled. "Ramen? You guys are going for Ramen? Can I come too? For Ramen?" he bubbled with questions. For every question that came out of his mouth, there were several more queuing up in his mind.

Shisui suddenly found himself as a target of two pairs of pleading blue eyes. "Uzumakis really like ramen, don't they?"

Naruto flashed a sheepish grin, but Menma looked scandalized. "How can you not like Ramen, 'ttebayo?!" The boy squinted. "Are you really that strong?"

This time Shisui could definitely hear the capital letter in the word 'ramen'. He threw the idea of trying to comprehend how his strength was related to liking or not liking this specific food straight through the metaphorical window. Uzumaki's thought process didn't seem to align with the rest of the world.

"Okay, okay," the teen surrendered, lifting his arms up. "Come on, I'll treat you both to as much ramen as you want."

"Yatta! You're the best, Shisui-niisan!"

"Nuh-uh, your neesan is the best!" He laughed at the enthusiastic, "That's right, 'ttebayo!", and then favored Naruto with a charming smile. "We are yet to have that date you promised me."

The redhead's eyes widened, blush instantly searing through her. "W-w-what date, 'ttebane?! I haven't promised you any d-dates!" she sputtered, giving him a frustrated punch on his arm.

Shisui rubbed the slightly stinging spot. "Abusing your husband, are you?"

"We are not married yet!"

"Yet is the most crucial word in that sentence."

"Sh-Shut up, you damn Uchiha!"

"Hurry up, neesan! Niisan!"

And if some women nearby quietly gushed with adoration and gossiped among themselves after witnessing such a lovely young family, well, no one called them out on it.

"Whoa, did you hear what that elderly couple were talking?"

"I did. I can't believe that the Uchiha clan is not related to that tragic night."

"But they are right, you know. I never thought about it, but weren't Uchihas protecting people that night? I think Ayako mentioned that right after the incident."

"Well, even if it's true, I don't understand why the Hokage allow that boy to stay in the village!"

"Shhh, you can be punished if someone overhears you…"

"That's the thing! Why we can't speak against him? He's nothing but a murderer. Who knows when he'll let that monster out again?"

"I heard that someone took that boy under their protection. Some woman claimed the position of the Uzumaki clan head."

"Pff, what clan? Why had we never heard about them? It's probably just a hoax created by a relative of the whore who gave birth to that demon spawn. I can't believe that the Hokage would believe such a lie!"

An elderly woman on the other side of the shop pursed her lips, her grey eyes void of any emotions. The old man next to her though had a murderous expression on his wrinkly face. He was about to give those two gossiping housewives the piece of his mind when a tug on his arm drew his attention to his companion.

"Let's go," the woman said quietly. "We're done here."

Without waiting for his reply, she walked out of the shop in rushed steps. The man had no other choice but to follow her. Soon they entered a remote alley and both released their disguise at the same time.

"Naruto–"

"It's fine, 'ttebane!" the redhead snapped, not turning to face him. "We still should visit one more spot today."

She was about to run away, but Shisui grabbed her arm to stop her. "Whoa there. Come on, Naruto, talk to me," he coaxed gently. "What those women said back there had really upset you."

Her eyes were suddenly on him. Unforgiving and ruthless, the usual sunny cerulean had darkened to a near twilight blue as if mixed with crimson, almost demonic in its nature. Shisui had never seen her so angry or so much pain reflecting in her beautiful orbs.

"What? You think I shouldn't be upset, 'ttebane? That I have no right to be angry at idiots who keep blaming an innocent kid for things that are way beyond his control? That just because he's the Jinchuuriki – the damn human sacrifice – he can't be recognized as a normal human being with his own needs and emotions? Do you also think that he needs to lie down and accept all of that abuse without getting upset?!" The girl's every question was dripping with biting sarcasm, bursting out of the deep scars in her heart and soul.

The raven winced, taken aback by her outburst. "That's not what I meant." He was relieved, if slightly unsettled, as he watched Naruto deflate, going from eruptive, cold fury to a sort of meek discouraged state.

"Yeah, I know, sorry," she murmured softly. "It's just… The way they talk, or– or stare… Are we really that horrible?"

"Of course not. Menma is a good kid and you're the most amazing person I've ever met. I admire you a lot," Shisui said, putting all his strength behind these words in hope that she would believe him. Naruto smiled at his effort, but it stirred every alarm bells in his mind and his heart raced in panic. Because her smile was such an ineffective, empty thing and didn't reach her eyes at all, leaving them dark and desolate and dead.

"I grew up just like Menma," the redhead spoke in a strangely detached voice. "Every person in my village hated my guts, despised me like I was worth less than the dirt they stepped on every day. That's why I hate crowds. I can deal with one, two, a few glares, but there are always too many eyes in the crowd. They would stare at me as if I didn't deserve to walk among them, to breathe the same air as them, as if I wasn't allowed to live." Once she started talking, she couldn't stop herself. "I would scream my name to their faces then and everybody thought it was just to annoy them, to deepen their torment, to remind them of all the ugly things of the past. But it wasn't. It was because I was scared that one day I would forget my name myself, because sometimes it had taken months till someone uttered it and not some insult."

Shisui moved before he could really think it through. He pulled Naruto's body into his embrace – too small, too thin, too fragile at this very moment – and wrapped his arms around her tightly, tucking her head under his chin, trying to shield her from the whole world and the hurt that came from it. Even if she would push him away in the next instant, he wanted to do something, anything to wipe that kind of broken expression off of her face.

Naruto didn't push him away. Unexpectedly finding herself in the Uchiha's embrace, she went rigid. The faint smell of grass and fresh soil lingering on his shirt brought the feeling of warmth and security, and she slowly relaxed, basking in the soothing sensation of his fingers stroking her hair.

"You're not alone, Naruto. And neither is Menma. You both have me and Itachi. Sasuke is a good kid and will come around. Eventually, the whole Konoha will come to realize just how lucky they are that you two live here."

"You're not like other Uchihas," the redhead finally muttered into his shirt after one long minute. She could feel Shisui's body shake with a jovial laughter.

"Are you flirting with me?" he inquired cheerfully.

"Sh-shut up! Who would want to flirt with you, 'ttebane?!"

Another quiet chuckle left the raven's mouth when she protested but made no move to separate herself from him. "That sounds more like my girl," he said warmly as his arms tightened around her petite form, breathing deep her scent of sunshine and summer breeze.

Naruto said nothing, her head pressed to his chest. "I can hear your heart," she blurted out suddenly.

Shisui hummed softly. "My heart beats just for you, so you have all the rights to listen to it anytime you want."

This time, the redhead did push away, but she didn't distance herself far, only making a few small steps backward. "I bet you say that to every girl you meet," she accused in a most petulant voice the teen had ever heard.

"Nope, just for that special one," Shisui replied smoothly, stepping forward and intruding into her personal space once again. He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand as if she was someone extremely precious. "You know, the fire can burn all on its own without any problem, but it will always earn for the wind, because even if the wind can extinguish it completely, it can also fan its flames to unimaginable heights."

"Why are you telling me that?"

The raven's lips tilted into a sweet grin. "Because I'm the fire and you're my wind," he said, low and husky. His hand slid to rest on the back of her neck as he slowly leaned closer, his lips almost touching hers…

A sound of crunched gravel under someone's feet startled them both out of their intimate moment. Feeling a strange sense of déjà vu, they glared at the intruder in unison.

A lone man stood at the entrance of the alley with his white, spiky, gravity-defying hair, his ninja headband slanted over his left eye, and a mask coverings his mouth and nose. "Hahahaha," the man laughed, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head. "Don't mind me. Please, proceed." And he just kept standing there unperturbed whatsoever, shamelessly staring at them with his one visible eye.

Shisui's eyebrows drew together, his mind reeling. Wasn't this man dead? He could recognize him on a spot, because his cousin just recently came out of seven years long mourning over his death.

Kakashi Hatake didn't look dead at all. What the hell was going on?

"SENSEI, YOU JERK!" Naruto roared, her temper exploding like a live volcano. "I'm sooooooo gonna burn your porn collection for this, 'ttebane!"

Shisui never knew that a single eye had a capability to display such an extreme horror, but, as fate had it, he had a perfect opportunity to witness that right now.

Chapter Text

"SENSEI, YOU JERK!" Naruto roared, her temper exploding like a live volcano. "I'm sooooooo gonna burn your porn collection for this, 'ttebane!"

Shisui never knew that a single eye had a capability to display such an extreme horror, but, as fate had it, he had a perfect opportunity to witness that right now.

Kakashi spun on his heel and disappeared in a shunshin with a whoosh.

"Running away from me?" Naruto muttered through clenched teeth. Her lips split into a grin then, vicious and sadistic and full of bad intentions. With a loud, "Come back here, you bastard sensei!" she also vanished, giving a chase to the runaway ninja.

It left Shisui all alone in the alley, absent-mindedly wondering if he should be worried for the man. After a moment, he smirked. It seemed that people around Naruto was as crazy as the girl herself.

Another person emerged from around the corner, shielding his eye from the sun with a hand as he stared into the distance where the pair of sensei and his student gone to. "This is the first time I'm glad I'm just a shadow clone," he murmured and turned around to face the teen.

Shisui raised an eyebrow at Kakashi Hatake. Or his shadow clone, as he had so kindly revealed.

The man's mask creased with a smile and his eye closed to match it. He gave a carefree two-finger salute and offered a short, "Yo!"

"Was that intentional?"

Kakashi hummed, pushing his hands into the pockets of his pants and slouching into a lazy posture. His single eye observed the Uchiha with a startling sharpness. "So, you're the one," he said. "The poor soul that Naruto roped into her bizarre plan."

Shisui furrowed his brow. "I wouldn't call myself a poor soul," he argued. "I'd say that I lucked out instead."

The older man stayed silent.

Shisui suppressed an urge to squirm under the heavy scrutiny of that intense judging eye. This man… was a very dangerous individual, despite his sluggish appearance, as unthreatening as it was deceptive and which really shouldn't have looked so natural on a ninja.

A precise shift of his foot, a slight change of his hand's positioning—Shisui subtly adjusted his stance to a more defensive position, only half-aware of what he was doing. His expression was a carefully crafted mask and none of his inner caution was readable from it.

"Maa, you seem a bit tense, Shisui-kun," Kakashi drawled. The young Uchiha's deadpan glare only amused him further. "How's your eye?"

A random question completely threw Shisui's comprehension of this man's goals into a void. "Er…" he scratched the back of his head, "it should heal without complications."

"Good, good."

And then Kakashi continued to stare at him in that unnerving way, so laid back and unruffled, that it made the teen's skin crawl with goosebumps. He could swear the man was doing this on purpose.

"So," the older nin said with a sort of deadly cheer that hit every alarm bells in Shisui's head. "You like our Naruto?"

His own instantaneous reply of, "Yes," caused Shisui's cheeks tinge with a barely-there blush. This was the first time he admitted liking the fiery Uzumaki out loud.

The guy seemed to notice his inconspicuous sign of embarrassment and an odd gleam of approval entered his dark grey eye. "Do you know who I am?" he continued his inquiry.

The teen pursed his lips. "Kakashi Hatake," he answered. "You were my cousin's teammate who died—" he stumbled over his words, but swiftly corrected himself. "Who was presumed dead in the Kyuubi's attack."

"Oh, yeah, that," the man waved his hand in dismissal as if his own declared death in absentia was just an insignificant detail.

Now that Shisui thought about it, he could actually recall seeing Hatake's corpse among the fallen. His cousin and the last member of their team were devastated by his and their sensei's death. This man definitely died seven years ago.

A chill ran down Shisui's spine.

So, who was this person in front of him?

A fierce inner debate on risking the activation of his Sharingan scraped his quickly fraying nerves. So far, the man did nothing to indicate being a potential threat. And Naruto obviously knew him.

Kakashi sent him a nondescript eye-smile and, shit, the raven had no idea what the other nin was thinking.

"I guess Naruto didn't tell you yet," the man mused. "Well, you got my name right. I'm Kakashi Hatake, the jounin of Konohagakure, better known as the Copy Ninja." A short pause. "I also took in Naruto Uzumaki when she was eight and had become her brother, her father, eventually her teacher, and everything in between."

Oh.

A sudden realization slammed into Shisui's mind with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer.

It turned out that this was something he had heard about before. An infamous overprotective big brother's (and father's and even sensei's; talk about dangerous combo) act of intimidation in front of their little sister's (daughter's and student's) boyfriend.

A relieved smile curled on the teen's lips.

Kakashi's gaze sharpened.

"I understand now," the Uchiha spoke slowly. He looked the man straight into the eye, trying to convey the absolute sincerity of his next words. "I would never hurt Naruto. Not intentionally. But even then, I'd take full responsibility. I swear it on my clan's name."

That seemed to catch Kakashi off guard. What little of Hatake's face Shisui could see was clearly painted with genuine surprise. The man cocked his head to the side, gaze contemplating and swirling with some other unnamed emotions.

A soft sigh escaped Kakashi after a few moments. "Glad to hear it." This time, when his eye closed to match his smile hidden under the dark cloth, it was friendly and void of any concealed threats.

"Now, my young Uchiha friend," Kakashi said merrily as he crossed the distance between them. He slung an arm around Shisui's shoulders like they were good old buddies before the teen could even react and move away. "You won't refuse to do a teeny tiny favor for your future brother-in-law, right?"

Goosebumps returned with vengeance. Such overly friendly behavior creeped Shisui out.

"Wonderful!" Kakashi cheered despite the fact that his fellow jounin was yet to say anything. "I knew I could count on you!"

Shisui suddenly had a very, very bad feeling about this.

Kakashi might have made a slight miscalculation.

His instincts screamed and he dashed to the side. Skidding to a stop, he started to turn around to face his opponent.

An earthquake almost made the Copy Ninja stumble and he briefly closed his eye to protect it from the wave of dust and debris that hit him. Soil rained on his shoulders. A chunk of grass hit his head.

As he stared at the crater carved into the training ground's grassy floor that definitely wasn't there a second ago, Kakashi admitted the need for correction in his previous statement.

He made a slight miscalculation at his thought of making a slight miscalculation.

Naruto was not angry. She was not furious. She was utterly livid. Being forced into a merry chase, however short, around the village just added fuel to Naruto's wrath.

Kakashi kinda got the impression that his cute little sister slash student slash his damn Hokage was really looking forward to that kiss.

He barely dodged a kunai coated with a wind chakra that whizzed out of the eddy of dust. And the second one. And the third one. And the fourthfifthsixth—

Yep, was reaaaaaaaally looking forward to that kiss.

In Kakashi's defense, he knew that it would have been Naruto's first kiss and he had to make sure that the boy was safe. Even if it was Shisui Uchiha, the kid who was kind and loyal to a fault.

The dust finally settled down, revealing Naruto standing in the middle of the crater. Just a young petite girl with her fiery red hair, love for ramen and obsession with seals. No one could tell just how much bite she hid under that harmless facade.

Kakashi sucked in a breath. Naruto was in a full battle mode. Blue eyes narrowed, quickly taking in as many details in their sight as possible, and face uncharacteristically stoic, various calculations and simulations no doubt whirling through her mind.

Naruto Uzumaki was a true embodiment of why the Uzumaki Seal Masters were so feared throughout all nations with Minato Namikaze's cold-blooded battle brilliance and the partnership with the Kyuubi added on top of it. No wonder she had earned a moniker of Red Death on her first debut in the Fourth Ninja War at the tender age of fifteen.

The girl's arm rose up and—

Yeaaaaaah, no. Kakashi still wanted to live a little. Still some books to read and maybe blue-eyed toddlers to babysit. "I yield!" he yelled.

Naruto's hand dropped back to her side, a displeased glare fixed firmly on her sensei. The latter, however, had no time to spare for her sulking, too busy sighing in relief.

"Your porn, 'ttebane," his Hokage demanded in a no-nonsense, intimidating tone. Her hand extended forward, waiting for the items she asked to be delivered without a fuss.

And, yes, that was definitely his Hokage speaking. Kakashi felt his body straightened up on its own at the amount of authority that laced Naruto's voice. He broke into a cold sweat. His cute little sister couldn't be serious about burning his precious collection, could she? He brought it all the way from their original world; some of them were not even published yet!

"Maa, maa, Naruto, calm down," he placated with what he thought was a reassuring eye-smile. "Let's not do something drastic here."

Naruto tapped her foot impatiently and Kakashi saw all the content of his beloved Icha Icha flash before his eyes.

Memories from his shadow clone suddenly rushed in. Oh, thank god, Shisui didn't let him down.

"Kakashi-nii," Naruto called softly. "Can you please give me your porn?"

Kakashi froze. His heart stilled and then restarted, reaching a frightening speed in an instant, threatening to burst from his chest.

This… was worse. Hokage Naruto was a bane of their enemies. Little sister Naruto was equally lethal to her friends and allies. In a different way, of course, but that was beside the point. No one was safe from that particular tactic. Not even broody Sasuke whose world turned upside down and then sideways the moment Naruto declared him her niisan. The poor boy was so confused and focused on how to be a good niisan that he somehow forgot his vengeance along the way.

Anyway.

Naruto was going all out.

She really wanted that kiss to happen, huh.

Shit.

Where the heck was that damn Uchiha brat?!

Shisui touched the ground, landing lightly on the grass in a crouch. He looked up at the two people in this training field and instantly got assaulted by a pleading puppy eye and a mute scream of 'savemeyoupromisedjustdoitnowrightnownownow!' Looking at the size of the crater next to Naruto, he began to understand Kakashi's sentiments.

And, he did promise, unwilling as he may have been, so…

"Hey, Naruto," Shisui started, shuffling his feet awkwardly. "I think Kakashi-san just stumbled on us acid—"

"You set this up, 'ttebane!" Naruto fired up, pointing an accusing finger at her sensei. "That's cheating!"

"Now, now, Naruto, I'm sure your boyfriend knows what he's talking about."

The redhead put her hands on her hips and glowered at the man. Her frown deepened when he kept beaming at her. Her gaze slowly slid to rest on Shisui.

The teen offered a small helpless shrug.

Naruto facepalmed, a groan slipping free. "Fine!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms up in defeat. She glanced to the side, her eyes focusing at some bushes at the edge of the training ground. "You two can come out now."

The bush let out a barely audible eep, but other than that nothing happened.

Naruto rolled her eyes, crossed her arms and waited.

After a moment, someone moved in the bush.

"No, Rin, wait—"

A woman stepped out. She was dressed in a traditional Konoha's jounin attire, her brown, chin-length hair leaping over the ninja headband and framing her face. Rectangular purple markings on both her cheeks creased slightly as she smiled and offered a small wave in greeting.

A man held onto the woman's other hand and he all but fell out of the bush ungracefully after her. Also wearing a jounin's attire, his single eye wide open, the other one covered by an eyepatch, his wild black hair sticking in all directions with a few leaves tangled between strands.

Shisui almost laughed out loud at the sight of his cousin in such a flustered state. Though, only now he realized that Hatake covered the same eye. What a weird coincidence.

"Sorry, Naruto-chan, Obito here wanted—"

"Rin!" the black-haired man squawked indignantly, face flushed in embarrassment. He straightened out into a bit more dignified posture and coughed into his palm to gather his bearings. "We were, uh, we were just passing by."

Kakashi snorted. Naruto asked, "Through the bush?"

"Yep," Obito agreed with a confident grin. "It's a very good way to… pass by. The bush, that is."

"Uh-huh." Naruto didn't look amused. "And it has nothing to do with Kakashi?"

"Pff, of course not! We were passing by and, er…" the Uchiha fumbled through the explanation, shooting a panicked look at his accomplice.

Rin swooped in to help her friend. She always did. "We saw you sparring with Kakashi and we got a bit worried."

"That's right." Obito nodded vigorously in agreement. "You should go easy on him, Naruto. You might give the old man a heart attack."

The muscle twitched involuntarily at the corner of Kakashi's visible eye. But instead of saying anything, he whipped out an orange, worn-out book and buried his nose into it.

The Uchiha scowled. "Kakashi's practically ancient now," he continued to tease, suspiciously eyeing the other jounin at the lack of response. "You have to be more delicate with those old bones."

The Copy Ninja peeked over his book. "Hm?" he hummed before his attention returned to his reading. He flipped a page. "You said something?"

"Gaaaah!" Obito screamed, seemingly ready to tear his hair out in sheer frustration. "You're still so—so—soooooo annoying, Bakakashi!"

"And you're still so naïve, Obito-kun," Kakashi said it so smugly that it begged for a punch.

Naruto burst into a peal of loud laughter, Rin joining her in a more subdued manner.

Shisui chuckled too. It was so Obito to fail to get a rise out of someone and instead getting riled up himself.

The Uchiha brushed past Kakashi with a scoff and approached his younger clansmen. Grinning earnestly at him, he patted his shoulder. "Congratulations, Shisui! You're all grown up now!"

Shisui returned the smile, suppressing the urge to huff indignantly at the second part. "Thanks, cousin."

Obito's expression faltered, anguish flittering across his features as he scanned the bandages. "How's your eye? I just returned to the village and when I heard—" His face darkened, his grip on the younger ninja tightening a fraction, and he growled through clenched teeth, "Fucking Danzo!"

Shisui's chest warmed at the concern. He knew how many hardships his cousin had to survive after losing his eye to a sneak attack in the Third Ninja War, how much his own clan ridiculed him for that. It must have scared Obito when he heard about the incident.

"It's completely fine," the younger raven assured as he peeled the gauze off and blinked several times, adjusting to the sunlight hitting his retina. "See?"

The sheer relief on the older Uchiha's face was overwhelming. "Thank goodness…" he muttered under his breath. "By the way." He suddenly hooked an arm around Shisui's neck and yanked him closer before he could react. "You're my family and I love you and you know that I'd lay my life for you, but…" Obito glanced at the Uzumaki and quickly ducked his head again, pulling his cousin even closer. "But if you ever do something that will upset Naruto, please, don't come to me for help," he whispered. "Your girlfriend scares the hell out of me."

Laughter bubbled up inside Shisui's throat and he couldn't hold it in.

"Hey, Obito."

The Uchiha stiffened at Naruto's call, his face blanching. "Aaah, Senpai!" he cried out, darting towards Kakashi and tackling him into an octopus-like hug. "Please save me! She wants to kill me!"

Shisui shook his head fondly. Obito always had a flair for dramatics.

The redhead looked bewildered. "I don't, 'ttebane!" she denied. "I have a few questions about your mission!"

"Oh," was all the jounin said. All the while, Kakashi was trying to free himself from the clingy Uchiha by pushing him away with his hand on the man's chin and a stream of curses under his breath. "Well…" The raven finally let his teammate go and stood up. A brief glance at his cousin and then he stared at Naruto in silent inquiry.

And that was enough of a signal that Shisui should leave. He didn't know that these people were doing exactly, but considering the Hokage's attitude towards Naruto, he most likely authorized this himself. "I have some things to do," he stated. His lips stretched into a bright grin on their own as he turned to Naruto. "Find me later?"

"No."

Shisui's smile vanished and he felt his heart stop for a moment—a little stutter of shellshock.

"You should stay." The Uzumaki ruffled her own hair and sighed. "It's as good a time as any to tell you the truth."

The young Uchiha's heart started beating again and upon it almost melted into a puddle of relief. A momentary misunderstanding terrified him more than he would want to admit. "The truth?" he asked. "About… why Kakashi Hatake is not dead?"

"Among other things," the ninja in question chimed in, his nose once again buried in that orange book.

"It's about where we came from. But before that," Naruto looked at the three adults. "After my clone dispelled, did you find anything else?"

"The cave and its surroundings were completely empty," Rin reported.

"So, no Gedo Mazo, no Madara, and no poor schmuck who got brainwashed into becoming the Tobi of this world," Naruto summarized in a deadpan. "I guess that's just wishful thinking."

Obito winced. Shisui, though, latched onto the mention of Madara, no matter how 'this world' part intrigued him.

"We snooped around, but none of the locals knew or remembered anything useful," Kakashi added.

"I guess we'll have to make a trip to Ame to see what's going on there," the redhead murmured. A wry smile appeared on her face. "It'd be nice if Nagato turned out to be a good guy here too." Her lips thinned again. "Jiji gave me the list of all the unaccounted Uchihas that went MIA or whose bodies were never recovered during the Third War. I ran through it multiple times and put aside a few I found the most suspicious. I'd like you three to look at those profiles too. Maybe you'll see something I missed."

Shisui didn't like what he was hearing. Only an idiot would miss the fact that Naruto was talking about the rouge Uchiha on the loose. His clan's standing in Konoha was still wobbly at best. A little mishap could smash all their effort into smithereens.

"So it's final?" Obito asked, his voice tight. "That madman got his hands on some other Uchiha?"

"Menma's Kyuubi finally pulled that stick out of his ass and talked to me. It was an Uchiha," Naruto informed, giving the man a sympathetic pat on his arm. "We just have to figure out who."

Shisui's stretched thin nerves finally snapped. "What."

Four pairs of eyes were instantly on him as if they had forgotten about his presence in their conversation.

Naruto's brow furrowed. Blue eyes hardened and she nodded. "Let's start with introductions."

The teen matched her serious expression, but otherwise said nothing.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki, the daughter of Kushina Uzumaki and the Yondaime Hokage Minato Namikaze, the Seal Master, the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi and his partner, the proud kunoichi of the Konohagakure and eventually the Rokudaime Hokage, also known as Red Death after I joined the Fourth Ninja War."

Shisui stared.

"The Fourth Ninja War… It was a fight between an alliance of all the hidden ninja villages, samurais, and all the Bijuu against the common threat." Naruto paused, thought a bit. "Let's skip all the boring stuff… So. The war escalated when the enemy managed to revive a god and that bastard did something during our fight…" she trailed off. "We're not even sure what. So many things were going on at once, explosions and jutsu. One moment we were on the battlefield, and the next suddenly somewhere else. Kakashi-sensei and I ended up here together, crash-landing into this dimension almost six months ago."

"Their arrival was quite something," Rin murmured, her eyebrows knitted together.

"Real flashy," Obito added with a small grin that was more like a grimace than expressing something positive. He absentmindedly reached for his good eye as if it bothered him somehow until Kakashi swatted his hand away.

Shisui still stared. Even if he could speak right now, he doubted that he could form a coherent sentence.

"We searched for a way back home, of course, everyone—everyone should still be waiting for us…" Naruto quieted down. The echoes of not-so-old grief darkened her eyes before she closed them shut. Shortly after, she muttered, "Yeah, yeah, love you too, 'ttebane," took a split second to center herself, and continued. "Because there's no way back, we decided to make a home here. Your world's history is almost identical to ours with only small differences. With our knowledge, I'm sure we can avoid the inevitable disaster."

Seconds and then minutes ticked by as Shisui stood there in silence, filtering through the information at a feverish pace. Questions upon questions piled up inside his head, but every detail and observation he stored earlier clicked perfectly together now, filling up the gaps and missing pieces in a bigger picture.

The fiery Uzumaki always felt like an enigma worth solving. He was content on biding his time until she trusted him enough to tell him everything herself. Of course, he surely didn't expect the secret to be this immense.

Naruto watched the Uchiha. While she let him work through all this shocking news without disturbance, she couldn't help but nervously wringing her hands at the prolonged absence of any response.

Shisui noticed it, already familiar with his girl's anxious expression and the fear of rejection reflected in her impossibly blue eyes. Looking at her fidgeting, softness seeped into his features. He pushed all the questions aside, certain that there would be time to ask them later, and he uttered a quiet, "Alright."

Naruto blinked, flabbergasted. "Alright?" she echoed in disbelief. "That's all?"

Shisui shrugged. "I'm all in for avoiding disasters." The corner of his mouth quirked up in a gesture of confidence. "So, this world-saving squad," he motioned at four of them, "count me in."

Naruto's cheeks dimpled with the blossoming smile, wide and brilliant, eyes crinkling at the corners, and happiness spilled out of her like liquid sunshine. Truly luminous. It immediately made Shisui's heart turn warm and goopy.

A giggle followed by two awkward coughs shook both teenagers back into reality. They looked away from each other, faces dusted with pink.

Naruto glared at the three amused jounins instead.

"Maa, I think that's the cue for us to leave," Kakashi observed. His arm shot out and caught unprepared Obito into a headlock, eliciting a surprised yelp. "Come, Junior. Let's go buy you a candy." He shunshined away with the spluttering Uchiha in tow.

Rin gave a small wave of goodbye and hurried after her two teammates.

Naruto and Shisui stared at the spot they had been standing.

"You fought against a god?" the Uchiha asked out of the blue, sounding a bit dubious. The only response he got was a helpless look. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, I know. It was crazy."

"Well," Shisui flashed a cheeky grin, "it's just giving me another reason to brag how amazing my future wife is."

He waited for Naruto's usual reaction to his teasing because she always looked so cute. To his dismay and confusion, there was none this time. She stood there, a tiny pinch between her eyebrows and eyes slightly unfocused like listening to someone he didn't see.

"Fine, 'ttebane," the redhead groaned. She seemed a bit troubled as she reached to grip his forearm. "Kurama wants to meet you."

And for the second time that day, Shisui had a very, very bad feeling.

Chapter Text

"Kurama wants to meet you."

And for the second time that day, Shisui had a very, very bad feeling.

He could feel Naruto's fingers gripping his forearm, but she looked hesitant to… lead? wherever that Kurama person was located.

"He's just a big grumpy ball of fluff that loves to put up a show," the redhead said, eyebrows knitted together, expression serious. "Don't panic."

Was that supposed to be a reassurance? Because it hit all the alarm bells in Shisui's head and made him even more uneasy instead.

Without any forewarning, a deathly silence fell upon his ears, too jarring and abrupt for it to be real. Surroundings descended into shadowy obscurity and the world faded away, replaced by a weird ivory white wall right behind Naruto.

A growl shattered the unnatural stillness. A low, guttural rumble reverberated throughout the space and the air itself shook from the sheer immensity of that sound. The ivory wall slowly parted, a ferocious snarl slipping free in a form of warm breath that blew against Shisui's skin. Not a wall, he realized with icy tendrils of fear spreading around his gut, but a terrifying maw, full of teeth that easily dwarfed any human.

He looked up, Sharingan meeting the demonic eyes, bloody red pools of smoldering resentment and disgust. Raw killing intent overflowing and choking the air only helped in amplifying the pure hatred they exuded. A multitude of tails swayed somewhere behind the creature's colossal form. Nine of them.

Lungs freezing, body going taut—every cell in Shisui's body came to a grinding halt.

The Kyuubi.

The monster that ravaged their village and haunted every Konohan's dreams even now.

There was a moment when his breath was stolen away, a moment when Shisui simply couldn't comprehend the situation, but then came the understanding and with it a burning resolve. He blurred into action.

A few handseals he knew by heart.

Chakra pouring into his legs, swelling for a technique.

Naruto's startled yelp when she was suddenly swooped up in his arms.

A step as a world rushed past.

This strange space had no edges, stretching endlessly into an ominous void, and no matter how far Shisui ran, the distance between them and the Kyuubi stopped increasing after a specific point. He halted on that precarious boundary, putting Naruto down and nudging her behind him. Her lips were moving, but he couldn't quite hear her through his own erratic pulse beating in his ears.

The Kyuubi seemed to focus solely on him, powerful and deadly, that of an apex predator staring down at its prey.

Shisui was completely fine with that. Keeping Naruto safe was his top priority.

Three tomoes spun rapidly, swirling and coalescing into a single shape.

The great fox's eyes narrowed and his lips curled up even further as a fresh sea of malice cascaded over two humans.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!"

Shisui was suddenly yanked by his shirt away from the sight of the snarling Kyuubi, Mangekyou Sharingan recording a genuine alarm on his girl's face.

"No need for those, 'ttebane!" the redhead exclaimed, sounding almost as panicked as the Uchiha felt. "Turn it off!"

Shisui simply stared in uncomprehending shock, his mind refusing to even start processing the possible reasons behind her words.

Naruto's head whipped to the side, eyes darkening into a heated glare. "Stop it, Kurama!" she ordered in a no-nonsense tone. "You scared him enough! He already proved himself, didn't he?"

…Kurama?

The Kyuubi let out another menacing growl.

And Naruto matched it with a growl of her own, "Cut. It. Off!"

As initial panic receded into a chilling thrum of dread in his veins, Shisui's brain cogs gradually began to move again.

The Kyuubi. Kurama. Ball of fluff—Fluffy. Right. Naruto said that she was the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi. It completely slipped his mind. Only now the teen registered the forehead seal that usually stayed invisible and also three whisker-like markings on each of the girl's cheeks that weren't there before. Similar to Menma's.

Naruto said that she was the daughter of the Yondaime and the Uzumaki. Shisui had seen Minato Namikaze before. Konoha's resident Jinchuuriki looked strikingly like the latter and Uzumakis were famous for their red hair.

Menma was Naruto's counterpart in his world, each inheriting the coloring from the parent of their respective gender.

Shisui inhaled deeply if still a bit shaky to gather himself.

"Che."

A displeased scoff drew the young jounin's attention back to the Kyuubi. Snout scrunched up into a snarl, the fox glared at the Uchiha, eyes piercing straight through his flesh, making his very soul shiver from the intensity of that gaze.

"Stop staring at me with those despicable eyes of yours, Uchiha," Kurama seethed, massive voice dripping with venom.

Shisui immediately deactivated his dojutsu with a dry throat and a feeling of ice along his spine.

It did little to appease the Kyuubi however. "You should be thankful for not being turned into a disgusting bloody puddle on the ground as you deser—" A well-aimed sandal smacked him right on the nose, successfully interrupting his monologue. With a half-sneeze, half-huff, the Bijuu reeled back out of sheer surprise rather than the hit doing any damage to him.

The teen felt his jaw drop at the turn of events.

"Brat," Kurama growled. It was quite amazing how Naruto didn't wither and die under the force of his murderous glower. "What do you think you are doing?"

The redhead waved her second sandal in the Kyuubi's direction and demanded, equally pissed off, "I said cut it off, 'ttebane!"

"He's an Uchiha!"

"So what?!"

The fox and his Jinchuuriki glared each other down, none wanting to back off in their argument.

Shisui looked at Naruto, unable to stop his admiration towards her skyrocketing. Because, holy shit, she was actually winning this staredown against the most powerful of the Bijuu.

"Uchihas are the scum of the earth," Kurama hissed at the girl. "Did you forget what their kind turned your world into?"

Naruto's face darkened, an uncharacteristic fury on her face, deeper and more profound than the usual flaring temper of hers. "I didn't," she replied sharply. Spat out like it was something sour and disgusting. "But they aren't all like those two. Not even this Obito. They're humans, like everyone else. None of the Uchihas are born evil. Just like you weren't, Kurama."

The Kyuubi's expression shifted, though all the cues were too unfamiliar for Shisui to be able to read the Bijuu. Letting out a soft scoff under his breath, the fox sat down on his hind legs, tails pooling around his feet. His entire previous malicious demeanor seemed to mellow down considerably.

"I simply cannot fathom you, the Uzumaki women," Kurama rumbled. "An insignificant nobody makes an offhand compliment about your hair and you fall all over a man."

"Can't I like a guy who likes my hair?!" Naruto fired back instantly. Only for her face to turn tomato red on the next moment, eyes flittering to peek briefly at Shisui. "What?" she bit out, glaring at the Kyuubi again. "Wanna fight, you damn furball?!"

"When the Yondaime transferred me into you after my other half got extracted, he begged me to keep you from doing stupid things. I had to reluctantly agree just to save my ears from bleeding," Kurama sneered. "I'm stuck with you anyway, might as well do what I agreed upon."

"Just how many times did we have this conversation?" Naruto rolled her eyes. "Don't be so overdramatic."

"Fine then," the Kyuubi snapped. "Let us see how your insistence on bedding the Uchiha will turn out."

The second sandal whizzed forward, but Kurama ducked down and it sailed harmlessly above his head.

"Ha!" the Bijuu exclaimed in triumph, leering down at the little Uzumaki in obvious glee.

Shisui blew the air out of his lungs, letting the lingering tension seep out of his stiff shoulders, and shook his head. After what happened just now, he didn't think anything could surprise him anymore. Not even if a whole Hyuuga clan decided to dress in pink tutus with shiny little tiaras and dance in front of his eyes while singing some dumb song backward.

…Ah, maybe not, actually. That would still shock him and he would rather go blind than ever chanced upon that kind of sight, but that was beside the point.

'He's just a big grumpy ball of fluff that loves to put up a show.' Recalling Naruto's statement, Shisui believed it to be true. No matter how harsh the Kyuubi sounded, no one would be able to deny that he did, indeed, put up a show and most likely cared about his Jinchuuriki more than he would have ever admitted.

Not something he had ever imagined thinking, but it seemed to become a pattern after meeting the fiery Uzumaki.

Shisui chuckled quietly and promptly found himself on the receiving end of two pairs of eyes: inquisitive blue one and suspicious red one. "I'm, I'm sorry," he stammered out. It wasn't his intention to draw the attention of the Kyuubi to himself again.

Naruto fidgeted. "It's me who should be apologizing," she muttered before scowling at the Bijuu. "Or, well, he should." The beast ignored her with grace. "So, yeah, Kurama is very sorry—"

"I am not!"

"—for acting like a jerk."

Shisui scratched his cheek, feeling like he could spontaneously combust from how fiercely the Kyuubi glared at him. If he could glare any bit angrier, his eyeballs would probably explode. "It's, uh, it's okay."

Kurama snorted. If one squinted and tried hard enough, it could be taken as something akin to approval.

Now that he was done panicking, Shisui scanned the weird place they were standing. There was nothing there really, just a hard ground and an endless nothingness from all sides. "Where exactly are we?"

Naruto also glanced around. "This is a special space made by the seal to contain the Bijuu inside my soul. It's intertwined with my mind, so I can bring people here. Kurama is real, but we're just mental projections of our real selves."

Shisui hummed, making a quick job of processing the new tidbits of information. After a moment, he raised his hand and brushed across Naruto's whisker markings with the tips of his fingers. "Is this why I can see these?" he asked, his gentle voice curling around the words in the same way as the corner of his mouth did.

Naruto didn't move away or lowered her gaze from the Uchiha's face. "Yes," she whispered. "Our mom, Menma's and mine, was the previous Jinchuuriki of Kurama and this scarring is due to early exposure to the Kyuubi's chakra while we were still in her womb. That's why I had to hide it, to avoid someone finding out who I really am. The seal on my forehead seals it away, but because this is sort of inside my head—or my soul—or sealscape—whatever here is, it doesn't really work."

Naruto was rambling. Shisui's smile deepened. He enjoyed her rambles so much.

Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, the young jounin noticed a small projectile soaring towards the two of them. Sharingan flared to life on instinct. He tugged Naruto into a protective embrace, arm coming around to shield her from whatever it was.

A sandal collided with the ground with an echoing thud a few feet away.

Shisui blinked at it. Naruto's forehead hit his shoulder and an odd mix of a defeated sigh and a frustrated groan got muffled by his clothes and her hair. Shisui's gaze moved to the Kyuubi.

The Kyuubi who was grinning now, all dark delight and razor-sharp teeth. After a minute of silence, he eased himself fully down and laid his head on his front paws, observing the Uchiha. Scrutinizing, searching, judging. "There is so little physical perception can offer. Our vision can view only a current action or a result of what happened, never the real reason, the genuine intention, the inmost emotions that swim below," he spoke finally. Malice and hatred were completely missing from his tone this time. Instead, it was deeply profound and swirling with ancient wisdom. "Those accursed eyes being used to protect rather than destroy, I can respect that." A strange glint flashed across his piercing crimson irises. "I will be watching you, young Uchiha. Do not disappoint me."

Shisui gulped. He felt that something utterly amazing just happened, but it was way out of his league to understand.

"Now off with you two," the Bijuu murmured, closing his eyes. "Let me nap in peace."

Then, the wind ruffled his hair and Shisui was staring at the lush forest that surrounded the training ground. Naruto was back to standing in front of him with her hand on his forearm and he instantly felt a loss of that blessed warmth of her body in his arms.

Two teenagers looked at each other for a while without saying a word. Shisui put his hand on the side of Naruto's head and brushed his thumb across the spot where he knew the whisker-like markings should be before leaning closer.

The girl's lips parted as if an open invitation to a kiss, but her eyes were red and creepy now with slit pupils, and a deep, massive voice suddenly came out from her mouth, "Remember my words, Uchiha."

In a span of a heartbeat, so fast that even the infamous Yellow Flash would have been impressed, Shisui was on the other side of the training ground, crouched in a defensive position, eyes wide and heart thundering inside his ribcage.

"YOU DAMN FLEABAG!" Naruto screamed. "I'm gonna end you! Pluck all your fur out of your tails and make a pillow out of it!" Stomping her foot in overwhelming anguish, colorful curses and chilling threats tumbled out of her like river water after the downpour. "Stop laughing, Kurama! I'm super serious this time, 'ttebane! I'm gonna do it!"

Shisui hung his head and let out a breath he didn't notice holding in. After a moment, he scrubbed a hand down his face and then raked it through his hair, trying to get rid of any left-over dread still clinging to his person.

Odds were really stacked up against them kissing. It ticked him off. The Kyuubi was a jerk. Everyone was a jerk at this point. Good thing that Shisui was nothing if not determined to achieve what he wanted or die trying.

With a sigh, he straightened up and walked back to Naruto's side. With her back turned to him, the girl raged, vibrant ruby mop flying and whipping in all directions as she continued to flail her arms around.

Shisui reached out and caught a handful of her hair, careful not to pull on it.

Naruto froze mid-move, her latest, very imaginative threat being abruptly cut off.

Soft red strands sifted between the teen's fingers. Before they all slipped away, he had placed a light kiss on them.

Naruto gawked at him over her shoulder.

"We kinda started this entire relationship thing backward," Shisui said. "I've been adequately threatened now, so let's do it properly."

The redhead winced and muttered, "Sorry…" as she turned to face him while nervously twirling a lock of her hair around her finger.

Shisui could be smooth, heck, he could be the smoothest. Jinchuuriki or not, from another dimension or not, the Hokage candidate or not, he wouldn't allow anyone to stand in his way from wooing the girl he had fallen in love with. Not Itachi, not an overprotective brother figure, not even the Kyuubi.

"I like you, Naruto Uzumaki," he confessed, quiet and honest. "I like your eyes, your hair, your everything. Your smile brightens my day and I can listen to your laughter for hours. I'm lucky that you came into my life. You make me want to be a better man just so I can be more worthy of you because you deserve the best. You have my respect, my admiration, and my heart."

Her cheeks blossoming in pink, Naruto was speechless and looked breathless, eyes as vast as the sky and as blue as the ocean.

Fondness warmed Shisui's features. "Would you like to go out with me?"

Naruto smiled. An affectionate, tender, willowy sort of thing on her lips that filled her face with an immaculate brightness and happiness and glamour. "Yes!"

Chapter Text

Shisui tugged at his shirt, lips twitching down into a small frown. Lack of the constant weight of his trusty tanto on his shoulder made him feel naked, vulnerable in ways that made him deeply uncomfortable.

Civilian clothing sucked.

Obito and Rin—those damn meddlers—at least let him keep a few hidden kunai. Shisui even sneaked in a good length of ninja wire. Date or not, there was no way he was going out of his apartment completely unarmed.

Such was the life of a ninja.

Shisui readjusted and tugged at his shirt again in uncomfortable motion. Blue and orange were his cousin's colors, not his. Damn that Obito. He could only hope now that Naruto would not think that he looked ridiculous.

Noticing a figure in the black-orange kimono dress among the crowd, Shisui forced himself to stop fidgeting.

A moment later, Naruto spotted the lone Uchiha standing under the tree and broke into a grin that could light up the night. Red strands cascaded down her shoulders like molten fire. It was cut a little shorter around her face, feathered to accentuate her delicate features. And her eyes shined in million shades of blue, those different hues the envy of any summer day.

If Shisui wouldn't have been already completely smitten, it would have changed right now.

As Naruto approached, her eyes moved up and down the Uchiha's body. "I like the orange," she commented, a smile growing only wider. "It suits you."

Alright, Shisui had to admit, Obito's choice of color wasn't that bad after all. Still, "Really?" he asked as he gave an impatient tug at the corner of his shirt.

"Yep," the redhead popped 'p'. "Sasuke looked so silly when I forced him to wear it that one time. You though? You look good."

Shisui blinked. "Sasuke?"

"Sasuke back from my world. We were teammates." Naruto's expression grew wistful. "I adopted him as my older brother and, despite his initial reluctance, he took that role pretty seriously." Seeing a confused expression on the Uchiha's face, she hurried to explain, "Our timelines are not in sync, mine was almost a decade ahead."

"So, it's not just crossing dimensions but also time travel?" Shisui asked. "Do you ever do something simple?"

"I try!" Naruto huffed, clearly miffed. "Not my fault that things often get out of hand, 'ttebane."

Shisui laughed at that. "Oh," he said. "I have something for you." He shoved a hand into his pants' pocket and pulled out a small hairpin with a ceramic sunflower attached to its end. "I know it's nothing special, but, um…" His smile suddenly turned nervous. Why did he decide that such a silly gift would be good for this occasion? "I saw it and thought you might like it."

Naruto picked the hairpin and stared at it. "I love it!" she exclaimed before quickly clipping it into her hair and beaming straight at the Uchiha. "How do I look?"

"Very pretty." The warm glow of happiness on Naruto's face brought by his honest compliment made Shisui's heart flutter. "Shall we go?"

"Where are we going?"

"Well, I was thinking somewhere to eat…" the teen trailed off when Naruto's head snapped to look at him. He could almost see that one particular word imprinted in her eyes. "…Like ramen?"

The redhead fist pumped the air with a cheerful, "Yeah!"

Shisui could only shake his head in exasperation. Just his luck to find another person obsessed with a specific food. Good thing that he wasn't all that fussy about his meals, be it dango or ramen.

Two teenagers walked along the street, chatting happily about this and that. They were just about to make a turn into another street when a blond boy rounded the corner at full speed, cackling like crazy, and almost collided with Shisui.

"Whoa, there!" the teen yelped as he ducked to the side to avoid being run over. "Why are you in such a hurry, squirt?"

Menma skidded to a halt and blinked owlishly at the Uchiha. After a second, his face split into a toothy grin. "Shisui-niis—"

Another kid—a girl of the same age with the wild mop of red hair and glasses—appeared from the same direction and, with a startled squawk when she couldn't stop in time, crashed into the blond.

"—oof!" Menma grunted as he stumbled forward. Ultimately, he managed to keep his balance.

Until the third kid rounded the corner. The boy's black eyes widened, but it was too late. The collision sent all three of them sprawling on the ground.

There was a brief outburst of guffaw from Naruto quickly brought under control. Shisui himself barely held it in. A surprise he felt by seeing Sasuke as one of the trios helped to keep his mirth in check. It was the first time he saw the red-haired girl though. His curiosity was piqued.

"Hey, brats," Naruto called, still obviously fighting the urge to laugh, "you three alright?"

"Yep!"

"Yeah…"

"Mm."

There was a soft chuckle. Shisui looked up. Upon seeing a red-haired woman standing next to Itachi, his curiosity grew even more. The Uzumaki perhaps?

"I warned you all not to run in the streets," Itachi said, his shoulders dropping. He sounded resigned to them not listening.

"Hehehe…" Menma rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly still sitting on the dusty ground.

Sasuke stood up, dusted himself off, and glowered at the other boy. "Why would you stop like that while we were racing?"

"I wasn't expecting to meet Shisui-niisan and Neesan here, 'ttebayo."

The youngest Uchiha crossed his arms, puffed his chest, and declared, "I would have won anyway."

Unsurprisingly, Menma flared up like an agitated firecracker. He jumped to his feet and rounded up on Sasuke. "No, you wouldn't!"

"I would!"

"Wouldn't!"

They practically rammed their heads together and growled at each other.

"Boys," Naruto interrupted with her hands on her hips and a sweet, sweet smile on her face. Both boys looked at her with wide eyes. "Shouldn't you help your friend first instead of arguing?"

Menma grinned sheepishly before sucking in a breath and extending his hand to the girl to pull her up. At the same time, Sasuke turned away with a slight tinge of red on his cheeks and one of his hands outstretched towards the little redhead.

The girl's expression brightened up instantly. She grabbed both hands with her own and effortlessly hopped back up.

"Sorry, Karin," Menma said, shuffling his feet awkwardly. "You okay?"

"Yeah!" the girl assured. "Completely fine!"

Sasuke tried a bit too hard to pretend that he wasn't happy about it, but a little quirk of his lips fooled no one.

"So, how come you're together with Itachi and Sasuke, Kana-san?" Naruto asked.

"We just had dinner at the ramen stand and met these two young men while going for a walk. They volunteered to show us around," the woman replied. "Menma mentioned that you'll be in a meeting with your fiancée. Although, I believe a date was the word he was looking… for…" Noticing Naruto starting to fiddle with the lock of her hair, she trailed off, tilting her head in confusion. Then, her gaze flicked to the teen standing next to her fellow redhead and a sudden realization flitted across her features. "…Oh."

Shisui grinned. "Shisui Uchiha," he introduced with a bow.

The woman returned the respectful gesture, "Kana Uzumaki." She nodded towards the girl. "And that's my daughter Karin."

The little redhead dutifully followed the greeting etiquette. "Nice to meet you, Uchiha-san."

"No need to be so formal, just call me Shisui-niisan like this brat does," he said as he reached for Menma to give a boy a thorough hair ruffle. The blond huffed, looking as indignant as you can get, but made no move to shy away from the touch.

Karin's smile was like a ray of sunshine. "Shisui-niisan!"

Shisui's chest swelled with every good emotion known to humanity. Making Uzumakis happy might just become his favorite pastime. Besides, he now had two little ones calling him niisan. Take that, Itachi!

"Alright, kids!" Kana clapped her hands. "Time for us to go. There's still so much to see!" She gathered all her company and ushered them forward. As they were leaving, she sent a wink over her shoulder and mouthed, 'Have fun,' at the young couple.

Shisui sniggered at Itachi pursing his lips rather petulantly when he was included in the 'kids' category. He also felt very pleased to know that at least someone didn't try to get in the way of his relationship with Naruto. Kana was supportive of it even. He already liked her.

"Kana and Karin just arrived at Konoha," Naruto supplied. "That's why I was busy these past few days, helped them to settle down here." She frowned in the direction the group disappeared and growled under her breath, "Damn Kusa."

Subtly, Shisui did a quick survey of the area. At this point, no one could fault him for getting a tad bit too paranoid. But he was a ninja known for his speed, so if he acted swiftly, even if someone wanted to interfere, they would be too late.

Deeming his surroundings safe enough, Shisui stepped closer to Naruto, put a hand on her neck while his lips touched her forehead. He pulled away silently and brushed a thumb across his girl's brow that was once again smooth and missing creases of anger. "There. Much better," the teen uttered quietly, looking into those wide pools of blue with a smile all too mischievous. Mischievous, charming, and openly affectionate. "Frown doesn't fit your pretty face, Naruto."

The young Uzumaki turned away abruptly with a muttered, "L-let's go already, 'ttebane." She couldn't hide the red glow that came over her face nor that blissful curve of her lips.

Shisui chuckled. This adorable, bashful reaction was exactly what he wanted to see. Besides, no one jumped in to interrupt, so that was a great achievement on its own. Hopefully, his luck would last for a bit longer today.

As they approached the Ichiraku Ramen, three middle-aged men exited the establishment, obviously in a happy and content mood. The moment their eyes landed on Shisui—or more specifically the Uchiwa embroidery on his shirt—their expressions twisted into grimaces.

Shisui tsked under his breath. It was his off-duty day, but more importantly, he was on a date with his fiancée. A ninja headband seemed unnecessary for this occasion and so he left it at home. These bastards wouldn't dare to find trouble with the ninja, but not all Uchihas were trained soldiers and could defend themselves against the more rabid haters.

One man focused on Naruto and his face morphed into a cruel leer.

Shisui's irises flashed crimson in a warning.

Tales about the prowess of Sharingan were enough to scare ninjas, civilians felt completely terrified by them. These three were no exception. The second they glimpsed black bleeding red, regardless of how brief it was, their demeanor changed from aggressive posturing to a submissive state.

As the two parties were passing by, Naruto suddenly stumbled over something on the path and fell straight towards the group of men. She caught herself on time before anyone could even react to her unfortunate clumsiness. Gracefully slipping between them, she apologized, "Oops, sorry!" with such a politely empty smile that even Danzo would have been impressed.

Once they were out of earshot, Naruto scoffed, "Assholes."

Shisui suppressed a wince. Poor bastards. The stumble was done on purpose.

Just outside the Ichiraku Ramen, both teens turned around when they heard a commotion behind them.

The three men they had just passed were standing in the middle of the street, wildly gesticulating and loudly oinking.

"Oink, oink."

"Oink!"

"Squeeeeeeal!"

Shisui raised an eyebrow. Oinking? And squealing?

People nearby grew justifiably merry at the trio's behavior. Not every day they could witness humans letting out authentic pig sounds. Kids pointed their fingers as they giggled, some adults gossiped, others didn't shy from mocking the weirdoes.

Feeling thoroughly amused, Shisui inevitably turned towards Naruto, admiration shimmering in his gaze. "What did you do?"

"Nothing special," Naruto replied with a little dismissive wave of her hand. "It's just a harmless seal. It will last for a week. Maybe." A smirk appeared on her face then, vicious and merciless. "Pigs should talk pig."

Shisui barked out a laugh. So sassy! He loved it.

The guys stopped oinking, humiliation blazing on their faces, and fled the gathering crowd, followed by sarcastic shouts and a buzz of laughter.

"No one gets away with hurting those I care, 'ttebane," Naruto scoffed, but the next moment she spun on her heel and entered the ramen stand with a joyful, "Teuchi-san! Miso ramen, please!"

The ramen chef jolted where he was still staring dumbly in the direction the naked men left. "Welcome, Naruto!" he greeted the energetic Uzumaki warmly as she sat down at the counter. "Miso ramen coming right up!"

A girl around ten years old poked her head from the back room, twin pigtails under the white bandana bobbing as she perked up at the sight of the redhead. "Naruto-neesan!"

"Ayame-chan! You look so cute today!"

Naruto's compliment elicited a delighted giggle from Ayame.

Meanwhile, as Shisui joined Naruto at the counter, echoing her order for miso ramen, Teuchi immediately favored him with the same broad and welcoming smile. "Good to see you again, Uchiha-san."

"Please, just Shisui is enough." The teen leaned closer and waved to the chef to do the same. "I have a sneaking suspicion that I'll become a regular here after all," he murmured, shooting a meaningful glance at the redhead Uzumaki.

Teuchi laughed heartily. Shisui grinned. He already liked this old man.

"What's so funny?"

Both males turned to Naruto curiously staring at them.

"It's a secret!"

The redhead narrowed her eyes at Shisui, but the latter didn't budge and said nothing more. She looked at Teuchi then. But the man made a swift move along his lips as a sign that they were sealed and continued working on the ramen as if nothing happened.

Not getting what she wanted, Naruto puffed her cheeks in a childish pout.

It was so cute! Shisui felt butterflies fluttering around his stomach. He took a moment to thank whatever deity was responsible for sending him this bundle of amazing that made up his future wife (even if that deity almost got its ass kicked by the said bundle). "You look like a chipmunk," he teased as he poked her cheek.

Naruto spluttered, "Am not!"

"He's right, Naruto-neesan!" Ayame chimed in happily. "You really look like a chipmunk!"

The redhead's mouth opened to retort, but then she closed it, crossed her arms, and didn't deign to say anything else. She also obviously made a conscious effort not to pout anymore.

"There, there. Don't be upset." The Uchiha patted Naruto's head. "Chipmunks are still not as cute as you are." He received a frustrated punch to his shoulder for his effort.

Two steaming bowls were placed in front of the couple.

Shisui quickly broke the chopsticks to pick up a couple of pieces of bacon. "Here, take my offering for a peace treaty," he said as he transferred it into his girl's bowl.

Naruto sent him an amused glance and quipped, "You're not a very good negotiator, are you?" In a flash, she snatched narutomaki out of his bowl. "None of this for you, 'ttebane!"

"Hey! Give it back!"

Naruto stuck her tongue at the Uchiha. And then made a show out of eating her acquired spoil in front of his eyes, exaggerated chewing and all.

It was Shisui's turn to pout. Narutomaki was his favorite part of ramen. What can he say? He was biased. No wonder that he felt wronged. Getting robbed of it was cruel.

To rub it in, Naruto mirrored his previous action and patted his head. "There, there. Don't be upset." Her smirk widened into a cheeky grin when Shisui's expression turned helpless.

Satisfied with her win, the young Uzumaki dug into her ramen. Only to freeze on her second bite, eyes widening. She quickly gulped the mouthful down and called out, "Teuchi-san, can we take our order with us and return bowls later?"

The chef looked confused by a strange request, but nodded anyway.

"Wha—" Shisui had no time to even finish his question when his ramen was shoved into his hands.

"Don't drop it, 'ttebane," Naruto said seriously. An obvious warning.

"Huh?"

And then Shisui almost fell out of the tree. Only years' worth of training saved him from tumbling down when he suddenly found himself on a branch in a tall tree, chakra sticking his feet to the surface on pure instinct.

It was a different experience from entering the sealspace where the Kyuubi took residence. Shisui physically felt being transported to this new place, the brief sensation of displacement leaving his brain scrambling to keep up with what was happening to his body.

It took him a few seconds to orient himself and note down the characteristics of the new surroundings. The trees were definitely from the Fire Country. The breeze didn't carry any distinct scents, but there was a faint buzz of the crowd somewhere in the distance.

"Sit, Shisui."

Shisui almost spilled his ramen when Naruto spoke suddenly. He stared at her getting comfortable before a three-pronged kunai stuck in a branch between them drew his attention. His eyes widened.

Was this what he thought it was?

"It's uncomfortable to eat while standing." Naruto patted a place next to Shisui's feet. "Sit."

Shisui complied, if still a bit out of it. "Where, uh, where are we?"

"At the edge of Konoha," the girl replied, slurping on her ramen without care. "They're here." She motioned at the opposite side of their perch.

The young jounin's eyes followed the direction. "Who—"

A group of people jumped out of trees into a clearing below. One female with distinct red hair and black-orange clothing stood in front of four males and one female, all black hair and arrogance etched in the smallest motion.

Naruto and five members of the Uchiha clan.

Shisui recognized them. The minority that still pursued the coup, most likely sent by the elders to get rid of the unexpected obstacle.

The obstacle by the name Naruto Uzumaki.

"Your clansmen wanted to talk in private," Naruto—the one sitting next to him—supplied between bites. "Had been stalking me for a few days now. Never noticed when I switched with a shadow clone."

Shisui glared at the Uchihas, his Sharingan spinning. He held hope that his clansmen wouldn't choose the path paved in blood. Yet, some still wanted a complete opposite. Nothing good would come from these people.

Naruto's clone crossed her arms and stared at the Uchihas with half-lidded eyes. "Speak." It was uttered deliberately slowly, with a force of authority that ruffled the opposing group's feathers.

The Uchihas shared a glance, each giving an inconspicuous nod before all looked back at a teenage girl in front of them.

"Naruto Uzumaki," started the oldest man among them, "We are here to make you an offer."

Naruto didn't utter a word, just stared silently. A mute demand to go on.

"The current situation forced upon the Uchiha clan is wrong. We're being persecuted because the higher-ups of the village fear us, fear our Sharingan."

Naruto didn't even blink at the rising discontent of the Uchihas, still observing them as cool and unruffled as ever. Almost unnerving.

"And if they fear us, there is nothing else for us to do, but for us to control them!"

That brought a reaction out of the young Uzumaki. The man who shouted made a visible effort not to squirm under those sharp calculating blue eyes before heaving a sigh of relief once they moved away.

"I agree that the Uchiha clan had been wronged," Naruto said, "but we already started to fix it."

"It's foolish to assume that a few talks would change anything! You and Fugaku are being too naïve."

"So, you want to use force to instill more fear into an already fearful community?"

Shisui's head snapped to the side when he felt a tap on his arm. Bright blue eyes met his Sharingan.

"Are you going to eat it?"

It took him a few seconds to realize what Naruto was even talking about. He was so focused on the conversation below that the bowl of ramen that he was still holding completely slipped his mind.

"You can have it." Shisui couldn't help a fond curl on his lips at the way his girl's face lit up as she took his ramen.

"It's so good," Naruto mumbled as she slurped the food. "Don't understand why you didn't eat it, 'ttebane."

Shisui glanced down. Both the original Naruto and the shadow clone were entirely at ease, not a single sign of worry. Then, perhaps he shouldn't be this anxious either. She probably predicted it and had a plan.

"If you agree to work with us, we can guarantee a place for you and your clan in the new Konoha," the Uchiha carried on, his self-confidence boosted by prolonged Naruto's silence. "But know that some sacrifices have to be made and it is not negotiable." He paused. "Menma Uzumaki."

Naruto stopped eating.

Her clone frowned at the implication. "You want to unleash the Kyuubi," she stated. "What makes you think that you can control him?"

The man lowered his head. After a moment, he looked back up, eyes sharpened with crimson razors, dark pinwheel twisting and warping into a different form. He slithered a vicious smirk through crooked lips. "We have a way."

Shisui's mind worked a mile a minute. Kano Uchiha, he recalled the man's name, lost his younger brother recently. Suicide by fire. "That bastard…" he hissed, wrath igniting like fire in his veins.

"Hold my ramen."

Shisui barely had time to take hold of the half-eaten ramen that Naruto shoved his way before he saw her descending from the tree and landing gracefully next to her clone in a motion that was as fluid as it was quick.

Her sudden appearance surprised the Uchihas. Then Shisui followed suit and jumped down to stand with his fiancée, they grew even more agitated.

"Now you've really done it, 'ttebane." The girl's clone dispersed with a gleeful chuckle.

Naruto straightened up, meticulously brushed non-existent dust off her sleeve, and only then looked at the opposing group.

"You want to kill my little brother and enslave my friend," she spoke. Every word was slow, measured with a constrained rage. "And you think I'll be alright with that?"

Something terrifying flickered in her eyes as she said it. The force that shimmered in Naruto's features, the strength that was in the line of her shoulders, the challenging upward tilt of her chin, the atmosphere that rapidly grew heavy and oppressive, made the Uchihas take an unconscious step back.

Even Shisui felt paralyzed by the gaze.

Only an idiot would anger someone with enough power and fury to go against a god.

"You don't have a choice," the woman Uchiha growled. "We have someone watching the Jinchuuriki all this time. He should be in our hands by now!"

One glance from Naruto shut her up. "So tell me," the redhead said, "who taught you how to control the Bijuu?"

"What are you talking about?! I—"

"Someone calling himself Madara Uchiha perhaps?"

Shock and something akin to fear flitted across the man's face. It was gone on the next second, expression wiped clean as soon as it appeared.

"Oh, please." The redhead rolled her eyes. "You might know instinctively how to use Mangekyou Sharingan, but it doesn't come with instructions on how to control the Bijuu. That means, you," she pointed at the Kano and bared her teeth into a grin, malicious and unforgiving, "have answers we had been looking for." She paused. "Kurama, you want to deal with them?"

"With pleasure."

With the familiar massive voice came the sheer killing intent. Sharp and brutal and cutting the air like the sharpest blade. Irises were marked with a single vulpine slit, bright red glow mimicking the cursed dojutsu of the Uchiha.

Naruto's aura exploded into a brilliant yellow light that wreathed her entire body. Nine chains fanned behind her back, enveloped in the pure golden chakra. Power pressed all around, dense and dark and terrifying, and maybe their minds had been overridden by adrenaline, coiled in preparation to fight or flee, but Shisui could have sworn the ground rattled with that raging, unchained force.

Naruto moved before anyone could even react.

Chains wrapped around the neck of each opposing Uchiha with four more to spare. Dojutsu fading as it got suppressed, they fell to their knees and screamed. The Bijuu chakra burned and ate at their skin like acid.

None of them expected their opponent to be the Jinchuuriki. And not just a simple one, but the Jinchuuriki of the most powerful of the Bijuu and in perfect sync with it too. No wonder, the fight was over faster than a blink.

"Ji-Jinchuu-uuriki…"

His host's lips drawn back into an inhuman malevolent grin, the Kyuubi stared down at the subdued enemy. "Weak," his voice rang out then, matching the vicious bite of the heavy air with the unbidden power behind his words. "And you think that you can control me?" The smile twisted into a sneer. "How unfortunate that we need you alive for information."

Chains tightened, choking the last breath out of the Uchihas. Soon, they slid away from around their necks and the unconscious humans fell in perfect unison. Chains retreated and the golden cloak dispersed together with it.

Naruto turned to look at Shisui with a furrowed brow and the latter was instantly on alert again. "What?" he almost whispered.

"He likes you."

The young jounin could only blink in a perplexing silence.

"Kurama."

"The—The Kyuubi?!"

"He left all of them alive because of you," Naruto explained, walking to him. "Shut up, Kurama. Stop denying it, 'ttebane."

That was… very considerate of the Kyuubi, albeit unnecessary. Shisui glowered at the bodies. These people were traitors and there is only one suitable punishment for treason.

"Anyway, pushing that aside," the redhead started, eyes sparkling. "Where is my ramen?"

Shisui opened his mouth to argue. Having second thought, he closed it. Maybe pushing this aside was the right thing to do. He wasn't sure he wanted to deal with the Kyuubi's interest in him. He turned, pointing to the spot from where they were previously spying on the meeting. "It's up in the… tree…"

It wasn't. The bowl was gone.

Shisui felt a sense of foreboding. His gaze quickly moved under the branch and upon seeing the broken dish and spilled food, he sucked in a breath.

Naruto stared at it with such a solemn expression of loss that someone would think someone died.

"I'm sorry!" Shisui squeaked. He hated being the one to put that look on his girl's face. The idea came to him and he made a subtle sweep of the area. Excluding his unconscious clansmen, there was no one else around. "Hey," he stepped closer, his best smile plastered on his face, "I know how to make amends for what I've done."

Naruto wanted it too, Shisui was absolutely sure of it. He cupped one of her cheeks and leaned closer, heart hammering… This time, it should work. He would do it! He would finally kiss his girlfr—!

Naruto halted his advance by putting her palm on his chest.

—Or not.

Shisui's self-confidence wilted like a flower in a desert.

The redhead lifted one finger. "Hold that thought." Turning to the side with lush bushes, she put her hands on her hips and glowered at it. "I know you're there."

Shisui blinked. Someone was here? He also focused on the same place.

But there was no sign of anyone.

Naruto huffed. "Come out. Now!"

Nothing.

"Fine," the young Uzumaki said curtly. She crossed her arms and tapped her foot. "I guess I'll have to put an alarm seal on all the hot springs around the Fire Country that would go off as soon as you came anywhere near it."

A tall and well-built man shot up from the bush. He had a small notebook in his hand, waist-length, spiky white hair full of leaves and his features were currently contorted in genuine horror. "You wouldn't dare!"

Was this Jiraiya the Sannin?

Naruto raised an eyebrow, smirk dancing on her lips. "Really now?"

A few drops of sweat slid down the man's forehead. "There are a lot of hot springs and you're only one person," he tried meekly.

The girl made a seal and another her popped into existence. "Yo, Ero-sennin!" the clone saluted with a cheeky smile.

"You already did it once, didn't you?"

"You were reaaaaaaaaally annoying."

Jiraiya's face drained of all color.

"You know what? I have no time for this, I'm on a date and I'm so done with you all interrupting. These losers," Naruto pointed at the unconscious group with her thumb, "are yours. This Uchiha," she pointed at Shisui, "is mine and coming with me."

For a moment, pleased warmth at Naruto's possessive claim of him swamped other emotions inside Shisui.

Jiraiya giggled into his palm and was instantly at the end of a heated glare from both redheads. He composed himself, cleared his throat, and dismissed them with a casual wave. "Sure, sure, I'll take care of it. You two just run along now." There was kind of a dopey look on his face when he added, "Have fun~"

Naruto threw the last murderous glare at the sannin, then glanced at her shadow clone who gave her a supportive thumbs-up. She grinned at Shisui, eyes crinkling at the corners in a way that made him fall in love all over again.

He felt her gripping his forearm, there was another brief sensation of displacement and Shisui found himself standing somewhere else. He looked around, familiarizing himself with the new surroundings.

It was a small, cozy living room with a couch and a low coffee table in the middle. Pots in different sizes and colors were placed next to a wall window seemingly without any thought or order. Various plants grew in each of them, clearly well-loved and looked after if the sheer lavishness of their leaves and blossoms were any indication.

"My apartment," Naruto answered the question that Shisui was just about to ask. "Menma won't be back for at least a few hours. Itachi's with him. Kakashi and his old teammates are preparing for a mission, and Kurama is napping." A pause, her eyebrows drawing together for a split second. "Yep, napping. So, um." She hesitated, fidgeting nervously. "We're alone. No one will interrupt us this time."

Shisui's mouth curved upwards in a knowing smile. "Oh?" he asked, erasing the remaining distance between them with a single step, one of his arms coming around her waist. He tucked stray strands of Naruto's hair behind her ear and then trailed his finger along her jawline, resting on her chin, trying to convey all of his adoration in his touch.

"Sp-speaking of the mission," Naruto stammered out, breathless, but didn't shy away or lower her gaze from his. "I want you on the team. We're going to Ame and we don't know what we'll find, so I want everyone I trust in it."

The young jounin's smile grew only wider. "Is this how I'm going to receive missions once I marry the Hokage?" He took her face in his hands, "I could definitely get used to it," and brought his lips to hers. He could feel Naruto's tiny gasp, so he went softly, carefully. Just a sweet kiss.

Apparently, gentleness wasn't what she wanted. Naruto knotted her fists in his shirt, pulling him harder against her, sealing the tiny space between their bodies, pressing against him, deepening the kiss.

Time stopped and the world with it.

When their lips parted, Shisui rested his forehead against Naruto's, admiring her rosy cheeks and trying to etch every single line of her perfect features into his memory. Each of her breath coasting over his skin seemed to reach and set his very soul aflame.

Naruto opened her eyes. Two dazzling pools of blue, so full of anticipation, so intimate and pure, and all of it focused steadfastly on Shisui. So passionate, fierce, and carnal that the latter's heart literally skipped, a biological feat that made his breath stutter, especially when Naruto's lips spread into a particular smile he had never seen before on her.

Despite being a shameless flirt, Shisui always acted like a gentleman with females. He also was a competent ninja and had full control over himself. But, damn, he also was a male teenager with hormones raging through his veins and when the girl he had fallen in love with stared at him like that, well, not even he could fight against human biology.

Naruto pushed him and dazed Shisui fell onto the couch with an oof. The redhead put her folded legs on either side of his thighs and settled on his lap. Unconsciously, the teen gulped. A kiss was one thing, but this... This was completely new territory for him. He had never—

He thought about it, of course, tried to imagine, dreamed, and fantasized, but never—

"You know, there are certain perks of traveling with the world-renowned pervert and being forced to edit his books," Naruto said quietly, her fingers gently tracing the outline of his temple, jaw, neck. "I picked up a few… tricks. It'll be interesting to test them out. Never had an opportunity." Her hand slid across his chest. "Questionable as they may be."

Holy shit.

Shisui was happy to be alive.

He loved his life.

And he loved his future wife even more!

~THE END~