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Chapter 31: Cat's Cradle

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Namikaze Aimisouma

Dawn breaks, lighting the ceiling of an unfamiliar room. The oppressive plain walls glare down at me as my mind wanders to the less than pleasant events of yesterday.

"You'll pay for this!" The Kumo-nin that was a captive yelled at me from across the Hokage's office.

"Maybe, but vengeance isn't getting the shinobi villages anywhere except into more wars."

"Don't expect this war to be over. You just killed Raikage-sama's niece."

At that news, I had had to bite my tongue to prevent myself from using the profanity I had learned from Kushina's mutterings.

"Every Kumogakure shinobi worth their wages will want you dead." I didn't know how to respond, but someone else did.

"Why was the Raikage's niece trying to abduct the Hokage's sister?" Uchiha Fugaku questioned to bellowing man.

"There was no such attempt. Only a little girl who decided to kill someone who was apart of the peace delegation."

"Oh, please! We all know the Cloud Village isn't above kidnapping children."

"That's rich, coming from a Shinobi from the Bloody Mist!"

Insults started to fly across the room like kunai in a genin training field.

"That is enough." Minato finally spoke, and the authority (and murderous intent) in his words silence the room.

"If that is all, Uchiha-san, you are both free to go."

"Yes, Hokage-sama." The adult says, and we both turn to leave.

I hesitate at the door, before turning to look back at my brother. "Hokage-sama?"

"What?" He asks emotionlessly.

"I am only a single leaf."

I hoped he got the meaning behind my words.

I was giving him my blessing to let the attack against me go without revenge or retribution.

I was reminding him that he was the Hokage now. He had a village to consider the wellbeing of, not just me.

That he didn't need to feel the need to continue the war on my behalf.

I was asking him to forgive them.

Please understand. I had thought to myself, but his eyes were stoic and unchanging. Unreadable. He was in his 'Shinobi' mode.

Fugaku had led me to his house, where Itachi and Mikoto were still awake, despite the late hour. Shisui, Rin, and Obito were there as well. After one hundred and fifty-seven questions, another medical check-up from Rin, and eating all of the MASSIVE plate of food Mikoto had placed in front of me, I was finally permitted to go to bed.

Mikoto had directed me into a spare room that was towards the back of the house. It was quite plain. No decorations in sight. Only a Futon with Navy blue bedding.

A futon, on which I am currently laying, looking up a the ceiling lit by the pre-dawn light, and contemplating life. What now? Do I go about the day like nothing happened? Do I cry?

I haven't met with that stupid therapist Minato signed me up to see in over a year, and don't want to. The man had asked me to divulge my secrets while checking the clock every other minute. No thank you.

I am a Kunoichi. Killing is in the job description. I just... didn't expect it to happen so soon.

"Thank you for having me as a guest in your home." I bow lightly to the family enjoying breakfast around a low table. The hearing suppression bracelet looped around my wrist itches against my skin, but in order to give the Uchiha family some privacy, a bit of irritation is understandable.

"It's not a problem," Mikoto says with a smile on her face. "I made a plate for you, come sit." She gestures to the space next to Itachi.

Just as I sit, a knock sounds on the door. "Wait here." He tells the table, going to the door with a kunai in hand.

The atmosphere grows tense while us three seated at the table wait for the man's return. "Ah, Hokage-sama, come on in."

"Neh, Fugaku-san, we've known each other for years. Please just call me Minato." A familiar voice wafts through the halls.

"Fine then, Minato-san. We were just having breakfast. Would you care to join us?"

The two men round the corner, and I am sure Minato is about to decline, but his stomach rumbles. Awkward glances shoot across the room, before Mikoto and I start giggling. "I'll get you a plate, Minato-san." She says, as she busies herself in the kitchen.

"How'd it go?" I ask him nervously.

"Kumo refuses to accept any responsibility for the attack, and have accused you of... assassinating a ambassador that was apart of a peace delegation." The room was silent, except for Mikoto's gentle footsteps in the kitchen. I nod, not trusting my voice. "The current ambassador claims that a life for a life taken a must be given." I pale at the words. He wouldn't... would he... "Which, will not be happening. However, they are refusing to sign the peace treaty. Without their signature, the rest of the nations refuse to agree to the armistice."

"What now?" Fugaku asks my brother.

"That...is exactly what I need to figure out." He releases a long sigh.

Somewhere in Kumogakure

"I want her buried and dead. No, I want her to suffer. She killed my little girl. Brother, are you listening to me?"

"It is very hard not to, sister."

"That little brat killed my only remaining child. Your only niece."

"And what is it that you would have me do?"

"Whatever it takes. Just make that Namikaze brat and that village she loves so much suffer."

"You do know that Akira-chan failed her mission, and was exposed? That she lost the leverage that would have won us the war?" The raikage questioned his grieving little sister.

"I don't care." The woman's dark skinned hand ran through her pale hair. Ninja didn't cry, but his sister was close.

"As you wish."

Namikaze Aimisouma

She stared up at the ceiling of the Uchiha's guest room. The family had offered to let her stay with them until Minato could find other living arrangements. He was waiting to pick a house until Kushina got home. The little apartment they had shared as newly weds above a grocery store worked for several years, but they had been wanting a bigger place.

A two week had past, but Kushina's border patrol mission was extended. Minato slept in his office.

On top of the small dresser full of clothes, sat an odd collection of photos and ninja paraphernalia. A picture of my parents sat in the center, flanked by pictures of Minato and Kushina's wedding and us at my sixth birthday party. A stack of books that had survived the explosion were on a bookshelf that had been moved into the room for my use. After the first time that Minato's apartment had been broken into, I had started to carry all of my books in my scrolls. Not to mention a few that Minato said that I could read of his. All of the others had been destroyed in the fire that followed the explosion.

I guess that luck favors the prepared, over-packer.

The Genin team photo of Team Two that was off to the side, the four genin and sensei smiling at the camera. A smile pulls lightly at the corner of my lips as I look at my photos. Then, I tighten my hitai-ate, and launch myself into the trees. Time to meet my teammates for a mission.

"I don't get it, Minazuki-sensei. If we are just supposed to find a cat, do we really have to wear these?" Tenma whines petulantly.

"Tenma, as always, you are so sassy." Shinko scolds the boy.

"Huh?! What did you say? You got a problem?"

"You do, unless you want to fail this mission." Yuki-sensei reprimands the boy, and setting an example by shoving the cat ears onto his head with a proud air about him.

I turn to see Shinko swooning about how adorable Itachi looks with his own pair on. Trying not to sigh, I settle my own pair onto my head.

"They look really great on you!"

Tenma looks absolutely horrified. Or is it mortified? "You graduated at the top of the class at the academy. Have you no shame?" He questions Itachi.

"Shame? Appearance has no place in the undertaking of a mission, does it?"

"Huh?"

"Ok, no fighting." Sensei interrupts the boys.

"So, you are not popular with the ladies either." A depressed aura falls around sensei as the ninja cat insults him. Shinko and Tenma both cover their mouths to suppress laughter, and I grin.

"Oh...Yeah. That's it."

"Well, have a drink."

"They just don't understand a male's charm." Sensei whines. "That's why ladies don't have perceptive, or rather a discerning eye.

"Don't insult her!" The cat yowls as he scratches at sensei, who falls to the ground.

"Did...Yuki-sensei...just get beat up by a cat?" I ask, feeling slightly disturbed about the skill of both the jonin and said feline.

"Yes, yes he did." Shinko giggles.

"Looks like there is a breakdown in communications." Itachi says, ever the professional.

"Darn it! We should have just done this from the start!" Tenma shouts while throwing a kunai.

"What's going on now, you brats? I'll take you on!" He says, leaping off in to the distance, after using sensei's face as a springboard.

"You're not getting away!" Tenma shouts after him.

I push chakra down my legs, and into my muscles, as I leap onto the crates. Itachi is right on my heels.

Crashing ensues as Tenma runs headlong into a crate.

A high pitch scream sounds from the crates up ahead. "Shinko?" I jump to the next crate, and see her, laying in a heap on the ground.

"Shinko?" I lightly shake her shoulder, and a faint whisper comes from her.

"His paw...fluffy...fluffy." She says, waving a broken cat toy.

"He's good." Itachi evaluates. "We need to limit his mobility. Be ready to grab him."

"Alright," I prop Shinko up against the crates gently before following after my teammate. Itachi draws three kunai in each hand, causing the cat to stop and look at us. The ninja cat scowls, before darting off in another direction, and Itachi throws his kunai.

"What are you aiming at?" The cat yowls at us.

The cat nimbly dodges several of the flying knives, and turns to taunt Itachi.

"Your pretty good with the kunai, but you've got a long ways to go!"

"Yeah, your right." Itachi agrees, with a victorious smirk on his face. "I thought I could manage five millimeters more." Then points towards the ceiling.

"Huh?" The hungover feline glances up in time to see a kunai fall and cut his whiskers off, then be knocked unconscious. I bound over to the cat, and catch him before he hits the crates. I firmly hug the stunned cat to my chest.

"Things went well here." I say, glancing at Itachi.

"But will it be in time?" Itachi says, turning and sprinting off after Tenma...who was chasing the severed whiskers. What?

The older boy takes a running jump, and his hand closes around the -what the heck is with the whiskers?- Tenma pales as he looks down.

"Heh. This may cause more than just a scratch."

A loop winds it's way around Tenma's ankle as Itachi pulls him to safety.

"I'm glad we are in time for both." Itachi says quietly.

"Did I miss something?" I ask no one in particular, and now one answers.

Tenma bends at the waist to get in Itachi's face, and scowls. "You'd better not be thinking that you saved me."

"The thought hasn't crossed my mind."

"Even if you didn't end up helping me-" Shinko's fist smashes into Tenma's head, who proceeds to cradle it gingerly while squatting on the ground. "What are you doing?"

"Why are you still saying stuff like that? He's your friend. Of course he is going to help you."

Both boys start protesting at once, with cries of "Huh? Me? His friend?" and "I was just fulfilling my mission." To which Shinko punches both boys in the abdomen.

"You stop being so difficult as well." She scolds in a mothering fashion, waving her finger at Itachi. "Alright, isn't there something you want to say to Itachi?"

A scowl forms on Tenma's face, before he points towards Itachi. "I swear I'll make it up to you for this!"

"Why can't they just say 'thank you' like normal people?" Shinko sighs dejectedly, and punches Tenma...again?

"They are boys. It would mortally wound their pride." I inform her, which causes her to laugh.

"Shinko, that hurt a lot!" We all start to laugh, as I pull Tenma back to his feet.

A/N: Sorry about the long wait guys. My brain in this chapter refused to get along. At all.

It seemed clunky and forced.

I either made Aimi-chan OP or wimpy.

It was a bear to deal with.

Especially when going through other difficulties. Life is a ...(insert explicative here).

Aurelia Azyton

P.S:

Please (pretty-pretty please with a cherry on top) STOP PMing me requesting Lemons to take place (as in right now).

I don't plan on writing any of those for this story.

And besides! Right now, Shisui and Aimisouma are 8 and 11! Minato would DESTROY him then ground her till she is 30.

I don't wanna destroy Shisui, and I need Aimi to not be grounded for life.

So please, stop.

Aurelia Azyton

P.P.S:

Do you guys want me to add little Omakes at the end.

Like.. little day to day things that happen to our little crew?

(Any suggestions appreciated)

(again) Aurelia Azyton

P.P.P.S:

I know, as many who have PMed me have pointed out, that Sasuke and Naruto should be born by now.

Well, they aren't yet. I've stretched out the timeline for a lot of events like that.

Why?

Because it was 3 am when I initially made the plot outline, had consumed copious amounts of caffeine, and suck at math. When I am all done, and do a rewrite to fix all of the little errors I've noted I'll fix it. But until then bear with me

(yet again) Aurelia Azyton