It would appear that time either seemed to crawl by intolerably slow, or your entire day would flash by in a blink of your eyes. There was no in between for Itachi over the past couple of days since the argument with Sasuke; at least today he had been allowed out of the room for a walk. Itachi was grateful for the chance to stretch his legs; it was murder being trapped inside that room all day with nothing to keep him occupied aside from sleep. His senses were on high alert, as he didn't wish to run into anyone in this monstrous home. Itachi couldn't be sure who his enemies were here.

Sasuke was consistent in Itachi's subconscious; he was frantic to find the younger, to talk some sense into him. It might be difficult, but Itachi held up the belief Sasuke could be worked over. Itachi's instincts were rarely wrong, and he had placed his trust in Naruto to keep Sasuke safe here. The teenager needed someone to help him, and Itachi had known he wasn't the right person. Sasuke was young and stubborn, he needed someone that wasn't going to give up on him; that would push past the walls he had built around himself.

At least Itachi knew Sasuke would be safe, should something go wrong. No one could punish Sasuke for Itachi's mistakes; when they were younger, they were often used against each other in order to keep them in line. Itachi had never cared about the threats against himself- but when they threatened Sasuke, he was forced into obedience. Itachi never wanted to be the one that hurt Sasuke. It wasn't that Itachi intended to purposely lose himself and anger Kurama, but he knew one day his infamous pride would get the better of him; there would be no telling what Kurama would do on that day.

Speaking of the devil, Itachi hadn't seen much of him in the week he had lived here; thankfully the prince was likely swamped with work. It was hard to get on someone's bad side when you never saw them. As Itachi leisurely padded through the hallways, he heard a couple of people speaking. He paused his aimless journey in order to listen to the muffled voices. Itachi had come to a stop in front of large, mahogany double doors, where the sounds were emanating from. The neko leaned a little closer to see if he could hear a bit better; he could pinpoint the low rasp of Kurama's voice, but he didn't recognize the other man that was conversing with the prince.

"Kurama, you're twenty-two years old. It's time you take this seriously, you've been preparing for your future since you were just a child. The queen is getting on in her years and despite her stubbornness, it's time for her to relinquish the crown." The strange voice must belong to an advisor, to be discussing such severe circumstances with the prince.

"Tsunade isn't old, she's just a drunkard." A snicker followed Kurama's words. He cleared his throat immediately afterwards and continued his conversation with the advisor, who must have given him a dirty look. "We're trying to solve numerous problems all at once. Millions of people are still plagued by the aftermath of the war, the kingdom suffered profound devastation. The costs for rebuilding and recovery are stacking up and funds are running out. We have to be careful it all goes to the ones that are in the most need." Kurama's tone lacked its normal satire, now it was only heavy with exhaustion.

Itachi frowned slightly, was Kurama being rushed into taking the throne? He was of sufficient age, yet it was obvious he still had much to learn. Forcing someone young into being a king when they aren't fully prepared for it was dangerous; and with the war just ending, it would thrust Kurama amongst the vehement and long-term recovery without any prior experience. It would result in catastrophe, even when Kurama had been trained for several years he was in no way ready to take over a kingdom when it was just coming out of the ruins of war.

Itachi himself had begun training from an extremely young age; he recalled beginning lessons as young as four years old. He had been a prodigy of the clan and had exceled in his studies; they had thought he would be ready to take the throne at a much younger age than normal. Before the tragedy struck and changed it all, Itachi was well on his way to taking over the Yoru Ōkoku. He had wanted to change the land for the better, unlike his father. Itachi was snapped out of his reverie when the stranger spoke again.

"Your godmother is giving it her all to keep everything running smoothly. We both know it's time you took over that responsibility. It will never be easy, there will always be multiple problems to shoulder. I advise you keep your head in this, we know how thin your patience is." The voice grew too low for Itachi to hear the rest of what the advisor said, but the words clearly irritated Kurama judging by the unintelligible shout emitted by the redhead. Itachi couldn't help but smirk at such an unbefitting trait for a future king.

"We'll need to consult with the king of the pathetic nightlings as well. Treaty or not, we're still on eggshells." Kurama muttered. Itachi's lips pursed with irritation; he had no ties to his old kingdom but that didn't mean the innocent people that lived within it deserved such invective. Whether or not he was bitter towards the government didn't affect how Itachi felt for the citizens, they had no control over their leaders. Itachi's breath hitched for a moment, struck frozen by the realization he had no idea who the king was that Kurama was referring to. He and Sasuke had never heard any news on a new king since most of their time was spent out of civilization, and when they had run away there had been no talk of a new ruler.

Itachi would have to find answers soon enough. He wouldn't bother asking Kurama, since the man would only laugh in mockery at him instead of actually providing answers. The redhead found nekos ignorant, and Itachi wouldn't give him fuel for that opinion. Why Kurama enjoyed belittling Itachi was beyond the raven's comprehension. His brow furrowed slightly in thought. Perhaps it had something to do with-

Crash!

The double doors were thrown open with haste and Itachi had to stumble back to avoid being struck by them. There had been no prior warning to the sudden event and Itachi had no time to make an escape. Kurama stepped through the door, and in the next moment their gazes collided. Itachi felt his blood run cold at the virulent fury that entered Kurama's expression. "You little sneak- you've been eavesdropping on an imperial conversation." The harsh snarl made Itachi wince, even before Kurama's hand wrapped around his wrist and began to drag him down the corridor. Unable to get a word out, Itachi could only focus on not tripping.

"You never told me where I was allowed to visit." Itachi managed in an attempt to explain himself. Kurama scoffed in obvious disbelief. The bedroom door was kicked open and Itachi was tossed carelessly inside. How could Kurama have been so remiss? There was no telling how much Itachi had overheard. Kurama knew he should have kept the little rat caged up in here. Itachi clearly thought he was clever; Kurama would teach the slave a lesson he would never forget.

"You're nothing but a deceitful little spy." Kurama hissed infuriatedly as he closed in on Itachi. "You were trying to gather information to use against us." Kurama towered over Itachi as the neko remained knelt on the floor where Kurama had shoved him. Despite the position, Itachi showed no sign of being intimidated; his eyes stared right back into Kurama's in refusal to be blamed for something he hadn't done wrong.

"I have no way to send them any information. Why would I have any loyalty to them?" Itachi argued in an effort to prove to Kurama he hadn't had dark intentions. It was an insane idea, to think Itachi would assist those that had wronged him and Sasuke so. There had never been any rules set as to where Itachi was allowed to roam; this was Kurama's own fault.

Kurama clenched his fists tightly and Itachi stood up to back away from the enraged man. Kurama's temper was ready to explode; how dare Itachi think he could get away with talking back to him? "You were standing right outside our door. I know the cunning ways of your kind, you'll think of any way to sabotage us!"

There was no chance for Itachi to defend himself when Kurama raised his hand and struck Itachi across the face. Pain lit up the neko's face as his head snapped to the side from the force used in the hit. Slowly, Itachi straightened back up and cast a cold glare at Kurama in defiance. "I was passing through. I have no use for your information." Itachi hissed through grit teeth, his cheek reddening slightly. His hardened gaze guarded his internal thoughts; Kurama had no right to attack him when he had broken no rules.

Kurama snarled, livid that Itachi wasn't cowering even after being hit. He thought he was tough, even when the rest of his wretched clan had all been cowards? They all killed and lied to get what they wanted; it was how they started the godforsaken war! The Yoru leader had betrayed the Hiruma in order to try and take over their land. "You're all greedy, lying bastards. You want to run back to your little hole in the ground and relay the information to them, don't you? Beg that they let you back in?" A cruel smirk overtook Kurama's expression.

A flinch shuddered through Itachi, the cold statement caused his eyes to widen slightly in surprise. Before he could retaliate with something embittered and venomous, Kurama was reaching for him again. The redhead wrenched Itachi's arm behind his back painfully and used the leverage to push Itachi onto his knees. "I'll teach you some respect, you filthy Uchiha." Kurama sneered as he pulled a switchblade out of his pocket and flipped it open. The blade glistened forebodingly in the light, as if it was eager to cut into flesh. Itachi hissed and used his free arm to slam his elbow back into Kurama's abdomen. The redhead gave a pained curse, but he possessed a strength Itachi didn't; with the collar restricting him, Itachi's attack hadn't nearly the power he needed it to.

Kurama raised his arm and in a lighting fast motion, he slashed the blade across Itachi's face. Itachi cringed at the pain that burst across his left cheek; warm blood dripped down ivory skin, contrasting sharply against Itachi's complexion. Dark eyes blinked open and peered up at Kurama as the redhead flicked his tongue over the blade, cleansing it of Itachi's blood, his fangs glistening in the light. Itachi's eyes widened in slight horror. "Not bad, Itachi." The redhead purred, eyes glinting in hunger. "You look better with a scar." With that Kurama pocketed his knife and abandoned Itachi on the floor as he took his leave, the door slammed behind him.

Itachi shivered. That had been the first time Kurama had used his name. He kept his gaze lowered as he watched crimson drops splatter onto the ground beneath him. With a slow inhale he drew the energy to rise off the ground. He had survived worse than this; he had fought the darkness his entire life, Kurama was only another battle.

Kurama was not going to break him.

Kurama stalked down the hall with his teeth bared in a snarl, rage bubbling through his veins. He entered the sanctuary of his study with a slam of the door that shook the walls and knocked a few books off of the shelves. Itachi had actually dared to lie to him. Kurama should have expected it, he supposed; considering the despicable clan the neko was born into. The Uchiha had been murderous, power-hungry monsters for as long as they had been alive. Nearly a century prior, Uchiha Madara had tried to overthrow and kill the king of the Hiruma; Senju Hashirama.

Both men had been the creators of the separate kingdoms, the ones to help unite them; but Madara had wanted more and he betrayed Hashirama to get what he wanted. Hatred was in the Uchiha blood just as much as trickery and lies were.

Kurama would not forgive the Uchiha for all they'd done. They had killed his parents.

Sprawled across the couch like a piece of old clothing lied Naruto, staring up at the ceiling as if it would drop down the answers he needed. Sasuke had been about the only thing on his mind since their spat, even though he hadn't really seen the neko since; or at least, not enough to talk to him. Had he really pissed Sasuke off so much?

"Are you having trouble with your pet?" A lazy drawl cut into Naruto's thoughts and startled him from his stupor.

"Huh?" Naruto intelligently replied as he took his time getting up; he was too comfortable, but he figured Kurama would whap him with a pillow if he didn't at least sit up to talk.

Kurama rolled his eyes as he plopped into the newly available seat. Trust Naruto to start going deaf at only sixteen. "I asked if you were having trouble with your pet." Kurama repeated, a bit slower this time.

Blue eyes rolled to the ceiling and Naruto had to stifle a growl. He had never liked the way Kurama treated those he considered to be beneath him, but Naruto had never brought it up seeing as his brother would only storm away in anger. Kurama's temper was infamous; not that Naruto was great when he lost it either, but it took something immense to truly infuriate him. Even then, he wasn't nearly the berserk tyrant Kurama could turn into. Naruto usually just walked away from the would-be arguments, but today Naruto wasn't so eager to put up with the arrogance. "He isn't a pet, he's a person." The teenager corrected with emphasis, as if that would help anything he said get into Kurama's head.

Kurama merely snorted at the reply as he kicked his feet up onto the table in order to get more comfortable. Naruto had always been a pacifist that looked for everyone, even those that didn't deserve it. "Right, he sure is. A vile, pathetic little Uchiha." Kurama rose his voice to a mocking chirp. Naruto opened his mouth, presumably to protest, but Kurama stopped that before it began. "Don't you argue with me. They're the people that caused the war." Kurama snapped as he cast a glare at his younger brother in warning. He wouldn't stand for Naruto siding against him over this.

Naruto's blue eyes flashed dangerously; he was unwilling to sit around while Kurama spat vitriol about innocent people. "Your prejudice is going to cause nothing but trouble." It was a truth that even Kakashi had warned Kurama about, but no one could talk down the redhead. "Don't talk about them when I'm around if all you have to say is something nasty. I don't see why you hate them so much."

Kurama clenched his jaw and fought the temptation to knock Naruto upside the head. It stirred a storm inside of him to hear Naruto attempt to defend the scum of the earth; it was bad enough he treated Sasuke as if he were one of them. The brewing fight wasn't worth it. "What is it you're having trouble with, anyway?"

Naruto chewed on his lower lip thoughtfully as he struggled to string together the words he needed. "I'm not really sure, I'm just having trouble getting Sasuke to talk." Naruto shrugged. Of course, he had pissed Sasuke off; but the only way to get anything out of him was to push him. Kurama didn't need to know what the conversation had been about.

Well, that problem had a simple solution. "So force him." Kurama's nonchalant words rolled off his tongue with ease as he stood up. "You have to take control, the little wretch shouldn't disrespect you."

Disgusted by Kurama's relaxed stance towards violence, Naruto's eyes widened slightly with horror. Why did he think that was the answer to everything? Violence only caused more problems in the end. "That isn't going to solve anything! I'm not going to treat him like that, he isn't some doll you can just beat into submission. They're living beings, and they don't deserve that!" Naruto's voice rose with his anger and he stood up, returning Kurama's glare full force.

"They're our slaves." Hissed Kurama, the word was spat with venom, as if merely saying it was sickening. "Why do you insist on treating them like equals?" The notion was infuriating. Hearing Naruto try to stand up and protect the Uchiha was testing Kurama's patience. "The Uchihas started this entire war to begin with! How can you defend them- as if you even know what you're talking about?!" Kurama's fangs were bared in a snarl, his battle against trying not to lose his temper had been lost.

Rough hands shoved Kurama backwards as Naruto seemed to lose his own battle with anger. "They aren't any different than we are! Slaves aren't any less a person- they didn't ask to be here, they didn't ask for that to happen to them!" Naruto was yelling and he was certain if he grew any louder that everyone in the palace was going to hear him. "I hate all of this. People shouldn't be forced into something so terrible. As soon as things start improving the first thing I'm doing is abolishing the slave trade!" The impassioned words left Kurama nowhere to step in and argue, not until Naruto was done; standing there with fury in his blue eyes and his chest heaving from the rant. Why did people have to treat one another so cruelly? Sasuke and Itachi had both been through enough.

Unable to take this any longer, Kurama stormed away from Naruto before it turned into a physical fight. Naruto would learn, whether he wanted to or not. The Uchihas weren't to be trusted. "You don't get it. Maybe you should start, and you'll understand why they were hated so much." Those were Kurama's last seething words towards Naruto before he exited the room. Naruto clenched his hands, fully considering chasing Kurama down and demanding to know what he meant. Naruto was sick of all these secrets being hidden from him. Why exactly was it that everyone wanted the Uchiha dead, that even Kurama's own animosity towards them was blinding? Naruto sighed bitterly as he ran a hand through his disheveled hair. How could he hope to change the entire world when he could barely get his own brother to see the right side of things?

A familiar feeling nagged at Naruto's subconscious and sent a shudder down his spine. Perplexed, he turned to look over his shoulder towards the hallway, but no one was there. He shrugged it off as a side effect of lack of sleep. Might as well take a chance to relax a little; he sat back down onto the couch and pondered where Sasuke might be off to. The neko had made a serious effort to avoid Naruto, and he was doing an excellent job of it. He wasn't in the room when Naruto went to bed, but he was always there conked out on the couch when the blond woke up. Naruto would watch him a few minutes, not having the heart to wake the Uchiha up.

Sasuke looked so peaceful and…well, sweet when he was sleeping. He couldn't be a dick in his sleep, after all. An absent smile adorned Naruto's expression. He was thankful he had thought to put the couch in the room, otherwise Sasuke might have died from the cold if he slept on the ground. The neko was still holding strong to his decision to stay out of the bed, despite it being more comfortable. It was clear he still expected Naruto to do something to him.

Naruto himself wasn't sure why he considered it to be so important to gain Sasuke's trust. Perhaps because he knew they were both so similar. He wanted to prove to Sasuke that the world wasn't all bad. There was something special about Sasuke that Naruto couldn't quite place his finger on, but the Uchiha definitely deserved a better life than the one he had previously been leading. Naruto knew he was the only one that was capable of bringing Sasuke out of the darkness he had immersed himself in, but Sasuke had to help himself a little bit too…that would be the difficult part.

But Naruto was nothing if not determined.

As soon as Naruto turned to face the hallway Sasuke immediately melted back into the shadows to avoid being caught. His gaze fell to the ground, frozen in confusion before he was spurred into leaving before he ended up being discovered. He headed back down the hallway he'd come down; all he had been doing was wandering in hopes it would keep him occupied for a while. When he came down this hallway and had overheard Naruto's voice, Sasuke had started to turn around so as to not have to listen to the blond talk; but when Kurama had walked in Sasuke's curiosity had bested him and he concealed himself against the wall in order to listen in. A part of Sasuke was smug that he hadn't been noticed by either of them for the duration of their conversation; Kurama prided himself so much yet he hadn't noticed one person eavesdropping?

Sasuke soon regretted his decision to stay. His head ached with the confusion and questions ricocheting around in his mind. He was worried for Itachi's wellbeing after seeing Kurama's obvious lack of compassion; he was certain Itachi must be in the prince's room and Sasuke doubted he would be allowed in. Betrayal or not, Sasuke could never completely disregard his care and love for Itachi. The older man was strong, surely he was capable of withstanding Kurama. Sasuke couldn't imagine his brother ever bowing down to anyone, giving up wasn't programmed into Itachi. Unfortunately Kurama seemed just as strong willed. Guilt bubbled up in Sasuke's stomach and he realized he had to find his brother and make things right. They were all the other had; Sasuke couldn't abandon Itachi here on his own. No matter what they did, they would do it together.

Sasuke had been forced to bite his tongue when Kurama insulted his clan name, lest the raven speak out and give himself away. The Uzumaki's past was tied to the war too; the Uzumaki had bonds to the Senju clan, and Hashirama had not been an innocent man. He had killed Madara and left the Yoru without a king, nearly driving them into chaos. They were just as much at fault as the Uchiha clan had been. Sasuke should have stormed off right then, but Naruto had spoken up and the words wrapped around Sasuke to anchor him in place.

Naruto had just defended him; he had stood up for Sasuke and Itachi both. Why, what reason did Naruto have in arguing on Sasuke's behalf? Without an answer, Sasuke grew frustrated. He hated Naruto with vehement force because he was so impossible to understand. Naruto had no need to stand up for Sasuke or to help him and yet he still continued doing so. Sasuke wanted to believe it was only to gain his trust so that Naruto could use it against him; but he had just been proven wrong. For Sasuke's entire life everyone had been predictable, he could read them easily and had known what to expect from them. Now he was faced with a challenge called Uzumaki Naruto, the asshole that didn't follow the rules Sasuke was so accustomed to.

Sasuke needed Naruto to be cruel; to be the monster that was expected. Sasuke didn't know how to handle kindness, he couldn't accept that from a man that was meant to be his enemy. Naruto wasn't supposed to be so warm towards Sasuke, who was only his slave; even Kurama had told Naruto it was weird. Sasuke wondered if Naruto had somehow known Sasuke was listening and wanted to appear on his side, but the blond wasn't clever enough for that. It had been genuine. When Naruto blurted out his plan to eradicate slavery and the ownership of beings, Sasuke's heart nearly stopped beating. Was he serious? Would he take such a huge risk for the people enslaved? It would mean freedom for all of those poor people he had seen in his kingdom, worn thin and aged beyond their years due to the hard labor they were forced to do by their masters.

Itachi himself had said the princes likely hadn't had a choice in accepting this deal, and though Sasuke had disbelieved him, Naruto had just proven Itachi right. He hadn't wanted a slave, but he hadn't any other options unless he wanted to insult the Yoru. Sasuke had been forced upon him, just as Sasuke himself had been forced here. Now they were stuck together, and Sasuke still didn't have the answers he wanted. There was something about Naruto that kept drawing his interest despite his odium for the blond. There had to be a reason Naruto was trying so hard to become Sasuke's ally, and Sasuke was going to pick apart the mystery that was Uzumaki Naruto.

Curiosity killed the cat.

The caged birds sing, but often they don't even realize what it is they're singing for. They simply know that freedom is in their blood.

Itachi had a flicker of doubt in his decision to remain here; but as he watched the frigid downpour of rain outside, he erased the feeling. He had made the right decision for Sasuke. Yet as he looked around the walls imprisoning him, he couldn't help but to wonder if he had made the right one for himself. Ever since the altercation where Kurama had blown up, Itachi had been wary where he treaded with the prince. There were pros and cons to most situations, but the cons here were too threatening to even see the pros at this point. Itachi needed to learn how to play his cards right before he received worse than a scar across his face. Itachi had seen far worse than Kurama- people willing to go to tremendous lengths to destroy someone. At least Kurama was obvious when he was going to strike, unlike a viper you never saw coming. Itachi wasn't going to test how far Kurama would go.

Still he hoped to make Kurama see the error of his ways, that his hatred wasn't validated. Itachi knew the loathing was directed at his clan, and he supposed Kurama had reason for his bitterness. Their worlds had been at war for decades; yet there was a deeper river that ran between these two clans. The Uchiha and Senju had their own battles, and the Uzumaki were branched off of the Senju. The hatred had carried through the years it seemed; after all, hatred was something taught.

However treating Itachi and Sasuke like they were monsters was beyond reason. Kurama knew the two had in no way been tied to the wrongdoings of the clan. They had been too young- and they too had fallen under the malevolence. Kurama was taking his vengeance out on someone that had done nothing wrong. All four of them had been nothing but children when hell had unfolded on them. The anger needed an outlet, and there had to be reasons for such specific animosity; Itachi would pick Kurama apart, even if he had to put all of the pieces back together himself.

The one thing truly wearing on his nerves was Sasuke; or rather, lack thereof. Had something happened to the younger he knew he would have heard of it, but the concern would always be there just beneath the surface. He doubted Sasuke wanted to talk at all, but even just seeing a glimpse of him would suffice. The younger Uchiha had to learn on his own, and Itachi hoped he learned soon before the embers of fury scorched him. Itachi couldn't protect Sasuke forever; the younger had to stand on his own and choose for himself. Itachi could only hope he chose wisely. The truth was shrouded in shadows and only time gave experience to see past them, along with the ability to open your eyes. Sasuke had been hiding, keeping himself blind in order to avoid it all, but the inevitable was coming undone before them all and it was time to face the truth in its eyes.

It started with the death of their parents. Itachi had been heartbroken, of course; but far from surprised. He had known what his family had planned, and if they had survived then the war may have gone on much longer. Their willingness to sacrifice their own people in order to attempt another ambush on the Hiruma in hopes to overthrow the queen had horrified Itachi. It had been for the best they had died. Sasuke had been protected from some of the dark secrets; but even he had witnessed the greed and pride that had killed their parents and family entirely. The child hadn't been ignorant. Perhaps their parents had thought they were doing the right thing; but his kingdom had been sorely misguided.

Itachi regretted hiding anything from Sasuke. The teenager had to see for himself now, that their family had been just as guilty as everyone else in this war. They had killed themselves. Itachi's only wish was that Sasuke may one day forgive him.

But he wouldn't be so bold as to expect it.

"You're going to pace a trench into the floor." Kakashi deadpanned as he watched Kurama do a lap around the room for the fiftieth time. An unfriendly look was shot at the advisor, one the man didn't waver under since he had seen it for years. "Besides the risk of walking holes into the ground, you're making me dizzy."

Kurama rolled his eyes. "I can't sit still with all of this adrenaline in my veins." Kurama muttered, his red hair was down from its usual tie. He resumed his incessant pacing and Kakashi's shoulders sagged in defeat; there was no telling Kurama no. The man was in a rather inimical mood as of late, he hadn't done anything other than growl at anyone who dared approach him that day. He had been up the entire night before and now it was closing in on what looked like another sleepless night. People had been in and out of the palace all day, conversing or arguing with Kurama about certain trades or the need for assistance. Kurama was trying to see and take everyone into consideration, but new dilemmas seemed to be rocketing towards him from every direction.

Several documents lay spread across his desk that needed to be meticulously looked over; and though he had Kakashi's help, it was still a daunting task. Money was a problem as well; Kurama had decisions in front of him that were expected to be made fast. Any choice Kurama made, someone was still going to be unhappy with him. His choice had to be one that would be the most beneficial to the most people, to prevent a larger scale of disaster. Kurama was a lot of things, but he could manage to be a good leader when his people needed him. Kakashi spoke up with some much needed advice. "I believe we need to focus on rebuilding the dams. They're cracked and towns are reporting their crops getting drowned, we need to stop it from becoming a full-scale flood." Kakashi slid the document pertaining to the dams in front of Kurama.

There were going to be civilians annoyed that their own little villages weren't being sent money, but for now the kingdom needed to focus on its land in its entirety. The dams had taken severe damage during bombings and would need to be repaired before it worsened. The dams had held strong since long before Kurama was born; it was time they were looked after. Kakashi looked over the papers with a thoughtful hum. "It's going to take several months and a steady supply of resources, but it's one of our largest issues right now. Once we get the economy into a more stable place hopefully two of our major crises will be taken care of. In the meantime we also need to begin rebuilding forests that were destroyed. Acres of land and crops had been burned down, and without them our kingdom doesn't have a steady source of food."

Kurama shifted through the papers, quite a few complaints about lack of food had been amongst the documents; solid food and water sources had been scarce since Kurama was born. "If we convince the people to assist us in replanting we could have it all growing back within the year." Kurama mused. He would send the guards out later to begin calling the citizens for help in replanting. The kingdom functioned on the work of everyone together. With the trees being regrown it would make it easier and faster to rebuild damaged buildings and structures.

Kurama slowly padded towards the window and looked out over the kingdom he took so much pride in. Red eyes followed the path of a leaf as it blew in the wind, still damp from rain. Kurama sneered as he wondered vaguely if the Uchiha brothers used to need to scramble for cover every time it rained. The thought amused him, but there was a depth to it that weighed heavily inside of him as well. Immediately Kurama shook it off, violently shutting the sinking feeling down. Those two didn't deserve to be here; they should have been cast into some sleazy shelter, not thrust onto him.

Thoughts turning onto Itachi, Kurama scoffed and his gaze narrowed in thought. He had to admire the Uchiha, for even when everything was taken from him he still wasn't breaking underneath it all. Itachi was a mystery that Kurama had yet to figure out, and he disliked being kept in the shadows. He tilted his head as he looked out of the window, expressing a scowl.

Uchiha Itachi, I'll figure you out.