Chapter 5: Healing and Family

This in not my book BUT I have asked for permission from the author but he still hasn't replied if anyone can get in touch with him let him know if he wants me to I can remove it from here

go check out the book at https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13522981/1/Reincarnation-Ok-Pal-The-Story-of-Kenta-Yamanaka-Book-2

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Hi guys and gals! Back for our weekly update! Last week was a bit intense. The reviews were DEFINITELY a mixed bag. I appreciate all the reviews though, positive and negative alike.

This chapter dives once again into Kenta's coping of his loss of his father, but with a LOT less Angst and crazy. A feel good chapter as I think we all could use a little calming down. Me, you, and especially KENTA's emo, dramatic ass.

Hopefully you all enjoy. Just a few quick announcements.

Kenta's Man Crush list will close NEXT UPDATE! Cast your votes while you still can. Remember, each person get's a total of FIVE VOTES. Use them all!

My schedule has changed and I'm now working night shifts. Sunday updates will be all but done. Monday mornings/Early afternoon for East Coast Peeps will be the norm. Tuesdays for the bigger chapters that take me longer to write.

I'm going to be working on a new fic! It's a crack fic that's JUST serious enough not to be garbage. Kenta is primary focus, so new fic will be updated slowly and irregularly. A means of working through my lack of motivation (like this chapter) when I'm stuck with Kenta's story. Summary can be found at the end!

With that, enjoy chapter 5! Action picks up once again next chapter. Pwomise!

"I'm coming!" I shouted sleepily. This whole waking me up at the ass crack of dawn was starting to get really old, really quick. I glanced over at mom's monstrosity of a cuckoo clock, realizing it was near nine in the morning. Ok, I guess I won't physically maim whoever thought it would be a good idea to wake me up. The two week mandatory leave Lord Fifth gave me after Uncle's recommendation was something I desperately needed.

I opened the door and blinked. Standing on my porch was the last person I expected to see.

Sasuke Uchiha stared back at me with a totally unimpressed looked.

"Do you normally answer the door in nothing but your under garments, Yamanaka?" He drawled.

I glanced down, noticing I was indeed in nothing but underwear. I shrugged and turned a wicked grin on the boy.

"What's wrong, Sasuke? See something you like?" I purred huskily, batting my eyes.

He gagged.

"Put some clothes on then come take a walk with me." He replied.

I pouted for a moment before brightening. "Okay! Give me fifteen minutes and I'll be ready for our date, Lord Uchiha."

I turned around, making a beeline for my room.

"It's not a… You know what, I'm not doing this." I heard him angrily mutter. I snickered to myself. He was always so much fun to rile up.

********************************KentaXSasuke 4Eva*************************************

We had been wandering aimlessly around the village for the last hour. Chatting about everything, yet nothing at the same time. Small talk. Awkward talk. I didn't like it.

"What's the real reason you asked me out, Sasuke?" I asked with a straight face. Inside though I was cackling madly at his reddening face.

He took a deep, calming breath. And then one more for good measure. "How are you?" He asked bluntly.

I stared at the boy for several minutes before my brain restarted. He was worried about me? This was… unexpected.

"I… I'm not fine, but I'm getting better." I replied truthfully. Sasuke was always able to call out my bullshit before it even left my mouth.

He nodded. "I heard about. Well the ordeal with Ino. Naruto also said you had been avoiding everyone for almost a week. I just wanted to make sure. You and I are similar. I didn't speak to anyone either after the massacre. Their pity and sympathy made me nearly as angry as thinking about Itachi. So, if you ever…" He trailed off at the end.

I smiled warmly at Sasuke. He wasn't a wordsmith, and could barely distinguish his own emotions if they were anything other than angry or really angry, however here he was, awkward rambling to make sure I was okay.

"Thanks, Sasuke. I know that was probably the most you've spoken since you left all those years ago, so the effort is appreciated." I cheekily told him.

He glared at me before a small smile betrayed him. "It… might actually have been." He admitted.

I burst out laughing. Loud, obnoxious, and real laughter. For the first time in weeks. Sasuke soon joined me, though his was a much more dignified and controlled laughter. Befitting his "noble" station.

After a few minutes, I finally calmed down. I squeezed Sasuke's shoulder. It was our version of a hug. "I missed you, Sasuke. It's good to have you home." I admitted genuinely.

"It's good to be home. Those near four years… they were not fun, Kenta. I learned a lot. I got strong. But the things I saw. The things I had to do. I want to forget them, but I still have nightmares." He finished in a whisper.

I frowned. A right selfish bastard I've been. Going off the deep end, attempting murder, hurting everyone I love. I didn't even stop to consider that there were others that were in just as much pain as me, even if it was a different kind of pain, they were still hurting.

"Sasuke, listen. I'm sorry I haven't been there for you, but if you need to talk we can-"

"Yes, you and I will talk. After you do your own healing. My problems aren't an immediate concern. They trouble my dreams and make me sick to my stomach, but you? Your pain is immediate and is affecting your personality. Get your shit together, then you can role play as my therapist." His hardened gaze held no room for argument.

I smirked wickedly. "Oh? And after we role play as your therapist, how about we role play back in my roo-Urk!"

Sasuke removed the elbow that had buried itself in my diaphragm. "Do not be perverse." He said simply.

I attempted to wheeze out a reply but settled with a simple head nod.

The last two weeks I had been preoccupying my time with three things. Training Kono and her team a few days a week. Taking Iroko to the park and laughing at his clumsy enthusiasm. And reading Lord Jiraiya's hit series, Icha-Icha. Seems they were perverting my mind a little too much.

"Any way. Let's go spar." Sasuke said suddenly.

I shook my head. "Not allowed. I'm not allowed to do anything aggressive until I've passed my evaluation."

"Are you allowed to work out at least?" He asked.

"Oh yeah. I can still work out and practice my skills. Just not against anyone else." I said, rubbing my stomach and glaring at Sasuke.

He smirked. "Well then, word on the street is you and this infamous Captain Jaguar were pretty close. They also say his workouts would put Might Guy to shame. I don't believe even half those rumors."

The beast had awakened at Sasuke's challenging words. He thought my workouts were easy?! Time to show his pompous ass that Orochimaru's training was academy level compared to mine. I grinned viciously.

"Let's go put it to the test then, eh?"

********************************Jaguar Comin Out Da Cage!*******************************

I smirked savagely at the puddle of sweat that was panting at my feet. Sasuke was attempting to take in heaping gulps of air, but it never seemed to be enough to fill his lungs and restore his breath.

"You were saying?" I drawled in vindictive pleasure. The disbelief and outrage pouring off Sasuke in waves was soothing to my soul. This. This is what I missed and what I needed. Pushing subordinates to their breaking.

For the next five minutes I watched in pure happiness Sasuke's breathing return to normal. Once he could form a full sentence, he glared daggers at me. My smile widened.

"What kind of absolute monster are you?" He growled.

"Me?" I cried in mock disbelief and outrage. "I'm no monster! This was simply Captain Jaguar's warmup exercise! He's the monster, you just asked for a workout of HIS!"

Sasuke snarled at me. "Cut the shit, Yamanaka. I know you're Jaguar. You're sick. Twisted."

I smiled innocently. "Thank you!" I sat down next to the glaring teen, innocent smile still in place.

"Why?" Sasuke suddenly asked.

I turned my goofy smile his face. "What do you mean?"

"Why did you snap?"

My smile fell. Sasuke's social graces smacking me full force in the face.

"I mean. The one thing I was always jealous of, yet admired you for, was your emotional control. When you saved our team in wave, even in your anger over Arata's death, you were in control. In the forest against Orochimaru, you had your fear under control. Every fight and mission you were always in control. I understand you lost your father, but there has to be something else."

I frowned. This was the million dollar question, wasn't it? The same one I had been asking myself for weeks now. Why did I snap like that?

"You don't have to answer. That was inappropriate, wasn't it?" Sasuke mumbled out in embarrassment.

I let out a hallow bark of laughter. "Yes, yes it was." I smiled sadly at the ground. "I don't know, to tell you the truth. I think… I think the pressure I put on myself combined with losing my father was the nail in the coffin."

"Pressure?" Sasuke asked in confusion.

"My entire life, I've always put myself under pressure to be perfect. The perfect son, the perfect brother, the perfect boyfriend, the perfect shinobi. That desire; no need to be the best, was all I ever knew. Up until that day you two had returned, I was the best. Perfect son and brother, perfect boyfriend, and the perfect shinobi. My mission record since the day you two left was perfect. Not a single failure, not a single loss of life under my command. I was loved by the shinobi community. People lined up to join ANBU to even have the chance to work with me; they were selling their souls to work under me."

I laughed hollowly. "I'd give it all up to have my father back."

"You're not the only person to lose someone they love. Especially in our line of work. Your reaction seemed over the top." Sasuke said bluntly.

I snarled at the boy, the demon's that had been slowly being put down back in full force. "What the hell do you know? Your family died traitors. My father died a hero."

He shrugged. "You're right. I also was put under possibly the most powerful illusion in the world and had to relive my brother slaughtering the clan for 72 hours straight."

My snarl froze. "At least you didn't have to hold your father while he died." I retorted childishly.

"Talk to me. You helped me more than you could possibly know. The thing that helped the most was just getting all my thoughts off my chest, knowing you would listen and not judge." Sasuke stated simply.

The demon's quieted down. The threat had passed. Sasuke's chakra had remained strong, steady and stoic the entire time.

"The day you and Sakura returned, I had just recently returned from a mission where we captured Kabuto. I… My emotions were still hyper-charged. I hadn't had time to properly ground myself." I admitted quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"You… you know my style of fighting an opponent, right?" I glanced at the boy.

"You're talking about your mind games?" He asked.

I nodded. "The better I get, the more I walk into the darkness that comes along with breaking someone. As my sensing has gotten stronger, and I can actually feel every single emotion they feel, it's even harder to resist that pull to full darkness. I broke Kabuto, Sasuke. I mean… I broke him. I used my psychological warfare as well as a forbidden technique I developed and completely shattered his mind. The thrill of that, it was too much. My emotions were volatile. When I ground myself, it's what I told you about years ago in the hospital. I surround myself with my family and friends, reminding myself who Kenta actually is."

"Dad was super busy, I hadn't seen him since my return. Mom was also busier. Kono was gearing up for the academy. I can't really talk to my baby brother." I paused and shot Sasuke a quick smile. "You have to come by and meet Iroko sometime, by the way. He's literally the cutest baby in the world."

Sasuke smiled softly. "I'd love to. Where is he?"

"Mom takes him to Aunt and Uncles when she has to work. Says I need this time without any stress. Iroko is a good baby, but he is a baby. He has meltdowns from time to time. Plus, Auntie Aia absolutely dotes on him. I also believe he's chakra sensitive. He can tell when I'm more volatile than usual. He gets fussy." I smiled.

Sasuke nodded. "I'll meet him soon. Continue."

"So I didn't have much family time. Fú has been busy at the hospital. Finally, I spent time with Naruto, but he's… not the best at stuff like this. Long story short, people in my life were busy, and I don't fault them for that. My grounding rituals, I've realized are too dependent on other people. I've been working on exercises I can do by myself for the future."

"So you're still going to continue to use your mind games? Even if it's as dangerous to your mental health as it seems?" Sasuke asked in concern. I think it was concern at least. His chakra was still very, very neutral. Suspicious, I was.

"I am. This is the legacy my father left to me. It is a legacy that I will pass down to my own children one day. I just need to find healthy ways to cope from now on." I said in fierce determination.

"I will help if I can." Sasuke said.

I smiled in appreciation. "Thanks. Now, after I said all that. Ami comes to my house, says you two are back. I had a mini meltdown right there. I was the team captain for that mission. I knew the details. I still hadn't forgiven Sakura for her words, but especially her actions that day. My control slipped, and I made an absolute ass of myself in front of the entire council, your brother, my uncle, everyone."

A wave of guilt and sadness came from Sasuke momentarily before he regained his neutral energy. "About that day…"

"I have a lot to say on that, and we will get there. It all ties in to everything." I cut the boy off. Sasuke nodded and went silent once more.

I sighed. "How do I explain this without it sounding like a copout or an excuse?" I pondered that question for a few moments. "I stopped caring." I admitted.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke's eyebrow rose slightly.

"About my perfect image to the world. I stormed into the Hokage's office, and for once in my entire life, I acted like a human. Not a perfect Shinobi. I lashed out. I got angry. I talked back to my superiors. It felt… Invigorating. At least in the heat of the moment. However, my upbringing quickly replaced that base animal urge to lash out, and I regained my control. Until I heard who was leading the mission against two S-Rank opponents."

"If I tell you something Sasuke, and I mean, S-Class secret, can I trust you with it?"

Sasuke mulled over the question for a few moments. "Is this in regards to you personally, or village secrets?"

"Personal." I said instantly. Even if my thoughts were a maelstrom and my emotions conflicted, I loved my village, and I would never betray it.

"Then yes, you can trust me." He said simply.

"Do you remember those dreams and weird visions I had from time to time?"

"Like in wave? I remember. Did you ever figure those out?" He asked.

"Yes and no. I…" A thought struck me. "It's better if I show you. During the preliminaries you remember how I 'spoke' with Lady Korinna?"

"When you and Naruto had your cute little forehead to forehead moment?" Sasuke smirked in triumph.

"Yes that. It was my second favorite part of the entire preliminary match, followed only by that romantic kiss we shared." I purred, batting my eyelashes.

Saskue rolled his eyes. "It's been too long. I keep forgetting I can't ruffle you like I can Naruto."

I laughed loudly at that. "Naruto is a fifty-fifty shot nowadays. He either sputters, or he fires back so quickly your head spins."

"He definitely isn't as dumb as he used to be. I can admit that at least."

I held out my hands. "Trust me?" Sasuke nodded instantly. I placed my hands onto his forehead and showed him the conversation that Lady Korinna and I had about that day. The theories we concocted and the what-ifs. Seconds later I pulled back and Sasuke was left blinking.

"What did that seal do?" He asked immediately.

I stared in confusion. "What seal?"

He stared at me incredulously. "She put a seal on your soul! Did you forget about that?!"

Huh. I did forget about that. It had never bothered me, and it made no noticeable difference. After everything else happened, I kind of put it to the back of my mind.

I shrugged. "I guess. I'll go ask the resident experts tomorrow. Maybe they can explain."

Sasuke stared at me a few more minutes before nodded slowly, muttering about idiots not taking a soul seal seriously. "So, your visions and dreams, you theorize are some type of glimpse into the future?"

I nodded. "A static future. One that hasn't changed at all. You were the original bearer of the curse seal, not Sakura. Naruto was originally part of team 7. A few other things. One of them being, it was Asuma who originally died during that fight, not my father." I finished gravely.

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly, his chakra mirroring his shock. "So, you knew that your father would die, but you were hoping to change the future that had already been changed."

I nodded sadly. "I was hoping that our timeline is already so different than the one I keep viewing that I could somehow make a difference, or that it wouldn't have the same outcome. Some things just can't be changed, I guess."

"I'm not very good at this stuff. But… If it were me, I would be thankful for the small things. Like you did get to hold your dad and say goodbye." Sasuke said in a small voice.

I stared at the boy, processing his words. "Yeah… Yeah, I guess that is a small mercy."

"That still doesn't explain your… explosion following his death. You really went there, Kenta."

I smiled guiltily. "Like I said, I was already in emotional turmoil, and had it been anyone other than my father, I wouldn't have taken it so hard. He taught me everything. His words are the reason I'm still me today. The words he told me the day we began our training still ring in my head. He was my rock, Sasuke. He was the only person in the entire village that can 100% understand the emotional struggle I deal with after every fight."

"Losing him, was losing my anchor to the side of sanity I had to claw back to. The darkness I dive into to completely break an opponent is suffocating and all-consuming. His presence, his words, his advice, they were all the things that allowed me to find that rope and drag myself back to my sense of self. Losing him, I lost all that. Between the pressures of being perfect, my hyper charged emotions, and losing him… It was the literal perfect storm." I finished, a wave of bone-crushing sadness washing over me.

Sasuke placed his arm on my shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Yet despite all that, you're dragging yourself inch by inch back to who Kenta is. I understand now. He wasn't just your father. He was your best friend, mentor, and the one who was able to check you when you began to lose it."

I blinked away the few stray tears that had attempted to escape their prison and nodded. "I guess the best way for me to describe to you what happened when I snapped would be to ask you how you think you would be if you had never learned the truth about your brother until after you had killed him."

Sasuke frowned and his forehead furrowed, attempting to visualize himself in such a scenario. My vision went white momentarily, a vision of Sasuke with onyx eyes full of hatred. Blood leaked from the orbs.

"By killing every last one of you, until the leaf is crushed forever! Any link to The Uchiha will be severed and our name will be purified! That is how I'll revive my clan!"

"I'm going to kill you and every last person in your beloved village!"

I blinked. Well, it's nice to know that that particular vision won't be coming true!

"I think… I would return to the leaf and demand justice for my clan, as well as to air out the entire truth for the world to hear." Sasuke spoke up suddenly. I laughed, LOUDLY. Sasuke stared at me in confusion. "What? I would!" He grumbled over my laughter.

I calmed myself down and patted him on the cheek. Lightning chakra flared to life as he attempted to remove the offending appendage. "I'm sure that's exactly what you would do, dearest Sasuke."

He grumbled to himself for a few more minutes. "Anyway, what you're saying is these visions are a rough blueprint and we can't base facts off them anymore. Whatever happened along the way, things are changing from this original timeline." He interrupted my laughter.

I nodded. "Basically. That knowledge didn't really register with me until that day. I kept seeing Asuma's face where my father's was. It should have been him I kept telling myself. That bitterness, anger, and unfairness of it all began to fester. I started placing the blame everywhere, Sasuke. I mean everywhere." I emphasized that last point, attempting to get him to understand just how little people actually knew of the true extent of my thoughts.

He didn't miss it, the smart little bugger he was. "How far did that rabbit hole go?" He asked quietly.

"I haven't told these things to anyone, Sasuke. Not Naruto, my family, not even Fú. But, I know you won't judge me or take to heart what I'm about to tell you." I said sadly.

He nodded. "Whatever it is, get it off your chest. I attempted to kill you one time for thinking you were trying to come between Sakura and I, this is only fair." He attempted to lighten the mood a bit.

I frowned. "We'll talk about her after. This entire ordeal has made me… more sympathetic to her and her actions that day."

Sasuke looked surprised at that but nodded.

"After I realized the only reason that Asuma wasn't the team captain, my mind lashed out and clung to the idea of why he had to back out of that mission last minute." I said, voice laden with guilt.

Sasuke's genius shown through. "You blamed Kurenai and her pregnancy."

I nodded and stared at him with eyes full of unshed tears. "I thought about destroying her, Sasuke. I thought about killing her and her unborn child. Neither was the reason, but at that point I was a drowning man looking for a purchase."

His arm was back on my shoulder, giving me a reassuring squeeze. "We can't be blamed for the thoughts our grief stricken minds come up with. You didn't touch her. Didn't even look at her. You should feel no guilt."

I laughed shakily. "Easier said than done. When you contemplate a double homicide of two innocent people, it tends to shake you up a bit."

He nodded but remained silent, arm falling back to the grass below.

"Next I… Shit, I still need to apologize to him." I muttered. "Anyway, long story short, I mind raped Shikamaru and saw the entire fight before we arrived." I finished in a rush.

"You mind raped Shikamaru? As in, a mindwalk without permission and forced?" Sasuke asked in an unimpressed voice.

I laughed sheepishly. "I gave him medicine to help with the pain, ehehe…"

I yelped in pain as a few arcs of electricity licked at my exposed skin. "After this, go apologize." I nodded, rubbing the pink and tender skin on my arm.

"Anyway, I saw everything. It… was actually really impressive now that I think about it. All four of them killed that man, but he wouldn't stay down. Choji even managed to get a death blow in while keeping the other man occupied with only two Chunin as backup. He's a sleeper, Sasuke. Don't underestimate Choji." I laughed lightly.

"The chubby kid from our class? He's that strong?"

"Yup. He was apprenticed to Lord Third. He's a powerhouse now. He has a personal summon from the monkey clan. He uses a bo-staff. His style a perfect mix of the speed and deadliness of the Sarutobi clan, along with the rare power his own family uses. Not to mention his clan techniques are some of the best, and his defensive earth techniques are nearly impenetrable. He's a solid person to have on your team now." I praised the boy. Sasuke looked mildly impressed.

"I'll have to challenge him to a spar as well." He muttered. Same old Sasuke.

"In my insane haze, I then began to blame Yugao for teaching Ino too well. I reasoned that her style of teaching was the reason that Ino was left so exposed and what led to my father pushing her out of the way. Hidan, the man who they were facing, was a berserker. Ino was trained as a swordsman." I didn't elaborate further. Sasuke himself was a swordsman, and a damn good one at that.

"She was looking for feints where there weren't any and left herself open when she thought she had an opening. In reality, it wasn't a planned move, but the enemy recovered quick enough to counter Ino's technical skills with raw strength and speed." Sasuke deduced beautifully.

I nodded and smiled in appreciation at his smarts. "Exactly. So now I have it in my head that Ino's weakness got my father killed. You've more than likely heard the rest. The only other part I never told anyone…" I trailed off, the guilt in my stomach constricting my throat, not allowing me to finish.

"What happened, Kenta?" Sasuke asked quietly.

"I… For a moment, after I was disqualified for almost killing Ino that a thought tried to take hold in my mind. A dark thought, Sasuke. Worse than killing an unborn child."I admitted quietly.

"Did you consider becoming rouge?" He asked gently.

I nodded, but then shook my head. "Yes and no. I thought… I thought about pulling a Lord Fifth, but on my own volition, not on orders from my superiors." I pushed through the guilt and finished my admission.

Sasuke's eyes widened and his chakra spiked in alarm. "What do you mean by 'Pull a Lord Fifth.' What… you thought about killing your clan?!"

I nodded in shame. "Yes. I thought they were holding me back. That they were spitting on my dream, talking behind my back. I thought about right then and there killing my uncle and the elders and taking over. It was… I prepared my chakra, Sasuke. I have a technique that could have killed them all, instantly." My voice broke then, and I clammed up.

"Again. Your thoughts are your own. You were in a dark place, and those dark thoughts you always had that you dismissed attempted to take hold. You… ah, so that is why you said you can empathize with Sakura." He deduced.

I shook my head. "Easy for someone not part of a clan that can read thoughts to say." A wet laugh escaped my throat at that thought. "But you're right. I replayed our conversation. How she said her voiced thoughts were ones she always had, but she pushed them away. When her emotions weren't her own, they were able to take root. I get it now. I want to talk to her one last time though before we put the past behind us."

Sasuke nodded. "We can meet tomorrow if you like."

"Yeah, let's do that. Let me get my emotions back under control. Don't need to blow up on her when I'm attempting to rebuild the bridge that was burned."

Sasuke then stood up and offered me his hand. I accepted and he pulled me to my feet. "When is your evaluation?"

I dusted my pants off before answering. "Three days. I meet with Uncle and Lord Fifth at noon."

"Well then, you better pass that evaluation. I need to pay you back for humiliating me today." He smirked in challenge.

I laughed lightly. "Deal. Once I get cleared, I'll kick your ass from here to the other end of Konoha."

With that we walked out of the training ground we used to use as kids. My heart, though heavy from the omissions that day, felt a bit lighter at the same time. Sasuke was right, sometimes just voicing those doubts and troubles is enough to ease the burden; even if it's just a bit.

I still wasn't 100% me, but I was slowly getting there.

****************************BROMENTS ARE BACK~**************************************

I bounced the babbling toddler on my hip as we made our way through the town. I decided to forego the stroller, a bad decision on my part I now realized. Thanfully, our destination was rapidly approaching.

"Are you ready to see Naruto, Iroko?" I said cheerily.

"Nawto! Nawto!" He clapped and laughed excitedly, causing my own laughter to join him. Seriously. Why do I have the most adorable siblings in the world? I remember a time when I hated kids. Didn't want them. Now? I can't wait until this Akatsuki threat is over so Fú and I can start our own family. Grandkids would certainly make mom over-the-moon types of happy.

We arrived ourside the door to the main house. I quickly nicked my thumb and applied a drop to the blood seal. Honoka had added me just over a year ago. The seal glowed blue for a second and an audible 'click' could be heard.

"Pweety cower!" Iroko cheered at the seal. I laughed loudly once again. I can see why Auntie was so enamored by him. He had a certain charisma already at the ripe age of two. I didn't have to worry about Kono and dating for some time. She was too professional to allow for any distractions. Iroko though? He'll have fan girls, no doubt. I pushed open the door and was met with an explosion of noise.

"ZENJIRO! RYUJIRO! YOU TWERPS ARE DEAD!" A female voice echoed throughout the house.

"Dead! Dead! Dead!" Iroko clapped and laughed. I took my shoes off, not bothering with Iroko's. That is a battle I wasn't planning on having when it was time to leave. I walked into the kitchen and laughed loudly.

Tayuya stood in the center of the room. Pupils constricted, eyes wild, hair violently violet.

"What the hell happened to you, cross dresser? Lose a fight to a bottle of hair dye?" I called loudly. She whipped around, mouth already open in retort. I raised a finger and pointed to the wide-eyed toddler. She bristled but controlled herself.

"The terrible twins have been taking pranking lessons with our dear clan leader. They thought that dying my hair a 'cool' blue color would be awesome. They forgot that red and blue make purple! Those fuc- friggin shi-twerps are going to be my latest experiments for my illusions." She growled out.

"I see. It seems they've also been taking lessons from Naruto on stealth and evasion. That, or you just suck." I smirked.

"Listen here you girly looking shit head! I'm goin-"

"Tayuya Uzumaki! You do NOT talk like that to Lord Kenta! Especially when there is a toddler in the room!" Honoka's disapproving tone sounded from behind me. I turned around, flashing a bright smile. Karin was hot on her heals, a glare of her own in place.

"But! He! GAH! I'm going to train!" Tayuya said in annoyance. She turned on her heels and was about to head towards her room before she turned around once more. Her irriation momentarily displaced by a neutral expression. "Hey. Kenta. What you and your family did for Naruto… Erm. Thanks." Her cheeks reddened and she was beating a hasty retreat. I stared after the girl. I turned back to Honoka and Karin only to be quickly smothered by two mops of crimson hair.

"Hugs! Hugs!" Iroko cheered loudly. Hands reaching out for the two girls. The two girls pulled back after that. Karin a bright blush on her face, Honoka crying tears of joy.

"She's right, Lord Kenta. Naruto has been over the moon for the last week. You and your family. Well, I speak for all of us when I say the Yamanaka will always have an ally with the Uzumaki." Honoka's emotional declaration finshed. A thought instantly popped into my head.

"Shall we draw up a formal alliance on that, then?" I asked with a grin in place.

Honoka's eyes widened momentarily before her smile returned. "Yes. Yes I do believe we shall. Our clan is small, yes. But our power is still there. Allying ourselves to one of the six noble clans will be a solid move. It will cement our loyalty to Konoha, as well as give our voice a little more 'oomph' in the meetings with some of the smaller clans who doubt the Uzumaki."

The clan was still pissed at me, rightfully so. I did call them pathetic. This should go a little ways towards repairing that damage. "I'll talk to Uncle and have him set up a meeting time. You're acting clan head until Naruto turns 21, right?"

The Konoha Shinobi council was strange. Upon obtaining the rank of Chunin, the village saw you as a legal adult. It didn't matter if you were six or sixteen. The council though wouldn't allow a member to sit in place of their clan unless they were at least 21. It didn't matter if they were a genin or jonin. The council advised the Hokage. Age was the requirement they needed. Don't ask me, I didn't write that charter. I knew twelve year olds that were wise beyond their years, and forty year olds who acted like they were twelve. Until the head turned 21, someone of age from the clan was put forth to represent them.

She nodded. "Now that Naruto is home, I've been dragging him to the meetings. I also make sure that we discuss all the decisions we make. Naruto isn't dumb, despite what people think, though I know you know that first hand. However, he can be a bit… rash, still, in some of his thoughts and actions. I'm hoping that within these four years I can at least give him enough to not be eaten alive by those sharks."

Speak of the devil and he shall appear. "Kenta!" Naruto cried out and bull rushed me. I held up Iroko like the meat shield he was. Naruto halted in his tracks and his eyes lit up. "IROKO!" Naruto grabbed the toddler and began to cuddle him.

"Nawto! Miss you!" Iroko's happy cries sounded.

"And I missed you, you little cutie!" Naruto's equally enthusiastic reply came. He turned to us. "Whatcha guys talking about?"

"Well I came here to inquire about a seal, but Honoka and I were just talking about a formal alliance between our clans." I smiled at the sight of Naruto cuddling my baby, correction, our baby brother.

"That's an awesome idea! I approve! Honoka, lemme know when you wanna discuss this further. I'm gunna take Iroko out back with the other kids. Later! Lemme know if you need anything!" And with that Naruto bounded out of the room, Iroko on his shoulders laughing like a madman.

"He's so good with the kids. They all love him. Even Stadie is coming out of her shell day by day." Honoka said in a voice full of pride. "Now then, you said you had a question about seals?"

"I did. Do you know anything about 'soul seals?' I was talking with Sasuke yesterday and remembered that Naruto's grandmother had put on of them on me." I said, watching her face carefully and her chakra even more closely.

Success. Her chakra spiked. Excitement and anxiety warring with one another. "Lady Korinna put a soul seal on you?! Which one! I've only read about them! They're almost impossible to use and each one is very dangerous! Hold on!" She bolted from the room, leaving me alone with Karin.

"How are you doing, Miss Karin? Konoha treating you alright?" I asked politely, attempting to engage the Uzumaki I knew the least about.

"O-oh. Um. Yes. I like it here. Much better than Kusa. They were…" Her chakra became fearful and enraged.

"What did they do to you?" I asked with a hard voice.

She shook her head. "Not so much me, but my mother. They… they killed her."

I frowned, her words reopening the fresh wound of my own. "I see. Why did they do it?"

"She had a unique ability. One she passed down to me. Our chakra has even more incredible life-force than a typical Uzumaki. If someone were to bite us, their wounds heal almost instantly. They turned my mother into a machine. Forcing her to heal their wounded. Each time, it took a bit of her own life-force. One day, they took too much and her body couldn't recover." Her short story finished, her chakra was agonizingly sorrowful.

"They turned to you next to take her place?" I guessed.

She nodded. "They did, but then Naruto arrived a few months after and took me away from there. I travelled with their group for two years, getting trained in seals from Lord Jiraiya. It was… it was nice."

I smiled. "Naruto's got a good heart. Did he want to burn the entire village to the ground?"

She giggled. "Naruto AND Lord Jiraiya. Lord Kakashi had to drag them away once the paperwork for my release as a Kusa Kunoichi was completed."

I laughed loudly at that, the picture clear as day in my mind. I opened my mouth to speak but Honoka came barreling into the room. Arms laddened with scrolls and books. She threw them down onto the table, eyes bright with excitement.

"Oh this is… I've never heard of anyone having a soul seal. And one given to you by THEE Korinna Uzumaki?! Oh this is a wonderful day!" Honoka rambled excitedly.

I sat down at the table where she was sorting scrolls and books, Karin followed suit.

"Now, Lord Kenta, what was the name, if you know it, of the seal Lady Korinna placed on you?" Honoka asked while unrolling a scroll.

"Please, Honoka, no need for the Lord. It's weird. You all are my brother's family." I asked in a pleading tone.

"It wouldn't be proper. You are the Clan Head's nephew an-"

"Call me Lord Kenta one more time and you'll be joining Tayuya in her violet colored hair." I growled out.

She stared at me in shock for a few moments before a sly smile slid into place. "As you wish, Kenta. Just remember whom it is you are threatening. I can make your life hell with a just a few simple seals." She finished her threat with an impressive amount of bloodlust.

A bead of sweat rolled down my forehead and a cold sweat broke out on my back. "Of course. My apologies. I just…" I had no excuse.

She brightened up. "Apology accepted!" The bloodlust vanished. "Now. Seal. What was it?"

"It was called "Gift of the Lord of the Morning" I believe." I stated at once.

She gasped SUPER dramatically. And that was coming from me.

"Are you sure?!" She asked in hysterics.

I nodded. "100% sure. I can show you the memory."

She nodded her head so rapidly I feared she may snap her neck. "Yes please! Oooooh! Can you show me the entire memory? Lady Korinna is my idol! She is such a bad ass!"

I laughed at Honoka's excitement. So she could be just as excitable as the rest of her clan. I held out my hands and arched an eyebrow in question. She literally shot out of her seat and was next to me in an instant. I placed my hands on her forehead, activating the technique once more. This time, I started at the arrival of Lady Korinna all the way until Naruto collapsed.

The memories ended and I removed my hands from Honoka's head. I turned a quizzical look to Karin, eyebrow raised in question. She shook her head.

"No thank you. I barely know who Lady Korinna is. I'm sure big sis will tell me all about it." Karin politely said.

I shrugged and turned back to Honoka. She was blinking rapidly but a wide grin stretched her face.

"GAH! Lady Korinna is SO cool!" She squealed like Ino and Sakura used to do every time Sasuke's face so much as twitched. "Yosh! I will work even harder now to surpass her genius. If I cannot do it, I will punish myself with pain seals!" She declared loudly, an aboluste WAVE of déjà vu rolling over me.

"Honoka, have you ever met Rock Lee or Might Guy?" I asked.

"Who's that? A restaurant?" She asked absentmindedly.

I shook my head. "Never mind. Honoka, how old are you?"

"Twenty three. Why?" She asked, eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Would you ever date someone who's younger than you?" I asked with a wicked smile, plans formulating.

"How young are we talking? Kenta, I am flattered, but I do not think Lady Fú would appreciate your advances on me. I'm sure a political marriage would benefit the alliance, but surely we can-" She cut off at my loud laughter.

I wiped away a few tears of mirth. "No, not me. A friend of mine. He's a good guy. Very loud. Very exciteable. Works harder than anyone I know. You statement reminded me of him. He always says.

"If I can't do this impossible task I've set for myself, then I will punish my failure with an even more impossible task!"

I laughed again at her reddening face. "He sounds lovely, if you ask me. He is your age?"

I shook my head. "He's a year older, almost nineteen I believe." I said attempting to remember when exactly Lee's birthday was. It was late fall, I believe.

"We can discuss introduction another day. For now. Your seal." Honoka said, pushing her embarrassment away.

I nodded. "Is it going to kill me?"

She snorted. "Hardly. Lady Korinna blessed you with the greatest gift you can imagine."

She pulled out a scroll and scanned the contents. Nodding to herself she looked up. "To understand this seal, we have to delve into what many consider fairy tale and folklore. Many scoff at the notion that countless civilizations have risen and fallen over the course of tens of thousands of years. I swear to you, while the knowledge is lost and we only have bits and pieces to put together, what I am about to tell you is facts."

"Thousands of years ago, before The Rabbit Goddess ended all wars, before she turned on humanity and attempted to destroy it to reclaim her chakra, there was a kingdom that spanned every inch of our world. Historians have searched high and low, but we cannot find a name. What we do know is that it was all ruled by a single man. The Lord of the Morning."

I gaped. "Wait, he was REAL?"

She nodded. "Just as real as you and I. Before the time of chakra, certain humans were born with what we simply refer to this day as magic." She quirked an eyebrow at my snort of disbelief. I quickly schooled my features. "Believe it or not, it is true. I can show you the evidence at a later date. Unlike chakra though, which is internal, these men and women were able to connect to the very earth itself to perform their feats. It is similar to what we now know today as Sage Arts. They would connect with the energy of the earth, and weave it and shape it to their desires."

"Men and women had an internal 'tank' so to speak. They would pull the energy into their bodies, and then command the very elements around them. The Lord of the Morning had the largest 'tank' and could do things that many would say nigh impossible. They could command the basic elements. They could manipulate the weather. They could even bend time and space, opening portals from one point to another. This is how The Lord was able to govern such a vast kingdom. He could be anywhere in the world within a second."

I stared incredulously. Honoka was right, this did sound like a fantasy novel!

"Another thing, he ruled for centuries. For these magic users were granted blessings from the land itself. Using their magic extended their life to unnatural proportions. The larger their tank, the longer they lived. Even the weakest men and women could live for two or more centuries. Granted, they were not immortal, and could be killed as easily as the next person, but they could also wipe out armies single handedly. They magic users had their own system of laws and a hierarchy. It was this system that was their downfall."

"Many of the strongest magic users, those that lived five or more centuries, soon began to fear their end. They wanted to achieve true immortality, they wanted more power. They made a grave error. Twelve men and women, who would later be known as 'The Betrayers' traveled to the center of our world. There, they opened a bore into the very source of their powers. They did this unknowing that they were releasing a terrible power upon the land."

"The Gods themselves had banished one of their own. For it is said that God's cannot be killed. They banished the essence of one of their own into the very center of our world. Opening the bore released this banished god. His conscious soon began wreak havoc on the world. The Betrayers were granted their immortality and powers beyond their wildest dreams. The Lord called for the realms magic users to devise a plan. He wanted to close the bore, cutting off the dark god's influence. The men of his circle agreed, the women did not. They wanted to plan further, research this banished god, and make a decision then."

"The Lord did not agree, but held off. However, he could not wait too long, for this banished god began to wreak havoc. Crops died, livestock perished, illness ran rampant across the land. He called for a decision, but the women were not ready to make one. He took 100 of his strongest men and rode for the bore. There, they seal the banished god away once more. But they made a grave error. For there are two sides to every coin, and the power they used, was also split."

"It was similar to our chakra. Yin and Yang. The men used one side, the women the other. To close the bore, we needed both. But, only Yang was present. In a last ditch effort, the banished god tainted and corrupted the power the men used. It made their power vile and corrupt. The men began to go mad. The power driving them to insanity. They nearly destroyed the world when all 100 of the most powerful men in existence went mad at once; including The Lord of the Morning. When he died, it is said he tore the earth asunder and created a peak so high that the top couldn't be seen by mortal eyes. That peak still stands today. It is located in lightning country, and Kumo is hidden somewhere along those mountain ranges."

I continued to gape at Honoka. Real or not, this story was amazing! "You should write a book about this! Even if it real, I bet people would love this story!"

She giggled. "I might just do that. It does sound like a thrilling story, doesn't it?"

I nodded. "So what happened after that?"

"The history gets spottier after that. Apparently for one thousand years the women who survived began to hunt down and kill any man that was born with the ability. Eventually, they culled the ability out of humanity for good. Others say the banished god eroded the half made prison and escaped once again, and a battle for humanity ensued with a hero who been The Lord reincarnated. It is hard to say."

I snorted. Reincarnation? How absurd.

She nodded. "Now, that story I told you has absolutely nothing to do with your seal. I just wanted to tell it." She smiled at my unimpressed look.

"So then what does it do?" I asked.

"The Lord of the Morning ruled the world for five centuries, this we know. He put down rebellions before they even began because he was gifted with another ability. He could see the heart of men who stood before him." She stated.

"Wait, he could read minds? That does sound like Kenta! Maybe he was your great, however many, ancestor!" Karin piped up.

Honoka shook her head. "He couldn't read minds. However, he could read emotions." She stared at me pointedly at that. And it clicked.

"That's why my sensory abilities developed so quickly and why they're so strong!" I nearly yelled in excitement.

Honoka smiled and nodded. "Lady Korinna could sense the potential in your sensory abilities. They would have grown strong without her seal. They just developed differently than what they would have naturally. The range and detail is all you, Kenta. But the ability to read emotions? That is the ability this seal gives."

I sat back in my seat, mind whirling. Lady Korinna did indeed gift me a powerful ability. A bark of laughter escaped and Honoka and Karin stared at me quizzically.

"Sorry. It's just, if anyone else had this ability, it would be near worthless to them. Sure, they could read an opponent better, but me? Knowing my opponents emotions makes my fighting style that much easier." I explained.

"Ah. Yes. I've heard that you are a master of psychological warfare. Indeed. Having an in depth look at the emotions of your opponent is a boon." Honoka said with a frown. "It's also even more dangerous to you."

"What do you mean?" I asked, a knot forming in my gut.

"Kenta. That type of intimate knowledge about a person, with the way you use, could push you past the point of no return. Naruto spoke to me of your struggles with finding yourself after you break an opponent's mind. Be careful. Do not lose yourself to that type of darkness." Honoka said seriously.

I nodded. "I know. I… struggle. Each time I break an opponent. I need to develop new coping methods. I can't keep relying on others to pull myself back together to remind me of who I am. That was my downfall this time." I said seriously.

Honoka smiled and patted my hand. "Good. As long as you are aware and accept the dangers, you will be fine. Remember, the Uzumaki Clan stands with you. If you ever just need someone to talk to, or vent to, any one of us is here for you. You've done so much for us already. Even if you don't think you have."

She wiped a few stray tears away before continuing.

"Naruto… well, all Uzumaki know pain. We've all lost someone close to us. We've all lost our history and our family. But we are resilient. We are rebuilding. One day, the elemental nations will fear the Uzumaki once more. However, Naruto being a Jinchuriki is an even greater burden. He lost his parents, and the village he was raised in despised his very existence. They tried to erase him, and your clan prevented that. They then tried to break him by isolating him. Your clan once again prevented that by acknowledging his existence."

"Time and again, the sacrifice our clan makes is spit on and reviled. Jinchuriki are shunned and hated everywhere. You know this from Fú. However, your family, and by extension your clan, continued to offer the love and support that Jinchuriki crave and need just as badly as food and water. Konoha honestly has NO idea that your clan possibly saved them all. I love Naruto. That boy is a light in my life, and as much as I know the type of person he is, who can say how he would have turned out had you and your parents not shown him love? There's a chance he could have given up, found a way to remove the seal early, and allowed Kyubi to have his body and destroy Konoha. It's a scary thought, but it has happened in the past."

She met my eyes and smiled a warm, motherly smile at me. "But, that didn't happen, because you offered your hand to a lonely boy. Despite the fact that he annoyed the crap out of you. That he was loud and had zero manners."

I laughed loudly at that. "Yeah, the first year in the academy was rough until I taught Naruto what an inside voice was."

She nodded. "He told me all about it. He told me how your parents were wary of him at first, which is a perfectly reasonable reaction for people that don't know the intricacies of sealing. Did you know that Lord Fourth's work is literally a master piece? He's the only non-Uzumaki in a century that earned the title of Seal Master."

"What about Lord Jiraiya?" I asked, knowing the answer. I just wanted to hear it from an unbiased source. Or possibly the most biased?

"He is a good man, even if he is a pervert. I will not deny his skill. With the Uzumaki clan near extinction, I guess he could be considered a Seal Master. However, compared to an Uzumaki? He is merely what we would consider a Journeyman. His knowledge is good, but not even close to master level." She stated matter-of-factly.

"As I thought. Lord Fourth was trained by Lord Jiraiya, but Lady Kushina and Lady Mito also played a role in his education. He was also a genius. It would make sense he would meet the Uzumaki's high standards." I said smiling at Honoko.

"Yes. He was a rarity that is certain. Anyway, Naruto told me of their wariness, but within a few weeks they looked to him with nothing but love and acceptance. That was the day that changed his life forever. Did he tell you that?" Honoka asked.

I shook my head. "No. He never mentioned that to me." I frowned. "Bastard keeping secrets from me." I grumbled.

Honoka laughed. "Not at all. He just would be embarrassed to admit that to you. He's a funny one, that Naruto."

I smiled back. "You can say that again. The boy's sealing potential is next level. I had to tutor him for weeks just to understand basic addition and subtraction. I give him a book on basic sealing? Within a month he's already creating his own tags!"

Karin and Honoka giggled at that. "It's in his blood, that's for sure." Honoka admitted fondly.

"By twelve years old he was able to perform barrier seals and creating his own matrices. But to this day mention a woman's feelings and he's back to the idiot that struggled to add 15 and 16." I smirked wickedly.

"He is hopeless on that front, isn't he? Everyone mentions there is some girl that has had a crush on him for years, but he STILL doesn't know who it is." Karin said in a conspiratory whisper. "Do you know who it is?"

I nodded and felt for Naruto's chakra. Still out back, no shadow clones. "I do. But you cannot tell him. She wants to do it herself, if she ever bucks up the courage before his Lord Dense-ness figures it himself."

The held out their pinkies. The most solemn of promises. I took each individually. "When they were about five years old, a few months before the academy started, a group of boys was bullying this poor girl. Naruto, being Naruto, intervened. He got the shit kicked out of him, but his sheer determination to get back up after every beat down eventually drove the boys away. From that day forward, this girl has had feelings for our blonde friend." I explained in a low voice, my senses sharp and focuses so he didn't surprise me.

"Oh! That's so cute and romantic!" The girls chorused in unison, glancing at each other and breaking down into a fit of giggles.

"So, who is this mystery woman? Is she pretty? Is she strong?" Karin asked excitedly, Honoka nodding along enthusiastically.

"She's very pretty. She's also very strong. She's also one of the six noble clan heirs." I smirked, leaving only two options open, well three if they didn't know the Inuzuka's ritual for determining alpha.

Karin gasped. "Ino?! But there's your political marriage, especially if she actually has feelings for Naruto! Your plan will be perfect!"

Honoka stared at Karin suspiciously. "It isn't Ino, is it?" She asked.

I shook my head.

Honoka squealed. "Oooooh! Lady Hinata is gorgeous and apprenticed to Lady Tsunade! The Hyuga Clan? Oh, but there is no way that Lord Hiashi would ever allow that! Well, maybe he would, now that the Uzumaki clan is reestablished and Naruto is head." Honoka spouted off rapidly, more to herself.

"Is it really Lady Hinata?" Karin asked looking slightly crestfallen.

I laughed. "Did you want it to be my dearest cousin? I feel that she would kill Naruto some day after he annoyed her. Though I guess she does have the temperament to be an Uzumaki." I pondered out loud.

"I like Ino. She's been very kind to me since I arrived. She's also someone I admire. She is a strong kunoichi. She is very confident in herself. She is someone I would like to be more like." Karin said with a blush.

"Ino is very confident, that we can I agree on. She has gotten strong as well." I said.

Honoka slammed her fist into her palm. "I've got it!"

"No!" I said loudly. "You will not interfere until Lady Hinata has told Naruto herself. She will gentle fist you into a puddle if you say anything. She is still quiet, shy, and polite. But she has been apprenticed to Lady Tsunade for near four years. Her temper can flare quite violently."

Honoka looked crestfallen for a moment before brightening. "But once she does say something?"

I shrugged. "Then its fair game, I suppose."

She pumped her fist in triumph. "That only requires a slight adjustment to my plans." She turned to me. "Are you staying for dinner?"

I smiled. "I'd love to! Kono is training all day then having a sleepover with her friends, and Mom is working late tonight."

She stood up and straightened her dress. "Well then, make yourself at home. Karin, would you help me prepare dinner?"

Karin nodded and jumped to her feet. She made her way to the kitchen but stopped after a few steps, she stood there for a few moments, semmingly having an internal debate. Her chakra finally settled down and she turned to face me, her cheeks as crimson as her hair.

"Kenta… I… Will make sure Tayuya is punished for calling you girly. I think you're very h-h-h… handsome!" She shouted, turning on her heals and fleeing to the back. I gaped at the area she had disappeared to.

Honoka laughed loudly. "Looks like Naruto isn't the only one with a girl crushing on him. Poor Karin. I will need to get her prescription checked. Anyone who isn't blind can see how in love you are with Lady Fú." She smiled at me before her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Do not make fun of that girl for her admission. We have a lot of damage to reserve thanks to Kusa and I will NOT s-"

I held up a hand. "I promise, Honoka. I will not tease Karin, or judge her, or anything negative. I admire he bravery, actually. Hinata could take a lesson or two from her." I said truthfully. However, I shot Honoka a smirk. "However, down the road, this will be great teasing material."

Honoka laughed at that. "On that we can agree on. Now run along out back. The twins will be happy to see you, as well as Stadie. You made quite the impression on her those weeks ago." With that Honoka turned and went out the same way that Karin had exited earlier.

I shook my head, exiting the room from the opposite end. My mind was spinning with the knowledge I had learned. Lady Korinna was the reason I could feel all these emotions around me. It had saved my life on more than one occasion.

The logical, thankful side of me was over the moon at the gift I had been given. The perfectionist side of me though was less enthusiastic. An ability I prided myself on, that set me apart from the other sensors of my clan. I felt cheated, if I was being honest. It wasn't natural talent that gave me an advantage over the others, it was a seal given to me by a dead woman.

"They would have grown strong without her seal. They just developed differently than what they would have naturally." Honoka's voice whispered in my head.

I perked up at that. She was right. I was the strongest sensor in the village, even without that seal. It just gave me a little extra oomph.

With that thought in mind, I opened the door to the garden where a group of kids was laughing happily. I smiled widely at the sight.

My father was gone, and I would never be able to speak to him again. However, he passed a torch onto me. The torch to ensure the protection, education, and training of the next generation. It is the duty of the previous generation to ensure their successors surpass them. These kids were the next generation. I couldn't dwell on my sadness any longer. I had to move on. I had to get better. I had to be me sooner than later. These kids, and hundreds of others were relying on me to protect them, the same way my father protected my cousin.

I wouldn't fail him. Not again. Never again would I fail my father.

*************************Uzumaki Family Fun Times!**************************************

"You're sure you're ready for this, Yamanaka?" Sasuke asked from my right as we walked down the main street of Konoha.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Uchiha. For the hundredth time, I'm ready."

He sneered at me. "Just making sure you're prepared to for this. You'll listen to what she has to say with an open mind and not a biased attitude. The last thing we need is you snapping again, releasing that bloodlust in the middle of the civilian population won't look good for your evaluation."

I shot him my own sneer. "I'm ready. I'm not a child. I can be objective on demand. Stop worrying about your girlfriend. If she's honest with me, I won't throw away her words without listening."

"She's not my girlfriend." Sasuke mumbled, cheeks tinted a light shade of pink.

"Yet." I shot back with a smirk.

He opened his mouth but closed it as a familiar face was waving enthusiastically towards us. I approached the table with a fake smile in place.

Instinctively I reached my senses out towards the pink haired girl.

Determination and nervousness were the dominate emotions. A smattering of a few others was simmering below the surface.

I tentatively did the same for Ino. I hadn't seen her since the day I was on my face, sobbing uncontrollably.

Love. Acceptance. Joy. Wariness.

I don't think the wariness was for her own sake though.

"Ino, Haruno. How are you?" I asked overly polite.

"Sasuke, how are you?" Ino asked enthusiastically. "Kenta, I know you look like a girl, but there's no need to act like one. Put the claws away. We're here as friends today, remember?" She asked in a sickly sweet voice.

I stared incredulously at my cousin before my brain rebooted. "Though I may look like a woman, I am at least still pretty. Unlike you, dearest cousin, who looks as though someone shoved a crop top onto a pig." I smiled in vindictive glee.

Ino bristled for a few moments. Eyes dancing with fiery indignation. Sakura and Sasuke glanced warily back and forth between the two of us.

Ino jumped out of her seat and stalked forward; a beast on the prowl. When she was mere feet in front of me, her scrowl morphed into a wide grin. She laughed heartily and threw her arms around my shoulders, laughing freely.

"It's good to see you, Kenta. How are you?" She asked fondly.

"I'm better, Ino. I'm not 100%, but I'm getting closer every day. How are you?" I asked just as warmly.

"I'm well. Father and the Elders were most impressed with my performance against you. Even though you handily won, they were able to look past that to my potential. They were most impressed with the illusion I was able to fool you with. They praised my ability against the strongest sensor our village has had since Lord Second." She said with a wide smile. Pride pouring from her chakra in torrents.

"That was impressive. I haven't been trapped in an illusion in years. I'm glad they were able to look past the loss and see the potential." I said softly, eyes trained to the ground.

She took my hands, forcing me to look up. "We'll spar again soon. I have a lot more I need to show you." She said with a smirk and playful wink.

"You're on, Ino-Pig." I laughed, using the nickname from our childhood.

"Now, we're not here for you and I to catch up. This is about you two." She said, glancing back and forth between Sakura and eye. "Sit and talk. Now." She commanded.

I laughed but followed her orders. I sat down, pushing down the nerves that had suddenly sprung up. Why the hell was I nervous.

Sakura looked equally uncomfortable. She glanced back and forth between Ino and I, occassionaly shooting Sasuke strange looks.

I sighed and opened my mouth.

"Welcome to Café Rose. My name is Etsuko. Can I get you gentleman anything to drink or eat?" A pretty civilian girl interrupted. I forced away the glare that wanted to form at the girl. Instead I smiled brightly at her.

"I'll take a green tea. Nothing to eat. Thank you, Miss Etsuko." I said politely.

She smiled brightly. "Of course, Lord Yamanaka. For you, Lord Uchiha?"

"Green Tea as well. I'll also have a small garden salad, extra tomato. Thank you." He said primly.

Etsuko nodded and smiled brightly before walking away.

I turned back to Sakura. "Sakura. I've been doing a lot of thinking over the last few weeks. I can mostly empathize where you were coming from. However, there's still one more answer I need from you before I can move on and we can start over." I said bluntly. No use beating around the bush.

She nodded and smiled hesitantly. "Okay, Kenta. Whatever you want, just ask. I want to make things right between us once again. Before I left, we weren't the best of friends, but we were friends. I want to return to that."

I nodded but didn't agree. Good acquaintances was a better description.

"Do not lie to me. Do not attempt to deceive me. Do not attempt to control your chakra, nor your emotions. I will simply declare you guilty by omission if you do anything to compromise my ability to sense emotions." I told Sakura in a hard voice. Unconsciously channeling Jaguar for the moment.

"I will answer your question to the best of my ability. I only ask you have patience with me if your questions require me to sort my thoughts." She said.

"I will do my best to keep an open mind, I promise you." I replied. I glanced up and smiled at our waitress, already forgetting her name. "Thank you, Miss." I mumbled politely as she set the teapot in front of me.

She smiled brightly, serving Sasuke his own tea and salad.

"Sakura. I need to understand just one thing. When you nearly killed Naruto, you felt a small amount of pride. Why?" I asked as soon as what's her name was out of earshot.

Indignation. Guilt. Sadness. Anger. These four emotions began a war of dominance inside Sakura. She took a deep breath.

"Yes, I felt proud in that moment. But it was not because I hurt Naruto. It wasn't at all what you accused me of that day in Lord Hokage's office." She said sounding slightly offended. Her chakra confirmed her offense, as well as the truth she just told.

"Then why? What could you have possibly been proud of? Why didn't you deny my words that day?" I asked evenly, genuinely curious.

"It was an emotional day, for everyone. Plus, I didn't think denying would convince you with how convinced of my guilt you seemed. You were right. I was jealous of Naruto. But I was also jealous of nearly everyone from our class. I was especially jealous of Ami though. She and I had similar backgrounds, but she was so far ahead of me. I can't deny your words that day, Kenta. What I can deny though is that the pride you felt; that I felt, was NOT because of what I did to Naruto."

100% Truth.

"Then what was it?" I asked softly. Attempting to put Sakura at ease so her chakra would calm the heck down. It was lashing out like a cornered animal. Anyone put on the spot though reacts similarly. I needed the truth from Sakura voluntarily, not like this. Not with her thinking that the wrong word would somehow end her career, or worse, her life. I didn't have that kind of power anyway.

It seemed to help. Her chakra became a low buzz, but still coiled, ready to lash out. "When I was in that urn, the first twelve hours were the whispers that poisoned my mind, you know this. The rest of the time though? The curse seal was evolving, changing. I was aware of the changes, I let my body feel and study them. I noticed everything. I noticed it all. I began to theorize while inside that urn. When I finally got out, when Naruto confronted us. I was able to test my theory. And it worked. THAT is what I was proud of. When I saw the results of testing my hypothesis though? I felt disgusted. Naruto was; is my friend. Of everyone that I could have injured, he would have been my last choice. I cried for months, and still to this day occasionally wake up in a cold sweat. The echoing of his screams still in my head."

Sakura's eyes swam with unshed tears. Her chakra also mirrored her words.

Sadness. Guilt. Self-loathing.

I took a sip of tea, humming in appreciation. Ino was right, this place did have good tea. At Sakura's omission, a tension I didn't even realize I had been carrying for weeks seemed to lift.

I smiled at the girl. "Thank you, Sakura. That was the last of my apprehensions about you."

She shot another hesitant smile at me. "So? Can we be friends again?"

I shook my head, and her shoulders sagged. "No. But we can start fresh. I can empathize with the words you spoke that day, as I've had a similar experience of letting those dark thoughts take root. It doesn't mean that I can forget them though. With that said though, I will wipe the slate clean, and we can start from the ground up. Is that agreeable?"

She smiled brightly at that. "I can agree to that. It's more than what I was convinced I'd leave here with."

I nodded. "Now, what was your theory you had?" I asked, changing gears. I didn't like awkward atmospheres.

Her chakra soon buzzed with excited energy.

"Ok, so here it is. The three tomoe you see on the curse seal serve a specific function. They aren't there to look symmetrical or cool, as I initially thought. Inside the urn I felt three different sources invading my chakra system. The first was the whispers of power to entice the user to seek out the power it held. The second was a vile chakra that made my skin crawl. The third though? It was a very powerful, yet calming and soothing type of chakra. I theorized that if I could somehow isolate the mind altering chemical as well as the vile chakra, I could use the calming powerful chakra to enhance my own power." She gushed excitedly.

"That is what you did. I remember seeing the memory. Your appearance changed at the release of the 2nd stage, but after a moment it changed again. It seemed to take a lot out of you though." I pondered out loud.

She nodded vigorously. "The concentration and control needed are ridiculous. The pride came that I was able to do it at all, especially since I had succeeded on my first attempt, however short that was."

I made eye contact with her, finally understanding where the pride came from. It made sense. I would be proud too. She really was a genius.

"I assume that time you spent away made that process easier?" I asked casually.

"It did. I also was able to figure out exactly how this curse seal works. I gave my notes to Naruto, hoping it would help his research into its removal." Sakura said happily.

I… was actually shocked. I didn't think Sakura would want this seal removed. What I felt that day did NOT match up to what she was telling me and what I was feeling. She was genuinely happy to contribute in the removal of the seal.

"You want it gone?" I voiced my disbelief.

"What? Oh gods, no. At least, not all of it. As I said, I cracked the code."

"If her notes bear fruit and Naruto does crack the conundrum of removing the seal, we can recreate it and apply it to our own soldiers." Sasuke spoke up.

"Ok, now I know neither of you is insane. So maybe explain from the beginning your plan before I have you both committed for this insanity about putting a curse seal on our own men and women." Ino piped in, frowning at the pair.

Sakura caught Ino's hard eyes, her own widening in shock. "Oh gods, I'm so sorry. No. Yes, I'll explain."

She pulled down the collar of her shirt, pointing to one of the tomoe. "This right here contains Orochimaru's tainted chakra. It floods the users system on release. Its main goal is to get the body used to the feeling of his chakra. If the seal is missing this piece, the body would reject him and he would die since it hasn't had time to adapt to Orochimaru's chakra.

She pointed to another. "This is responsible for the corruption of the mind. In actuality, it is a small piece of Orochimaru's soul. It is attached to this section, planting the poisonous thoughts into the user's mind. This allows Orochimaru's will to overpower the users when he takes over the body."

She smiled at Ino and I. "These are the two sections we hope Naruto can remove. This third section is actually a huge benefit to anyone who can handle the application of the seal."

"What does it do?" Ino asked, her suspicion from earlier gone, replaced by genuine curiosity. I was honestly in the same boat. This seal, however vile and unnatural, was a god damn piece of art!

"It changes the genetic code of the user. Giving them a bloodline." Sasuke stated bluntly.

I started at the two in shock. Ino stared at the two in shock.

Sakura smacked Sasuke lightly on the arm. "Moron. Let me explain."

She smiled at the gobsmacked expression on Ino and my faces.

"In a sense, what Sasuke said is true. This section contains the genetic material of one of Orochimaru's experiments. A young man named Jugo comes from an unnamed clan. He is believed to be the only remaining member of this clan alive. Their bloodline causes them to go berserk, and they would fight each other until their rage subsided. Usually after killing the other person."

"You both know about Natural chakra and Sages, right?" She asked in a clinical voice.

I nodded, but Ino shook her head.

"All living beings in our world have chakra. The trees, flowers, water, the earth… everything. This Nature Chakra is much different from our own chakra, though. It is much heavier, denser, and potent. It is life itself. A sage is someone who has mastered the ability to draw in the surrounding natural energy around them and creating a perfect balance between their own chakra and the natural energy they pull in. It's very dangerous, and the requirements to even attempt the training are astronomical. In fact, Konoha has only two known sages in our history. Lord Jiraiya, of course. Also the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju."

"People say that of the hokage, Lord Third was the strongest. He surpassed his predecessors. This is all true. All except for one fact. Lord First, sitting in his office, would lose to Lord Third in his prime. Lord First absorbing natural energy and using Sage Mode? He would destroy Lord Third without breaking a sweat." Sakura stated with convicition.

I pondered her words. I had no idea Lord First was a sage? If that's true, then Sakura was correct. Lord Third would have the floor wiped with him if Lord First had gone all out.

Which raises the question. How did Lord First die in the first place? Sages are incredibly resilient from what I've been told.

"That is really cool and interesting, but what does that have to do with your seal?" Ino asked impatiently.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I was getting to that, Pig." She smirked as Ino's face turned a few shades darker. "This Jugo and his clan, their bloodline, allows them to passively absorb natural energy at all times around them, without any training."

My heart dropped. A bloodline that imitated Sage Mode? Sages were said to surpass Kage.

"Their body releases an enzyme that others don't have. This enzyme absorbed the natural energy, and expelled it safely from the body. Normally, this had no effect on day to day life. However, sometimes the enzymes didn't don't expel the natural energy. When this occurred, they would go berserk. The power was too much for them. I read that those who fail to master sage mode become one with nature. Usually turning to stone or into a tree. Jugo's enzymes prevent that, but the price comes with mental instability." Sakura finished.

"So that final tomoe somehow replicates that process?" I asked as the picture was becoming clearer.

Sasuke shook his head. "This tomoe perfected the process. If you can isolate the change to this single tomoe, you can theoretically achieve a weaker version of full sage mode. Orochimaru admitted to us that Jugo's clan's bloodline didn't allow for the exact balance needed for perfect sage mode. This is why the appearance change is so dramatic. However, it is a significant power boost to every facet of the shinobi arts. Strength, speed, chakra capacity. All increased. Techniques get boosted. Illusions are stronger. Sakura was able to completely isolate her seal to that single tomoe within a year of practicing. I wasn't able to do so until just a few months ago." Pride oozed from Sasuke at that declaration.

Sakura blushed heavily at the praise. "He's exaggerating. And it still takes nearly all my concentration to maintain the isolation. Hopefully, Naruto can remove the first two tomoe. This eliminates that strain and Sasuke and I can fight full out while utilizing the seal."

I was stunned. If what Sakura said was true, and we could reverse engineer that single seal and make it completely safe to apply, we could, in theory, have an entire force of pseudo-sages.

"The gears are turning, Yamanaka. What evil plans is that messed up brain churning out now?" Sasuke asked with a hint of mirth in his voice.

"If… if we could safely apply this isolate seal onto our shinobi, we would have the indisputable strongest army in the world." I said in a voice barely above a whisper. The idea excited me, but more than that it absolutely frightened me. That type of power can go to a person's head.

"That was Lord Fifth's thought as well." Sakura said with a frown. "Of course there are a lot of what ifs. The first being if we can even remove the two undesirable functions of the seal. If we can, they still need to completely reverse engineer the seal into a useable form. After that, we would be asking people to risk their lives to test the seal's application. There are a lot of pieces that need to fall perfectly into place before we even consider applying this seal to the general forces."

"Not to mention, applying the seal to a run of the mill genin would lead to a false sense of power and get a lot of people killed. Itachi said IF this were to all work out like people are hoping, it would only be applied to established Jonin." Sasuke added.

"That makes sense. A Jonin is already strong enough and confident enough in their abilities not to let a power boost like this go to their head and give them a false sense of confidence. It would be a strict boon to someone at this table. Genin and Chunin would become complacent, falling back to their seal if they needed it. A genin with a seal would still easily be crushed by a Jonin, let alone a skilled Chunin. The team that went after you two proved that particular fact." Ino said, her brow furrowed in concentration.

"Exactly. As I said, a lot of "what ifs" still hang in the air. More questions than answers. For now, let's not dwell on it. We have to let Naruto and his clan work their magic first before we start theorizing the future." Sakura said brightly.

We all agreed to that, and conversation took a turn to lighter subjects. We all chatted amiacably for a few hours, catching each other up over the last four years.

I smiled at Sakura who beamed back.

Father always said only the weak hold onto their grudges and hatred. Only the strong can forgive and move on.

I would be strong. I would accept Sakura's words and attempt to rebuild the bridge that was burned.

In the back of mind though, I would never forget her words. If she proved herself to be the traitor I once thought she was, I would put her down mercilessly and without hesitation.

*****************************Army of SUPER SOLDIERS!?**********************************

I knocked sharply on the heavy wooden door before me. Today was the day of my evaluation. I was confident that I would be back on the mission roll by days end.

"Enter," Lord Fifth's voice called out.

I took one last deep breath, steeling my nerves. I pushed open the door, immediately taking in my surroundings. Lord Fifth was at his desk. His face an unreadable mask, his chakra calm and neutral.

Uncle stood to his side. His face was a stony mask, his chakra spoke of unease and apprehension.

The biggest surprise though that standing beside my uncle was my newly identified grandfather. One of the three elders of our clan.

"Lord Inogi, I was not expecting to see you here." I said, bowing to the three men in front of me.

"Since the cat is out of the bag," He gave a small glare towards Uncle. "You can call me grandfather, if you so desire."

I shook my head. "That would be… very strange, Lord Inogi. I mean no disrespect of course, but I hope you understand."

He chuckled wryly. "I understand completely."

I smiled at my grandfather before turning my quizzical gaze on Uncle Inoichi.

"We're doing a full evaluation. Lord Fifth wants to see the progress you've made over the last two weeks. We're doing a full walk and view from your arrival to Konoha following your father's death, through the moment you walked in through the door. We will be here for some time. Your strength is needed, Kenta. Now more than ever. But we're also not sending you out to the field without full confidence in your mental integrity." Uncle explained.

My stomach dropped. Butterflies were attacking my stomach with a vengeance. A full viewing? They were going to know my darkest thoughts that horrible day. I was fucked. Plain and simple. I chuckled lightly at the irony of the situation. Just days ago Sasuke was reassuring me that my thoughts were my own and I laughed at his statement. It seems I would be correct once again. Well, I could only comply and hope for mercy. Maybe they'll even let me say goodbye to Mom and Kono before they killed me.

I nodded and took a step forward. "I'm ready to begin."

My atonement started now.

******************************Mind Rape Commence!************************************

I groaned as Uncle finally removed his hands from my temples. My brain was literally throbbing. A month of memories played out over the course of six hours. Of course, we only saw the highlights. No one wanted to watch me bathe or brush my teeth. I may have been a depressed, sulky, emotional teenager, but I still practiced basic hygiene, thank you very much!

I finally was able to open my eyes against the bright light flooding the office. I quickly shut them again. Three stone cold masks stared imperiously at me. I was fucked. I was dead. I was going to be labeled a traitor and executed publicly. That was the only correct course of action.

"Let's start with Lord Inogi. Your thoughts." Lord Fifth's voice cut through the silence like a knife.

"Where to begin?" He muttered quietly. "Let's see, first off, this melt down should have been seen coming from a mile away. He is his father's son, through and through. Inoko was the same. Striving for perfection. Bottling almost everything up. Taking on more responsibility than he can handle. Yes, the failure for not recognizing the signs falls on us, his family. The signs were there, but Kenta is the pride of our clan. He strives for greatness, lifting all those around him. We turned a blind eye to his cries for help."

"As one who walks the fine line between moral and immoral, the dark thoughts were not a surprise either, if a little on the dramatic side. Though Kenta is known to never do things half-ass. Apparently, plotting revenge doesn't escape that particular habit. All said and done though, he took the necessary steps and continues to strive forward towards making amends and bettering himself. Emotionally and mentally I would declare him fit for duty. As a grandfather, and elder of his clan, these negative thoughts and ideas of our clan will be addressed. I am glad to see you saw the error of your ways; however, such drastic thoughts were out of line and must be remedied. I'm curious though, what technique would you have used to carry out such dark thoughts? Surely you were exaggerating being able to take out the entire clan with a single attack?"

My spirits had lifted slightly hearing Lord Inogi's assessment. However, I flinched noticeably at his latest inquiry. 100% honesty though. Don't be a hypocrite, Kenta.

"An A-Rank storm release technique named 'Slicing Shockwave.' A band of light gathers around my abdomen before quickly expanding in all directions, cutting cleanly all that it touches. It expands to it's max radius of 100 feet around me in under a second." I replied.

Grandfather hummed in thought. "A deadly technique indeed. Tell me, Kenta. Do you honestly despise your clan so?"

I met his eyes with a furious fire burning in my own. "Never. Despite my darkest thoughts, I love the clan with my entire being. My goal remains the same, it will never waver. I will make the world fear our name. I will bring us to new heights. Ino and I will work hand in hand to achieve greatness. This I swear on my father's soul."

Lord Inogi smiled. "Then let those guilty thoughts trouble you no longer, my grandson. If we judge a man in his weakest moments, we will never know kindness, love, or acceptance. Continue to strive for greatness. Despite what your inner demons tell you, my son was correct. You are the pride of our clan. You will reach your goals, and the clan will be there to celebrate your accomplishments every step of the way."

I stared in amazement at Lord, no, my grandfather. He was a wise man, who I was already grateful for knowing as my elder. I bowed deeply to him in respect.

"I will. I will work my entire life to make amends." I said seriously.

"That is all I have, Lord Fifth." Lord Inogi said smiling warmly at me.

"Thank you, Lord Inogi. Lord Inoichi, your thoughts?" Lord Fifth asked.

Uncle stared at me for many moments before he answered. "I agree with my father's assessment. My nephew made a mistake, grievous and near unforgivable mistake, I admit. But he was in pain. We didn't do enough. We pride ourselves on our mastery of the mind, but when one of our own needs our help, we leave him to flounder. The blame falls as much on my shoulders as it does Kenta's. My own grief at losing my brother blinded me to the nephew who lost his father."

He sighed deeply. "Thoughts of murdering a pregnant woman and purging your clan. You really don't do anything in half measures, do you, Kenta? I give my stamp of approval to return to duty, but you and I will continue to have weekly sessions for the next six months to assess your mental state. You will come and talk to me as soon as you are back in the village from a mission, especially if you use your normal tactics in a fight. Do I make myself clear? If you do not follow these conditions, I will have you pulled indefinitely from active duty."

I bowed to my clan head and uncle. "I agree to your conditions, Uncle. I will not neglect my mental health any longer. I will make sure to communicate any issues that arise in a timely matter and will work to create an alternative plan if necessary."

He nodded and smiled at me after a few more minutes of the stony glare. "I'm proud of you, Kenta. Your dad would be too. You lost yourself for a moment, but you are on the road to finding yourself once more. Keep your friends and family close. Stop bottling everything up. Talk to me any time you need to. Ino is also available. Also, stop worrying about Naruto and Lady Fú judging you for who you are. What was the one thing my brother hammered into you when you started learning about psychological warfare?"

I smiled wryly. "To never lie or hide from the people who love you. To always be 100% honest with them, even if you think they won't like or accept your decision."

Dammit. I ended up proving to be a hypocrite.

Uncle placed a hand on my shoulder and smiled up at me. Huh. I guess you never realize that the people you admire, respect, and look up to are anything but always taller than you.

"I love you, Kenta. Your Aunt loves you. Ino loves you. The clan loves you. We love you for you. Dramatics and all. Don't ever hide your true self from anyone ever again. Do you understand me?" He said in a soft voice. A voice that was so strikingly familiar to my father's that a lump formed in my throat, preventing me from answering. I settled for a quick nod and rapid blinking of my eyes. Uncle let go and turned towards Lord Fifth.

"That is all I have, Lord Itachi. My nephew is fit to return to duty." Uncle announced.

"Thank you, Inoichi. Thank you both. You have made my decision much easier." Lord Fifth said in an even tone. I stretch my senses out, attempting to get a good read. "Bottle those senses up, Yamanaka. You are going to take everything I say at face value, without that emotion reading you do."

My jaw dropped. How did he…? Nope. Not even going there. Lord Fifth was once again proving the impossibly wide chasm that separated the two of us. I shut down my sensing, pulling it in as tight as possible.

"Yes, Lord Fifth." I saluted, leaving it at that.

"You are one of the best and brightest shinobi in my ranks. Your skills are only out done by a select few. You are wise beyond your years. You are a perfect example of what every one of my shinobi should strive for. You think calmly and rationally. You make decisions based on logic, while also following your instincts. You do not shut down your emotions. You embrace them and channel them productively. Overall, you are the perfect shinobi." He stated in his monotone voice.

My heart soared at the praise. This was going MUCH better than I could have ever dreamed of. It was too perfect. Too good. Suspicious, I was.

"Having said all that, the way you handled the death of your father was absolutely abhorrent. You lashed out. Acted irrationally. You lost your cool and used weak and flimsy excuses. You contemplated murder. You attempted to murder your own cousin. In short, you failed, epically. This shows me that the second you are faced with hardship; you crumple under the pressure. That is not a shinobi I need in my ranks." His monotone voice never changed. I grit my teeth, consciously forcing myself not to feel out his emotions. I was already in the doghouse.

"However." He paused, letting his dressing down sink deep into every pore of my body. "You were able to bounce back. You showed resilience that is rare in a shinobi your age. I trust in you, Kenta, to learn from this experience and to grow. If I took every Shinobi on payroll of active duty for their first meltdown, we would be invaded and part of Iwa within a week. I don't need shinobi that crumple under pressure. What I do need is Shinobi that can learn and grow from the hardships they face, coming back stronger and more resilient that before. Is that something you can do in the future, Kenta? Can I trust that you have grown from this tragic experience?"

I met Lord Fifth's eyes and saluted once more. "Yes, sir. Cpt Genma told us early on in our careers that humans aren't perfect and that we make mistakes. He said a mistake can be forgiven. However, only idiots make the same mistakes twice. I'm not idiot, Lord Fifth."

Lord Fifth nodded. "A wise bit of advice. I trust you, Kenta, for you haven't given me a reason to doubt you yet. I need you, now more than ever. Konoha needs you. We're facing danger that requires all hands-on deck. You're some of the strongest hands we have. Become the Shinobi I know you can be."

I simply nodded. Words escaping me at the moment.

"On another note, I'm very happy to see that you were mature enough to talk, listen and make amends with Sakura. That right there was when I knew that you were becoming more mature. It will also serve you well in the very near future." Lord Fifth said mysteriously.

"Why is that, Lord Fifth?"

"Because you will be leading a mission that starts tomorrow morning. You, Sasuke and Sakura will be tracking down and eliminating Kakuzu. Intelligence has the man in the Land of Rivers. He is there hunting a bounty on a man named Raiga. A missing ninja from Kiri and one of the former Seven Swordsman of the Mist. You will lead the team to intercept him and eliminate him. After that, you will then track down and eliminate Raiga, retrieving the Kiba Blades in his possession. Lady Tsunade's apprentice, Haku, will accompany you. He has strict orders to act solely as medic if needed. He will not be participating in the battle unless absolute necessary."

I nodded in thought. "We should be more than enough to take down Kakuzu. Any particular reason it's just the three of us? I assume he is acting alone, since his partner is out of commission." I couldn't hide the vindictive smirk that crossed my face.

"When the initial report came in that day, Sasuke offered his strength to your team. You declined, but that was the correct course of action. You didn't know what they were capable of, your deduction was sound. Their presence could have been a hindrance just as easily as a boon. You will watch and observe the fight. Sasuke and Sakura will be the main combatants. You will only assist if absolutely necessary. You will appraise their skill and report back to myself and the council. We need to know the strength of those two, as well as if they are deserving of the rank of Special Jonin. I promised them that rank upon completion of their mission, but I need to make sure they have the strength to back that title up. This will also allow you to include them in future operations if their particular skillset will be a benefit. Questions?"

"What time do we leave?" Was all I asked. Lord Fifth always gave concise, yet detailed missions.

"No later than 0800. Any other questions?" He asked for the final time.

I shook my head. "No, sir. I understand. Track down and engage Kakuzu. Observe and report my findings. Intervene only if necessary. Haku is a non-combatant unless in an emergency. I will personally see to his protection. I guess I do have one question. Am I allowed to engage with Raiga?"

"Yes. Kakuzu is a dangerous opponent. Raiga, however, you can take down by yourself. He is listed as an A-Rank, but everyone knows he relies too much on those Kiba blades. He was known as the weakest of the Seven, and your mastery of lightning will eliminate the only real danger he poses." Lord Fifth explained.

I nodded. "Then I have no further questions."

"One last thing before you leave. I figured this would be a nice surprise to lift you spirits." He tossed me a small, leather-bound black book. "Page 44."

I rifled quickly to the page. My own smiling face greeted me. I looked up and stared at Lord Fifth in confusion. "I've seen my bingo book entry."

"That is latest edition, hot off the press. Re-read your update." He said, a small smile in place.

I did as I was told.

Kenta "Mind-Breaker" Yamanaka

Rank: S-Rank

Age: 17

Height: 6'3'

Weight: 185lbs

Abilities: Dual elemental releases of water and lightning. Possible advanced elemental release combining the two; Information CONFIRMED. Possesses Storm Release. Utilized a powerful S-Rank technique with similar destructive force similar to that of The Particle Style. Poison specialist, slightest contact is lethal without immediate treatment. Advanced Yamanaka Clan techniques. Recreated lost clan techniques. Can directly enter an opponent's mind and destroy their soul, leaving the victim alive but a simple drooling husk. Recreated Shisui of the Body-Flickers fighting style. Extremely agile, speed unmatched by all but a few.

Warning: Opponent is heavily skilled in the art of Psychological Warfare. Turned entire squad against each other before easily picking them off. Do not engage unless assured in self and teammates. Able to take down 2 Jonin and 6 Chunin without a scratch. Do NOT engage lightly. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS! DO NOT APPROACH WITHOUT A FULL SQUAD OF JONIN! One on one battles NOT advised.

I read the updated entry. I read it once more.

S-Rank.

I did it…?

"I DID IT!" I screamed out loud, laughing in delight.

"What does it say, Kenta?" Uncle asked curiously.

I thrust the book into his hand, excited energy humming in my veins. Uncle quickly scanned the entry, his smile growing by the second. He quickly handed the book of to grandfather before smothering me in a bone crushing hug.

"First S-Rank Yamanaka in a century. With an appropriate warning label to boot. I'm so proud of you, my boy. Your father is smiling down on you." Uncle said, voice laced with emotion.

I choked up myself. "Thanks, Uncle Inoichi." I mumbled.

Grandfather laughed in delight. "A fine job indeed, young man! You once again bring pride to our clan. I will have a congratulatory party arranged. This calls for a large celebration! Once you return from you mission, we will party all night! S-Rank! Unbelievable! Never in my life did I think one from my clan could do it."

"Well done. But you cannot rest on your laurels. As Genma informed you, that S-Rank will put a target on your back. Most bounty hunters are unskilled, morons. However, a genin can kill a jonin if he's underestimated and lucky. Now get out of my office. I have things do to you, and you have to prepare to lead an unknown team against an S-Rank opponent." Lord Fifth directed.

I bowed low, the smile never leaving my face. "Yes, sir!"

With that, I was gone. I had a lot of people to see before I left.

The loss of my father hurt. It wounded me down to my very essence. However, dwelling on the past would insult his memory. So, I would move on. I would continue to strive towards my goal of raising my clan from the ashes of its former self. I would become ANBU commander and help Naruto lead the village to decades of prosperous peace. My list of goals continued to grow.

However, reaching the first big milestone was definitely worth celebrating. Hopefully grandfather doesn't skimp on the booze!

My first stop though? The Nara compound. I still owed Shikamaru that apology!

And scene!

Another doozy of a chapter, but not as big as last chapter. We finish around 17k words.

I know a lot of people didn't like last chapter, and that's OK. I loved it, and it was needed for Kenta to grow as an adult. Hopefully getting deeper into a less crazy Kenta's mind explained why his meltdown was so dramatic.

To the guest reviewer who mentioned emailing me with a story idea, please do!

I created an email specifically for my writing!

AelloNikaia23

Anyone can shoot an email if they want :D

You can also create an account on FFN and shoot me a PM any time, I'd love to hear your idea.

Fun new game I'm going to start with you lovely readers. Each week there will be a new poll that will close once the next chapter is posted.

The question. Which Hogwarts house to you see each character in?

This week, our hero, Kenta Yamanaka! Cast your votes! Gryfindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw. Where would he go?

For those wondering, I'm personally a Hufflepuff! Puff Pride!

What house are YOU in?

EDIT! Polls are acting wonky. Will add as soon as available!

Until next time, my lovely readers.

New Story Summary!

Title (Tentative) "An OC/SI story doesn't work like they say it does!" (I'm OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS!)

Summary:

Raymond Dare was the Golden Boy at Crestview High School. He was the starting Quarterback for the football team. Starting Point Guard for the basketball team. In short, he was the man the girls wanted, and who the guys wanted to be. Just kidding. Raymond Dare the epitome of average. After a tragic accident sent Ray's spirit to the afterlife, he was given a second chance a life.

Years after waking up in this strange world, Ray quickly realizes his dreams had come true. He was in THE Naruto World! Just like all his favorite Reincarnation Fan Fics! He had the knowledge of the future. He knew what he needed to do to be an OP God. Time to get to training!

His first day at the academy was finally here. He had been "training" for a whole year now. He still didn't know how to use his chakra, but he would learn. Once he unlocked it, he knew exactly what to do to use it perfectly. The initial placement tests had begun. He stared across the arena at his opponent. Internally he did a little dance. Ino Yamanaka was his opponent. He would easily beat this fan girl into the ground. It was his first step to-

Hours later, Ray woke up in the academy infirmary. Ino had knocked him out with a single punch. Ray groaned out loud. Ok, maybe this wouldn't be as easy as he once thought. His life was NOT going to go just like the OC/SI fics he read said they were going to go! Damn those lying authors!