Ninshu

"That's when I realized I needed to put cash in that company as fast as possible," I finally finished explaining as we appeared in the mountains of the Land of Iron. "So, I had to find a broker that served internationally, then shoved a massive cash infusion into them so they didn't fall over. That's why I was gone for three and a half hours."

"Ah, okay." Anko nodded, looking down the path and bridge to the Capital. "I should've figured that it was something to do with Naruto. Are you sure he's going to be okay?"

"He's going to be fine," I said with a smile.

"Good," Anko said, getting a warm smile on her face. "I'd hate to meet my new brother-in-law while he's in the hospital. Might not set the best impression, you know?"

"Oh, he's going to love you," I said, returning the smile.

Anko hummed curiously. "Why?"

"You both love screwing with people," I replied.

"That's true!" Anko laughed. Then she looked over to the gates of the Capital. "You know, I've only been this far north once."

"Really?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, there was this diplomat sent from the Daimyo to talk to the shogun over a possible trade deal," Anko explained as we started walking forward. She started holding her arms. "Nothing, whew, came of it though."

"Here," I said, snapping my fingers and giving her a set of form-fitting winter clothes to cover the fishnets, emerging beneath the trench coat. "That'll help keep the cold out."

"Thank you," Anko said with a smile. "That's much better. What about you? That suit doesn't look very warm."

"My old life, I was raised in the mountains," I explained with a shrug. "I refuse to let cold bother me on principle."

Anko hummed. "Big, tough mountain man?"

I was not a big, tough anything. But now, though? "Yeah. Anyway, I'm really annoyed with the Fourth right now."

"Because he didn't tell you he sent Naruto to destroy your bridge?" Anko asked curiously.

"Oh yeah," I nodded. "That's one of the first things that should've been out of his mouth when I got back. But no."

"He probably thought he could do the mission, get paid, then tell you that they 'just learned that the bridge was destroyed' once we got back from our honeymoon," Anko explained with a deep frown. "It probably morphed from 'we can use this to get him to come back' to 'we can use this to earn favor with him' once you got back."

I groaned in disgust, shaking my head. "I had no time for politics before I got my charisma figured out, I don't have time for it now."

"I know what you mean," Anko said with an exasperated expression of her own. "Why can't it just be 'here's a mission, the last one you did turned into this, we didn't know about x, we're sorry'? It drives me crazy."

"Because then, you know, they'd have to stop trying to manipulate things in the background and take responsibility for their mistakes," I replied with a nasty frown. "I mean, I'm one to talk, but…"

"You're pretty good at that, actually," Anko said, smiling down at me. "Well, you are now."

"Thanks, Anko," I said with a grin.

Looking over the path, I could still see the parts of the mountains that the Kaiju had pulled off when it had attacked me. I could see the beginnings of scaffolding to get up to the veins of ore that we uncovered in our fight.

"What happened here?" Anko asked with wide eyes.

"You know the quest, 'The Kaiju'?" I asked with a small grin.

"Yeah – wait," Anko did a double take. "That thing, whatever it is, did that?"

"It was throwing mountains around and clobbering me with them," I said, my grin getting positively massive. "Best fight I've had in a long, long time."

"Where it is now?" Anko asked quickly.

"In a box up in the sky until I can figure out what to do with it," I answered, pointing to the small, black dot in the sky.

She leaned forward, squinting up to see the black dot, only for her eyes to suddenly get wide again. "Wait, how high is that thing."

"Pretty high up," I answered. It wouldn't do much good to say 'its in orbit', since the elemental nations had no real concept of space travel. Sure, they had telescopes and astronomers, but those are civilian posts and most ninja aren't too concerned with learning how to plot their course by the stars. "It's another thing I need to take care of."

"Why haven't you killed it yet?" Anko asked, looking at me with a deep frown.

"Because it can't die," I replied with a grin. "It's awesome!"

"Honey," Anko licked her lips and took a breath. "Would you explain that to me?"

"Certainly!" I said brightly. "In Fallout, occasionally, you run into NPC's that are essential to a story or quest. Or whatever. You can't kill them, they're essential. So, when you attack them and bring their health to nothing, they just fall on their buts for a few moments, then get back up after combat is over. The problem is that the quest needs me to kill the Kaiju, but the Kaiju can't be killed until after the quest is completed."

"Why would the game give you a quest that can't be completed?" Anko asked, shaking her head with a nonplussed expression.

"I'm pretty sure it's intentional," I replied with a shrug. "If it was a bug, it wouldn't be getting stronger every time I put it down."

"Intentional," Anko repeated, her eyes getting wide. "You mean…someone did that?"

"All games have a developer." I nodded, remembering that first message I received in the womb, welcoming me to SHINOBI: The RPG's beta. "Including mine. So, my real question is if the developer is still messing with me, and I suspect he, she or they are."

"Have you met him?" Anko asked.

"No," I shook my head. "I doubt I ever will, he or she or they've been completely absent."

Anko hummed in thought. "They've mostly been content to observe. But why would they give you a quest you can't complete? That's…violating their own rules?"

"No idea," I shrugged. "But I can't kill the thing, I kind of want to build it its own little world for it to frolic around in because it's so awesome."

"It's got to be some monster to give you a fight," Anko replied. "Did you meet it before or after you cracked godhood?"

"After," I answered with an enthusiastic nod.

She moaned in nervousness. "Would you take care of it today?"

"Today?" I asked with a frown. "I don't know, I was still thinking about how to do that."

Anko looked down, right into my eyes and held my gaze.

…oh, man. Come on, I was hoping it'd break out and give me the fight of a lifetime. It can't break out if it if it's on its own world, however million lightyears away from Earth…but if I don't take care of it, it's going to appear at a very inopportune time. Like when I'm in the village, on lunch with my wife. Which would be bad, as it likely would start ripping up Mt. Kagemore and using the faces as knuckles to punch me with, making a gigantic mess.

Besides, if it can get down from the cage, it can come back to fight me from whatever crazy world I build for it.

"Alright," I relented. "I'll handle it tonight. Would you like to come with?"

"You know I would," Anko said, giving me a reassuring smile. "I wasn't lying when I said I wanted to share your life with you. I'll leave you alone when you want, because I know how important that is to you, but…don't let that be too often, okay?"

"I'll do my best," I said, with a reassuring smile of my own.

We came to the front gates and the guards both bowed. "Shimoda-sama."

Given how I publicly destroyed the biggest monster any of them had ever seen in their lives, this kind of reaction isn't unexpected. Just odd. "Good to see you guys are still standing. Is Mifune-san in?"

"Yes, he's been waiting for you to return," The Guard replied. "He said to alert him when you returned. Who is your companion?"

"My wife, Anko," I answered without hesitation. "I would appreciate whatever courtesies you show me to be shown her."

The two guards froze, and bowed again. "We will be sure the Shogun is properly informed."

Then guard number one ran off to a booth inside and started knocking. After a moment, the door opened, and the guard started talking to the one who answered the door, and gesturing toward me. The gestures became increasingly frantic as they spoke but eventually, the guy who answered the door ran off.

"Typically, I'm escorted to the man's office," I told Anko with a raised eyebrow. "This isn't usual."

"Is it because I'm here?" Anko asked with a frown.

"Maybe," I said. "But he's going to have to deal with it."

Anko's frown turned into a smile.

After several minutes of waiting, the Shogun arrived, backed with a team of three Samurai. I could feel Anko getting uneasy, they way she tensed up at their approached. I took her hand in mine, gave it a light squeeze and smiled. She relaxed, returning the smile.

"Daisuke. Sama," Mifune bowed in greeting. "It is good to see that you've returned. Congratulations on your marriage."

"This is Anko," I said with a grin, introducing her as we both bowed in return. "We're here because we need to learn Ninshū. As fast as possible. I've put this off for far too long."

"We would be honored to teach you," Mifune said, bowing again.

This…is a far cry from how they usually act around me. Sure, I can say that I beat the Kaiju off of their doorstep, then tried my best to repair as much of the damage to the Land of Iron as I could, and then…huh. Well, okay then.

"But before I do so, and I mean no disrespect," Mifune began, carefully masking his nervousness behind an expression of neutrality. "I must use Ninshū on you, to read your chakra and understand you."

Oh. He wants me to pass a security test. "Alright. You want to do this here, back in your office, or-?"

"I believe we should begin in our Temple to the Sage of Six Paths," Mifune answered with a nod. "If you both will follow me?"

The temple reminded me very heavily of a Buddhist temple, a statue of the sage sitting in a meditative pose with dozens of candles arrayed before him. Anko and I were sitting on mats, and across from us was Mifune who, I could see, was doing a lot to remain composed.

Pretty sure he's afraid of whatever he's going to find.

Hopefully, he doesn't mind learning that I died and came back and whatever other stuff I've dug up. He might have a heart attack once he learns I'm a god, though. I hope I don't have to resuscitate him, that'd be really bad. Assuming I can even do it through my peals of laughter.

"Daisuke-sama, if you'd please allow me to take your hand," Mifune requested.

I extended that hand with a friendly smile and he took it. From his fingers, I felt his chakra pulse, searching over a looking at mine just as Danjuro did so long ago. I think he wanted to pull back, to look away, judging from the way his skin blanched.

Finally, he did pull away, falling back slightly onto his hands. "Daisuke-sama, I…"

"Mifune-san."

He stopped talking immediately.

"I need you to relax," I said, with a smile. "It's fine. Seriously."

"You're a god."

"I am," I said with a nod. "My wife is a goddess. It's a pretty recent thing for both of us. The most important thing I want you to realize is that I don't look down on you or consider you inferior. Nor am I mad at you, nor have you offended me in any way. I just need you to relax so we can talk about learning Ninshū."

"Yes," Mifune nodded quickly and rapidly, slowly starting to calm down. "Yes, of course. My daughter expressed an interest in teaching you Ninshū, but seeing as how you are married-"

"It's fine," Anko quickly interjected. "Really. If we have a willing tutor already lined up for us, I see no reason for her to not teach us Ninshū."

Mifune looked at Anko with carefully masked concern. "If I may, I'd like to read your chakra as well, Anko-sama. If you please."

Anko looked slightly confused and looked at me. I just gave her a nod, to which she shrugged and looked still confused. I just smiled and gestured for her to go ahead and she relented, extending her hand.

Mifune took it and Anko's expression simply doubled down on the confusion, and then she seemed intrigued.

Mifune took a breath. "Very well. I will send for Katsuki. She's been looking forward to meeting you since you first arrived in the Land of Iron."

"I look forward to meeting her," I said with a smile.

He left us alone.

"Why did he want to read my chakra too?" Anko asked rhetorically. Then it hit her. "He wanted to make sure I didn't want to kill his daughter, huh?"

"Bingo," I said with a nod.

"What does that mean?" Anko asked curiously.

"It's a reference to a game back in my old world," I said, starting to go into an explanation and making sure she wasn't checking out. She wasn't, so I continued. "We had a five-by-five grid printed on a sheet of paper with numbers on them. A caller would draw out a number randomly, and whenever a number on your ticket is called, you put a marker on the number. Get a straight line all the way across, you shout 'Bingo' and win."

"Did you play it a lot?" Anko asked.

"No, but it was so ingrained in our culture that whenever someone gets something correct, we sometimes say 'bingo'," I explained with a shrug. "A lot of things we did were like that, actually. To an absurd degree."

Anko just hummed. "Interesting. You were a civilian, right?"

"I was," I confirmed with a nod.

"Is that why you're so set on sharing knowledge with everyone?" Anko asked with a raised eyebrow. "I only ask because your reputation for sharing jutsu in the village is legendary."

"No, actually, that's because I lived in the information age, where it was nearly impossible to keep a secret if someone was determined enough to find you out," I said with a shrug. "I lived in a country where you were free to criticize your government, where you were free to protest injustice if you felt it was there and where innocence is presumed."

Anko started blinking. Rapidly, and with great speed. "How…did that work? How did any of that work?"

"Pretty well," I replied with a smile. "We can talk about it once we get back to the vault, if you're interested."

"Oh, we're going to be talking about it. At length," Anko said with a skeptical expression.

Fair enough, she was raised in Konoha, a distinctly military dictatorship. Criticizing the Hokage was typically not something that was tolerated.

The door to the temple opened and Mifune returned, trailed by a girl who wore a form-hugging kimono, showcasing a slender and curvaceous body. As she came into the light, I could make out her face better; heart-shaped with fine features, her cerulean eyes shining sharply as they came to gaze upon me, then my wife. Her long, black hair fell around her shoulders, twin braids draping themselves in front.

She bowed straight into a kowtow. "Greetings. I am Katsuki, daughter of the Shogun. It is my honor to be able to teach both of you Ninshū."

"It is nice to meet you, Katsuki-san," I said in an attempt to be friendly, giving a light return bow, and my wife did the same. "Thank you for being willing to teach us."

"We do appreciate it," Anko supplemented neutrally.

Katsuki stood and sat down. "The first thing I'll need to do is read your chakra, so that I can understand the best way to teach you. I would like to do this for you, Shimoda Daisuke-sama, first."

"Alright," I said, extending my hand slowly and evenly. I don't want Anko to think I'm overly eager because she could see that as a threat to her place at my side. I'm pretty sure she's secure enough to brush it off, but I'd rather not make her have to do that if I don't need too. And I don't.

Katsuki took my hand and the increasingly familiar sensation of chakra washing over me, not even coming close to seeing the entirety of the infinite oceans inside, but getting a pretty good look, I think. After a moment, she started sweating from exertion and she let go, taking long, even breaths.

"Are you alright?" Anko asked, frowning.

"Yes. It's just…well, it's just a lot of chakra," Katsuki replied with a nod and a smile. "More than I've ever seen before in my life. But I think I've got the complete picture. Did you…did you really die?"

"I did," I said with a nod.

Mifune let out a light grunt in confirmation and understanding.

She frowned. "I am so sorry. Your life has been very hard on you."

"Most of it my own doing," I said with a nod. "Trying to stop making things unnecessarily difficult for me, but, you know, self-destructive habits die hard."

"Indeed," She said, still frowning. Then she turned to Anko and extended her hand. "If I may."

"Sure." She didn't seem sure, but she was doing this with me.

Katsuki repeated the process, sweat again beading up on her forehead. When she was done, her hand nearly fell from Anko's grip instead of being withdrawn.

"We can take a break if you need," Anko offered.

"No, no," Katsuki shook her head. "It is fine. Thank you, though, for your consideration. From here, you'll be practicing on each other."

"We will?" Anko asked, sounding surprised.

"Neat," I said with a grin, taking Anko's hand in mine.

"Yes, you will," Katsuki said with a smile to Anko. "Given the passion and companionship you share, it will make things much easier for the both of you."

"Alright," Anko's grip on my hand tightened.

"Start by allowing your chakra to travel out of the tenketsu in your hands," Katsuki began to instruct. "And into your partners…"

Then it began. It was a simple thing, just feed your chakra into the other person and then let it merge. Like two rivers flowing against each other and instead of pushing, you gave up resistance entirely and allowed your chakras to merge.

When I did that? When the two of us allowed our chakra to merge? That is when I saw.

Perk Added: Ninshū Novice!

You have begun learning the art of communicating with people with Ninshū! You are a novice at understanding people through their chakra alone.

This is when I saw Anko, clearly and for the first time. I saw a little girl, terrified at the world because of her Sensei's, her father's, abandonment. I saw a grown woman who was absolutely giddy to have found someone she considered being more than worthy of being her other half. I saw a girl who believed herself worthless for anything other than to be physically used and discarded. I saw a woman who wanted more than anything to create life and be worthy of caring for it.

That was when I felt the love that she had for me.

Anko felt that I truly had forgiven her for things she still struggled to forgive herself for. She felt that I was worthy. She felt that I respected her, for who she was and how she felt. In me, she had placed her trust. She did not want to be discarded and she believed she should be. She trusted that I would be her other half, no matter how hard that would be. She trusted that I wouldn't abandon her, even though she felt that I should.

I also saw what she saw.

She saw a vicious marauder, who had been angry at the world but whose wounds had mostly healed. She saw a little boy, one who had once been scared by the dark but had turned on the light and made peace with his monsters. She saw a man with grand ambitions for the world, hoping to make everything better since he could no longer build himself up.

She saw how I loved her. How much I valued that, when I was lost and floundering in the dark, she was the only hand of companionship that I felt was genuine. How I visited her in the hospital because I enjoyed talking with her, how I trained her because I wanted to see her healthy. How happy I was to work with her as a partner because she wasn't doing it to take advantage of how starved I was for affection.

It didn't matter that we were only romantic for an hour before joining ourselves like this. It didn't matter that I didn't think she'd be interested for most of the time that I knew her, or that she felt it was wrong to be interested.

What mattered is that there was a window of opportunity, where our emotions were strong and that we hit the anvil while it was hot. What mattered is that we had forged a bond together. Through our talks, through our kisses, through our throes of lovemaking we had created a bond; one that could only grow stronger with proper nourishment and tender care, from both of us.

We saw each other.

And we pulled each other into a kiss, our lips meeting in a moist duet. Her breath was hot in my mouth, our tongues sending sparks of joy through our bodies as they met and tasted each other.

Eventually, we pulled apart, taking a deep breath and for the millionth time…

"I love you," She said.

"I love you too." I rejoined.

It was true. It was true, and we were going to sing about it.

No one can stop us.

We both turned to Katsuki with the biggest smiles on our faces.

"So, what else you got?" I asked happily.

Katsuki, who's face had turned pink, coughed into her fist. "I think that's it for our lesson. Um, Father? May I ask that you leave us alone? I have a favor to ask them."

Mifune's eyes narrowed, looking at her and then at us. "What are you going to ask them?"

Katsuki took a deep breath. "Father, I am going to ask them to read my chakra. I would like some privacy, please."

…oh…kay…

Interesting.

He took a breath himself and sighed. "Very well."

Mifune bowed to Anko and I. "By your leave."

Like that, he left.

Okay then.

He probably didn't want to seem disruptive to the teacher in front of her class and the class are a pair of actual, living, breathing gods. Insanely disrespectful to be disruptive, especially since he, himself, recommended her.

"So, was that code or is that really all you're going to do?" Anko asked curiously.

"No, I'm going to ask you to read my chakra," Katsuki replied with a nod. "But I'm also going to ask you for a few other things as well, afterwards."

"Like what?" Anko asked, eyes narrowing slightly.

"After you've both read me," Katsuki said firmly, extending her hand to Anko. "You may go first, if it pleases you."

Anko took her hand and started, her curling into a frown, then into a more neutral expression as pieces started to come together for her. She hummed as their hands came apart. "I see. I think we can accommodate you. On all counts."

"Thank you," Katsuki said with a nod. "Now, Daisuke-sama? If you'd please."

"Certainly," I said, taking her hand and starting to merge my chakra with hers.

Hm.

Katsuki was a girl who hated stagnation. She wanted growth, progress, and increase. This was a problem since the Land of Iron was almost entirely stagnant in its neutrality. She felt like her father didn't consider her opinions to have any worth, as he had rebuffed all of her demands that the Land of Iron change in any way. But in Anko and I? She saw her hopes and dreams fulfilled.

She wanted Ninshū everywhere. She wanted to learn Jutsu. Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, Genjutsu. The adaptability and potential for growth was something she envied in the Shinobi, which was why she had desperately asked, demanded and begged for the ability to teach us Ninshū, hoping to strike a bargain, but now forced into giving an offering and hoping for a blessing, given the insane gap in social roles we had – she now had the novel experience of knowing what it was like for a peasant to approach her father.

There's also that insane, hormonal, animalistic lust she had for me, but beyond being flattered, I'm going to ignore that. I'm a married man.

"Okay," I said. "You want to learn Jutsu and spread Ninshū to the Elemental nations. Anko's right, we can absolutely accommodate you."

"Thank you," Katsuki said, letting out a breath. "I wish to travel to the Elemental nations to spread Ninshū, to hopefully stop all the fighting and war so we don't have to be neutral anymore."

"It's a nice thought," I began with a friendly and understanding smile. "And I agree with you, but expecting Ninshū to stop a war is being more than a little optimistic. It's going to cause revolution, peaceful or otherwise. After that, we could look forward to an era of peace and, you're right, the Land of Iron could break its neutrality safely."

"I suppose," Katsuki grumbled in annoyance. "There are times when enemies become greater enemies thanks to their understanding of one another."

"That said, I do want Ninshū everywhere," I said with a nod. "I think it could bring about peaceful revolution if violence becomes too costly for everyone involved and they see that, which Ninshū would be good at explaining. So, my question is, how were you thinking we could take you to the Elemental nations?"

Katsuki hummed for a moment, then went into a kowtow. "I would like to pledge myself to you, my gods, to serve you in whatsoever way you wish, in exchange for the opportunity to teach Ninshū and to learn the ways of a Shinobi."

"We accept," Anko said immediately.

I blinked and turned to her. There is no way she missed Katsuki's attraction to me. "Are you sure? Even with-?"

"Yes, I am sure," Anko nodded slowly and methodically. "She can help me with your gift."

"Gift?" Katsuki asked with a tilted head, and a confused expression. Then her eyes widened in surprise. "Oh! That's what that was! I…oh. Oh. Hm."

She cupped her chin, staring at the floorboards deep in thought, occasionally looking up to look at me, then Anko.

I said I'm not even going to try to find out what her gift is. I still don't want too.

"I don't mean to question you, Anko-sama," Katsuki finally began. "But are you sure this is what you want? To give him…that?"

Anko simply frowned, took a deep breath and looked back at her resolutely. "Yes. Helping me with that gift is something you'll be required to do if you pledge yourself to us. So, think long and hard about it before you say you'll be serving us in 'any way we require'."

Katsuki simply continued to think, tapping her chin.

I looked at her questioningly.

"Later," She mouthed back at me. "Tonight."

What exactly is Anko's gift, that she had me promise to accept and use and now basically strong arming a girl's promise to serve us in any way to helping with it? I mean, at least she's letting her know now instead of springing it on her later.

"Very well," Katsuki said with a sense of finality. "I pledge myself to serve both of you in any and all ways you should require."

"And we'll teach you everything we know about Jutsu and help you spread Ninshū," Anko said with a slow nod. "Thank you. Really. I really, really appreciate this."

Wait.

…

Oh.

Oh, no.

I see why she felt the need to make me promise to accept it and use it. It goes against…all of my morals, most of my instincts and a lot of my good sense. Crap.

"Anko," I said slowly. "We need to talk."

Anko licked her lips in the same way one would before an unpleasant encounter; she was expecting a fight. "Yes. We do."

I will not get angry. Arguments will destroy this bond that we've made. We will discuss it. I will dissuade her from this, but I will not get angry and we will not argue.

Katsuki made to say something, but then held her tongue. "With your leave, I will tell my father. Then, once I am packed and ready to go, what would you have me do?"

I looked at Anko, who gave me a look. "Alright, look. Anko and I are going to be talking about this gift she wants to give me. Once you've been immigrated into the Land of Fire, you can…house sit for us while we enjoy the rest of our Honeymoon."

Katsuki blinked. "Thank you for giving me this opportunity on your Honeymoon. I didn't mean to intrude."

"You are not intruding," Anko replied, a sad smile growing on her face. "This is something I need as much help with as I can."

Naruto didn't like how uncomfortable his Dad looked when Kakashi sensei finished the report. So, he decided to ask. "So, what's the matter, Dad?"

Minato took a deep breath and let it out. "Nearly an hour before you returned from the village, we received a letter by messenger hawk from Gombei, who informed us that we are to keep our payment and gave us the bonus he promised for removing Daisuke. Now that you've given your report, I see why."

"But we didn't get rid of Daisuke," Hisako asked, nonplussed. "He just showed up, healed everyone, then left. Why did Gombei give you the bonus?"

Minato rolled his shoulders. "The day that you left, Daisuke returned to the village."

Jaws fell open. Naruto felt like his eyes were going to bug out of his skull. Kakashi's single eye almost did. Hisako covered her mouth and Nichiren just froze. Sasuke didn't say anything either, though words were desperately trying to form in his mouth and coming out as garbled whispers. Sakura folded her arms.

"He apologized to the Third for his rash actions."

"What." Naruto couldn't believe his ears.

"And promptly got married to his Jounin partner, Mitarashi Anko."

"WHAT?!" Hisako screamed at the top of her lungs, nearly popping a few ear drums. Lakes of tears started falling down her eyes as further words turned to sobs. Then she turned heel and ran out of the Hokage's office.

Minato grunted in sympathy. "Let her go."

Nichiren groaned. "I think he finally did it."

"Did what, Senpai?" Naruto asked.

"Destroyed her heart." Nichiren sighed and took off his glasses. "Not going to lie, she set herself up for it, but…you still hate to see it."

"Yeah," Naruto said with sympathy. "Think I can go talk to her?"

"Later, Naruto," Minato said. "Daisuke isn't going to be happy when he returns from his honeymoon. Assuming he doesn't come back tomorrow to send me to the Pure World. I foolishly decided to roll the dice on earning favor with him, and lost."

"You didn't tell Daisuke you sent us to destroy the bridge, did you, Hokage-sama?" Sakura asked, her mouth curling into a deeper frown by the second.

"No," Minato shook his head. "No, I did not."

"Oh," Naruto began, expression falling as he grew more and more depressed. "Oh. Ohhhhhhhh. Oh no. Yeah, I see what's wrong now. Look, Daisuke's not going to kill you, but he is going to be really, really upset. Just, whatever you do, don't call him a child. Like I told Mom, he does not like being called that."

"Understood," Minato nodded.

"Hokage-sama," Sasuke had found his voice. "How long until his Honeymoon ends."

Minato looked directly in Sasuke's eyes. "I know what you're going to ask and I only have one thing to tell you."

"What's that?" Sasuke asked, his eyes lighting up with something that had not graced them for a very, very long time.

"Your mother is waiting for you at home," Minato replied. "Go."

Sasuke was gone in a blur, the door flying open so fast that the knob buried itself into the wooden wall beside it.

Naruto took a breath. "So, Daisuke's back."

"He is, Naruto," Minato nodded. "He just needed some time to cool down and handle his monsters. He's very…calm, unlike what I've read in most reports."

"He just needed some time to calm down," Naruto repeated in disbelief. "And he got married? After, well, how long?"

"Well, they had just reunited that day," Minato said.

Naruto just smiled. "Called it!"

"I mean, they knew each other for six months beforehand," Minato protested. "So, it's not like they literally got married that day. They just found their feelings and acted on them. Happens all the time."

"But still!" Naruto said, still smiling triumphantly.

"Now, let me get your vouchers and then you can be on your way," Minato said, digging the appropriate documents out of his desk.

I can't believe it! Naruto thought as his dad handed him his voucher, which he accepted with a grin. Daisuke…he's back! That's amazing! I didn't think anything could actually get him to come back but…he came back!

"Dismissed."

"See you, Dad!"

"Daisuke's actually back!" Sakura beamed at Naruto. "You must be so happy!"

Naruto just grinned, took Sakura in his arms, and planted a giant kiss on Sakura's lips. She moaned in pleasure, wrapping her arms around his head and returning it. Naruto broke it off. "You know I'm happy!"

Sakura giggled and replied coyly, "I can tell."

"Alright, love birds, break it up," Kakashi said idly with an amused-eye smile. "You're holding up traffic."

They both turned pink.

"Right, sorry Kaka-sensei!" Naruto laughed nervously. "Come on, Sakura, I'll treat you to some Ramen!"

"Alright, Naruto," Sakura said, her face as pink as her hair. "Since we're celebrating, I'd love to have ramen with you."

"Yes!" Naruto crowed, wrapping his arm around her waist and leading her down the stairs.

He's back, Naruto thought with glee. I can't believe it! I didn't even have to do anything, he just calmed down. I didn't think he had it in him! But…wait…

He remembered the words of a kindly, yet mysterious stranger said to him several days ago.

So, you're afraid that he'll simply have changed tactics if he comes back on his own?

Naruto fell quiet. Wait…wait, that's right. Daisuke didn't change his mind, did he? I mean, he could've! He totally could've…

But he probably didn't.

"Naruto, what's wrong?" Sakura asked with a deep frown.

"I don't want to talk about it," Naruto said. "Not right now, at least. Lets just celebrate, all right?"

Sakura's frown got even deeper, but she relented. "Alright. But you know I'm here for you when you want to talk."

"I know," Naruto said, smiling tenderly down at his girlfriend. "Thank you."

Sasuke was tearing across the roof tops as fast as his legs could carry him, leaping over entire blocks in his haste to get to his compound.

It had to be true.

It couldn't be true.

He had to see with his own eyes.

Mother…

He came to the gates of the Uchiha compound and kicked open the gates.

Immediately, he noticed a difference. The streets seemed cleaner, the cobwebs that he never had time to dust off had been removed.

There was a warmth in the area that had not been there before.

His home was actually very close to the gates, if only because of how large it was. He didn't have to run very far before coming to his house.

Over to the side, his mother's shoes had been noticeably moved, in a completely separate spot than they had been kept. But just his mothers. His fathers had remained there. Sasuke felt sure now. Almost too sure. He made sure to curb his enthusiasm until he saw her…and made sure it wasn't a Genjutsu.

Ahead, he heard the sound of footsteps, and he hit in the nearby coat closet, out of sight and out of mind. Anyone that was inside the compound could be an enemy for all he knew. But as he heard the footsteps continue, he saw her.

Uchiha Mikoto had turned the corner, causing Sasuke's breath to completely leave him. He hurriedly brought his hands together. "Kai!"

She remained; there was no Genjutsu to dispel.

"Come out," Mikoto ordered with a dispassionate growl, looking around. "I heard you come in; I know you're here. Come out before things get worse for you."

Sasuke, slowly but surely, came out from the closet and looked at his mother, who locked eyes with him.

"Sasuke?" Mikoto gasped, also finding herself unable to breathe, the kunai she had been hiding behind her back dropping to the ground with a clang.

"Mom?"

Then the two ran toward each other, embracing, hugging and as was usually the case, more than a few tears.

"Oh, Sasuke," Mikoto cried into her son's shoulder. "My little boy is all grown up!"

"I can't believe its you," Sasuke similarly said. "I can't believe you're here! You're really here!"

They separated, Mikoto placing a hand on her son's cheek. "I am here, Sasuke. I'm never leaving again. I promise."

"But…but Itachi," Sasuke started, but Mikoto placed a finger on her son's lips.

"Forget about Itachi," Mikoto said. "He was under orders to put down a coup. The-"

"What?" Sasuke shouted in shock. And anger. "What do you mean, he was under orders?"

"The elders of the Uchiha were planning a coup against the village," Mikoto immediately explained, adopting a clinical, if not cold exterior. "So many of the clan were going to join, that Itachi was ordered to wipe us out. All of us."

"I don't believe it," Sasuke whispered hoarsely, falling to his knees. "That…I don't…but…"

"But you alone were allowed to be spared per the order he was given," Mikoto continued. "But the order did not come from the Hokage and was against his wishes, and the one who gave the order has been brought to justice. Afterwards, Shimoda-sama brought those of us who wished to come back to life."

"That doesn't make any sense," Sasuke raged. "That's not what that man told me!"

"That's not what Itachi said," Mikoto asked for clarification, pursing her lips.

"No! He said he killed you! All of you! Just to test how strong he was!" Sasuke yelled, both in anger…and fear as memories started play in his mind. "He told me that as he stood over your corpse!"

Mikoto let out a breath and cupped her chin. "It sounds like he was so consumed with guilt that he wanted you to kill him…but he promised he'd look after you."

Sasuke didn't take this news well at all. He was struck speechless.

"But I'm sorry he left you," Mikoto continued. "I am so sorry he broke his promise. He and I, when we meet again, will have long, angry words about that."

He still couldn't talk. He couldn't even breathe.

"Sasuke," Mikoto frowned again. "Sasuke, please. I'm sorry. I never meant to leave you alone. I never wanted this. Please talk to me. Please forgive me."

Sasuke's next words came out as a croak. "He made me watch."

Mikoto's eyes started to go wide. "What?"

"He used the Tsukuyomi," Sasuke said. "He unlocked the Mangekyo Sharingan. He used the Tsukuyomi Genjutsu to make me watch as he killed everyone. Like pigs to the slaughter. He made me watch again…and again…"

The color had left Mikoto's face, leaving her looking as dead as she had been until Daisuke. She slowly, gradually pulled Sasuke in for another hug, letting him bury his head into her chest and sob, watching over him like any mother would.

"And again…and again…"