Shattered Moments

AN: Please re-read the previous chapter - there are changes to the storyline.

POV: Paige McAbee (Canary)

Location: Salt Lake City

Date: Sep 11 2010

"Paige, would you like to go on a date with me?" Minato asked, and I looked up at him, searching his face for any sign of a cruel joke but found none.

He was for real; this was for real; he had just invited me on a date. My mind spun as I lost myself in his beautiful, like-the-sky blue eyes. The bubbling excitement spread from my heart all the way to my limbs, making me slightly shake. When he lowered his head, with his smiling eyes, I responded the only way I could—I kissed him with all the hunger and desire I felt in that moment.

A date, he said. Well, Mister Heart-Melting Smile, I didn't think we'd be going anywhere anytime soon. I broke the kiss to look into his eyes again—just to be sure—and met the same intensity in his eyes that I felt inside. It was all I needed to start pulling his t-shirt up and running my hands along his torso. We weren't going anywhere anytime soon, for sure.

⚡

Location: Salt Lake City

Date: Sep 12 2010

The morning sun was barely above the mountains as I stood alone on my apartment balcony, smoking a cigarette. After that ruined party where I met Jess, I picked up smoking again, and my chakra-like body only made it a guilt-free habit.

Minato had already left for his morning training, which I opted out of today—I needed time to think through what happened last night. It was anything but conventional, and while I went with the flow in the heat of the moment, I now had to figure out how to make sense of it all.

Since Benjamin, I hadn't dated anyone. Oh, I tried, but my insecurities about my look made it almost impossible. So, it wasn't surprising that I didn't think twice about dragging Minato into the bedroom as soon as he said the word "date." I had been dreaming about it since we camped in the forest after our escape from the PRT. I wanted to feel attractive, to prove to myself that I could still be desired.

And now, I have to deal with the consequences.

On one hand, it was mind-blowing, repeatedly mind-blowing - I didn't know my body could handle so much. But on the other hand, it was still my body. I'd never been attracted to females before, and it felt… just weird. And while Henge helped a bit, it failed every time when … well.

At least that part was more intense than anything I'd experienced before.

Still, I felt strange to be in a relationship with someone who occupied my own body. And so I brooded a bit and smoked a lot and just thought over everything, hoping that somehow we'd sort it all out. Because, body or not, I'd fallen for him so hard that it was almost painful to stay away. Only the thought that I could merge back at any moment kept me here on the balcony, smoking cigarette after cigarette.

⚡

"So, what happened?" Kriss asked me after we finished the gig today. It was already late at night, the usual time, and we were finishing up packing and loading our gear. Minato came with me today, and now he was helping load a truck with the heavy stuff.

Kriss caught me when I stopped to smoke while the boys were doing the heavy lifting with the speakers. Right on cue, Minato and Rogers came out carrying one from the club's back door.

"Trouble in paradise?" Kriss probed again when I didn't respond, instead choosing to watch as Rogers and Minato loaded the truck.

I turned to face Kriss, gave him a once-over, and asked, "Are you sure you can handle it?"

"Well, I do have three sisters, and I have some experience with listening," he replied, rubbing the back of his head with an awkward smile.

I nodded, acknowledging the point, while continuing to smoke. Honestly, what could I even tell him? I didn't understand it myself.

"It's not trouble. I just…" I paused, trying to collect my thoughts, then continued, "I find it hard to adjust. I haven't had a relationship in over three years, and… Minato is special." I finished awkwardly and continued to smoke. There was nothing else that I could possibly add to that.

"Ah, special," Kriss said in a strange tone that I couldn't place. Honestly, I didn't even try—I was more preoccupied with my conflicted feelings at the moment and… the approaching night.

"Well, are you happy?" he asked as I stubbed out my cigarette.

That got me thinking. I was so caught up in what all this meant and the unconventional part of it that I actually forgot about the important part. Am I happy? I looked back at Kriss with newfound respect and gave him a hard hug, almost forgetting to check my strength.

"Thank you," I said with all the honesty that I felt.

"No problem. I'm glad I could help," he replied after a pause, returning my hug just as strongly.

"Your sisters trained you well," I joked, patting him on the shoulder, feeling much better than I had all day.

That was the most important part after all—I do feel happy.

⚡

When we got back home, I wasn't entirely relaxed, but Kriss's words still rang in my ears, and I just let myself fall into routine.

We returned to my apartment first, where I left my stuff, and then jumped to Minato's bungalow in the mountains. He made some nice, calming tea that I drank just to share the moment, all the while looking at his Henge form. Last night had been a stark reminder that under it was still hiding my old body.

"Minato," I started to say, coming to a conclusion that was past due to realise.

"Hm?" He replied, looking me in the eyes. He caught my mood somehow, and his expression reflected that — he was serious and calm, and I felt that all his focus was on me in that moment.

"Could you drop the Henge?" I asked, already feeling trepidation. While he rarely kept his Henge around in the morning, he usually returned to it later, especially when he had been out in the city. As a result, I mostly saw him without it around sleeping time.

He did so without any extra words and without breaking eye contact with me. It was the first time I had consciously paid attention to this process. With barely visible smoke, he dispelled his form, and my old eyes looked back at me from my old face.

With crisp clarity, I just confirmed the fear I had been ignoring for so long—that was not my body anymore.

Tears were running all the time while I looked at it, coming to understand that somehow, somewhere on my way, I stopped to be her.

"I want to go back to my apartment," I said, swallowing down my sobs.

⚡

Date: Sep 17 2010

For the last five days, I stayed at my apartment without returning to Minato to spend the night in my old body. I just couldn't—just couldn't see it again.

Kriss had been sending worried messages all week, especially about the upcoming gig later today. He was so concerned that I had disappeared for so long that he even prompted Jess to start texting me. Judging by her sporadic messages, which arrived at odd hours, she was busy with work, sometimes until the early hours. I felt touched by her reaching out, especially when she barely had time for herself.

Still, I hadn't seen anyone since Monday, especially Minato, though I felt his presence nonetheless. Somehow, he sneaked in and out—using his shinobi skills, I bet—to leave flowers, romantic notes, or sometimes just origami, making me smile and feel butterflies.

I wanted to be with him, but I wasn't ready. I needed to figure out how to deal with all the changes, or at least the ones related to me, Minato, and the body.

When I daydreamed about dating Minato, I somehow failed to account for things that were already part of our reality—like the body itself. I just didn't want to see it, to acknowledge it.

To be honest with myself, I had to accept that this crisis of self-identity had been coming for a long time now, masked by worries after all that disaster with the PRT and the follow-up breakout.

But only after I had sex with Minato did Pandora's box open up and spill it out for me: that was not my body anymore, that I was not a body at all, that I was a fucking chakra construct.

That last realisation alone shifted something in me, making chakra manipulation much easier since then.

I spent many hours in front of the mirror, just trying out anything and everything I could with the Henge—from a pink pixie cut to rich, flowing hair down to my knees in a deep purple colour. I even tried every change I'd ever wanted for any part of my body, only to find out that most of them weren't what I thought they'd be—having big breasts was more pain than they were worth.

For the first time ever, I was defining who Paige McAbee was.

But no matter how much I changed my look, nothing changed for me—I could change my outer form, but I would never change my inner one—my past, my memories, and the things that made Paige, Paige.

Something shifted once more in that moment, something so ephemeral, so unnoticeable, and somehow, my form shifted completely without me doing any Henge, leaving behind a form that deeply resonated with my soul.

When I was creating "Susan Abbot," I went for small changes—the silver hair (to distinguish myself from Paige and Canary), the green almond-shaped eyes (that I'd always wished to have), and the button-like nose with full lips (which I'd always been jealous of). But there were changes I hadn't made before—my silver hair now fell way below my bum, and the silver colour prevailed everywhere, not only in my hair and eyelashes. Somehow, even my freckles, nails, and lips turned silver as well.

I just sat there with a dumb smile, looking at my reflection with deep soul satisfaction, shedding tears, and having no thoughts at all.

I didn't understand what had happened, but all I knew was that, finally, I was content with being me. And maybe I hadn't figured out how to deal with the sexual part yet, or the relationship at all — but I knew that I was finally ready to move forward, to see Minato. So, I grabbed the phone and sent one short message: "Come."

⚡

Shattered Moments

Location: Salt Lake City

Date: Sep 17 2010

"Come" was all I needed to jump to Paige's apartment, leaving the investigation in my clone's hands. It wasn't like they could screw it up or come up with some ridiculous ideas.

When I landed in the living room on the Hiraishin marker, I was greeted by an anxious… Paige. Yeah, that was definitely Paige, but for some reason, she had changed her Susan Henge to… this.

"Hey," I said softly, relaxing my reflexive reaction to what I thought was an unexpected and unknown person.

"Hey," she replied with a nervous smile, putting a long curl behind her left ear and casting her eyes down. She had made her hair way longer, it seemed.

She was in shorts and a cami top that didn't really hide her body, making her changes even more visible. That was a lot of silver—was all I could think about.

"You look… silver today." Shit, I wasn't supposed to say that.

"You don't like it?" she replied, nervously glancing at me.

"No, I mean yes," I breathed in deeply and then out before continuing, "I mean, it's nice. I like it."

She giggled at my slip of words, covering her mouth with the back of her right hand.

"Why, though?" I asked, smiling and rubbing the back of my head when she stopped giggling.

"I didn't do it," Paige replied in a more sober tone, now looking me in the eyes.

"You didn't?" I stupidly parroted, raising my left eyebrow.

"Yes," she confirmed with a nod and continued, "It happened by itself… after I accepted the truth."

"What truth?" I asked automatically while already thinking ahead. Yin chakra properties? She hadn't merged for a while—was it connected? There was never a shadow clone made with someone else's soul, a real soul.

"That I am this," she gestured to herself, "and not that," she continued while gesturing to me. No, to her own body. Hold on.

"Are you saying that you gave up on your body?" That, no matter how ridiculous it sounded, made more sense than I expected.

"Minato," she started but paused to take a few steps toward me before continuing, "It is your body now." She put her right hand on my chest. "I became not her at some point. I don't want to be her anymore. This is me now." She finished, moving her hand from me to her own heart.

"By the Sage…" So her body somehow shifted to… this, and I could see her Yin chakra melding the clone body to her self-image, but…

"Hold on. Are you still capable of merging back?" I looked at her, waiting for an answer. If not, she had become really vulnerable—the shadow clones, they're not resilient.

She visibly tensed for a moment, furrowing her new silver eyebrows, thinking hard. Then her face almost glowed with positive realisation, and with a slight poof of excess chakra, she disappeared—only to reply in my mind.

"I think I still can, but…" and I felt it too—her presence—it wasn't the same anymore, it was more solid, with more weight.

"And I think I can feel your thoughts now," she continued with clear embarrassment. Way to go, Minato. Why did I really have to be reminded about that night now…

I felt a not-mine desire rising, along with a strong urge to check out the bedroom. Well…

⚡

"Minato, hold on for a sec," I heard a voice from behind.

We had just arrived, almost too late for the show, and Paige had run backstage to get ready. It was another local pub with a stage where their band played regularly. I turned around to meet Kriss, who sported quite a serious expression.

"Sure, Kriss," I replied with a smile and moved to the side, leaving the passage to the back of the bar open to other people.

Kriss mirrored my move and casually leaned on the wall, giving me a serious look again.

"What did you want to talk about?" I prompted when the pause became a bit awkward, mirroring his serious expression.

"Aby. Listen, I don't know what's going on between you and Aby, and it's not my business. But if you break her heart, I'll break your legs," Kriss replied, now with an even more severe expression.

"You're a good friend, then," I smiled back. It was good that the people Paige decided to work with took her well-being seriously.

"No, don't give me that shit. This week? She was really in a bad place. I don't know what happened to prompt it, but if I find out that you mistreated her, trust me, I'll help her get away. You're not the only one who's special. Got it?" He said, lowering his voice and leaning toward me.

It looked like someone was already looking deeper and coming to close enough assumptions. I let myself leak Sakki a bit when I replied, "Don't give me shit either, and watch what and where you say. Don't make yourself my problem. Got it?"

Kriss lost a few shades of colour on his face, visible even in the dim light, but he didn't avert his gaze. Finally, after a brief pause, he gave me a tentative nod. Good.

"And I appreciate that you care for Aby. I truly do. She needs friends, and you're a good friend," I gave him a gentle tap on the shoulder, and he flinched a bit.

"I'll help after the show with gear, alright?" I smiled again with my most welcoming expression.

⚡

Location: Salt Lake City

Date: Sep 18 2010

The next morning, I woke up to the smell of eggs and bacon. On the edge of the dream space, I thought it was the clone cooking, ready to report on the investigation. Had he returned already? Was he making breakfast for Paige in bed?

But then I noticed Paige's absence in my mind and recalled that she had decided to stay separated, just to spend time in bed with me.

Without applying Henge, I put on my yukata and made my way to the washroom, tidying up the obi around my waist.

The mirror greeted me with Paige's face, reminding me of what she'd said yesterday—about her giving up on this body. I looked at the yellow feathers sticking out of equally yellow hair, and then I focused on her yellow eyes. Those weren't her original features—they had all manifested after she drank that vial. I could see it being something she would give up on easily. I had enough time to get used to it, and being dead brought a different perspective on everything, but I didn't feel like being a woman—I just had a woman's body.

That was something that, with practised skill, I avoided thinking about.

Here on Earth Bet, they had these doctors—psychologists—who were supposed to help you deal with psychological issues (if I could even call it that), but back in the Fire Nations? We dealt with issues by killing people. Nothing helps change perspective better than a fight to the death.

Splashing my face and rinsing the toothpaste from my mouth, I shook off those gloomy thoughts. It was the first time Paige had cooked something; I'd better go and enjoy it.

When I came to the kitchen, I found her cooking, wearing an apron over quite revealing shorts and a top. She was standing over a sizzling frying pan, flipping bacon, not seeing me enter.

With gentle steps, I came closer and surprised her with a firm hug from behind, making her let out a delightful squeal as she almost flipped the pan. With a gentle kiss on her collarbone, I reached out just in time to steady the pan as it wobbled on the burner.

"Morning, Paige."

"Morning, Minato," she replied cheerfully, turning over her shoulder and giving me a chaste kiss on the temple before continuing, "I am making breakfast for us… Well, for you, but for us. Sit, it will be ready soon."

Reluctantly, I let her go—just to put the kettle on—and then went to sit at the table. There was something magical in watching your woman making food, after all. And so I watched.

What a wonderful start to the day.

⚡

"So, Hokage, is it like President?" Paige asked.

We had been Downtown for the last thirty minutes, walking and talking. Sometimes, we would stop to look at local landmarks or exchange opinions on this or that. But, in the end, I found myself talking mostly about my past. She was curious and had a lot of questions.

"Well, not really? To be chosen as the next Hokage, you must have powers above everyone else."

I was wearing blue jeans with a white polo, staying in my Minato Henge, while Paige decided on a purple t-shirt and black skirt, keeping her hair in a long single braid that contrasted well with her clothes.

"But you had the right to sign treaties and declare war, right?" she asked, trying to grasp the scope of the power I once held.

It wasn't like we hadn't talked about my past, back when we were camping in Eldorado National Park, but I had been too busy with training, and she was more cautious around me.

As a result, she mainly knew what she had seen in dreams I sent her while working on breaking out from PRT.

"If we exclude the need to consider dynamics between clans in the village itself, only Daimyo was above me. And while treaties with other villages were within my rights, to declare war, I needed the Daimyo's approval." I explained and gestured for her to sit at the fountain rim.

"Daimyo also decided which Hidden Village would receive contracts from civilians," I continued to explain after I sat. "It was an important counterbalance, giving Daimyo economic control over the village.

I turned to look at the church on the other side of the fountain while absently putting my hand in the water.

"That, I still don't get. What kind of contracts are we talking about?" She sat beside me, briefly dipping her hand into the water before flicking it at me, bringing my attention back to her.

"Trade caravan guarding or dealing with bandits," I explained with a shrug, subtly feeding chakra into the water.

"Bandits? So, you were like law enforcement? Catching bad guys to put them behind bars?" she playfully tried to flick water again, but to her surprise, it didn't budge, acting more like a solid surface.

"No, we usually killed them," I replied, flicking water at her in return.

She looked at me with wide eyes for a second, clearly stunned, before trying to retaliate again. This time, she used her chakra in an attempt to break my control over the water, causing a huge splash in the process.

I jumped away from the fountain, avoiding most of the splash, but she didn't.

"You are so dead," she said as she wiped the water from her eyes. Well, running shinobi is alive shinobi.

⚡

By the end of our playful run around the fountain, we were soaking, and I had to jump us back to her apartment so she could change. Meanwhile, I cheated with chakra, drying myself in seconds.

Her expression was more sombre when she came out of her bedroom, dressed in a purple dress now, with a wide white belt.

"You didn't joke about killing them, did you?" she asked immediately, with the naive expression I'd often seen on civilians back in the Fire Country.

"No, I didn't," I replied as I landed on the sofa. This might be a long talk. She tentatively joined me, even took my hand in hers, before asking, "Why?"

I squeezed her hand, somewhat understanding where she was coming from.

"That's just how the law worked back there," I said softly, knowing nothing I said could make it better.

"That was what I saw in a dream, right? When you were a kid?" She asked gently, and a single tear ran down her cheek.

"Ah." I tenderly wiped it away. I knew what she was talking about—apparently, I showed more than I intended.

"The big hoe guy?" I asked to clarify, just in case. It was our first mission in a bandit camp—the first kill.

She just nodded, looking sadly into my eyes.

"Yes," I simply stated. It was customary to send a new genin team to get their hands bloody that way. Controlled environment—good for evaluating them early to see if they fit to be shinobi or not. Unfortunately, I already knew it was too much to share—better to leave it unsaid.

She surprised me by hugging me fiercely, whispering in my ear, "I am so sorry."

⚡

When we were ready to leave, Paige's phone beeped.

"Just a second," she said, fishing it out of her purse and typing back.

"It's Jess," she added absently. After another message came through, she continued, "She's free to meet, finally. Would you come with me?"

"Are you sure?" I asked. I hadn't met this Jess personally yet. She was always the elusive one, cancelling often due to work.

"Yes, I'm sure. I want her to meet you too," Paige beamed, grabbing my hand.

"Sure," I shrugged. "So, where to then?"

⚡

"This is Minato, my boyfriend," Paige introduced me proudly, holding my hand tightly.

We met Jess in the nearly empty downtown pub. When we arrived, she was already there, drinking a dark beer from a jar.

She gave me a quick once-over before nodding and extending her hand. "I'm not Kriss, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt," she said.

It seemed like they were all close friends if Kriss felt comfortable mentioning our little shuffle last night.

"Pleasure to meet you," I replied, shaking her hand with a gentle smile.

The booth was spacious, and we all fit in after some shuffling around.

"Anything to order? Or do you need more time?" the waitress asked, arriving almost immediately.

"Water," Paige said, and I parroted her.

"So, Minato, what you do?" Jess asked as soon as the waitress left to bring our water.

"I am between contracts right now," I replied smoothly.

"What kind of contracts?" She continued to prob, now even with suspiciously squeezed eyes. 

Paige, caught off guard by this little hostility, glanced between us with concern and confusion. 

"Security," I continued to reply vaguely, somewhat starting to enjoy it.

"Ah, security," she started, but at that moment, her phone rang with a heavy metal ringtone.

"Excuse me, I need to take this," her demeanour changed immediately, and she left the booth to go outside.

"What was that about?" Paige questioned me as soon as Jess was far enough not to hear us.

"They just worry about you," I replied, giving her a squeeze on the hand that we were still holding together.

Paige chortled and, with laughter in her eyes, asked, "Did Kriss give you a Shovel talk?"

I just smiled back, and the waitress had chosen this moment to bring water, adding, with a smile, "Call me when you're ready to order, alright?"

Not long after that, Jess returned, only to grab her backpack, saying:

"Sorry, I have to go."

⚡

We were in Red Butte Garden again. Although it had only been a week since our last visit, it felt like a month had passed; so much had happened since then.

"Minato, Aby!" Kriss waved, this time finding us first.

He gave Paige a firm hug first and, with a bit of a challenge in his eyes, shook my hand, only to get punched in the shoulder by her again.

"Ow, woman, what was that for now?!" he exclaimed with mock surprise.

"No bullying Minato! You, dork!" Paige put her hands on her hips, looking sternly at Kriss.

He raised his arms in mock surrender, saying, "You know, we were worried about you, right?"

"And I appreciate it, but that wasn't Minato's fault," she replied, as her anger slowly began to melt."

"So, what's the plan?" I asked, breaking the tension.

"Well, let's find Jess first, and we can head backstage. I got passes for all of us," Kriss replied, looking relieved at the shift in conversation.

"Jess isn't coming. I think something happened with her work again," Paige provided, grabbing my arm under the elbow before continuing, "We were lucky to catch her for all of five minutes before she got pulled back into it."

"Well," Kriss awkwardly rubbed the back of his head, giving me a bit of a guilty look before proposing, "Let's go then? I wanted to introduce you to the Black Stone's manager, and this is the perfect opportunity…"

"Really?!" Paige exclaimed excitedly, starting to pull me along and grabbing Kriss's elbow on the way. "What are we waiting for? Lead the way!"

⚡

"We're here. That'll be twenty bucks, lovebirds."

All the way to Paige's apartment, she was nesting on my shoulder, absentmindedly playing with my hand. Her meeting with Black Stone's manager went well, and they'd arranged to meet again next week—he wanted to hear her sing in the studio.

I silently passed over a twenty-five-dollar silver coin, and the driver smiled, pleased.

"Thanks for the tip, enjoy your night!"

It was already deep in the night, and the autumn chill was biting a bit pleasantly at my exposed skin. It didn't take long to get back to the apartment, and we were kissing as soon as the door closed.

"Your bedroom now," she said, briefly pulling away, only to dive back into the kiss. I didn't waste any time teleporting us to the bungalow porch. I just might need to set a marker directly in the bedroom if this becomes the norm.

Without breaking from Paige's lips, I slid the entrance door aside and, walking backwards, pulled her with me inside while kicking off my shoes, only to be startled by the strong smell of blood and bright light.

Sharply turning around, kunai already in hand, I was greeted with Jess's nearly naked body on a makeshift operation table - our coffee table - with an attached IV to her right arm, hanging from a proper holder.

There was my clone, in an infiltrating outfit and with bloody hands, hovering over her, applying Mystical Palm on the wound on her blood-covered, naked chest.

"Jess?!" exclaimed Paige from behind me, forcefully gripping my hand.

Well, what a surprise.

I sensed another clone teleport onto the porch behind us. "Hokage-sama, step aside, please," came a calm female voice.

I stepped aside, pulling wide-eyed Paige with me, giving the clone space to pass.

The female clone was wearing a U of U Health medical uniform, carrying a medical cooler in one hand and a durable case in the other.

It took me a second to recognise the Henge—it was the appearance of the woman who worked for Manuel's gang, providing emergency services when needed. I had his blackmail and profile on her after I took everything from Manuel's safe stashes.

The clone hurried to the makeshift operating table and set the case and cooler on the floor. Opening the case and the cooler, the clone put on fresh disposable gloves before beginning to attach tubes to Jess's left arm—the one opposite the already set IV.

I looked over the scene again, paying attention to the details. A bright fuinjutsu was set on the ceiling, highlighting everything in blue-hue light. A one-time-use sterile blanket covered the table, and the emergency storage scroll lay tossed on the sofa—the one I had prepped for emergencies in case I ever needed to be operated on.

"Until I know everything, don't inform anyone," I said when I noticed Paige pulling her phone out.

"What.. what do you mean?" She turned to me with confusion, giving worried glances to still-working clones and Jess's pale, unmoving body on the table.

"I need to assess the situation first. There's a reason my clone brought her here. Just hold on, alright?" I replied, fully turning to her and gently placing a free hand on her upper arm. 

"I promise I'll do my best to keep her alive," I told her, giving a firm squeeze, "But I need your help. Could you go and prepare a spare room for her? Please?"

"The one next to our bedroom?" She asked weakly but slowly, getting over the shock.

"That's a good choice." I reassured her once more before continuing, " And use alcohol cleaner on all surfaces, alright?"

She needed some job to do, to feel involved and that would make her busy for some time.

"Yes, yes, I can do that!" she replied, more focused now and hurried inside. Good. Now, to the issue at hand...

I turned back to the operation table, only to see that the clone had finished with Mystical Palm and was waiting for my attention.

The second clone, the one in female Henge, took his place and activated diagnostic fuinjutsu on the table (sneaky, I didn't even notice him applying it), generating a visual health status.

"Stable for now," she reported, "I will monitor her while you get up to speed, Hokage-Sama."

The first clone took the cue and dispelled, leaving Jess' blood behind to splash on the floor.

"Kuso," I swore, assimilating memories.

⚡

Date: Sep 17 2010

When Boss abruptly left to see Paige, leaving me behind, I continued on the plan to follow one of the security guards back to his home.

It didn't take me long to find a target to follow—a young male with evident signs of tiredness who was most likely to make mistakes with secured information.

To spice up the chase a bit, I even spent some time on the bus with him, although I changed Henge at least five times before we reached his home.

I spent some time on the roof with a plastic cup of coffee, watching the windows of my target apartment, and it was boring. Instead of waiting until he fell asleep, I sneaked in, playing hide-and-seek in his apartment.

It didn't take me long to sift through his documents while taking a peek at some personal stuff. Who knows if we might need to Henge as one of the security guards? It was better to be prepared! So, let's see what kind of magazines he reads. Ow… that was too personal.

At last, I found out who he was working for, Homeland Security, and that they were protecting something in UTAH. But what they were protecting - was a question to find the answer to.

⚡

Returning to our base of operations—the Hideout, as we clones called the bungalow in the mountains—I sat in the Boss's office, in a nice chair, in front of the marvel of technology: the laptop. I was preparing to proceed with my operation—The Mystery In The UTAH University, TMITUU for short.

Back in Konoha, we had an extensive card index, and as Hokage, I usually requested ANBU bring me related files. However, before that, I was a regular visitor to the archives. All our mission reports and intelligence were stored there, deliberately organised to confuse intruders, and it was a pain to work with.

Now, I had the beauty of data storage, search, and analysis. They call it a database here, and it was already full of threat assessments with everything else related we gathered from the Internet.

I opened a new entry - TMITUU - and started filling it out.

Okay, first things first. Security told Boss to contact the administration for more details, so let's start from there.

⚡

Date: Sep 18 2010

By Saturday night, I was preparing to move on to the next stage in my investigation into "The Mystery In The UTAH University."

The UTAH website analysis showed that they updated security twice over the summer. The first time, in June, they claimed to provide a more secure environment for students. In August, when the Canary case got expedited and a Kill Order was issued, making it clear that they lost hold on her, they increased security once more, claiming the need to protect the next generation from a potentially dangerous Master on the run.

The correlation seemed coincidental, and it looked more like they used the excuse to raise security levels than anything else. And yet, with capes like thinkers, I was cautious about ruling anything out, so I noted it just in case.

It wasn't hard to uncover who Homeland Security was protecting once I looked under the under. Old press releases mentioned a partnership between UTAH and a local company, Info Systems, on a communication project a week before the first security policy change - that was a solid first lead.

With a bit more digging and paying one of my shady contacts to hack the UTAH administration server, I found what I was looking for: the laboratory index, the project details, and personal files on all involved personnel.

Not surprisingly, one of the laboratories was on the west side of UTAH and dedicated to a joint project with Info System.

I finally had a second lead on the reason Homeland Security was present in UTAH, and it was time to do some dirt digging.

The night was young, and I planned to check on everyone assigned to the laboratory I was interested in by the time the sun rose over the city.

⚡

Arriving at the first target's home and ensuring no outside surveillance was in place, I sneaked through the window. The target was snoring, deep in slumber, allowing me to go wild with my investigation.

It was fun until I found a paper in a lab coat with what looked like the login and password. I got really suspicious. It was against common sense, and I just couldn't believe it.

Then I found report drafts on his personal computer, which was not protected by a password at all.

I quietly left that place, expecting an ambush at any moment, and before approaching the next target's home, I spent extra time ensuring that no surveillance was in place, just in case. I was getting extra paranoid and was already looking under the under the under this time.

To my bafflement, the next guy kept his login and password on a piece of paper inside a cigarette pack and had a sticker with the password on his laptop.

After finding form requests for tests on "THE SOURCE," along with justifications and expected results, I grew increasingly confused by the lack of security measures.

I couldn't believe it—was this a trap or some attempt to confuse intruders? Or was this simply a lack of discipline in civilians?

By now, I had started to expect the worst and approached the next person's home with every precaution I could muster. I relaxed a bit when I found a locked computer, no visible stickers with passwords, and no personal possessions scattered with credentials. Finally, something was the way it was supposed to be.

Then I found her Homeland Security badge. With a deep sigh, I left it, too.

I had two more names left to visit: the project lead, Doctor Mutson, and Jessica Portman, his assistant and a PhD candidate in quantum physics.

Her face was familiar from Paige's memories - it was that elusive Jess, who didn't show up last weekend and usually was busy with her work.

That sparked my curiosity, and I made a decision to see what she was doing first, leaving the project lead for later.

When I arrived at her home address, I found her windows lit up, signalling that she was still up. By climbing the house wall to the third floor, I sneaked closer to take a peek through the window, only to find her still working on her laptop. The table was littered with papers, magazines, books, and a few empty coffee cups sat on top of the tall book stacks. The half-forgotten sandwich sticking out under the magazine did not look appetising, suggesting that she hadn't eaten for a while now.

Jessica herself looked agitated, high on coffee, and deep in her work. Her hair reflected her chaotic state, barely holding together in a bun with a pencil. She was wearing an old baggy t-shirt with one side sliding down her shoulders.

I might just sneak inside, and with her focus entirely on her work, she wouldn't even notice me unless I touched her laptop or papers.

After checking other windows, I slipped inside through the kitchen and, while sticking to the ceiling, I quietly moved around—searching for anything that might be related to her work. Her apartment was small—just one bedroom, living room and kitchen—leaving only the bedroom as the likely source for the information I was looking for.

In the end, I had to wait until she went to refill her coffee to sneak inside and access her computer, which she had left unlocked. Shaking my head, I began reviewing the files she was working on, only to find out that I had access to all documentation on the project now, including technical details, experiments, and ongoing progress.

Still surprised to see such abysmal security, I copied everything onto a USB flash drive and left a virus in the system to get a backdoor later. I might need fresh data at some point in future, and sneaking again would be too hard on me—I might just disperse from embarrassment.

From the few snippets I caught while files were being copied, I gathered that the project was based on Hero tech, specifically the quantum communicator left behind after his death. After ten years of scientific development, they finally could make head and tail of what his tinkertech was doing and develop a process to replicate it.

That was what it was all about—I realised—a revolutionary communication system that would be free from infrastructure needs and would work everywhere.

This was big—big and important. I immediately saw how it would affect countries globally over the next five to ten years. And it would all begin here, with this project. Given the lack of security, it wouldn't take long for foreign agents, powerful capes, or even criminal organisations to descend on the city—making it all a bowling cauldron ready to explode.

⚡

I copied everything on time to sneak out of her bedroom window before she returned from the kitchen with her fresh coffee. I lingered for a moment, sticking to the wall to ensure that she didn't notice anything changed. When she just sat back and started to type aggressively on her laptop again, I started to think about what to do next.

Clearly, the intel gathering was a success, and I was happy to be done with it. But before I decided on the course of action, I heard her exclaim loudly enough to be heard, "Oh fuck… I fucking did it!"

Groaning, I pulled a small mirror to see what it was about. Jess was already packing her laptop in the travel bag. Huh, where did she need to go in the middle of the night? When she turned around and, after a few steps, started to take her t-shirt off, I put the mirror away and leaned on the wall to think it through. 

So she might have made a breakthrough, which would cut the timeline significantly, speeding up consequences…

With a loud gunshot, Jess's bedroom window next to me exploded, sending shattered glass flying. That shot came from inside—I realised, already pulling the mirror out again. In reflection, I saw the back of a woman in a tailored suit and fedora, with Jess' laptop bag in her left hand, walking through the bright white portal. It shimmered out as soon as she was thorough, leaving the regular doorframe behind.

Who was that?

I was inside as soon as I confirmed no other threats were present and found almost naked Jess on the floor, on her back, with a gunshot wound just below her solar plexus. The blood was gushing from it in rhythm with her heartbeat. Her eyes were clouded, and she barely reacted to my presence, already slipping into unconsciousness. 

Creating a second clone, I kneeled beside her, already focusing on the Mystical Palm jutsu. With my glowing hand hovering over the wound, I dove into assessing the damage. It was a precise shot. The bullet passed through soft tissue and exited between her ribs at the back, but it severely damaged the descending aorta, causing intense internal and external bleeding.

"Emergency evacuation. I need a table, an IV with plasma first, and a blood transfusion later. Go."

The second clone immediately teleported, leaving a temporary Hirashin marker on the floor behind.

I entirely focused on the aorta again — continuing to stitch it back together. If she survived the next five minutes, I'd need to pray to Kami (and Tsunade-sama for pushing med-nin knowledge on me every time she caught me spying on Kushina).

At least Jess's body was responding well to the Mystical Palm jutsu, and, to my surprise, the operation was going well, letting me progress faster than expected.

The second clone teleported back, reporting, "IV with plasma is ready. On your command," while putting his hand on my shoulder and Jess's exposed arm.

"Now," I ordered when I was sure that the jump wouldn't reverse the already-achieved progress with healing.

With a flicker of time-space, we jumped to the bungalow's living room. The landing was precise, positioning Jess's body on the makeshift operating table covered with a sterile blanket.

The second clone immediately started to hook up the IV while I continued working on my part of the task. It was hard work, and I needed to lean heavily on my med-ninjutsu training to succeed. If the bullet had gone just a bit higher and punctured the heart or a bit left and hit the spinal column, I would have failed to save her—that was beyond my skills. Still, I might fail even now — the blood loss was getting critical.

With a pat on my shoulder, the second clone vanished to retrieve the blood for the transfusion. We were on the time limit here, and though the plasma IV had bought us time, we needed a full blood transfusion before it was too late.

The entrance door slid aside, but instead of the second clone, Boss and Paige, still entangled in each other, walked in. Boss reacted immediately, turning with kunai in hand and ready to act. He most likely reacted to the heavy smell of the blood - we would always recognise it, always.

⚡