Life in the Namikaze household was dangerously… normal.
Too normal.
Breakfast arguments about whether rice should go before or after miso soup. Kushina braiding my hair with the enthusiasm of a girl who finally had a sister. Minato quietly watching us both like he'd won the lottery.
I wasn't sure what was scarier—Black Zetsu's constant lurking in the shadows, or the way I was starting to enjoy this.
"Akari-chan, today's your lucky day!" Kushina announced one afternoon, hands on her hips, red hair shining in the sunlight.
"Why?" I asked cautiously.
"Because I'm gonna train you!"
"...Train me?"
"Yup! Can't have my little sis wandering around defenseless, dattebane!"
Defenseless. Ha. If only she knew. But still, I played along, nodding slowly. "Alright… what kind of training are we talking about here?"
"Basic kunoichi stuff. Chakra control, shuriken, maybe some taijutsu!"
Which translated to: Kushina tossing shuriken at terrifying speeds while yelling "you'll thank me later!" and me dodging for dear life while pretending not to regenerate whenever one clipped me.
By the end of the session, I was covered in dirt, grass stains, and fake bruises. Kushina looked proud enough to adopt me twice over.
"Not bad, Akari-chan! You've got good instincts."
"Instincts?" I muttered, brushing off dirt. "Pretty sure that was just survival."
She grinned and ruffled my hair. "Same thing!"
And of course, because the universe hated me, Shisui just happened to drop by while I was still sweating and disheveled.
"Akari? You were training?" His eyes widened, then softened, like he'd just discovered kittens were real.
I wanted to say something cool like "yeah, just sharpening my skills," but what came out was, "Kushina tried to kill me with shuriken."
Shisui laughed, the kind of laugh that made him lean over and hold his stomach. "That sounds about right. Kushina-san does go hard."
Kushina, unbothered, smirked. "You should spar with her sometime, Shisui-kun. Might toughen you up!"
Both of us froze.
Shisui: "S-Spar? With Akari? I-I mean, I wouldn't wanna hurt her—"
Me: smirking because his flustered face was priceless "You mean you don't think you can beat me."
His jaw dropped. "W-what?! Of course I can—!"
Kushina cackled like she'd just started the greatest romcom rivalry in history.
That night, though, warmth gave way to shadows again.
The moment I stepped outside for air, the temperature dipped. He was waiting.
Black Zetsu slithered from the darkness, golden eyes sharp. "You've played long enough."
I didn't flinch. "Meaning?"
"Meaning it's time you prove your worth. You live under the Hokage's roof, you eat at his table, you walk among his people… and yet you bring me nothing." His voice was silk and steel. "Tonight, you will go to the records building. Bring me information on the Uchiha clan's movements."
My heart clenched. Shisui.
He wanted me to spy on them.
I tilted my head, masking the turmoil behind a smile. "And if I refuse?"
His eyes narrowed. "Then I stop feeding you flesh. And you start burning when the sun rises."
Ah. There it was. The leash tightening.
"…Fine," I said softly.
Because what else could I say?
But inside, my resolve hardened. I'd take his task, yes. I'd steal what I needed, give him crumbs to keep him pacified.
And at the same time… I'd find a way to cut his hold on me, once and for all.
Back home, I slipped into bed between Minato and Kushina's quiet breathing.
Warmth on one side. Darkness on the other.
And me?
Balanced between them.
But one thing was certain.
If Zetsu thought I'd stay his pawn forever…
He was already underestimating me.