Morning in the Namikaze household was… chaos.
Not deadly chaos. Not "giant snake invades Konoha" chaos. More like family chaos.
Kushina was chasing me around the kitchen with a ladle because I'd "accidentally" stolen her rice ball. Minato was quietly sipping tea, pretending not to notice his wife threatening me with kitchen utensils.
"Give it back, Akari-chan!" Kushina yelled, her long red hair whipping behind her as she lunged.
"No way! Finders keepers!" I shot back, clutching the rice ball like it was my last lifeline.
"Dattebane, I'll seal you in the wall if you don't—"
"Kushina," Minato said calmly without looking up from his tea, "if you destroy the kitchen again, you'll have to fix it yourself."
She froze mid-swing. I froze mid-dodge.
"…Fine," she muttered, lowering the ladle.
I grinned and took a big bite of the rice ball just to spite her.
Kushina pouted, then suddenly reached out and pinched my cheeks so hard my soul left my body. "That's for stealing from your big sis, Akari-chan!"
"Ghhkkk—s-still worth it," I croaked.
Minato finally smiled over his tea. "You two really do feel like sisters already."
Something in my chest warmed at his words. Dangerous warmth. The kind that made me forget I wasn't supposed to belong here.
Later, when Kushina went to meet Mikoto Uchiha for their usual tea gossip and Minato buried himself in Hokage paperwork, I slipped outside for air.
And of course… he was waiting.
Black Zetsu rose from the ground like spilled ink, eyes glinting. "You completed the first task. Barely. That boy nearly caught you."
"Shisui?" I asked casually, though my stomach twisted at the memory.
"Careless," Zetsu hissed. "You risk exposure."
I smirked. "Relax. He bought it."
"Do not underestimate the Uchiha," Zetsu snapped. "Especially that one."
I crossed my arms. "So what do you want this time? More bedtime stories from the records building?"
His grin stretched unnaturally wide. "No. This time… I want you to test your strength. Bring me flesh. From shinobi."
My stomach tightened. I'd eaten civilians before—drunk bandits, scum lurking at the edge of villages. Easy. Disposable. But shinobi? That wasn't just food. That was war.
"You're insane if you think I can kill Konoha shinobi without being noticed."
"Not Konoha's," Zetsu purred. "There are always wandering ninja, rogue shinobi. Easy prey. Consume them. Grow stronger. Or…" His voice slithered into a whisper. "…let the sun burn you."
I clenched my fists. Damn him.
That evening, I sat on the porch, watching the orange glow of the sunset sink over Konoha's rooftops. Kushina came out and plopped beside me, sighing dramatically.
"Long day?" I teased.
"Long week," she groaned. Then she leaned against me, resting her head on my shoulder like we'd been sisters forever. "You know… I'm really glad you're here, Akari-chan. Things were kinda lonely before."
My throat tightened. I wanted to laugh it off, tease her about being clingy—but instead, the words tumbled out before I could stop them.
"…I'll protect you. Both of you. No matter what."
Kushina blinked, surprised. Then she smiled—soft, warm, utterly genuine. "Heh. You're starting to sound like Minato, dattebane."
I didn't tell her I meant it. That I'd rip apart gods themselves if it meant keeping this warmth.
But the shadow of Zetsu's demand hung over me, heavy as the night creeping in.
Somewhere out there, rogue shinobi were waiting. And if I didn't hunt them down soon…
The sun would come for me instead.