Morning in the Namikaze household was always… loud.
"Akari! Breakfast!" Kushina's voice rang through the house like a battle cry. "And don't even think about sneaking back to bed, I will drag you out!"
I winced, rubbing the faint sting in my ears. After last night's hunt, my senses were razor-sharp. Her yelling felt like kunai lodged in my brain.
Still, when I stepped into the kitchen, I couldn't help but smile. Kushina was bustling about with a tray of rice and miso soup, Minato was reading through mission reports, hair as messy as ever, and the smell of food was warm, human, alive.
For a moment… it almost made me forget the screams in the forest.
"Morning, sleepyhead!" Kushina chirped, plopping a bowl in front of me. "You're lucky—if you'd been one minute later, I would've eaten your share."
I giggled, playing along. "You'd eat everything if Minato didn't stop you."
"Damn right!" she said proudly, puffing her chest.
Minato sighed but smiled softly, glancing at us. "I don't mind as long as you both leave me something."
And just like that, it felt like family. A dangerous illusion I knew I shouldn't cling to. But I couldn't help it.
Later that day, when I left the house, the illusion cracked.
Because I felt it.
A shadow tailing me.
I didn't need to look—his chakra was familiar, sharp, and steady. Shisui.
Last night's memory flickered in my mind—the glowing red of his Sharingan watching from the trees. My stomach twisted. He saw me. He knows something.
I walked casually through the village, smiling, greeting shopkeepers. But inside, my thoughts were racing.
If he pushes too hard… do I silence him?
The very idea made my chest tighten. Shisui wasn't just some nameless rogue. He was kind. He was… annoyingly gentle. And part of me hated how much that mattered.
From the rooftops above, Shisui narrowed his eyes.
Akari laughed with a merchant, holding up a bright red ribbon Kushina had told her would "make her look even cuter." She looked harmless, cheerful, even clumsy when she tripped over a loose stone.
But Shisui couldn't forget last night.
The way she had moved—fluid, inhuman. The way those rogue ninja had simply… vanished.
"She's hiding something," he muttered under his breath. "But what are you, Akari?"
His fists clenched. He didn't want to believe she was dangerous. He liked her—more than he should. But Konoha's safety came first.
And if she was a threat…
He shook the thought away.
That evening, Kushina dragged me into her room, laughing as she tied the ribbon in my hair. "See? Perfect! You look like a little sister I always wanted."
I stared at her in the mirror. Red ribbon, soft smile, warmth in her eyes.
Little sister. Family.
And yet, somewhere out there in the dark, Zetsu was waiting. Demanding. Whispering about power, about betrayal, about blood.
I clenched my fists beneath the table.
I swore I'd protect this family… but can I, while hiding what I am?