Her return to Konoha was quick. A hiraishin, and she appeared on the outskirts of the village as if nothing had happened. She handed over the relevant scroll and went home. She didn't expect to find Kakashi-sensei at home, and she was right, but Naruto wasn't there either.
"Are you alone?" she asked Sasuke, appearing through the door.
"You're back already? That was quick."
"I teleported back."
"Huh. Do you want me to heat up some food for you too?"
She accepted the offer as she went to take a quick shower. It wasn't like she had sweated much, considering she used a summoning to carry her there and then teleported back, but she had sand everywhere despite having walked so little in the streets of Suna. When she came down, Sasuke had already set the table for dinner and heated up some leftovers for both of them.
"There aren't many bentos left," Sasuke informed her, who didn't even cook breakfast.
Seina summoned a few clones to cook while they ate dinner. Apparently, Naruto had another C-rank mission near Konoha, looking for some bug for some research.
"He's with Hinata and Shino, so he'll be fine," Sasuke shrugged.
"You know, I saw Gaara this afternoon? He was very remorseful for everything he did."
"Understandable. After Naruto and you knocked some sense into him, anyone would be horrified at having behaved like a monster, even if it wasn't exactly his fault… Why are all our fathers such a mess?" Sasuke suddenly asked. "Even your father, who loved you, could have ruined your life. And look at my father! His best idea was a coup."
"Maybe it wasn't his idea," she pointed out.
"He was still the clan leader. He could have refused and put an end to any rebellious thoughts as soon as they appeared, and we wouldn't be in this mess."
Seina shrugged, thinking about Sasuke's words, full of rage. The truth was, she had cursed her father more than once for what he did to them, but she knew that if he had done it, it was because he had no other choice or didn't see any other way out during the crisis. Could she hate him for that? Yes. Did it help to hate him now that he was dead? No. Sasuke sensed her thoughts, the ones she didn't want to voice, and changed the subject, frowning in contemplation.
"Tomorrow is March 1st. You've got less than a month left to find out where the jonin exam will be, right? Where do you think you'll have to go?"
"With my luck, probably Kumo."
"Can you imagine Kakashi-sensei's face if that happened?" Sasuke let out a strange chuckle.
"Why do you say that?"
"Do I really have to say out loud that your relationship with Kakashi-sensei is different from mine or the dobe's with him?" He gave her a pointed look. "He considers you special to him. Let's leave it at that."
"You're more perceptive than I thought," she smiled. "I thought it would take you longer to realize it was different."
"I'm not your brother, the idiot. Besides, being connected to a 132-year-old witch has taught me a thing or two."
"Like what?"
"Like how friends and family who truly love you are the most important thing," Sasuke said, staring hard at his dessert plate, "and that power isn't everything."
She quickly understood he was talking about her and Voldemort, respectively. Sasuke lifted his gaze from the plate almost with effort. Despite everything he had seen in her memories, what he had experienced himself, and all the time they had spent living together, he was still an introverted person, though not shy, with difficulty expressing his emotions and feelings. It would take him much more than a year to reverse everything he had suffered, but she knew he would succeed.
"Have I ever said thank you? I don't remember... but I'm grateful you took me out of my house and took me in when no one else did. I know you think that's what a real team does, but funnily enough, Naruto wouldn't have done it without you telling him to. Maybe not even Kakashi-sensei. And…" Seina stayed silent as Sasuke took his time, choosing the right words, "I'm not just talking about giving me a place to live but... about everything. Now I know and can acknowledge that without you, I would've lost my mind months ago. I don't know what would've become of me if you hadn't been here with me all this time. So, thank you, Seina. You're like a sister to me."
Seina, for her part, was speechless. She never would have imagined Sasuke was capable of saying all that out loud. Of course, she already knew—she definitely knew—because they shared a mental bond that allowed her to sense everything without Sasuke needing to confess it with words, but hearing it from his own mouth… She stood up with a small lump in her throat.
"Come here, teme," she said, grabbing him by the shirt and pulling him while Sasuke stifled a laugh at Naruto's nickname.
She hugged him for a long time by the table. Sasuke, who usually avoided any contact that wasn't during training or when arguing with Naruto, hugged her tightly, burying his face in her neck like a little kid. Though, in reality, that's what he was. A little kid. He had only just entered adolescence not long ago and still had many years to go before he could be considered an adult, physiologically speaking, just like her.
"You're my brother too, and I'm not going anywhere, okay?" she whispered, knowing Sasuke needed to hear it in words as well. "I love you."
She felt him nod into her neck, stifling a quiet, trembling sob. Then, in a voice so low she barely heard it even with her enhanced hearing, Sasuke spoke.
"I love you too."
Seina couldn't suppress the giant smile that suddenly spread across her face. She hugged Sasuke tighter, as if he were an adorable 12-year-old baby, and buried her face in his hair. She didn't know how long they stood there, hugging, comforting each other. She knew Sasuke needed that hug, so she waited until he decided he'd had enough, minutes later. When he slowly let her go, with slightly red, downcast eyes, Seina grabbed his chin to make him look directly at her.
"Hey. There's nothing to be ashamed of, got it?"
Sasuke nodded, knowing she meant it completely seriously, and that it was pointless to fight her when she got truly stubborn.
"I hope you realize that, from now on, you've given me implicit permission to hug you whenever I feel like it," she joked, smiling.
Sasuke let out a chuckle, accepting her words, and sat back in his chair. They finished dinner while joking around, but both knew something had changed for the better between them. It made her happy to think that Sasuke hadn't refused the hugs because, maybe, it was exactly what he wanted.
The next day, Seina went to the hospital like she did every Thursday. Nothing unusual happened, except that she was running out of amputated ninjas to heal. When she returned home, Naruto still wasn't back, but Kakashi-sensei was.
"Hey, Seina," smiled the jonin in her direction. "You're just in time. I just made something to eat."
"How was your mission?"
"Good. Nothing important," Kakashi-sensei shrugged. "I had to deliver some scrolls to a Konoha base at the border of the Land of Waterfalls."
"Why would they send someone of your rank just to deliver scrolls?" asked Sasuke, raising an eyebrow curiously.
"Because they were highly confidential, of course."
"Like Seina's scrolls, then."
"They sent you to deliver classified documents?" asked Kakashi-sensei, turning to her with curiosity.
"To the Land of Wind."
"Huh. Interesting," the jonin murmured to himself. Neither Sasuke nor Seina pressed him further. "Do you guys have plans this afternoon?"
"I'm working on a genjutsu for Shikamaru. Why?"
"In case you wanted to train. What genjutsu is it?"
Seina explained her idea to help Shikamaru and the other Nara, who were often left vulnerable when they used their kekkei genkai.
"It's not a bad idea for a Nara to use genjutsu. I think it'll be quite useful for him."
"Too bad Shikamaru's already a chunin," Sasuke said sarcastically.
"Yeah, but maybe he wants to become a jonin, and Seina's help could get him there with less effort."
Mysteriously, that very afternoon she received a note at home, brought by one of her summoned creatures. Since the house was under the fidelus charm, the only way to contact them was through a couple of creatures she had left with Tsunade-sama and Shikaku.
"Speak of the devil."
"The what?"
Seina waved her hand halfway, reading the note. She felt a bit surprised to realize it was from Shikaku, asking her to visit him at his house. What the hell?
"Seems like I need to go see Shikaku. I'll catch you later."
"See you, Seina."
She headed southeast, towards the hospital. The Nara clan lived relatively far away, but she walked slowly, taking in the village. She realized that the only reason Shikaku had called her over must have been the light spheres she had given to Shikamaru. Ugh. She hoped she hadn't made a misstep by gifting something to improve the clan's kekkei genkai. The last thing she wanted was for them to think she was belittling their special abilities.
As she passed the hospital, nearing the Nara grounds, she started to feel a persistent gaze on the back of her neck. It wasn't the usual fleeting glance from civilians or other ninjas who now recognized her as the Hokage's apprentice. This was something more insistent, like she was being stalked. Without stopping her stride, she sharpened her hearing, but didn't pick up anything unusual. She activated her modified revelio to see auras, but with no success. There were too many people on the street to single out whoever was watching her.
When she saw the entrance to the Nara clan grounds across the dirt road, the presence fell behind, though the gaze remained fixed on her until she disappeared inside. The Nara clan was the first clan, with living members, she had ever visited. Naras were everywhere, but the air was filled with a harmony and tranquillity that wasn't present in other parts of the village. Shikamaru was waiting for her, leaning against a tree trunk. When he saw her, he lazily yawned and stood up.
"Hey, Seina. Sorry for making you come all the way here," her friend said. "Between my dad and Ensui, I haven't really had the chance to use your gift."
Seina chuckled. Just as she had thought.
"What does your dad want to see me about?"
"I bet it's to talk to you about one of your inventions. They're waiting for us at my house," Shikamaru said, guiding her further into the clan grounds.
A few minutes later, Seina stepped inside her friend's house and that of the jonin commander for the first time. It was a two-story, typical Japanese house with light-coloured wood and green tatami mats. It had a large front garden with a path of grey stone. She left her boots at the entrance and accepted the indoor slippers her friend handed her.
"Ah, finally you're here," Shikaku said as soon as she entered the living room. "We've been trying to figure out how you did it. Since this is now a gift for the Nara clan and our property, we can study it as much as we want."
"As opposed to the other inventions I give to Tsunade-sama?" she chuckled sarcastically.
Shikaku wasn't alone. Ensui was there, along with three older people who were likely other Nara, possibly the clan's advisors. The jonin commander neither confirmed nor denied having studied her other inventions, but Seina knew he had. Someone as intelligent and curious as Shikaku wouldn't pass up the opportunity.
"By the way, can I speak with you alone for a moment?" she asked, remembering the presence that had followed her.
"What's it about?" he asked, not getting up. "Is it something confidential? Something personal?"
"…No?"
"Then you can say it here if you don't mind," he said, somewhat lazily.
"Alright," she shrugged at the six pairs of eyes, all Nara, watching her intently. "Someone followed me here. They didn't dare come in, but they followed me right up to about 20 meters from the entrance to your territory."
"…I see. I imagine you weren't able to figure out who it was," her commander responded rhetorically, his face serious.
"There were too many people to tell, but I know they followed me because I left them behind. At your gates."
"By 'left behind,' you mean they were still there when they stopped following you?" one of the unknown Naras asked abruptly. She nodded.
"Ensui."
The anbu got up without a word, disappearing in a swirl of leaves. He only answered to the Hokage as an anbu, but Shikaku was still his clan leader. Shikamaru, who had been silent with a frown, gestured for her to sit next to him. Seina sat down across from Shikaku, beside her friend and the now-empty seat Ensui had left.
"Who could it have been?" Shikamaru asked.
Shikaku sighed, saying nothing. The other Nara exchanged calculating looks.
"If I'd known, I would have gotten up," Shikaku muttered to himself. "You won't stop until I tell you, will you?"
He remained silent for a few seconds, probably weighing the pros and cons of telling his son and the clan advisors whatever it was he was thinking.
"Seina, these are Suzaku," he gestured to a man who bore a striking resemblance to Ensui. Then he pointed to an older man with his hair in a ponytail and a woman with sleek, loose hair and Nara features, "Shota and Hana."
She nodded respectfully at each of them. She didn't recognize any of them by sight, but it was clear they were Naras by birth, not by marriage. They all had alert, thoughtful eyes, but they smiled warmly at her when introduced. Ensui returned a few minutes later, even before Yoshino, Shikaku's wife, could finish serving tea and cookies without being asked.
"You should've told me," his wife scolded him, ignoring his exasperated expression.
"I was going to get up once we were all settled, Yoshino."
Seina looked away, stifling a laugh. She saw Shikamaru's mix of embarrassment and exasperation, the same as his father, and had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. Ensui sat down beside her, accepting the tea Yoshino handed him. They watched as she quickly left to change, or so she said, and then heard her leave the house.
"So?" Shikaku asked once they were alone again.
"Using the 20-meter range Seina gave us, I searched the perimeter of the clan grounds. I found some possible fresh tracks in a tree overlooking the area, but nothing more. Whoever it was, they're gone."
"I'm afraid they'll be back."
"Who was it?" Suzaku asked.
"Danzo's ninjas," Shikaku finally admitted, recognizing the truth. "The fact that Seina noticed an unknown ninja in the area makes me think they're not watching her, but me."
"Why are they watching you?" his son asked, clearly concerned. "And which Danzo are you talking about? The Third's advisor?"
"How many Danzo do you know, Shika? Yes, I'm talking about that same man. Sorry, but I can't talk about him or anything related to him. Orders from the Hokage."
Seina glanced at Shikamaru's irritated and stubborn expression from the corner of her eye. It was clear that he would try to figure out what was going on. Shikaku seemed to read the same thing in his son's face, as he sighed again. The other Nara, less impulsive than his friend, remained silent. They seemed too busy thinking to themselves.
"Well, let's get back to what really matters. The spheres of light. Can only Shikamaru use them, or can we as well, since we share blood ties?"
"That depends on the restrictions I place. Right now, they're designed for Shikamaru to use."
They continued discussing the spheres and whether they could commission a few more for other Nara members to use. Seina didn't mind. Since it was a private request that wasn't very useful for other ninjas in Konoha, Shikaku had called her to negotiate some form of payment.
"What can we offer you in return, Seina-san?" Shota asked. "Our clan, besides our kekkei genkai, specializes in producing remedies and medicines."
"I thought that, since it's of interest to you, we could reach an agreement," Shikaku admitted without any shame. "We also have a research lab in the mountains that I'd like you to protect with some of your barriers, and while we're at it, I'd also like to discuss protections for the clan itself."
"You sure don't ask for much," she laughed right in his face, causing Shikamaru to snicker. "Alright. I'll protect your lab and your clan, as well as the forest, and I'll give you 20 kits of light spheres. What are you offering me in return?"
"Could you give us 10 minutes to deliberate?"
Seina nodded. Shikamaru accompanied her to the backyard along with a plate of cookies.
"I'd forgotten that, despite being 12 years old, you're still the heir to your clan. If it had been Naruto..." Shikamaru chuckled, leaving the sentence hanging. "What interests you the most in this deal?"
"Petting a deer," she replied automatically.
Her friend observed her with a blank face. Someone else might have thought she was joking, but Shikamaru was sharp enough to realize she was being completely serious. The Nara clan had special deer, and she loved animals. And they were so adorable! She could already imagine one of those baby fawns. Aww!
They were called back inside a few minutes later.
"So? What have you decided?"
"We offer you 20 different types of medicinal plants that we grow ourselves, which can't be found in Konoha or the Land of Fire, a book of medicines created by our clan, on the condition that you use it for personal consumption or your team, and some fuinjutsu scrolls from the Uzumaki clan that were gifted to the Nara clan decades ago."
Seina considered it. It was actually a good deal. With just one plant of each type, she could easily cultivate them, the medicine book would probably have new recipes she didn't know, and her clan's fuinjutsu... That was something sentimentally valuable, in addition to being useful since she knew next to nothing about fuinjutsu, except the basics.
"I accept the deal," she said, extending her hand to Shikaku.
"Great!"
They sealed the deal with a handshake, a gesture more common among businessmen in cities than in a ninja village, but Shikaku didn't blink an eye. They finished ironing out the rest of the exchange that afternoon, and it was agreed that Shikaku would pay for a C-rank mission specifically to send her to the labs with her team. Since the clan's grounds were too busy to be placed under a fidelus charm, and Shikaku didn't want that anyway, he preferred her to use her magical barriers to prevent anyone, except a Nara or a guest of the clan, from entering their forest. This she easily accomplished that very afternoon with blood runes and other protections tied to magically charged stones.
"When do you think you'll be able to put up the barriers for the rest of the clan?" Shikaku asked as they exited the forest a while later.
"I'll come by tomorrow morning if that works for you."
"Perfect. I'll have Shikamaru and Suzaku waiting for you. I'll talk to the Hokage to give you the mission for the day after tomorrow, then. Does that sound good?"
"Yes. As for the spheres, I'll need a couple of days to have them all ready. Is it okay if I deliver them by next Wednesday at the latest?"
Shikaku nodded with a smile on his face. The other Nara had already left, and Shikamaru had opted not to enter the forest, claiming he was too tired. As they passed by Shikaku's house before she left, she saw someone had prepared a package of scrolls and books for their leader. Seina carefully placed them in her pouch, noticing that some of the scrolls were handwritten by her ancestors.
"I'll have the plants ready for you to take tomorrow. I assume you'll have no problem carrying them all, right?" he asked, already knowing the answer. She nodded. "Then tomorrow our part of the deal will be done."
She left the Nara clan with a huge smile on her face. Not wanting to risk another surprise visit or being watched, she used the hiraishin to teleport home. When she arrived, seeing that it was already night, she saw Naruto had returned from his mission and was enthusiastically recounting what had happened with the bikochu insect they were looking for to Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei.
"Seina-nee! You missed my whole story! You're going to piss yourself laughing!" Naruto exclaimed as soon as he saw her.
Kakashi-sensei, who had been half-ignoring her brother while reading a book, looked up and smiled at her.
"How did it go with the Nara?"
"I've got a lot to tell too."
Under the curious gaze of her team, Seina told them everything that had happened since she left for the Nara clan. By the time she finished, Naruto was sitting on the edge of his seat with excitement, eyeing the scrolls from her clan that she had placed on the table. Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei, equally interested, peered over his shoulder as she opened them for the first time.
"I realized something this afternoon," she said as they leafed through her small treasure trove of knowledge. "If our cousin exists, and these scrolls exist, that means there must be more things from our clan out there."
"You're planning to search for them?" Sasuke asked rhetorically. She nodded. "Makes sense. I've sometimes wondered why you weren't more interested in fuinjutsu, given who you are and how you are."
"I'm interested, but I'm always busy."
"If you want, I can teach you the basics," Kakashi-sensei offered. "I'm no expert, but your father taught me some things, as did Jiraiya-sama."
"I also wanted to ask you something. You said our cousin used chains to attack you, which is why you thought she was an Uzumaki. What chains are you talking about?"
"I'm not entirely sure how your mother did it. I never asked, but I know she could use several chains at once to attack and raise chakra barriers on her own, without the need for fuinjutsu or ninjutsu. When I saw this girl using chains, it reminded me of your mother, and logically, I thought they must be related."
"I see. That's something I'll investigate too."
She went to sleep thinking about her clan. She had never paid much attention to the Uzumaki clan, maybe because she believed that only her brother and she were left, and because their parents' house in Konoha, along with all their belongings, had been destroyed. Still, the fact that she now had irrefutable proof that there were more Uzumakis out there and that others had things belonging to her family had completely shifted her mindset. Now she needed to uncover everything she could about her clan and her father's secret clan. Honestly, her ancestors were practically a mystery to her, and Seina had never been able to resist solving a good puzzle. This time would be no different.