Has time always gone by so slowly?

I don't know how many minutes I've spent sitting around ever since my mom sent out those wolves to look for Masahiko.

Maybe it was a few minutes, maybe even an hour. All I know is that the longer we waited around for any news of my white haired brother, my mom's nerves got worse and worse.

I felt helpless as I watched her pace around as a way to distract herself. She'd walk to my dad every once in a while, and he'd lend her small words to try and calm her down. His efforts however, were to no avail.

Naruto, the seventh hokage and one of her closest friends would try his hand at calming her down since he literally looked pained earlier to see her in such a worried state. Again, the attempts were fruitless!

Since the two of them couldn't really do much to fix the state she was in, the pacing continued. Amidst it all she'd walk over to Runa, Chocho and I.

They'd be wordless interactions, she wouldn't speak as she sat beside the three of us and hauled us into her arms despite my small complaints and Cho-Cho cheerily hugging her back.

Haruki? Well she'd just silently hug her back in hopes of not making mom even more upset than she already was.

Of course, there was no way she'd leave Katsuro out of her arms either! Which explains why 90% of the time she wasn't holding us she was hugging him tightly-

I sighed as I watched her walk over to my dad for what seemed like the hundredth time, god she's so freaked out!

And she's normally the calm one in any given situation!

I can't blame her though, this entire situation is crazy!

The enemy my mom defeated earlier was terrifying, and if he had anything to do with Masahiko's disappearance then shit I might as well start pacing back and forth to calm myself down too!

Just the thought of that Shin guy attacking me whilst I was alone was nightmare fuel, Both the older and younger Shin were just so creepy...

Therefore, I understood where my mom was coming from. But I must say, her paranoia has spiked to an almost unbearable degree!

She was convinced that although she defeated him, he'd somehow find a way to set out his goal even after death, maybe in the form of other members from whatever team he composed.

I asked her just what experience she had with situations like this because she seemed unusually knowledgeable in this department.

From what I knew, my mom wasn't really too much of an active ninja in her time. But with what I saw from her earlier, I'm starting to truly question If I really knew my mom as much as I thought I did!

Like yeah, she was apart of team seven and fought in the shinobi world war but nobody ever really told me much else about her other than the fact that she was supposedly "very strong"

Well, I didn't really believe that before today.

In response to my question however, she told me to and I quote "ask her again in ten years."

....I wanna know now though!

Well, at the end of the day whether she'd tell me or not didn't matter since her worries stayed strong. She genuinely believed an enemy was going to come back and snatch one of us from her!

She wouldn't even let us join the wolves search party for Masahiko! Citing that she wanted us near her and within her eyesight at all times.

Of course I wasn't alone in realizing my mom was slowly losing it, as my dad took notice rather quickly. He eventually had enough of watching her create her own downward spiral towards insanity and forced her to stand by his side.

And he had her take a couple of deep breaths while at it.

Haruki and I couldn't help but watch in bewilderment as they interacted, this being one of the first times in how many years they've done so?

They were both currently talking to Naruto, but my mom had her back to my dad, and he naturally had an arm hooked around her waist (holding her to his chest) as they spoke.

Naruto seemed to be accustomed to the sight, not batting an eye at the subtle skinship.

My eyes bore into the couple curiously, and I even managed to catch the way one of her hands was interlaced with his from behind her. My cheeks flushed a bit at the sight.

Oh my kami my mom actually has a boyfriend! Well- husband. Ugh same thing!

"They have to be together, just look at how he's looking at her!" My sister whispered by my side, discreetly nudging her head in the direction of our parents.

I deadpanned at her enthusiasm before taking another look myself.

She was right, my dad looked incredibly different whenever he'd interact with my mom much to my own surprise. Well, as different as a man like him could look when displaying affection.

His eyes softened whenever they were directed at her, and the fondness that was present in his otherwise dark gaze showed me that he was definitely in love with my mom.

If the look in his eyes wasn't proof enough, the way he'd subtly pull her towards him or keep her within an arm's reach earlier was reason enough to believe that he hadn't gotten over her like I originally speculated.

The two of them now made it pretty obvious that they were together.

They didn't look like they were the touchiest couple at all, but I guess years of separation really affected the two of them. An example of this being that even though my mom looked pissed off at him, she couldn't help but lean into dad's side whenever she was near him.

Currently, He still held her flush to her chest, her eyes were directed at Naruto who she was speaking to, but my dad was gazing down at her instead.

Although I was a bit flustered at first, a small scowl appeared on my face at the sight.

Not because I'm bitter to see them together, no that's not it. If anything I'm relieved! It's just-

He looks like he's so in love with her, I get that. But why the hell hasn't he visited in over seven years?!

He makes zero sense!

From the corner of my eye I could see hearts & sparkles float all around Haruki as she watched them as well.

Just what goes through her head to get her in such a dreamy state?! I'll never get it!

And how do those hearts and sparkles just appear out of nowhere?! How does she make the atmosphere around her literally turn pink sometimes?!

Too many questions, not enough answers!

I don't dwell on it for too long, as I noticed that whatever Naruto was telling my mom to get her to calm down seemed to work just a little bit.

He stopped her pacing around at the very least!

But I could still tell she was still more than nervous by the way she would bite her inner cheek and fiddle with the ends of her pin straight hair.

My eyes bounced back between my mom and Haruki before tilting my head in a random thought.

Who on earth did Haruki inherit those curls from?!

My mom's hair is as straight as mine (Which is saying a lot because a curling iron would barely ever do me any justice) And my dad's hair seems just as straight as well!

Hm, interesting!

My eyes drifted over to Katsuro, who looked like he was aching to get out and into the field in search for our other brother.

No seriously, he's literally staring out into the direction where the wolves set off in, I don't think he's blinked once!

However, Katsuro is not one to go against my mother since at the end of the day, he's the biggest mama's boy around.

Well, he's second to Masahiko in the mama's boy department in my opinion.

I sigh at the thought of Masahiko. Much like with my eldest brother, He and I were never really close since he's always away.

Masahiko is just....so cold!

I don't even think it was ever intentional, it's just how he's always been! Always a bit brighter with Katsuro and my cousin Reiji, but even then he wasn't the type to make jokes or laugh too loudly.

Now that I think about it...have I ever seen Masahiko smile?!

Oh what am I saying, of course I have! Whenever he comes home and sees my mom he lends her the brightest smile his stoic features could muster. I've also seen him smile around Katsuro and our cousin Reiji as they were his best friends.

And although he's never necessarily a cheery type of guy, Masahiko definitely loosens up his attitude in the presence of his sensei, the sixth hokage.

(Also known as uncle Kakashi)

I don't think he's ever smiled at me or Haruki....hn

I do respect him though, greatly at that! He's everything I think a ninja should be, and he's lord seventh's favorite for a reason!

I actually think lord seventh tries to downplay Masahiko being his favorite but...it's painfully obvious to everybody.

Before I knew it and as my thoughts ran wild, The waiting game luckily came to an end sooner than I expected it to. One of the dozens of wolves my mom sent out appeared from the unique shrubbery this landzone had to offer.

The wolf was smaller than Isamu but big enough so that we'd know he wasn't just a little pup. He had a shiny black coat with bright red eyes, and I instantly recognized him as Ikaru, katsuro's summoning wolf.

He's also Isamu's son!

I subtly tilted my head at yet another random thought that popped through my head.

My mom has white hair and red eyes. Isamu has a white coat and red eyes!

Katsuro has black hair and red eyes. Ikaru has a black coat and red eyes!

....If I were to get my own wolf, will he or she have a black coat and black eyes?! If so, the science behind that is really mysterious-

My silly thoughts are promptly interrupted by Ikaru jumping out from the shrubbery and instantly running over to my mom. She looked both terrified and relieved to see him, and I can't blame her.

"We found him! We found Masahiko!" Ikaru gasped out, standing in front of my mom with the utmost respect.

"What?!" Mom gasped, tearing herself away from dad and turning to the wolf in question. Ikaru nodded urgently.

"Well- he found us really. His chakra was barely detectable and I think he was using the last of what he had to find us-"

"The last of what he had?!" Katsuro jumped in the conversation, taking a step towards his own wolf in worry. My brows raised naturally at the sight of genuine worry taking over his expression.

I've never seen him look both so invested and so genuine in a situation like ever! I can't blame him though as my eyebrows knit together in just as much concern.

What does he mean by the last of his chakra?

"He's in bad shape, really bad. He was asking for you Haru-hime!" Ikaru relayed. I could hear Haruki gasp by my side, and although I stayed silent, my heart rate easily spiked up with fear and worry.

Masahiko was hurt?! T-That's impossible!

Masahiko is probably the strongest guy I know besides my mom's friends who are ninja themselves!

I remember all of the times he would walk through the doors of our house, looking barely touched despite having just come from intense and difficult missions.

I know part of it had to do with the regeneration ability he inherited from mom, but it went even beyond that! He never sounded tired, and always looked like he was ready to take down the next mission with ease!

The sixth hokage Kakashi always praised Masahiko for his stealth and prowess as a ninja, but always chastised him for never taking breaks.

However, Masahiko was fearless and stubborn from what I could tell (We aren't really all that close), and constantly insisted on improving himself.

To hear that he's in bad shape? That's scary.

My mom clearly shared a similar sentiment to me since she looked panicked at the news, instinctively taking hold of my dad's hand in her own.

I somehow caught the movement even amidst all of this chaos.

Not to be weird but...seeing my mom be in a relationship is so odd-

"Where is he?!" She asked, sharing worried glances with Naruto and my father. Instead of telling us, the darkly coated wolf urged that we follow him, and none of us had to be told twice.

Naruto used his golden chakra cloak to pick up the two bodies my mom dealt with earlier, knowing that we'd need the bodies later for further examination.

My mom and dad were probably the first ones to dash in the direction Ikaru was leading us in, followed by Katsuro and Naruto.

Cho-cho, Haruki and I tried keeping up, but my god they're all so fast!

I sighed lightly at the feeling of a strong breeze running through my hair as I ran alongside my sister and best friend; and the sun beaming down on my face due to the lack of leaves protecting us did nothing to ease the unnerving feeling I had bubbling up within me.

I skillfully took tentative jumps on each narrow branch that came my way, pushing myself forward for the sake of not getting lost amidst the sparse shrubbery with everyone else running so quickly.

The three of us girls were subtly panting by the time we caught up with where the adults raced off too, and yet the sight that followed only left me and my sister in a further panic.

Everyone was frozen in place, no longer dashing through the woods from the high branches, instead, we were all on the desolate forest floors.

My parents, Naruto, and Katsuro were all standing in a row, making it difficult for me to see just what they were looking at due to how short I was in comparison to them.

Of course, morbid curiosity won me over, and I nudged my way between my parents to get a peek at what they were all staring at. My jaw dropped at the sight.

Masahiko-

There was blood, a lot of it.

The blood oozed from the numerous wounds littering his torso, and if the gory scene weren't enough, he literally looked like he was dead by the way he was just lying on the ground.

I could feel my heartbeat quicken in shock and fear, barely even reacting when my father pushed me behind him in a weak attempt to shield the scary view.

I wasn't the only one having a difficult time processing Masahiko's current state, as from the corner of my eyes I see Haruki bury her face into Katsuro's side. She did so to avoid the sight of our heavily injured older brother, and I can't blame her one bit!

I almost wish that I had it in me to look away, but I couldn't help the way I froze up. It was like watching a disaster unfold, the paralyzing feeling subjecting me to staying and watching instead of averting my eyes elsewhere.

My morbid curiosity continued to win me over as I peeked behind my father's back. With a hitched breath and narrowed eyes, I caught sight of a trail of blood. That must've been where he came from!

Continuing to study the scene before me seriously, I let out a small puff of relief when I realize that his chest is (Albeit slowly) rising and falling with every breath he took, signaling to us that he's still alive at the very least.

There were wolves all around my older brother, all looking over him tensely as they tried to map out just what the best course of action would be. Of course, now with my mother present, they all straightened up and backed away from him, letting her take the reins.

Well, everybody besides Isamu. As the pack leader and my mother's summoning, he held authority over the other wolves, so it didn't surprise me that he was the one in charge in her absence.

He was still at Masahiko's side protectively, looking at my mom through widened and worried eyes. "Haru come quick! He's still conscious!" Isamu exclaimed.

Isamu's words were enough to break my mother out of the petrified stupor she submitted to when she first saw Masahiko.

"Masahiko!" she gasped out shakily, rushing over to the fourteen-year-old as fast as she could.

I watched with a heavy heart as she knelt by his side and immediately brought him into her arms, hugging him to her tightly.

My mom's actions managed to unparalyze everybody else, as before I could even take a proper breath my father and Naruto were also right by Masahiko's side. They were followed by Haruki and Katsuro.

My mom was frantic, whispering comforting words to him and running her hand through his hair, but by the look on his face, I couldn't even tell if he could hear her properly from how out of it he seemed!

"Whoa, what happened to him?!" Cho-Cho asked by my side, effectively waking me up from my own stupor. I glanced over at her with a sweatdrop, noting how she was munching on a bag of chips amidst all of this chaos.

I gotta hand it to her, she's probably the calmest one here-

I tear my eyes away from Cho-Cho and glance back at my white haired older brother. With my mom holding him up a bit, I manage to get a small glimpse of his face.

He was barely awake and blood was pouring from his wounds, only freaking my mom out further.

(Again, I can't really blame her for that, even I'm freaking out! However, he's still alive and that small factor is what's allowing me to hold myself together for the time being.)

With all of my family huddled up around Masahiko, I decided that it'd be better if I joined. However, My steps were hesitant. I didn't know whether or not I wanted to see my brother in such a troubled state.

Before I could put too much thought into it though, Katsuro glanced over at me and gestured that I walk over to them with his hand that wasn't occupied in comforting Haruki.

Haruki had her face stuffed into Katsuro's side, taking tiny peeks at her other older brother before cringing and looking away, not wanting to see him in such a torn upstate.

God this is all so fucked up!

I followed his orders and ended up right next to my siblings, bowing my head a bit at the sight of my brother laying on the ground.

My eyes practically bore into his chest, focusing on the fact that he's still breathing to help me process everything. Never in my life have I been exposed to such a. . . gory scene, a gory scene where a family member is a victim much less!

Katsuro didn't look much better off than Haruki with his dark brows knitted together and worry and a clenched jaw, but he kept his eyes on his brother nonetheless.

So transfixed on watching Masahiko breathe, I almost missed the sound of his tired voice fighting to speak clearly. Of course, my gaze snapped to his face in shock, noting how he was trying to stay awake.

"M-mom?" He asked hoarsely, to which her features softened immensely, any traces of anger she had left for Haruki and I which were etched on her face were completely gone and replaced with concern.