Cold wooden floors, deafeningly silent rooms, cloudy skies, the threat of a thunderstorm is looming over Konoha like a bad omen. My house is no exception, pitched directly underneath grey skies.

Earlier I took a step outside, and a cool breeze drifted through the air, signaling for the weather to come.

It's not that I dislike rainy and darkened days, in fact, they're my favorite!

There's nothing better than staying home and listening to the soft drizzles of water pattering against nature, lulling even the spunkiest of people into calming naps in the comfort of their own beds.

Even in the absence of soft drizzles, in the presence of booming thunderclaps and raging downpours that wouldn't necessarily calm the average person down, I've always marveled at the gloomy atmosphere it had to offer.

I remember being fifteen and wrapping myself up in Sasuke's arms during those same rainy days, geeking out at the fact that he'd stop training momentarily and actually hang out indoors for once as a result of the harsh weather.

Granted, harsh weather rarely ever stopped him from training. It probably had more to do with me clinging onto his leg like a koala and begging to just lay down and enjoy the rain damnit!

Not much changed as I grew older. Being pregnant with Masahiko, rainy days were the best days.

Sasuke and I would take Katsuro out whenever the rain was light enough and he'd squeal in surprise every time a raindrop fell on his tiny nose. The sight always managed to cheer me up from Masahiko being an absolute menace in my growing belly

Ironically enough, my own stormy prince was born during a storm himself!

On one of May's rainiest days about fifteen years ago, Masahiko was brought into this world, only furthering my love for dreary weather. The fact that his chakra natures proved to be water and lightning only added to the irony of it all, I supposed.

The point is, I love rainy days and everything they have to offer! This rainy day, however, is probably the worst day ever!

"Day one, sadness," I mumble quietly, blinking up at my ceiling with dull eyes and hair fanned out all around me due to my sprawled out position on the floor.

Day one: four out of five of my kids are GONE!! Left the nest! They don't need me anymore! They're all grown up and-

"Haru, you've always had a flair for the dramatics but this is pathetic," Isamu stated, eyeing me with a deadpan expression as he trotted down the marvelous staircase. Behind him, one of his pups cheerily followed along.

His only female pup and one of the cutest of the bunch, if I were being a little honest and biased.

Her name is Kirei (Named by Haruki, which makes a whole lot of sense) and she's absolutely adorable, with a fluffy white coat and a single patch of black fur on her forehead which resembles a small heart.

She's Haruki's favorite as well, which is very obvious in the way she's wearing a pastel blue collar with a frilly bow on it and a small bedazzled locket with her name engraved on the center, looking like she's popped out of a princess movie with how squeaky clean and cute Haruki keeps her.

Kirei isn't always home with us since she's still just a baby and it's easier for her to stay home in the tundra, but Isamu always makes sure to bring her around every once in a while when she and some of her siblings want to play with the kids. (Really, they all just want to play with Daisuke)

However, whenever she's visiting, she's usually tucked away in Haruki's room in her own little bed; acting like the pampered pup she was born to be.

Back at the tundra however, all of the wolves are definitely expecting Kirei to be Haruki's wolf when she summons her own, Isamu told me!

"Haru-hime? What's wrong?" The baby pup squeaked out, reminding me all too much of Isamu when he was small just because of how similar they looked (Besides the differing eye colors and patches of fur coloration.)

I immediately sent Isamu a scowl for his words, sitting up from the icy floors with a chill running up my back as I happily allowed little Kirei into my arms. "I'm just thinking about how much cuter your dad was when he was your size."

The baby pup, clearly amused, giggled at my clear side-eye towards Isamu as she cuddled up into a little bundle of fluff in my arms, managing to provide me with a bit of warmth.

Isamu rolled his eyes at me, laying down himself with his chin perched on his paws, the large wolf taking up quite a bit of space on my living room floor.

Hm, now looking at him a bit more, he reminds me of Isao, my mother's summoning!

Man, I miss him...

"Why don't you mention the real reason Haru? The kids are off on that field trip and now you're left with just one instead of the usual three." Isamu knowingly claimed, to which I pouted and scooped up Kirei, hugging her closely.

He's also turned extra blunt, just like Isao was!

"That too," I mumble sadly, bowing my head as little sulking lines appear all around me.

Yesterday morning, I let Masahiko who had momentarily returned from traveling with Sasuke, and the girls go off on their own to that field trip to the mist.

On one hand, I'm both proud and happy for my two princesses! They're living out the lives I wish I had at their age, traveling the world with their friends and experiencing new things, still protected by their bubbles of innocence despite their prestigious bloodline which surely would've had them hunted down years ago.

Not to say that it can't happen today, there are always going to be people who are out for trouble in the world no matter how peaceful it becomes.

Luckily though, not many people are bold enough to mess with Sasuke Uchiha's daughters.

On that same note, I'm worried damnit!! This is their first time ever being away from me for so long!!

Did I cry as they left? Yes.

Did I demand that they each hug me for an extended period of five minutes? Maybe...

Okay maybe I did, but I can't be blamed!! The girls are growing up far too quickly for my liking, next thing I know and they're suddenly being put on teams and away from the house even more!

Plus, I've improved! Back when Hiko and Katsu first started leaving our home themselves I was absolutely inconsolable! So much so that Naruto and Shikamaru had to visit and promise me that they'd give me every single update possible the boys had to offer.

Tough times...

I might need similar updates on the girls though, just for precaution, hmm...

"Haru, the brats are fine and you know it. They're on a cruise, Runa's probably drowning herself in soda, and Haruki's off with Inojin or the other pale kid with glowing eyes she's grown fond of as of late. If anything Masahiko is the one suffering just sitting there." He snorts at the idea, shaking his head at the thought of Hiko.

The irrational part of my brain saddens at the idea of Masahiko suffering to even the tiniest extent, but my more rational side is delighted by the fact that he isn't out there fighting criminals from the underground or spying on any other dangerous individuals. God those boys are gonna give me a heart attack one day!

"Huh? But Haru-hime! Now you can spend extra time with Daisuke!" Kirei chirped from below, blinking up at me curiously with those big puppy-like eyes.

"I guess you're right, but I don't want to wake him up for now. It's still early." I hum, petting through Kirei's fluffy coat as I try to take my mind off of my older kids.

I hope Runa's not going too crazy with the soda intake without my supervision, she always gets these nasty headaches when she drinks too much, a sad quirk considering the fact that she practically lives off of the drink!

I don't know how she manages to cope, I'd be so sad if my Sake intake was tinted by some annoying headaches-

Suddenly, a roar of thunder could be heard booming from outside of the house, to which Kirei squeaked in fright and curled around into a tiny ball in my hands; her superior and sensitive ears falling victim to the loud sound. Isamu on the other hand glanced out through our giant windows, watching as the water droplets pelted down onto the ground outside.

"At least I don't have to water the flowers for a while," I mumble with a sweatdrop, also inspecting my backyard with a keen eye.

"I hope the thunder doesn't wake the brat up," Isamu spoke, turning back to me after tearing his red eyes away from the windows. I shake my head, wisps of white hair swaying behind me via my loosened ponytail in response.

"Nah, he's a deep sleeper remember?" I hum, gently covering Kirei's wildly sensitive ears with the palms of my hands as another boom of crashing thunder emits from the sky. There's a bright flickering flash, indicative of lightning. The wind began to pick up in speed, all of the telltale signs of a bad storm coming into full play outside.

"Aww Kirei it's okay! It's just a storm, we're safe here." I say with a small smile, glancing down at the pup who's curled up in my arms, resembling a tiny white cloud. She could barely squeak out a response when yet another booming roar of thunder is heard, followed up by the familiar flicker of white light.

Ah, it all just kinda reminds me of Masahiko!

"So have you talked to Sasuke?" Isamu asks, to which I shake my head. Sadly, Sasuke and I haven't spoken ever since he left a couple of days ago.

To say I'm missing him would be an understatement! But still, I have to be grateful for the time we were able to spend together at home. I wish it could be more of a constant thing though. He promised to come home more often, but I don't wanna be too pushy either.

I should really call Katsu soon though, our phone calls are a must!

"Maybe I should clean up the kid's rooms, it'll be nice when they come back," I suggest. Quickly, I stood up from the floor with Kirei in my arms. This might be enough to distract me momentarily from the fact that they'll be gone for the next week.

Ugh why'd they have to leave?!

"Sounds good." Isamu agrees, pretty much willing to do anything that'd help me get out of this sad slump before following along as I make a quick trip to the storage closet and pick up some cleaning supplies.

The three of us then make our way upstairs, with Kirei nestled firmly in my arms since she's too scared to wander off on her own due to the heavy storm outside.

The first room in our home's second floor is Haruki's with hers being the closest to the staircase. So naturally, we approached her room first. I smile slightly at the decorations, a few paintings of pastel pink and blue flowers sprinkled along the edges of the door.

It was Inojin who painted these flowers via Haruki's request a couple of months ago, the sweet gesture reminding anyone who enters her room that she's blessed with such a talented friend.

In some ways, Entering Haruki's room is like entering another dimension.

A world existing through rose-tinted glasses as the muraled walls spiral upwards in a concoction of pastel sparkles and dreams.

Her bedroom looks like it was ripped straight out of a fairytale book, with her canopy bed being draped with the finest of white and blue satin fabrics, baby pink and blue flowers twirling around pillars, fairy lights glimmering from the high ceilings, the fluffy white carpet that expands across the circumference of her bed, and oh-

Kirei's own little princess-themed bed, of course.

At the sight of her mini home that Haruki's always had perched near her bed, Kirei lets out a squeak of joy and jumps out of my arms; pattering her paws over to her own bed and cuddling into the fluffy oasis.

Isamu and I share an amused glance before venturing off further into the spacious bedroom. Haruki and Runa have both always been organized girls themselves, and it shows in the way that nothing looks out of place. For the most part, at least.

Haruki's room, just like the rest of the rooms in this house, has a great view of Konoha and the kage mountains. I walk over to her curved windows, sitting down on the nook and raising my brows at the sight of Konoha under such heavy wind and rain.

The strong gusts are creating swaying effects in the trees below, and a grey overcast has been set on the entire town.

"There's not really much to do here huh?" I sweatdrop, standing up from the window nook and venturing off to different sections of her room. I end up in her closet, walking through the well-lit space (Via the sparkling chandelier she insisted on having) with raised brows.

"She's tidied everything up herself," I murmur, fingers trailing through all of her articles of clothing, from frilly sweetheart neckline dresses to sparkling crop tops and velvety pajama sets; her closet looks like it belongs in a boutique!

Not to mention the dozens upon dozens upon dozens of- maybe even hundreds! of shoes, all organized by color and the heights of the heels.

Every day it amazes me that she's indeed Sasuke's child...and that they get along so well...Wow.

I snort when I catch a glimpse of her vanity, filled to the brim with different scented perfumes and glitzy makeup products, finding a couple of my own lipsticks on the countertop; eh I'll just let her have them.

"Doesn't she usually carry this around with her?" Isamu's voice snaps me out of my amused gaze, and I whirl around to find him sitting in her dressing area near the full-length mirror, eyeing a journal that's been left open on the carpeted floor.

"Oh, she left her diary!" I frown, walking over to Isamu and kneeling by his side.

"She always carries this around." I agree, taking the open journal in my hands and going to close it. I've always prided myself on maintaining my kids' privacy and this time is no different. However, something different catches my eye.

Haruki's calligraphy has always been so sweet and pretty, if calligraphy could even emit sweetness in the first place.

She writes like a princess, so delicate and neat that she's always been revered by her writing teachers in school for her work. However, this reflects absolutely none of that.

Instead of seeing her usual neat and pink entries, I'm taken aback by the sight of scribbled lines, shaky handwriting that barely even resembled Haruki's, as if she were writing in a rush. In some parts of the page, she pressed so harshly into the paper with her pen that there were small tears.

Eyes widening in alarm, I share a worried glance with Isamu. What the hell is this?!

I turn back to the page, scanning over her rushed and frantic handwriting worriedly.

T U B E S / T O R T U R E-

I Can't sleep!!

It hurts,

Why was he hurting-

I want to help him but I can't

I'm scared, why am I seeing these things?!

My jaw drops at the contents of the page, even finding places where the ink had smudged from what seemed to be droplets of tears. "What the hell?" I whisper, Isamu's eyes narrowing by my side as he also analyzes Haruki's writing.

"Are there any more pages like that?" Isamu gruffs out, and all hopes of saving Haruki's privacy have been flung out of the window as I worriedly flip through her diary. Thunder booms outside once more, and I click my tongue at the sound.

That one was extra loud, I hope it doesn't wake Dai up.

Isamu and I move outside of Haruki's closet and back out into her bedroom, sitting on her bed, I continue to scan through every single page. A pit of dread forms in my stomach, the heavy, unsettling feeling plaguing my existence as a mother the more pages I go through.

Why do I feel like I miss him?

Can't move-

Who were all of those people? Blurred faces-

This wasn't the only entry with a similarly disheveled appearance, from what I could put together, she's been dreaming like this ever since Friday.

Ever since Sasuke left?!

She's been losing sleep, and how she managed to mask it so well I have no clue. What the hell could she have been dreaming about though?! Tubes?! Torture?! What the hell is all of this?!

"Maybe you should call her?" Isamu suggests, worried himself over the younger one of the twin duo.

"Call her!? I might as well turn that entire ship around." I scoff, growing a bit anxious over the fact that I didn't know anything about this, and now that I do, she's gone!!

Yet another clap of thunder resounds throughout Konoha, but this time is different. I pause momentarily, alarm bells ringing in my head for some reason. As if my nerves weren't shot to hell enough with this discovery in Haruki's diary, I feel an eerie sense of dread wash over me.

Goosebumps run across my body in waves, I can't put my finger on it, the sensation of looming danger, something's wrong, something other than the journal in my hands.

Maybe it's the motherly instinct that's been ingrained into my soul ever since I first laid eyes on Katsuro, but I find myself turning out to the hallway.

My eyes narrow, and my senses sharpen as I gaze out Haruki's door.

Something's definitely wrong.

I've always had a strong intuition, a gut instinct that never really failed me as I grew older in a dangerous shinobi society.

It would save me probably a thousand times back in my teenage years when I was with the likes of the Akatsuki, and even though it's been years since then, I would never stop listening to it.

Isamu's voice trails off from whatever we were talking about, eyeing me and my sudden silence curiously. "Haru? What's wrong?"

He turns to the open doorway as well, eyes widening when he hears the subtle, extremely muted sound of cries coming from across the hallway

I hear it as well, and my reaction is instant.

I recognize those cries all too well, the same cries that have kept me up late at night all these years, the same cries that I'd spend hours on end trying to soothe, the same cries that haunt my worst nightmares.

"It's Daisuke!" I gasp suddenly, bolting up from Haruki's bed, diary long forgotten as a new sense of urgency has been accessed. Storming through the hallways and slamming open the door to my nine-year-old son's room.

It all happened so quickly, so terribly that I barely managed to catch my breath as I stormed through the hallways and slammed open the door to my nine-year-old son's room.

It's funny how in the blink of an eye, in a second's worth of time, lives could change. Days could go from neutral to twistedly terrible, and tragically, it's out of anybody's control.