When The Dam Bursts (A Reika Namikaze Story) Book 2

3

"So, basically what you're saying is you want to be in charge of Naruto?" Hiruzen asked as he looked to the blonde woman in front of him with skeptical eyes.

She rose a brow. "Namikaze" she reminded.

He sighed. "Right, he is clan to you." He took a breath in through his pipe before letting the breath out. A stream of smoke appeared creating a foggy cloud around him.

"Don't smoke." She chastised.

"Hm?" He looked at her surprised. Her eyes had dilated a bit as she remembered Hank as Emilio.

She stood up and opened a window. Then she weaved through a few hand signs blowing air to clear the room of the smoke. "I said, don't smoke. It's a trigger."

He nodded in understanding doing as the woman said.

Several long agonizing minutes passed that suffocated the atmosphere around the two as they analyzed each other. One looked at the other holding exhaustion mixed with knowledge and a hint of curiosity as the other held a cold calculating abyss filled with agony, loneliness, paranoia, and a sense of longing. Both of them sat across from each other during this time.

Hiruzen could see the fire flicker when she looked at her team. No. Not her team. Her family. He could see the fire in all of them as they clearly relied on each other. Some more than others.

He found himself comparing her to Naruto. Would he end up like her if he is to be left alone? He found himself frowning in sorrow at the thought. Maybe he can brighten her life a bit.

"Fine. I will leave Naruto's care to you, Reika." He finally answered her request.

She sighed and allowed her gaze to soften as she thanked him.

"No need to thank me. Not yet, anyway."

She looked at him in confusion. 'Yes, maybe he can help save her as it is clearly not too late. No yet is she lost entirely. There is hope she can be happy, and I think our little Naruto is the only one who can wear off on her' he suppressed a chuckle at the thought.

He sighed tiredly. "You sigh more than I do." She mentioned.

"Oh?" Maybe he can get some answers from her.

"Yeah"

"I doubt you have much to think about these days." He knew he said the wrong thing even before he spoke it, yet he couldn't stop himself.

"You have no idea of what I have been through." Her gaze became colder if that was even possible as she glared so menacingly it put Tobirama's glares to shame. The air around them seemed to darken as her killer intent radiated off of the walls shaking the entire building.

And just as fast as it came, it stopped. Reika stood up from her seated position and dusted off invisible dirt as Hiruzen looked on in awe. 'If she truly wanted to harm the village, she would have done so by now. The Akatsuki have every right to fear this group if they are at all on her level.' He thought as a bead of sweat dripped down the side of his face.

He swallowed the lump that had formed as he stared where the blonde woman was seated just seconds ago. A clone, he realized. He was talking to a shadow clone. And if a shadow clone could rattle this building, how much can the real her rattle? He can't help but wonder as he got Naruto's paperwork started.

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"Hokage-Sama, it has happened again!" Minato stopped signing the paperwork as he glanced up at the Anbu in front of him.

"Eh?" He had answered dumbly. This Anbu was one of the greatest men around, but he is the messiest.

Last week, he had entered the Anbu headquarters where Reika would be doing the paperwork only to find it spotless. Not a trace of dust anywhere. This is very unusual as the woman hasn't set foot in the village for over four years. Not only that but the paperwork is always completed before this Anbu even enters.