Tsubaki Nara didn't know why things happened, only that they did. Thrust in the middle of political power struggles, agonizing conflictions of the heart, and discovery of world-shattering revelations, Tsubaki must learn for herself where she belongs...
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TSUBAKI'S POINT OF VIEW
"You kids are going to be the death of me! Tsu, stay in bed, understand? I have to hurry back to help at the clinic. If you move even a muscle I'll give you hell. Your brother should be home soon." Mom did what she could with the little free time she had for me.
Dad had already gone back to escorting the Kumogakure shinobi. Apparently I had just a small fever probably from my choice of light clothing despite it being well into winter. It would probably start snowing in a couple of days. This was my punishment for neglecting my body.
The sound of the front door shutting indicated that I was officially home alone. Absolute silence stood at a stand-still. Just me and it lying by one another, staring boredom at the boring ceiling that hung over us. It was still only noon. Usually, around this time I was at my busiest.
To disrupt that schedule over a small fever was ridiculous. My hands were just itching to grind herbs. If I could move freely I'd at least head out to the forest to practice nature chakra intake. But the last thing I needed was for mom to get on my case.
My mind began wandering. The first thing coming to thought was Itachi and Sasuke.
I wondered if the brothers were spending time with one another. Hopefully, Itachi took my advice about spending some more time with his younger sibling. The moments they shared together were precious. They had a different relationship compared to most siblings (that is not to say all siblings have the exact same relationship).
If I were to describe it in one word I would say they were distant. Sasuke certainly idolized his older brother, and Itachi showed nothing but adoration when he was talking about his younger brother the other day. But the two were still far from being able to share things with one another.
Shikamaru and I were twins. We were inseparable since birth. There was very little we didn't know about one another.
True, we had our secrets, but anything that had to do with our wellbeing we were quick to share. I can't imagine a life without my doting, irritating, overprotective older brother. It'd be like a whole part of me was missing. If Sasuke and Itachi had something similar then no matter how distant they were they'd surely be able to overcome it.
'Oh, I almost forgot about Hinata's cake. Tomorrow is her birthday. Maybe I should make her a fresh strawberry cake. I'm sure she'll like it.'
Last I checked there were enough ingredients in the pantry for a small bundt cake. A yellow batter with a sweet strawberry whip in the middle would be perfect. Hinata wasn't at odds with sweet dishes, but I knew she preferred it not to be overly sweet. The whip would be light, accenting on the strawberry's natural flavoring. Hopefully, my fever will subside by the morning so I could start immediately on baking. By late afternoon it should be done.
