because It's always the quiet ones that surprise you.

Shades of Konoha: Sunlight and Starshine
It's Always the Quiet Ones

He could barely see her through his one good eye – the other was swollen shut completely – but what little he could see struck terror.

For the life of him, he couldn't figure out where they had gone wrong.

It was supposed to be an easy hit – a woman alone, and recovering from recent childbirth, and her helpless infant. They'd only sent two people so they could split up their escape, but nothing had gone to plan.

His memory was scrambled, and the last reliable thing he could recall was his partner giving him the signal to attack. After that, it was starbursts of pain and fire in his lungs and then nothing. His guard, a pale, emotionless man eyed him coolly – but even this wasn't who had shackled him here.

"Here," he handed her a knife – a thin, dangerous looking thing. "In case he is difficult."

"Oh," - she took it and stepped closer to him, sliding the knife point down his cheek – "I don't think we'll need it," – she pressed it to his neck – "Will we?"

He didn't even dare to breathe, much less reply.

She stepped in until her lips were millimeters from his ear, her voice a whisper of venomous steel.

"I want you to know without any question that I am the reason you are shackled here, and the only reason you are alive is it serves a purpose."

"A... a purpose?"

"You will return to whoever sent you and tell them that Konoha is too strong, and to call off any other attacks. You will not mention my name - not that anyone would believe you if you did. If you do," he made the mistake of meeting her eyes directly, and the temperature in the room dropped with his stomach, "You'll be dead. Just like your partner."

"Oh?" She blinked wide eyes at his surprise. "He didn't tell you?" she asked as his eyes dilated and his breaths shallowed. He flicked a glance to the emotionless guard who shrugged.

"I know you love that part."

"I do," she admitted, her tone nonchalant as if they were discussing the weather. "And you will make sure that the body is found tomorrow. Unless our friend here would rather they find two…?" He shook his head, the cold of the knife a stark reminder to keep all movements small. "No. I thought not," she stepped back and handed the knife back to the guard.

"Oh, and one more thing," she turned back to him. "I was being quite literal about never mentioning our names. Sai here has placed a specific seal on you. Should you mention either of our names, it will activate and kill you immediately."

She stepped in closer then. "My husband is one of the two most powerful shinobi in the world, and if you go near my family ever again, you will wish that I had let him deal with you in my place. Do you understand?"

He gave a small, terrified nod as urine ran down his leg to pool at his feet.

"See that he is escorted out of the Land of Fire. Tell the others – if he returns, he dies."

The pale soldier nodded, and everything went black

Naruto returned to find his wife sitting quietly with a cup of tea, her knitting next to her.

"Naruto," she smiled, standing. "You're back!"

"Finished up early," he grinned, wrapping her in a warm hug. "I missed you two."

"Come," she slipped her hand into his, and led him down the hall. "I just put him down a little bit ago."

They crept into the nursery, hand in hand, and watched the tiny miracle of their infant son breathing while he slept peacefully.

"I'm so glad you are both safe," Naruto whispered, placing a gentle hand on Boruto's head before turning back to his wife. "I get nervous every time I have to leave Konoha."

"I know," she slipped her arms around him. "But you can ask Sai – it was an uneventful time."

"He wasn't a bother, was he?" Naruto frowned. "I can ask for someone else to be on duty when I leave."

"Sai was fine," Hinata assured him.

"They found a body," Naruto said, his voice lower and more afraid. "He was part of a known rogue-nin duo. Must've had a falling out with his partner, because he was nowhere to be found. When I heard, I was so worried, what if –"

"We are safe," Hinata reassured him gently. "And whoever that person was, he can't hurt us."

"I know, I know," Naruto hugged her tightly. "It's just that if anything happened to the two of you, I don't know what I'd do."

"Nothing will happen to us," Hinata smiled into his shirt, and he didn't see the steel in her eyes when she murmured, "I promise."