#vendor risk management

[mayank-mallik84]

Leading Emerging Trends in Vendor Risk Management | inMorphis

Discover the latest Vendor Risk Management trends for 2024, including AI integration, cybersecurity focus, continuous monitoring, and sustainable practices.

[neilsblog]

Enhancing Vendor Risk Management: Modern Solutions for a Secure and Compliant Business

In today’s dynamic business environment, effective Vendor Risk Management (VRM) solutions are essential for organizations aiming to align their risk management framework with business goals and objectives. Modern VRM software platforms, with their robust, flexible, and scalable architecture, empower organizations to implement tailored solutions rapidly, addressing unique needs and business…

[usasvam]

Why is Vendor Risk Management Program Essential for Companies

The cloud provider vendors are using VRM due to the increasing number of people opting to work from home following the pandemic. Thus, the digital transformation requires growing while simultaneously relying on vendors along with the cybersecurity consulting services from the experts.

[pathquestsolutions]

Managing Vendor Relationships with Accounts Payable Automation

Vendor management is a cornerstone of your business operations because it ensures that you get the products and services you need to keep your systems moving and customers happy. But sometimes, managing vendor relationships can be easier said than done. Here are some common obstacles that damage interactions with third-party providers and how Accounts Payable Automation can help solidify productive vendor relationships.

The Key to Strong Vendor Relationships: Keeping the Lines of Communication Open

When you keep the lines of communication open, you help eliminate miscommunications that can strain the relationship. It’s best to always provide too much information, as opposed to not quite enough. In many situations, this involves enhancing the visibility between your vendor and your processes. With accounts payable automation, you can quickly surface important information regarding each vendor you do business with, making it easier to communicate key information.

For more information read our blog at https://pathquest.com/knowledge-center/blogs/managing-vendor-relationships-with-accounts-payable-automation/

[century-solutions-group]

IT Vendor Risk Management

Unlock the power of IT vendor management with Century Solutions Group! Streamline operations, cut costs, and mitigate risks by keeping your partnerships in perfect harmony. Say hello to efficiency and bid farewell to headaches! #CenturySolutions #ITVendorManagementBenefits - https://okt.to/LGd3IC 

[chloedecker0]

Maximizing Retail Profits: Harnessing B2B Price Optimization Software

In the ever-evolving world of retail and e-commerce, businesses are constantly seeking ways to gain a competitive edge. Among the many strategies employed, B2B Price Optimization and Management Software stands out as a game-changer. Price optimisation and management (PO&M) software solutions enable businesses to oversee and optimize the prices of their goods and services. These services also provide a growing range of sales intelligence advice, such as best-next-action suggestions and customer churn warnings. In the industry, vendors either focus on back-office price management and product management roles, or they focus on providing real-time sales intelligence to sales representatives and B2B digital commerce websites, or both. Quadrant Knowledge Solutions, a leading global advisory and consulting firm, has recognized the significance of this technology in their report, “B2B Price Optimization and Management Applications, 2023”. Quadrant Knowledge Solutions focuses on helping clients in achieving business transformation goals with Strategic Business, and Growth Advisory Services. 

Download the sample report of Market Share: B2B Price Optimization and Management Software

Understanding the Retail and E-commerce Landscape 

The retail and e-commerce industry is a highly dynamic and competitive space. Companies within this domain face the continuous challenge of pricing their products right to maximize profitability while staying attractive to their customers. In this context, pricing becomes a critical element of their strategy. Let's delve into some of these challenges: 

Rapidly Changing Market Dynamics: Retail and e-commerce markets are highly volatile, with ever-shifting consumer preferences and market trends. Adapting to these changes in real-time is essential to stay competitive. Without the right tools, businesses risk making pricing decisions that are out of sync with market realities. 

Intense Competition: In retail and e-commerce, competition is fierce. With numerous players offering similar products or services, pricing becomes a key differentiator. Setting prices too high can drive customers away, while pricing too low can erode profit margins. 

Complex Supply Chain and Cost Structures: The retail and e-commerce sector often deals with complex supply chain operations and cost structures. Understanding the true costs associated with a product or service is essential for setting optimal prices. Traditional methods of cost calculation can be time-consuming and error-prone. 

Customer Behaviour and Expectations: Today's consumers are more informed and price-sensitive than ever before. Their buying behaviour can change rapidly in response to various factors, including promotions, discounts, and market trends. Retailers must be agile in responding to these changes. 

Competitor Pricing Strategies: Keeping a constant eye on competitor pricing is crucial. Businesses need to respond promptly to pricing moves made by competitors to remain competitive. Manual tracking and analysis of competitor pricing are arduous and inefficient processes. 

Download the sample report of Market Forecast: B2B Price Optimization and Management Software

B2B Price Optimization and Management Software: A Necessity 

B2B Price Optimization and Management Software is the solution to these challenges. This technology leverages advanced algorithms, data analytics, and real-time market insights to help businesses make data-driven pricing decisions. It empowers retail and e-commerce companies to optimize their prices efficiently while taking into account factors like demand fluctuations, competitor pricing, and customer behaviour.

Talk To Analyst: https://quadrant-solutions.com/talk-to-analyst

[mayank-mallik84]

Complete Guidelines to Setup Vendor Risk Management Program

Read this blog to know about VRM. Also, get the complete detail about the steps to set up a vendor risk management program in your organisation.

[digitalcreationsllc]

Certa Raises $35M to Bring AI to Third-Party Risk Management

Vendor Risk Management Series B Funding Will Allow Certa to Further Automate Compliance, Procurement Tasks Michael Novinson (MichaelNovinson) • September 8, 2023     Jag Lamba, founder and CEO, Certa (Image: Certa) A third-party management platform founded by a longtime McKinsey consultant closed a funding round to bring further automation to compliance and procurement tasks. See Also: Live…

[researchinsighthub]

Vendor Risk Management Market Scope and Overview, By Types, By Application, Estimates & Forecast 2030

This report is a fair prototype of the Vendor Risk Management industry containing an in-depth study of the global Vendor Risk Management market. This report serves as a valuable source of data and information related to this industry. It covers various industry aspects with a particular focus on market scope and application areas. The report identifies the fundamental business strategies adopted by industry experts and offers an insightful study on the value chains and distribution channels of the global market. The report authors have also analyzed current industry trends, growth potential, current overview, and market limitations.

The contract management segment revenue is expected to increase at a steady rate over the forecast period due to rising adoption of vendor contract management among organizations and maximize financial and operational performance. Vendor contract management is the technique that helps organizations to control costs, drive service excellence, and minimize risks to generate more value from their vendors throughout the transaction life cycle.

Get a sample of the report @ https://www.emergenresearch.com/request-sample/1206

Key market aspects studied in the report:

Market Scope: The report explains the scope of various commercial possibilities in the global Vendor Risk Management market over the upcoming years. The estimated revenue build-up over the forecast years has been included in the report. The report analyzes the key market segments and sub-segments and provides deep insights into the market to assist readers with the formulation of lucrative strategies for business expansion.

Competitive Outlook: The leading companies operating in the Vendor Risk Management market have been enumerated in this report. This section of the report lays emphasis on the geographical reach and production facilities of these companies. To get ahead of their rivals, the leading players are focusing more on offering products at competitive prices, according to our analysts.

Report Objective: The primary objective of this report is to provide the manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, and buyers engaged in this sector with access to a deeper and improved understanding of the global Vendor Risk Management market.

The market is spread across several key geographical regions, and the report covers the regional analysis as well as the production, consumption, revenue, and market share in those regions for the forecast period of 2020-2027. The regions include North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East and Africa.

Comprehensive Regional Analysis Covers the Following Regions:

North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico)

Europe (U.K., Italy, Germany, France, Rest of EU)

Asia Pacific (India, Japan, China, South Korea, Australia, Rest of APAC)

Latin America (Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Rest of Latin America)

Middle East & Africa (Saudi Arabia, U.A.E., South Africa, Rest of MEA)

Request a discount on the report @ https://www.emergenresearch.com/request-discount/1206

The report offers a comprehensive analysis of the competitive landscape of the market through extensive profiling of the key competitors. The section on the competitive analysis covers product portfolio, company overview, production and manufacturing capacity, financial standing, revenue and gross profit margins, and market position. It also sheds light on the mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, collaborations, and partnerships occurring in the market.

Key Players Profiled in the Report are:

BitSight Technologies Inc.

Genpact

MetricStream

SAI Global

IBM Corporation

Rapid Ratings International Inc.

ProcessUnity Inc.

LogicManager Inc.

Aravo Solutions Inc.

ACL Services Ltd.

Bitsight Technologies

NAVEX Global Inc.

To know more about the report, visit @ https://www.emergenresearch.com/industry-report/vendor-risk-management-market

Solution Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2019-2030)

Vendor Information Management

Contract Management

Compliance Management

Financial Control

Audit Management

Quality Assurance Management

Services Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2019-2030)

Professional Services

Consulting

Deployment and Integration

Support and Maintenance

Managed Services

Deployment Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2019-2030)

Cloud

On-premises

Organization Size Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2019-2030)

Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)

Large Enterprises

End-Use Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2019-2030)

Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI)

Healthcare and Life Science

IT & Telecom

Energy & Utility

Retail

Government

Aerospace & Defense

Manufacturing

Others

The report provides a comprehensive analysis in an organized manner in the form of tables, graphs, charts, figures, and diagrams. The organized data paves the way for thorough examination and research of the current and future outlook of the market. The report further offers a thorough SWOT and Porter’s Five Forces analysis to impart a better understanding of the competitive landscape of the Vendor Risk Management market.

Request customization of the report @ https://www.emergenresearch.com/request-for-customization/1206

Some Key Highlights from the Report:

The professional service segment is expected to register a steady revenue growth rate over the forecast period due to rising need for third-party risk management among organizations. The professional services team works with clients who need assistance in keeping up with ever-changing cyber security risk landscape and managing their third-party vendor population.

On 07 June 2022, MetricStream, a U.S based integrated risk management service provider and global non-profit think tank and community OCEG officially disclosed the findings of joint investigation on GRC Readiness for Rapid Change in 2022. According to the survey, many firms struggle to manage volume and velocity of risks because they lack coordinated procedures and visibility. Visibility, common standards, and centralized GRC strategy are necessary for risk readiness and resilience.

Thank you for reading our report. Customization of this report is available as per client requirements. Please connect with us to know more about the report, and our team will ensure you get the report tailored according to your needs.

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[harmlessghosty]

“Take This One”

Ais helps you after you’re terribly wounded by a Soulless.

Tags for blood, mostly, but pretty much just hurt/comfort. 1800 words.

—

You didn’t mean to be outside after sunset. It just happened that you were hungry for a late night snack and had a few extra coins, and the waft of cinnamon rolls wouldn’t leave your room at the Wet Wick. After all that you’d been through, wasn’t it fair that you deserved something a little more delicious than rotten nuts or unleavened bread from the bar?

Well, that had been, at minimum, a terrible idea.

Any stall open at midnight on a weekday wouldn’t normally be a red flag, but you should have gone back to your room when you noticed the vendor’s eyes shifting back and forth as they served your snack. Quickly, after you paid, they abandoned their post before you could get five steps back down the road.

For good reason, you now realized, lying on your back in an alleyway with a Soulless staring you down from the roof of the Wet Wick.

There was no time to take in their appearance or their snarl before they descended, soaring in an arc until they launched at your weak little body. Claws gnashed at your legs, at your arms, at your chest.

As swiftly as they attacked, pain welled with a hot rush of liquid over your clothes.

And just as quickly as it happened, it disappeared with a screech of a whine. Through your half-closed eyes, you swore you caught sight of a glowing red light shining on the alley walls, but maybe that was simply Death coming for you. Your heavy body shifted an inch before demanding that you stop moving by shooting a wave of agony up your side.

Footsteps approached, and someone squatted by your side. Gasping and gritting your bloodstained teeth, you peered up at the newcomer and, recognizing him, glared.

He smiled, his bright crimson eyes practically the only light in the alley. “Got yourself in a mess, huh?” he asked with a smirk.

“A-Ais…” you managed before coughing up what felt like a pint of blood.

“Took care of that Soulless for you. Sent it back to the Seaspring for a time out,” he said, far too calm given the situation. Maybe, since it was so dark, he didn’t notice the pooling blood beneath your body. “What’s up? Cat got your tongue?”

“I-I…”

“C’mon. Get up, little sparrow.”

“I…I can’t,” you breathed, trying your hardest to sit up on your elbows. A shard of pain exploded through your chest and dropped you back to the icy concrete with a wail.

Finally, his gaze wandered from your stained face down your chest, where his eyes widened. He reached out a hand and touched the blood beneath you. “Fresh,” he mumbled. Then, his gaze shot back up to yours. “Sparrow. Show me where it hurts.”

You lifted your left arm, practically the only thing that could move without excruciating pain, and motioned to your right side before your body gave into exhaustion again.

“It got you, huh?” he asked, eyes darkening. “Let me see.”

Without waiting for permission, Ais grabbed at your clothes and tore the fabric hole around your wound further apart, ignoring your scream of agony at the sudden movement. For a moment, he stared, silently absorbing the new information.

Then, he released your clothes and bundled them around your side. “Looks superficial,” he said. “You can wait until morning to see Kuras if you want, but I wouldn’t risk it.”

“B-but—“ You gritted your teeth, trying again to pull yourself up and failing even worse than the last time. Your head clacked onto the ground with a thud, your muscles destroyed by the blood loss and the pain.

“What’s your plan now? Doubt you can walk to the clinic in this state.”

“I-I’m f-f-fine,” you growled, stubborn but staring at the moonlit sky with a yearning to close your eyes until the pain disappeared. Maybe if you let yourself sleep, it would all go away.

Your eyes slipped shut, and your body grew a little colder as it began to tremble.

“Wake up, sparrow.”

Annoyed, your eyes opened, finding Ais a bit closer and a bit more concerned.

“At this rate, you’re gonna die out here if you don’t get to Kuras quick,” he said, stern.

Again, without asking, he grabbed the collar of your overcoat and yanked you upward so that you sat on the ground. With a bloodcurdling scream, you clutched his forearm with so much strength that your nails dug slices into the flesh.

“Easy now.” His voice was quiet and soothing, like an angel getting ready to carry you into the heavens. “I’m gonna lift you up, all right?”

“Lift…me?” you asked, eyes closing again as you leaned heavily against his chest. “Ais…I’m so…tired…”

“Hey. Stay awake, dumbass,” he ordered, sliding his thick arms beneath you and hauling you into him as he stood. Another shock of pain seared through your body, stirring you awake and bringing tears to your swollen eyes. A sudden cough sputtered spit and blood onto Ais’ collar, but he neither noticed nor cared.

Silently, he adjusted you in his arms with a couple of bounces, carrying you bridal style with your body held firmly against his chest. With each step through Eridia, he kept you in place as best as he could. The walk was long and arduous; every time you thought your eyes could close and you could relax, Ais squeezed your arm until it would clearly bruise or puffed a sharp breath of air in your face.

After what felt like hours, your heavy eyelids lowered, giving you just enough sight to see the sign for Kuras’ clinic. Ais pushed through the crowd and cut the line until he kicked open the door, breaking the lock.

Despite the darkness encroaching your sight, your hearing continued to work well. “Kuras. Take this one next.”

The doctor was quiet for a few seconds before he sighed. “This one again,” he mumbled, and a wheeled chair slid over the tile floor. “Put them on the bed. I’ll see what I can do.”

Your mind followed dreamily. What about the other patients? Was Kuras on a break? Did Ais know that?

A gentle shifting placed you on a cloud, the pain now so familiar that you hardly acknowledged it—or maybe you were so delirious from blood loss that it didn’t register anymore.

“You can save them, right?” Ais asked, the smallest note of worry in his low voice. He spoke softly as though making sure you couldn’t hear.

Kuras chuckled and seemingly waved Ais away, because the warm arms that had enveloped you disappeared. The door opened and closed, and there you were, alone with the doctor.

Within minutes of the silence, your vision faded into a deep and soothing sleep.

When you woke later, you peered around the white room with exhaustion. Your stiff neck cracked as you looked from side to side. Sure enough, this was the same room you woke up in when you first arrived in Eridia. No one was with you, and you were far too tired to move. With nothing else to do, you closed your eyes again.

After some time, the door opened and closed, the lock clicking, which you found unusual.

“You awake?”

The familiar voice made you cringe. How humiliating that Ais had to save your life by carrying you to Kuras. All that energy expended just to help you survive an idiotic decision.

“Your nose is twitching. Cute,” he laughed, dragging over a chair to sit by the bedside. “Brought you something, but you need to look at me first.”

Taking in a deep breath and feeling the ache of stitches pulling at your side, you opened your eyes and turned your head. There, only a foot away, sat Ais with a mischievous smile plastered on his too-handsome face.

He held up a brown paper bag. “Cinnamon roll and a pint of milk.”

Your brow furrowed in your confusion. “H-huh?”

“What, did you want the bloody one instead?” he teased. “Fed that one to Princess. She said thanks for the snack.”

Without waiting, he pulled out the pastry and held it firmly to your lips, giving you no room to speak without him shoving it down your throat. Even though your tongue was dry, saliva pooled in your mouth at the scent of sugar and warm dough. The bite was perfect—nothing less.

Ais laughed, pulling away the bun after you took your bite and holding a straw to your lips next. “You’re such a kid,” he said, narrowing his eyes with amusement. “One night, you’re hiding with me in a cramped alley, and the next, you’re bleeding out over a mashed cinnamon bun. Pretty stupid, if you ask me.”

Scoffing, you rolled your eyes. “Didn’t ask you for your opinion.”

“Didn’t give my opinion. Just stated facts.” He shrugged with that bastard smile. “Looks like Kuras fixed you up pretty good. How do you feel?”

“Dizzy.”

“Mm. He must’ve given you the good stuff. That was a hell of a wound.”

“You said it was superficial!” you argued, heat from frustration rising into your cheeks.

Again, he shrugged. “Thought it’d be better if you weren’t freaking out while I got you to the hospital.”

With all of your strength, you snatched the rest of the pastry from his hand and shoved it into your mouth. Now being in debt to him, you didn’t want to mouth off.

“It’s all yours,” he said calmly, leaning his elbows on the bed and sitting with his face much closer. “So? Anything to say after what happened?”

You choked on the food. “Like what?”

“I don’t know. You tell me.” He shot you a shit-eating grin.

Groaning, you chased the dry snack with a gulp of milk before averting your eyes to your blanketed feet. “Thanks,” you mumbled, closing your eyes in embarrassment. “Quit looking at me like that now.”

“Aww. But you’re cute when you’re shy.”

You ignored the tease in favor of another bite of the cinnamon roll. “And thanks for the meal too.”

“Figured you’d be hungry since you’ve been out cold for a week,” he said.

“What?” you exclaimed, jolting to attention so suddenly that your stitches yanked and sent sparks behind your vision.

Ais laughed and leaned back into his chair. “Just kidding. It was overnight. It’s only noon.”

Sighing, you collapsed onto the pillow and groaned, an arm falling over your eyes before you crossed them over your chest. “Why are you such an asshole?”

“You wouldn’t care about me if I wasn’t one,” he countered, standing slowly.

And before you could react, the gentle, unmistakable touch of lips pressed to the top of your head.

“See you later, sparrow.”

The door unlocked, and Ais left with a confident stride and the last word.

[cyberstudious]

An Introduction to Cybersecurity

I created this post for the Studyblr Masterpost Jam, check out the tag for more cool masterposts from folks in the studyblr community!

What is cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity is all about securing technology and processes - making sure that the software, hardware, and networks that run the world do exactly what they need to do and can't be abused by bad actors.

The CIA triad is a concept used to explain the three goals of cybersecurity. The pieces are:

Confidentiality: ensuring that information is kept secret, so it can only be viewed by the people who are allowed to do so. This involves encrypting data, requiring authentication before viewing data, and more.

Integrity: ensuring that information is trustworthy and cannot be tampered with. For example, this involves making sure that no one changes the contents of the file you're trying to download or intercepts your text messages.

Availability: ensuring that the services you need are there when you need them. Blocking every single person from accessing a piece of valuable information would be secure, but completely unusable, so we have to think about availability. This can also mean blocking DDoS attacks or fixing flaws in software that cause crashes or service issues.

What are some specializations within cybersecurity? What do cybersecurity professionals do?

incident response

digital forensics (often combined with incident response in the acronym DFIR)

reverse engineering

cryptography

governance/compliance/risk management

penetration testing/ethical hacking

vulnerability research/bug bounty

threat intelligence

cloud security

industrial/IoT security, often called Operational Technology (OT)

security engineering/writing code for cybersecurity tools (this is what I do!)

and more!

Where do cybersecurity professionals work?

I view the industry in three big chunks: vendors, everyday companies (for lack of a better term), and government. It's more complicated than that, but it helps.

Vendors make and sell security tools or services to other companies. Some examples are Crowdstrike, Cisco, Microsoft, Palo Alto, EY, etc. Vendors can be giant multinational corporations or small startups. Security tools can include software and hardware, while services can include consulting, technical support, or incident response or digital forensics services. Some companies are Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs), which means that they serve as the security team for many other (often small) businesses.

Everyday companies include everyone from giant companies like Coca-Cola to the mom and pop shop down the street. Every company is a tech company now, and someone has to be in charge of securing things. Some businesses will have their own internal security teams that respond to incidents. Many companies buy tools provided by vendors like the ones above, and someone has to manage them. Small companies with small tech departments might dump all cybersecurity responsibilities on the IT team (or outsource things to a MSSP), or larger ones may have a dedicated security staff.

Government cybersecurity work can involve a lot of things, from securing the local water supply to working for the big three letter agencies. In the U.S. at least, there are also a lot of government contractors, who are their own individual companies but the vast majority of what they do is for the government. MITRE is one example, and the federal research labs and some university-affiliated labs are an extension of this. Government work and military contractor work are where geopolitics and ethics come into play most clearly, so just… be mindful.

What do academics in cybersecurity research?

A wide variety of things! You can get a good idea by browsing the papers from the ACM's Computer and Communications Security Conference. Some of the big research areas that I'm aware of are:

cryptography & post-quantum cryptography

machine learning model security & alignment

formal proofs of a program & programming language security

security & privacy

security of network protocols

vulnerability research & developing new attack vectors

Cybersecurity seems niche at first, but it actually covers a huge range of topics all across technology and policy. It's vital to running the world today, and I'm obviously biased but I think it's a fascinating topic to learn about. I'll be posting a new cybersecurity masterpost each day this week as a part of the #StudyblrMasterpostJam, so keep an eye out for tomorrow's post! In the meantime, check out the tag and see what other folks are posting about :D

[mayhem-neverending]

The Big Bad Wolf

Part XVII

Word Count: 2,632

Warnings: cannon violence, cursing

Obito and Hina slept peacefully while you shivered against the bitter chill. The night was dark; clouds covering the light from the waxing moon and the otherwise bountiful sky of stars. The clattering of your teeth and your muscles taut against your frame kept you from falling to sleep, but also tired you further. Your lids would fall every so often, only to be lifted again by a gush of northerly wind. 

You steeled yourself against it, wishing for fire, but more importantly, debating whether the tiny use of chakra to circulate heat through your system would be worth the risk. You reached your gloved hands and pulled out a small wrist watch you had forgotten about. It was almost half-past five. You inhaled the icy air through your numb nose, a steadying breath. You reminded yourself to be patient; less than an hour was left before it was reasonable to pull them from their slumber.

You thought of Hikaru while you waited. He was probably warm and cozy, tucked into a bed with your mom, considering it was now the weekend. You hoped beyond hope that he was alright for Kakashi, and you hoped Kakashi hadn’t been overwhelmed. A two-year-old is difficult, such a headstrong one especially. You imagined Hikaru had probably given him a run for his money more than once, and the delightful thought cut through your haze of crankiness. 

You held onto it for a few moments while the cold did its best to drag you back down. That tugging brought you into a flurry of thoughts about Hina’s child. You thought about the two little ones playing side by side, creating mischief, just as the two of you had done. It occurred to you then that you hadn’t asked Hina what its name would be. An ugly feeling curled in your gut, accompanied by the pained expression your cousin could not hide when it flashed over the blankness. 

This should be a time of celebration for her. She should be receiving baby clothes, toys, all the essentials while eating cake and joyously laughing with her family and friends. She should be whispering to her husband in the corner, giggling and sharing looks of love that you could have never fathomed for yourself. Looks that reminded you of how wondrous and magical and full of grace the world could be when you saw them at their wedding, hiding their conversations behind half full champagne flutes in the candlelight. 

A tear froze early in its tracks along your cheek. It wasn’t fair. You could be grateful all you wanted for her getting the chance to experience love of fairy tales, but it wouldn’t cancel out the sorrow. She deserved to live and love and raise her baby with a father and a family that chose her so wholly. Her child deserved to know their father, and would have been made not just better, but brilliant by the warmth of their love. 

You grit your teeth and angrily wiped at that frozen tear while others made their escape. In the midst of your angry thoughts, a calm voice emerged and reminded you: The only thing you can do is bring her home and be there by her side with as much love as you can spare. 

Shuffling entered your train of thought and you managed to dry your face before the tent unzipped. It was still almost pitch black, so you couldn’t tell very well who it was until they called your name. 

“Hina? What are you doing up?”

“I’m ready to keep going,” she croaked. 

“Are you sure? We have a few more minutes before I planned to wake you,” you replied, attempting to make out her features.

“No, let’s go. I don’t want to be out here any longer than I have to,” her sentence was punctuated by the tent zipper moving even further up. 

“Okay, then, let’s get this show on the road,”

…

Your group passed through the town you had stopped in early enough that not much commotion was in the streets. You were grateful to make it through without the call of the vendors as you passed by their empty stalls. Hina was heavy on her feet, too, no matter how much she tried not to show it. It wasn’t just her feet concerning you, though. It was a dangerous game to be walking so much so close to her due date, especially with the stress she had been through. 

You didn’t mention anything to her, though. Instead, you kept a watchful eye on her while she waddled along the main road. It had been decided between you and Obito that you would travel down that road all the way back. There was no chance she was making it through the heavy snowfall that you were reapproaching, so the two of you kept on guard, passing people every so often as the day began to wear on. 

At some point you also took a bag from Obito. He kept insisting that he was fine, but you could see his discomfort in the gentle downturn of his lips. So, the three of you traveled closer and closer to the border. The closer you got, the more you wished you were already home. The quiet from your companions left your mind unoccupied, but you struggled to break the silence unless it was for a short stop to rest. 

You finally passed the border sometime in the afternoon, and you couldn’t have been more overjoyed to put Akujia behind you. The three of you stopped for a dinner break, maybe an hour or two after. Obito had spotted a rabbit off the side of the trail, and before you two could blink, he skillfully captured it just out of your line of sight. He came back into view with it, proclaiming that he was finally going to be eating some real food for dinner. 

It left you with a silly grin, even as Hina gagged at the process of skinning it and putting it on a stick while you built the fire. She looked between your expression and his. He had puffed himself out at the chest and kept glancing over at you out of the corner of his eye while he worked. She tilted her head to the side with curiosity, but her lips stayed sealed. 

The three of you ate in peace, not minding the greasiness of the animal and truly relishing in having something hot in your bellies after being in the cold for so long. You sat in a semicircle, with Hina on one side and Obito on the other. She hardly glanced at him, though she hardly looked at you, either. She was in better spirits, but she seemed to be in a lot of discomfort. 

“I’m ready to have this thing out of me,” she groaned, leaning back and placing a hand on her massive belly.

You huffed a laugh. “Now don’t go saying things like that. We have another whole day to go before that thing is allowed to come out,” 

She gave you a half smile. “Still, he’s awful heavy,”

She paused for a moment. “Who’s going to deliver him?”

You blinked. You had completely forgotten about that bit. She looked at you expectantly, and you frantically wracked your brain. “Well… anyone at the hospital should do just fine, unless you had someone in mind?”

“Oh, I thought you’d do it,”

“Me?”

“You were trained in the medical field,” she stated matter-of-factly. 

“Sure, but I’ve never delivered a baby,” you raised a brow.

“I want you to be the one to do it. I trust you more than anyone,” she asserted resolutely.

You looked at Obito as if he could offer help. “I think you’d be a good fit for that job, actually,”

Your jaw dropped at his statement. “What?”

He nodded thoughtfully and glanced at Hina, who shot him a small, grateful smile. He returned the gesture, if a little unsurely. 

“If that's..” you faltered. “If that’s what you want, of course I’ll do it,”

“Good.” She stood slowly and wiped her hands on her long coat. You two followed suit, and you were back on the road before you had truly rested. 

The next stop didn’t come until after dark, when Hina almost couldn’t keep going. Her feet had started to drag and she looked positively miserable. You set up the tent and she slipped in much like the night before, passing out before properly getting comfortable. Obito took the first watch again, so, being exhausted yourself, you said a quick ‘goodnight’ and went to sleep.

You were awoken sometime later by commotion outside of the tent. At first, it sounded like several pairs of boots in the snow, then it amplified into crashes, grunts and shouts. You reacted after the first shout when your adrenaline kicked in and plunged out of the opening of the tent, a kunai in hand.

There were five or six men in black all attacking Obito, who was deflecting their attacks and attempting to push them back from the vicinity of the tent. Kakashi’s command to not kill unless necessary came to mind as you joined the fray. 

A man to your left spotted you first, and you met him head on. He had a thick dagger in hand, and it glinted in the moonlight as he swiped at you. He was slow, though, and you were able to dodge his attack easily, taking a calculated dive to slash at his femoral artery. You made your mark, sliding beneath his legs in his overly wide stance. 

He howled in pain and fell forward to the ground. You had no chance to look at him, because another attacker was on you without a moment’s notice. This one was thinner, likely someone who could match your speed better. His blond hair flowed eerily behind in the moonlight when he lunged at you. He was using a katana, and narrowly missed your right arm. 

He laughed cruelly as he swung again, his accomplices' voices mingling with his own as you could make out a crude taunt thrown at Obito. You could tell he was holding back, only pushing them away instead of taking them out. This would be child’s play to him if he were giving it his all. 

“Gonna do something, little girl? I’ll kill you and that Zen’in bastard, no matter what you think is going to happen. I’ll slice it right out of that bitch’s belly,” 

You snarled at him and made your move, catching his blade by feigning a lean to the left and moving right, effectively catching your blade on his exposed neck. But it wasn’t quite deep enough and you moved back, just out of his range. He swung wildly at you, one hand on his bleeding neck.

“Hey, Obito!” you called mid jump.

“Yeah!?” His kunai clanged loudly with an opposing one.

You backed up so you were closer, both of you catty-corner and facing toward your attackers. “Kill ‘em,”

“Are you sure? Kakashi said-”

“I’m making a judgment call on-”

One of them cackled. “No one’s dying but you three,”

That’s when Obito let his blade arc wide. You plunged your own into the gut of your attacker. A nasty gurgling gasp escaped him before he fell. You spun around to see the attackers’ bodies fall to the ground with resounding thumps, one after one. 

When the last one was down, Obito turned to you, breathing heavily with blood stained hands. Despite his state, you could see his eyes shining under the moonlight. 

“Fuck,” he breathed.

“We need to leave, now,” you said hurriedly. 

The tent unzipped and Hina poked her head out, tears streaming down her pale face. Shakily, she asked, “Are you okay?”

Your eyes met and you inhaled sharply. She looked around at the dead men and back at you, fear marring her beautiful face.

“Dammit! We’re across the border, so all the bags are going in a scroll, I don’t give a fuck. Obito, can you carry her? We’ve gotta get out of here,”

Obito was staring at the bright blood on his hands, and you could see a tremor run through them. He didn’t hear you, it seemed, so you instead turned to Hina. “Get your coat back on and come stand out here,”

She disappeared back into the tent and you followed behind her, hauling the baggage out and opening your backpack. You rifled through until you found a spare sealing scroll. With haste, you piled the bags on top of it and signed above it. They disappeared and you shoved the scroll back in your backpack. You slung it over your shoulder and walked over to Obito where he was standing stock still next to the mass of bodies. 

“Are you okay?” you asked in a low, urgent tone.

He glanced from his hands to you and back. Scratchily, he choked out, “I don’t- I don’t know,”

“I’m sorry, but we don’t have the time. More could be on the way,” 

In a swift movement, you used your water style jutsu to wash the blood from his hands. He blinked in surprise and looked at you, his senses returning to him. “But Kakashi said-”

“Let’s go, please,” you nearly pleaded now. 

It only took a half second for him to nod in understanding, and he walked over to a shivering Hina. Whether it be from the cold or the dead, you weren’t sure, but you weren’t going to stick around and find out. You had to move, and fast.

He swept her up in his arms. “What about your tent?”

You glanced at it and back at him. “Not important,”

You nodded at each other and jumped up into the thick trees. You could see Hina clinging for dear life as the two of you flew between the overgrown branches in the dark, but you didn’t dare look further behind you than that. 

She would continue to cling to him for the hours you fled from the scene and back to the Hidden Leaf. The sun came up after a long time, but you did not stop. Breakfast came and went, and so did lunch, but not once did you stop. Only safe in the forest surrounding your home did you even consider slowing down. But even then, you and Obito silently agreed not to stop. 

Hina slept in his arms while the two of you kept pace. Obito didn’t even act like he was tired of carrying her as his home came into view and his speed renewed. All either of you could feel was relief, and a distinct need to make it. He worked through it, arms and shoulders tight as the two of you stepped up to the barrier and finally crossed through. 

You opened the unlocked door to his home so that they could come in and shut it behind him. Obito grunted as he placed a still sleeping Hina on the sunken couch, and you went to the counter in the familiar kitchen where your phone was. You turned it on, your exhausted body slumping against the cabinets and onto your bottom while you waited for the lock screen to load. Obito came up next to you and followed suit, leaning heavily against you.

“We made it,” he uttered under his breath.

“Thank Kami. We made it,” You made eye contact with him, and pulled him into a loose hug with the last dregs of your strength. 

Still in his lap, you unlocked your phone. You leaned against his broad chest and clicked the call button. It only rang once before a familiar voice answered, relief already leaking into his tone.

“Hello?”

“We’re home,”

Part XVIII

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