Disclaimer: Anything you recognize is Masashi Kishimoto's, anything you don't is mine. (This applies for all chapters so that I don't have to re-type it every time).

(Full) Summary: Another member of the Uchiha clan is found alive and well, coasting through Konoha long after the Uchiha massacre. Not realizing the fate of her family, she decided to get in touch with them, so who else does she run into but li'l old Sasuke? Will the two learn to work out their differences and work together to overcome the person they both hate most? Angst and a bit of fluff ensue. Gotta love that OC. Rating may go up.

A/N: This is my first Naruto fanfic...just an idea I got the other night. Seemed cool, but I guess we'll see how it goes. Please review so I know where to expand and what to fix. Thanks a bunch :3

This all occurs right after the Search for Tsunade arc...so kind of around the Unmask Kakashi episode.And also, Gaara is the Fifth Kazekage before the time-skip! Keep that in mind.

Happy reading!

Edit: For anyone who has started reading this already, the first two chapters have underwent a bit

of reconstruction. It is not vital for you to re-read it, but it may clear up any conflicting issues with

certain events and just be more organized and easier to understand and blah, blah, blah.

—

Chapter One

"Your next mission is to travel to Konoha and give this scroll", said the Fifth Kazekage, Gaara, handing her a slightly crumpled, faded piece of rolled up parchment tied together with a green ribbon, "to the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade. Basic, yes, but important."

She nodded, taking the scroll silently. Turning towards the door, Gaara stopped her. "Noriko?"

She turned slowly, one eyebrow raised.

"Please do not get sidetracked. This is a very simple mission and it must be done as swiftly as possible. That scroll in your hand is very important."

"I understand", she said, and continued walking out the door.

—

"Where the hell is he?!" the blue-eyed boy with an obvious amount of energy yelled in frustration. "Can he not be on time for once in his life?!"

"Simmer Naruto, you know just as well as I do that he's always late. Stop being so impatient," the small pink-haired girl said.

"Well really! What is he doing? What could possibly take this long?!"

"Shut up Naruto, he'll be here soon", the pink haired girl said angrily. "Right Sasuke?" she smiled, blushing, asking the dark-eyed, dark-haired boy sitting on the other side of the bridge on which they were waiting.

The sullen boy shrugged and went back to staring at his reflection in the calm stream below.

Naruto glared at Sasuke, jealous that his crush was talking to him. He looked back at the girl, his face reddening slightly, and mumbled "Sakura…"

The pink-haired girl whipped around and glared at him. "What?" she said visibly annoyed.

Noticing the look on her face, Naruto quickly retreated. "N-nevermind."

A bird flew overhead, chirping happily in the blinding sunlight. The three Genin stayed silent until finally the person whom they were waiting for arrived.

"Yo," a man smiled, seeming to appear out of nowhere, perched on the railing of the bridge. He had a mass of white hair and the lower half of his face was covered with a piece of cloth, while his left eye was covered with his Konoha forehead protector.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto jumped up, a look of pure disdain on his face. "Why are you always so late?!"

"That", he said, still smiling, "is none of your business."

Naruto glared at him. "Whatever. So what are we doing for training today?" he asked, having quickly forgotten his aggravation towards Kakashi.

"Today, you are going to train on your own. I have important business with the Fifth. We'll continue our regular training tomorrow." He winked and then darted away.

Despite Naruto's incoherent grumbling, the three went to the training grounds. Sasuke suggested a new method of precision training: you must hit 8 different targets with 8 different kunai at the same time.

Pulling out his kunai, Sasuke said, "well, I guess I'll start then."

—

Kakashi darted throughout the village, stopping briefly at the Casino to see if maybe the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, was there, which, he was informed by a sweaty, angry-looking bald man, she was not.

He continued on, his white hair whipping through the warm summer breeze, to the Hokage's office. When he arrived, a woman not much younger than him was standing in front of Tsunade's desk. She had jet black hair, pulled into two messy pigtails, reaching just above her shoulders. She wore a thin black sweeping skirt and black leotard shorts underneath, her shuriken holster on her right leg, and a red tank top, covered with a black zip-up hoodie. Her Konoha forehead protector was tied loosely around her neck.

The mysterious woman turned around when he entered the room, and Kakashi couldn't help but notice how familiar she looked. Her dark eyes bore into his as he tilted his head warily. Those eyes...he'd seen those eyes before. Her whole appearance seemed to trigger an intense emotion deep within him, like he had known her a long time ago. It took him a few seconds to notice the small symbol embroidered onto the left shoulder of her sweater—it was the Uchiha clan crest.

—

Back at the training grounds, the three Genin decided to call it quits. Sasuke was the only one who had really even gained anything from their target training. He had managed to get five targets, while Sakura could only get four and Naruto could get no more than three.

They lounged around in the setting sun for a while until Sasuke finally stood up. "I think I'm gonna go home."

"Are you alright? You look kind of pale..." Sakura remarked.

"I'm fine. I just...have a weird feeling about something. See you tomorrow and he dashed off into the yellow and pink streaked sky.

The other two looked at each other awkwardly before sprinting away to their own homes.

—

It was as if Kakashi was yanked back five years ago in time.

"I'm not staying. I can't stay. I-I can't do this again."

He stood shocked, his entire body going numb.

"I wish that there was a solution to this, but there isn't... There just...isn't"

He didn't know what to do or say. It was her. The only other survivor of the Uchiha massacre. He had almost forgotten what she looked like…

He was pulled out of his thoughts though, when the raven-haired ninja raised an eyebrow, a look of amusement playing across her face, and said "it's rude to stare you know."

Blushing slightly, Kakashi mumbled an incoherent apology, shaking his head slightly to rid himself of his confused thoughts.

Tsunade glanced at the two ninja, noticing the awkward yet bitter air between them. Deciding to give a formal introduction, she said "Noriko, this is Hatake Kakashi," she motioned toward the white-haired Jounin. "Kakashi, this is Uchiha Noriko." Kakashi glanced up sharply, catching Noriko's eye. At the mention of Noriko's full name, Tsunade caught Kakashi's eye and nodded knowingly. "Noriko here—"

"Please, call me Nori," she nodded, smiling ever so slightly.

"Nori here was just delivering a scroll to me from the Fifth Kazekage, Gaara-sama," Tsunade continued, a grave expression on her face. "It contains more information on a select few Akatsuki members and their desire for the Kyuubi."

Kakashi furrowed his brow, and then smiled, reaching into his scroll pouch. "I almost forgot what I came here for." He pulled out a ratty old scroll from his pouch and handed it to Tsunade. "I found it in an old collection of books I have stored away. I though it might be of some use to you."

Tsunade opened the scroll and glanced quickly over it. Her eyes widened and she beamed at Kakashi, "this is terrific! The exact information on Kyuubi we've been looking for! Very nice work Kakashi."

Nori cleared her throat, getting the two ninjas' attention. "Gaara-sama wanted me back as quickly as possible, so I guess I'll be taking off..."

"Are you sure you wouldn't like to stay for some sake?" Tsunade asked, still grinning, her blonde pigtails bouncing happily. "All of this very useful information calls for a celebration, don't you think?"

"I really shouldn't. But before I leave, I wanted to ask if you could point me to Uchiha Fugaku and Mikoto's house. They're my parents and, well, it's been quite a while since I left the village, and I haven't really kept in touch at all. I just thought that since I happened to be here, I ought to pay them a visit..." she trailed off, noticing the look that passed between the two. "What? What's the matter?"

Tsunade shifted uncomfortably in her seat before speaking. "Nori...I hate to be the one to tell you this, but the whole Uchiha clan, with the exception of your brothers, Sasuke and Itachi, were murdered about four years ago. I'm so sorry you had to find out this way."

Time stopped for Nori. She was not able to form any solid words, or even thoughts for that matter. She closed her ebony eyes, trying to remember. Trying to recall her mother and father with whom she had once been so close to. Why didn't I stay in touch? Tears were forming under her eyelids, but she did not dare to open them. She was a shinobi. Emotion did not apply to her.

Then, something suddenly occurred to her. Who? Anger quickly replaced her sadness. Whoever it was would definitely have to pay. She opened her eyes slowly, her breathing ragged and uneven. "Who?" she asked, her voice no more than a shaky whisper. "Who was it?"

Kakashi glanced at Tsunade who was fiddling with a pen, apparently not able answer, a look of guilt plastered across her face, so he looked Nori straight in the eye, knowing the damage his answer would cause, and said quietly, "Uchiha Itachi."

—

A/N: Fun, fun, I know. I should be able to update this soon. Reviews are always nice. Thanks a bunch! Ciao:3