Hello this is my first fanfic and I'm a tiny bit obsessed with Naruto so I decided this had better be the subject… Just a warning to you impatient readers out there ;) this is a slow start but once it gets going it's pretty exciting and believable. I hope you enjoy and please review!

Team Kakashi crouched low beneath the leaf canopy. Sun rippled over their skin through the branches as they watched the road from under the bushes. All of them were marked with red cuts and grime from their mission, their eyes drooping a little from fatigue. Lazy zephyrs drifted over them, ruffling their hair and adding to their drowsiness.

Just half an hour ago they had failed an infiltration of Orochimaru's layer. The madman had blown the whole place up whilst he made his escape- littering the ground with purple flag stones and unrecognisable debree of bizarre shapes and sizes. With a distressed Naruto in tow they had started to drag themselves back to the hidden leaf, tails between their legs, dreading the reaction of the lady hokage...

Until Kakashi picked up someone following them at speed from the the ruin. So, this is how they ended up on the floor in wait of their pursuer. The three spread uncomfortably on the rocky floor, glaring with anisipation at the road.

Soon enough faint sounds of unsteady footsteps came through the ground, all three fixed their eyes to the bend in the path a little behind them.

Some tracker... Running straight down the trail like that...- thought Kakashi as he tensed his muscles ready to spring. Small, peppy hairs twinged at the back of his neck as his senses lit up. He secured his anbu mask to his face a little better over his usual black material. All of a sudden, a blur of grey whipped around the corner. Kakashi gave a hand raise signal and leapt out into the road as Sakura pummelled her fist into the ground, sending fissures across the path with a grunt. The tracker stumbled as was planned as their toe caught in the rocky gaps and sailed forward, colliding with Kakashi's anbu breastplate. With a groan, they fell onto their back with the impact as Kakashi stood firm and unfazed by the, frankly, feeble impact.

A girl?- thought Kakashi, raising his eyebrows as he studied her thin face. She looked even younger than Sakura but it was hard to tell. She clearly malnourished judging by her thinness making her age hard to judge.

She groaned again as she opened her eyes slowly squinting up at Kakashi who stood above her, studying her through his fox mask. He gasped silently as the air was knocked from his lungs, her eyes were so cold and icy in colour it made him wince. She growled under her breath as she struggled to her feet, slowly and painfully, her eyebrows set low aggressively. Once on her feet she launched herself forward, fist extended.

"Rotten bastard!" She spat as she threw her closed fingers at his masked face with little control. He vanished, re-appeared behind her and chopped at the back of her neck quickly with his palm. Her face slackened as her eyes rolled back. She crumpled to the floor, her long hair lining the earth. It was hard to see her shape in the mass of grey fabric she was swathed in, the kimono was at least four sizes too big and completely drowned her as she wilted into the road.

Pausing for a second to make sure she was unconscious, Kakashi crouched down and pulled her into his arms a little so that he could study her face. With her head resting on his thigh, he took in the sharp and defined features without the pressure of her eyes. She was eerily beautiful, in a way that a ghost might be if he believed in them.

"Let me check her over sensei." Demanded Sakura, running over and pulling off her gloves. She pressed gently over the girls body with her green chakra. Sakura's brow furrowed more so as she continued to run her fingers over the girls rib cage. She grew almost as pale as the girl and Kakashi gulped. This was not good.

"Kakashi... This girl... Is dying." She murmured a little shakily. Kakashi winced slightly and looked up to Sakura expectantly.

"Her heart is slowing down, it's pneumonia and her lung and rib condition is life threatening. We have to snap to it, back to the village, there's a chance... If we get her to lady tsunade..." She said quickly, climbing to her feet and readying herself. Kakashi gently picked the girl up and held her in his arms, so light... It wasn't natural- he thought as he cradled her a little uncomfortably.

With a spurt of speed all three leapt skywards and took to the trees as a cover for their journey back. Kakashi sailed up front, the girls toffee hair sailing behind him in a banner like fashion. He wrapped his arms around her a little tighter, trying to keep her warm as the wind whipped around them aggressively. Soon enough they reached the village. Without stopping to check in, Kakashi went ahead at top speed through the great gates and to the hokage's office. He bounded up the stairs, his face frowning beneath the two masks. Not bothering to knock, he burst into the wood panel office and stopped in the doorway.

Lady Tsunade looked up irritably from her paper work over a pair of red horned glasses. Ink blots smudged her hands and there was a small red stress mark from where she had rubbed between her eye brows.

"N-no time to explain, please..." He panted, walking forward with the girl. Instantly, the lady was shoving everything off of her desk to shizune's dismay. Papers sailed with a carefree air and a small pot of ink tumbled, cracking and leaking as it hit the floor. Tsunade did not notice as she welcomed the body to the table. Kakashi placed the girl carefully on the desk and stood by as Tsunade emitted her own green chakra over the girl's torso with a more practises light than Sakura's medical ninjutsu.

"Broken ribs. Weak lungs. Three ruptured organs... Oh my goodness her heart! I need the medical core in here now!" Yelled Tsunade, pulling away the girl's kimono. Shizune stepped to it, ushering Kakashi out as she went to get the medics. Unwillingly, Kakashi sat down heavily on a bench outside the office as he saw a troop of medics run in. He sighed heavily and rubbed the back of his neck. He hadn't realised how much that race had tired him out.

What's wrong with me? I never get this riled up...- he thought to himself as he anxiously fiddled with a loose thread on his anbu vest, picking at the fraying hem. She was just so...

He didn't know what. About an hour later the medics left with the girl on a stretcher, covered in a dark green blanket up to her chin and what looked like a body heater. Kakashi stood up quickly and looked down at her whist fully as she passed. She was even paler than before if that was possible, with several tubes attached to her in various places. Shizune followed them out mopping her brow agitatedly with a shaky breath.

"Oh Kakashi, you're still here? Well go on in then." She said, re opening the door for him and stepping aside. Kakashi walked in quickly and looked up to Tsunade who sat on her desk looking concerned. She glanced up.

"Ah yes... You have some explaining to do young man..." She said, giving him the eye as he shut the door behind himself...

Kakashi walked into the hospital four days later, yawning through his mask, he arrived at the front desk and waited for the nurse to finish her phone call. He shuffled his feet on the linoleum floors anxiously. Looking up to the stairs behind her he sighed at the prospect of his new mission. Having had a long conversation with Tsunade, it had been decided that he would be the girl's guard while she was held in the hidden leaf. It was apparently a risky job seeing as they had no idea who the girl was and why she came from Orochimaru's layer. On studying her in the clinic under anaesthetic, it became apparent that she was under a chakra block. There was no way of telling if she could be dangerous or not, so Kakashi would watch her until she was at a state of health in which they could release her chakra.

"Oh h-hey Kakashi! Stuttered the nurse fiddling with her hair. "She's on the sixth floor number 6..."

Kakashi nodded and walked past. Six floors? That's a bit much- he thought as he trudged up the stairs lethargically.

Some time later he arrived outside the door, opening it, he stepped into the mix section of the two doors, re sealing the first door, he then stepped inside the second and re sealed that before looking over to the bed by the window.

There she was. Kakashi walked silently towards the bedside and looked down at her face, taking the time to study it.

Beautiful. Was his instant thought. He shook his head vigorously, though he couldn't really see her body through the hospital clothes which were much too big, she must have been even younger than Naruto and Sakura! It was just wrong! But still- he thought, reaching out to run his fingers along the side of her face and to cup her chin.

"What to do about you." He muttered as he moved his hand under her fringe, taking her temperature. So cold...

Suddenly a light groan escaped the girls sleepily parted lips as her eyes flicked open slowly. She looked up to Kakashi in confusion, her eyebrows delicately scrunched above those breath stealing eyes. Kakashi found himself blushing slightly at her confused pout, for which he mentally kicked himself.

It didn't take long for the girl to realise that there was a strange masked man, standing over her, with his hand pressed to her forehead. The corners of her mouth turned down and her brows furrowed. Wind whipped a little stronger at the curtains through the barred window.

"Th-that hair..." She murmured, recognising the silver mass. "You..." She growled. Her body started shaking as she drew a fist from under the duvet.

"H-hang on a minute... Lady Tsunade put you under paralysis! You shouldn't be able to move!" He exclaimed, staring in amazement as the girls fist slowly extended towards his face. A temple pulsed hard from the effort.

He relaxed his face in the realisation that she wasn't going anywhere fast. He put his hand gently on her fist.

"It's useless, stop before you strain yourself." He said softly. He felt the coldness of her hand and felt the shiver in her arms with the contact. "Here you're cold, let me get the covers out from under you, it'll help you warm up." He offered as the wind settled and continued to lap against the curtains and bars.

Kakashi started to slide the duvet out from under her gently. Taking care not to touch her at first.

"W-wait." She stuttered as he lifted her hips a little to get the sheets from under her.

"It's useless you being difficult so just relax a bit, I'm not going to do anything to you." He said monotonously. In reality he was quite nervous around her with his hands under her hips. She was so delicate he felt like stroking her hair, her face and neck.

The girl blushed pink, feeling patronised, she let Kakashi pull the duvet over her up to her chin and tuck her in a little. The way he leaned over her made her nervous, though she was really cold...

Kakashi enjoyed the light blush on her cheeks, she looked a little less ghostly that way, smirking slightly, he brushed a few stray hairs from her face, taking his time and letting his fingers brush against her cheek. She winced under his touch, her eyes wide and innocent as a fawn's.

She may be young, but it sure was fun making her blush like that, he thought as he sat down beside her, pulling out his book. He glanced up every now and again to watch her eyes drooping, until eventually she fell asleep.

She didn't wake up all that much besides that, and when she did it was just to stare at the panelled ceiling, though Kakashi did catch her staring at him every now and again. Tension fell gradually as the second week passed as the pair got used to the silent company they gave each other.

Around half way through the second week of company, finally one of them broke the ice.

"H-hey, do you have any food?" Stammered the girl, tumbling over her words. Kakashi slapped his book shut and looked over to her resting his elbows on his thighs. He leaned forward in his wooden chair.

"Sorry no, you're not allowed food while we don't know who you are and while you're in this condition... May as well get used to it." He replied plainly, his eyes cold. There was a moments pause as they met eyes in silence, studying each other's faces. "There's no need to be so nervous of me you know, I'm not going to do anything." Sighed Kakashi resting his chin on his fist.

"I'm not scared." She said with a little more force than usual, "I just don't want to be here and imprisoned understandably." She scowled as she glanced over at him with her icy eyes. Kakashi shivered a little at how bright they were next to the rest of her face. Then he smirked lightly under the mask, stood up and walked over to her. Slowly and deadly, he moved to intimidate.

She strained to move a little away over the bed as he bent over her, pressing his face closer and closer to hers. She felt his hair brush against hers and flinched her face, her eyes screwed shut and her mouth a tight line of dread. She whimpered a little as she felt his breath on her cheek.

"Not afraid at all." He whispered, she felt the cold words mocking her running over her face, the corners of her mouth turned down.

"Well wouldn't y-you be if a man twice your size got that close to you when you can't move?" She stammered, squeaking a little.

"You're pretty smart mouthed for a little girl." He teased, looking at her sideways.

"L-little girl?!" She said incredulously. She leaned slightly over the bed to get a glimpse at the mirror. "Oh cripes I look about five..." She groaned as Kakashi pushed her back to her original position by the shoulders, looking at her sceptically. Why would her appearance surprise her?

She grizzled to herself quietly for a little while as Kakashi looked out the window in thought as birds flitted by, singing sharply. He looked back to her. Those eyes just kept drawing him in. They looked like they didn't belong on her face. They were fully formed and everything... Yet they seemed half formed and weak in her face, timeless by comparison to the rest of her.

A day later, there was a knock at the door. On opening, Lady Tsunade and Ibiki Morino walked in.

"It's time Kakashi." Said Tsunade. Ibiki walked forward and wrapped his hands around either side of her rib cage before hoisting her out of bed. Kakashi winced at how rough he was being with her. She coughed slightly with the pressure as he held her above the ground. Kakashi walked behind her and took her arms gently, tying them behind her back as he whispered in her ear- "just so you don't get any ideas about punching me again." She shivered at his breath on her neck. Kakashi took her from Ibiki and carried her from the room, following lady Tsunade.

The girl blushed as she was pressed gently against Kakashi's chest, she felt shy as she was held to the hardness of his breast. A little gulp formed in her throat.

"I've prepared the trigram table for you Kakashi, you'll just have to find the point of sealing and complete the markings." Said Ibiki as he walked along side.

"8 trigrams huh?" Said Kikiyo, "you're releasing all my chakra? Wow you're niave..."

"You're also paralysed, I'm not too worried." Said Ibiki sharply as he held open a door for Kakashi who walked in. The door was closed behind them. The floor was marked in blood characters in a circle with a gap in the middle. Kakashi carried her to the centre and lay her down on her front there. He stood back and pulled up his head band. His sharingan glared through the dull light of the room. Kikiyo looked up to it in shock...

"You're eyes, are like mine." She said slowly, her face serious. Kakashi cocked his head- "in what way?" He asked.

"You'll see..." She replied as Kakashi glared through his ominous eye at her. All of her chakra collected inbetween her shoulder blades.

"That's it then." He muttered to himself as he reached down and pulled away the top part of her Kimono. She squeaked slightly and blushed again- luckily she had bandages around her upper body from her injuries. Kakashi bit his thumb, drawing blood and then printed blood characters up her arms and over her back towards the focus point. The girl shivered at the gentle marking from Kakashi as he lined her skin with his blood tipped fingers.

"Try to relax, you getting all tensed up will make it harder for the both us when I'm performing this jutsu." Said Kakashi as he applied the last touches. He stood back and started to weave his hand signs, whispering the incantations under his breath before pressing the palm of his hand into her back.

Lightening shot through both as Kakashi watched her chakra flood over her body, back into her system. It hit him like a bucket of ice, the malevolence in her chakra, he'd never felt anything like it. Kakashi fell to his knees as the girl panted on the floor. He lifted her slowly and pulled her onto her back, slightly onto his lap so that he could see her face. She opened her eyes as he moved her. Kakashi gasped. One was icy blue, the other bright orange and with a cats pupil.

"I really should kill y-you... Now..." She wheezed, choking on her words.

Lightning flashed in the eye as she stared upwards at Kakashi's face, exhausted from the jutsu. He held his breath. She had aged! Her face was more mature and everything appeared more muscular but in a slim way. Was it just him, or was she more beautiful now, her skin was maybe even paler, her eyes were brighter and her features more refined. Her hair aswell! Longer and thicker, it fell down to bellow her behind now and fell glossier, tumbling over her shoulders.

What was wrong with him?! He had just received a death threat but instead of raising his guard he was busy studying her facial features.

Kakashi sighed and looked to the door as Tsunade walked in again.

The woman froze in the doorway, her eyes wide. "Oh I know exactly who that is..." She murmured as she walked forward. "Isn't that right, Kikiyo Namikaze."