Just want everyone to know… Gaara will reappear soon enough. . I'm working on it, and you will get a pitiful excuse when it pops up. ..

But for now, enjoy Hatake Kakashi in

Open Your Eyes

I do not own, nor claim to own, Naruto or its many characters. Cyril Rai is my only original thus far.

Chapter One

"Jiraiya," the voice spoke softly, yet had a tone that could draw attention to it easily. They say that with age comes wisdom. And Jiraiya was plenty aged. But wise was in the eyes of the beholder. And in the eyes of most, the legendary Jiraiya was nothing more than a legendary pervert with the maturity of a monkey. Lucky for him, Rai knew him better then appearances.

She stepped forward slowly, standing, head bowed, before the legendary Sennin. He had turned carefully, pulling his attention away from his "research" with a curious glance. When he saw her though, his curiosity was dropped, and a look of mild shock changed his features.

Whatever she was here for, it wasn't good. "Strike me if I'm wrong, but your presence is never good."

The young woman of twenty-one grinned a toothy grin and nodded her head in agreement. Her black hair had fallen out of her high, messy bun, framing her face oddly. Oddly, because it made her seem darker, not paler as black hair most often did. Her tan skin looked right with dark hair. One hand rose slowly from her side, lowering the black glasses from her eyes, and revealed the odd emerald colored eye. The other, she had squinted shut from the sun.

"Jiraiya-sama, I've come to you only to offer advice," she began, allowing her hair to fall over her left eye and hide it from his view. "Return to Konoha."

With the mention of his village, Jiraiya himself seemed to darken. "And?" he prompted.

She suddenly seemed uncomfortable, raising her one-eyed gaze to meet his own. "You are aware of my… Condition," she began slowly. Her weight shifted. "I, too, am going to Konoha shortly. To speak with the Third… and then the Fifth. That will be you, Jiraiya, if you choose it. I hope you will. I do not wish to put my own safety in the hands of a stranger who could care less."

New Presences: Morioka Rai, the Mercenary Shinobi!

Rai had disappeared as quickly as she had come, and Jiraiya knew he wouldn't be hearing from her, until she wanted to be heard from, of course. That was how it always went. Or, had been going for the past seven years.

He knew, though, where she was heading. She had arrived before him, surely, as she had stated it. She was useful when she wanted, informational when she felt like it, and helpful only if she liked you. Catty girl, she was. He wasn't yet sure if it was a personality that came from her origins and up bringing, or simply a personality that came from time. There was little to base it off.

He defiantly wished there was. Unknown to her, he'd used her as a sort of… outline, of a character or two in his books. Her attitude was fine for it, and her looks only asked for it. What was a man in his standing to do? Of course, he had kept out details here and there and added a couple. Rai was a fine woman indeed, but she had her problems and imperfections. What most would consider imperfections, anyway.

The old hermit chuckled lightly at this thought as he walked. Any thoughts were better then those dwelling at the back of his mind. The Third would soon die, murdered. Rai didn't know everyone's demise, but with such a connection to the murdered and the murderer, she had probably known long before she decided to tell him.

Rai, miles away from him, was oblivious to Jiraiya's thoughts. She was very aware, however, of the racing flash of orange coming toward her, knocking her to the ground. She hit hard on the dirt road, snarling curses. Above her, she could make out the frantic apologies of the orange blob.

Her eyes flew open to pass her hidden glare upon him, but what caught her eyes was not the black shading of her glasses. Rather, a bright world and a red surrounding the panicking orange above her. In all likeliness, she would have "freaked" without her glasses. But her mind was caught on the image above her. No matter how brief it actually was, she had seen it, and it had burned into her mind. She worked on instinct, thrusting her eyes shut and covering them.

"Shut up!" She shouted angrily, sitting up to scoot herself back, until she felt the cool of the shadows and a back to her wall. She squinted still, placing her hand just above her brows. Her eyes searched the street in one quick glance. It didn't take long for her to spot the sunglasses, specialty made, sitting in the street.

Shattered. Of course, the fool had made the framing indestructible, but the actual useful part snapped like a twig. She hissed loudly, glaring to the boy. "You! Bring those here," she ordered harshly, pointing with her free hand.

He watched her oddly, but didn't disobey as he brought the shattered pieces to her. "Oi, oi, sorry! Sorry! It was an accident I swear!" He whined, handing the pieces over with his palms up. Rai half had the mind to kill him with the shards. It wasn't impossible.

"It doesn't matter," she hissed, taking the pieces in clenched fist. "What is your name?"

The blond seemed all the more confused, scratching the back of his neck. Nevertheless, he grinned to answer the question. Rai was hardly paying attention, only hearing his name and a bunch of other gibberish that went wasted on the introduction. The face, the grin, and the whiskers all lead her conclusion to be correct.

"Doesn't matter," she spoke swiftly, cutting him off from his ramblings. She pulled her gaze away from him. She'd ponder over the demon holder later. Now, she watched the shadow that was now slowly sinking. Damn… "Help me."

The boy listened, staying to take any order she barked at him. Her glasses were thrown to the ground now, needing to be fixed anyway. She reached into the open space of her cleavage, and produced a bit of money, handing it to him in the same motion. "Go across the street, buy some bandages."

I could dig this kid, Rai thought to herself, somehow or another ending up in a small Ramen bar, giving the chef at least a quarter of last months earnings. For not only herself, but also the black hole that was Naruto. Over their conversation, she had learned more about him then she had ever intended to know about anyone. For example, that he ate over ten dishes of ramen a day if he could afford it. And that he had high hopes to become Hokage one day.

"Oi! Oi! Rai-chan! Did I tell you, you look just like Kaka-sensei with your eye like that?"

In fact, he had. This had to be the sixth time he had told her that. But she wasn't about to say so. Not only would mentioning it hint to her being aware he was trying to figure out why she had wrapped her right eye, but she liked when he asked. The "Oi's" and "Rai-chan's" were rather cute.

"Mmm, do I? Hopefully I'll see this Kaka-sensei for myself some time, and see?" She raised her brow at him with a grin.

Naruto sighed in defeat, going back to his ramen. "Hey, Rai-chan, why are you here anyway?" He asked suddenly, catching her attention.

She grinned at him. "Obviously to get ran over by miniature ninja like you." The fox-boy whined, shaking his head, causing the older woman to chuckle.

"Little? I wouldn't take me lightly!" he spoke excitedly, shoving more noodles into his mouth. "I've passed the first Chunin exam! I'll become a Jonin in no time!"

He was cut short once more, a simple "Oh yeah?" breaking him from his ramble early. "Shouldn't you be with your team then?" Her head tilted to the side, adding its weight to her propped arm.

He blinked oddly at her, as if not understanding.

"Well, it seems you should be with your team, practicing, or at the least celebrating. That's what they did when I took the exam—"

He gasped in mild surprise, leaning forward. "You're a ninja?" Rai blinked back at him, raising her brows.

"Of course I am."

"Buh-but, you don't have a forehead protector…"

Rai shrugged. "Nor a village." The simple statement seemed to confuse the fox-boy even more, gaining his curiosity. Rai chuckled lightly at this. "I'm sort of a… shinobi mercenary. I have no village because I don't claim loyalty to any one village. Though I do favor Konoha," she added in, glancing behind her as if to point out the village.

The boy had no interest in her like and dislikes though, only the fact that such an occupation must make her quite a shinobi. His blue eyes sparkled.

"That's so cool! You have to be really strong to do that!"

This made Rai all the more amused. "I suppose so."

You shouldn't boast, Rai-chan, a voice taunted in her head, purring as it spoke. Rai gulped in a breath, closing her eye on the outside, while her mind ran wild inside. She hadn't expected it so soon. It had barely been eleven months.

It's getting worse, she thought forlornly.

"Oi, oi! Rae-chan, what is it?" Naruto seemed genuinely surprised in his childish innocence as Rae stood, looking down at him with a small smile.

"Nothing, my apologies, just spacing out," her hand reached out, ruffling his hair in a tad of affection. At the same time, her green eye stared out in the street, at the approaching boy and girl. Rae lowered her hand.

"Your friends are on their way. Spend time with them before the next exam, you'll wish you had if you don't."

Naruto never thought of asking how it was she knew who his friends were. All he could do was marvel at how quickly she disappeared, and run off to greet his teammates.

Rae crouched upon the rooftop above the ramen stand, smiling to the boy as he ran up to his teammates in that excited hyperactivity he had spoken to her with. She sighed, content on watching them just for a moment. But that streak of happiness was disrupted with the voice in her head again.

Don't get attached, Darling, it purred, you know what happens when you get attached.

Rae cringed outside, closing her eyes softly. She had to see the Third. Before it got out of hand again.

"I can't believe… I didn't notice."

—End Chapter One—

So? What'cha think? I'll think you hate it if you say nothing, be aware of that

And Kakashi isn't in it yet, no, but he will be. Very soon… yes, soon

I've been hoping to do a Kakashi story for a while… Recently got hold of some tunes, and recently got in the mood to write something. I'll add a Gaara chapter soon, promise…

Maeko