Author's note: So, after a somewhat long hiatus, welcome to the first chapter of my new side story. Yay! For those of you who have been following along from the beginning, you know I've had this planned for awhile – for those of you just joining in – welcome! You've stumbled upon a side story for my much longer fan fiction, entitled Catch Me If I Fall. Don't worry – you can read this without having read any of my other stuff, however it might not be quite as much fun. *laughs*

Anyway, this story was originally never going to appear in print. It was all just notes, sitting in various folders ready for me to refer to them when writing my main story. However, as things begin to develop I quickly realized that there was too much information and I wouldn't be able to tell you everything you needed to know for the main story without writing another separate story. Thus, Ghost Fires was born.

Also – a small warning - for those of you wanting lots of interaction with canon Naruto characters, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. While a few do appear at the beginning and again at the end, this is mostly a story about Emiko and her brother and the first (and only) mission they ever went on together.

Catch Me If I Fall

Side Story #3 – Ghost Fires

Chapter 1

"You're too slow, Mizuki!"

I giggle softly at Iruka's playful taunting, enjoying the feel of the grass between my fingers and toes, as our silver-haired teammate finally reaches the top of the hill. He's not out of breath – but his face is bright red from embarrassment.

"You both know it wasn't my fault! Those rocks came rolling from out of nowhere," he replies, almost pouting.

Iruka laughs, jogging over to greet our friend. "That's what you get for trying to take a shortcut. Shikaku-sensei warned us about that path - lots of rockslides…remember?"

"Yeah…whatever," Mizuki grumbles, plopping down beside me in the grass. His cheek is scraped and beginning to well with blood, probably from where one of the smaller rocks grazed him on its way down.

Smiling apologetically, I gesture to the wound. "I can fix your face…if you want."

He seems startled by the offer, raising his hand tentatively to the wound. "Huh? Fix it?"

Iruka chuckles, joining us on the ground. "Impossible! Nobody could fix that face!"

Mizuki glares daggers at our teammate. Yeah…really funny, Iruka."

Playing along, I reply, "I dunno...I think Tsubaki would disagree…"

"What's that supposed to mean, Emiko?" the silver-haired boy growls, now glaring at me, too.

"Calm down…" I laugh. "I just meant she seemed to be staring at you an awful lot during that mission last week…"

A thoughtful look clears the anger from his face. "You really think so? I didn't notice…"

"She was definitely looking," Iruka confirms with a solemn nod. "Even I noticed."

"Which is saying a lot," I chuckle, giving Mizuki a wink as my silver-haired friend finally breaks into a smile.

"Hey!" Iruka protests. "I'm not…" but he halts mid-sentence as Shikaku-sensei suddenly appears, an unreadable expression on his face. "Sensei!"

"Is everything okay?" I ask, curious about the slight tension in his stance.

Mizuki rolls his eyes in defeat. "Aw, man! It's another mission isn't it? I thought we were gonna get a few days off!"

Sensei's eyes twinkle just slightly. "I'm not here to ruin your vacation. However, I do need to steal Emiko for a bit." He glances down and as soon as our eyes meet I can tell he's trying to make light of something really important. "Emiko, could you come with me, please?"

I nod, slipping my sandals on and rising silently from the grass to follow my teacher, who's quickly making his way back down the hill. It's not hard to catch up, and I easily pace his movements until we both reach the bottom.

Once there, Shikaku-sensei turns and states, "There's a mission."

Momentarily confused, I stammer, "But…you just said….I don't understand, sensei…"

"Iruka and Mizuki won't be joining you this time – apparently…your particular expertise are what's needed."

"My…expertise?" I ask, even more confused. It's not that I'm a bad ninja – I was actually one of the first in my class to be given Chuunin status…but my only area of true expertise is with a variety of medical jutsu…and at only thirteen years old, there are plenty of ninja better versed in those arts than I am.

Shikaku–sensei looks at me with vague uncertainty for a moment. "Let's go speak with the Hokage; I think he'd prefer to explain it to you himself."

I nod in agreement, my confusion overshadowed a bit by intrigue as I follow him further into the city. What exactly is going on?

I'm even more surprised when sensei stops suddenly and veers up the steps to Konoha's archives instead of continuing on to the Hokage's office. Hesitating only for a moment, unsure about why the Hokage would be here, I follow my teacher inside. We weave almost erratically through the various rooms and stacks of scrolls. Anyone else would probably feel lost by now, but the archives have been my home away from home ever since my mother's disappearance eight years ago; I know exactly where we are…but still have no clue where we're headed.

Suddenly Shikaku-sensei breezes through a 'Staff Only' doorway, and I follow dutifully behind him, more than a little excited to get a glimpse of the archives inner-workings. But there's not much to see as my teacher hurries up a small flight of narrow stairs and into a long hallway lined with several sturdy-looking doors. It's not until he stops and knocks on the one of the last doors that I realize where we are.

The Sealed Archives! Only the Hokage himself and a handful of elite Jounin have access to what's beyond these doors.

I don't realize I've said anything out loud until Shikaku-sensei glances in my direction with a small smile on his face. "I don't think you'll be doing any reading today; this is just where everyone happened to be when your name came up; the Hokage summoned me and now I've brought you."

"My name…came up?" Well, that's one way to make someone feel more than a little bit nervous.

Sensei looks like he's about the respond when the door opens and we're ushered in by a cat-faced member of the ANBU.

Inside is a tall room lined from floor to ceiling with shelves, each one stuffed with scrolls and books of every shape and size. At a table in the center sits the Hokage, who's chatting with an older man I don't recognize. Next to them is Youta, one of Konoha's head archivists. The silver-haired ANBU closes the door behind us and moves to stand silently behind the Hokage - I try not to stare. Although my brother has been a member of the group for nearly three years, I'd be lying if I said they didn't still psych me out a little…but then again, I guess that's the point.

Once the masked man has taken up his position, the three at the table turn to face Shikaku-sensei and me. My hands twitch, yearning to reach up and tug nervously on my shoulder-length hair but I keep them still, not wanting to disappoint my sensei.

The Hokage smiles warmly at me. "Welcome, Emiko. Please…come sit with us."

Feeling unsure, I glance at Shikaku-sensei, who places a hand on my shoulder and nudges me forward gently. I make my way to the table and take a seat, listening to my teacher's feet as they exit the room. Youta's expression is unreadable, but the man I don't know has a slightly incredulous look on his face. He turns to Youta and says, "You don't really expect me to believe that this…child…knows more about our world's mythology and lore than you do?!"

The archivist's eyes narrow slightly, but his voice is steady as he replies, "Emiko may not be a scholar on the subject, but she knows more than anyone I've ever met. Ask her anything – you'll see."

My interest in mythology? So that's what Shikaku-sensei meant by "expertise". I've never really considered myself an expert…not really; it's always just been a personal curiosity, something nourished by my father's book store…and Konoha's archives, of course.

The man looks me over thoughtfully. "Very well…how long ago did Ritsuko the Wise lead his army against the Great Tengu of the Eastern Mountains and how many nights did it take them to defeat the beasts?"

I'm silent for a moment, trying to decide how best to answer. Either the man is trying to trick me…or he has absolutely no clue what he's talking about. Can I risk offending him?

Eyebrows raised expectantly, he says. "Well, young lady?"

"Emiko…?" Youta prompts, looking slightly anxious.

I glance at the archivist a little helplessly." I'm sorry, I can't…"

"As I thought. There's no way a child could be of any use to…"

"You didn't let me finish," I interrupt, beginning to get just a little angry. "I can't answer the question because there IS no answer."

"Don't be absurd! Of course there's an answer!"

The Hokage holds up a cautioning hand to him. "Wait, Morimiya, let's hear what Emiko has to say."

I nod respectfully. "Thank you, sir," and then continue. "To begin with, Ritsuko the Wise was female, NOT male, and she never led an army anywhere; her life was spent almost completely in seclusion in the caves of Mount Numa. However, according to legend, Haruto Sugiyama did lead an army to battle the Tengu over five centuries ago, but they were in the Western Mountains and the battle was over in a single day, before night ever fell. And finally, there was a great conflict in the Eastern Mountains almost three millennia ago, but it was between two brothers – Kaito and Katsu Hattori; it lasted for almost two weeks before Kaito finally succumbed to exhaustion and was defeated."

Finished with my explanation I allow the room to drift into silence, as a large grin spreads over Youta's face. The man the Hokage called Morimiya, has a strange gleam in his eyes…is it hope? He holds out a hand over the table and says, "My apologies, Emiko. Please understand, I had to be sure…" I shake it tentatively, as he continues. "I'm Hiei Morimiya, Council Leader of Rinnai, a small town in the far north of Fire Country – I didn't think anyone even remembered the story of the two brothers any more." He grins broadly and I find myself relaxing…almost against my will.

"So…you were testing me?" I ask, still not entirely sure what's going on.

The Hokage chuckles lightly and says to Morimiya, "Perhaps we should explain everything to Emiko from the beginning? Youta, would you leave us, please?"

The archivist nods to the Hokage and gives me a slight smile of encouragement before exiting the room. Morimiya waits until the door is closed before continuing. "The people of Rinnai believe they are being plagued by evil spirits. Every night these beings descend upon the town, setting fires, causing widespread destruction and, more recently, deaths. The council has tried everything, holy men, exorcists – nothing works."

"So now they've decided to try ninjas?" I ask, a little surprised.

Morimiya and the Hokage exchange looks. "Actually…the rest of the Council doesn't know I'm here. They were adamant – no ninja! Being so close to Lightning Country has left many of the villagers…jaded when it comes to seeking help from your kind. I told them I was going to search for a famous mythologist who might know of an ancient way to drive the creatures out."

"But you came to us, instead?"

He nods, solemnly. "No one has ever actually seen the creatures – only the fires they leave behind. I strongly believe that it's all the work of a human…or humans, not ghosts and goblins. Since I couldn't convince the rest of the council to see things my way, this was my only option."

I look between the Hokage and Morimiya. "Then my mission is to pretend to be this famous mythologist?" Grinning slightly, I continue. "Now I understand why my age could be an issue."

Morimiya nods. "Yes…but I think we can dress you to look at least a little older than you are…and as long as you can prove your knowledge, I don't think anyone on the council will give you too much trouble."

Turning to the Hokage, trying to ignore the silent figure standing behind him, I ask, "Sir, what exactly are my objectives on this mission?"

He smiles reassuringly. "All we're asking you to do is be a…distraction for the villagers; use your knowledge to put them at ease."

"While someone else uncovers the true culprits?"

"Yes. The town of Rinnai is uncomfortably close to Kaminari's borders. Given past incidents, we don't want to draw the attention of Kumo's ninja if we can avoid it. You will be teamed with a single ANBU." At the mention of his organization, I notice the man hovering behind the Hokage straighten his back just the tiniest bit. "Their job will be to discover what's really been going on."

"I understand, sir."

"Excellent. You and your ANBU counterpart will meet with Mr. Morimiya at the main gate the morning after tomorrow. Until then, Emiko, I'd like to ask that the details of this mission stay secret. If anyone asks, you are simply accompanying Morimiya home as his bodyguard, nothing more. Is that understood?"

"Of course, sir."

"Very well then, you're dismissed."

I nod and bow slightly to both men before exiting.

As the door closes behind me, I hear the ANBU say, "Lord Hokage…about this mission…may I speak to you for a moment…" But the rest of the conversation is lost as the heavy door shuts with a resounding click.

Standing there in the hallway, I pause briefly, trying to decide what to do next. A part of me wants to go running back to my teammates to tell them what's happened…at least as much as I'm allowed, but I need to prepare…and as much as I want to, rejoining them will waste precious time. I've just decided that the best thing would be to head over to the archives' mythology section, when the door behind me opens. I whirl, finding myself almost face-to-face with the ANBU from earlier. We stand there silently for a moment, staring at each other…at least I assume he's staring; it's kind of hard to tell.

Finally, he says, "It's not very polite to listen in on other people's conversations."

Oh, great…he thinks I was snooping. "I…I couldn't hear anything through the door…honest." My protest sounds feeble even to my own ears. "I was just…well…"

"Yes?"

Somehow I know with complete certainty that behind his feline mask one eyebrow is arched in unconvinced scrutiny. Who knew a person's voice could have so much inflection? "Um…you see…" Seriously, why do the ANBU make me so nervous? I can't even form a coherent sentence!

"Emiko, are you all finished?" a voice calls from a bit further down the hall. Startled, I look over to find Youta striding towards us. He hands me an official-looking piece of paper. "Here's your clearance to be in this area – don't lose it. If you'll follow me, I can show you the best place to start your research." I laugh inwardly; Youta is one of the few people that knows me well enough to assume I'd begin my mission preparation with research.

"Thanks, Youta. Lead the way." He walks back down the hallway, stopping at one of the first doors to unlock it. I start to follow, but then turn back to the ANBU, feeling like I should say something else. "I really wasn't eavesdropping; the door's too solid – you can check for yourself if you want." Bowing slightly, I don't wait for a response before jogging over to Youta. However, before following the archivist into the room, I glance back down the hallway and have to suppress a chuckle at the sight of the ANBU man leaning towards the door, with his head cocked slightly, as if straining to hear beyond it.

Inside the room, Youta has already begun pulling books and scrolls off the shelves, piling them on the nearest table. When the stack begins to teeter precariously and he's still looking, I decide to interrupt. "Umm, Youta?

He glances my way, but doesn't stop his search. "Hmm?"

"Well…I don't mind a little research…but do you really think I'm going to need all of that?"

He stares at the stack of materials as if seeing it for the first time and then grimaces slightly. "My apologies, Emiko; I just feel a bit responsible for getting you mixed up in all of this. To be honest, I never expected the Hokage to allow a Chuunin on the mission. I want to help you prepare to the best of my abilities."

I grin and reply, "In that case, thank you. I was going to brush up on local mythology from the area, but since you've given me access to the Sealed Archives, you must have something else in mind."

The archivist grins. "I don't think you'll have any problems with the area's mythology; there's very little that deviates from what you already know, but if you'd like, I'll pull a couple of books from downstairs, so you can take them home with you once you're through here."

"I'd appreciate that. Thank you."

Youta nods, a grim look settling on his face. "What's more important," he continues, "is getting you as up-to-date as possible with what we know about Kumo's ninja. If all goes well, you won't need it, but I'd feel better if you were prepared."

Chuckling, I pick up a nearby book and thumb loosely through its pages. "Yeah, me too. So… where do you think I should start?"

It's nearly dark when I finally make my way back down the archive's steps headed towards home. My research is about as finished as it will ever be – we know a lot less about Kumo than I expected. Tomorrow, I'll refresh my mythological knowledge and piece together my costume. My walking is slow as I try to decide how to bring up the topic of a new mission with my father. Although mom's been gone almost ten years, he still worries about even the most simplistic of assignments. Granted, he might have the right to worry this time…which is why I quickly decide to leave the details to a minimum. The less he knows the better.

Finally reaching the house, I've just placed my hand on the door knob when raised voices echo from inside. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised - my father and brother NOT fighting…now that would be a change. Hesitantly, I listen through the door, wondering if I should go in and try to calm things down or wait it out on the front porch.

"I've told you a hundred times, I don't have any control over which missions I'm given!"

"But you could turn it down, couldn't you?! I don't want you anywhere near Kumo!"

"Just because mom…"

"Leave your mother out of this! I'm only trying to…!"

"You're trying to control my life!" I hear footsteps moving towards the front door

"Daisuke! Wait!"

"Forget it! I'm going out!"

I step back and to the side, anticipating my brother's exit just as the door is flung open and he comes storming out onto the steps. Daisuke slams it loudly and stands there for a second, breathing heavy.

"Daisuke…you promised…"

He whirls around at the sound of my voice and then curses under his breath. "Em! I know…but he's being completely unreasonable!"

I nod slowly. "Must be pretty angry, too; he didn't follow you like he usually does."

Daisuke chuckles. "Yeah, I noticed."

We're both silent for a moment, listening to the sounds of Konoha winding down around us. Sighing softly, I break the quiet. "I should probably go in…but you can stay out here if you want. I won't tell him where you are."

My brother looks at me for a moment, an unusual, almost pleading look in his eyes. "Actually…would you mind if I took you out for some ramen? I'd…like some company."

I hesitate. "But, father…"

"Shikaku stopped by earlier and told him you'd be late. Please, Em?"

Feeling guilty, I glance back at the entrance to our home, imagining our father inside, angry and upset. My news certainly won't make him feel any better; maybe waiting until morning would be best.

"Em?" Daisuke asks again

"Yeah, okay. But on one condition - you're going to tell me what's got him into such an uproar all of a sudden. You two were doing really well – there hasn't been a fight like that in months."

My brother chuckles as we begin walking towards Ichiraku. "Well, apparently I didn't give him enough credit. I mentioned the name of the town I'm headed to on my next mission, not thinking he'd know anything about it."

"But he did?"

"Enough to know that it's close to Kuminari's borders…too close as far as he's concerned."

"Hey…what were you doing talking about your mission anyway?" I ask, raising one eyebrow quizzically. "Won't you get in trouble for that?"

Daisuke shrugs. "Well, I really didn't say much – just the name of the town. I thought it would get him off my back about it."

"But it only made things worse."

My brother nods grimly. "I really didn't expect him to fly off the handle like that. I know mom disappeared near Kumo…but his reaction was…"

"Kinda scary?"

"Yeah…and then some." We walk in silence for a minute before Daisuke changes the subject. "So, what were you and Shikaku up to anyway? I thought he'd given the team a few days off."

"Yeah, but something came up. He asked for my help on a special mission, and I said I would."

We round the final corner – Ichiraku sits before us glowing with warmth as the tempting aroma of noodles wafts through the air. Standing just outside the booth, Daisuke raises an eyebrow and asks, "So when are you planning to tell dad?"

I grimace. "Well…I was planning on telling him tonight until someone decided to piss him off."

Daisuke groans. "Sorry, Em…if I'd known…"

"Yeah, whatever. It's not a big deal; I'll just fix him a huge breakfast tomorrow and spring it on him after he's full and content"

"Content?" My brother chuckles. "You sure we're talking about the same dad?"

We're both laughing as we duck inside the small restaurant, and a voice shouts out, "Hey! Emiko!"

I look over to see Iruka and Mizuki waving at me over steaming ramen bowls. Smiling, Daisuke and I grab empty seats next to them and quickly place our orders.

"So," Mizuki asks, between slurps of ramen, "You gonna tell us what's up or what?"

My friends look at me expectantly. "Well…I've got a new mission."

Mizuki's chopsticks clatter into the bowl. "What? Without us?!"

Iruka places a hand lightly on our teammate's shoulder. "Relax, Mizuki. She made Chuunin before we did; a mission with others on her own level was bound to happen sooner or later."

"Yeah…but…"

"It's really not a big deal;" I protest, wishing they'd change the subject. "I won't even be doing that much. They just needed someone with a bit of special knowledge."

"For what…running a book store?" Mizuki smirks and I resist the urge to slap him upside the head.

"Or maybe calming down angry parents?" my brother chimes in with a grin.

"Yeah, yeah, joke all you want," I grumble, sticking my tongue out at Daisuke.

"When do you leave?" Iruka asks.

"Hmm?" I ask, momentarily distracted by the steaming bowl of ramen being placed in front of me. "Oh, uh, the day after tomorrow."

Daisuke gives me a funny look out of the corner of his eye. "And how many people did you say were going on this mission with you?"

I falter for a moment, almost forgetting I'm not supposed to mention my ANBU companion. "Uh, actually it's just me; I'm escorting a council member home."

"So what kind of special knowledge does that require?" Mizuki asks with a slight sneer. "And why are you going alone? Don't several ninja typically go on that kind of mission?"

"Well…" I reply, trying to think fast. "He's…uh, not much of a people person, so he refused to accept the help of more than one ninja. And…um, he likes listening to stories…so…" I trail off as Iruka and Daisuke simultaneously burst into laughter.

Mizuki just stares at me incredulously. "Emiko…please tell me you're not serious?!"

I stare down at my uneaten ramen, blushing furiously and wishing I could drown myself in the broth. Stories?! Where did that come from?! What was I thinking?!

Daisuke stops laughing long enough to interject, "Well, I guess there are worse ways you could be entertaining him..."

I punch my brother solidly in the shoulder, but it doesn't have the desired effect – he just laughs even harder.

The rest of the evening is spent with all three of them making fun of me over and over again. I'm more than a little angry that I can't tell them the truth about my mission, but in all honesty, I'm just glad I was finally able to see Daisuke smile again – it's something he hasn't really done a lot of since joining ANBU, and it's a welcome change.