I hate the rain. I hate the cold. I hate people who try to clip my wings, even though I haven't found a real chance to fly.

(Drip)

(Drip Drip Drip)

(Sound of running feet)

So I run. As fast as I can. Father only allows it if I wear the heaviest training weights I can while I run. I don't complain, since I am the fastest girl in Konoha. My name is Hana Uchiha, the twin of Sasuke and younger sister to Itachi.

This is my tale.

You'd think with a name like Hana I would be prettier. But no, I prefer 'butch' to 'girly', unlike the other kunoichi my age...who all lust after my twin. Poor bastard. At least Itachi understands my pain. He's just as bound as me, with all the pressure father puts on him as the 'prodigy' of the clan.

As the only person who understands, he helps me escape into the written word. Itachi sneaks me into the forbidden library of the Uchiha clan, which I wouldn't be able to access until I'm an 'adult' member of the clan.

I passed that stage a long time ago. I know what awaits me when I pass the test to become a full member of the clan. I overheard my favorite aunt and father talking about it. When I pass the test, they will give me to the Hyuga clan to marry Neji...who's from the Branch side.

Not if I have anything to say about it.

So I run, I practice from the old scrolls that Itachi sneaks out for me, and I wait. I can feel the winds blowing, and I know that change will come. At least I have help in that department from the strangest source of all. My twin.

Sasuke claims all the glory whenever I do something amazing and I stay in the shadows. So what if everyone believes he is the next prodigy? I would love to see their faces when I finally claim my status as the true prodigy. Even Itachi has difficulty keeping up with me. I exceed all expectations when it comes to the academy and have already found my element. Imagine my teacher's shock when they found out I have three elements which I excel at, and one minor one. Lightning, air and water, with the fire as a minor element.

Here I am in front of the elders. Apparently they didn't like the fact that I outshone Itachi, and plan to make me pass the test. Sasuke already did weeks ago thanks to my help. So they send me into the forest of death with one of the older members, who already have their Sharingan. I plan to force the idiot into fighting the creatures while I copy everything they throw at it.

It worked perfectly. I never even had to do anything in the end. So I promptly enlisted in the Interrogation Unit, and the elders couldn't override the Hokage or the Village elders. Who knew Danzo would actually go along with one of my plans for once?

I love Anko and Ibiki. Apparently I'm their best student when it comes to torture...and I love the looks Itachi keeps sending Anko, who is oblivious from what I can tell. I don't think Itachi knows she's bi.

I just turned eight and have been promoted to full Chunin like Itachi. But while he's in the ANBU, I'm still with Ibiki. I'm the star of the Intel unit and the elders can't marry me off until I pass the test.

So when I decide to end the nuisance that is my family's scowling, it was with no little relief. They were shocked when I used some of the lost techniques to create a large fire dragon made entirely of flames. I have higher chakra reserves than my brother, and perfect control. Not a drop of chakra wasted. Add to the fact that I'm still standing and just shot off a grand fireball like I was supposed to while remaining upright, and I beat even Itachi's joke on our father. (He set half the compound on fire deliberately. You can still see the scorch marks!)

Sasuke, Itachi and I listen to our family argue about something. From the tone it's about the engagement to Neji. (If I end up marrying that depressing bastard I will torch the Hyuga compound within a week!)

At least mother was on the side of keeping me...though her reasons were to mine me for information on where I found the scroll for the dragon.

Itachi turned out to be a godsend, as I directed him to certain scrolls to steal for me. Particularly the dragon one and the one I just started reading. I had him steal over half the scrolls, which I placed in a single large scroll on my back. I fled the compound and told the Hokage my plan to go on a training sabbatical for a few years.

(Translation: I'm skipping town for a while and this is the best excuse I could come up with so I won't be declared missing Nin.)

The Hokage merely gave me a look, and I gave him my best innocent one back. Since I was a Chunin, it was perfectly in my right to take a few years off missions to train. With the large scroll on my back, and the second one next to it with all my things and supplies, I really looked like I was off to train in secret.

I was really running away.

Still, he granted my request so I won't be declared a rogue kunoichi.

Sasuke wasn't too happy about me leaving, but he understood. Itachi had this odd look in his eyes when I left. A week away, and I overheard the news.

The entire Uchiha clan was massacred, except for Sasuke. For some reason they were demanding I come back once they found me. Something about making sure that I wasn't in league with my older brother. I guess it didn't help that I mentioned I was glad they were dead. So I told Iruka that I would only come back once the engagement that was drawn up was called off...and when I found out that the Konoha elders refused...

I ran leaving a note.

'I refuse to marry Neji Hyuga. Unless you want another massacre of a clan, don't force me to return. I will come back when I have mastered the scrolls I took. Hana.'

Rain...I hate it with every fiber of my being. But it did serve a purpose, since it made it impossible for even an Inuzuka to follow my trail. Then I noticed that the Konoha nin weren't following me anymore. I stopped, and looked back.

Those trees weren't the same ones I was running in before! I was still in Fire country, and a long way from the border. And since I memorized each type of known tree in Fire and the surrounding countries just in case...

I wasn't in my world anymore. In fact...these look like rowan and willows. But there aren't any of these trees except the forest between Wind and Fire. And I was no where near that place when I was running.

Time to continue on. There weren't any chakra signatures around...other than the ones I associated with demons anyway.

I came up to a large temple where an old woman was sweeping. I didn't let her apparent age fool me, as she bent her back and a series of pops was heard.

Then she glared right at me...when I was hiding my chakra as best I could. Even the Hokage was scared from behind when I went into hiding...he could never detect me!

"Come out where I can see you or I will shoot."

I dropped from the branch and saw her surprise.

"A brat?"

I tried not to bristle at the brat comment. So I just stood there as she was obviously evaluating me.

"Not a demon...and you do have some ability for sight. You might as well come on in."

"Thank you ma'am."

"So you do speak. Name and where is your family located?"

"Hana Uchiha, and the last I heard of my family they were planning on marrying me off to a rival clan."

"Rival clan?" she stopped and gave me a look.

"I'm a full fledged kunoichi, Chunin level. I just left over two weeks ago for solitary training for a few years."

"So you aren't afraid of a little hard work then?"

"No ma'am."

She let me in, so I could at least dry off. I was soaking wet from that sudden rainstorm I ran in. At least the temple was warm.

Once I sat down with my legs bent under me, she gave me a small cup of fresh tea and some sakuramochi on a napkin made of odd paper. I remembered a little joke Itachi had made when I was born.

If that Haruno girl wasn't born before me and named Sakura, that would have been my name instead of Hana.

As I took a bite of the sakuramochi, I noticed something was odd about the napkin. It was red instead of the white before. I discreetly checked my hands for cuts and blood. They were perfectly fine...and the old woman was looking at me.

"I was right. You do have some ability. More than enough to learn at any rate."

"Ability?"

"You can see demons and the dead can't you?"

I winced. That was something I preferred to keep to myself. It was the reason why Ibiki loved me, since I could also hear the dead once he was done. He just thought I could hear between the lines better than he could.

"So you are aware of the other side. How clearly can you see them?"

"I can see them plain as day and hear them just fine. My twin brother can't see or hear at all thank kami."

"Twins? Well that could explain how you can see, but your brother should be able to see as well."

"I remember my older brother mentioning the nightmares Sasuke had when he was really little, until they finally stopped. I guess he finally blocked his sight."

"And if blocked it will try to find an outlet...which meant his sight went directly to you."

"When his nightmares stopped I started to hear them."

"Which makes you a powerful psychic."

I looked at her in disbelief. Me, a psychic? While that would explain the souls I kept seeing, if I trained in that it would open a whole new can of worms! She saw the look and smirked.

"My training methods usually increase physical ability as well as spiritual."

I'm ashamed to admit this later, but I must have had a look of disbelief on my face, since she took me outside and proved she wasn't joking. She broke a rock even I would have trouble destroying without chakra enhanced muscles.

We started three days later, after I caught a particularly nasty fever from the rain storm I ran in...and made a note to not run in the rain for six straight hours without rest. Damn persistent Sensei nin... (Iruka and two other academy teachers)

But once they started training, I found my new teacher to be a delight (and nowhere near as bad as Anko in a bad mood) and I think she loved the fact that I didn't complain once about the regiment.

And it took me a week to finally find out her name. Genkai.

I didn't know what to think about Genkai sending me to school. I was a Chunin for Kami's sake! I was better at balancing check books than Genkai was! All she would tell me was that this was a test to see how I handled city life and the spirits that inhabit it. Something about the city holding more souls than her countryside temple.

So I went along with it, after all, she was sending me to a temple in Tokyo...where ever the hell that was.

She failed to tell me about my cover story, though once I looked it up I found it wasn't a cover but her way of telling me that I was family.

Genkai had adopted me into her family as her daughter. She had already started training me in her special technique, so it wasn't that big a surprise. And she was more like a mother should be compared to my own.

So here I was, in elementary school, with a bunch of brats who have obviously never trained seriously. My story for my speed and fighting ability was easy enough to explain, since I tried like hell to keep from using my full speed. I was a prodigy in martial arts who used weights all the time. Though the fact that I was wearing my lightest set didn't hurt the story. At least the teachers shut up about it when they felt how heavy they were.

(Like wearing ten pounds of weight is really going to increase my speed. I wore enough weight gear to crack the ground when I was five!)

Still, at least one good thing came out of the whole nonsense.

I spotted someone very familiar from my village. The loudmouth blond, Naruto Uzamaki (I barely knew of him, and even then through Sasuke's whining about some dobe) had a brother from another town. Kurama something if I remember correctly.

I was in his class too. At least I wouldn't have to hide so much as I thought. Though I did wonder why he looked the same age as I was, since the last time I checked he was around fifteen or so.

According to the teacher his name is Shuichi Minamino, and he would be my neighbor for the rest of the year.

"Ohayo, Hana-san."

"Ohayo, Kurama-san."

He looked shocked that I called him that. Seeing the look, I smirked.

"Shuichi your cover name then?"

He gave me a barely perceptible nod, and I grinned.

"Relax fox boy. Yes, I know you are a fox. You don't blow my cover and I won't mention yours. Deal?"

"Agreed, though you will have to tell me how you know about me."

"I want to know how you de-aged. Last time I checked you were fifteen with longer hair."

In the end, we went to the roof and talked. At least now I had some answers, like where the hell I was. Somehow I had passed through the same barrier Kurama did to visit Naruto...and I was in the past! Hey, I'm not complaining, since the only ones who seem to be able to pass are those with demonic abilities or ties.

At least now I have someone to talk to. Kurama (I would only call him by his cover name when we are in class) was relieved to hear about my views on demons...and that I was a mercenary by trade. Which meant he was safe from demon hunters as long as he was my friend. He even helped me learn English and catch up on any homework I had trouble with.

I think the look on my okaa-san's face was worth going to Tokyo though, once I told her about my best friend. Since it was a fox, we made a deal of sorts.

She would teach me everything she knew about reiki and demons if I swore not to go all the way with a boy until I was either sixteen or an S-class in power. Easy enough to do, since with the way I trained I would reach that mark in a few years anyway.

Ten years old, and bored as hell. For the past two years I have been training under Genkai and being a normal girl on the side. My best friend is a disguised fox demon who steals only the best and is currently presumed dead. His current best friend is also a demon, though from what Kurama says he's only half. Something about him being a Hi-koorime, whatever that is. Hiei is fun to hang out with, since we share common interests.

(I/E Fire, pointy objects, killing people violently, annoying the Spirit World, running faster than everyone else and pranks.)

It doesn't hurt that I finally found out what my demonic tie was a year ago. All because I was chasing a particularly annoying demon who wouldn't take a hint about my power. So I ran after him, pissed off, ready to slit his throat and collect the bounty from Koenma. (Oh yes, the day I met the current overseer of the Ningenkai was remembered in infamy. Koenma officially hates it when I show up, because I mock him incessantly for the hell of it.)

So there I was, chasing the demon, when it stopped and kicked something small out of the way. Pausing briefly, I found a tiny kitten with split tails. It actually flinched, since it expected me to kick it as well. Instead I gently picked it up and put it in my bag. It was so small it curled up easily inside! I dropped the weights, and killed the demon in a brutally gruesome fashion (a.k.a., ripped it's head clean off) and took it to the Reikai to collect my reward.

Hey, a girl has to earn a living somehow, and exorcisms don't pay nearly enough! Plus Enma himself rewards me with new toys to play with.

Hiei took one look at the kitten and said to me, "Where the hell did you find a blackfire nekomata? Those are supposed to be extinct!"

"Dumb ass youkai kicked it, which is the only reason I found it. Is it a boy or girl?"

"Male."

"I'm keeping it. I'll call him Niko."

"I should warn you that blackfire nekomata are extremely hard to keep. Only those with the same blood can even get them to behave."

"Niko seems pretty well behaved to me."

"You just rescued him. Of course it will be well behaved...for about a week anyway. Or until it's back to full health."

"If he behaves, he gets treats. I can handle a demon cat, Hiei-kun."

Hiei gave me an amused look then. He once mentioned to Kurama that he approved of me because I was sensible about killing.

Imagine our surprise when Niko not only behaved but was extremely helpful to me! Once we finally broke down and used a tool from the Reikai to see bloodline type, we found out why.

I had a rare demon-blood type in my ancestry. Apparently the same one that gave us our Sharingan eyes. One of my ancestors was a Nightfire nekomata. A rarer breed, even more elusive that the blackfire, which was a cousin to the Nightfire. The other cousin was called a deathfire, which was also in my family.

On the plus side, Hiei now considered me family. He was like Itachi, only way more fun. So I called him Hiei-nii, which had him jolt a bit before giving me an odd look.

I later found out he also had a twin, by the name of Yukina. Who was currently missing. So I made him a deal. I would help him find his sister, in exchange he would leave a message for my twin. It took little convincing.

Sasuke saw the figure in the tree, and dismissed it. It wasn't Itachi, not with the way the hair spiked up. But with those cold red eyes...it could be a distant relation of the Uchiha come to check on him. He looked at the scroll, and his eyes widened.

He recognized his sister's twin cipher anywhere. She was still alive?

'To My annoying attention seeking twin brother, Sasuke.

If you see the spiked figure in the tree, his name is Hiei. (And no, as far as I can tell he isn't a distant Uchiha relation...though with his interests he might as well be.) I happened to meet him by accident thanks to a third party.

I'm fine right now, and I'm really sorry for not contacting you sooner. It's hard to contact others through the veil. (Somehow when Iruka and the other teachers were chasing me I ended up a few years in the past in Kurama's world. And yes, you read that correct. The dobe's brother Kurama happens to live near the temple I stay at.)

Tell the Hokage that I happen to have come across a proper teacher, and I am still in training. I will be back when you finally graduate, just let me know when so I can travel through, okay?

Love your evil brilliant twin, Hana'

Sasuke looked up, and said, "So you're name is Hiei, is it?"

"Hn."

"Might as well come in."

Hiei did actually come in, and when asked, told Sasuke exactly what his twin had been up to. Sasuke spent his time wisely, and asked politely if Hiei could deliver a message for his sister. Hiei gave him a surprised look, but took it with him.

Before he left, he stopped by the Hokage's office to deliver what Hana had said was a written report. Something about not being declared rogue.

'To the Lord Hokage, from Intel Member Hana Uchiha, Chunin.

If you are reading this, please don't automatically bother the messenger. He tends to take such things worse than a Uchiha in a snit. The enclosed scroll is a report on the other side, where the Academy Student Naruto Uzamaki's brother Kurama lives. If it is at all possible, could you list me as someone on an intelligence gathering mission? I would really prefer to avoid being labeled traitor.

Somehow when Iruka and the other academy teachers were chasing me through that rainstorm, I ended up in the past of Kurama's side. I believe it would be more beneficial if I stay here for a while, at least until I figure out how to cross back and forth. Give Ibiki and Anko my love, and tell the elders that I refuse to marry the Hyuga brat Neji.

Either you drop that damn engagement or I will burn the Hyuga clan to the ground.'

The Hokage gave him an amused look.

"The same as ever, I see. Tell her that her request will be granted, as far as mission status. As for the engagement nonsense, I will see what I can do."

He tossed a pair of headbands to Hiei.

"What are these for?"

"One is a replacement for hers, just in case. The other is for the one known as Kurama. He was qualified as a ninja months ago, and never bothered to get this. Tell Hana about it, she probably knows what I'm referring to."

"Hn."

Hana was surprised when Hiei finally came back. With two headbands and two different scrolls. She read the scrolls first, and then took the headbands. She would keep Kurama's for a while, at least until he got up to speed. The other headband went around Niko's neck like a collar. Niko didn't mind in the least, since it made it very easy to identify (by human and demon standards) that he was Hana's family.

He noticed Hana seemed to walk with a slight spring in her step after reading something. Sniffing it, he made a note of the scent on it, since it was very close to her own.

Kurama also noticed the spring in her step, and made the mistake of asking what happened.

"My older brother massacred the clan, except for my twin," Hana replied with a smile. (It sure looked real to him.)

Kurama gaped.

"Aren't you supposed to be upset about their murder? Or the killer being your older brother?"

"Hell no! They were going to force me to marry into a rival clan, and the branch family no less! I hate the Hyuga clan! Itachi-nii did me a favor."

He shook his head at the odd girl. Ever since she had shown up, he had been feeling off. Well, not off, but happy maybe? She seemed to fill the void he wasn't aware of having in his life. Hell, the minute she addressed him by his true name, he nearly had a heart attack!

He was relieved when he found out that she not only knew and wouldn't speak about it without his permission, but that she didn't care about it. Though originally he didn't believe her when she said she was a Chunin level ninja.

(He quickly found out she wasn't joking.)

But the way she and Hiei (who was the first demon he got along with since becoming human for a while) got along like peas in a pod, it made him happy. And more than a bit wary of her around his plants. (Hiei and Hana share a pyromaniac quality.)

So she was the only female he ever let close, even more so than his human mother. Hana learned why he remained a human and after meeting Shiori agreed with him. She would have done the same, had her mother cared that much. Though the look of surprise she got when she mentioned she could do something about the scars on her arms was worth any she would have gotten from a hospital.

When Kurama asked why, she told him the truth.

"Unless you're a medic nin, any real ninja worth their salt hates hospitals with a passion. Especially those in the Interrogation department. We just don't get along, despite being classed as lower level medic nins ourselves."

Kurama had enough sense to not ask what the difference was. He could see it was better for his sanity not to know just yet. Especially when Hana mentioned her favorite Jounin named Anko Mitarashi (Sp?)

A week later he noticed something odd about his mother. Then he realized what it was. Her scars were almost healed over!

"Okaa-san, what happened to your scars?"

"Hana-chan fixed them up. I noticed how you always looked at them, Shuichi."

She noticed more than that apparently. Like how close he was to Hana and the boy who she assumed was her brother. Kurama actually stood back and took a good look at the two, and realized she had a point.

Hiei did almost look like Hana.

Hana was extremely bored out of her mind. The only high point was that her reports earned her cash in her bank account back in Konoha. The Hokage was extremely interested in her reports on the demons, spirit world and any modern things she came across. Though he did request she not send any more videos for him.

(Her favorite prank of all time: Use a henge to go into adult video stores, buy equal amounts of hentai and yaoi videos, and switch the covers. She then had Hiei send them over with her reports, and had him videotape the old man's reaction. Kurama found it just as hilarious as she did, when the Hokage watched a Yaoi video instead of a hentai one.)

On the plus side, Sasuke had reported that he would graduate this year along with Naruto. Who was delighted to see his brother (albeit a lot younger than before) more often. In fact, Kurama's presence in the village had an unexpected side effect.

He gained all the memories up to that point from his fifteen year old self by accident. At least now he wasn't as confused whenever the blond child brought something up. He also started wearing the headband around his neck, hidden from view by his collar.

She gained a leave of absence from the school for two weeks, after making it look like she broke her leg (a little trick with her chakra and it caused a crack to appear in the bone) and she fixed it as soon as she got to her mother's temple. (A clean break like that was simple enough to fix with a little know how.)

Kurama and Hiei joined her when she went through the barrier, with Niko riding on her shoulder. She waltzed right through the gates, with her headband and chunin vest proudly shown. The only thing that raised eyebrows was her hair color.

In honor of her mother, she used a mild henge to turn her hair pink for a month at a time.

It was with a great deal of surprise when she was kidnapped by a waistcoat wearing lunatic who had an obsession for dango.

Kurama immediately found her scent and followed, with some difficulty. Hiei went on ahead to the school. He remembered that crazy woman, and didn't feel like dealing with her. He only ever talked to her while drinking her under the table and cheating her out of her cash.

(Current record for unexpected drinking contest between Anko vs. Hiei: Hiei-50, Anko-0)

Kurama found himself in a building that held the distinct smell of blood. He followed Hana's scent inside and found her being interrogated by a man with a lot of scars and the crazy woman from before.

She seemed to be enjoying herself.

"I don't have a boyfriend Snake girl!"

"Then who were the boys you were seen with at the entrance?"

"Like you don't already know them by sight, Ibiki. Red head is the older brother to Uzamaki Naruto, the shade is the Uchiha lookalike Hiei Jaganshi."

"Jaganshi? Not Uchiha?"

"Not a drop of human blood in him. He's not Uchiha. Speaking of non human, you might as well come in Kurama."

He came in alright. He was also confused.

"Little known fact about the Intel Corps...we love investigating each other's private lives. Nothing else to do on a slow day."

"And for once we get to tease Hana-chan!" said the crazy (purple?) haired woman who smelled faintly of snakes and blood.

"Ah yes, the infamous Anko of the Interrogation department. And her superior Ibiki Morino."

Kurama nodded to each, then gave her a clear look.

"Anko was eager to hear about my new friend on the other side..."

"Eager? She practically abducted you."

"Hana is the youngest member of the Interrogation department, and as of yet not a single boy has been able to approach her."

"It looked like she avoided the Uchiha clan curse. Unlike her brothers..." started Ibiki.

"Curse?" Kurama repeated worriedly.

"Fan clubs. The only boys anywhere near my age who will approach me voluntarily are Naruto and Sasuke. Everyone else is too afraid of Anko-nee-chan."

He winced in sympathy.

"Of course Sasuke has a bigger following than Itachi-nii did. Even though Itachi had his eyes on someone else..." she hinted.

Hook, line and sinker. Both adults turned to her, interested.

"Who?" said Anko eagerly.

"I'll give you a hint. I started calling her Nee-chan once I noticed the looks he kept shooting her."

Kurama's eyes darted to the crazy lady...er, Anko. Ibiki caught the stare, and put it together himself. He started cracking up. Anko wondered why he was laughing when she saw Kurama looking at her amused.

"You're favorite older brother has a thing for snakes, I take it?" he hinted back.

"Yup. Can't blame him really. I didn't have the heart to tell him the object of his affection was Bi."

Now Anko's eyes widened. Then she cursed, since it took her so long to realize they were talking about her.

"You mean that Weasel had a crush on ME?"

"Bingo!"

Kurama looked at her and said flatly, "You sound like Botan."

"Crap...Oh well, I can always tell her next demon customer how to sink her oar."

Hana and Kurama left, with the blessings of Anko and Ibiki. (They had noticed the looks the two kept shooting each other, and a new wager was made in the office betting pool on how long before they figured it out themselves.)

Hiei was standing next to Sasuke and Naruto when they caught up. And Sasuke's fangirls caught a show and a half when he tackled a pink haired girl with brown eyes. (One enthusiastic fangirl cheered silently, since she had naturally pink hair and teal eyes.)

"Hana!"

"Hey bro, miss me?"

"About as much as I miss 'kaa-san and her natto."

"You actually liked her natto? I always thought it was too stringy."

"Hana!" said Sasuke in exasperation.

"Ramen is on me! You coming Naruto-kun?"

"You bet!"

The fanclub watched in shock as Sasuke, ice prince of the Academy, left with a female the same age as him. Add to the fact that there were two hot looking boys about their age and Naruto, who appeared to be quite familiar with them both...and their jaws dropped.

"So Hana, how long are you staying?"

"For two weeks. I faked a broken bone to get out of school for your graduation...and the party we'll have once you pass the final Genin test. Think you can handle living with Naruto for a while?"

Sasuke looked at Naruto and his brother, who was only two years older than them. Hiei was silently following, mostly because of the promise of the best ramen he'll ever have. (Even though it was common knowledge that he rarely liked human foods.)

They got a booth and ordered in. Naruto had one of everything. Hiei tried a beef bowl and found he liked it a lot. Hana ordered the teriyaki bowl, Sasuke the garlic bowl and Kurama the kitsune special. (Which only Ichiraku served for obvious reasons.)

Soon they were chatting and catching up on things. Hana had something to do before she left Konoha for a bit, and let Sasuke lead the party to the previously abandoned Uchiha side of the village. (Which covered about three miles of land. Most of which has been renovated for other nin and only had a long row of buildings left unoccupied.)

Hana entered the Hokage's office, and stood at attention. Or tried to anyway. She took one look at the desk and started cracking up. It was neck deep in paperwork. (She discreetly took a picture to show Naruto and Sasuke later.)

The Hokage glared at her.

"Mission report, Uchiha Hana?"

She gave him a detailed report of the other side, noting areas of interest, like police stations, hospitals, schooling, and crowded areas. She also touched on the crime rate and gang situation, as well as demon population (she stuck to the level of non friendly demons only). By the time she was finished, he was nodding.

"Brief and to the point. Exactly what I look for in scouts. Do you know why you were called here upon arrival?"

"No sir."

"You've been field promoted to Jounin. And the engagement has been annulled once you were promoted. Because of your age, you are exempt from Genin teams for a period of four years."

Hana was excited. Jounin didn't have to do the chores during slow days! (Hence the reason most Chunin tried like hell to reach that level. Unless you were an instructor, you had little to choose from on missions.)

The Hokage wasn't finished however.

"It also seems that your brother has officially adopted the shade demon Hiei into the clan, without his knowledge."

"Actually, shade is a little joke on his ability to hide. He's really a half fire demon with Ice capabilities. The only reason he even brings my reports over is because I have been helping him look for his sister."

"Interesting. Anyway, you are dismissed for now. When you leave your assignment will be the same as before, but you must return when you hit seventeen for Genin assignments."

"Yes sir!"

Hana returned to the mansion...and found practically everyone in her old room.

"See anything interesting?"

They all jumped. Kurama broke the ice easily.

"We all wondered how the tomboy Hana decorated her room..."

Hana winced.

"Yeah...everything you see in here I paid for myself. Tou-san didn't see the point in wasting money on the only daughter he had when he doted on Itachi-nii. Bastard..."

Sasuke darkened slightly at the mention of their brother, but Hana whopped him upside the head.

"None of that avenger crap, brother. Either Itachi finally snapped after dealing with the stress Tou-san kept putting on him...or he was ordered to do it by someone else. He would never have killed everyone without a damn good reason."

"Either way, Hana-chan has sworn to glomp him on sight," said Kurama.

Sasuke shot her a look, and she gave him a glare right back.

"Hana, he killed everyone! How can you live with that?" he said angry.

"How would you feel, Sasuke, if you had been sold into another clan without your consent? And that clan has a tendency to tattoo a mark which would seal your kekkei genkai with a single word? Itachi did me a favor killing them."

Sasuke glared at her, and she shrugged it off. He admitted defeat, since their father never once did look at her when he was alive. Even their mother never looked at her, or showed any affection. Which is probably why she was so close to Itachi. He reluctantly went over the times they shared, and admitted to himself that things were better with the clan gone.

It had taken years for him to finally admit that Itachi had done more good than he wanted to acknowledge. He had freed Sasuke from the oppressive air that used to hang around the place. But that didn't mean he had given up on beating Itachi.

Now he wanted to get back at his brother for that Mangekyo Sharingan he used on him. He had nightmares for over a year thanks to that damn thing!

Hana caught the look in her twin's eyes, and smiled.