Naruto: Comrades

by Animaster21

Under intel from Jiraiya about an Akatsuki member hiding in the Land of Grass, Kakashi departs to track them down. But he's not alone...Ryouka Momochi, former sworn enemy turned ally follows Kakashi to aid him in battle against the insane Yakunan of the Dreams. A one-shot for a friend of mine, taking place in between Part 1 and Shippuden. Rated T for a hell of a lot of violence.

Naruto

Comrades

Hey guys :D First of all, sorry about the massive colossal delay in my stories at the moment, I've had so much going on, what with exams, assignments, my crazy personal life, and terrible Writer's Block. Part 3 of Dragon Ball X is currently only about halfway complete, but…I'm working on it. Holidays are here and I've got a lot of catching up to do, so expect Part 3 sometime soon, but no promises :P I'm untrustworthy. Infamously so.

Anyway, so this is just a one-shot I'm doing for a friend, using an OC of hers, Ryouka Momochi. It's really amazing how well she's planned this character, she's got this massive backstory and everything, it's amazing. So, as a favour – because apparently I write better than she does, even though she's incredible if you ask me – I'm writing this for her. Love ya, Regs

Takes place during the Time Skip between Part 1 and Shippūden. Should be fun. Let's do it.

On with the chapter!

000

Grass swayed slowly across the countryside, at the mercy of the light breeze, and the steady trickle of running water was clearly audible to the ear. Although nowhere near as dense as the forests that smothered the Land of Fire, trees rose proud and tall in the area around the Village Hidden in the Grass. In the shade of their branches, a small flurry of butterflies fluttered against the stems sprouting from the trunks.

SWI-SWIZCH!

The butterflies scattered as two dark shapes shimmered overhead, one large and man-shaped, the other barely a fraction of the former's size.

They moved at equal speed, leaping easily over and under the trees. The sound of the nearby river grew louder as they progressed, and without visible signals, they came to a stop upon a thick branch, several metres above the ground. Ahead of them, the forest broke open into a valley; a nearby waterfall crashed down into a lake far below, and in the centre of the lake was an island. Stone ruins covered its mass, fallen pillars and desecrated tombs.

The larger shadow rested on one knee, soundlessly examining the dip in the land. A blue mask covered his entire lower face, and one eye was obscured by a tilted headband.

"This is the place, Pakkun," he said quietly. Next to him, his companion spoke gruffly.

"You sure you've got this, Kakashi?" the tiny bulldog said. "This could be more dangerous than you first thought." Pakkun glanced around. "This place reminds me of the Final Valley."

"Well, it certainly bears a resemblance," replied the ninja. "You don't have to worry about me. I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not alone."

"I noticed," grumbled Pakkun. "Just don't die." He nibbled his paw and then vanished in a small explosion of white smoke.

As the cloud dispersed, Kakashi remained still, crouched unmoving for what seemed like an eternity. He didn't even move as the air beside him shimmered and a woman landed next to him, standing tall with one hand on her waist. Long blue-black hair framed her face, and above each eye, five dots lined her brow.

"Not alone, you said. You knew I was following you the entire time," she said testily.

Kakashi's face was impossible to read under his mask, but the woman had long since learned to read his emotions through his single visible eye and the way he held his body. He looked at her and she knew he was smiling grimly.

"I think it's safe to say that I didn't think you weren't, Nagisa."

The woman blushed suddenly, her cheeks turning pink, and she stammered quietly. Kakashi looked at her.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Would you prefer Ryouka?"

"No," said Ryouka quietly, dark eyes not leaving Kakashi once. "You can call me whatever you want."

"It doesn't matter either way," replied Kakashi, and he stood up to his full height, half a head above Ryouka. His spiky white-grey hair rustled in the breeze. "What are you doing here?"

Ryouka wasn't fazed. "I came to protect you," she said confidently. She raised an arm and placed a hand on the katana strapped to her back. "What are you thinking, coming here alone? Tsunade doesn't know what she's doing; this is way too dangerous, even for you."

"Ryouka-"

"This is the Akatsuki we're dealing with here," said Ryouka fiercely. "Don't think I don't remember what those other two freaks did to you last year. They destroyed you. And they'll do it again, Kakashi, damn it."

"I trust Jiraiya-sensei's intel," replied Kakashi sternly. "He was certain that there was only one of them, and it's not Itachi Uchiha or Kisame Hoshigaki. I'm not saying it's easy, but I won't be as outmatched as the last time I did battle with the Akatsuki."

He turned back to the valley. "Besides," he said. "It's like I told Pakkun…I'm not alone…"

Ryouka started, and then smirked slightly. She stepped up beside Kakashi.

"I've already done a sweep of the area," she said. "There aren't any ninja in the surrounding area. If they're here, then they'll be down there in the ruins."

"Good work," replied Kakashi. "Stick together, and cover each other's blind spots. According to Jiraiya, this is where the enemy's been hiding out for the past few weeks or so. They'll be expecting trouble, so stay alert."

He rose and the two fazed down the slope into the valley, circling the cone-shaped fissure as they went lower. Twice, they passed through the waterfall; Ryouka parted the crushing mass with a few rapid hand signs, and they dashed through the tunnel created in the waterfall. As they exited the other side, the tunnel closed and the falls returned to normal.

Ryouka followed Kakashi's movements perfectly, barely two metres behind him, nimble as a cat. With barely a sound, they broke out of a clump of fronds and dashed across the lake, supporting themselves easily on the surface of the water. Ripples lapped gently out beneath their feet with every step.

"Stay quiet," murmured Kakashi, and then they reached the island.

Deep water turned to wet mud as the two ninja left the open air and ventured back onto land. Ryouka was glad; out on the lake, she felt exposed. Any enemy could have easily seen them coming.

They ducked under some rubble, huddling together.

"They'll know we're here," whispered Ryouka. "We should've made a more subliminal entrance."

"It wouldn't have mattered," said Kakashi. "Whoever's in there wouldn't be a fool; they'd have prepared for an attack."

"So we're just going to walk right into their trap?"

"No," said the Copy Ninja, and raised his arm. Ryouka took in breath as her partner shifted his headband, bringing his left eye into view. She caught a flash of red.

The legendary Sharingan. Kakashi's trademark.

"I can use my Sharingan to see chakra," he explained. "Any ninjutsu traps set up, I'll be able to see them. Meanwhile, I need you to keep an eye out for manual traps; tripwires, exploding tags…everything. Are you ready?"

"Kakashi…" breathed Ryouka, and then steeled herself. "I was born ready."

They moved like shadows, darting into the ruins. Kakashi deftly leapt onto the smashed platform at the top of a pillar and then flipped into a crevice in a stone wall, scanning every corner of the island with his left eye. At the same time Ryouka covered the same distance on the ground below, keeping out of sight at all times.

At the centre of the island, a great arch stretched from one side of the island to the other. Solid stone, it cast the centre of the ruins into shadow, and was at least one hundred metres wide. Far below, on the island, a narrow manmade river cut the land in two; it mirrored the arch's path.

It took them ten minutes to reach the arch, and then they were in the shadow.

Ryouka crouched against a slab of masonry that had formerly been a wall of a house, and glanced up. Far above, the massive arch stretched, a solid curved barrier from the sun. Something was wrong; she didn't know what. It just seemed like something wasn't right here. She looked around her. Kakashi was out of her view, no doubt hiding somewhere as well. That wasn't good at all; if he wasn't within sight of her, then he definitely wasn't safe.

On a sudden impulse Ryouka leapt into the air, casting her gaze around to find Kakashi. She had to know where he was…

"Ryouka!"

Kakashi's voice yelled out to her and there was a loud hiss. Less than a second later she felt the Copy Ninja's arms around her body, and he was catching her, pushing her out of the way…

SSSSHIIZZZ!

Ryouka's heart pounded like a drum as a humming double-bladed scythe whistled down past them, spinning lethally as it continued on its path to the ground. It speared into the stone below with an ear-splitting crack, not even damaged from the impact. It had two curved silver blades, one on each side of the long golden shaft, and at the end was a razor-edged spearhead. Red markings swirled across the surface of all three pieces of steel.

"Kakashi!" screamed Ryouka, twisting out of his grip even in midair. They sprung apart and Ryouka looked around frantically.

"Above us!" called Kakashi, and she looked up. And there she saw it.

The black cloak, decorated with red clouds.

She knew that design; she'd seen it before, kept it in her mind, tattooed it into her brain. They'd been wearing it. Those two S-Class ninja who'd attacked Kakashi a year before. Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki.

Akatsuki.

"You!" she shrieked, spinning in midair and bringing herself the right way up. She could see the enemy now; standing upside down from the bottom of the arch, cloak billowing in the breeze. Ryouka's hands flashed before her in an instant.

"I-Ino-Tori-Saru-Hitsuji!"

"Summoning Jutsu!" she screamed, landing solidly on the ground and slamming her hand to the stone below. The seal formed beneath her fingers, black ink spearing outwards, and then white smoke was all around her.

"Mangetsu!" Ryouka commanded, and when the smoke cleared she was standing astride a huge snowy wolf. It was massive, its shoulder level with her head, and covered in wiry silver-white fur. The wolf bared its teeth, growling ferociously. Its chest vibrated with the sound, and a spiked tail thrashed back and forth.

"My Lady!" growled Mangetsu. "What do you need?!"

Ryouka pointed a gloved finger at the figure suspended under the arch. "Up there. Rip his heart out of his chest!"

"If that's what you wish…" confirmed Mangetsu, and he bunched his hind legs below him before bounding forward, leaping majestically for a pile of rubble inclining towards the arch.

Ryouka moved as well, kicking off from the ground and flipping off the side of a wall before landing atop a ruined pillar. Once again her hands moved through the hand signs.

"Ice-Style! Rising Ice Spike Jutsu!"

There was a colossal crash and the stone under the lone Akatsuki ninja split and broke, cracks running over the surface before the entire slab erupted upwards and an enormous spear of ice rose out of the ground. The spike rumbled towards the arch in seconds, its deadly point ready to split the enemy ninja in half.

"Die!" screamed Ryouka, but at the last second the figure moved, rocketing off the underside of the arch and out of the way of the ice spike. The spike collided with stone and a veil of dust and rubble fell the long way to the ground, and in its midst Ryouka could see the red clouds shimmying through the air.

"Mangetsu!" she cried.

"I'm on it!" replied the wolf's growl, as he reached the top of the debris incline and sprung off his hind legs. Mangetsu torpedoed through the air and bounced off the side of the ice spike, shooting back on a direct course for the airborne Akatsuki.

"Dinner time!" he roared, jaws opening wide, and the jagged canines closed around the ninja's neck, sinking in and twisting violently. Blood sprayed from the gaping wounds, and Ryouka gave a satisfied grunt of satisfaction as she saw the body go limp…

And then dissolve, turning thick and brown. Mud exploded around Mangetsu's now empty jaws as the blood turned to dust and flesh to dirt.

"An Earth Clone?" Ryouka hissed, and then her eyes widened. "Mangetsu, watch out!"

Too late. As the wolf twisted around in the air, a figure in a black cloak phased down behind him and planted a foot on the back of his neck. Mangetsu snarled in pain and rocketed towards the ground, driving into the stone and throwing up a cloud of shattered rock.

Ryouka's eyes narrowed and she gritted her teeth as the Akatsuki member sailed through the air, riding the wind, and swooped like a bat to the ground behind Ryouka. The red clouds burned into her eyes, as the enemy spun and dropped lightly to the ground, despite falling at least a hundred metres. The cloak fluttered and settled.

A tilt of the head. A soft sadistic grin, red lips twisting slightly into the shape, and three fang-like markings on each cheek. And under heavy but slender brows, strange burning eyes leered out at Ryouka. They captured her in their gaze, drawing her in.

And then the eyes blinked and the spell was broken. Ryouka stared at her opponent; saw the deep red hair falling in curtains around her shoulders – for she was female – and subconsciously swallowed.

"Boo."

Ryouka started at the noise, but then her anger hardened and she took a threatening step forward.

"You're fast, I'll give you that," she snarled. "But don't think you people can hurt Kakashi like you did. And I heard Lord Jiraiya talking about how you tried to capture Naruto. That's not gonna happen. I'm gonna take you down right here."

"Don't count on it, honey," tittered the woman, and threw her head back in a deep, taunting laugh. She swept her hair back with a slender hand. "Not with moves like that. An Ice Spike and a puppy dog aren't enough to take me down. Not Yakunan of the Dream Village." She widened her grin and a small hiss escaped her mouth.

Ryouka scowled. "Then how 'bout some lightning?"

CRRGCK!

Yakunan's eyes bulged as the ground beneath her feet ruptured upwards, a chasm opening up, and Kakashi burst from below, blue electricity buzzing at his fingers. A deafening twittering filled the air from his Raikiri as he stabbed upwards, but Yakunan was already moving, allowing herself to fall backwards out of the path of the deadly blade. Her Akatsuki cloak billowed around her as she cartwheeled away and used her hands to push herself from the ground.

Towards the double-bladed scythe still speared into the dirt a short distance away.

Ryouka felt a rush of adrenaline as she saw it. Remembered Kakashi catching her out of the air, knocking her out of the path of the scythe as it had hummed towards them. Ryouka had been so focussed on Yakunan herself that she'd forgotten about her weapon. The Dream Ninja lunged for the scythe.

"Not yet, you don't!" shouted Ryouka, already on the way. She swiped her hand through the air and a trio of kunai left her hand. The black knives sliced the air and Yakunan was forced to block with one of her own, and then Ryouka was only a few metres away. With a great scraping of metal, she drew her katana from her back and stabbed down with it.

Steel met steel as Yakunan pulled her weapon from the ground and swung it between her and Ryouka, catching the katana on the razor spearhead of her scythe and deflecting it. Ryouka recovered instantly and ducked low under a retaliatory swipe, but then Yakunan's foot found her face and she was thrown backwards. She collided with the dirt several metres away.

"Heating up?" cackled the Akatsuki, forming hand signs. Her cheeks bulged and her chest inflated, and she brought her hands up to her mouth, forming a tunnel with her fingers. "Fire Style: Hell Tongue Jutsu!"

Ryouka flinched as a black ribbon of flame tornadoed from between Yakunan's fingers, spiralling towards her. The air around it shimmered from the heat.

"If that wraps itself around me then I'm screwed!" she thought furiously, but then there was a great roar and a torrent of water fountained up in front of her, swallowing up the tongue of flame and extinguishing it.

"What the-?" gasped Ryouka. "A Water Wall?"

The water crashed like a waterfall and dispersed, collapsing its shape and soaking the ground below them. Kakashi stood within it, hand outstretched. His hair was damp, and rivulets of water ran down his neck and arms.

"Nice one, Kakashi…" thought Ryouka, and quickly climbed back to her feet, katana still clenched tightly in hand. She stepped forward. "Let's take her."

"Wait," said Kakashi shortly. "We can't rush into this."

Ryouka stopped, stared angrily at the enemy. She could smell the moisture on Kakashi's skin, but it couldn't cover the acrid stench of the black flames Yakunan had conjured. It seared the insides of her nostrils.

Yakunan's lips twitched into a wide grin, an expression she looked extremely comfortable with. Her strange eyes bored into Ryouka's.

"Do what the man says, eh, girlie?" she laughed, absent-mindedly spinning her scythe in a circular pattern. "So, if it isn't Kakashi of the Sharingan. And who are you, his girlfriend or something? He could do better."

"Calm…down…" said Kakashi out of the corner of his mouth as Ryouka made to step forward again. Kakashi fixed his perpetually lazy gaze on Yakunan and didn't blink. "Are you a member of Akatsuki, then? What are you doing here? From what I've heard, there aren't any Jinchuriki in the Grass' Nation. So what are you doing stalking this country?"

Yakunan tilted her head, and stopped spinning her scythe. The spearhead slammed into the ground again. "It gets boring taking orders. I thought I'd have a little freaking fun for once. Get out a little on my own…"

He didn't show it, but Ryouka sensed Kakashi tense, and she thought she knew why. "Who do you take orders from?" she asked slowly. By Kakashi's silence – and unspoken consent – she knew he was thinking the same thing.

Yakunan glanced at her and opened her mouth, and then shut it quickly, before grinning wildly. "Oh, you sly little bitch!" she cackled, leaning on her scythe and doubling over laughing. "You almost got me to tell you classified information there! Well, my lips are sealed, you'll have to try a lot harder than that!"

"Damn it…" thought Ryouka, as Yakunan's hoarse laughter continued. "Kakashi…we have to attack her, take her down."

"Yes, Kakashi!" taunted Yakunan through her cackling. "Let's take her down!" The Akatsuki straightened up, laughter dying away, but the smile remained. Her chest heaved as she breathed heavily. "You scum of the Leaf are so impatient. You'd think tree-huggers would be more accepting." She spread her arms wide. "Come and get me then, if it's that important…"

Ryouka's hand swung and a flurry of shuriken whistled through the air. Yakunan ducked under every one of them, sprinting toward the Leaf duo with her scythe in hand; its double blades sliced the air and they leapt apart. The world turned upside-down as Ryouka flipped out of its reach, but then she landed and gathered her bearings-

A hand clamped on Ryouka's shoulder and she ripped away, feet tangling as she struggled to turn around to face her opponent. Her katana jumped into her hand and she swung, cutting straight through the black Akatsuki robe and hitting flesh.

It melted away beneath her blade, hissing and vanishing into thin air.

"Ooh, that hurt!" taunted that deep throaty voice. "You'd better beat me quickly…"

"Genjutsu?!" thought Ryouka, and gasped, eyes widening. But it was too late; the air shimmered and Yakunan leapt out of nothingness, in full motion. Her fist curled and pulled back, and she laughed, that psychotic grin on her face.

"…because time's running out for you!"

Ryouka's eyes bulged as everything seemed to slow down, a massive rush of adrenaline pounding through her body. Yakunan's mouth opened, spittle flying. And then, Ryouka saw her eyes up close for the first time. Bright blue all around the pupil, Yakunan's irises were blood-red, even more vibrant than Kakashi's Sharingan. But the pupil itself…a sickening yellow, there were two small black markings at the centre, almost like clock hands…

"Ryouka, no, don't look into her eyes-!" yelled Kakashi's voice.

"Hickory dickory dock…!" hissed Yakunan, and the clock hands in her eyes began to spin, faster and faster until they were just a blur. Ryouka felt her body freeze.

And then…

…the clock struck one.

000

"Kakashi!" shrieked Ryouka as she snapped back into reality, spinning wildly on the spot, and just in time released a flow of chakra into her feet before she sunk.

"What the-?" she thought in a panic, stumbling across the surface of the river. "Water? Where the hell am I?"

The sun beat down on her, and the pleasant smell of familiar trees reached her. Suddenly, everything around her thundered into recognition at once. She'd seen this all before.

The river. The sidewalk. The battle.

"Kakashi!" she gasped again, and there he was. Only…this was different. This wasn't how it had happened.

Kakashi fell to his knees, sweating and gasping. Blood trickled from wounds on his shoulders, shuriken stabbing into his flesh. His headband had been blown completely off, the man's grey hair soaked flat against his face.

Ryouka broke into a run, sprinting over the gently lapping water, but then it boiled beneath her feet and she was tossed powerfully to one side, slamming against the wall bordering the river. A lance of pain rushed up her back, but she ignored it, staring around intensely until she located Kakashi.

And there…just a short distance away, they stood. The two of them, motionless on the water, black cloaks rustling in the wind rushing from the Leaf Village.

Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki.

"Kakashi!" shouted Asuma, but then a pillar of water rose and swallowed him up. On Kakashi's other side, an identical maw took Kurenai, leaving Kakashi broken in the middle.

"What?!" breathed Ryouka, stumbling to her feet. "What's happening? That's not what happened!"

"Asuma…Kurenai…" whispered Kakashi, and he hacked into his mask, folding in half even on his knees. A vile retching noise filled the air.

"You bastards!" shouted Ryouka, and she found herself sprinting towards the two Akatsuki missing-nin, leaping right over Kakashi's head. "If you even look at him again, I'll tear you to shreds!" Her fingers were blurs as they formed hand signs, and she screamed in sheer anger.

Shwap-Thmp!

Ryouka stopped dead as a fist sunk into her stomach, cutting her wordless shriek off in an instant. Blazing red eyes burned into hers.

"I-Itachi…"

"This is between me and Kakashi," said Itachi in his soft, eerie voice. "Stay out of this if you know what's good for you."

Ryouka barely had time to register his words before Itachi backhanded her across the face, sending her flying. She crashed into the surface of the water and rolled under, silence filling the world as water closed around her ears. Ryouka thrust her hand above the surface and pulled herself out, struggling to her feet just in time to see Itachi step over to Kakashi, a nightmare looming over him. The Uchiha closed his eyes.

Blood seeped from his right eyelid.

"Amaterasu!"

000

"Ryouka, no, don't look into her eyes!"

Under his mask, Kakashi tightened his jaw as he saw Ryouka stare into Yakunan's pupils. The former ninja of the Mist stiffened under Yakunan's gaze, and with his Sharingan Kakashi saw her chakra waver, disturbed. It pulsed irregularly for a few seconds and then - to Kakashi's confusion - settled again.

"What the-?" thought the Copy Ninja. Ryouka was frozen stiff, eyes wide and staring. Her normally dark pupils had a strange film covering them. "She's definitely under some sort of Genjutsu…but her chakra was only agitated for a single moment. What kind of jutsu was that?" He blinked. "Ryouka…"

Ryouka fell to her knees, her face expressionless, and slumped in that position.

"Ah…hehaha…" laughed Yakunan gently, and she crouched down in front of Kakashi's companion, a cruel smirk on her face. "She fell for that, hook, line, and sinker." She followed the last word with another cackle, and pushed roughly on Ryouka's forehead, sending her motionless body tumbling to the ground.

"What did you do?" demanded Kakashi warily. "Was that Genjutsu…or something else?"

"It's called a Time Shift," smirked Yakunan, turning to face him. "And don't try and copy it with your oh-so-special Sharingan eye, you little worm. It's unique to me; a kekkei genkai. What's wrong? Oh, don't worry, it won't hurt her, at least not physically. But in that new timeline I forced her into, she's gonna be having whole bundles of fun."

Kakashi grimaced beneath his mask, and glanced at Ryouka lying slumped across the ruins. She looked catatonic.

"What are you making her see?"

At this, Yakunan finally snapped, throwing back her head and howling with laughter, her strange eyes wide with insanity. "You'd want to know, wouldn't you? Well, fine, I'll tell you this one time. I prepared it especially for her once I realised just who she was. Poor girl…" Yakunan leant forward, sadistic smile present, and looked Kakashi directly in the eye. "How's Zabuza?"

A lightning bolt roared through Kakashi's mind, shaking him to his core. "What? How do you know about that?"

"Kisame told me all about Ryouka springing to your rescue last year," sneered Yakunan. "He recognised her from his days as one of the Seven Ninja Swordsman of the Mist. Zabuza's little squeeze, Ryouka Momochi. But now he's gone and she's moved right on to the next handsome hero to walk into her life." The Dream Ninja spread her arms thoughtfully. "And now she's being forced to relive last year's scuffle between you and Itachi. Only things aren't going quuiiite as well this time…"

"Let her go," Kakashi said forcefully, and Yakunan pouted mockingly, winking at him.

"Well, aren't you protective? Just my type of man, eh? I'll tell you what; I've heard all about your legendary Sharingan, and even I'm not crazy enough to try and take down Itachi. Let's fight it out, one on one. You beat me in five minutes, I'll let your precious girlfriend go free. If not…" She smiled, and suddenly Ryouka arched her back and screamed, her eyes still wide and staring. The film over her eyes intensified, clouding her pupils. "…well, let's just say she won't be having a very good day in paradise."

"I won't need five minutes…" said Kakashi quietly, outrage etched across every inch of his face.

Yakunan licked her lips. "I heard it takes a lot to make you mad…wasn't that difficult if you ask m-"

A thundering bark cut her off and as if sensing the incoming attack Yakunan twisted to the side, just in time to avoid a pair of furious jaws clamping around her waist. An audible clap reached Kakashi's ears as the jaws snapped around air.

The silver wolf thudded to the ground and skidded to a halt by Kakashi's side, his keen but impossibly vicious eyes following Yakunan as she cartwheeled back to her feet, Akatsuki cloak billowing. The Dream Ninja snarled as she raised her head to see the wolf.

"Mangetsu," Kakashi said.

"Kakashi…" growled Mangetsu. His hackles were raised maniacally and the fur on the back of his neck was like a bed of spikes. "We may have been enemies once, but this time I'll gladly work by your side to defeat this witch and sav-"

"Go home."

Mangetsu barked and his massive head turned to look at Kakashi. "What did you just say?"

Kakashi was silent as he watched their enemy straighten and stab her scythe into the ground. Yakunan's lip curled as she looked at Mangetsu.

"Go home, Mangetsu," he said again.

"You heard the man, Snoopy," spat Yakunan. "Piss off and leave us to our fight or I'll take you to the pound."

Mangetsu snarled viciously at her and turned back to Kakashi. "I don't take orders from anyone but Ryouka. I'm staying right here to defend her, with or without your consent, Copy Ninja."

Kakashi breathed in deeply. "Listen to me. Ryouka's mind is under Yakunan's control now. It's a form of Genjutsu, but this one isn't going to go away by defeating the user. She has to be released or break free herself."

"And what makes you say that?" replied Mangetsu. He leant back on his haunches as if preparing to leap.

"Ryouka's chakra is flowing normally," Kakashi responded calmly. "I can see it with my eye. Under normal Genjutsu, her chakra flow would be erratic and uncontrolled. But as far as her mind is concerned, even on the subconscious level, whatever she's seeing is completely and undoubtedly real." Mangetsu was listening closely now, and Kakashi continued. "Yakunan said that she forced Ryouka into another timeline. Even if we were to kill her, Ryouka would still be trapped in that other world. We need Yakunan to bring her back herself. Isn't that right?"

It was only slight, but Kakashi's Sharingan saw everything with perfect clarity; Yakunan stiffened at his question, and he knew that he was right.

"The witch said she'd release her if you defeated her in five minutes," Mangetsu growled quietly. "Don't lose, Kakashi. I'll have your head myself if you do."

With a great puff of smoke, he vanished, and Kakashi relaxed slightly. It was time to bring Ryouka back.

Yakunan tilted her head, grin back on her face. "Well, I have to say, they don't call you a genius for nothing."

"Save it," Kakashi responded, and sprang forward. Yakunan's smirk faltered slightly as he reached her in a heartbeat, only narrowly managing to avoid his punch. Kakashi wasn't even fazed, using the momentum of the punch to swing around and kick high, slamming through Yakunan's hasty block and sending her flying. The Akatsuki hissed and recovered quickly, pushing off the ground and leaping high into the air, forming hand seals.

"Fire Style: Hell's Vortex!"

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

Yakunan drew in breath and her chest swelled, hands clenched together in the sign of the Tiger. On the ground below, Kakashi mirrored her movements, and in unison they unleashed their techniques. A swirling current of dark flames roared from Yakunan's throat; the air shimmered under the heat. The vortex swelled as it took oxygen and expanded, and with a great explosion of heat collided with the vibrant orange flames of Kakashi's Fireball.

Kakashi felt the flames meet and instantly his fireball began to be pushed back; the black flames of Yakunan's jutsu were of a much higher level than his regular technique. In a vain effort, he poured more chakra into his fire, supplying it and feeding it, but the enemy's attack was too advanced.

"Corrupt flames," he thought. "An uncommon choice because of the complexity of the technique…but I doubt a member of Akatsuki would have much trouble using them."

Yakunan cackled as her Hell's Vortex overwhelmed Kakashi's Fireball, forcing the crackling flames back closer to him and absorbing their strength into itself. Kakashi broke off his jutsu, ceasing the chakra flow, and the black flames rushed towards him, a solid wall of burning death.

And then, just as quickly, there was a great rush and a barrier of moisture rose to protect the Leaf-Nin, shielding him from the flames. Steam hissed violently as the vortex hit the water shield, but the flames didn't break through.

And then the flames died and the water fell back to the ground, revealing Kakashi kneeling behind it, panting. He was dripping again.

"Oh please…" tutted Yakunan's voice from behind the thick layers of steam all around them. "Another Water Wall? Try a little variety!"

The steam parted and she streaked through the air, scythe swinging in a deadly arc, held in just one hand. Kakashi cartwheeled to the side and one of the blades cut through the stone below like it was butter, carving straight through the solid rock. Kakashi manoeuvred away, backing up until he was pressed against a crumbled wall of the ruins, but Yakunan followed and stabbed out with the spearhead. The Copy Ninja dodged just in time and the slab behind him was crushed to dust as the spearhead drove into it.

"What overwhelming physical strength…she wields that scythe likes it's a toy. One blow from that and I'll be cut to ribbons."

"Hyargh!" screamed Yakunan, spinning and moving towards Kakashi. The scythe whipped through the air and caught him in the side, spearing straight through his body. Kakashi gasped like he'd been winded and he was hurled off his feet, impaled on the end of the blade.

"Got you!" screamed Yakunan triumphantly.

Kakashi's eyes bulged as he grasped at the blade with his hands, and then suddenly there was an enormous crackling sound and his skin turned transparent, then flared a brilliant blue.

In an instant, arcing electricity shot down the handle of the scythe and through Yakunan's body. It covered her, and the Akatsuki threw back her head and screamed in sheer agony as she was assaulted by the shocks. Bolts of electricity fired out of her, striking at the ground surrounding them, and then the Lightning Clone that was Kakashi collapsed in on himself, sucking into the scythe and adding to Yakunan's torment.

Yakunan spasmed wildly, lips drawn back as far as they would go, mesmerising eyes rolling wildly in their sockets, and then she let out a final shriek and was blown off her feet her muscles uncontracted, her scythe spinning from her hand. She jerked, unable to halt her movement, but then came to a halt very suddenly as something impacted.

"No," said Kakashi, his leg cracking against her back. "I've got you."

Yakunan gritted her teeth and hissed in pain and fury, but then the momentum of Kakashi's kick carried into her body and she was smashing into the ground ten metres away. The Dream-nin rolled to a stop and spasmed again, grinding her fingers into the dirt in her fury. The woman's dark red hair hung around her face like a curtain.

"A Lightning Clone…" she seethed. "Well, isn't that just a real bitch move?" Yakunan pushed herself from the ground with her fists and raised her head, glaring evilly at Kakashi. "You haven't beaten me yet. Your girlfriend ain't goin' nowhere."

Kakashi breathed almost imperceptibly, fixed on Yakunan with his mismatched eyes. Without a word, he spread his legs and thrust his arm downwards, clutching at the wrist with his opposite arm. There was a spark, and then blue electricity surrounded his entire limb, crackling with a fierce intensity.

Yakunan forced herself to her feet, wincing ever so slightly, and stared back, scowling terrifyingly. "You wanna play with fire, then, huh? Well, fine!"

Her hands moved like blurs, whipping out to her side as she hunched over, and then moving back together; her fingers locked.

Kakashi's Sharingan spun slightly, taking in her every movement. "That handsign…I've never seen it before. What's she doing?"

"I don't bring this baby out often, so feel special while you still can," snarled Yakunan, and suddenly black flames sprung to life down both her arms, licking hungrily at the air. "Fire Style: Devil's Hands!"

The Sharingan swirled.

"She's layered flaming chakra all over her arms, just like my Raikiri. It's a battle of the elements, then."

Kakashi sprinted forward, lightning-covered arm angled directly to the ground. His left eye didn't blink even as he moved, perpetually staring and taking in every single detail.

Opposite him, Yakunan brandished both her flaming arms and took a step forward, bracing herself. "The Devil doesn't wait idle," she sneered, and punched the ground beneath her. Aided by her enormous strength, the ground ripped up like liquid, crushing to particles. But that wasn't all.

The fire surrounding Yakunan's arms spread to the ground beneath her and flared across the ground towards Kakashi, burning the rock beneath it to black ash. The Leaf-Nin didn't even flinch; with his all-seeing left eye, he danced to the side, gracefully spinning off the ground and dodging the black fire without a second glance. It continued beneath him and hit a piece of rubble, exploding into sparks and dust.

Kakashi landed in a crouch and launched off the ground, moving almost too fast to see. Without hesitation, he stabbed out and his hand pierced directly through Yakunan's chest and out the other side.

Just as quickly, her body turned thick and murky, dissolving around his crackling arm.

"You're not the only one who can use Clones, you delirious tree-hugger!" cackled Yakunan's voice, as her Earth substitute turned to mud and spattered the ground. Kakashi took it in his stride, crouching low and turning in the direction of the voice, just in time to see Yakunan in the air above him, both arms raised above her head. Black flames wreathed them, her Devil's Hands technique still in full effect.

Yakunan lunged to the ground and punched out at Kakashi, only for him to shift to the side and somersault away. An enormous cloud of dust blossoming into the air as Yakunan's punch collided with the rock, turning it to dust. Immediately, Yakunan cartwheeled to her feet and leapt forwards, flaming limbs eating at the air. Kakashi didn't waste a single movement, his actions looking effortless as he moved around Yakunan's furious punches, ducking and shimmying around her. His Sharingan recorded every one of Yakunan's attacks, reading her body for weaknesses.

Finally, it came. Yakunan's punch went that tiny bit too wide; normally it would be almost impossible to notice, let alone react to, but there was extremely little that the Sharingan missed. Kakashi moved in, using the fraction of a second where Yakunan was open to land a heavy punch on her jaw. She wretched, spittle and blood flying from her mouth, and staggered backwards.

The crackle of electricity filled the air again and Kakashi drove his hand through Yakunan's heart.

This time, it was no Earth Clone. Kakashi smiled grimly under his mask; he could feel the warmth of Yakunan's body around his arm, felt the gouts of blood erupt from the exit wound, the hot liquid running over his hand. Yakunan stiffened, pure shock on her face, and her bottom lip quivered.

"Sorry, but you lose," Kakashi said. "Now, let Ryouka go."

Yakunan jerked, coughing violently, and now blood was rushing up her throat, spilling out her mouth and down her chin. It dripped slowly onto Kakashi's arm.

"Why should I?" she croaked. Kakashi's eyes narrowed and he twisted his hand roughly. Yakunan gasped and closed her eyes in pain.

"That was the agreement you made," snarled Kakashi. "Now…let her go."

Yakunan smiled.

He didn't know what it was. Maybe the sadistic delight that suddenly flared in her eyes, or the barely audible chuckle issuing from deep in her throat. Or maybe it was just the sheer confidence that was now leaking from her body as that eerily familiar grin stretched across her face. But whatever it was, Kakashi's blood ran cold. Something was not right here. Something wasn't right at all.

Yakunan tilted her head, and suddenly all traces of pain and suffering were gone. She winked. "Oh, the agreement's still in place. I'm not that much of a bitch, Kakashi. But I won't let her go, you haven't defeated me yet. Why don't take a closer look at who you're talking to?"

"What…?"

Yakunan threw back her head and laughed, and at that moment everything dissolved. Kakashi grunted as a blinding pain shot through his forehead, and then his vision blurred completely. Colours swirled and changed, moving and rippling and fading, before everything formed back together again.

Yakunan was gone. The steaming heat of her blood and flesh around Kakashi's arm had been replaced with a cold uneven hardness. He blinked, and then his vision completely cleared and he saw that he had stabbed a large slab of stone.

Realising what had happened in an instant, Kakashi tore his arm from the rock and spun around, but it was too late.

Curtains of crimson hair. Vibrant multi-coloured eyes. And a long black cloak decorated with a red cloud pattern.

FHWP-FHWP-FHWP-FHWP-FHWP-FHWP!

Monkey-Rat-Ram-Horse-Dragon-Snake.

"Earth Style: Living Coffin Jutsu…"

Everything seemed to go silent, and time slowed. Kakashi froze; he could see everything. His Sharingan didn't allow to him to miss it. Yakunan's eyes blazed with an intense confidence, and her hands were clenched together as if praying, fingers locked together in the sign of the Snake. Blood-red lips curled into a smile that bragged victory.

He could see everything.

The way her cheekbones lifted slightly, muscles in her jaw rippling and stretched. The way her eyes glinted.

And then everything came back to speed as the ground beneath Kakashi came to life. It ran like a river, swirling and churning. It devoured him. Wet mud climbed his legs like a sentient slime, solidifying even as it came. The earth swallowed Kakashi up, coming in waves upon waves. In less than a second it covered him up the neck, grabbing at his arms and trapping them in place, forcing it's way under his clothes and against his bare skin. And then, just as quickly as it had come, the earth turned to stone.

It was a living coffin.

Only Kakashi's head was free. He gasped for air, stretching his neck as much as he was able. Below that, he couldn't move an inch.

A slow clapping reached his ears, and he glared as Yakunan strolled slowly forward, intention and disgusting confidence in every step. "Trapped like a rat. Or should I say, a leaf." She stepped up to the mound trapping Kakashi, smirking cruelly.

"Genjutsu…" said Kakashi. "How long was I under your spell?"

"Don't worry too much about your self-confidence," replied Yakunan. "It was only a few seconds. You can't really blame yourself; the Devil's Hands aren't just for attacking…they also provide delightful little distractions. You were so busy dodging you didn't even notice that I'd placed you under my Genjutsu. But a few seconds is all I needed. And now…look. There's no hope of survival. I've got you completely sealed in. No one's ever broken out of my Living Coffin."

Kakashi was silent for a few seconds, and Yakunan saw him flicker his eyebrows in disappointment. She threw back her head and laughed. "Don't even bother, it's hopeless. The Earth element may crumble under Lightning, but it won't do you any good. The Living Coffin constricts your chakra, compresses it. It's impossible to use even the most basic of jutsu when you're in there; in fact, you're lucky you can even breathe right now."

She tilted her head, and leaned in close until Kakashi could see every detail on her face even without the aid of the Sharingan. She breathed in deeply, taking in his scent. "You know, you still have about one minute left of the five I gave you to defeat me. You'd better not waste it."

"Be quiet…" said Kakashi coldly.

Yakunan just laughed. She brushed the back of her hand across his cheek. "Now, now…it wouldn't be a very good idea to make me angry."

Suddenly, her lip curled and she slapped him viciously across his jaw. Kakashi cried out involuntarily as a blinding pain rocketed across his entire face. He screwed up his eyes.

"Did that sting a little?" whispered Yakunan, her voice as cold as ice. The woman leaned forward until her lips were touching his right ear. "Ryouka's feeling even worse right now. Poor thing."

She drew back her arm and slammed Kakashi's face with a closed fist. Underneath his mask, his nose shattered like an egg, and the Leaf-Nin roared in pain. Yakunan sneered down on him.

"What's wrong?" she shouted. "Can't you take a little pain for your girlfriend?"

Involuntary tears blinked from Kakashi's eyes as Yakunan rained blows upon his face. Within seconds his mask was stained red and his hair hung ragged and lifeless around his ears. Yakunan grabbed his headband and ripped it from his head, throwing it to the ground and stamping upon it.

"What's wrong, Kakashi?!" yelled Yakunan again as she punched. "I heard that ninja of the Leaf Village were stronger than this! Especially you, the infamous Copy Ninja! What a pathetic wreck you really are! If only the bards could see you now!"

Kakashi's right eye wept blood, the lid glued close by the gummy liquid, but the Sharingan in his left socket refused to go out. Kakashi's head dropped, but Yakunan held it back up by his hair and delivered a final blow. Kakashi gasped quietly and didn't move as Yakunan stepped back, panting heavily. Flecks of Kakashi's blood covered her face and her knuckles were soaked. With wild eyes, she licked her lips, cleaning the area around her mouth of the substance. Still breathing like mad, an insane grin covered her face as she stared in victory at the broken Kakashi.

"Sorry, handsome," Yakunan said. "I should have given you the gift of death a long time ago. But I guess I just couldn't resist."

She paused for breath, chest heaving. Her eyes twitched.

"Time's up. But you know, you're just too much fun to kill. You lost your temper so quickly about her…and she gets so defensive about little old you. Something going on there, Kakashi? Eh? Something between you two? A feeling, maybe? Maybe you don't even realise it yourself. But it's there. You care about her too much. And so does she about you."

Yakunan thought for a second, and tapped Kakashi on the cheek. The action made him quiver and a tiny gasp of pain escaped him. Yakunan grinned.

"Oops, sorry. I forgot. I'll tell you what; you didn't do too badly; I'll do you a favour and bring Ryouka back anyway." Yakunan cackled. "I really want her to see this. Her big strong man, all ready for death in his coffin."

She straightened up and turned away from Kakashi, looking around. "Now, where did I leave that bitch lying around?"

"R…Ryou…ka…" murmured Kakashi.

Yakunan stopped walking, and glanced back, a wicked grin on her face. "Yes? By all means, Kakashi, do carry on."

"B-Beat her…Ryouka…d-d…don't let her win…" Every word was an effort. "You're…you're stronger than her…"

"Ha!" cackled Yakunan. "Pull the other one."

A fierce wind gusted across the island as Yakunan turned and walked away, leaving Kakashi alone and bleeding. He dropped his head, defeated.

000

Yakunan breathed deeply as she strolled through the ruins on the island. The battle against Kakashi had carried them a surprisingly far distance; Ryouka was completely out of sight. Above, the great arch stretched over the island; its shadow seemed to have gotten slightly longer.

"Ah, my sweet," said Yakunan and stooped, straightening a second later with her double-headed scythe in her hands. She swung it through the air a few times and winced as she felt small pains throughout her body. She was more injured than she'd first realised.

"It was Kakashi, after all," Yakunan thought. She raised her fingers to her mouth and sniffed, taking in the powerful scent of Kakashi's blood on her knuckles. She could feel it on her face as well, spattered against her cheeks from the intensity of the blows she'd dealt to the infamous ninja.

"And now, to do the same to that Zabuza chick as I did to him…"

Yakunan smirked and strode forward, carelessly kicking small pieces of rubble from her way as she went. Casually, the Dream-Nin wiped Kakashi's blood from her face and licked her fingers clean.

And there she was; still frozen stiff, staring upwards with those glassy eyes. Trapped in another timeline. Ryouka Momochi, resident damsel in distress. Time for a dramatic rescue.

"Welcome home…" murmured Yakunan, smiling wickedly, and the tiny hands in her eyes began to turn. "I have a surprise for you…"

000

Ryouka panted, eyes wide and shock-filled, as all around her flames billowed and people screamed. She dropped to her knees and punched the ground, teeth bared. Tears sprung to her eyes, but she blinked them away.

Konoha was in ruins.

Ryouka flinched as there was another explosion, the roof of a building blowing out and sending a fireball into the sky. Smoke gathered in a massive cloud above the village, collected by the numerous flames across Konoha.

"Your friends lie dead all around you," said a soft, chilling voice. It seemed to come from every direction at once. "Why do you still fight for them? This isn't your village, after all. Why don't you go home?"

"Itachi…!" hissed Ryouka, and looked up. He stood a short distance away, a terrifying shadow silhouetted against a hellish backdrop of ravaged buildings. He looked almost too out of place. "You'd never understand it, this is my home now! At least, it's more my home than it is yours!"

She sprung to her feet and drew her katana, but Itachi moved faster than she could even imagine. His right hand snatched the blade right out of her hand while his left caught her in the throat, fingers tightening in an iron grip around her windpipe. Ryouka gaped airlessly, struggling to breathe.

"It's useless to fight me on my own turf," murmured Itachi, and slammed her against the ground. Ryouka cried in pain and forced herself to jump back to her feet, refusing to show weakness. Itachi didn't even blink, his foot sinking into her stomach and throwing her backwards.

The acrid smell of burning tar and wood filled Ryouka's nostrils as she smashed through a wall and into a building, and hundreds of needles of pain screamed across her body. Her very bones ached, and Ryouka struggled to move. A strained cough exploded from her mouth, accompanied by a small gob of blood.

"The Leaf Village will soon be gone," said Itachi's voice, and the man himself stepped through the hole in the wall and into the wreckage. He stood over her, stoic and unforgiving. His left eye closed, and red tears leaked from under the lid.

"Tsukuyo-"

Itachi stopped speaking halfway through the word, and Ryouka froze, waiting for the end, but it never came. She narrowed her eyes, suddenly acutely aware of the silence all around her. Everything had stopped. Even the blood seeping down Itachi's left cheek was suspended in time. The crackling of the fires, the occasional cry of pain from a helpless villager, the shriek of crows, it was all gone.

And then everything lost its colour, turning grey and white. There was a brightly light at the very centre of Ryouka's vision, a tiny dot, which began to expand until Ryouka shut her eyes from the brightness.

"Welcome home…" said a voice from somewhere in front of her. "I have a surprise for you."

It was deep and somewhat lustful, heavy with a sadistic amusement. It was familiar. Ryouka's eyes shot open and everything came rushing back. The island. The waterfall. The valley.

The enemy.

"It was all fake…" she realised. "Itachi and Kisame…the destruction of the village…it was all just an illusion."

Genjutsu then…that must have been what it was. The most realistic Genjutsu she'd ever seen, but Genjutsu nonetheless. Ryouka struggled to remember the fight before she'd been put under the illusion, and the image of Yakunan the Dream Ninja leaping towards her came to mind. She remembered looking into the witch's eyes, remembered Kakashi telling her to look awa-

"Kakashi!" Ryouka shouted, and both her training and a terrible burning worry collided in the forefront of her mind. Instantly, she was on the alert, leaping to her feet and using all of her senses to try to locate the enemy she knew was out there.

She didn't have to try for long.

"Here I am!" yelled Yakunan exuberantly from somewhere behind Ryouka, and the Mist Ninja spun just in time to see a razor sharp blade arcing towards her face. She ducked just in time and it went over her head; she could actually hear the scythe cutting at the air. Ryouka caught herself on her hands and swung herself around, using her legs to catch under Yakunan's legs and trip her over, but Yakunan just performed an effortless handstand and was back on her feet in less than a second, black cloak settling back down into place. Ryouka mirrored her, backflipping away to get some space between them.

Yakunan gave a girly wave. "Hi there, ugly."

"Where's Kakashi?" Ryouka demanded angrily.

She was really becoming sick of that grin. Yakunan's teeth flashed at her. "Who? Oh, you mean that beanbag boyfriend of yours? I was just coming to tell you about that, actually. I've got him all nice and set up for you, but you'll have to forgive me for not wrapping him, I didn't really have time."

Ryouka's breath caught in her throat. "What did you do…?"

She could feel her face flushing as an insatiable anger rose inside her like an unstoppable force. Her chakra flared, and deep inside where even she was afraid to go, something terrible reared its head.

Yakunan slammed the spearhead of her scythe into the ground and leant on the handle. "We were having a little spar, and it got a tiiiiny bit out of han-"

PHBM!

Yakunan was cut off in a muffled grunt as Ryouka's fist slammed into her face, the knuckes cracking one by one against the bridge of Yakunan's nose. For a split second, Yakunan was suspended a few centimetres off the ground, eyes screwed shut, before the kinetic energy transferred into her body and she was propelled backwards like a bullet, a line of dirt expulsing from the ground below her under the displaced air. The Dream-Nin bellowed as she impacted with a pillar, her back cracking against the stone and coming to a very sudden stop. The woman's eyes rolled in her sockets for a few seconds before she fell forwards, crumbling to the ground and arching her body, clutching at her neck and head.

Ryouka stood ten metres away, her arm still outstretched. She was hunched, breathing madly.

"What did you do?!" she screamed. "Where's Kakashi?! TELL ME!"

"Aaaaaggkkk…" grunted Yakunan in agony, and forced herself to her hands and knees. "Get a grip, woman."

Ryouka took a step forward. "The only grip I'll have is around your neck."

"Is that so?" sneered Yakunan, and suddenly she was rising, hands moving together, forming signs. "You'll have to get through this first! Fire Style: Hell's Vortex!"

The Akatsuki took in a massive breath and her chest swelled massively. The next moment, she thrust her head forward and opened her mouth, an enormous ball of black fire erupting from her mouth. It billowed forth, covering the distance between the two kunoichi in a second. Yakunan laughed insanely as it enveloped her view of Ryouka and engulfed everything in its path, burning and consuming. The heat was tremendous.

"Getting a little hot under the collar?" shouted Yakunan, but suddenly there was a shimmer at the edge of her vision.

"Actually," said a hard, cold voice. "I'm quite cool."

Yakunan's breath caught and she spun just in time to catch Ryouka's next punch between the eyes. She grunted as she staggered backwards, struggling to find her bearings. Ryouka straightened to full height and watched her, cold and righteous fury etched across her face. Yakunan glared back.

"You bitch!" she spat, and her hands were moving again, forming another jutsu. "I'll char you to a black crisp and throw you to the dirt: Fire Style: DEVIL'S HANDS!"

With twin roars, her arms caught alight with corrupted flames and she bounded forward, fist already swinging through a punch.

Ryouka's eyes flashed. "Bring it."

In a split second, she formed a hand sign, and then her own arms glistened and turned to crystal. "Ice Style: Zero-Body Jutsu!"

Fire met ice as they clashed, Ryouka's frozen arms meeting Yakunan's burning ones, and for a few seconds they grappled together, struggling to overcome the other. Yakunan's lips were drawn back in a furious snarl.

"I'll melt you into a puddle on the ground, little girl…and then I'll finish off your precious boyfriend, Kakashi of the Sharingan, for good."

They broke apart, Yakunan sliding backwards across the ground in a crouch while Ryouka flipped high over the ruins and backflipped onto the top of a lone pillar. She swept her gaze around, staring for the enemy, and something caught her eye far to the right.

It stood out amongst the crumbling buildings and the cracked stone walls; it looked like a mound of dirt, perfectly smooth and conical, about man-height, rising from the ground. And sprouting from the top, slumped against the red-stained soil, a beaten and bruised head rose from the mound.

Kakashi.

It felt to Ryouka that time had frozen in that moment, as she caught sight of him. She stared at the blood spattered down the sides of the mound, the blood dripping off its captor's chin, drenching his mask, and a horrible wave of revulsion rose in her stomach and up her throat.

"What…what happened…?"

Kakashi, ever so reliable and brave. He was the one who never fell, taking on every opponent and always somehow coming out on top. Kakashi of the Sharingan, the Copy Ninja; he was infamous across all of the Five Great Nations. His skill was legendary.

Kakashi never failed. What he lacked in strength he made up for in intelligence. He'd been there for her and protected her, even went she hadn't needed it and even moreso when she had.

And that witch…Yakunan of the Dream Village had done this to him. Ryouka looked at the man's broken shell and found herself tensing her jaw so hard her teeth were almost cracking.

"I…I will not forgive you…"

Mocking laughter reached her ears, as Yakunan strolled forward and grinned up at her from the ground, arms still burning with those terrible black flames. Without a word, she stepped up to where the double-bladed scythe was still speared into the ground and took it up. It spun in her hands and the fire spread down its shaft and hugged the steel.

"I won't let you blink those eyes or open that mouth…"

Yakunan's lips curved into that smile again, her eyebrows raising as she swung her scythe and pointed the spearhead at Ryouka. But her mask was fake; Ryouka could see that behind the smile and the laughter, Yakunan was itching to peel her flesh from her bones.

"I'll kill you myself."

Ryouka snarled, like a wild animal, and her hair suddenly rippled as if a great wind had blown past. She could feel everything inside; the thrill of the battle at hand, the emotional pain of the Genjutsu she'd been placed under…and now, the very real instance of Kakashi's state. This monster – Yakunan – had gone too far. She was going to die, right here and right now.

"YOU!" howled Ryouka, and everything broke loose.

Yakunan gaped as a colossal crack rang out, a fissure smashing down the centre of the pillar Ryouka balanced atop, the entire thing splitting down the middle. Clouds of dust billowed from beneath it as the halves separated, Ryouka standing tall with a foot on each one, and then there was a bright flash and they both turned to ice.

"For every blow you dealt Kakashi, I'll give it back tenfold!" roared Ryouka, her hair whipping around her face. There was a slight humming and then the five black dots above her eyes glowed a blinding violet. They lit up her face, highlighting every crease of anger across her skin.

"Now, fight me!"

Another crack split through the air and Ryouka exploded from the top of the pillar, covering the distance between her and Yakunan in less than a second. The Dream-Nin braced herself, repositioning her feet and raising her scythe across her body like a shield.

Ryouka's ice-covered fist slammed into the scythe and Yakunan's arms locked, the immense force behind the punch pushing her back along the ground. Yakunan's feet carved trenches as she tried to dig them into the ground, and eventually she slid to a stop.

Less than a second later, Ryouka's booted foot seemed to materialise from nowhere, smashing into the scythe while Yakunan's guard was momentarily down and driving it into the woman's body. Yakunan cried out in pain as she was lifted off her feet and cannoned backwards. A trail of dust and rubble vomited into the air like confetti as wall after wall broke under her path. Finally, she collapsed to the ground a good fifty metres away, rolling painfully to the ground. Yakunan wretched and hacked bile onto the dirt, before lifting her head and looking back through the trail of smashed buildings.

"What's gotten into her?" she rasped.

Ryouka stared with deathly-cold eyes, the searing dots lining her brows only increasing in intensity. There was a single blur in front of her as she formed hand signs.

"Ice-Style…" she hissed. "Secret Technique: One Thousand Spears!"

"No…" breathed Yakunan as she struggled to rise. "How are you doing this…?"

"I'll bring you down, even if it kills me…" Ryouka declared with a terrifying conviction. "If even Kakashi failed to defeat you, then I'd gladly die to protect him."

She focussed and then unleashed her technique; with a deafening crashing, enormous arrows of ice burst from beneath the surface of the lake surrounding the island, arcing over the land towards them. They swirled around each other, each one glistening with a crystal sheen. Each one fully capable of piercing through steel.

"Now die!" shrieked Ryouka, and the ice spears came roaring down towards them, twisting through the air like ribbons. Yakunan snarled and forced herself to her feet.

"You want me to die? Then hit me with your best shot, you pathetic excuse for a girlfriend!"

And then the ice spears impacted. Hundreds of them, driving through buildings and looping into a terrible maze, interlocking and entwining like strings. Ryouka flicked a wrist and three of them arced around and screamed towards Yakunan.

"Is that it?" the Akatsuki cackled, and launched herself into the air, deftly jumping over the nearest spear and running up its length. The other two followed her but she was too fast, leaping from spear to spear and losing them amongst the ice forest.

There was a blaze of fire and Yakunan's scythe ignited, its entire length burning along with Yakunan's arms. The woman cackled as she brought the scythe around and sliced through several spears in a single swipe. A motion from Ryouka led more to take their place. Yakunan just flipped away, laughing all the while.

"Who are you kidding?" she jeered. "I've already figured out this jutsu's weakness; it's impossible to control every single one of these spears. You can only direct three or four at a time. What a pathetic jutsu; all bark and no bite."

The dots above Ryouka's eyes glowed more intensely, and she screamed, throwing up her arms and thrusting them to the ground again. Instantly, with the speed of a snake, several dozen ice spears twisted in midair and thundered towards Yakunan's flying body. Unable to change her trajectory in mid-jump, Yakunan could only gulp as several tonnes of ice slammed into her. She yelled in pain and kicked off before they could crush her against the ground, crumbling back down the Earth and clumsily rolling to break her fall. Yakunan winced; it felt like she'd been hit by a train.

"How's that for a little bite?" shouted Ryouka's voice, and Yakunan turned her head to see the Mist-Nin sprinting for her, katana drawn. "This is over!"

Yakunan surged forward in fury, eyes wild and rolling. "Give me that pretty little face of yours!"

Blade met blade, sparks flying, as Ryouka whipped her katana around, only to be propelled by Yakunan's flaming scythe. Yakunan stepped to the side, using Ryouka's momentum to send her off-balance, but Ryouka was already back on the offensive, delivering a rapid series of blows that Yakunan only just managed to deflect. The weapons hummed as they duelled, slicing the air as they carved their deadly path to the enemy, only to be stopped at the last second by their opponent's blade.

Yakunan grunted angrily, and swayed backwards to avoid one of Ryouka's strikes, before retaliating with a vicious horizontal arc that would've cut the hardest rock in half. Ryouka flicked and vanished before the scythe even reached halfway towards her, and suddenly Yakunan felt something solid impact with her forehead.

A flash of pain rang through her body from Ryouka's kick, and Yakunan staggered backwards, screeching. Ryouka flipped away, landing high above on the length of a ravelling ice spear.

"I've got to admire your endurance," she called, as Yakunan curled her lip. "Anyone else would've gone down a long time ago."

"I could say the same for you, you wretch," spat Yakunan, and followed Ryouka into the air. "Now face me; let us sing a song of ice and fire!"

They met above the ground, and the writhing ice spears took them higher, until they nearly reached the great stone arch covering the island. The two danced together, Yakunan gaining an advantage with her much longer reach and crushing blows, while Ryouka was the obvious superior in technique and speed.

"Give in, maggot!" yelled Yakunan as she smashed her scythe through an ice spear that Ryouka had directed towards her. She lunged forwards. "You can't beat me with your moronic feelings!"

"Eat this," Ryouka said in response, and they clashed again. In one swift movement, Ryouka shimmied to the side to avoid another deadly swipe from Yakunan's scythe and deftly stepped up behind the woman, stabbing the ice-cold blade of her katana into Yakunan's back, directly between the shoulder blades.

The Dream-Nin stiffened, a choked gasp escaping from her mouth. Ryouka grinned fiercely. It was all over…

FSHPT!

Yakunan's body exploded into a pillar of mud, spattering and collapsing over the edge of the spear they were perched on. Yet another Earth Clone.

"Will this woman ever die?!" thought Ryouka furiously, whipping her head around as she struggled to locate the rogue Akatsuki.

"Up here, Ice-Brain!" called a voice from high above her, and Ryouka turned, narrowing her eyes.

Yakunan stood upside-down on the bottom of the arch, scythe clenched firmly in hand. The Dream-Nin stared at her intensely, breathing fast.

"I've seriously had enough of you and your heroic crap," Yakunan said. "It's embarrassing. Let's end this right now, you hear me, you little bitch?"

"Loud and clear," snarled Ryouka, and tightened her grip on her katana. For a moment her chakra flared, and then a sheen ran along the blade, turning it to ice. "I'm going to wreck you."

Yakunan just spat, and the polished rock against her feet was crushed as she pushed off the underside of the arch, rocketing down towards where Ryouka was suspended by her ice spears. A great wind blew and her scythe ignited, black flames screaming across the blades.

"You're going to die by my hand!" screamed Yakunan, and she raised the scythe above her head, ready to decapitate Ryouka in a single blow. "Enough toying around, my flames will burn you to ashes and then I'll scatter you to the wind! This is it!"

Ryouka shifted her weight, and bunched up her legs, ready to spring. The dots lining her brows glowed brighter than ever, a brilliant violet shine. "This is for you, Kakashi. I'm taking this devil down."

The spear below her cracked and she leapt into the air, katana held tightly in both hands. Almost a mirror image, the two kunoichi rode the air towards one another; above, the horrific black flames and below, the impossibly sharp ice-blade.

Time slowed and everything that had happened thundered through Ryouka's mind. She could feel her own heart beating, and she stared up to see Yakunan sailing down towards her. Ryouka readied her blade.

And then, everything changed.

It happened in an instant, but it seemed to take forever. As Ryouka watched Yakunan grow closer, the woman's expression changed, her lips sliding into that horrible grin that was all too familiar by this stage. It boasted confidence, a guaranteed win, and in that moment Ryouka knew that something was very wrong.

"Time's up…" whispered Yakunan, and then the hands in her eyes spun and everything turned black.

000

"No!"

Ryouka's eyes burst open and she sat up violently, fists clenching and reaching for the katana strapped to her back. Panic and alarm danced in her mind, a thousand images rushing through her brain like an electric shock. Where was she? As she made to spring to her feet, she became aware of the warm light flooding her pupils and stopped, frozen.

"Ryouka?" A familiar voice reached into her ears, amusement hiding a trace of worry. She knew that voice. It had comforted her in the darkest times, when everything was hopeless and lost. It warmed her now; Ryouka shivered as a sudden tingle ran up her spine.

"Kakashi?"

Slowly her eyes adjusted to the light and she saw her surroundings. Morning sun poured through the window into the brightly lit room. A thick mattress cushioned her from the ground, and she was covered up to her neck by a thin white sheet.

"I'm…in the Leaf Hospital?"

"She'll be fine," said a female voice from the foot of the bed, and Ryouka blinked, staring at its owner, a tall woman in a plain green haori. The woman ran her eyes keenly over Ryouka, masterfully analysing her by sight alone.

"Lady Hokage…" breathed Ryouka, sitting up. The bedsheet slid off her chest and crumpled against her legs.

Tsunade smiled wisely, and moved to the door. "Welcome home, Ryouka. It's good to have you awake again, but don't strain yourself too much until your strength has returned, you're still in a weak state."

The door snapped shut and the Hokage was gone, leaving Ryouka behind, still as confused as ever. What was she doing here? Her memory was cloudy, but she remembered a battle; an insane Akatsuki member in the Land of Grass. She struggled to think, but the details were fuzzy. What had been happening? What was she doing here?

Ryouka stared at the exit for a few seconds and then pouted, moving to throw the bedsheet off her entirely. It cleared her legs and fluttered gently to the floor, and Ryouka tried to stand up.

A sudden pain shot through her entire body and she gasped, her legs giving out from under her body. Helpless panic filled her mind as she began to fall-

Pcht.

Ryouka held her breath as trustworthy hands closed around her shoulders, preventing her fall. They were gentle but strong, and amazingly familiar. Ryouka went limp and allowed them to lower her back down to the bed. The mattress sunk beneath her and supported her weight, but the hands didn't leave her body. Ryouka relaxed. She was safe.

"Kakashi…" she whispered. "Did you save me? I…I can't remember."

Kakashi sat down beside her and she wrapped her arms around his torso, hugging his body as tight as she could. She blinked angrily, but couldn't stop it as an involuntary tear slid from her eye.

"No…" said Kakashi quietly, and his arms moved around her, the two of them sitting on the bed in each other's embrace. "You saved us. You fought Yakunan alone. I would've died without your help, Ryouka."

Ryouka was silent, probing her memory. It was no use; she could only catch snatches of the battle; summoning Mangetsu the snow wolf; her Rising Ice Spike jutsu…it wasn't enough. It didn't line up.

"NAGISA!"

Ryouka started violently and jerked away from Kakashi, looking wildly at him. He wore his usual mask, and his Leaf headband slanted across his face as it always did, covering his Sharingan eye. But something was wrong with that picture.

No, he hadn't spoken. But it had been his voice…a desperate primal shout.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Would you prefer Ryouka?"

"No…you can call me whatever you want…"

"Ryouka…" murmured Kakashi worriedly. He reached out to her, stroked her face. Ryouka stared at him. "Are you OK?"

"NAGISA, YOU HAVE TO COME BACK!"

Ryouka gasped, and suddenly everything stopped, the colour slowly dragging out of the world. Kakashi was a statue, the light pouring in the window stale and lifeless, and the warmth of the room turned cold. A stabbing pain shot through Ryouka's forehead and then the floor seemed to vanish from under her and she could feel herself flying through the air.

Then she blinked and the hospital room was gone. A great shadow was cast over her as she saw the colossal arch stretching over a vast island of ruin, and a woman with rich red hair cannoned towards her. In her hands was a scythe covered in corrupt flames.

"Nagisa!" shouted Kakashi's voice, and Ryouka turned her head. Far below, Kakashi looked up at her. His face was dented and bruised, covered in a sheet of blood, and his hair hung ragged and filthy around his scalp.

But the Sharingan burned bright.

And in an instant, everything came flooding back. The battle, the stakes, the anger. Ryouka whipped her head back around and saw Yakunan; the Dream-Nin's eyes slowly widened as she struggled to comprehend what was happening; Ryouka was free.

"Kakashi…thank you…"

Ryouka screamed. It ripped forth from her throat like a force of nature, a wordless bellow encompassing every single thought and feeling rushing through her body. With a high-pitched keel, the markings over her eyes burst back to life, each one a beacon of violet light guiding Ryouka's unrestrained anger.

"What?!" shouted Yakunan, paralysed by shock. "How'd you break free?"

"You're done, Yakunan!" shouted Ryouka. "Messing with Kakashi was the biggest mistake you've ever made!"

Yakunan gaped in shock, her multi-coloured eyes as wide as golf balls, but her body couldn't react fast enough. Desperately, she threw her weight to one side-

SHNG-SHPLT!

In a flash of movement, Ryouka's katana sunk into Yakunan's shoulder, biting at the flesh, and this time Ryouka was certain that it was the real deal. Yakunan's jaw sagged and she shrieked in pain; it was desperate and vivid, every degree of Yakunan's suffering channelling through her voice. Ryouka took it in with a cold satisfaction and then ripped her blade free; blood sprayed the air and decorated the ice-covered steel.

"And I'll protect him with my life!"

Yakunan grasped at her shoulder with panicked eyes, clamping her hand over the wound, which was weeping hot rivers of blood down her torso. Breathing with short, fast breaths, she landed heavily on one of the ice spears and staggered down its length, just as behind her, Ryouka deftly landed one knee and whipped her head around.

"The game's over!" she shouted, and thrust out a hand. "I win!"

With a massive groan, the spear Yakunan was on bucked and unbalanced her; with her mind on the hole in her shoulder, Yakunan wasn't expecting the movement and she stumbled, collapsing onto the thin ice and skidding on her knees. The Dream-Nin grimaced as the spear tilted until it was almost vertical, and she began to fall.

Ryouka flicked her wrist.

PHW-BOOM!

A spear as thick as an ancient tree trunk whipped around and slammed into the pillar of ice Yakunan was rapidly sliding down, aimed directly for her. At the last second Yakunan hissed and pushed off her spear, twisting away from the incoming hammerstrike and gracefully falling to a more docile spear twenty metres below. Ryouka chased her with multiple spears, but Yakunan danced around every one, descending closer to the ground with every second. She'd abandoned clutching her wound and drops of blood flew around her, leaving a trail through the maze of ice spears.

"She's trying to escape!" realised Ryouka, and changed tactics, forming hand signs.

I-Ino-Tori-Saru-Hitsuji!

"SUMMONING JUTSU!" roared Ryouka and slammed her hand onto the ice below her. Ink formed a seal beneath her palm and a cloud of white smoke billowed from its epicentre. "Mangetsu!"

In an instant, the smoke was blown away in a massive gust of wind and the colossal snow wolf let out a thunderous bark. His hair stood up in spikes and his eyes were glowing with rage. "My lady, where is she?"

"Down there," said Ryouka, pointing at the fleeing form of Yakunan. "Don't show a shred of mercy."

"I wasn't intending to," growled Mangetsu, and beneath his fur his muscles tensed and rippled. Ryouka almost took a step back as the beast leapt off his haunches and bounded down the maze, releasing a chilling howl that echoed across the entire island. At the sound a shockwave surged from Mangetsu's body and shook at the air. Ryouka grunted as it crushed over her, threatening to push her from her place.

Far below, the shockwave reached Yakunan and actually lifted her into the air; the woman yelled as she was forced into freefall, the ice spear beneath her feet simply crushed under the pressure. To her fortune, she was nearing the ground, and only fell a short distance before landing on one knee, scythe miraculously still in hand. Yakunan didn't waste a second, rising to her feet and breaking into a sprint. Even over a hundred metres above, Ryouka could see her unsteady canter. Yakunan was almost out; the wound to her shoulder was too severe.

But one thing for sure, she wasn't giving in.

Yakunan's legs moved like pistons, pounding across the dirt and leaping over ruins. Ryouka watched her progress, and then flicked her eyes ahead to survey her travel path. And her blood ran cold.

Yakunan was sprinting for Kakashi.

A wave of terror rushed through Ryouka like a hot river as the reality hit her. Yakunan, after all their fighting, was going to take out the defenceless Kakashi out of sheer spite, before making her escape. Ryouka's stomach rose to her throat as Yakunan closed the distance to fifty metres. Her gait was growing more and more unsteady as she lost more blood, but a murderous determination was evident through her desperate sprint.

"Mangetsu!" shrieked Ryouka, just as the wolf cleared the ice maze and pounded to the ground. The dirt ripped away into a crater as he landed, a terrible invisible aura of anger surrounding him. Not missing a beat, he bounded forward after Yakunan, letting loose another few echoing barks.

Yakunan screamed and held out her good arm, scythe held loosely in her grip. Its deadly blades shone as Yakunan moved from the shadow of the arch and into the brilliant sunlight.

"No…" thought Ryouka, watching helplessly from above. The dirt tore up in a line behind Mangetsu as he dashed across the island, travelling several times faster than Yakunan. His tail whipped back and forth.

Kakashi raised his head.

Ryouka saw the defeat in his eyes, the acceptance. He was trapped, barely conscious, and even then, the Living Coffin had him completely unable to move.

"Kakashi!" screamed Ryouka, eyes wide as they could go.

"DIE!" bellowed Yakunan as she came within striking distance. The scythe hummed as it moved to decapitate the Copy Ninja…

"HRAGH!" came a third voice, and suddenly Yakunan's attack was stopped dead in its tracks as Mangetsu drove into her body from behind. Yakunan screamed in genuine terror as the wolf picked her up and together they flew over Kakashi's Coffin and slammed into the ground behind him.

Yakunan was driven into the dirt, every square inch of breath forced from her lungs under the impact, and Mangetsu held her down with his massive paw. A string of steaming drool dripped from the sides of his mouth as he stared down at his defeated opponent, teeth bared and shining.

Yakunan wretched, and threw her body around so that she was lying on her back, trying to escape, but Mangetsu slammed her back down and placed a paw on each of her arms, pinning her to the dirt. Yakunan's lips were drawn back, her eyes rolling insanely as she stared death in the face. Her scythe lay a metre away out of her reach, thrown from her grip when Mangetsu had tackled her. The wolf blinked.

"This is for Ryouka…" he growled, and opened his jaws, rushing down to tear out Yakunan's throat.

PHMB!

Yakunan's foot sunk into Mangetsu's stomach and he gagged, before Yakunan heaved and threw the wolf off her body with her feet. Mangetsu rolled to the ground a few metres away and growled fiercely, bounding back to his feet and leaping for the enemy.

Too late.

As soon as the weight had been released from Yakunan's body, the woman had moved, crawling in agony on her belly towards her scythe. By now the Dream-Nin's face was pale and she was shaking from the loss of blood and chakra, but she stretched out her arm and closed her fingers around the shaft.

It happened in an instant. Yakunan's grip fastened around the scythe and she focussed, closing her eyes. A thick river of blood oozed from both nostrils, and then…

Yakunan vanished.

It was like a snap of the fingers. One moment she was there and then she was gone. Wiped away as if she'd been deleted from existence. Ryouka's heart thudded in her chest as Mangetsu's jaws closed around the space where Yakunan had been, but he'd been but a millisecond too late. The Akatsuki was gone.

A sudden silence fell over Ryouka and she suddenly became aware that she was shivering. Her limbs felt weak and without warning she simply collapsed. Darkness touched the edges of her vision and she felt her heart fluttering.

"No…" she breathed, eyelids heavy. "K…Kakashi…"

000

Thp...thp…thp…

A steady rhythmic pounding slowly seeped into hearing. Ryouka listened to it, keeping the time in her head.

Thp...thp…thp…

Her body felt light, but she could feel the ground slowly moving under her. As she concentrated, a new sound became apparent; her legs dragging across the dirt.

Thp…thp...thp…

Quite suddenly, there was a loud snort and a wave of hot breath washed over the back of Ryouka's neck, and she forced her eyes open. They stung, but she blinked rapidly and slowly her vision swam into clarity.

She was being dragged across the island by the scruff of her neck, her collar held tightly between a set of jaws. Mangetsu's feet padded steadily on the rock.

Thp…thp…thp…

Ryouka squirmed, and the wolf stopped walking, gently placing her on the ground. His wet nose pressed against her neck.

"Are you alright, Ryouka?" the wolf asked quietly. Ryouka raised a weary arm and stroked his face, scratching his snout between the eyes.

"I'm fine," she whispered, smiling. "Thanks, Mangetsu."

"I'm sorry that I let her escape," he replied. "I've failed you."

Ryouka laughed, and playfully pushed his head away. "Don't be ridiculous. You did more than enough; if it weren't for you, Kakashi would be…" She gasped. "Kakashi!"

Ryouka staggered to her feet and stared around, searching desperately. The Living Coffin stood erect a short distance away, and from the top Kakashi's head sprouted. Ryouka's heart beat wildly and she stumbled towards him, tripping over her own feet from exhaustion. She fell against the mound of dirt and pushed herself upright until her face was inches from Kakashi's.

He stirred, opening his eyes and looking at her through hazy pupils. The Sharingan didn't blink as it took her in, but Kakashi's right eye was filled with a mixture of relief and concern.

"Mission success…" he murmured, and Ryouka found herself laughing despite everything. Tears welled in her eyes and began trickling down her cheeks, and she hiccupped.

"Ryouka…" said Kakashi quietly. "Can we go home? I have to report back…to Lady Tsunade…"

Ryouka laughed again. "I think we'd both better visit the hospital first…Tsunade can attend to us before any talk is made."

She began to pull at the rim of the coffin and found it coming apart in large chunks. Without Yakunan's chakra to support the jutsu, it was only really a big mound of dirt.

It took an half an hour of digging before she finally pulled Kakashi from the remains of the coffin. He gratefully passed out in her arms, and she held him close. The man's blood-streaked hair was filthy and had the consistency of straw, but she stroked it gently, running her fingers across his scalp. Then, she stood up straight, his body held across her arms like a fallen angel, and bid Mangetsu home. He licked her face gently and vanished in a small puff of smoke. Ryouka turned towards the water, taking the first painful steps on the long journey to the Leaf Village.

Where they both belonged.

"Come on, Kakashi…" she murmured. "Let's go home."

000

Yakunan spat as she collapsed against a tree, and she closed her eyes as she slid down the trunk. Her breathing was erratic and uncontrollable, lips twisting as she felt her life slipping away. With a disgusted whine, she tore a strip of cloud from her Akatsuki cloak and with shaking fingers fashioned a rough bandage, which she pressed heavily over the thin but deep wound in her shoulder.

"Curse that woman to Hell itself…" she thought viciously. "How dare she touch me?"

"Oh dear…you're not looking too well at all, are you?"

Yakunan jumped, and the reaction drained the last of the colour from her face; she was as white as a sheet. Slowly, struggling to control her involuntary shaking, she turned to stare, managing to project a certain level of unspoken sarcasm into her expression.

"Zetsu…" she grumbled. "What are you doing here? Leave me alone."

Less than two metres away, an enormous green flytrap had risen out of the dirt, looming from nowhere. Long curling jaws had opened and revealed a person inside, but unlike any other person to have ever existed. He had short shaggy green hair, and his body was split down the middle. On one side, he was completely white, completely lacking any colour whatsoever. On the other side, his skin was as black as the darkness itself. The strange plant-man was still mostly underground, only his head and shoulders visible.

"Our Leader ordered me to find you," Zetsu said in a soft voice. Only the white side of his mouth moved. The black side didn't seem to have a mouth at all.

"You've been warned about this…" A deep voice resonated from Zetsu's face. His split personality. Black Zetsu was always serious.

"I'll do whatever the hell I want," spat Yakunan, leering at both halves. "Pain may be our leader, but if he wants to order me around, he'd better come and damn well give me his orders in person instead of sending his messenger boy."

"Messenger boy?" asked White Zetsu sadly. "I do more than that…"

"Like what, dispose of corpses? Real important," scoffed Yakunan, and turned back to her wound. "Face it, you're useless."

"Oh, you don't know the half of it…"

"I don't suppose you know any medical Ninjutsu?" said Yakunan sarcastically, ignoring him. "Or am I supposed to just bleed to death here? I don't plan on dying at the hands of that Zabuza bitch or Kakashi the Copycat. That would be too embarrassing. Help me out here."

"Help you out?" asked Zetsu. "But…I'm useless. Isn't that what you said? How can I help you if I can't do anything?"

"You can always dispose of her corpse…"

"Oh, very funny!" shouted Yakunan, and forced herself to her feet. "I swear to God, I'll rip that plant thing off your head and shove it down your throat, you condescending son of a bitch."

"And people say that I can't take a joke…"

"Listen to me, you freak of nature. You go to Pain and tell him that I'm coming back, if that's what he really wants. And tell him to slap you for me."

"I'll be sure to pass on your message. Get well soon."

"Get stuffed. I hate you, Zetsu."

"Good. We don't like you either."

The flytrap closed around Zetsu's black and white head and sunk back into the ground, leaving the grassy soil undisturbed. Yakunan glared at the spot where he'd been and curled her lip. Staggering slightly, she walked around the tree and stared back into the valley. It was only for a second, but she swore she saw that Mist bitch carrying Kakashi across the water before they disappeared into the foliage.

"This isn't over," she swore. "I'll be back, and next time I'm gonna make sure you suffer." Yakunan took up her scythe, staring at the symbols etched across it. She was lucky the Time Sweeper was in her possession. Without its power she would've been dead.

"You can say goodbye to sweet dreams, Kakashi of the Sharingan and Ryouka of the Bloody Mist. Welcome to your new nightmare."

000

And, finished. Well, that was…amazing, to write. Like, I had so much fun working on this. I should do one-shots more often.

Thanks for reading it all, if you did manage to stay interested the entire time. Funny thing, actually, when I started I planned it to be maybe 4000-5000 words, maybe 6000…

HA!

Try 15000 on for size. Longest single chapter I've ever written, and it only took me just over a month, and that includes time spent working on exams and assignments. I've powered through it. If there's any grammatical mistakes, you'll have to forgive me, I really can't be stuffed going through and checking for errors, it's almost 2 in the morning, 2012's happening in just a few hours, and I'm tired as hell.

Anyway, as I mentioned at the beginning, the characters of Ryouka and Yakunan both belong to my dear friend Regan, whom I love like a sister. So kudos to her for designing them; I just write the thing. Kakashi, of course, belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.