The Ghost of the Northern Woods

by Crazy as a Cheshire Cat

A woman living alone in the woods north of Konoha senses trouble, so she takes off only to find Kakashi injured. This meeting could change the copy cat nin's life forever. see Part 2 The Making of a Fine Shinobi. Disclaimer: borrowing Naruto's world Next book is up: Makings of a Fine Shinobi

The Ghost of the Northern Woods

Roughly two hundred sixty chakra signatures crossed the northern border of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Flitting from limb to limb, all were in pursuit of one chakra signature, strong and pure that caught her attention. Sitting cross-legged in front of the hearth in her home, she followed the race to the village, hoping the one with that bright lovely chakra would make it to the area further south where the Anbu Black Ops were patrolling and could lend assistance to his plight. A strong jutsu flew from the nearest pursers, momentarily causing the natural energy field to waver. The attack missed, but the pursued slowed, perhaps realizing running was futile. Only one against so many, the odds were not good, and she couldn't bear to see that bright beautiful chakra extinguished forever. Without another thought, she phased from sight, without her mask, and more importantly, without her gloves.

The distance was great, but being able to move freely through the natural energy fields, allowed her to cover great distances in just a few moments. This was her gift and her curse, this ability to basically lose her physical form and phase her chakra into the natural energy fields, to share chakra without risk of running out, to steal another's chakra to the point of death; these were her special abilities, the very bane of her existence that drove her to near solitude. She wondered why the chakra signature that caught her attention was so special, to whom did it belong, why did she long to save it, to have it for her own? It was an ache almost painful. She neared the battlefield. Without being seen, without yet becoming corporal in form, she saw several of the pursuers lying, blood spilling, upon the ground. Possibly sixty gone, chakra stilled forever in their forms. The one she came for, stood panting, facing the others, a huge lightning ball forming in his hand pointed towards the ground. She watched chakra flow into the attack, saw the attack launch towards a small group to the left, striking more dead, he leapt background to avoid counterattacks, but a nearby pursuer lying on the ground, rolled under his legs just as he landed and jammed a kunai knife into the back of his thigh, dragging the knife through the muscle, nearly down to the back of his knee. He stumbled and nearly fell, but managed to catch himself. Blood quickly ran down his leg, wetting and staining his pants and shoe. Many of the pursuers stood laughing, seeing the exhaustion on his face, the determination in his eyes, the paleness from pain and sudden blood loss, but all she could see was what little viable chakra remained for the next lightning strike. She took several steps forward, still phased out of sight, and reached out in front of her, placed a hand on his left shoulder, and became one with the physical world again.

"You will not survive your next attack, let me help you."

He did not dare turn around completely, but jumped slightly as the ghostly hand appeared on his shoulder then the form of a women in a gray dress appeared behind him.

"I can help you. I cannot let you die. I can give you chakra, we can share an attack, and you will be safe. Let me help you."

He eyed her warily, and then gave her an exhausted nod.

"You will feel me with you, but I will not be heavy for you, even in your weakened state. My chakra will support me and you both. I will you use my water jutsu, Tsunami, mix it with that lightning attack you're preparing. Are you ok with that?"

Again he nodded, pain making it hard to speak, saving his energy for the last attack. To his shock she climbed on his back, but like she said, he couldn't feel her weight. Chakra energy flowed into his body from hers. Her face was next his, her hands on both of his shoulders, her knees resting on his waist near his hips; her feet firmly gripped his legs near his knees. Where he could not feel her body, he could feel her chakra flowing into his, his lightning attack became stronger. He felt a tingle of her chakra run down his arm as her hand slid from his shoulder to his elbow, then a sudden rush as the lightning ball grew to a near impossible size, water rushed up from the ground mixing with the lightning, creating a huge electric ball of water that continued to grow in size.

"What is the name of your attack?" She whispered near his left ear.

"Chidori."

"I'll lead, release when I do."

"Got it."

The pursuer's smirks turned to masks of dismay as the jutsu grew to over twenty feet wide and ten feet tall. Many started to back away, shaking their heads, clearly not believing what they were seeing.

"We're almost there, now! Chidori Tsunami Combination Jutsu!"

A wall of water filled with electricity swept through the forest, knocking down trees, people, plowing a hole in the ground and filling it with water. The area of devastation was immense. When the smoke and spray, subsided nothing and no one, were left standing. Keeping a hand on his shoulder to continue to feed his chakra, she released herself from his back and gently placed his right arm around her shoulder before he collapsed. With her right hand, she removed the kunai knife from his leg as blood continued to spill. He turned his face towards hers, one brown eye, and one red eye, stared in wonder at her before the pain caused him to shut them tightly in a grimace.

"Are, are you the Ghost?"

"Yes."

A slight smile crinkled his masked face at the corner of his eyes and he spoke no more.

She gently placed him on her back, much as she had been on his earlier, using chakra to hold his weight and glided as quickly as possible through the woods to not cause him further pain and to keep him in maximum contact with her chakra field. She wasn't going to lose him now, not after that first touch, and it was a long walk back to her house.

Part 2

A futon lay on the floor in front of the hearth. The Shinobi she had saved lay on his back, eyes shut deep in sleep. The Ghost sat quietly next to him, eyes closed, with one hand resting lightly on his arm, letting his chakra re-build from hers as hers re-built from the natural energy around them. A slight movement from the bedding caused her to open her eyes. His were open and staring groggily at her face. He tried to rise, clinched in pain, and she gently pushed him back down.

"You are in no condition to move. Rest, you will be well soon."

"But the Hokage, I must report…"

"It is done; I sent the report to her immediately after stabilizing your leg wound. You must rest now; your body needs to heal completely."

"How did you know to find me?"

"I felt your chakra, and the chakra of those pursuing you. I felt malice in their chakra and knew they were not only after you, but was intent on invading Konoha. It is my duty to protect this border. "

"I can explain more later after you sleep again. The Lady Hokage has ordered us to stay here for now and return to the village in five days. She understands the seriousness of your wounds, and understands how I'm treating them. She trusts my judgment in this, as must you."

"How?"

His thoughts interrupted by his stomach that growled long and loud putting a faint blush across his visible cheek and the bridge of his nose. A smile touched his eye.

"I guess the needs of the body are as important as the needs of your chakra." She smiled, lifted herself from the floor and moved to the hearth. He watched her move across the floor, pick up a bowl and fill it with a ladle full of soup for the pot hanging over the fire. "This is a healing soup. It will replenish what you body lost when you were bleeding. I grow the herbs here myself. I hope you like it. You are the first person I've cooked for in 16 years." Redness splotched her cheeks under her eyes. "I'll have to feed you, I hope you don't mind." She propped the pillows up under his head.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Everything you did and are doing. I don't understand any of it really. You've been feeding me chakra too haven't you?"

She gave him a bite of soup. "Yes, it isn't a problem. I know you're thinking it isn't natural, and it probably isn't, but that is my special ability. I tap into the natural energy around me and never run out. I can share this with you, but if it wasn't you, I mean… Well, I'm frightened. I have not gotten this close to anyone since I was 16 years old."

His eye widened in surprise. "You have been by yourself that long? Why?"

"I think much the same reason you have, not wanting to be hurt. Don't look at me like that, I can see much in your chakra, and much in your eyes and actions. You too are alone." He closed his eyes in thought. When he opened them she continued to feed him.

"I will tell you more soon. Eat and rest, that is most important." When he finished his meal, she helped him with a glass of water, and then laid him down gently.

"I need to check your leg. " Keeping her hands in constant contact with his arm, hand, then leg, she laid her hand on his thigh above the wound on the other side. With great concentration she blended her chakra with his into the cellular level, seeing each cell knit its way back to health. She boosted the chakra in the cells, giving them extra life for a speedy recovery. The wound was now just a thin red line down his leg, but the muscle had much repairing yet to do.

"How long have I been asleep?"

"Only a day. This is the first night after your battle yesterday. Your leg is healing nicely. As long as I am in contact with you, it should be completely healed by tomorrow evening."

"When will you sleep? How?"

"Do not worry about me. As long as even just my little finger touches you, it'll be fine. " She laid her warm hand on his exposed cheek. "Sleep now, we will talk soon." She caressed his face and sent waves of calming chakra through his skin. He was soon in a deep sleep. With a sigh, she stretched her back, crossed her legs, and closed her eyes.

Late into the next morning, chakra signatures in the forest just east of her home aroused her from her sleep. Her charge still lay sleeping. She checked his wound and found it healed. It would be still be sore for a day, but the healing was a complete success. Again, without thought, she left her home to meet those arriving to survey the battle scene. Arriving as she did during the battle, she materialized in front of a masked Shinobi.

"Ah, striped cat, it is good of you to come. " Totally taken off guard, the Shinobi's eyes turned large with surprise at the person in front of him. He had known the Ghost for years, working training exercises with her on the Hokage's orders, developing her skills of working her jutsus with others. She had always appeared in a gray robe with a hood and gray mask, but what surprised him more than her natural beauty and surprising curves were her bare hands. He couldn't help but stare at her hands. Gloves, she always had on gloves, to protect everyone.

"The Hokage has ordered the Anbu Black Ops to report this incident since it involves Village security. It seems you created a new lake." He nodded his head towards the area where the Chidori Tsunami plowed through the forest. His eyes never left her hands.

"Yes well, I guess my animal friends here will not have to travel so far for water. " She held her hands out in front of her, staring at them. "I must look very strange to you now. I apologize I did not come in uniform. I am taking care of the Shinobi attacked here. His wounds are such I need to use my full power to help him. There wasn't time for the gloves when you arrived."

He smiled and reached for her unintentionally, only to have to draw back shyly. "I am sorry. I did not mean to offend you. Please give me a rundown of the battle."

A stirring in her chakra field let her know her, or she should think of him as the Leaf's Shinobi, was waking up. She trembled slightly at the feel of his chakra in her. Now she was bound to person like she had never been before and her insides quaked with her rapid heartbeat. She reported everything to Anbu Striped Cat as she remembered it. Anbu Red Cat joined in to hear the total report. As a rule with the Anbu, she was never allowed to know their names, even if she worked with them at least twice a month in training exercises for years. They called her the Ghost of the Northern Woods since she dressed in gray, appeared out of nowhere, and could take down an enemy without being seen, often stopping attacks on the village even before they began. She called them by their mask and the color of their hair, except in the case of similar masks where she called them by the paint color as in the case of Cats. The stirring in her Chakra became stronger.

"I must go back to my patient, he will be awake soon and he needs me there before he hurts himself trying to overdo. If you need me again, meet me here as always. "She moved away from the Anbu and all heads turned towards her, marveling at the woman out from under the uniform they had gotten so accustomed to. She disappeared amongst the trees.

"Kakashi is one lucky bastard."

"Yeah, that's for certain."

Part 3

He lay quietly in bed, listening to the sound of the small fire sparking in the hearth. His body was stiff from two days in bed and his leg muscle cramped, but all in all he was feeling content. He let his mind drift and truly awoke with a start when he realized he was alone. The familiar presence he had come to rely on even in his sleep was gone. The gentle touch of the woman helping him and the feel of her chakra mingled with his quickened his pulse. At this point he would not admit to himself especially, much less anyone else, that he actually missed her. The ache for her presence became almost a physical pain until he felt her appear just outside the door. Always very keen on the presence of chakra after years of ninjutsu training, he recognized hers immediately. The door opened and sunlight flooded the room, her shadow reaching across the floor to where he lay. He tried to sit up, but she was by his bed in a flash.

He stared at her face. Her brown hair fell in waves around her face and neck. Eyes more gray than blue seemed to reflect the color of the simple dress she wore. Her hands seemed especially frail; he noticed how she seemed to hide them.

"Oh, I apologize for waking you." She smiled and sat down on the floor beside his bed.

He returned her smile. "You didn't wake me. I want to thank you again, but I don't know how to thank you properly since you never told me your name."

She blushed. "There wasn't time to introduce myself, was there? My name is Suzume."

"Suzume." He searched her face for the loneliness he sensed in her. "I am Kakashi Hatake. Thank you very much for saving me and caring for me." He propped himself up higher on his pillows and bowed his head to her.

"I, I" she stuttered. "I couldn't let you die out there. Your chakra sang to me, called me. I couldn't let it be extinguished." He noticed a tear form in the corner of her eye before she turned slightly away from him to blink it away.

"How long have you been out here by yourself?"

"A long time. A little over sixteen years really. Oh, I go into the village to buy supplies, but I don't stay there. So many people make me nervous."

"Why?"

"Kakashi, it was a long time ago, but the pain of it all is still so fresh. I was exiled from my village because I nearly killed the one person I truly loved without even knowing I was doing it." Her eyes were downcast, staring at the floor. He reached out and touched her hand seeking to comfort her. He felt her start to flinch until he rested his hand on top of hers. She sighed and looked at him. "From the time I can remember, my best friend was a boy named Mito. He was the village Chieftain's son. My father was second in command in our village and a powerful Shinobi. Mito and I were the same age. We trained together, played together. As we grew up, we fell in love. We were inseparable. At that point imagining life without him was unthinkable."

She paused and licked her lips, her eyes unfocused, lost in the past. "We were still young, fifteen years old, and were sitting on a hill behind the village watching the sunset. We were leaning against a tree and each other, holding hands. We talked and after a while he quit speaking, I thought he had fallen asleep. When I turned to look at him, his color had drained to white and his body was limp. I screamed for help, his father and mine, along with several people from the village ran to help us. My body was glowing from the chakra I had absorbed from him, everyone saw it. The looks the people gave me froze my heart. For two days people talked about me behind their hands, as if I wouldn't notice and after three days of not being allowed to see Mito and existing in a panicked state, his father came to me and said Mito wanted to speak with me." Tears filled her eyes and her hands began to tremble. Kakashi gripped her hands tightly. She gave him a weak smile of thanks. "I went to his home and there was a crowd gathered outside. His father opened the door for me to enter Mito's room. I was relieved to see he was well, but the look Mito gave me withered my soul. I reached out to him, but he batted my arms away. He asked me to follow him onto the porch of his home. In front of all the people in our village, he told them I was an abomination, a monster that could suck people dry of chakra. He exiled me from my home." Tears streamed down her face and puddle on the floor. Kakashi wiped them away as the fell. "They threw stones at me as I left the village, my own father, mother, siblings, just stood and watched, never trying to stop it."

In a moment without thought, he pulled her down to him and held her as she sobbed. Tears soaked his shirt and pillow as they fell uncontrollably. He felt her chakra mingle with his as she laid next him and a feeling of comfort like he had never known washed over him, but fear nearly caused him to rush from the house, from the forest, far from her until he realized it was useless. He would end up coming back to her and he knew it in that instant. He closed his eyes and waited for her sobs to subside.

She sniffled sometime later and looked up at him. "You must think me foolish to carry on so about something that long ago."

"No, I don't know your pain, but I know my own, some things stay in the heart and continually tear holes when you least expect it."

She snuggled closer to him and began talking again.

"I ended up traveling without even a thought for myself or situation. I was injured and in shock. My village was on the far eastern edge of the Village Hidden in the Leaves territory. I walked days without any nourishment or help until I entered this very place and was captured by the Anbu as a trespasser."

"The Anbu?"

"Yes, they brought me before the Fourth Hokage."

Kakashi's eye opened wide in wonder.

She rubbed her eyes and prepared to stand, placing her hands over his for a gentle squeeze, before releasing them and rising to her feet. "How rude of me. You must be famished! Let me cook for you and draw you a bath. I'm not being a very good caretaker."

With regret and admiration, he watched her bustle about the house gathering ingredients, washing dishes, and putting their breakfast on to cook.

"Tell me, how did you handle being brought back to the village by the Anbu?"

She stopped in her tracks and stared out the window. For a moment he thought she wouldn't answer, but she turned to him, "I have no recollection of several days of my life at that time. I have no idea how they brought me there." A sad smile crossed her face and she continued on with her chores.

She is like me. She has been through many hurtful events, and carries the scars internally. I wonder why she came to me, why she allows herself to be free with me?

The smell of food caused his stomach to grumble in protest. She laughed and handed him a bowl full of delicious smelling treats. "Each of these will help your body in some way. " She sat in front of him near his knees, with her legs touching his. The feel of her sent waves of happiness through him. It was almost perfect.

"Where did you go earlier before I awoke?"

"Oh, the Anbu were studying the attack sight. It seems we created a new lake out there. I'll take you to see it tomorrow. I've named it Lake Chidori." A radiant smile lit up her face quickening his pulse causing him to return her smile.

"The Anbu again?"

"Here give me your dishes." She returned them to the sink and bent down to help him up. He moved stiffly after lying in bed for so long, but he made his way across the room. A bookshelf caught his attention, but it was the titles that surprised him most.

"Medical Jutsu journals?"

"Gifts from the Lady Hokage. She knows of my abilities with chakra and thought these would be something I would be interested in. She has great foresight, these journals helped save your life. That wound would have killed you under most circumstances."

"You know the Lady Hokage?"

"Of course."

An astonished look sat on his face. "You are full of surprises."

"Enjoy your bath. Your other clothing has been washed and is hanging in there. I will wash what you have on now later. I also mended your pants." She smiled and waved him into the room.

After his bath that seemed to soak away every ache and pain his body harbored, he dressed then entered the main room where his bedding and Suzume lay. He really never realized it, but she probably had not slept for the two days he did. Her chakra may be never ending, but she was a flesh and blood person and her body must have been completely worn out. Loathe waking her, but longing to be near her, he quietly and carefully lay down and wrapped himself around her and soon fell asleep.

Part 4

"Who is she? Where is she from?"

"No idea, Lord Hokage. We found her in the northern woods, more dead than alive. She is badly beaten, like she's been stoned. We had a hard time getting her here, she screamed every time we tried to touch her even though she wasn't conscious. We eventually had to carry her on a stretcher all the way here."

The Fourth Hokage stared at the battered girl lying in the bed, her wounds now bandaged by the medical corps ninja.

"If she's that damaged on the outside, we can only guess what the internal wounds are."

"Lord Hokage, the medical corps has healed her internal injuries."

"No, I mean the kind that doesn't heal with ninjutsus." He took another long look at her and turned to walk out of the room. "Call me as soon as she wakes up."

After five days of unconsciousness, Suzume awoke in a panic in a place she had never seen before. She sat straight up, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Rest easy, we will not hurt you."

She wildly turned toward the sound of the voice, preparing to leap from the bed she was obviously in. The man with the shocking blonde hair, blue eyes, and handsome face, gave her such a kind smile, her heart slowed a little, fear slowly loosening its grip on her.

"Where am I?"

"That's an easy question. You are in the Hidden Leaf Village hospital in Konoha, and before you ask, I am the Minato Namikaze, the Hokage."

Shock registered bright on her face. "Hokage, why, what did I do?"

"Well considering the shape we found you in, you will have to tell me what you did and I'll have to determine if you are a threat to my village or not."

She blanched at his words, but her thoughts began to swirl as images of her last memories came to the forefront. As if all the hurt and pain had waited until now to hit her, she gagged on her own tears as they came falling all at once. The Hokage stood up to comfort her but she quickly turned in on herself and protected herself with her bed covers. He stood looking at her, a look of dismay on his face.

"You have been injured in the heart and soul as I thought. I will not push you, but I will tell you something I noticed. Your chakra field seems to connect to everything around it. It is as if your physical form would explode with the amount of chakra that exudes from you and into you even at rest. I have never seen anything like it. Please tell me what has you so upset. I will try to help you."

In between sobs and uncontrollable tears, she related they story to the Hokage. He sat with his elbows on his knees with his chin resting in his upturned hands engrossed in her story. When she was finished, he gave her an appraising look.

"I see. So you suddenly have the power that you didn't know about, and now you need help to control it. As Hokage, I am not allowed to go out in the field and train students, but I can stay in the village and train you. We will find a way to control this, I promise you that."

"What, you Lord Hokage, you will train me? Me, I'm a stranger to you? Why?"

"It is the right thing to do. From this day forward, you can call me Sensei. "He winked at her, causing her to blush.

"Sensei?"

"Yes of course, and now my duties as Hokage are calling. Come to see me when you feel up to it. We will start your training."

She watched him stride from the room, his back straight and sure. He seemed to imbue confidence in those around him and she was no exception.

"I see you have perfected water and air jutsus, but we have to work on your chakra issues. Now, we will begin what I will call your Touch Therapy."

"What?"

"I see you have a fear of touching people. You are afraid everyone will end up like Mito, but that isn't true. Granted, the people you touch bare-handed had better be strong well trained Shinobi, but I have something for you that will help you gain control of this. It is a crutch of sorts, but nevertheless, this will help alleviate your fears." He pulled a pair of thick, heavily stitched gray gloves from his back pocket.

"Gloves, Sensei? Why?"

"They're made from a special fiber weave that dampens chakra. I had these especially made for you. Most people do not need them this thick, but for you and your chakra field, I thought it best." He tossed her the pair. "Put them on and let's begin your new training."

She stared at the gloves dubiously and put them on. She flexed her fingers, finding the gloves surprisingly pliable. "They feel good and they do not restrict my hand motions at all."

"Good, come grab my hands."

She backed up, waving her hands in negation. "What, no, you have to be crazy, Sensei!"

"No, I'm not. I told you, what happened to Mito was an accident, he was not strong. If he would have been, he would have noticed his chakra being depleted. I am the Hokage. I think I can handle this, now come here."

Her feet planted firmly on the floor, she stood with her arms wrapped around her chest. He walked over to her, pulled her arms away from her and grabbed her hands and held them firmly. She could feel her chakra pull at his and she tried to break his grip, fear caught in her throat, near panic, she could feel his chakra ever so slowly draining, not much but enough, but he continued to hold her until to her surprise, she stopped the pull on his chakra and pushed back. When his chakra re-entered his body and hers started to follow it, she panicked again and that time he let go of her hands.

"See, you can control it. All it took was motivation."

Panting she bent over with her hands on her knees. Sweat dripped off her face and splattered droplets on the floor. She looked up at him. "I have never been so afraid."

"We'll continue with this until you can control your chakra and that which flows about you so freely, until you can decide if you want to give or take chakra. This is a special ability. Few others can refuel themselves from the natural energy around us all. You can do that, you are nearly one with it. At any time, I expect your body to fade away right before my eyes."

"And with the Fourth Hokage's help, I learned to control this monster around me. When my control became superb, even flawless, he and I even did some bare-handed training, but with others, I have always trained with my gloves." She reached over to a chair next to the door and handed Kakashi the gloves given to her by her precious Sensei.

"If you can control this now, why still wear the gloves?"

She shrugged and looked at him. "I'm guessing for much the same reason you keep on that mask of yours. They protect me from the outside world. They have become my security blanket of sorts." She held the gloves in her hands and stroked them with her thumbs reverently. A great gift from a great teacher can never be replaced. She gently placed them back in the chair.

"Threats to the village became more numerous about then as I'm sure you know. Sensei noticed how uncomfortable I was around too many people. He ordered the Anbu to return me to this spot, this exact spot we sit on now. He allowed me to move away from the village, and I had a house built here. I returned to the village only when I needed to. "

"Yes, about 16 years ago, times were becoming more dangerous. I remember."

"I was given orders to protect the entire northern border. He knew I would be able to sense any Shinobi that disturbed the natural energy of the forest since I was already situated here. Other Shinobi would guard the outskirts of the village if something got by me. He knew if I had to, I could manipulate the natural energy field to kill the enemy, crush him, without leaving my home. I became the secret weapon of the Leaf Village."

"Yet few know of you, only those who have served in the Anbu even know of your existence here. Even though I served in the Anbu, we obviously never trained together. Much was said in reverence about you among those fortunate enough to train with you though."

She rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment. "Well I don't know about that. You know it wasn't long before the attack of the village by Kyuubi that Sensei told me of a young jonin he wanted me to train with. This shinobi was a former student of his, brilliant, genius level he said, and he thought we'd make a fine team, but he was out on assignment often in those days, and I never got to meet him."

Kakashi's face turned several shades of red.

"What is wrong?"

"Turns out we have something in common. The Fourth Hokage was my Sensei too." She looked thoughtfully at the man beside her.

"Well it turns out there was one side effect of my chakra that Sensei didn't count on. Once my chakra is shared, it becomes intermingled with the one I touch, only when bare-handed. It allows me to find them no matter where they are. I know if they are in danger or if they are not well, under attack, you name it." She looked sheepishly at Kakashi before continuing. "This came in handy when I was summoned to the village because I could just pop in wherever he was unless of course, he was in his home. I never wanted to interrupt his family time. I knew Kushina, and was near her from time to time during her pregnancy. I could feel the chakra of that child and knew he would grow to be a strong Shinobi." She shook her head, waves lifting and falling as her hair settled around her face. Kakashi reached out to brush an errant wave from her forehead. She touched his hand and held it in her lap as she continued, caressing his hand mindlessly with her thumb.

"And the night of the attack, were you there?"

"No. Nor could I get close to the village."

"What? Why?"

"Kyuubi's chakra. It disrupted the natural flow around it, disrupted my ability to even function. Do you know the pressure that builds up in the atmosphere before a typhoon strikes land?" He nodded his understanding. "Now multiply that one hundredfold. I am so reliant on the natural energy flow that I could only stay on the outskirts of the village fighting off enemy Shinobi. I dispatched every enemy advancing from this side, but I couldn't get there." Her fists tightened into knots and she pounded her leg. "I couldn't get there in time to save Sensei or his family."

"Yes, I know that feeling all too well."

"By the time I could enter the village I knew Sensei was gone, his chakra signature was nowhere to be found. I was told his child died and the mother near death. I couldn't believe it, especially the death of the boy child; he was so strong in the womb. I thought I caught a faint reading of the child's chakra after the fighting, but the remnants of the Kyuubi chakra were still so prevalent I wasn't sure." She bowed her head as if the weight of the memories were too much.

"When did you start training with the Anbu?" He took her hand in his, and smiled when she lifted her eyes to look at him.

"You know, I wish I could see your smile. It must be beautiful behind that mask." A faint blush brushed her cheeks and his too.

"I've been hiding so long; it's hard to be free, even now with you." A look of regret filled his eyes and she squeezed his hand.

Part 5

"Isn't the sunset beautiful here? Who knew a lake could be so beautiful this time of day." She uncrossed her legs and stretched them out in front of her, straightening out the blanket wrinkled by her movements. Kakashi lay on his back looking up at the sky, watching the clouds change shape and color. She looked down at him wishing their internal solitude would melt away, cringing at the fear of what would happen when they returned to Konoha in two days. Would he return to his former life without a look back at her? Tears swam in her eyes, she quickly wiped them away, not caring if he noticed or not. She couldn't have helped him survive without a sharing of their chakra, and she wondered how she could live with the pain of always knowing he was near, yet so far away. He seemed withdrawn, contemplative today. Perhaps it was only his memories of the times they had discussed, perhaps not. "It was the Third Hokage's idea."

"What, the sunset? I don't think so." A cocky grin filled the corner of his eye.

"No. The Anbu training." She couldn't help but laugh and he shared it with her.

"Enough for now, I'm sure you're tired of talking, I've been asking you questions all day. Lie down and watch the clouds, the colors are so rich this evening." She lie back down on the blanket and hit her head on his arm. "Oh, I'm sorry I'll move over."

"Move over this way, not away from me." He pulled her closer.

Her heart raced as she snuggled next to him. At that moment, she couldn't remember seeing a more beautiful sunset.

After the sky grew completely dark and drops of dew started gathering around them, they rolled up the blanket, gathered the picnic supplies and walked back to the house. Suzume really wasn't concentrating on what she was doing on the walk home. Her mind was back there lying next to Kakashi. She heard him yell out, but didn't immediately register what was wrong.

"Suzume, where are you? What happened?" The picnic basket was lying on the ground, supplies scatter about. She stopped and searched the chakra flows for a disturbance thinking someone had entered the forest, but she was too spaced out to notice. She felt nothing, saw nothing.

"What did you see?"

"Well I don't see you, where are you?" His stance and expression reflected his confused state of mind.

She wrinkled up her nose and turned around, taking a step forward. His eyes grew large as she materialized out of nowhere in front of him.

"What the hell happened right then?"

She shrugged. "Well, I was content, thinking about the afternoon and my mind spaced out, I must have phased into the flow of the natural energy around us. Come on, you are a fully trained Jonin, why would that shock you so?"

"You were just walking, no ninjutsu hand signs, nothing."

"Don't need them for anything related to natural energy, my chakra it fully in sync with the flow of natural energy. I couldn't always do this though. You remember, I told you that Sensei said he thought at any time my body would disappear and I would exist as pure chakra? Well, after he died and I stayed out her alone so much, I started experimenting with that. You know if I became pure chakra, who would miss me, right? I realized though I never lost my memory of my physical form or my awareness when I'd practice. Somehow, my chakra vibrates as one with the natural energy and I become pure chakra for a time. If Sensei hadn't said that, I would never have thought to try it. That is partly why I got the nickname Ghost, you know."

"I had wondered about that when you helped me during the attack. I didn't sense you at all until you were right behind me. If you'd been there to kill me, I would be dead now."

"See secret weapon. Lucky for you, I'm on your side. Let's go in, I need to take a bath. There are plenty of leftovers from our picnic. Help yourself if you're hungry."

She plucked another gray dress from the closet in the bathing room, smiled and waved at him and shut the door.

When she was finished, she lay down on the bed and decided not to start a fire. It had been a warm day and a fire would make the house stuffy. She didn't even realize how tired she was until he crawled into bed next to her and woke her up. The house was dark, she must have been asleep longer than she realized. Her heart raced in her chest, causing her to tremble as her senses took in the smell of soap and the "scent" of his chakra. She kept her back to him as he settled himself. He turned on his side facing her.

"I'm sorry to wake you."

"No, its ok," she said sleepily, her voiced shaking slightly. "I'm sorry I only have one bed. I've never had a visitor before."

He chuckled, "I'm not sorry." He reached his arm around her and her breath caught in her throat. Her inner self was quaking with what, fear? Among other things she decided.

She turned to face him and reached up to stroke his face and gasped. His mask was gone, his headband he used to cover his left eye too. Her hand trembled as she traced the outline of his bare face. "You, you took it off."

"You have bared your inner self, your fears, to me a stranger up to three days ago. You are not like most people, and I am scared of, well many things about you, about me, about now, about later. I owe you this. " He traced the outline of her arm with his hand, feeling her chakra meld into his. It was disconcerting, but he now could feel her presence, even when she wasn't near him, even when she phased out earlier. He still wasn't ready to admit what he felt and what was happening between them. Before he let fear rule his emotions, he bent forward to kiss her, pressing her body to his. He felt her trembling, and felt wet tears fall from her eyes. When they released their kiss, he held her as close as possible.

"Are you afraid?"

"Yes," she sobbed. "I have never been like this with anyone. I have been alone so much, and I'm afraid of what will happen now and later, like you said."

"We have now, Shinobi never know about later. We'll take what we get as life comes at us, ok?"

She nodded, crying more. His tears mingled with hers. They both knew two lonely hearts had found a common ground, and found each other. He pulled her even closer as the sound of leaves being carried by the window whistled from the crack in the door.

Part 6

"Do your worst." Suzume was leaning against a tree with her hands on her hips.

"You're challenging me?"

She shrugged, "If you're really a challenge." She smiled and flitted over to the next tree to avoid being hit in the face by flying shiruken. She reached over and pulled them from the tree, twirling them between her fingers. "Like I said, if you're really a challenge," and she flung the shiruken back at Kakashi.

"Fine."

"Fine."

Both drew kunai knives and plowed towards the other. For the next several minutes all anyone who would have been watching could have seen or heard was knife hitting knife and flashes of bodies bouncing from tree to tree, neither seeming to have the advantage. Finally both landed where they started and stared at the other. Suzume faded from view. Kakashi narrowed his eyes in concentration. A ghostly hand appeared behind him and poked him in the back before disappearing again. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the feeling of her chakra, moving his head around to mimic her movements. When she partially materialized again, he turned on her, but she faded from view before he grabbed her arm. He adjusted his headband to expose his scarred left eye. He felt for her chakra again and just as she appeared two feet in front of him, he leapt forward and grabbed her arms; the Sharingan gave him a slight advantage. She smiled and kicked upwards, breaking the hold and lightly landed on a limb above their heads.

"Caught you."

"Not for long. Now what are you going to do?" She sped through the trees in the direction of the lake feeling him right behind her. His incredible speed a clear advantage over hers, she faded from view and took the faster natural energy trail available only to her to the lake, and still barely beat him there. She ran out onto the middle of the lake, "come and get me." She beckoned him to follow. In a flash, he stood right behind her, arms wrapped around her arms, his chin resting over her right shoulder. He blocked her ability to make hand gestures for a water justu. "You're smart."

"Some say genius."

"Yeah, well, we'll see about that. " She felt for the chakra they were using to balance on the water and pulled it out from underneath their feet. They both dropped into the lake causing a small plume to shoot up in the air.

The crystal clear water allowed her to see the exasperated look on his covered face and she laughed. She swam to him and hugged him tight and they both broke the surface, watering streaming from their hair. She laughed at the look he gave her.

"That wasn't fair."

She shrugged and flipped over on her back to float in the water. White puffy clouds passed serenely overhead until he pulled her under the water again. She broke the surface and glared at him. He laughed and swam over to her. He pushed the hair out of her face and pulled her to him. "You ready to get out of here?" She smiled and nodded.

"Let's swim to our picnic place. I brought towels and food out here earlier while you were getting dressed."

"So you planned this," he smiled.

"Of course. Who knows when we'll have the time to spend out here again?"

After they peeled off their wet outer clothes and laid them aside to dry in the sun, they nestled together on the picnic blanket letting the sun take the chill from their bodies.

"You never did tell me how you started training with the Anbu."

"I did tell you it was the Third Hokage's idea."

"And?"

"Apparently Sensei had talked to him at length about my abilities and how I should only work with and train with the best and strongest Shinobi. So, after Sensei died, the Third came up with the idea. The Lady Hokage asked me to continue the training and told me I could be called up for mission duty at any time so it was imperative to know who I could work with. Since there is always danger, well, it is just a matter of time." Her smile died on her face.

"That is life as a Shinobi." It was such a matter of fact statement she couldn't help but laugh.

"What?"

"Nothing," she laughed harder at the look he gave her. She lay with her head on his shoulder and watched the clouds go by. Quietness settled over them and the wind rustled the leaves on the trees behind them. She watched a pair of leaves fall from the tree and caught them before they hit the blanket. She turned them over in her hand.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked.

"I was just thinking how life brings us to a place and it makes me wonder if we shouldn't have been in that place all along. " He gave her an inquiring look.

"Think about this. Sensei told me about you years ago. We never got to meet even though our paths nearly crossed several times between Sensei and the Anbu. Why is that? What if we would have met before? Would it have worked like this, like we are now or did we have to feel our share of pain alone to appreciate what we are becoming?" He stared off into the sky, but didn't answer, clearly lost in thought. "Life is funny that way. In some ways, it is if Sensei planned this all along."

He turned to look at her, shifting around to put his arm over her to hold her.

"You've lived in the village all these years. Do you really believe Sensei's son died that night?"

His eyes grew large with surprise. "Why would you say that?"

"One day, oh about 11 years ago, I went into the village to buy supplies. I was walking past a playground with my bag in my hand and a familiar chakra caught my attention one I thought I knew, but couldn't immediately place. I followed it to the edge of the playground. Children were running everywhere, except for one. One little fellow was sitting alone, at the edge of the playground in a tree swing, his head was down, but something about him drew me too him."

She walked through the playground, dodging running kids, and sat her bag and herself down in front of the boy in the swing. She had no doubts at that point; this was the same chakra she felt from her Sensei's baby boy. She stared at him in disbelief, why would he be out her alone? Then a whiff of chakra filled her senses, and she knew then what had happened. Sensei's baby hadn't died that night. Sensei had sealed Kyuubi in his own child. An act of desperation and one of survival mixed in this tear stained child in front of her.

"What do you want lady?" He sniffed and wiped the tears from his face with his arm. He glared at her through huge blue eyes.

"Why are you crying?"

"Why do you care, no here cares about me. I'm always alone."

Her heart wrenched at those words, she knew the feeling all too well, but didn't know it at such a young age. The pain radiating through his chakra saddened her to the point of tears. Here sat a child, the spitting image of his dad, and no one recognized him. No one knew of his potential and those that did apparently had their reasons for not sharing this with him or the people of the village.

"Why do you not play with the other kids?"

He shrugged. "Tomorrow I will show them, tomorrow I'm starting at the Academy. When I grow up I will become Hokage and my face will be up there on the rock wall. That will teach them not leave me alone. "

"You can't become Hokage with revenge in your heart. You will have to forgive the people of the village a hundred times over by then. Do not let hate stand in the way of what you want to become. You will find friends at the Academy, I know it. It may take time, but a child like you, you'll find friends and someday, you'll grow up and make a fine Hokage. You'll be strong, like the Fourth, you'll see."

"Yeah?"

"I'm willing to bet on it." She stood up and rubbed his head with her gloved hand. "Make me proud."

He flew out of the swing and wrapped his arms around her legs. She settled back down on the ground and let him cry himself out on her shoulder. When he stopped she pushed him back and looked into that familiar face. "You will be a great person someday, you'll see. Try hard, not everything in a Shinobi's life is easy. "

"You know lady, people will look at you funny if you're nice to me. "

"That's okay. They look at me funny anyway." They smiled at each other for a moment. She gathered her bag and stood to leave. She waved at him. "See you later little Hokage." He waved back.

"I know without a doubt that child was Sensei's, but obviously he didn't know. His pain became my pain that day. I checked at the playground anytime I went into the village, but I never saw him again. He must be a striking young man by now."

"Striking? That's one way to describe Naruto."

She jumped up in surprise and turned around to look at him. "You know him?"

"Know him? He was one of my students. Hard-headed and impetuous when I started out with him, but he has grown so much. He is one of the most loyal people I have ever met, and if I had a list of people whose life he has changed for the better, well, it would be a long list and my name would be on it. I've never met anyone like him before."

She sighed in relief. "To know you had a hand in making him that way makes my heart happy. See, lives are intertwined without even knowing why. " She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. He hugged her in return and smiled.

"Ready to get dressed and go home?" he asked her.

"No." She frowned at the idea of leaving.

He pulled her down with him as he lay back on the blanket. "Me neither. This seems like the perfect way to spend the rest of the day."

They made their way home as darkness fell. The smell of sun and outdoors filled their clothing and memories. Suzume fell into a melancholy state on the way home. The world seemed like a heavy place this night. Tomorrow she'd leave her home and go into the village with Kakashi. She still had no idea how she would react to so many people around her. She felt sure in their feelings for each other, but their precious time together would come to an end as life got back to normal for him and her heart began to break. Kakashi opened the door and sat the things he was carrying down on the floor inside the door. He lit the lamp and worked up the fire to fight the evening chill. As the lamp light flooded the room, he saw tears streak down Suzume's face from her red swollen eyes. His heart broke as he felt her sadness. He reached for her, but she just turned and walked into the bathing room, closing the door behind her.

"I will not leave you alone. I promise." The door didn't answer.

Part 7

Kakashi awoke with a start when he turned over and found the bed next to him empty. He thought it funny how a few short days could turn a person's world upside down. Just five days ago, he wouldn't thought it possible to wake up missing someone that much. He sat up and saw it was daylight, but early yet. He ran his hands down his bare face and concentrated on where Suzume could be. Her ability to mix chakra with someone left him wide open to also knowing where she was and he assumed he would know when or if something happened to her. That connection scared him half to death when he thought of it. He had asked her if it worked like this with their Sensei and she had said her training with Sensei had only gone one way. He had taught her that she could touch a strong Shinobi without killing them. They had never allowed her chakra field into his even though they had practiced his traveling into hers to teach her how to control it. After Sensei died, she had never touched another person with her bare hands until that day on the battlefield where Lake Chidori now lay. Apparently he was the only one she had allowed herself to have this deep of a connection with. He was dumbfounded by it all. He wondered if he hadn't have been in such trouble a few days ago if he would have ever found her. Life could take some crazy turns and perhaps this had been the craziest so far. He had no regrets and he found he simply couldn't tolerate being without her. Today they would return to the village and he knew without asking that she was terrified. He also understood that she was afraid she would lose him. He wouldn't let that happen no matter what.

He stood up and started to open the door, but he stopped and looked out the window instead. Suzume sat in the yard, the sun shining on her face, highlighting her hair. She was meditating. A sparrow, her name sake, sat on her head, another sat on her shoulder. A mother deer stood beside her eating grass, the fawn lay curled in her lap, head resting on her thigh. He marveled at her. He had never met anyone with the innate ability to be one with natural energy, the natural flow of it constantly moving through her body, he could feel it, could see the blue glow around her. He didn't have that ability, but he could feel her chakra flow in and out even at this distance, one of the side effects of so much sharing and the attachment they had created. He knew even if they were called into battle, he would have that chakra to hold onto to replenish from, as long as she lived, like a cool fresh water spring. That is what her chakra flow reminded him of, a fresh water spring in the mountains.

She opened her eyes and looked directly at him as he stood in the window. She motioned for him to come outside. He nodded, grabbing his shirt and pulling it over his head before going out. He thought the animals would run, but he felt her surround him with the natural energy she so easily controlled and they didn't even flinch when he sat down in front of her. She stroked the fawn in her lap as it yawned and stretched, then it closed eyes and went back to sleep.

"This is amazing."

She smiled and nodded. The wind ruffled their hair and the birds' feathers. They sat quietly for a few moments before the animals lifted their heads in alarm. She sat the fawn on the ground next to its mother and the animals bolted off into the trees. He felt through chakra that surrounded him a disturbance of a Shinobi heading from the direction of the village. He frowned.

"Today is the day. Are you ready?"

She frowned, but nodded. Resignation set deep in her eyes.

"Don't worry, I will be right there with you as much as possible. "

She nodded again, not saying a word. He could feel the worry and fear in her chakra and he reached out to hold her trembling hands. He wiped a tear that collected in the corner of her right eye away and smiled at her.

She gave him a puzzled look. "The Anbu can wait on me, they're used to it." He took her hand and helped her up. "I didn't like waking up alone this morning." He led her back into the house and closed the door.

Striped Cat looked up from his perch in the tree. "Kakashi is a bad influence on you. I've been waiting her for over two hours." They looked up at him as they wound their way through the forest trees. Striped Cat would have recognized Kakashi a mile away, but not Suzume, except for the gray. She wore slim cut pants that stopped below the knees, and a fitted short sleeved shirt. Her lower legs and arms were covered in net material, her toes sticking out of her shoes. Her face wasn't covered for a change. Her right hand was gloved and she carried her other glove. Her ungloved left hand was held firmly in Kakashi's right hand. They walked leisurely as if reluctant to leave. Striped Cat guessed this was the case and could only guess at the implications of her touching him like that. She turned towards Kakashi, nodded, squeezed his hand and let go. She donned her other glove.

"I'm ready."

"About time." He looked at Kakashi and pointed. "You should be ashamed of yourself. She was always her to meet me practically before I got here."

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head in admonishment. Striped Cat nodded and they took to the trees skipping from limb to limb with the Anbu in the lead. Kakashi nodded to Suzume and caught up with the leader.

"Listen. Go on ahead. Tell the Hokage we're on our way. Then meet us there as yourself. I cannot leave her alone in the village, yet, regardless of the reason. She doesn't want to go to the village at all. It terrifies her to have to stay there."

"Got it. I can understand. She's been out here alone an awfully long time." He sprinted away. Kakashi fell back in step with Suzume and they continued their way to the village.

When they arrived through the front gates, it was if the entire town had been expecting them. All eyes turned towards them at once. Suzume almost stumbled and fought the urge to hide behind Kakashi as people started pointing and talking to one another. She walked with her head high, fighting the urge to run as fast as she could the way she just came. Kakashi sensing her discomfort, took her hand, pulled off her glove and intertwined his fingers with hers. A tremor seemed to run through the ground as if everyone in the village fainted at once from surprise. He shrugged and started walking with Suzume in tow. Within moments a rumbling could be heard from one of the side streets and a guy in a green jumpsuit, orange accessories, and a jonin vest stopped from a dead run in front of them. Tears streaked down his cheeks.

"It is true! I heard you strolled in with a beautiful woman in tow, and there she is. As lovely as everyone says and now two hearts are intertwined forever. How lovely." He pirouetted on his right foot and pointed at them. "I will not be outdone by you. I, the handsome devil of the Leaf Village, will now have to find true love if I have to walk 10,000 miles to find it." He gave them a thumbs up and winked, then walked away whistling.

Suzume glanced sideways at Kakashi. "Who the heck was that?"

Kakashi sighed his shoulder slumped. "Might Guy." He shook his head and kept walking. "Give the people here a chance. They can be strange, but they are good hearted folks." She glanced over her shoulder at the spectacle in green she'd just met.

She nodded and they kept walking. She caught people glancing at them through windows, behind doors and alleyways. "Looking at the way people are acting you could have come home with a three headed dog on a red leash. "
Kakashi laughed and nodded, "they would have been expecting something like that more than me holding hands with a beautiful woman. The only thing they have seen me hold is a book." She nodded in understanding. At the end of the street was a huge red building with the fire symbol at this apex. Spires that reminded her of horns ran along the top. She recognized the Hokage's complex, having visited it often enough.

Kakashi looked around and saw Captain Yamato strolling towards them waving as he approached. "The Hokage has been expecting you. She is in a temper because you've made her wait. "Kakashi seemed to wilt like a plucked flower in the sun.

"Suzume, this is Yamato. " She bowed her head to him in acknowledgement.

"Yamato, will you wait with Suzume until the Hokage is ready to see us both? She is familiar with the village, so I don't think you have to show her around. Just keep her company. "

"Sure thing."

Kakashi let go of her hand and helped her with her glove. "Someone will send for you when she's ready to meet with us both." Suzume nodded and watched Kakashi ascend the stairs to the Hokage's office.

Part 8

When Kakashi reached the top of the stairs, he was glanced at the ground and saw Suzume still watching him, Yamato standing beside her. He concentrated on the chakra strand that bound them together and relaxed. He detected a faint sense of worry, but nothing more. He entered the building and knocked on the Hokage's door.

"Come."

He opened the door and Tsunade sat at her desk, arms crossed, frowning, and her left eye twitching in impatience. He slumped with his head down, ready for the tongue lashing that followed as he shut the door. When she finally wound down and took a breath, he looked up at her.

"Kakashi, it is good to have you back. Tell me about your mission."

He related the details of his previous mission.

"It seems we may be in more danger than even I feared. I had hoped to see peace in my lifetime, but here we are again, more fighting. What about the group that attacked you so close to the village?" Tsunade's elbows rested on the desk, her fingers steepled in front of her face.

"I wasn't followed, but as far as I can tell, they circumnavigated the same forest I was traveling in to attempt to head me off before I reached here with news. I knew they were near me, I had hoped to outrun them."

"It was a good thing you took the northern route home, wasn't it?"

"Yes. I suppose it was. I don't know if I would have won or not with such overwhelming numbers, but without a doubt, I would have died from that wound had Suzume not been there."

The Lady Hokage crinkled her flawless forehead and leaned towards him. "So, Kakashi, how do you feel now?" a wicked smile crossed her lips.

"You left me out there for five days on purpose? You knew what would happen didn't you?"

"Kakashi, Kakashi. You have been alone too long and so has she. I did not know what would happen for certain, but I hoped you to would fall for one another. The Fourth Hokage left detailed notes on her progress and the Third had detailed files on his debriefings from the Anbu who worked with her. Neither questioned her character or loyalty to the Leaf. Both noted their concern for her well-being. When I met her I thought of you right away. Life just took one turn and now here we are. You're in love and I'm happy for you."

Kakashi started a little at the word love, and then bowed his head in resignation. "I'm scared Tsunade. Now I have someone besides my friends to protect. I never counted on this. That is why I need to ask you a favor. Assign us to the same squad for every mission you make us go on. Don't separate us."

"Other Leaf Shinobi do not get such consideration! People would talk, that I'm doing favors, going soft." She drummed her fingers on her desk. "But, I can say she is not a Leaf Jonin since she's never been tested, although I think she surpasses many of the Jonin who have been. Besides her powers work best with yours since you've, well, let's say, intermingled." Kakashi's face turned from pink to purple, but he stood at attention in front of the Hokage. She laughed. "Come now Kakashi don't be so serious right now." She stopped laughing finally. "Go get her so we can talk. I have an idea for a new squad."

Once Kakashi entered the building she turned towards Yamato. She looked him up and down, causing him to squirm slightly. "A striped cat in the woods will still be recognized when it sneaks into town you know."

He laughed and rubbed his head. "Yes, well, I wondered if you would recognize me."

"Your chakra, like everyone's has a flavor, I like to call it. I'd recognize it anywhere."

"Flavor? Certainly you don't taste chakra too!"

"No, but I don't have a better way to describe it. Everyone's chakra is as unique as the person it is inside of. Yours reminds me of cut grass."

"Really. And what about Kakashi's?"

Quietly she responded, "brown sugar."

"What?" Yamato nearly fell down laughing. "Brown sugar, you've got to be kidding."

"Nevermind. Geez." She shook her head in despair. She perked up. "Hey, is Naruto in the village?"

"Huh? Naruto, I don't know. Why?"

"I just wanted to see him."
"I didn't know you knew him."

"I met him when he was very small, that's all. I would like to see him now that he's grown up."

There seemed to be some type of commotion coming from around the corner. Yamato got up and motioned for her to follow. They rounded the corner to see a group of teenagers gathered around outside a ramen shop. A pink haired girl was beating on someone lying on the ground.

Suzume stared wide eyed. "Aren't you going to stop her?"

Yamato shook his head. "No, that just means Naruto is home after all."

"What?" Suzume ran down the street to where the group was gathered and stood dumbfounded as a rather battered Naruto sat up against the wall rubbing the knots that had formed on the side of his head. The teenagers laughed and everyone told Naruto they'd see him later. To Suzume it seemed like a friendly exchange, but one she didn't understand. Yamato walked up behind her.

"Hey, Naruto. What did you tell Sakura this time?"

Naruto leapt to his feet and looked at them. Suzume knees buckled and she nearly fell. She reached out to the wall beside her balance herself. Naruto was definitely his father's son, the resemblance was uncanny. "Sensei…"

Naruto pointed to Suzume. "Hey, Captain Yamato. Your girlfriend is pretty and all, but don't you think she's a bit crazy?"

Yamato backed up waving his hands in front of him. "No Naruto, she's not my girlfriend."

"It's ok, Yamato, I won't tell anyone." Naruto's stomach growled. "I'm hungry; let's go get ramen, my treat. How about it crazy lady, want some?"

Suzume straightened up and swallowed her surprise. She shook her head to clear the cobwebs. "Ramen? Is it good? And, my name is Suzume, not crazy lady."

"Good, Ichiraku Ramen is the best! Come on."

Yamato looked at her and shrugged, "give it up; you're stuck with crazy lady now."

She followed him into the ramen shop and sat down on a stool between Naruto and Yamato. She kept staring at Naruto.

'Hey, crazy lady, what's up with you? You look like you've seen a ghost. Stop staring at me like that. I'm not dead yet."

She laughed. "No you're not, but you remind me of someone I used to know, that's all."

"The Fourth Hokage? Everyone tells me that. He's my dad you know." He pokes himself in the chest with his thumb a huge smile on his face.

"You know?"

"Yeah, I've known for a while now. It's so cool!"

The ramen arrived and Naruto declared it eating time. It really was the best ramen she'd ever tasted and said so.

"Of course it is. They make the best. Hey, crazy lady," he elbows her, "how long has you been Yamato's girlfriend, he never told me he had one."

She smiled and looked down to keep from laughing. Kakashi wrapped his arm around Naruto's neck, "She's not with Yamato, she's with me, got it?"

Naruto fell off his stool and Kakashi sat down on it. Naruto jumped up. "WHAT? With you? Kaka-Sensei, no way!"

Naruto tipped toed over to Suzume and whispered in her ear. "Crazy lady, you've seen under his mask right?" Suzume nodded. "What's under there? Come on, tell me, please."

She turned and whispered in his ear. "His nose and mouth mostly!" She started laughing.

"Does he have lips like cod roe or buckteeth?"

She couldn't help but laugh and the look on Kakashi's face didn't help any. She waved Naruto away, unable to speak and he dejectedly sat on a stool next Kakashi.

"Suzume, the Hokage is ready for us." She nodded and stood. Bowing to Naruto she said, "Thank you for the ramen little Hokage."

"Yeah, Yeah." He waved her away. She and Kakashi left the ramen stand.

"He's quite a character isn't he?"

"You have no idea."

Part 9

"I've decided to place you two together on a three man squad. Now we just need to place someone else."

Suzume took a step towards the Hokage's desk and placed her hands on the edge, leaning towards the Hokage. "Lady Hokage, I would like to suggest Yamato."

Tsunade wrinkled her brow and glared at Suzume. "Do you to think you can just dictate to me how you want your squad set up? Huh? Who's the Hokage around here anyway?"

"But, Lady it only makes sense. He and Kakashi have worked together on extensive missions and I've worked with him for the last few years in training. We know him, we trust him."

Tsunade leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms beneath her ample chest. "I see, well if that's how it is, then that's how it is." She stared at both of them and stood up and walked around her chair to look out the window. "We are in grave danger. If it comes down to saving the village, it may fall on the three of you," she turned towards them. "I am sorry."

"It cannot be helped Lady Hokage. I am here to help." Suzume bowed and Kakashi nodded in agreement.

"Shizune!"

Shizune flung the door open and stood in front of Tsunade's desk. "Yes my lady?"

"Go find Yamato."

"Yes." Shizune left, her footsteps clattering in the hall as she ran. Tsunade had gone back to staring out the window while Suzume and Kakashi rested with their backs against the wall beside the desk.

A few moments later, Shizune and Yamato entered the room. Shizune bowed out, saying she had work to do in the hospital. Tsunade turned and sat back down crossing her arms again.

"Yamato, I need to set up a three man squad that will conceivably deliver the killing blow in the battle coming. These two have requested you join them. I am giving you the option to say no."

Yamato looked dumbfounded at Tsunade. "Lady Hokage, there is no choice. I will happily work with them." He turned and nodded at his teammates.

"Very well. You will begin practice tomorrow. We need to see how you work together and what each of you brings to the team. I will be at practice with you tomorrow as an observer. We need a solid strategy and I trust you to come up with one. Suzume?"

"Yes Lady?"

"I'll set up quarters for you in the black ops barracks."

Kakashi rubbed his head and looked at the Hokage. "Um, that's not necessary. I have room for her."

Tsunade nodded. "Alright, dismissed." She watched them leave with a sinking feeling in her stomach. Such terrible timing.

Part 10

"You have been brought together to complete an extremely difficult S-Rank mission, if there was a higher category, I would put it there." The Hokage looked at each of them in turn. "There are confirmed rumors that a group of rogue ninja calling themselves the Falling Crystals have formed a jutsu so powerful they can destroy a village as large as Konoha in one attack. This jutsu is a combination used to store explosive chakra energy in crystals. These crystals are then fused together and a bomb is produced. The name Falling Crystals should tell you these attacks come from the sky and have been deadly producing near 100% causalities when used. As I mentioned before, we are in grave danger. We are only sending Shinobi out on reconnaissance missions at this time. Everyone else has remained in the village, working in teams, to find or create a counter measure. It is my belief we can narrow the main defense down to one team of three people. Everyone else will offer defense of this team and of the village itself. Got it?" Everyone nodded their understanding, grim determined looks on their faces. "Now, it is up to you three to come up with something that will stop the falling crystals from hitting the village and destroy those rogue ninja. I'm counting on you."

"Lady Hokage, has anyone retrieved a piece of the crystals after an attack?"

"Yes, we do have some samples, but testing is not complete. It has been a rather dangerous process."

"If they have stored chakra of any kind, I might be able to counteract the crystals with a natural energy shield as they're falling, but I need to test this. The crystals might actually cut through a chakra shield; we have no way of knowing unless we test."

Lady Tsunade rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "We did find one intact crystal fully charged. I will have it delivered here later today. You are in charge of it; do not let it out of your hands."

"Understood."

The three team members watched the Hokage walk away. Yamato turned towards Suzume.

"Do you really think you can pull that off?"

"I think if we combine our various jutsus within a natural energy shield, we might be able to not only repel the crystals, but use this same combined jutsu as the counterattack. "

"As much as it makes me uneasy, I don't feel like we have another choice."

Yamato shrugged. "If the crystal is not being delivered until this afternoon, what are we going to do now?"

Suzume placed a hand on Yamato's shoulder. "I guess coming up with a combined jutsu we think might work."

They both turned to look at Kakashi who was leaning up against a tree with his hands in his pockets. He eyed both of them.

"Why are you looking at me?"

Suzume smiled, "Well you the genius around here, you know." He shrugged. "And seriously you have the ability to use more ninjutsus than either of us. You'll need to figure out what combination will work best. Whatever we decide, we'll have to see if I can weave it into a chakra shield. This will mean its gloves off from now on." She pulled off her gloves and gave them to Kakashi to put in his vest pocket. He eyed her suspiciously. "I can't do this with the gloves, you've got to realize that, and that's why I wanted to work with Yamato even though we've never tried to do this before. I know he can take the natural energy feed." Kakashi shrugged past her to stand next to Yamato.

"Great, let's get started." Suzume looked at him as if she'd been struck with a kunai knife in the heart.

Yamato looked from one to another, feeling as if he was missing something. "I think the best thing to do is start small, figure out the best combination of jutsu and go from there. "

It took the better part of the afternoon to find what they believed to be the strongest mix of their available jutsus. When the crystal finally arrived Suzume picked it up from the storage box and held it in her hand. Carefully turning it over and over, she felt the chakra boiling, angry almost, knowing the crystal contained enhanced chakra; she washed the crystal with waves of natural energy trying to neutralize what was inside. After several minutes, she was able to, but she realized just how much chakra would have to go into the shield. Natural energy came from all living things, including people. If she had to borrow so much, the people of the village would be in danger too if the battle got out of hand. The attack they would prepare would be a one shot hit. If it didn't work, everything would be lost; she knew that from the bottom of her heart.

"This shield, the chakra poured into will have to be immense. I'm worried about the people here. The control not to take chakra from the people," she shook her head in dismay, clearly concerned, "is more difficult with this many people around."

"Hey, let's call it a day." Yamato stretched his arms above his head. "It's getting hard to see. You want to stop for something to eat on the way back?"

Suzume stared at the crystal in her hand, her lip started to tremble, her hands began to shake. Kakashi stood next to her, watching the last rays of the sun bounce off the crystal making rainbows on the ground at her feet. "No, that's ok. We will eat in tonight, thank you."

"Well, see you." He waved as he walked away.

"Suzume?"

She didn't move from where she stood. The crystal was clinched tightly in her hand. A tear slipped from her eye and rolled down her cheek. Kakashi caught it smoothly and let it drop from his finger. "Suzume?" He grabbed her shoulders and shook her a little. She looked up at him and saw the concern in his eyes. "About today, when you took off your gloves," his shoulders slumped dejectedly.

"Yes," she whispered.

"Your hands share chakra, but I realized as we practiced, you only gave us natural energy, not your own. I should have realized that from the beginning."

"Yes, well," She picked up the storage box, put the crystal back in it and firmly secured the lid. "That only happens if I want it to when it is completely necessary." The moon was rising over the trees, she wondered at the yellow color and what it meant. She turned back towards the village and started to walk away. Kakashi grabbed her hand and gently turned her around. Tears were streaming down her face, her heart broken. "You see, when I saw the attack in the forest, your chakra field sang to me, it sang a song that resonated with my own. I didn't know who it belonged, but I knew I had to save it. I wanted to continue to hear the song." She looked down at the ground lit by the rising yellow moon. "You see, if you hadn't have been injured or the odds so high, I would have helped you and walked away, but your injury changed everything. I got to feel the song as I healed you, I longed for it so badly as our chakra's mixed. The song became a part of me too. In a way, I trapped you." Tears continued to fall, dripping on her outstretched hands. "I knew when you realized I had a choice to share my chakra with you or not, you would hate me. We had no choice at all with your wounds and I understand how you feel." She turned out of his grasp and continued towards the village.

Kakashi stood alone on the practice field watching her walk away, feeling the tug of the chakra they shared, but he realized they shared more than that. It wasn't that she trapped him, he had a choice too, and he wasn't a rookie genin easily pulled in to someone's jutsu or special ability. She had touched a lonely dark spot in his soul and brought light to it. Much like the moon above, it softened the hurt that lived in the darkness and gave his soul radiance. He lifted his head band to uncover his Sharingan. He could see her shoulders trembling as she walked away. He shook his head and understood why she had thought that was what he was going to say if that had been on her mind all this time. He finally understood the far away looks she'd get sometimes or the way she looked at him from to time. He leapt forward, blurred from view, and landed right in front of her grabbing her shoulders and pulling her close to his chest. She dropped the box the crystal was in, but left her arms at her sides. She buried her head in his chest and mumbled her apologies. He lightly pushed her away from him and held her by the arms below her shoulders.

"Look at me." When she wouldn't he lifted her chin with his right hand. "Open your eyes." Her blue-gray eyes held no tears, just the reflection of loneliness that tore his heart to pieces. "I am not upset with you. People cannot catch me in simple chakra filled tricks. I've been fighting against that almost all my life. You realize that, don't you?" She nodded, her eyes growing wider. "What you gave me was your heart, your soul, yourself, without thinking twice. I understood your loneliness and I realized even then though I didn't want to admit it, that you'd had other opportunities to find someone when you trained, walked into the village, or watched people come in go through the forest. This is the path life has lead us down and I don't regret it." He turned her around and put his arm around her. "Look," he pointed up. "The moon watches up from there, it shines for us. I don't know if it had a choice to shine tonight or not, but it does anyway. I don't know if we had a choice to meet and fall in love, but we did it anyway. You understand what I'm saying?"

Suzume reached up and put her hands on both sides of his face. She looked deep into his eyes, and then gently rolled down his eternal mask below his chin. She kissed his warm lips softly and he returned her kiss passionately. When their lips parted, he kissed her on the forehead, and then again lightly on the lips. "You see, there's nothing to worry about. Let's go home, ok? I'm starving." She picked up the box, and placed the opposite hand in his. She felt the intermingling of their chakra. It had become so natural she didn't even think about it. "I have learned to share with you to, you see? Now I know I could find you anywhere, even call you back from death if I have to."

"I hope this thing we're working doesn't make that necessary. It frightens me. I have never been a part of something so big and important. You and Yamato are trained and experienced. What I know I learned mostly by myself and I've never been a part of a mission. I don't want to lose you or Yamato for that matter."

Kakashi rolled his mask back up before resuming his walk. He looked sideways at her at the mention of Yamato. "How long have you known him?"

"Are you a little jealous?"

He shrugged.

She laughed. "Oh, I don't know really. He's always watched out for me while we trained, at least until I learned to work with my abilities. I think of him as my younger brother. He's the closest thing I have to one since I was no longer allowed to see mine."

"Oh, I see," he said sheepishly. "Come on let's hurry, it's getting late."

Part 11

"It's got to be how big?" Yamato looked at Suzume dubiously.

"If it's a shield, at least large enough to cover the area of impact, if not all of Konoha. Can you do it?" she asked.

"It's not that, it's the chakra we need to not only build it, but maintain it."

"You know, that's what is bothering me the most. How much time will we have? We obviously can't maintain it for more than a few minutes without draining everything around here out of natural energy. The faster we build it the more we can maintain it. According to reports, they rogue ninja set up a perimeter and build the big crystal with some jutsu, but the reported times vary, probably depending on the size of the bomb as well as the number of people participating. I'm guessing they've kept all their numbers hid from view."

"Most likely they have varied the attacks, but we can probably count on a large force here. The Anbu can find very little else out about the group. We should have a few minutes warning if nothing else." Kakashi stated. "The best thing we can do is practice the speed of setting the jutsus in place."

"Are we still agreed a wood shield infused with lightning and water will work best? This will basically bake the wood causing it to be as hard as steel. Can you really weave that much chakra so quickly?" Yamato pointed to Suzume.

"Yes, it isn't going to be easy though. If we get the jutsus off balance, the mix even slightly wrong, the shield will simply explode."

As the afternoon wore on they realized the scope of what Lady Tsunade asked them to do. "It looks like not making it quite as large as the whole village and having the ability to move it will work best. Our speed is as fast as we can get it. The enhanced chakra flow helps tremendously. We are prepared as we're going to be, do you agree?" Everyone nodded except Suzume. "What's wrong?" Kakashi looked worriedly at her.

"That small crystal we had took a lot of natural energy to cleanse, even when we get the shield up, chakra has to flow through the crystal to take out the negative energy stored there. If we don't cleanse it and it breaks through the shield, then the whole village will blow up anyway. I just have to weave the most chakra at the point of impact, when the crystal touches the shield, it will react. " She shook her head. "That is something we can't practice. It worries me."

"I know you can do it, I have faith in you." Yamato rested her hand on her shoulder and smiled warmly.

Kakashi took her hand in his and looked in her eyes. "We'll do what needs to be done." She nodded at them both and smiled tentatively. "Are you okay? You look a little pale."

"I am tired and I've been a bit dizzy today. No I'm not going to the hospital." She waved her hands in front of her face. "I promise I will tomorrow if I don't feel better, ok?" Kakashi frowned, but didn't argue. "We've been working hard and I'm not used to practicing this much, that's all." She smiled to make him feel better, but deep down she really didn't feel herself. It was if something was stealing her strength.

They all walked back to the village together talking of anything besides what was really on their minds Each were worried in their own way. Kakashi and Suzume returned to their quarters and ate a light dinner. After preparing for bed, Suzume was asleep before her head hit the pillow. Kakashi sat beside her stroking the waves in her hair. She slept peacefully and he didn't want to wake her, but he realized she really didn't seem to be herself all day. He stretched himself out beside her and turned off the light, falling asleep before the count of three.

The sky turned black with a red haze along the horizon. Kakashi, Yamato and Suzume stood in the center of the village building the shield with their combined jutsus as crystals streaked overhead, joining together bit by bit. If it wasn't so dangerous, Suzume thought, it would be quite beautiful. She could feel the natural energy feeding Kakashi and Yamato, helping them not to deplete their own reserves as they readied themselves to release the shield and put it in place. She could hear yelling and screaming, could see Shinobi darting about to find the people casting the jutsu, trying to take them out before they could make the bomb bigger. She didn't have a lot time to think. The wooden shield Yamato built was infused with chakra from the lightning and water jutsus she and Kakashi added to it, enhanced with the natural energy at the center, it reminded her of the battle that created Lake Chidori. The sky grew darker and she sensed the tremendous size of the bomb. Easily three times bigger than the Hokage's residence, it descended down upon them. It hit the shield causing it to creak and pop, but it held. People of the village cheered, the chakra built into the shield began flowing into the crystal, but too slowly she realized. The crystal continued to drop, Yamato, even with enhanced chakra, was beginning to feel the strain. It descended and cracked the shield; the chakra flow was not near enough. She looked at the grim look on Kakashi's face the crystal fell on Konoha with a fiery black and orange explosion.

Suzume tossed and turned in her sleep, sweat dripping from her whole body. She reached upward and screamed, shooting straight into a sitting position, panting. Kakashi grabbed her and held her trying to calm her down. The fear had grown bone deep though. What sacrifices would they have to make? The whole village wasn't an option. She finally calmed some as she and Kakashi talked the images from the forefront of her mind. In desperation she clung to him, the sinking feeling they didn't have much time left gnawed at her stomach.

When she awoke again, her stomach was so upset she ran to the restroom before even really opening her eyes. With her stomach emptied, she got dressed and sat on the bed. Kakashi started to say something, but she held up her hands. "I'm going as soon as the hospital is opens today. You don't have to ask. It's probably just that dream. It was so real."

He sat with her on the bed, and held her tightly. The images from her dream worried him as well. There were so many variables that could go wrong. A Shinobi's future was never certain, but he was more than certain that he wanted them both to be here in the future. Loss had become a part of his life, but losing her would be the worst loss he could imagine. She suddenly lurched from his arms and dashed for the restroom again. His heart raced in his chest. He opened the curtain and saw it was still dark but the clock said it shouldn't be. He studied the sky and saw a red haze over the horizon then the attack warning bells rang out.

Suzume staggered out of the restroom. Kakashi held the curtain open for her to see the black and red sky. She looked paler than ever, but straightened up and nodded. "We don't have a choice do we?" He shook his head and gathered his gear. They raced out of the building and met up with Yamato in the center of town as they had planned. Crystals streaked across the sky building in an eerily familiar large crystalline form. The shield went up quickly as they had practiced. Lightning streaked across the wooden structure, water dripped from seams. Suzume looked at Kakashi with frightened yet determined eyes. He mirrored her look and understood it. "It was only a dream." She smiled sadly and nodded. She could feel the crystal and its massive amount of chakra being lowered down to the shield. She knew from her dream, the little she had woven to this point wouldn't be enough. She opened herself up completely, letting chakra flow freely through her, into her teammates, into the shield, her body becoming transparent with the effort. Yamato and Kakashi both glanced sideways at her as she faded from view between them. Kakashi concentrated on his jutsu, but also on her energy signature to know she was alright. The people of the village stood looking out of the doorways and windows, cheering them on. Other Shinobi flitted from place to place counterattacking. Then he felt more than heard the first crack in the shield. He could feel the menace above them, the negative angry chakra flow above their heads. Yamato went down on one knee concentrating; sweat beading from his forehead with the strain. A loud crash resounded throughout the village as the first support of the shield gave way and the tip end of the crystal broke through. Villagers screamed and began running in the streets away from the point of impact. Kakashi wished he could see Suzume, longed to see her, but as the crystals continued to lower, he could feel his own chakra being sucked into the shield; he too weakened and fell to his knees. Heads bowed, they maintained what they could of the shield, water poured from the wood, but he knew with all certainty it wouldn't be enough. Almost half of the massive crystal had entered the village. He felt Suzume move further away from him. The tip of the crystal began to glow blue, it became awash in azure light, almost blinding. Suzume's transparent form was glowing blue as well, he could see her pushing against the crystal, her back to him, arms outstretched, and she poured chakra into the crystal, the inside a mix of orange, yellow and blue swirls. The color spread as he watched and he realized it was the same color as her eyes. The crystal was finally being pushed out of the hole in the shield. The villagers stopped running and cheered, her transparent form glowed blindingly, and then the explosion rocked the entire shield. Yamato collapsed face down in the road, the shield shattered to pieces, wood fragments heavy with water, flew in all directions, landing in sparking heaps everywhere around them. Kakashi saw something falling from the sky out of the corner of his eye. He leapt in the air and caught Suzume's body.

Laying her gently in the road he heard footsteps running towards him. He glanced around and saw Lady Tsunade and several of the younger Shinobi. Tears streaked from his eyes. Her hands and arms were red, blackened in places. The brown waves of her hair were matted with wood chips and water. Her face singed in places where the lightning sparks had hit her. Her clothing was tattered about her body. He stroked her hair, tears falling on her face. Tsunade pushed everyone except him aside and sat down on the ground on the other side of Suzume's body. Tsunade bent forward and listened to Suzume's weak heart skip beats, her ragged breaths coming too rapidly. Her hands glowing green, Tsunade began to scan her body for injuries. She stopped above her stomach and gasped, leaving her hands there. She glanced up and Kakashi who was staring wet eyed at Suzume's face. Tsunade's face turned grim, but determined.

"Kakashi." She moved one hand above Suzume's heart and left the other over her stomach."Kakashi damn it, get a grip, NOW!" Kakashi turned bleary eyes to her. "She's not dead, but she's close, but worse, her chakra flow has stopped. Can she leave her body completely?"

Kakashi wiped his eyes with his sleeves. "She went transparent before the explosion."

"And?" Tsunade prodded. "What does that mean?"

"It's a trick she learned based on a something for the Fourth said when she was young." He turned to look back at Suzume's face absently stroking her burned hand.

"Well how does she get back?"

"She said she's never lost her body before she was always aware of it when she entered the natural energy flow. It just phased out. I don't know. This has never happened."

"Damn it, Kakashi, is she still out there?"

As if he was slapped, he started at those words. Here he had been focused on the body in front of him and never thought to see if he could feel her presence. He felt along the chain of chakra that bound them and felt her far away, but she was out there. He nodded, cold determination settling on his face.

"Call her back, now!"

He focused on the connection they had built since they met. He heard Tsunade talking to other medical ninja that had just arrived and then put everything else from his mind.

The waves lifted and dropped her gently as she floated on her back, her body gently moving with the rhythm around her. She didn't feel like opening her eyes. The world had gone red then suddenly blue and was finally peaceful. She could feel she was drifting and could see even with her eyes closed a bright light near. She felt something pulling at her, but her mind was adrift with the waves around her. She felt someone touch her hand. She wrinkled her brow at the incongruity of the touch, here of all places. She felt a small hand wrap itself around hers and opened her eyes in surprise. She focused on a pair of blue gray eyes, the same one's she saw in the mirror every day, but they weren't in her face. She sat up, the waves momentarily stopping. A girl child stood before her. Silver wavy hair framed her small narrow face as she stood in the blue light. That face, she knew that face. She took in her surroundings with a quick glance as she floated in a field of chakra. She looked back at the little girl and reached out to stroke her hair. She placed a hand on the girl's face and the girl placed her hand on top of Suzume's. "You're," but the girl held up one small hand with delicate slender fingers. She placed her pointer finger in front of her mouth clearly asking Suzume not to talk. Then she cupped her hand around her little round ear for Suzume to listen. She heard her name being called from far away. She knew that voice, loved that voice. She noticed a blue chain attached about her waist leading off into the direction of the voice. She stared at the girl as comprehension dawned on her. The girl nodded and the voice sounded nearer. She took Suzume's hand and pulled gently. Suzume forced herself from the comforting waves. As she stood she picked up the girl. The child wrapped her arms around Suzume's neck and her little legs around her chest as best she could. Suzume began walking. Kakashi.

She gasped for breath twice before she could open her eyes. She couldn't focus at first, her vision wavy. She narrowed her eyes and saw two people looking over her. She moved her head slightly to the left and saw Kakashi's very worried face. His eyes red-rimmed swollen eyes brimmed with tears, but he smiled nonetheless. She reached up and stroked his face then reached for his hand. She turned to the right and looked at Tsunade. "Am I?" Tsunade nodded. "Everything is okay." Suzume nodded in relief, "Thank you."

She met the eyes of everyone around her as she sat up, being supported by Kakashi. Several Shinobi, including Naruto, stood around her. Yamato was sitting on the ground behind Kakashi smiling at her. She smiled and laughed to herself. She turned and hugged Kakashi, moving gingerly because of her wounds. While blocking his face with hers, she pulled down his mask and kissed him warmly. She put the mask back in place and leaned against his leg. "Thank you for calling us back. You said you would. I knew you would if you had to."

"I didn't want to live without you. I, huh, what do you mean us?"

"Me and our baby, you called us back, I was lost."

"Baby? You said baby?"

"Yes our daughter." She placed Kakashi's hand over her stomach.

"Ba-by?' His eyes grew wide and rolled back in his head and he fell over backwards. Tsunade caught Suzume to keep her from falling.

"Good grief!" Tsunade exclaimed as medical ninja surrounded Kakashi.

Everyone started laughing and talking at once, one voice louder rang out louder than the rest. "Way to go Kaka-sensei!"

"