I'm back people! Aren't you all just so terribly pleased with that? I hope you ALL have reviewed; I truly do enjoy reading them. Even though my brain still hurts from the prologue, I'm continuing on with this story, as well as all my other ones. So, I truly hope you all enjoy this chapter! The Unknown Scribe helped me some. A lot of what the Hokage says is thanks to her help. I'm really bad at writing him. This chapter is dedicated to her because she puts up with me. I do not own the song 'What Do You Want From Me' by Cascada. And I claim nothing on anything even remotely related to McDonalds, but for the stories sake, there is now one in the Naruto world. One, and only one. And it's just a small stand. All these disclaimers go for the rest of the story, just in case they need to be. I know there's no relevance in this chapter, but you'll just have to deal with it.

Our story begins almost four years later.


Flashback

Outside Konoha:

"Are you sure about this?"

"If I wasn't sure, I wouldn't be doing this."

"Lie."

"You're not much fun to talk to anymore." He merely raised an eyebrow, still looking out over Konoha. They had been there for most of the day, planning their next move. Finally, she got up and stretched, taking off the black and red cloak that she had been forced to wear these past few years.

"You don't have to go back. It will be difficult to keep your cover."

"I don't care. It's almost been four years Ita-chan. I miss Konoha and everything about it."

"You miss otooto and Kashi." She looked at him, blue-black eyes staring into red ones, and smiled slightly.

"Yes, I do. Although, I do have a question. Are you even able to not use the sharingan anymore?"

"Hn."

"You're acting like Sasu-chan does now."

"And you would know this how?"

"I'm a very good spy." Itachi kept silent once again, but stood anyway.

"Now?"

"Now." They raced off, heading for the path they knew would be taken by some shinobi on their way back to Konoha. They stopped in a fairly open place, one where everything can be seen, but people can easily hide at the same time.

"Ready?"

"Yes. Go." Itachi let out a small sighed and attacked her. He made sure she would lose a fairly good amount of blood, and knocked her out. Her job was to make it seem like she fought back well. His job done, Itachi left, leaving no evidence that she had ever been with the Akatsuki.

Their mission completed, a pair of ANBU was heading back to the village. Reaching a clearing, they decided to take a quick rest before they started again. When they stopped moving, they realized there was something wrong in the clearing. They looked around, hearing and seeing nothing out of the ordinary. They did a quick check of the area. They were finishing up when they found her. They quickly made sure she wasn't dead, or really close and decided to take her back to the village to get checked over.

Riz woke up to white. She groaned and closed her eyes again. They shot open a moment later and she nearly jumped out of the bed, only to flop back down, clutching her side.

"Damn him. Broke my ribs. What is that? Payback?" She scowled and looked around the room. There was nothing to indicate things had gone as planned and she wasn't in some different village. She closed her eyes again and waited for someone to come in. A nurse walked in a while later to find her awake and staring at the ceiling.

"Ah, good, you're awake. You've been asleep for an entire day. If you hadn't been found by our shinobi, you probably would've died. You are very lucky." Riz merely frowned at the ceiling. When there was no response, the nurse continued, "Can you talk? Do you need anything? How are you feeling?"

"No, I'm fine." She nodded and checked a chart.

"It seems you have three fractured ribs, multiple cuts and bruises, as well as a large loss of blood. I'll be back with some food and then you can rest some more. After that, we'll have to ask you some questions." The nurse left and Riz glared at the window, watching a familiar face appear there.

"It seems everything is going well."

"It seems like you went overboard in the attack." He smirked.

"More convincing."

"Sure. You should go."

"I'll make sure everything works out."

"I can handle myself."

"But you won't." She didn't answer and soon felt his presence fade. The nurse came back in soon after that and made her eat. She picked up the tray and headed towards the door.

"Someone will be in here soon to talk with you."

"Any chance I could get healed first?"

"Sorry, but since you're not from here, we need to be sure your not against us first so you don't run off." She left and Riz sat back, analyzing her injuries. She sighed and began to meditate, figuring it would be the best way to rest and waste the time given to her. Her eyes shot open just as someone was about to wake her. She grabbed their arm, stopping them and almost throwing them across the room. They stayed calm and she looked up at someone she vaguely remembered.

"Awake then. I have some questions for you. You don't have to move, just answer them." She nodded, remembering who this was.

"Ibiki… They're having him interrogate me. Let's see how this works out for him." Her face remained blank as he began.

"Name?"

"Atsura."

"Age?"

"About 19."

"About?"

"Today is not my birthday, so, yes, about."

"How did you get injured?"

"I was attacked."

"By?"

"… I don't know."

"Could you describe them? Was it a shinobi?"

"I believe they were, but no, I can't describe them."

"No headband?"

"Not visible."

"Where are you from?"

"Nowhere."

"Secrets will not help you."

"There is no secret. Travelers with no actual home raised me. I learned to be a ninja and did small jobs to stay alive."

"You're a ninja?"

"Yes."

"A ninja for hire then."

"Yes."

"Were you on a job when you were attacked?"

"No."

"Have you ever had a job to harm any other shinobi?"

"Yes, when my employers were in trouble or needed protection."

"Any shinobi from The Village Hidden in the Leaves?"

"… Not that I can remember."

"Do you have any intentions at all for harming said village?"

"No." He nodded.

"You do understand that if you have lied, we will find out and you will be immediately arrested and killed."

"I understand." He nodded and left the room. Riz rolled her eyes and listened to Ibiki talk to someone down the hall, and then footsteps heading towards her room. The door open and her eyes widened slightly. The Hokage walked up to her.

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine."

"You seem to have caused quite a stir. Two of our ANBU found you not too far from here. I'm not sure if you know, but you're in the Konoha Hospital." Riz nodded and kept silent, figuring out what she should say to him.

"I heard that you're a shinobi."

"Yes."

"And you're a ninja for hire without any ties to anyone? What happened to your family?"

"My real family, I don't know. Those that raised me were killed."

"By?"

"Some rogue ninja a while back."

"I see. Well, you should get some rest, a nurse will be in soon to check on you." He began to walk away.

"Sir?"

"Hm?"

"Is it at all possible for me to stay in this village?"

"Why?"

"I'm sick of not having a home. I could be useful as well."

"As a Konoha shinobi?"

"Yes, if I may." He smiled and continued to leave.

"We'll see how you do when you're healed." She stared at the closed door.

"It worked. I'm in. Let's see, I have about fifteen minutes until the nurse comes in."

"Too easy."

"I doubt they believe everything. I'll be interrogated later. Probably put in a genjutsu."

"Too bad you suck at genjutsu."

"Was that an actual joke I heard?"

"Hn." Riz rolled her eyes.

"Now that everything is working out, you need to leave."

"If I don't?"

"You'll ruin everything."

"Fine."

"What? No goodbye?" Itachi gave her a rare smile.

"Good luck. I'll be back."

"Not real soon I hope." He didn't answer, already gone, but she knew he heard her. She waited a few more minutes for the nurse to arrive and heal her ribs. Once that was done, she asked to leave.

"I'm sorry, you're not allowed to leave."

"Can I go outside then?"

"I can't make that decision, I'm sorry."

"Fine." She lay back down, allowing herself some rest. She woke to someone opening the door. Sitting up sharply, she watched as the door opened, revealing a jounin. She stopped breathing for a moment. Having a jounin sent to get her wasn't the part that most surprised her. It was Kakashi. She made sure not to let anything show on her face.

"Who are you?"

"Can you walk?"

"You didn't answer my question."

"Neither have you." She glared at him.

"I can walk."

"Good, follow me." She resisted the urge to smack him or scream and followed him down the halls and out of the hospital.

"Where are we going?"

"See the Hokage." He pulled out an orange book and she had to resist the impulse to snatch it away from him.

"What are you reading?" He ignored her and she grabbed the book from him, looking at the page he was reading. Her eyes widened as he grabbed it back.

"Porn?! You're reading porn?!" He continued to read as she tried to get the images out of her head.

"He hasn't changed much. I wonder…"

"Should you really be reading that? What if your girlfriend sees you? If you have one at all."

"Nope."

"No, she won't see you, or no, you don't have one?"

"Don't have one."

"Are you gay?" He stopped and stared at her incredulously. She smiled.

"I'll take that as a 'no'. Have you ever had one then?"

"Why are you asking me all of this?"

"I'm trying to make conversation. It's the easiest topic." He rolled his eyes and went back to his book.

"Hey! You didn't answer me. Have you?"

"Yes."

"But you don't now. So, you two broke up then. Why?" He gave her a bored look.

"She died." She let some shock show on her face,

"Oh. I'm sorry." He shrugged and led her into the Hokage tower, showing her to a door off to the side.

"In there. Bye." He disappeared.

"He doesn't seem very happy with me. But, I don't know whether or not to be happy that he hasn't been dating." She sighed, "He should have. Get his mind off things. He would probably be happier." She stretched and opened the door, entering a room with nothing but a chair in the middle and someone hidden by the shadows. She stopped just inside the door and heard it close behind her.

"Sit down." As soon as she was seated, the man stepped forward. Her head tilted as she tried to figure out who it was.

"Who are you?"

"My name is of no importance, and I need to ask you a few questions. You will answer honestly and fully." She simply smiled at him innocently.

"Too bad he won't tell me his name. I wonder if I know him? Oh well, I can't wait to see if he believes me, not to mention the genjutsu." He began to ask her the basic questions.

"Name?"

"Atsura."

"Full name."

"Lunare Atsura."

"Age?"

"About 19."

"About?"

"I haven't counted up to the minute."

"Birthplace?"

"No idea."

"Family?"

"None."

"We have plenty of ways to find the truth, and none of them end well for you."

"I would be worried if I had been lying." He did a few quick hand signs and she felt the genjutsu hit her. She preformed her own hand sign that he couldn't see, and waited.

"What is your purpose of being here?"

"I have none. I was brought here."

"Why were you attacked?"

"I was attacked by a group of rogue ninja that I had attacked."

"Why did you attack them?"

"They were harming some children, and I stopped them."

"Why were you so near here?"

"I had been traveling when I met them. When they all attacked me, I ran. I ended up near here without knowing it."

"You are a ninja for hire?"

"Yes."

"Have you ever had any employers that had wished anything against this village or the people within our walls?"

"I don't believe so. Unless the shinobi from here were not wearing any indication they were from here, then I have not attacked them."

"Have you ever killed another shinobi?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"In order to protect either my employers, myself, or someone getting attacked."

"Have you ever turned against your employers?"

"Yes." She felt the genjutsu get suddenly stronger.

"For money?"

"No. They went against me first. I did what I had to." The genjutsu faded and she was sitting in the dim room again. The interrogator was gone. She leaned back slightly and stared at the ceiling, waiting for someone to either come get her or ask something else. She looked towards the door when someone opened it. She followed him out of the room and down the hall to the Hokage's office.

"You never told me your name.

"So?"

"Are you going to?"

"No."

"Why? Do you already hate me that much?" He ignored her and she felt both anger and sadness boil inside her, followed by guilt.

"This is my fault. If I had stayed in the village then he wouldn't have such a need to be so cold to people. But, if I had stayed, I would have to deal with why I didn't stop Itachi, Sasuke's distress, and having to act distressed and angry as well. I wouldn't have been able to pull that off." She sighed, making Kakashi glance at her before turning back to his book. He led her into the office and left, leaving her alone with the Third.

"Welcome."

"Yo." He raised an eyebrow, but continued anyway.

"You wish to become a ninja of this village, correct?"

"I told you that before."

"What would you think your ninja rank to be?"

"I'm not sure."

"Above Genin level perhaps?"

"That depends on your standards for Genin."

"If you wish to stay in this village, you will be under constant surveillance for two months. You will be tested in your abilities by an ANBU and may eventually go on missions with others to test your loyalty and teamwork." She nodded slightly and continues to smile.

"Great... How in hell am I going to be tested? That's going to be the hardest damn part!"

"I have found you a temporary apartment for you to stay until you are cleared. After that, you may either stay there, or move. There is an ANBU waiting for you outside."

"Thanks" She held up her hand in parting and left the office. The Hokage watched the closed door for a moment longer.

"She reminds me of both Kakashi, and Uchiha Riz…"

She left the building to find an ANBU waiting.

"Yo!"

"Lunare Atsura, come with me."

"Nice to meet you too… What's your name?"

"… You do not need to know."

"I want to. That can be the same thing." He began to walk away.

"Follow me." She caught up with him easily, looking around the village as if amazed and trying to memorize it.

"You never told me your name." He ignored her and she stopped. He glanced back at her.

"Come."

"Are you going to talk to me at all? I'm trying to make a conversation, maybe get to know a few people, and you're making it very difficult." She glared at him and he felt a shiver run down his spine, but dismissed it.

"Hurry up."

"I'm not moving until you answer me."

Five minutes, and plenty of odd looks later…

"I cannot tell you my name. It would put those I care about in danger, as well as myself."

"Well, at least you talked. I still don't see the point. Have I put myself in danger by letting you know who I am?"

"You are not acting as two people."

"And you are? You're still the same person, inside the same body. You still have the same past and everything."

"You don't get it." He begins to walk away again.

"You're right. I don't." He could hear a tinge of sadness in her voice, but still feel the glare directed at him. She followed him in silence until they reached an apartment complex. He suppressed a sigh when she started on her questions again.

"I'm going to stay here then? Nice. Anyway, if I ever see you again will you say hello? Or do something to let me know it's you? You could be my, first, friend. How about it?" She stopped following him again, making his sigh escape.

"What?"

"Promise me."

"Fine, let's go." She smiled and followed him up the stairs. He showed her her new place and disappeared. She glared at the spot and entered the apartment, looking around.

"Let's see, bathroom, bed, kitchen, and a living area. Nice. And there's already food here. Look's like I'm set." She noticed a note on the kitchen table. She picked it up in annoyance.

"Not very secure… yet." She opened the letter and saw that it told her who she was supposed to meet with every morning and where she is to go the next day to get tested. She stared at the name of who was to be her 'babysitter'.

"Makoto*? Who is that?" She shrugged and threw the letter away. She began to safe-proof her new home. Once she was satisfied with that, she explored the place. Scoping out places of weakness and strong points. Generally making sure she knew it and that it was safe. She went and looked through the kitchen, finding something to eat. After she finished her meal, she decided to lie down. There was nothing better to do really. Especially while being watched.

Outside, Kakashi watched with a bored expression.

"Nothing suspicious about her now." Still, he had orders to stay there for the night, just to make sure. He sighed and pulled out his book.

"This is going to be a long night…" Riz smiled as she watched Kakashi sigh and take out his book.

"How fun, he'll never know I left. Now I'm actually glad for the Akatsuki. I may never have pulled this off so well if it hadn't been for Sasori." She grinned and jumped away, heading towards the Uchiha manor. She made it there without any trouble, and slipped inside. She noted all the dust, and after going through every room, realized that Sasuke hadn't been living there for quite some time. Itachi's room had been sealed shut, Sasuke's was left alone, and her room was clean… wait, clean?

"Why is my room clean?" She entered it and saw that nothing had been taken or moved, but things had been added. On her bed, there were some small gifts and flowers. The flowers were fresh, but she could tell the gifts had been there for some time. Looking closer, she could see that some were birthday presents every year since she had supposedly died, and there were even a few old Valentine's gifts. She stared at them with a mixture of sadness, fear, and curiosity on her face. Hesitantly, she reached for one of the packages when she heard something. Someone was heading towards her. She froze before disappearing through the window. A girl entered the room and looked around quickly, making sure nothing was disturbed and she was alone. She took a dead flower from the bed and replaced it with a new one before turning around and leaving, trailing her finger over a desk as she went. She smiled when there was no dust and disappeared through the door. Riz followed her silently, listening to her talk to herself.

"Well, it looks like I don't have to clean it, someone else did again. At least now there are fresh flowers." She stopped just inside the door, glancing back and smiling slightly before leaving.

"Thanks again Riz. I only wish you were still alive." Riz dropped down and stared at the door, trying to remember who the girl was. She titled her head slightly before sighing and heading back to her apartment.

She switched places with the doll and pretended to wake up and go to the bathroom. She took a hot shower and cleared her head. Her eyes shot open.

"Michiko?" She stared at the ceiling and turned the water off, smiling.

"Looks like she's doing well. Interesting, she misses me still. It's been close to four years now." She shrugged it off and went back into the bedroom.

That's all for now loves! Gods, this has made me so mad, yet so happy!!! I had to have 50 pages done before I could even upload this, thanks to The Unknown Scribe, who should really consider changing her pen name to just Unknown Scribe. As promised, the chapters are not all going to be as long as the prologue! As fun as that was, my creativity flow has stopped flowing smoothly and likes to play shit with me. Thanks again to Unknown Scribe! The next few chapters will also be dedicated to her unless otherwise posted.

Thanks for reading! Reviews are greatly appreciated, even if you hate the story, I would like to know, and perhaps I could write something to fit with your tastes more!

Ja ne!