A/N: Holy cow! Only the prologue was out and already 12 Favourites, 11 Alerts and a Community submission? ASHAGDKJHAVDBAVGHAVCFHDVA I CANNOT EVEN...!

*Cough* Sorry. Just needed to get that out there. xD

But seriously, I can't thank you people enough! I hope you'll continue to enjoy this story as much as I do writing it! X3

"Hatake-san, welcome!"

Kakashi closed the door of Ueno's office behind him.

"I understand you need me quite urgently," said Kakashi. "Please tell me what is wrong with Kae… with Uzumaki."

"Nothing is wrong with Kaede-chan," said Ueno quickly, rising from behind his desk. "It's just that… We need her to make the next step in her progress. The problem is that… this is quite a step to make."

"Please tell me what it is," said Kakashi. He wanted to know what he could do to help her, but moreover he just wanted to see her as soon as possible.

"You see…" started Ueno, "… we need her to shift personalities."

Kakashi had to take a moment to let that sink in. "Excuse me?" he then asked.

"See, we've never met this other personality," explained Ueno. "During her stay here, she hasn't shifted personalities even once. She is afraid to let this 'other Kaede-chan' take over her. However, she says she wants to give it a try if you are by her side, Hatake-san."

Kakashi shook his head. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't understand," he said. "Why do you need her other personality to show herself? I thought you were helping her get rid of that other personality so that she can live among people again."

"The first step in overcoming, Hatake-san, is facing the problem," said Ueno with a serious face. "But Kaede-chan doesn't want to face her alter ego. She is too afraid of what might happen. But you have faced her alter ego multiple times, and she has never managed to harm you, is that correct?"

"… Yes," replied Kakashi.

"So will you help us, please, Hatake-san?" asked the old man.

"I will," said Kakashi. "Anything to help Uzumaki."

"Good, very good," said Ueno, a lot more cheerful now. "I'll elaborate on the matter later; I think you want to see Kaede-chan, am I wrong? I'll show you to her room. Oh, and please remove your forehead protector. There are a few patients here that might get provoked by it."

The two approached a nurse who was clearly having trouble with an upset patient.

"Get out! OUT!" Kakashi heard in a very familiar voice. "I can't take it anymore! Get out!"

"Uzumaki-san…"

This was Kaede's room? What the hell was going on here?

The nurse backed away, out of the room. Despite being yelled at, she kept forcing a smile.

"P-please calm down," she said nervously, but instead, she got a pillow thrown at her.

"Stop treating me like I'm crazy! I'm not crazy! When will you finally get it?"

Kakashi decided to take immediate action when she threw an orange at the nurse. With stealth, he appeared behind Kaede, hooking his arms underneath her armpits to prevent her from throwing more things. Kaede didn't see him, and started to struggle heavily in his grip.

"Let go! Let me go!" she yelled. "I mean it, let me go or I'll—"

"Or you'll do what?" asked Kakashi in a low, soft voice in her ear. Kaede froze immediately. It even looked like she paused her breathing.

Kakashi looked at the doorway, where the nurse stood with the pillow and the orange in her hands, and Ueno blinking at him.

"I'll take it from here," said Kakashi with a smile.

"Yes, thank you," said Ueno quickly. "We'll give you some privacy."

The nurse quickly put the pillow back on Kaede's bed and put the orange on the table. She made a bow and closed the door behind her.

For the next few seconds, all he could hear were footsteps fading in the hallways, then there was silence.

After a while, he could hear her soft, shaky breathing as she started to tremble against him.

"Have you calmed down yet?" he whispered in her ear.

"Y-you actually came here…" Her voice was shaky; she was crying.

"Of course," replied Kakashi. "Whenever you need me, I'll be by your side. You know that."

He really had to fight the urge to feel up her body now that he had her in his grip like this. It had been so long since he'd been intimate with her…

He loosened his grip and Kaede immediately squirmed away before she turned around and held him in a tight embrace.

"I've missed you so much!" she cried.

Kakashi returned the hug, pressing her against him as tightly as he could. She was so soft… He'd missed this. He'd missed her.

"Now are you going to tell me what's wrong?" he asked caringly, stroking her head.

Kaede sobbed. "I'm just so sick of this place," she said. "They keep up those fake smiles at me. They treat me like I'm some kind of time bomb that could explode any time…" She looked into his eye for the first time with teary eyes. "I'm not crazy, Kakashi," she said. "I'm not crazy…"

"I know," replied Kakashi, looking intensely into her ocean blue eyes. "I know you're not crazy." Her hair was soft under his palm. Kaede blushed, which made him smile.

"I've missed you, Kakashi," said Kaede softly.

Kakashi lowered his head and planted a masked kiss on her lips. "Me too," he said. He noticed that his heart was racing from that one single gesture. After missing her for over four months, he was longing for her. But he wasn't supposed to think about that. Not here. Not now.

Kaede seemed to think the same. She stared at his mask; she probably wanted to remove it. But she bit her bottom lip and looked away. Kakashi couldn't help but feel some kind of distance between them since the last time he saw her.

She took a step back, out of his embrace, creating some space between them. "Kakashi, umm…" she started, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand, "… do you know why I wanted you here?"

"Yes, I know," replied Kakashi.

Kaede nodded. "I see," she muttered. "It's just that… I'm afraid of what might happen and you've dealt with… the other… a few times already, so I thought if you were here to just—"

"Kaede," he interrupted her, cupping her cheeks. "Relax. I won't let anything happen to you or anyone here."

"I know," said Kaede, though she still sounded anxious. "I know. And I know my Chakra has been sealed, but still… what if the other is still dangerous without it? What if she knows how to break the seal?"

"Nothing will happen, Kaede," said Kakashi firmly. "I won't let it."

"Right," replied Kaede, forcing a smile. "I'm sorry. I'm just really nervous. I'm not even sure I can shift personalities at will…"

Kakashi stroked her cheeks with his thumbs, feeling her face heat up under his palms.

"I'm sure they know a way to get the other one out," he said.

Kaede took another step back. Kakashi withdrew his hands.

"I… I don't think we should… be this close… or touch," said Kaede, looking away. "It's not that I don't like it," she quickly added, "it's just that I shouldn't be distracted. I'm making such good progress and—"

"It's ok," said Kakashi. "I understand. I won't touch you." Truth was, this was only making it extra hard for him to hold back. Just a few seconds ago, he was grateful that he got to touch her at least. His hands were still itching for her. But he had to restrain himself, for both their sakes.

"I'm sorry," said Kaede softly, bowing her head.

"You don't have to keep apologizing," said Kakashi with a smile. "Just get better soon so I can take you home."

Kaede gave a slow nod.

"I should head back to the director," said Kakashi. Much as he wanted to spend more time with her, right now he was afraid of losing control over himself.

"Okay," said Kaede softly. "I'll see you later then."

Kakashi nodded, forcing another smile. But as soon as he left the room and closed the door behind him, he felt a stinging pain in his chest. Even though he finally got to see her again, the distance between them seemed larger than ever. A distance that was forced by restraint. And he wasn't even sure that feeling was mutual. What if Kaede had changed her mind about them during her stay here? If that were really the case, would he be able to cope with it?

Kaede stared at the closed door.

That smile just now… was forced, wasn't it? she asked herself. She could tell from his eye: the only visible part of his face. Of course, she never meant to hurt him. But she was doing this for him and Naruto. She wanted to focus on finishing her therapy as soon as possible, so that she could spend the rest of her life being with the man she loved the most.

She touched her ear with the tips of her fingers. The sensation she felt when Kakashi whispered in her ear just now was still there. It made her remember when she was almost intimate with Kakashi not too long before they arrived here. He had taken off her top and bra, and played with her upper body. But his body was still injured from a fight he had had prior to that, and they could not continue.

She felt her face turn burning hot at the memory. She mentally scolded herself for already being distracted like this.

But seeing him again… she felt some of her strength and willpower come back.

I will definitely get rid of you and get my life back, she shouted. She was in the strange place in her mind where her other personality lived. And the other Kaede glared at her from the other side of the large mirror she was standing in front of. It hadn't changed a bit from when she had first met her other personality.

We'll see about that, replied her other self coldly. Did you notice how he couldn't keep his hands away from you?

Of course, said Kaede. We haven't seen each other in over 4 months. I was holding him, as well.

If you ask me, he was really doing his best to restrain himself. It looked to me like he was hoping for more.

He just missed me! I missed him, too!

And that is why you're distancing yourself from him?

That's because—

You were afraid he wouldn't hold back if you continued to hold each other like that. I can tell. I'm a part of you.

No, you're not. And you're wrong about us. We are doing this to get rid of you, so that I can finally go back home.

Yet you're afraid to let me out. Do you really think you can get rid of me with such a controversial attitude?

This entire world will be better off without you. And I'm going to make it happen.

Then who will rescue you if that man really loses control of himself and hurts you? Believe me, he has strong lustrous feelings for you. And he won't keep this up for long.

You're wrong.

I'm not wrong. You know I'm not. You've seen it, too. You're just denying it.

YOU'RE WRONG!

She fell back into reality when someone knocked on her door.

"Kaede-san, it's time for your therapy session," she heard the nurse from before call from behind the door.

Kaede opened the door, and found the woman smiling at her again.

"Thanks," she said. She followed the nurse to her psychiatrist's office. "Umm, I'm sorry I got mad at you earlier. And for throwing stuff at you."

"That's alright," replied the nurse cheerfully. "Though I urge you to talk about it with Sorano-sensei."

"Okay," sighed Kaede.

"Hatake-san will join you in this session," added the nurse.

Kaede stopped. "Already?" she asked. Her heart just skipped a beat or two.

"Yes," said the nurse. "Ueno-sensei wants him to attend every therapy session for as long as needed."

Kaede picked up her pace again. So soon, she thought. I don't know if I'm ready for this yet. Surely they don't expect me to bring the other me out right away, right?

She felt her newly regained confidence falter more and more with each step.

Right?

A/N: A moment of panic is an excellent troll cliffie. xD Sorry about that! I'll update as soon as possible~!