Sunlight crept through Tsureru's window and her eyelids fluttered slightly. Still in the deepest stage of sleep, she awoke slowly and groggily. She cracked open her eyes, but shut them immediately with a wince. Her eyes were still too sensitive to the sunlight after several hours of darkness. She rolled over with a groan and stuffed her head into her pillow. "Damn sun," she muttered. Suddenly, she realized that she didn't remember going to bed last night. "What the heck did I do last night anyways?" she said aloud to herself. Slowly she got up and washed up, wondering the whole time how she wound up in bed when the last thing she could remember was sitting on the roof with-

"SHIT!" Tsuru had completely forgotten about the Leaf ninjas that had come to take her with them. Forgetting completely about her mysterious apparition into her bed, she ran around her room screaming, "I don't want to go, damn it, I don't want to freaking go!" As childish as she knew it was, Tsuru continued yelling this mantra at the top of her lungs until she ran outside and began beating the life out of a nearby tree. Her activity woke everyone else inside and they came outside, wondering what was going on.

"Tsuru-chan, what's wrong?" Jansei asked. Tsuru ignored her and beat the tree with such ferocity that it shattered into a thousand splinters. "Tsuru, stop throwing a tantrum and tell me what the hell is bothering you!" Jansei yelled, as she went to intercept Tsuru's next blow.

Unfortunately, by this time, Tsuru was in a blind fury. "Damn you woman, I told you I don't want to go to that damn Konoha!" Lacking any weapons, Tsuru began to attack her aunt, who just barely managed to avoid getting pummeled. Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi stood on the threshold watching stunned as Tsuru dealt out blows to her aunt in lightning quick succession, and her aunt blocked them just as quickly.

"I thought she said she only did some tai-jutsu?" Sakura said, in awe of Tsureru's speed.

"If this is some, then I hate to see what would happen if she started using some nin-jutsus. We'd probably all be blown into smithereens!" Naruto exclaimed.

Kakashi remained silent. He was trying to find an opening to throw a shuriken at Tsuru in order to stop her, but he couldn't without risking hitting Jansei. Grunting in frustration, Kakashi jumped into the fight and came between Tsuru and Jansei. He turned the tables on her and began on the offense. Tsuru had blocked the first few shots, but in her fury and rage, she was not watching behind her, and a shadow clone that Kakashi had made before jumping in pinched Tsuru in a spot on her neck and she immediately slumped over, unconscious. The clone disappeared, and Kakashi casually slung Tsuru over his shoulder as if she were a bag of rice.

Relieved, Jansei followed him inside, and Sakura and Naruto closed the door behind them. Kakashi laid Tsuru at the kitchen table, and Jansei fetched some smelling salts to revive Tsuru. Consciousness soon returned and Jansei had some very stern words to give her niece.

"What the hell is wrong with you Kichigai-chan?" Tsuru winced; when Jansei called her by her last name, it never was a good omen. "Dawn only just broke a couple of hours ago, and you're already out here yelling at the top of your lungs and beating the life out of my favorite oak trees! What on earth are you so freaking pissed off about? If it's about going to Konoha, then deal with it, because I'm not letting you weasel out of this! I don't care if I have to knock you unconscious myself and carry you there in a sack, but you are going to Konoha!"

Tsuru glared daggers at her aunt, but their staring contest was evenly matched. The ability to stare down any individual was a talent that ran in their family. Growling, Tsuru looked away after realizing this. "Damn Leaf. How the hell am I going to accomplish anything there? They're all a bunch of soft do-gooders."

"And you're a bitch," Sakura interjected. "I don't care if you can spear me with your chakra from fifty yards. I'm telling you right here and now, you're the biggest bitch I've ever met, and that's saying something. Orochimaru must be really proud of you, Kichigai-san. That damn snake bastard's attitude really shines through in you!" Sakura snorted with disgust. "I agree with your aunt, and I think we 'soft do-gooders' can teach you a lesson you never learned, but sure as hell need to."

Naruto and Kakashi nodded in agreement and Tsuru clenched her fist in frustration. It was four against one. Normally, she wouldn't daunted by odds like this, but she knew her aunt had the equivalent power of a Jounin, and Kakashi was an official Jounin, and the other two were expected to be equal in power to her. They would probably come in on her from all four sides if she chose to attack, and possibly use clones as well. "Whatever," Tsuru finally said, "I'll go with you guys. This town has been getting boring anyways. Not enough action."

Jansei was about to send a retort at her rebellious niece, but she shut her mouth before she could say anything. With Tsuru in a murderous mood as this, the whole house would be burned down before the day was out.

Tsuru stomped out of the kitchen and went to change into her travelling gear. She slipped into a form-fitting black shirt and donned her Chuunin vest. Unlike those of the Leaf village, Tsuru's vest was a dark gray and the back used to have a single music note embroidered in silver, but Jansei had taken it out several months ago. After pulling on some comfortable shorts and boots, she clipped on her weapons pouch, double-checked to make sure she had packed all of her belongings into her pack, and slumped back to the kitchen.

"Ready to go?" Naruto asked unnecessarily. Tsuru nodded and glared at the floor. They waited on the porch for Sakura to finish whatever she was doing, and Naruto attempted to start polite conversation. "So… you worked for Orochimaru, huh?"

"Yeah, what of it? Are you going to chastise me about how I'm so evil and have no humanity, etcetera because I worked for him?" Tsuru retorted, still staring at the ground.

"No, but I was wondering if you knew anything about Sasuke. He was captured; well not really, he went willingly to Orochimaru to gain more power or something like that. He wanted to kill his brother. Do you know anything about him?" Naruto questioned anxiously.

"Oh, the Uchiha," Tsuru snorted. For the first time all morning, she cracked a smile, although it was a cruel one. "He was one hell of a stuck up asshole. The only thing he's living for is to kill his brother, but he doesn't realize that if he does, he'll have nothing left to life for." Leaning back and looking at the sky, Tsuru gently added, "What a stupid moron."

"Yes, I know he's stuck up, I know he's only out for revenge, but is he doing ok? Orochimaru hasn't switched into his body or anything yet has he?"

"Nah, not that I know of," Tsuru replied. "He wants to wait until the Uchiha has reached his prime, in health, in skill, in whatever. The Uchiha and I crossed paths a few times and had to collaborate in a few missions. I can see that he's strong and has got talent, but Itachi could wipe the floor with him any day. Sasuke hasn't even fully mastered his Sharingan yet. Not like Itachi." Tsuru finished.

Naruto looked at her questioningly, but before he could say anything, Sakura came out with Kakashi right behind her and with a final goodbye to her aunt, Tsuru set out with the Leaf ninja.

Back at Konoha

"What the heck is taking them so long?" Tsunade yelled.

Shizune winced. Tsunade was extremely upset that Team Kakashi had not yet returned. If they had simply gone to get the girl and come right back, they should've been back sometime this morning. The girl they were bringing back would be a vital addition to their ranks, and Tsunade was very anxious to have her arrive. "Perhaps they decided to stay the night at the village?" Shizune suggested.

"Why on earth would they do that? It's not that long of a journey, and they should've had the sense to return right away! That's what you do on retrieval missions; you go, get the package, and come back ASAP!" Tsunade punched her desk, and muttered, "Shit, I had gone two whole weeks without breaking one too. "

Kakashi and his group were making good time. They had left early in the morning, and he predicted they would arrive at the village shortly before dark. Looking up at the position of the sun, he calculated that they would be arriving home in a couple of hours. He turned back to make sure the others were close enough. Naruto was just behind him, and Sakura only a few yards further, but Tsuru was dropping further back the closer they got to the village. He stopped on the next branch and his team stopped immediately.

Sensing that something was wrong, Sakura looked around to see what the problem was. She didn't see any enemies or suspicious activity. But when her eyes fell on Tsureru, she knew what was up. A cloud of gloom surrounded Tsureru, and she was continually staring at her feet. Her hands were clenched tight, and Sakura could see a small trickle of blood dripping out of her fists. Sakura nimbly leapt to a branch closer to Tsureru, and said, "Here, let me see your hands."

Taking her trembling hands, she forced open Tsureru's fist, to see that she had clenched her fists so tightly that her palms had torn open. Naruto and Kakashi jumped over to see what had happened, and Naruto gasped at the sight of Tsuru's bloodied palm, torn and broken. Sakura was about to clean and bandage her, but Tsuru snatched her hands back and zoomed away with a rough snarl. "I don't want your pity," she yelled, as she raced into the forest.

Naruto and Sakura were about to follow her, but Kakashi stopped them. "You two head back to the village. Tell Tsunade that I'm on the way." And with that, he dashed off in the direction Tsuru had gone, leaving his two younger team mates to return.

Tsuru didn't know where she was going, but she only hoped she was going away from Konoha. She leapt from branch to branch nimbly, but because of the dimming light and the fact that she was so distraught by terror, anger, and overall angst, she couldn't concentrate and tripped off the limb. She hurtled towards the ground head first, and couldn't focus enough to slow her fall using chakra. She tried adjusting her positing so she would land headfirst, but before she could, something grabbed her ankle.

"A little girl like you should be more careful in the forest." Tsuru looked up to see Kakashi hanging upside down under a branch, holding her ankle and grinning from ear to ear. Well, she thought he was; she couldn't really tell with that mask in the way. "You never know when you might run into trouble." Kakashi hoisted her up so he could take her hand and swung her up to the topside of the branch. After making sure she wasn't going to fall again, he flipped up and sat on it as well.

"Why did you come after me?" Tsuru asked, devoid of emotion. She was sitting cross-legged, with her back against the trunk. Her hands were folded in her lap and she was staring at the section of branch directly in front of Kakashi.

"Because you are a fellow Konoha ninja, whether you want to be or not, and I cannot simply watch you run away from what you are," Kakashi said bluntly. "Whether or not you will be on my team, you are my ally, regardless of what you were before. This is your chance for a new future."

"I hate you."

Kakashi looked up, absolutely shocked. Tsuru had looked up from the branch and was now staring at Kakashi with such loathing and dislike, that he felt himself shrinking.

"I hate you, and all the Konoha ninja. I don't care what you think of me and what you think you can do to change me, I'll never become one of you." Tsuru stood up, trembling with rage, and was about to throw a shuriken at Kakashi, but before she could even blink, he had pinned her to the trunk with a kunai at her throat.

"Listen here, Kichigai," he said, with a deadly menace in his eye, "I never said I was particularly fond of you either, but I'm bringing you back. I said you were my ally, but not my friend. Will you ever earn forgiveness for attacking Konoha? Perhaps. Maybe I'll take into account the fact that you didn't know you were a Leaf ninja. Maybe I won't. But right now, I just want to complete my mission, and that was to bring you back with me. You said you would come with us, so either stick to it like an honorable shinobi, or I'll bring you back by force." When Tsuru gave a low growl, Kakashi pressed his knife against her neck harder, drawing a small amount of blood.

Tsuru muttered a low "honor schmoner, and where was my honorific," but willingly went with Kakashi to Konoha. The east gate was closest, and they reached it in a little less than an hour and headed straight for the Hokage's building. Upon entering Tsunade's office, they were assaulted by loud and deafening screaming.

"What took you guys so long?" Tsunade screamed. Shizune was quivering behind her desk, and Ton-ton was looking on with wary attention.

"We told her that we stayed the night at Jansei-san's house, but that just made Shishou angrier," Sakura said humbly. Kakashi looked at her and Naruto pityingly.

"Do you have to be so damn loud, woman? You're going to bust my eardrums." Tsuru said, rubbing the inside of her ear with her pinky. "Honestly, I get enough of that from Jansei-san."

Tsunade was about to turn on her but decided against it. "So, you're Ainako's daughter. You're the spitting image of her you know. Well, I guess we're glad to have you, and you'll be a valuable asset in the future, if we confront Orochimaru again."

"How do you know I worked with Orochimaru?" Tsuru asked suspiciously.

"You're parents kept in touch with your aunt while they were alive, and you're aunt kept in touch with the previous Hokage, and I found all the old files and letters regarding you. But that only had a general description that is far out of date by now, considering they're all at least twelve years old. Naruto and Sakura relayed the story you told them when they met you," Tsunade stated. "Don't be surprised if everyone hates you," she said, suddenly cold. "The wound Orochimaru's attack left on the village has not healed. We may have repaired the buildings, and the wounded have either healed or passed on, but the memory is still fresh."

"I wasn't expecting a warm welcome. You've already surpassed expectations with the fact that I'm not chained and shackled." Tsuru replied, just as coldly.

"Now, now," Kakashi interjected, "let's not get off on the wrong foot." Too late, said Kakashi's inner voice. "Tsureru has been brought to Konoha, where she is now going to stay and be a member of society, correct, Tsunade-sama?" Tsunade continued glaring at Tsureru, but gave a curt nod. "Ok, now that we've got that established, where is she going to stay?" Kakashi asked.

Tsunade shook herself, and after clearing her throat said, "As you have probably deduced already, Tsureru will be a member of your team. After all, since Sasuke left, you have been short one member. So it would make sense if she stayed with one of you. Sakura would be the most likely choice, because they are both girls, but I would not want to impose upon her parents. Sakura is already destructive enough, and from what I've heard, Tsureru-chan doesn't exactly have the most control over her temper. Naruto's flat, although it could comfortably accommodate two people, is a punishment I would never impose on anyone, as much as I want to. Kakashi, could you take her in?" Tsunade shifted her gaze to lay on the silver haired Jounin.

Kakashi was momentarily taken aback by this question. He balked at the idea of not only a student, but a former Sound ninja to sleep in the same apartment as him. "No," he said forcefully. Realizing that he was too sharp with his answer, he said again, a little more softly, "No, I don't really think I could accommodate her."

Oh, sure, just reject me like that. Don't worry, it happens all the time Tsureru thought. "Well, if I have no where to stay, I'll just go back to my aunt's house. Don't worry; I won't be scarred for life or anything from your rejection." Tsureru snorted and turned to leave when Tsunade suddenly appeared in front of her.

"You are staying here. We'll just have to set you up with a place of your own. There is a small bungalow on the edge of town that no one owns. You can stay there. The previous owner died during the attack, but I'm sure you won't let that bother you." Tsunade said. Turning to Shizune, she said, "Shizune, you know the place I'm talking about. Take the girl there and help her settle in. You can help her too," she added, glancing over Team Kakashi.

Putting down Ton-ton, Shizune led the four of them to the bungalow. It was actually in quite good condition. It boasted a garden, although it badly needed trimming. The inside was dusty, but the furniture was still in good condition. "I suggest cleaning out the bedroom first, followed by the bathroom and kitchen. There is a small sitting room to the right, and the backyard is in need of care. I hope you can stay here comfortably. I will go and get some groceries for you while you settle in. Is there anything you definitely want or don't want?" Shizune asked, politely but distantly.

Tsureru shook her head and Shizune took her leave. She walked through the small house, running her hands over the walls, painted a pastel yellow. This place was hers now. Hers and hers alone. Despite the fact that she would be forced to live in Konoha, the inside of her stomach churned in exited anticipation of having her own home. No, right now it was just a house. It would never be home. Tsureru didn't know where home was anymore.

"Tsuru-chan, are you ok?" Sakura asked quietly. Tsuru had suddenly stopped in her tracks and was staring ahead of herself, unmoving. "Why don't we start unpacking your stuff, so you can get settled in for the night?"

"Hum? Oh, yeah, I suppose we should." Tsuru said, pulled out of her meditation. "You know what; I'm not going to bother unpacking. I'll live out of my pack for a few days. I just want to get this place cleaned up." With that, the four of them, Tsureru, Sakura, Naruto and Kakashi, began cleaning up the house. At first, they did it mechanically, not really conversing much. But after a while, Naruto (of course) started some conversation, and Tsuru found that it was impossible to avoid, because ignoring him would get really annoying after a while. So conversation flowed, which was motion instead of the awkward stalemate that had been going on earlier.

Once the majority of the dust and dirt had been cleaned up, Tsureru muttered a thank you and her team mates left. The last one left was Kakashi. He was absently looking around the ceiling, as if the flower shaped sponge marks held some hypnotic pattern.

"Um, Hatake-san?"

"What, oh, please, call me Kakashi-sensei?"

"Oh, ok then. Is there something you need, Kakashi-sensei?" Tsuru asked uneasily.

Kakashi gave a cough and said, "Ah, yes there is. I wanted to apologize for my rough behavior in bringing you back to the village. I don't like rough housing my allies, and certainly not harm them." He gave a quick bow and added again, "I'm sorry, Kichigai-chan."

Tsureru gave a short bark of laughter and sarcastically said, "Whatever. And call me Tsuru-chan." A small smile showed in Kakashi's visible eye and he turned and left Tsureru to her own works.

"Alright, then have a good night, Tsuru-chan."

Tsuru found herself staring at the door Kakashi closed behind him and suddenly shook herself. "No, what am I thinking? He's a Leaf ninja! I hate Leaf ninja!" But why? "I hate them because…" She paused in her conversation with herself. Why did she hate them? She supported Orochimaru, but he didn't really have any respect from her. She was vaguely loyal to him because he took her in, even if it was only for her power. She didn't think of herself as a Star ninja, certainly. But she had been a Sound ninja for so long that she found herself with a hatred for the Leaf burned into her. Your parents were Leaf. You are Leaf. Even Jansei-san, she was a Leaf ninja before she was discharged. Your blood runs with fire. "Fire…" Tsuru muttered.

Shizune came to drop off the groceries, but after that, Tsuru had no further interaction with the people around her. She locked herself in for the night and debated her loyalties long into the night.