Previously…

Sasuke pulls her up in his lap and she immediately straddles him. She gives him one last look and says, "Still don't trust me?" The Uchiha smirks and answers, "No." The rest went hazy…

The next day, Sasuke shows up at the hospital to see if Koneko would go to lunch with him. She agreed and took a break. The pair went to a dumpling stand and ate their lunch on one of their outside tables. They enjoyed a nice conversation but Koneko had an idea that this is another way for Sasuke to try to get information about Itachi. "Look Sasuke, just drop the act ok? You're not going to find your brother through me so quit playing games with me." The Uchiha's face was blank after her comment. "I understand that you think that but I'm not acting any more. I've been interested in you from the start. It just so happened that you are a member of the Akatsuki." Koneko was about to argue back but there was strange feeling that was making the hairs on the back of her neck rise. The feeling was coming from behind Sasuke with one glaring eye. "Uncle!" "Kakashi!" Kakashi continues to glare at the couple for a long moment and then suddenly smiles. "Do I see one of my students taking my niece out on a date?" he asks teasingly. "Uncle Kakashi, it's not a date. We're just having lunch together," Koneko says defensively with a blush. "Sasuke…the next time you ask my niece on a date," Kakashi comments as he ignores Koneko, "ask me first, understand?" The poor boy was blushing madly. "Whatever." "Good. Have fun!" In a split second, Kakashi vanishes. Koneko couldn't help but laugh. "I don't see anything funny," Sasuke says in a matter-of-fact tone. "I'm sorry. Just seeing your face show any emotion just makes me smile." "I'm glad I amuse you." Koneko places a hand on his pale one and smiles at him. "I'm sorry." "Anyway, I'm seriously interested in you. I won't bother you about my brother's whereabouts anymore." Koneko gives him a wary look. "Promise?" Sasuke nods. "Yes."

Koneko finished her shift pretty late that night and walked home alone in the dark. Half way home, she passes by the main gate. It was closed for the night but the strange thing was the sudden ominous wind blowing from that direction. Koneko shivered and her spiritual senses picked up a presence. She faced the gate in a defensive stance and spoke in a clear voice. "Show yourself! You obviously want my attention." The wind picked up and Koneko felt something pass her face and crater a hole into a tree behind her. The hole, then, caused the branch to fall off of the tree. The girl's eyes widen. Not out of fear but caution. She then felt something cold touch shoulders. The spirit was behind her, she could feel it. The witch jerks her arms away and starts to walk home. She didn't feel the spirit right after that and was happy to come home. Before she went to bed, Koneko made some lavender tea and drank her glass. She fell onto her bed and stared at the ceiling, too exhausted to sleep. 'How long is it going to take the Hokage to put me in a team? It's been a month,' she thought. Finally, Koneko turns to her side and right before her eyes closed, her last thought was of Sasuke...and his brother.

She woke up from someone furiously shaking her. Koneko muttered a spell to summon a small light of fire in her hand and looked around her room. There was no one. "Shikamaru?" she asks. "P-Please…" a small voice utters. "Who's there?" Her vanity mirror cracked before an image began to take shape. A little girl stood next to the bed with a sad face. She was a cute girl with brown hair in pigtails and bright green eyes. "Please miss…my name's Saya. I won't hurt you." "I know you won't. What's wrong sweetheart?" Koneko asks as she hopped out of bed. "There's something happening to the sky. It's scary!" The girl suddenly grabs Koneko's hand and pulls her out of the room. "Come look!" the girl exclaims as she leads the human out of the house. "Saya, what is it?" Koneko asks before gasping at the sky. She could see a red fog fleeting by over the village. She could sense evil spirits in that fog and heard the sounds of inhuman growling and gnashing of teeth. "What…is that?" "They're the bad things. They're following a demon," the spirit child explains. "A demon?" "Yes, the bad things like to go where there are demons because they can feed off of the demon's aura." "Saya…are you trying to tell me there's a demon close by?" Koneko looks down and didn't see anything. Saya was gone. Koneko didn't waste time rushing to the Hokage tower. She knocks the door loudly and yells, "Lady Hokage. It's Koneko! I need to tell you something." A few seconds later the blond woman peeked out the door's crack. She wasn't very happy someone woke her up. "Someone better be dying," Tsunade mutters. "Lady Tsunade. I think there's a demon close by the village and from my expertise, that's not good!" "What do you mean a demon?" "Just like I said. There's a demon! Evil souls are following it at this moment. Look out your window." Tsunade opens the door and lets Koneko in as she looks out her living room window. "What the hell!?!" "That red fog is created by a large number of evil spirits. They're going to the demon, that's what they do." "I don't believe it…" "Lady Hokage. I suggest a search team tomorrow morning." "Very well. Thank you Koneko for putting this in my attention. I'll be seeing you tomorrow morning." "Yes ma'am." Koneko couldn't sleep for the duration of the night; she continued to watch the red fog fly over the village toward a mountain range. She also went through her books for incantations and spells that might help fight off the demon. When the sun rose, the witch set out for the tower once again. Kakashi was already at the office with Tsunade. "Uncle…what are you doing here?" "Lady Tsunade told me about what happened last night. It looks like my team will be going with you." "Is that really necessary Lady Hokage? I'm very capable of going alone since this would require someone with my expertise." "Yes but I'm going to be safe about this. I'm not doubting your power but don't let anyone go on a mission alone," the woman responds. "I've figured out the location of the demon; it's at Mount Roshi." 'That's where the fog was heading,' Koneko thought. "Well, Kakashi, get your team ready within the hour and set out," Tsunade ordered. "Yes ma'am." "Koneko, for now you'll be joining Kakashi and his team. You'll follow his orders, understood?" "You mean…I'm in a team?" "You'll be a special case for the time being. I'm going to treat you like my ninja." "Yes ma'am." With that, Koneko went back home and packed up a few things she might need. She changed into her black hakama and red ribbon sash around her waist. Koneko carried a small bag full of bottled concoctions and a few scrolls of incantations and antidotes of sicknesses and a few other things. She painted good luck symbols and battle markings all over her arms and her chest. Koneko met the group and they looked at her strangely with her outfit and markings. "Every witch has these markings when going out to exorcising demons. They're for good luck," she explains. "We should get going then," Kakashi says and Team 7 including Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke, Sai, Yamato and now Koneko headed out. Before she could step out of Konoha's boundaries, Koneko felt someone pull her pants. She looks down and saw the spirit, Saya. "Are you going after that monster?" she asks with a frightened look. "Yes. There's no telling if the demon might come by the village and attack the people here." "Who's that Neko-chan?" Naruto asks. The group looked at the little girl with curiosity. "This is Saya. She was the spirit that told me about the red fog from last night," the witch explains. "Spirit?!? You mean she's a ghost!" Sakura yells. She quickly ran behind Sai. The little girl did the same with Koneko. "Saya's harmless. Don't be so rude!" She turns to the little girl and kneeled to the girl's height. "Don't you worry. I'll be back in a few days." Koneko sticks out her pinky finger to signify the promise. The girl smiles sweetly and locked pinkies with the living human. "Be safe." Koneko smiles back at the girl before following the group toward the forest.