Chapter 9: Visitors

A/N: There's been a tad of confusion by a couple of readers – but this is not a Kakashi x Iruka fiction. Sorry, I but I only think Yaoi works when the two characters are actually gay and from what I know of Kakashi and Iruka is that they seem to be straight. Aww sorry Yaoi fans but there's not going to be any in this fic xxx love you guys anyway.

That night Katumi tossed and turned in her bed. Nightmares kept flowing through her mind, like illogical horror movies playing in slow motion.

I'm going to make it this time.

Gotta keep running...

Her kimono was tripping her up, twisting around her legs with shredded lengths.

You must not stop now...

She could see it up above, through the rain and trees, that orange sting of light, the omen of the end.

Don't you dare stop now...

It could see her, it's eyes... oh those eyes... ripped through her like a kunai... so great.. but so terrible.

Look away.

Ninjas leaping, fighting, shredding, being shredded.

The poor thing, it's been used. Howling in pain… outnumbered. We lock eyes, I see it's pain.

Pity for the beast.

The Kyuubi.

Look away Kat. Don't look. Don't you dare

I look.

The games over now.

No more dares.

Game over.

Darkness...

Don't leave me here Daddy. It's dark… I don't like the dark, you know that…Daddy? Please… I don't want to be alone…

Her mumbling and twitching woke herself up and she found herself on her bed panting and sweaty in the dark.

"Not that again…. I hate my subconscious, why can't it ever just say things straight out??"

Rubbing her damp forehead she sat up and stretched up. The movement bought on a sudden leap in her stomach and she found herself sprinting to her en suite where she crashed over the toilet seat and hurled her stomach's content down the clean white porcelain. Shuddering she retched again and again and again. Her organs had now moved from undigested food onto bile – wonderful, she noted sourly. The bitter liquid stung her nose and tasted like a dead cat.

Finally she stopped retching and gripped onto the sides of the toilet while she regained her balance. She could feel her heartbeat in her head and it gave her a headache.

"..Fuckin' Iruka's food….." she muttered to herself in the fluorescent lighting. She had always hated being sick. Then again that was hardly unusual, she couldn't think of anyone who did enjoy it – unless they were seriously weird.

Dragging her feet along to the kitchen, she poured herself a glass of water and sipped at the clear, cool fluid. It helped to settle her delicate stomach and sitting down on the sofa she flicked on the telly.

The small clock on the corner of the screen showed that it was into the small hours in the morning.

"Great."

Suddenly she heard some knocking at her door, quite rapid and loud for such a time of night. Mrs Hayatsaigo was going to have a field day in the morning – but then again it's not like that was anything new.

"Katumi. Get up."

The knocking increased and the wry tone to the voice gave her a valuable hint as to who it was. Shuffling up to the door she open the door but kept the chain linked to the wall.

"What for the love of kami do you want Genma? It's 2:30 in the morning."

Genma slyly grinned at her, the little stick hanging from the corner of his smile.

"Well aren't we bright eyed and bushy tailed this morning! Rough night last night love?"

Unchaining the door she groaned at him and walked back into her apartment, going into the kitchen she fished a carton of milk from the fridge she sipped it from the spout.

"You look like shit Kat? You ok."

One thing she liked about Genma was that he was always direct and talked to her like a guy instead of sugar coating everything he said like Jin or Iruka.

"Upset stomach that's all. I was awake when you knocked. Or should I say banged? You know I've got a crabby old lady living below me who will relish this opportunity to scold me."

He sat himself on the edge of her counter and smirked.

"Well it seems you've been getting yourself into enough trouble at the moment. Counting off his fingers he constructed a verbal list, "Yelling at Iruka – by the way, nice job he looked like he was gonna cry, ha. Encountering Sound nin, and… oh yeah, pissing off the Hokage – all in one night!" He mock applauded her.

Walking by him she gave him a less than gentle shove but as expected he managed to land on his feet.

"For starters… Iruka was being nosy and deserved it. Secondly the sound nin found ME not the other way around, and hang on… how do you know about that?"

Genma tapped his nose, "Secret."

Kat raised an eyebrow, "Hatake? Well did he manage to get them? I wanted to go but alas…" She thumped herself resignedly on the sofa, "I'm forbidden to help."

Genma leant against the wall, "There's probably a good reason why. I can name a few."

"Like what?"

"Well for starters, although you've been on a long and dangerous mission doesn't change the fact that your still not advanced enough for this – so you can leap off you high horse and let us big boys sort it out. And… you need a rest hun, come on Kat. You've been back for the better part of five days, it will probably do you some good to have time off."

Katumi scowled as she sipped her milk, "Is there a reason why you've come round at such an uncivil hour then, or just to irritate me to the point of stabbing you?"

Adjusting his bandana he sighed, "Kakashi sent me, just to let you know that you're not in any immediate danger and that ANBU have thoroughly scouted the area and found no reason to suggest that Sound are anywhere near the close proximity."

"How noble of him."

"Do you really have to be such an axe wound all the time? The guy did you a huge favour, most people are pretty lucky to have someone like Kakashi watching their back. You're lucky he was there when he was."

Katumi scoffed, but she knew he was right, if Hatake hadn't of been there then she would have had to of chosen to either alert the authority or chase after the Nin herself – and the either way the results wouldn't of been that great.

"Ok you can have that one Genma, I am very glad that he was there when he was. Give him my best regards. Happy?"

"Very."

Fiddling with the bottom of her shirt she sighed, "You'll never guess what Sarutobi suggested I do to alleviate any boredom."

Genma raised an eyebrow and moved his stick from side to side (A/N: LOL ).

"Said I should ask if there are any Genin teams that need a hand for the Chunin exam." She snorted.

"Some of them could use extra help. But then again… it's not like you're the most patient of people."

"I resent that comment Genma! I can be very patient, just… not with kids. Particularly bratty ones."

"Pot calling the kettle black, you were not exactually a pleasure as a kid."

Kat chuckled, "Maybe."

"Well there you go – go on; you'd be helping them out. Some of them really need all the help they can get."

"I'll think about it. Depends how bad the boredom gets."

Ruffling her head from behind, "That's my generous gal."

After she shoved him off she smoothed down her ruffled hair, "Yeah yeah, now you gonna leave me in peace or what?"

Genma chuckled, "I've got places to be, but I better see you at the pub tomorrow."

"Sure." Katumi offered groggily as she all but pushed him out the door. After he was gone she turned off the lights and went back to her warm inviting bed. But only after brushing her teeth – successfully banishing the horrible milky/sick breath.

The next morning whilst chomping on her toast she heard a knock on the door. Putting down her tea cup she walked to the door, muttering to herself.

"That better not be Genma again…"

Unlatching the door she was happy to see Jin standing outside, holding some packages.

"Heya Kat, these were at the bottom of the stairs, they've got your name written on them."

Beckoning him through to her kitchen she put the mail on the table and flipped through the beige wrappings.

"Hmm, looks like they've decided to finally pay me."

Jin grinned, "That's great, maybe you can get this place fixed up now."

"Yes I might just do that; the living room needs some serious overhaul. I can't believe some of the crap I bought back then. I had no taste whatsoever."

They both chuckled and Jin poured and devoured a cup of tea.

"So what's on your schedule today then Jin?"

He scratched the back of his blonde head, "Not much, I think a bit of guard duty this afternoon. Pardon my French, but I am in the shit after last night."

Kat looked at him imploringly.

"Sound managed to carve a way into Konoha last night, us on patrol didn't even notice. Hatake Kakashi himself appeared in front of me, and then all of sudden he told me that they'd infiltrated the walls. Then an ANBU squad just appeared behind him and they went. Man, all that guy has to do is snap his fingers and anyone would listen to him – his presence alone just commands respect. He said that the Sound Nin had met a Jounin in Konoha… you have any idea who?"

Katumi felt bad about lying to him, but had made the decision to not involve any more people than necessary.

"No idea Jin, sorry."

"That's ok. Well look Kat, I've gotta be going but take it easy today ok. Hey - why don't you go to the hairdressers? Or the spa or something, you've seemed a little tense since you got back."

"Maybe I will."

"Bye."

Closing the door after him she yawned and stretched, she was feeling better since the night's events and decided that maybe for once she would spoil herself a little. Especially since she'd just gotten an insane amount of cash.

"The Hokage needs you to, call Daiyo, arrange his effects, sort out the treaties in date order… are you listening?"

The young lady behind the desk just sighed and continued filing her nails – a complete secretary cliché. The shirty middle aged man in front of her continued to list off chores for her to do. This, was not quite what she had expected, when she'd signed up for this job she thought it was going to be glamour… ok, well maybe not quite glamour but maybe just look pretty and smile at people visiting the Hokage. Not that they were usually hard to look at – some of the ninja's in Konoha…yummmmy.

"Are you listening to me, Yuhko?"

She put the file down and looked at him exasperatedly, "I think we both know that I'm not. And even if I was, what are the chances that I would even bother to try and remember them all let alone complete them? Huh."

He looked like he was going to blow a fuse. Rapidly he dropped her list of chores on the desk and stomped off grumbling about such the poor-standard-of-employees.

"Man, he really needs to get laid."

"I agree."

Yuhko's eyes popped open, whipping her head round she saw a young woman stood leaning on the desk. Yuhko spotted the head band wrapped around the arm of the woman and recognized her briefly.

"…Hello Miss. Please don't do that again – I nearly pissed my pants."

The Jounin woman laughed, tossing her brown pony tail from side to side as she chuckled.

"My apologies, I didn't mean to startle you."

Yuhko smoothed down her pale curls and cleared her throat with a small cough.

"So, can I help you at all?"

"I was just wondering if you have any information about the Genin teams that I training for the Chunin exams?"

"Sure."

After flicking through a few trays of sheets and documents, Yuhko found the correct piece. Highlighting a few sentences, she slid it across the desk to the Jounin.

"Here are all the Genin and their Senseis'. If you need to find them today then most of them will probably be at the training fields. Ok?"

"Thanks."

After a couple of hand seals, the Jounin left, leaving the lazy receptionist choking on the thick grey fumes.

Well Kiddos there's another chapter to keep you satisfied for a lil while longer xx R & R pretty please , reviews motivate me xx