"On the bright side, you're improving. But you should be making more progress than this, Kaiya." Sasuke stood next to Kaiya with his arms crossed and brows furrowed, a contemplative expression on his face.

She shrugged, rubbing the burn marks on her raw lips, wincing at the pain it caused. They were on the dock that Sasuke's father would take him to teach him their clan's signature jutsu many years ago. He had been trying to teach that same technique to her for a while, but she never seemed to be able to control her chakra quite right. Sasuke sighed. "Try it again."

Kaiya pouted, but did as she was instructed. She gathered her chakra, formed the hand signs, and then sucked in a deep breath—as she had been doing for the past hour. Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu! A small flame burst forth from her pursed lips, but it was drowned out by a large cloud of smoke. Kaiya wheezed and coughed, dropping to her knees as she tried desperately to clear her lungs.

"Damn it!" she shouted, pounding her fists on the wood. The cool, crisp air of the early morning made the perspiration she contracted stick to her like glue, making her feel as disgusting on the outside as she did on the inside. Also, she smelled like a mixture of sweat and charcoal, making her failure worse. "Why can't I get this right?"

Sasuke studied her for a moment, remembering when he was younger, and his father first tried to teach him the same thing. He didn't get it at first either, but he kept at it until he did. Of course, he was much younger then, and he knew that's what frustrated Kaiya the most. He raised an eyebrow, sitting next to her on the dock. He stared out at the lake thoughtfully, letting out another deep sigh. Kaiya looked up at him expectantly, unable to hide the disappointment on her face.

Sasuke pushed back his bangs absentmindedly as he tried to think of something encouraging to say (which wasn't his strong suit—they both knew that). Kaiya felt heat creeping up her cheeks as she watched, and the chilly air made them itch uncomfortably. She frowned and touched her face, her hands cold against its warmth. It immediately cooled.

An aftereffect of trying the jutsu too much?

He finally chuckled, shaking his head. She frowned in question. "You're never going to accomplish anything if you give up, Kaiya." Sasuke shrugged. "I had to work hard to learn this jutsu, you know," he admitted, blushing as Kaiya gave him a Really? look. He cleared his throat. "You don't have a natural talent for ninjutsu and genjutsu, but that doesn't mean you can't do it. It just means you'll have to work harder." He smirked, the mischievous glint in his eye from the day before returning. "So, I'm going to work you to the bone until you get it down." Kaiya paled, gulping as sweat dripped down her brow.

"You…jerk," she murmured.

The day was almost over when Kaiya's training session finally ended. She was exhausted and collapsed onto her back, right on the dock. Her chest heaved up and down as the Genin gasped desperately for air, afraid she was going to exhale smoke, since she'd been working on that jutsu since dawn. Her mouth was charred and covered in soot and blisters, her eyes watering from all the smoke that had bellowed forth from her lips. She was especially surprised that she hadn't coughed up a lung.

Though she could barely move or even breathe, Kaiya wore a huge smile on her face, turning to Sasuke, who was standing next to her, hands in his pockets as usual. "I…think you're a tougher trainer than…Riichi-sensei," she heaved, laughing breathlessly.

Sasuke glanced down at her at the comparison, before looking up to the sky, full of orange and pink as the sun began its descent below the horizon; cumulus clouds littered the atmosphere, casting a soft hue on everything below them. It wasn't as grand as the sunset they'd seen the night before, but it was still stunning.

"You're one to talk," he snapped, a grin on his face as well. "You work me to death every time, I still can't feel my legs from the last time we met. This should be nothing for you." She laughed again, this time clearer, closing her eyes and letting the fading sun cloak her in warmth. She didn't care about her sores now; she was too elated at her accomplishment.

"Well, at least I don't drain all of your chakra when I'm in charge of the training," she pointed out with a groan. Sasuke shrugged, chuckling briefly before he let out a slow breath, sitting down next to Kaiya, as he'd done earlier. "By the way…thanks, Sasuke." The latter scoffed, crossing his arms as he stared out at the sun's setting reflection on the lake.

"Don't thank me…you're the one who worked hard to learn the jutsu. I just showed you the hand signs." Kaiya grinned, sitting up slowly, once she'd found the energy. Her grin faded as the two sat in silence for a few moments. She stared at the ground, then back up at the dimming sky.

"Sasuke, about last night…I don't know what came over me." She rubbed her neck guiltily, unable to meet his eyes. "That was probably the most embarrassing thing I've ever done. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. It won't happen again, I promise."

Sasuke scratched his brow in thought, neglecting to look at her as well. He frowned. Sure, the kiss had taken him by surprise—especially since it was from Kaiya—but in all honesty, it didn't make him uncomfortable…not in a bad way (not like Naruto kissing him had—Kaiya still wouldn't stop teasing him about it months later). He didn't know how it made him feel exactly, but he knew that it wasn't anything that would make him put distance between the two of them. His eyes narrowed.

"I believe you," he assured her, finally turning to look at her. That's all he said on the matter. His eyes were dark and mysterious, as usual, so there was no way to tell how he truly felt about the whole thing. Kaiya got the message—it was awkward for them both, so they should just drop it and never mention it again.

Ecstatic to change the subject, Kaiya said, "It's getting late, so I'd better get home before Yoshino sends the ANBU after me again. Besides, I'm beat." Sasuke nodded, standing to his feet. He stretched out his hand, and Kaiya gently took it. At her touch, his eyes widened slightly as it sent warm tingles up his arm, giving him goosebumps. He cleared his throat, shoving his hand into his pocket as soon as Kaiya let go.

"So, when are we going to settle things between us anyway?" Kaiya held her hands behind her back as they walked along the practically empty streets of the village. The sun had set long ago, and she hoped Yoshino wasn't in a panic and organizing a search party to find her. (It wouldn't be the first time). "You aren't scared to fight me again—for real—are you?" Sasuke glanced at her, raising an eyebrow in question.

"Scared, of you?" he asked, frowning. His shoulders tensed. "That's funny. Once I surpass you in taijutsu, we'll have a rematch. I'll destroy you." Kaiya scoffed, crossing her arms.

"Surpass me in taijutsu? Keep dreaming, Uchiha! That's like saying 'once Naruto becomes Hokage' or 'once Shino gets a girlfriend.' Not gonna happen." Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed.

"So, you're insinuating that you can win against me? Remember the last time that happened?" Kaiya rolled her eyes, hands on her hips.

"Yeah, I do," she answered. "We tied. But that was a long time ago. We're not the same."

"I was just thinking that exact thing. You don't know just how much I'm capable of." Kaiya stifled a laugh.

"Overconfident, as always," she noted, stopping at the entrance to the forest that led to her current home. To her surprise, no one was waiting for her. She paused, turning to Sasuke, hoping he didn't notice her confusion. "Well, this is where I take off."

He nodded, looking down the dark, winding path a little way, as far as he could under the streetlamp's limited artificial light. It only lit the first hundred feet of the path, and then the rest of it was swallowed in a darkness almost as thick as the leaves overlapping above. Any time Kaiya took this path, there was always someone waiting for her, whether it was Shikamaru, Shikaku, or an officer. But not tonight. He seemed to be confused just the same as her as to why no one was there.

Sasuke wondered if Kaiya would be able to find her way alone after dark. He was used to the routine by now, but he never stopped worrying, even when she was being guided. After all, there was a reason she was shadowed by the ANBU Black Ops everywhere she went, which at least gave him a little solace that she was being watched over by someone. By it didn't seem like anyone was around tonight.

His eyes lowered slightly as his spine prickled. Hmm?

"You sure you don't want me to walk you the rest of the way?" he offered, much louder than usual, examining the opening of the woods. "No one is here. It's later than usual for you to go home, and it'll be a while before you reach the estate. I don't want you to get in trouble."

The shadows seemed to dance as the branches swayed to and fro in the small breeze. A cold shiver ran down Kaiya's back, but she hid it well as she clenched her fists. Her eyebrows creased in thought; she glanced down the path as well, trying not to seem uneasy. She wasn't thinking about it before, but now that he mentioned it, she was a little anxious. The ANBU usually followed her in the canopy at a distance, and at night they had lanterns lighting her path, but it didn't look like any of them were around now, either. It was pitch black.

"Nope, I'm fine," she lied, doing her best to mask the angst in her shaking voice. She wanted to take him up on his offer, but she couldn't bring herself to do it, for pride's sake. "I've memorized the path by now, even in the dark; but even aside from that, there are always a few ANBU along the trail, whether or not you can tell. If I get lost or run into any trouble, they'll be there. Some of them are assholes and don't think I need a light to guide me. The jerks are probably slacking off sleeping in the trees." Sasuke pursed his lips but nodded. There was no point in arguing with her.

"Mm. Well, if that's the case, then I guess I'll let you go." Kaiya smirked as he stared at her, before returning the gesture. He turned away. "Goodnight." Without waiting for a reply, he began walking home. When he'd gone a few feet, he stopped, but stayed facing the opposite direction, so that she couldn't see his anxious expression. "And Kaiya…" She turned around from the path to look back at him. "Be careful." The light breeze blew his dark hair back and forth, carrying leaves twirling across the quiet street. He then carried on to his apartment without another word.

Kaiya stood there for a moment, watching his silhouette fade as he strolled further and further away. She bit her lip, knowing full well that Sasuke sensed her unease, but wasn't the kind of person who would make her admit it. She just hoped she was being apprehensive for nothing, and there really wasn't anything to worry about.

As she trekked through the dark forest path alone, she kept a close eye on the shadows cast by the rising moon above her, forming an eerie light through the thick canopy. She didn't want to seem paranoid, but it felt like she was being followed. It could have very well been the ANBU, but this didn't feel right. The Black Ops traveled in the trees, and they usually sent Kaiya a signal to let her know they were tailing her. But she hadn't seen or heard any signal since she parted ways with Sasuke.

That's strange…but it could just be because they've backed off a little since I became a Genin, she told herself, scanning any part of the ground the moonlight touched. Her eyes had finally adjusted to the darkness and she could see objects a bit clearer now—their outlines, at least. Then again, something really could be going on here. I hate being paranoid, but this silence is too quiet.

There shouldn't be any reason for someone to come after her. The Third told her the ANBU were keeping watch over her for her own safety, but that was because of the villagers' threats to retaliate against her—or at least, that's what she assumed. Hiruzen never disclosed the exact reason she was being shadowed, but she'd never been interested enough to care.

But now that she was alone in the middle of the night with no protection, she wondered if there was a bigger picture to her family's betrayal, one that they'd been keeping secret from her. She wouldn't put it past the Third, or even Shikaku. They were the kind of people who thought they had someone's best interests in mind when they left out imperative details.

Kaiya quickened her steps, but she still had a way to go before reaching the Nara Estate. Even more so, she felt the unknown presence getting closer as the seconds ticked by. It could be a wild animal, she told herself nervously, biting her lip as she fought her curiosity to turn around.

Her skin pricked, warning her that someone—or something—was definitely nearby, and she could no longer ignore it. It wasn't her imagination. But what do I do? She was exhausted from training; she was sluggish and sore. There's no way she could fight efficiently if she was attacked. It's not wise for me to stop and fight them blindly, she decided a moment later, breaking into a slight jog. I'd probably come to regret it, so I'll just get home as fast as I can. If there aren't any ANBU around here now, I know there will be once I make it onto the Nara property.

Sasuke had sensed something, back before he left—Kaiya could see it in his eyes, the slightest indication that he had known something wasn't right. It wasn't simply that he could tell she was anxious…he was anxious too. That affirmed her suspicions that she wasn't alone. That's the real reason he offered to walk me home. Damn my pride; I should've taken him up on his offer. Oh well…it's too late now. She tried to focus on hearing footsteps or breathing—anything. But so far, she couldn't find any evidence that solidified her paranoia.

She broke out into a full sprint.

Despite being exhausted of chakra, Kaiya pushed her body to move as fast as possible, doing her best to ignore the pain and strain that came with it. Finally, she turned her head behind her, just to make sure she was alone; she could have sworn she heard ragged, short breaths getting louder and closer. To her dismay, she found a long shadow only a few feet behind her, gaining speed. The silhouette's arm reached out for her, so she squeezed her eyes shut and turned forward again, gritting her teeth as she begged her body to surpass its limits once more.

The ANBU should have been around and caught the stalker before she even noticed him. They should've come down from the trees and surrounded her, and once the threat was dealt with, they should have escorted her the rest of the way home. So then where were they now?

What the hell is going on here?! She'd never enjoyed their stalking presence before, but now she longed for it. Even if they were giving her 'space', surely they wouldn't have completely laxed their guard…

Her labored breathing intensified, along with her fear, as she imagined putting more and more distance between her and whatever was stalking her. Her legs felt like lead and her arms like jello; her lungs were greedily sucking in large amounts of air, but it was never enough. Perspiration dampened her forehead, matting her hair to her face. Her chest ached as her body begged for mercy. Her heartbeat drummed against her ribcage, thumping in her ears relentlessly.

She didn't stop until she made it to an opening in the forest, where several lamps lit a stone path that led to Shikaku Nara's compound. She was about to collapse, both from exhaustion and relief. But something was wrong.

All along that stone path, the bodies of ANBU Black Ops littered the trail. Kaiya's eyes widened once she realized this, skidding to a stop in the middle of the chaos. Her entire body was numb now; lifting any limbs was like lifting a block of cement, and she still hadn't caught her breath. But the shock she was experiencing was greater than her pain and weariness.

The Black Ops were all facedown, none of them moving; black pools of dried blood surrounding them, soaking their uniforms. Kaiya trembled in confusion and fear, looking back at where she'd just come from. The shadow appeared, getting closer and closer. But instead of a person walking out of the woods and into the lamp's light, the shadow itself rose from the ground, turning into a three-dimensional silhouetted figure. Kaiya's jaw dropped like an anchor, and she fell to the ground and shielded her face in panic. At this point, she was too tired to fight back. And she was too afraid.

"W-who are you?" she stammered, tears in her eyes. "What do you want with me?" The featureless black figure approached her slowly, as if it reveled in her fear, fed off it. Once it stood over her, it slowly bent down and reached out its hand. Kaiya tried to get away, but her body wouldn't respond, frozen in fear, like she was swimming in a tank of thick molasses and couldn't move fast enough.

The silhouette gripped the collar of her black shirt, pulling her to her feet. Kaiya's knees buckled; her legs felt like wobbly sticks of pudding. She'd never been so afraid in her life. She honestly couldn't tell whether it was her exhaustion that made it hard to move, or if it was the fear itself.

"The time is near, Kaiya Kimura," the black figure stated. Its voice was eerie and indistinguishable, like the wind whistling through the trees at night. She couldn't tell if it was male or female. Kaiya's bottom lip trembled, the immense fear that radiated through her evident in her verdant pupils. She tried to speak, but nothing came from her lips except a hoarse squeak. "We will take you to where you belong."

"Where…where I belong?" she repeated shakily, finally able to utter words. "What the hell does that mean?" But the silhouette didn't speak again. Instead, it melted back into the shadows, bringing Kaiya with it. She clawed at the dirt as she sunk into the darkness; as the earth swallowed her slowly, she let out a bloodcurdling scream that was quickly muffled by the ground, soil and debris filling her mouth and lungs. And then everything went black.

"Kaiya, wake up already!"

Her eyes shot open, and she sucked in a deep breath, hyperventilating at the feeling of being absorbed into the ground. Her face twisted in disgust when she tasted something icky and bitter on her tongue, coughing up mud, grass, water, and other strange contents whose taste she did not enjoy. She blinked in question, gagging and spitting out the remainder of the mystery muck. Sweat slid down her face in thick, fat streams as she looked around, her pupils dilated in fear.

"Jeez, what the hell is wrong with you?" Her heartrate slowed down enough for her to take in her surroundings, as her eyes adjusted to the fresh darkness. It was at that moment Kaiya realized she was sitting shoulders-deep in cold, thick, murky water. She frowned.

It was a swamp. More specifically, the swamp in the forest near the Nara Estate. The smell finally hit her nostrils, filling it with the familiar—and highly undesirable—bitter, sour odor she knew (and despised) so well, made worse by its closeness. And she was covered in it, immersed from head to toe in green and brown goop.

"Great," she murmured, pouting. She wrinkled her nose in repulsion, turning away. That's when she noticed the person standing next to her, ankle deep in the swampy sludge. His arms were crossed, and his countenance was one mixed with annoyance and revulsion, the latter no doubt from having to wade into the smelly swamp to fetch her. He sighed in exasperation.

"Honestly, Kaiya," Shikamaru mumbled, rolling his eyes, which had dark rings underneath them. "Having to babysit you is such a drag." Kaiya's eyes widened when the events beforehand came back to her memory. She jumped to her feet wearily, sending a wave of swamp mulch flying into the air; some landed on Shikamaru's pants. "Damn it, Kaiya. Really?" He pouted, sloshing back to solid ground, kicking off mud and moss as he did so, ignoring Kaiya as she turned desperately in circles.

"How…how did I get here? I wasn't anywhere near here just a second ago." She ran her swampy fingers through her hair in frustration, greasing it back with a fresh layer of mud. Lifting an eyebrow, Shikamaru scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"How should I know? I found you here after Mom woke me up and sent me to get you, since you're way past curfew. She's pissed, ya know. And when she finds out that you've been taking a mud bath in this swamp all night, she's going to rip both our heads off. So, thanks a lot." He stuffed his hands in his pockets, waiting for her to get out so they could go home. "You're gonna owe me for this. What the hell were you doing, sitting here in the swamp like that? It's an odd place and time to have a personal spa day, isn't it?"

Kaiya had no idea what was going on. One minute, she was being chased by a shadow, the next it comes to life and drags her into the earth. A moment later, she's waking up sitting in a swamp, the shadow nowhere to be found; instead, there's Shikamaru—a very angry Shikamaru—waking her up from some kind of dream. She frowned. Was that all it was, a dream? No. It all felt too real to be a dream.

"Shikamaru, what time is it?" she asked, finally making her way towards him. Sighing, Shikamaru stared up at the thick canopy, where the moonlight was still shining through, just a little.

"The sun will rise soon," he answered, giving her a look of disdain. "It's about three in the morning. Thanks to you, Mom probably won't let me go back to sleep; she'll make me do chores instead." Kaiya stifled a gasp. When she entered the forest, it was almost eleven at night. She'd been gone for around four hours.

So maybe it wasn't a dream after all. Maybe she really was swallowed up by the earth and resurfaced in the swamp. That would explain how she ended up there, when she last remembered being in the Nara Estate. Kaiya turned to Shikamaru, biting her lip.

"The ANBU at the estate…when you left to find me, where were they? Why did your mom send you instead of them?" Shikamaru's eyebrows furrowed in question. He studied Kaiya in the limited moonlight, wondering why she was acting so strange. He knew something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"They were in the trees, like they always are, slacking off, most likely," he told her, shrugging. "Mom just likes to make my life hell, and I'm sure she sent one or two of them in a different direction too, they were just looking in the wrong places. Why?" Kaiya's body started to tremble involuntarily, and she couldn't stop it. Though she didn't want to, for fear of sounding like a lunatic, she told Shikamaru about the shadow chasing her and being swallowed by the ground, ending up in the swamp hours later. And the message she was given: "The time is near, Kaiya Kimura. We will take you to where you belong." After her story, Shikamaru didn't seem to think she was crazy anymore.

"So, you believe me?" she asked, ringing her hands nervously as they walked back home. She felt a lot safer with someone next to her, even if it was just Shikamaru. At least he could control the shadows. He turned to her, a serious expression on his face, which was rare. He nodded, his countenance indicating that he was piecing together a puzzle in his mind, trying to find any explanation to what Kaiya had experienced.

"You're a lot of things, Kaiya, but you're not a liar. Right now, there's no way to tell if what happened was real or not, but there has to be a logical explanation either way. It has to have been a genjutsu, or some kind of earth-natured jutsu, maybe even some kind of hallucination caused by a drug. Whatever it was, it means you were followed and targeted by a real person. My father has to know about this right away."

She was afraid he'd say that.

Needless to say, Shikaku wasn't happy about his wife shaking him awake at three in the morning to tell him that Kaiya was missing. He wanted to go out and look for her himself, but Yoshino wanted him at home, just in case she showed up, or one of the ANBU needed to relay a message. He tried to tell her that she was probably just out late, roaming the village; perhaps she fell asleep and didn't realize the time. Remember all those times Yoshino had sent the Black Ops in search of her, in a panic, only to discover that she was just moping around through the dark, empty streets? But his wife was having none of it—none of it at all. At least he was already alert by the time Shikamaru and Kaiya came home.

"See, dear, they're both f—"

As soon as the door to the drawing room slid open, Yoshino started to scold them, but their unpleasant odor reached the kitchen before they did, so she made them wash up before she yelled (mostly because she had to hold her nose to keep from gagging). Shikaku convinced her to hear Kaiya out before she got angry, and the resentful Yoshino decided to give her the benefit of the doubt, since she'd never been so far past curfew before, even on the days when she'd stayed out a little too late.

Kaiya restated everything she'd told Shikamaru before—the whole thing—especially the level of fear she'd experienced, embarrassing her. She hated when people could tell how she felt, but having to explain her feelings in detail was even worse. At least she knew the Naras wouldn't make fun of her or hold her emotions against her. And besides, this instance was nothing to mock. By the look of urgency on Shikaku's face, Kaiya could tell that he had been expecting something like this to happen sooner or later.

That put her on edge even more.

"You know who it was," Kaiya figured, pointing to her guardian. "You knew someone was after me." Guiltily, Shikaku lowered his gaze from her to the table.

"Well, that's only half true," he admitted, letting out a deep sigh. He took a sip of tea his wife had placed in front of him when they'd all sat at the table, about fifteen minutes earlier. Forgive me, Lord Hokage, but it seems I have no choice. She has to know right now. At least part of it.

"Six years ago, someone claimed that a dangerous person was coming for you, but there was no reason for us to take that threat seriously. However, we put precautions in place, just in case that threat was palpable. We didn't tell you, because you were young, and we didn't want you to be afraid over something that held no weight at the time. However…it appears the people who made that threat were in fact telling the truth. It's just taken a lot longer than we expected."

Kaiya's hands trembled on the table, so she balled them into fists to stop their quivering; she gritted her teeth to keep them from chattering. Outside the window next to the table, the sun's first light appeared over the horizon in the distance, but to Kaiya, everything was still as dark as the earth when it swallowed her.

"So…who exactly are the people that made the threat?" she wondered tensely, her eyebrows furrowing. "What did I do to make them threaten me? Why didn't you just stop them right there?" She was well aware that Shikaku might not provide her with a straight answer. There was even a slight chance that he had no idea who they really were; she was only guessing. But her gut told her that he did, that he knew much more than he'd ever let on. And he wouldn't lie to her if she asked him directly. He wouldn't think she was just a child who should be kept in the dark for her own safety if she really had questions.

I knew there was more to all of this, she thought, biting her lip so hard she drew blood.

She ignored the metallic aftertaste it left in her mouth, which was much less revolting than swamp water. She stared at Shikaku expectantly; her gaze held so much intensity that not even he could keep his composure. Finally, he sighed, closing his eyes as he downed the last of his drink, now wishing for something stronger.

Setting the empty cup on the table, he decided it was time to come clean. It's now or never, I suppose. He cleared his throat, searching for the right words. "We don't have all the answers, but you'll be able to fill in a few blanks, so I won't need to reiterate. The one—or should I say ones—that made the threat…well, there was no need to go after them, in the end." Kaiya's brows furrowed as she held her breath in anticipation; even Shikamaru seemed interested, his currently hard expression a far cry from his usual bored countenance. "It was your family, Kaiya. From the way they sounded, it was you they wanted in the end."