A/N: Well... I've procrastinated enough. Sorry for these delays and the long waits but I've been so busy and so exhausted, it's tough. I have no idea what will happen, and I'll just follow whatever my fingers want to type. Agh I found awesome music by Plain White T's that match almost perfectly with my story, but too late. Ah well, I'll still use them, and there will be flashbacks in this one.
Disclaimer: Don't own.

You were everything I wanted
You were everything a girl (ninja) could be
Then you left me brokenhearted
Now you don't mean a thing to me
All I wanted was your
Love.
Hate is a strong word
But I really, really, really don't like you
Now that it's over
I don't even know what I liked about you
Brought you around and you just brought me down
Hate is a strong word
But I really, really, really don't like you
I really don't like you
Thought that everything was perfect (perfect)
Isn't that how it's supposed to be?
Thought you thought that I was worth it
Now I think a little differently

Hate (I Really Don't Like You)

Chapter 11: Infiltration

Fifth Hokage Tsunade-sama stood up, striding towards the large glass window overlooking the village, her eyebrows furrowed in anger and her hands clasped tightly behind her back. She frowned deeply, recounting the report. An enemy had infiltrated Konoha, and the village was in grave danger. All ANBU were patrolling the village, guarding the innocent and ordering the citizens back into their respective homes. The villagers, surprised, had complied without question, leaving the streets barely empty. This made it easier to spot any intruders, a strategetic way to pinpoint the spy.

However, the spy's goal no longer resided in the Village Hidden in the Leaves. He was off training with Jiraiya, and would not return for quite some time. The Kyuubi and its Jinchurriki was not part of Konohagakure anymore.

She debated whether or not to send a warning through the entire village, tell them why they could not leave their residences. Deciding against it, she realized the chaos would help the spy hide and make the village weak. He would feed off the fear, and make his direct attack that would wound Konoha almost as much as the Sound Invasion.

The enemy was strong, his skills matching those of the great Third Hokage.

Tsunade hoped desperately that no bloodshed would ensue.

Inuzuka Hana paced through the silent village towards her apartment, a look of pure irritation on her features. Seiko had ordered her to return to her apartment immediately, and Hana did not like being bossed around, even by her own fiancé. His face was grave and commanding, and they had been engaged for what, a week? She needed to talk to him about such communicational problems.

Their respective families were excited by the engagement, never expecting it to be as soon as it had come, not expecting Hana to accept so quickly and for Seiko to propose after that first rejection. Both the Okamisora clan and Inuzuka clan were debating issues between the couple, marital claims, and of course, the wedding.

Barely anyone was on the streets, except for a few ANBU, who wore their traditional masks, hidden from the world in painted animals and dark cloaks. She nodded in greeting to them before walking on, taking shortcuts through the alleys towards her home. The sun was low in the sky, dark clouds filling it, signaling rain.

A dark flash passed before her, as her nose caught a faint smell. Her eyes widened as she instant recognized the smell, a smell of blood and fear, of death and despair. An aroma that had changed now soaked with fresh blood, but still the same scent. All thought processes left her, as she bolted to her apartment, the Haimaru Sankyodai at her heels.

She locked her door frantically, breathing hard. The three dogs bristled with fear, and she ran into her room. She threw open drawers, throwing this frantically to the floor, a desperate attempt to find what she needed. She opened her last drawer, pulling out small chest hidden in a drawer of her desk. She flung it open, the heavy dust filling the air, entering her lungs and eyes. She coughed, rubbing at her wet eyes. A crimson silk ribbon folded neatly gazed up at her, clean and free from any soils and stains. Hana lifted it up, feeling the silk against her callused fingers as she breathed in the scent.

She could smell him; she could almost see him before her eyes. He had infiltrated Konoha, and was now hiding somewhere in the village. He knew where she was, he had saw her run.

The ribbon moved like water through her fingers, oblivious to the pain and the memories it unleashed into the shaking Tokubetsu Jonin.

She knew she should have thrown it out a year ago, but something, something stopped her.

Secretly she knew that she could never forget Uchiha Itachi, and he had given her this small fabric.

Inuzuka Hana knew she had cherished the piece of silk, that she could not lose it.

She had never hated Itachi. That word, hatred, was strong, pure feelings that she had used to express what she felt towards the stoic boy. But, secretly, Hana never felt such ways. She never could hate him; she could only see him as the quiet ANBU she had spent hours with, not the fallen murderer he had become.

Yes, he was an enemy, a foe, someone she must defeat. But she never hated him. How could she after all those times she refused to forget?

Back then, Itachi was everything she yearned to be; calm, collected, and as hell strong. He was a prodigy, stubborn, and could crush the bones of S-ranked criminals at the mere age of thirteen, a feat not even most Kages could do. Those once admirable traits, still a large part of him, was no longer considered admirable, becoming reasons why Hana should hate Itachi.

Hana slowly wrapped the ribbon around her wrist, the fabric smooth and cool against her trembling body.

She was far away from perfect; she could never match up to him.

Her heart resounded angrily inside her chest, as her mind flashed back to that fateful night, when her life turned upside down, and flipped inside out.

He had broken her heart, slashing it up bitterly as she watched with wide watery eyes the ashes that rose in the wind, slowly filling the air. She had choked in his ashes; she had trembled and sobbed over nothing, over her own weak body, reliving the horrible world of red and black, of fire and darkness.

But that was over. Such nights no longer existed, such nights that she had laid awake were over. The pain he had cast no longer hurt her. Inuzuka Hana was stronger than that, and Seiko had brought her up. Seiko taught her how to stand, and she taught herself how to walk.

She glanced around her, realizing she could not fight in such a place. Her techniques worked best in open fields, and hell, she would die trying to kill him.

She whistled calmly, the loyalty brewing in the frightened dogs as they obeyed her command and followed her out.

The foursome ran through the streets, running in alleys and taking the chance that they would be mistaken as the enemy. At that thought they ran faster, and she could smell him, she could feel him. She ran into the forest, pulling out two kunai knives as she skidded to a stop, the crimson ribbon still tied around her wrist. She threw a smoke bomb against the floor as she tumbled away from a sharp kunai thrown at her, just missing her left ear.

She could see a dark figure silently touch down in front of her in the smoke, cloak blowing eerily in the breeze, shadowed in the fumes. She glared angrily as he straightened; meeting his crimson eyes that shown out in the haze. They were not the Mangekyou Sharingan, yet.

Her hands formed seals, as they blurred in mixed signals. Chakra burst through her reserves, pumping adrenaline in her blood as the three dogs beside her poofed into her identical replicas. Long talons replaced chipped fingernails, feral eyes gazing at the still shadowed figure.

A kunai in each mouth, the foursome charged towards the enemy, kunais glistening through the smoke. She slashed viciously at his chest, while each dog did the same. Hana could smell the sweet tinge of blood fill the air, before she realized it wasn't his. It was her own. Gasping, she skidded to a full stop, soil kicked up in the air, as her eyes widened and warm blood trickled down her side.

A/N: Hope you liked!! Ooh... I have an OCD with cliffhangers. Sorry. Please review!