BIG thank you to my reviewers, AmericanNidiot, LazyGuest, and Ninja99. I'm so glad you're enjoying it, and the feedback is greatly appreciated! Updates will start slowing down since I'm still working on a un-knotting a few plot threads coming up...

Chapter 15: Aftermath

Guy and Kaiya moved at a quick but steady pace back to Konoha. Guy carried Sasuke and Kaiya periodically went on ahead to ensure a clear path. The last few hours kept playing over in her head, torturing her with unanswered questions and bottled-up frustrations. She tried to think of the group's parting, the hilarity of Guy giving Naruto that ridiculous green outfit - anything to distract her from troubling thoughts she could do nothing about for the moment.

Guy presented Naruto with a bright green leotard, identical to the ones he and Rock Lee wore. Jiraiya and Kaiya could both feel a sweatdrop form at the sight - then another when Naruto enthusiastically accepted the gift.

"Really, Naruto, it's not like a piece of clothing actually has that kind of power…" Kaiya muttered, though she was drowned out by Jiraiya's protests over the suit.

Finally, it was time to leave. Jiraiya and Naruto turned away.

"Naruto!" Kaiya called out. There was so much she wanted to say to him - remember to brush his teeth, don't overeat, get plenty of sleep, be careful…but Jiraiya's words circled in her mind. You're not his family, or his teacher…he needs to learn to take care of himself, not rely on others to do it for him.

So instead, when Naruto turned to her, she smiled and gave him a 'peace' sign. "Good luck. Do your best!"

Kaiya sighed at the recent memory. Jiraiya was right, she had to admit - and he hadn't been the first to tell her something like that. She had to trust not only Jiraiya to look out for him, but trust Naruto himself. He had grown so much since graduating from the Academy. It pained her to admit it, but perhaps he didn't need her anymore.

But for now, there were others who needed looking after. There always were, it seemed. Kaiya looked to Guy, travelling next to her. "Guy-sensei…" she started. He glanced over at her, surprised - she'd been silent since they'd left. "How is Kakashi?"

He sighed and turned his gaze forward again. "That jutsu that Itachi hit him with affected him like nothing I've seen before. He's only been semi-conscious at best since. The medics couldn't do anything but bandage his physical wounds; it'll take the likes of Tsunade-hime to really get him out of it, it seems." He looked sidelong at the redhead. She was very pensive, her brow creased in a way no young person's brow should have to be. He tried to lighten the mood, giving her one of his patented, sparkling smiles. "I'm sure a visit from a pretty girl wouldn't hurt, though - might even snap him out of it!"

"I see…" Kaiya answered distractedly, giving no indication that she'd really understood what he'd said. Guy's face dropped. That's a reaction I'd expect from my Number-One Rival, not a vibrant young woman!

They traveled the rest of the way back in silence.

They reached Konoha early in the evening. Once Sasuke had been taken in at the hospital, Kaiya insisted that Guy could leave. "I'll get him checked in," she said, arms crossed. "I've actually done it before. And you should go see Lee."

Guy nodded. "You're something else, Kaiya," he told her. "Take care."

Mari, an older nurse Kaiya knew well, came to Kaiya with paperwork and questions about how Sasuke had sustained his injuries. "Where is he now?" Kaiya asked when they were finished.

"He's having his bones reset," Mari answered. "We're keeping him heavily sedated until they heal so he doesn't feel the pain. He'll be placed in a room for rest and observation once they're finished." She shook her head. "It is rather like déjà vu, isn't it? You bringing him in like this…"

"Yeah," Kaiya mumbled. "Déjà vu indeed…" Mari had been on duty when Kaiya had brought Sasuke in on The Night.

The older woman put a hand on Kaiya's shoulder. "You should go home, Kaiya-san. It'll be a few hours before he can receive visitors."

"No, it's fine," Kaiya shook her head. "I can wait here. Thank you, Mari-san."

She found a corner seat in the waiting room and curled up in it. Resting her arms on her bent knees, she stared into space. The day's events kept replaying in her mind on a loop.

It's been a long time…Sasuke. Kaiya.

Five years now, to be precise. Five years to the day that Itachi had killed his clan. Five years since he'd killed Yoshida Yuuma, who'd been caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Five years since he'd left her with a giant knot of questions and emotions she couldn't even begin to unravel.

Why ask questions to which you already have the answers?

What the hell was that supposed to mean? How could she possibly know why he'd killed his whole clan but left Sasuke alive? She used to think he loved his little brother more than anything in the world. But none of this made sense.

What would you do to protect what you hold most dear?

Anything, she answered in her head. But why ask? Was he threatening her somehow? Then why just leave her at the river? Why not kill her? He certainly had no qualms about murder five years ago.

And then there was the million-ryo question: Why did he kill his clan? As children, she'd known him to prefer efficient but non-violent scenarios, and even when fighting he'd never shown enjoyment or sadism. Sure, things with his family had been tense in the year or so leading up to the massacre, but she'd assumed it was because he felt the pressure of their expectations - he was the clan heir, after all. He wasn't very close with many people - but he had a different mind and perspective than most of his peers. Kaiya had thought he'd been open with her. She thought she'd known him well. Just two nights before everything changed, he'd been at her window.

Kaiya was reading an old Detective H mystery when she heard a tap at her larger window. She placed her bookmark, hopped off the bed, and opened the curtain.

"Itachi!" He was perched on the window's wide sill, still in his Anbu uniform. She unlocked and opened the window, standing aside to let him in. "You could just use the door, you know - it's not like you have to sneak past my parents or something…"

Itachi put his Anbu mask on her table. His shoulders were sagging. Kaiya walked around him to see his face; he looked worn. "What's wrong? Is everything okay?" she asked, eyes wide with concern as she put her hands on his shoulders. "Here, sit down…" She led him to her bed, the only place to sit in the small apartment besides the floor. She sat next to him.

"I'm sorry," he said at last, voice soft. "I can't go back to the compound…not tonight…" He put his head in his hands, staring at the floor.

Kaiya put her hand on his shoulder. She knew things were tense between Itachi and his family, especially since Shisui's death. "It's okay," she said quietly. "You don't have to explain. If you need a place to crash…"

Itachi laid his head on her shoulder. Startled, she hesitated a moment before putting her arms around the prodigy's shoulders. "Well, I was going to say the dango shop always closes early on Wednesdays - their benches are surprisingly comfortable," she teased.

It worked - she could feel him smile against her collarbone. Of course, that also made her very aware that his lips were brushing against her skin. She felt her cheeks redden, but didn't let him go.

"Thank you, Kaiya," he whispered, his breath warm on her neck. She held him closer, slowly rubbing his back.

After a few minutes, Kaiya felt more weight against her shoulder. She looked down. He fell asleep? His eyes were closed, his breathing even…Kaiya carefully lowered him into a horizontal position on her bed. He didn't stir.

She brushed his hair from his face. He looks so peaceful… His face was completely relaxed; he actually looked his thirteen years for a change. She hadn't realized until just now how many worry lines had been marking his face.

"I know I said you don't have to explain," she whispered as she felt worry lines of her own developing, "but I wish you would talk to me. Whatever you're going through…you don't have to do it alone."

Kaiya swept another errant lock from Itachi's face and sighed. Grabbing the mystery from her nightstand, she carefully edged herself into a sitting position near his head and opened to her bookmark. She read until she, too, fell asleep, still sitting up. She awoke the next morning to find herself lying alone in the bed and his mask gone from the table.

Kaiya's eyes prickled at the memory. How could she have been so wrong about him? The tears weren't about to retract, so she quickly stood and left the waiting room. She needed to feel the air against her skin; Sasuke wouldn't be in his own room for a while, anyway.

Kaiya wound up on Hikaru's couch for the second night in a row. He was making up the tea tray now; she hadn't said why she'd come over just yet. It was too soon for another nightmare, he figured - Kaiya rarely went to sleep so early. Her eyes had been red, but her face was blank otherwise. Hikaru let her stare silently at nothing as he poured the water; she'd talk when she was ready.

"Ready" happened when he sat next to her with the tray. "I saw him."

"Who?" Hikaru asked, though he'd heard the rumors.

Her voice was barely above a whisper when she answered. "Itachi."

Hikaru nodded and took a sip of his tea. He knew of Kaiya's previous relationship with the now-convict. Kaiya wasn't the only one who excelled at piecing together clues; he'd figured out that his teammate was in love with the Uchiha prodigy back when they were first promoted to Chuunin. The way Kaiya would blush when his name was mentioned, the fact that she would so often go to the Uchiha compound on her days off…plus, seeing them kissing on a secluded dock during the summer festival that one year was a bit of a tip-off. Kaiya had made Hikaru promise not to tell Gorou for fear of being teased endlessly. After the massacre, they'd tacitly agreed not to tell their teammate because of the connection with Yuuma-sensei's death.

Hikaru set his cup on the tray. "How are you?"

Kaiya closed her eyes. "I don't know. I went after him. I don't know what I was thinking…" She put her head in her hands. "He's after Naruto, Hikaru. He's after him and we barely got him away. He tortured Sasuke and Kakashi with a genjutsu. But…" She raised her head, hands fisted on her knees. "Why? Why can't I just hate him?! He killed so many innocents…he killed Yuuma-sensei just because he was there!"

"Maybe it's not so much about hating him," Hikaru offered, "as moving beyond it."

Kaiya looked at him, confused. He continued. "You've held onto this for five years now, but you never really dealt with it. You focused on your studies, your training, your missions, on looking after Naruto and then Sasuke. You focused on anything if it meant not having to deal with your emotions about Uchiha Itachi." She flinched when he said the name. "And you need to get over your aversion to his name, Kaiya. It's a name. There's a lot attached to it for you, but avoiding it will only make it hurt more. And if what you said about him being after Naruto is right, we'll be hearing and saying the name 'Uchiha Itachi' a lot more."

Kaiya nodded. "You're right." Her voice was cracked. "I've been avoiding it, and it's holding me back." She took a deep breath. "Uchiha Itachi is a murderer. He's working with a group of mercenaries against my home. He broke my heart…god, it feels so stupid to say it that way! But it's true. If Gorou knew, he'd say I deserve better."

"And he'd be right," Hikaru said, hand on her shoulder. "You deserve to be happy."

Kaiya at last picked up her tea. It was still warm. "Thanks, Hikaru. You know…I think you may have missed your calling as a therapist."

He smirked. "I can start charging by the hour if you'd like."

She giggled. "No, thank you - I couldn't afford you!"

As they moved on to other, lighter subjects, Kaiya inwardly smiled. He's right…it's time I moved on.

Can I just say that I freakin' LOVE Might Guy and all his cheese? Cuz I do. He's a fun one to write. I could totally see him trying to play 'matchmaker' with Kakashi and Kaiya.

Next Time: Visiting Hours - Awaiting the arrival of Tsunade, Kaiya spends some quality time in hospital chairs and receives an unexpected gift…