I want ya'll to know just how truly touched I am by all of your reviews/messages of support and love for this story. I know I've been gone for over a year and I'm sorry. My tastes are changing, my style is evolving and my time is being split into ever smaller slices to be spent on an ever increasing number of things. But for as long as this story is sitting on my laptop, it will remain in my mind. And so long as I still think about it, it will continue on. Again, Thank You All so much for sticking with the story!

Chapter 21: It's My Birthday and I'll Wreck It If I Want To

When Gai had told her it was going to be a long day, Kara really had no idea what to expect. What she found was nothing short of something completely out of left field. The Hyuuga household was all done up; lights hanging everywhere, festive decorations, music playing, people mingling and table upon table of food; ranging from sautéed dishes to the lavish pastries she had seen Tenzou retrieve earlier. She was dumbstruck, but not speechless. "I don't get it. Why…?" Her question was all encompassing.

"Well," Gai began to explain as the two walked further into the party atmosphere. "Let's just say, someone really wants to be your friend." Hiashi better know what he's doing. One misstep and Kara's likely to bolt. "Ooo! I smell curry!" He let go of her hand and disappeared into a crowd surrounding one of the food tables.

Gee, thanks for leaving me sensei., she grumbled inside her head. It was a familiar shout that brought her around.

"Kara-chan!" Naruto burst out from behind another mass of people. He threw his arms around her and lifted her off her feet with a bear hug. "It's about time you showed up to your own party!"

"Ha… yeah." Kara pried the boy off of her. "I thought you were leaving with Jiraiya-sama."

The blonde chuckled dismissively. "Not for another month. Hey! Would ya look at all the people who showed up. I mean, I knew you were famous now, but this is ridiculous."

"Famous? I don't know about… that." Kara rubbed her neck sheepishly, but her hand slowly dropped down to her side as she glanced around the courtyard. "Who are all these people?"

"Hn. You don't socialize very much, do ya'?" Naruto reached into his pocket and pulled out a dumpling he had snatched off one of the tables to save for later.

Kara crossed her arms with a pout. "I lead a very full and busy life. Now quit stuffing your face and clue me in."

The boy wiped the crumbs off his mouth and pointed toward a group not far off. "Well, over there is Kiba and his entire family. You know them." He nudged her in the side, honestly expecting her to recognize the canine enthusiasts. What he got was an indifferent shrug. "You know… the Inuzuka clan."

"Yeah. I know of them. I don't know them. I think I might have met Kiba once or twice, but we don't really talk." Kara turned to look at another gathering of individuals. "Who are they?" She pointed.

Naruto gaped in disbelief. "How do you not recognize Shikamaru, Choji and Ino?"

Kara caught a glimpse of Ino's long, pale-blonde hair. "Oh, Ino. Tch, yeah I know her." She crossed her arms. "Why on earth would she be at a party being thrown for me?"

"Oh I don't know." Naruto rolled his eyes at Kara's density. For once, he actually understood more than she did. "Maybe it has something to do with the fact that all the important clans of the village have been invited; the Yamanaka clan included."

Heh, then why are you here? Kara chuckled to herself. "It all just seems a little fishy to me." She caught sight of Neji standing near an empty doorway that led into the main house. "I'll catch up with you later, Naruto. I'm going to go find out what all this is really about." Kara pushed past two dozen adults on her way to the other side of the courtyard. "Hey." Neji pretended not to hear the greeting and kept his back to her. "Hello?" She reached out and grabbed his shoulder. He rudely jerked away from her. "Oi! I'm talking to you!" …bastard.

Neji spun around and clamped his hand over her mouth a second too late to stop her from spilling the brusque language. "Do you even care that there are some very important and sophisticated people here?" He hissed quietly as he looked out into the crowd making sure no one really noticed the guest of honor's rudeness. They hadn't.

Kara resisted the urge to bite the hand covering her mouth. She settled with smacking it away with her left hand. "No. As a matter of fact, I don't care. You wanna know why I don't care? It's because I don't know these people." She huffed and crossed her arms. "In all honesty, I'm completely clueless as to why you, of all people, would want to throw a party for me and invite a bunch of people whom I don't know, nor they me."

A man appeared in the doorway behind Neji. Kara recognized him as Hiashi; Neji's uncle and Hinata's father, the head of the Hyuuga clan. "That is not entirely true, Ms. Harada. Many of these people are well aware of who you are and what you represent." He placed a hand on Neji's shoulder, non-verbally telling him to move out of his way. Neji did as he was told. "If you'd come with me, I'm sure I could answer any questions you might have in private."

Wary though she was of the situation presented to her, Kara followed her gut instinct and accepted the invitation with a quiet nod. He gestured for her to lead the way into the house. Neji was left outside; almost as if he were guarding the doorway. When they reached a room that appeared to be a sort of study, Hiashi shut the door behind them. Kara quickly started the conversation. "I think it's safe to assume you'll know what I'm wondering about when I say; why?"

Hiashi paused for a moment, stunned at her blunt behavior. He had only met her once or twice before when she was Neji's teammate, a genin and Gai's student. She had always come across as an aloof girl of the utmost politeness. Apparently, still waters do run deep. He smiled calmly and walked past her to lean against a heavy wooden desk. "Why, you ask? Are you not aware of what you are young lady?"

Kara looked down at herself for a split second. She spied the thin, black scarf wrapped tightly around her neck, hanging loosely down to her hip. "…yeah." She whispered to herself. Traitorously infatuated… When her eyes returned to their usual upright position, she remembered where she was and what her answer should have been. "I'm famous… or infamous. Guess it depends on who you ask."

The older man continued on with the discussion, choosing to ignore the duality her replies seemed to carry. "Yes. You are quite well-known. But you stand for so much more." He took a breath for dramatic effect. "You are the renewal of an entire clan." His eyebrows rose with inflection. "Your heritage coming to light has completely thrown the political balance held between the clans of Konoha. Because of your existence, the Hatake clan is once again viable."

The words coming out of Hiashi's mouth were quickly pissing Kara off. Words like, 'renewal', 'heritage', 'political balance' and 'viable'. Still, she did her best to keep her composure. "What exactly are you implying? Viable?"

"Oh, good. So you do consider yourself a part of the Hatake bloodline." Hiashi smiled, plans of the future forming behind his eyes. "I was concerned a bit because you haven't changed your name. Though, it shouldn't matter much anyway. Your nickname has ironically been enough to invoke comparisons to your grandfather."

Like a pitbull with her teeth stuck into a subject, Kara ignored the fact that this educated man had just misused the idea of irony. "Viable. What did you mean by that?"

Hiashi let the joy drain from his features leaving his face utterly impassive. Men like him did not like being demanded of. "Kakashi, your uncle, was accepted to be the last of his clan… the prestigious Hatake clan. And it is no secret that he has had no interest in taking part in the political aspect such a position would afford him. As a result, we, the powerful, important and talented families of Konoha, have since adjusted to exclude the dead-end, that Kakashi made quite clear, was his bloodline. In his own words, neither he nor any heir of his would have anything to do with the hierarchy of the clans of Konoha so long as he lived."

Kara blinked. She honestly didn't know what to make of the man. One moment he was friendly in a creepy way, the next he was snapping at her in a really professional way. "You'll forgive me for questioning you but, that doesn't sound like something Kakashi would say."

"No? Well, he was a much younger man when he and I last exchanged words. Just a bit older than you actually. But enough about him, what I wish to discuss is you." A relaxed tone reentered his voice. "You are not 'his heir' however you are an heir of the Hatake clan. I'd assume it is because of this fact that your uncle did nothing to stop this arranged meeting between you and I."

Now that's a loophole. Kara rolled her eyes. "What exactly is it that you want from me?"

Hiashi had noted her flippant expression. He sighed in an effort to calm himself. The last thing he needed was to lose his temper with the girl. "You have attained the rank of Chunnin with ANBU certification within two years of graduating from the Academy. It's clear for anyone to see that you are an exceptionally talented fifteen year old. I doubt very seriously that your success will end now. I would go so far as to predict that within the next five years you could hold a position of significant power in the village. If not that, then surely you will have the kind of influence and clout your uncle has."

"Heh…" Kara snorted and bit her lower lip in an effort to keep herself from making a mistake. It didn't do anything but make her lip hurt. "You know it's funny…" She scratched her head as she glared at the man. "You said this is all about me, yet you keep bringing up my uncle. Makes a girl wonder, ya' know?"

"I don't mean to take away from your accomplishments. I just want you to understand the importance of this." He tried to sound placating. It sounded more condescending in Kara's ears.

The teenager raised her hands, palms down. "Oh? And what is this exactly? You have yet to answer my question. Allow me to repeat it for you. What do you want from me?"

Hiashi stood up straight, no longer leaning against the desk behind him. He waited a moment, hoping the silence would make Kara realize how rude she was being. She was well aware of her attitude. She just didn't give a damn at this point. "What I want… Is to be your friend." Though you're making it incredibly difficult.

"My friend?" Kara raised an eyebrow at the statement.

"Precisely. It would be very beneficial, for both of us, if, in the foreseeable future, you and I were political allies. Though the elders and the council lay claim to being in control of village affairs, we all know that it is the families, the clans, that have the real power. The influence the combined support of the Hyuuga clan and the last heir to the Hatake clan would have would be unquestionable." His sales pitch over; he leaned toward her. "You agree, don't you?"

Kara smirked disgustedly. "Oh yeah. I agree. We would be an undeniable force to be reckoned with." She scratched her chin absently. "Shame I couldn't care less."

"What?" Hiashi retreated a step and stared at the girl with hard, disbelieving eyes. "Don't be as foolish as your uncle was. He might not have the fortitude for politics but surely you do."

"And there you go again. Bringing up Kakashi. Insulting him, no less." Kara shook her head back and forth with a sigh. Don't be mad. Don't be mad. Don't be mad. She kept repeating the mantra in her mind. "Thanks for the party. Aside from the fact that it was orchestrated purely to butter me up and convince me to call you my best buddy in a future where I have earned a slice of power and influence by myself all to our combined advantage… it seemed nice. But unfortunately, I am going to have to decline the offer. I suppose I am just as inclined to have the same foolish opinion, that political ass-kissing is just not for me, as my uncle." The teenager turned away from him and started to walk out of the room. She opened the door and paused to look back at him. She had one more thing to add. "Oh, and a word of advice for the foreseeable future… Don't ever talk about anyone I care about like that to my face again."

The door slammed shut behind her. Hiashi stood there, fuming, just barely mature enough to keep himself from lashing out.

Kara shoved Neji out of her way as she walked out of the house and back into the courtyard. "Move, Hyuuga." She grumbled as she stalked past.

"Hey, what's your problem?" He stumbled, but managed not to fall down. "Kara!" He reached out and caught her by the arm. "What happened? Why are you so angry? I thought you of all people would appreciate the opportunity here."

The girl let out a sarcastic 'Hah'. "But of course you knew what was going on. How could you not have known?" She glanced down at her captive arm. "Let go."

Neji tightened his grip. "You're making a mistake, Kara."

She looked away from him for a moment, decided against asking him again to let her go and instead chose to deliver the first punch. It landed square over his left eye. Unfortunately, his iron grip on her arm remained and he pulled her down with him as he fell. "Argh! You stupid brat!" He let go of her once she hit the ground and quickly stood back up on his own.

Though the music was still playing, over half of the party-goers were completely engrossed by the sudden fight. A clearing formed around Kara and Neji. "Screw you! You asshole!" Kara stood back up and faced her adversary. "I've had just about enough for one day, so just back the hell off." She raised her hand in warning.

"Fine. Fine." Neji growled. He noticed the crowd and knew when this was over he was going to be in deep shit with his uncle. "I kinda figured you didn't have the disposition that would welcome the honor of being allied with the Hyuuga clan."

Kara hated that he called being used by a manipulative jackass for political gain an 'honor'. She snickered, "For a caged bird you sure are singing a pretty tune."

The words suddenly set him off. Though he and his uncle had worked out their differences, it was still a touchy subject. He ran straight at her, catching her in the gut and slamming her to the ground. Kara kicked him off and rolled out of the way before he could land a punch. She didn't wait for him to chase after her. She jumped on his back and grabbed hold of his hair. They continued to fight; not as the trained killers they had been taught to be, but as the over-stressed, vendetta-filled teenagers they were. No rules, no glory.

The entire crowd now watched; gasping and wincing as the two fought. Naruto, along with several of the other teens, managed to squeeze their way to the front. "Left, Kara! Hit him with your left!" The blonde shouted.

Kara stumbled backward and fell into Kiba. The boy held her up, stunned by the fact that she was a lot heavier than she looked. "Thanks." She gasped and reclaimed her footing.

"No prob-" He was cut off by Neji's fist crushing into the side of his face. Kara had ducked at the last minute, not giving her any time to warn him.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry." Kara looked up at Kiba from where she was crouched down low on the ground.

He didn't hear her. He was too busy lunging back at Neji. "Why you son of a bitch!"

It was not what Neji was expecting, but like Kara, he too could think fast on his feet. He dashed back toward Naruto and ducked. Kiba's claws scratched down the boy's face. "ARGH!" Naruto shouted out and covered his injured face.

"Heh heh heh…" Neji chuckled from where he was low to the ground.

"What are you laughing about?" Kara drew his attention just as she swung her foot around, kicking the Hyuuga right in the center of his chest. She watched him fly back, crashing into one of the food tables. Just as he was standing back up, a heavy punch bowl slid down and slammed into the back of his head, knocking him out cold. "Well… now that that's settled." Kara turned to make the quick exit she had planned when she had made her way out of the house, only to see a scene of utter chaos unfolding behind her.

Apparently, Kiba and Naruto had a history of getting into little spats. So when Kiba accidentally attacked the blonde, he took it personally. The two instantly got into it, dragging other ninja into the brawl. The guests who weren't used to such open displays of aggression were screaming as they dodged attacks from all sides aimed at another ninja standing behind them. The courtyard quickly became a warzone. Even the older, more mature ninja were getting forced into the fray.

Kara spied Gai attempting to hold back Choji who was in the midst of plowing through the crowd using his Human Boulder technique. Kara guessed one of the boy's teammates must have taken a blow and this was retaliation.

Okay then… I should really get out of here now. Kara sprinted toward the nearest wall and quickly climbed over it. Once safely on the other side, she breathed a sigh of relief. It was short lived.

Waiting for Kara on this side of the wall was Anko. She had not been allowed on Hyuuga property since the Tomato Incident and therefore had not received an invite to the afternoon soiree, despite her dedicated position as Kara's mentor. "Why… You…. Little Hellraiser, you!" Anko snatched Kara up in her arms with glee.

"Ack, uh… let go. Can't breathe." Kara managed to push the older woman away and take a breath.

"God, I've always wanted to do that." Anko climbed halfway up the wall, just high enough to peek over the top and watch the destruction.

Kara held her side. "What? Crush me with your man-arms?"

The jonin glared down at her for a second. "…no." She looked back over the wall. "Trash this place. Hoity toity, blue-blooded mother fuckers, think they're all that and a sack of shit." The battle was already dying down. Gai had succeeded in corralling most of the wild children that had caused the event to escalate so quickly. "You are like, my hero for the day. Seriously, bravo." She jumped back down and patted Kara on the shoulder with a smile.

"Thanks, I guess." Kara stretched out her arms as Anko began to lead her down the street, away from the commotion. "Where are we headed?"

"Someplace special. For your birthday." She quickened the pace. "Keep up, squirt."

A few minutes later the pair arrived at your ordinary, run-of-the-mill, standard training ground. "Wow. I feel special already." Kara stood in the middle of the field, pulling on her scarf idly.

"Shut up or you won't get your present." Anko hissed. "Now, put out your hand and close your eyes." Never one to turn down a present, Kara instantly did as she was told. Her teacher placed what felt like a thin cylinder in her hand. "Open your eyes."

Kara stared at the scroll in her hand. Her jaw dropped. "Oh my god." She looked up at Anko and then back again at the scroll. "Oh my god", she repeated. "Is this what I think it is?"

"Well what else could it possibly be?" Anko shook her head sarcastically. "Of course it is what it is." What she had placed in Kara's hand was the summoning contract with the snakes.

"You found it last night? Where was it? We searched every inch of that laboratory." Kara held the scroll with both hands, clutching it tightly against her chest.

Anko's smug grin faded slightly. "I remembered where it was kept."

"Where?" Kara pressed further. "Some kind of hidden compartment or something?"

"…yeah. Sorta. The snakes hold onto the contract. I just had to summon the right one." She quickly explained. "Go on. Sign it and you can try it out for yourself."

Kara put her hands on her hips. "Wait a sec. Are you telling me that we spent hours upon hours in a scary, dirty, creepy lab last night… for nothing?"

Anko blinked and looked at the girl with a threatening gleam in her eye. "Yes."

Erring on the side of caution, Kara sat down on the ground and unraveled the document. "O-kay then." She didn't recognize the first two names. They were probably people from a very long time ago and had since passed away. However, the next two were very recognizable. Orochimaru and Mitarashi Anko. Those were the only four names on the contract. So Sasuke hasn't learned to summon snakes…. Hm, it's probably only a matter of time. He'll see my name if and when he does. Heh, that'll probably drive him crazy. The flirtatious thought of driving the boy a little mad distracted her momentarily.

"Well come on already! Did you wanna learn or not?" Anko tapped her foot impatiently. "We're burning daylight here."

Kara blinked and rejoined reality. She glanced up at her teacher with a snotty look. "I don't have any writing utensils."

"Oh I'll show you writing utensils." The jonin grabbed Kara's right hand and cut the tip of her pointer finger.

"Ah!" Kara jerked her hand back. "What the hell?"

"You need to sign in your own blood. It's what makes the connection." Anko picked her teeth with the kunai she had used in the abrupt attack.

"You could have just told me that and I would have done it myself." Kara grumbled and began writing her name on the scroll.

Anko shrugged her shoulders indifferently. "Can't change the past. No point in squabbling over it."

Oh my god, it happened two seconds ago. Don't really think that qualifies as the past. Kara finished and handed the scroll back to the woman. "What now?"

"Well, whatcha do is get a bit of blood on your hand, place it on a flat surface, flood the spot with as much chakra as you can and think of a snake." Anko walked over to a tree and sat down at its base, closing her eyes for a catnap. "You probably won't get the hang of it for quite awhile."

Kara sat still for a moment. "How about a demonstration?"

"Hm? …yeah, sure." Keeping her eyes shut, Anko bit into her thumb and smacked her hand down on the ground beside her. A puff of white smoke a split second later dissipated to reveal an average sized serpentine coil of scales. The snake was sound asleep. "Oi, wake up, Mushi." She picked it up by its neck and forced it to straighten out.

The snake opened its mouth and hissed loudly. "It's Mamushi. What do you want?" It wriggled out of her grasp and hit the ground slithering away from her.

"Here." She tossed the summoning scroll at Mamushi. "I believe that's yours." Anko opened her eyes and looked over at Kara. "Demonstration complete."

Kara wasn't paying much attention to Anko at the moment. She was watching with a slack jaw as the summoned snake unhinged its jaw and began swallowing the contract whole.

The snake noticed the unsolicited attention. Once it finished, it reattached its jaw and made its way over to her. "Let me guess, you're the newbie Anko wanted the contract for." Kara nodded, watching the snake's careful movements. "You gotta name?"

"Kara." She spoke softly as the snake got closer to her.

"Well, Kara, allow me to make a prediction right now." Mamushi reached her arm and climbed up to shoulder level to stare the girl in the face. "The odds of you ever actually summoning one of us is beyond slim… especially if you're as weak as your eyes say you are." It hissed and flicked its tongue in her face before disappearing in another puff of smoke.

Anko yawned and resettled herself. "Don't listen to that bastard. He's all bite and no poison." Sleep started to overtake her. "You'll get the hang of it… eventually."

I'm sure I will. I'm just not sure if I'll want to. That Mamushi seemed evil. And if he's some kind of small fry, I don't even wanna think about what one of the dangerous ones is like. Kara sighed and got up onto her knees, placed her hand on the ground and gave it a try.

The afternoon waned away as Kara kept trying to complete a summon. After each failed attempt, she used an incrementally larger amount of chakra in an effort to learn exactly how much it would take to accomplish the task. Waste not, want not.

However, she was not immune to the frustration of spending nearly six hours doing the exact same thing over and over again. One more time, and then I'm going home… Kara kept her hand on the ground, all her weight pressing down on it for support. Three, two, one…

Anko awoke from her nap at dusk to an amusing and somewhat horrific sight. Though her every instinct was telling her to collapse to the ground holding her sides from laughter, the bluish tone of Kara's face kept her silent. "Ah-hem…", she coughed to get Kara's attention. "Need some help?"

Kara's disoriented eyes twitched and looked over at her errant sensei. Her nostrils flared in an attempt to snort angrily. However, her lungs were simply too constricted to inhale the necessary air.

Some time prior to Anko's awakening, Kara had indeed succeeded at completing a summoning. Unfortunately for her, she had somehow managed to call up a twenty foot boa constrictor with a real bad attitude. No sooner had the snake set eyes on the fifteen year old, did it lurch forward and fling it's body around her calves. With all the instincts of a terrified child, Kara had naturally screamed out for help. The only problem was that Anko was an un-naturally deep sleeper… either that or she simply ignored the desperate pleas of her young charge in the belief that the only way she would learn to control the vicious beast would be through good old-fashioned brute force. Best way to teach a kid to swim is to thrown 'em in the deep end. Kara obviously disagreed with this tactic; at least when it pertained to her continued existence in the land of the living.

At present, Kara was on her knees, wrapped from thighs to shoulders by the huge serpent. Her hands were trapped near her face, holding her new glowing white sabre against the serrated, gaping jaws of the snake just inches from her scarf-covered throat.

"Okay… so this is what you're going to do." Anko stood over the scene with her hands propped up on her hips. "Kakashi says you've got a pretty good handle on creating raw lightning out of your chakra. So what I want you to do is focus on pushing that lightning into your little knife there and cut its head in two. Once you get past its jaw, you need to curve upward and sever the spinal cord; otherwise, you'll just end up with a lot of snake blood on you as you die."

With her last bit of strength, Kara twisted her wrists to the proper angle. Lightning crackled out of the blade as its light grew blindingly bright. A split-second later the top half of the boa's head toppled to the ground with a thud. Kara immediately pushed out her elbows and began to breathe deeply as the thick body of the reptile loosened and slowly uncoiled around her into a dead heap of snake flesh. "…hah…hah… How did that work? …hah…" She huffed as she stood up on shaky legs.

"How did what work?" Anko held her arm, steadying her.

"The… thing…" She flicked her wrist, waving her sabre in front of Anko's face.

The woman looked a bit surprised. "Oh. You mean you've never channeled your chakra through a weapon before?"

"Not like that." Kara wiped the snake blood off her birthday present and sheathed it behind her back. "I didn't know I could."

"Yeah. I figured Kakashi would have already taught you how to do something as simple as that." Anko kicked the remains on the ground and let out a low whistle. "Shame ya' had to kill it." She looked back to the teenager. "How'd you manage to summon up one this big in the first place?"

Kara replied sarcastically. "Well, my uncle might not have informed me of a number of simple things, but he has taught me how to properly manage my chakra reserves. Did you know there is a very fine line between 'not enough' and 'too much' when it comes to the energy necessary for a summoning?"

"Meh, it's a feeling. You'll get better at it over time. Come on." Anko grinned and started walking back into town; Kara following alongside her. "Wanna grab some dinner?"

"Sure." Kara shrugged indifferently, though she was secretly happy to have one normal and relatively mundane activity to look forward to on this, her most chaotic birthday to date.

Their dinner was nice and uneventful. The food was good as far as village food went. It was even pretty quiet until the night crowd came out making the main streets noisy and congested with people. Leading such drastically different lives, it seemed only natural that simple villagers and deadly ninja would always jump at the chance to live it up. Think about it. Boring life as a farmer or merchant; never doing anything interesting. Dangerous life as a ninja; never knowing if your next mission would be your last.

"Oh come on!" Anko prodded Kara in the side. "You know you want to. Come on! It's your fifteenth birthday!" The teenager wasn't budging. "I'm only offering because it's your birthday and it's only going to be your birthday for like, three more hours." She glanced at a clock on the wall. The time sure had gotten away from them.

"I don't care. I don't want to." Kara pouted; her face like stone.

"What the hell kinda teenager are you?" Anko held the shot glass in front of Kara's eyes. "All kids your age would die to have someone like me condone underage drinking for them. But you're just sitting there like a stick stuck in the mud." She retracted the drink and downed it herself.

Her blue eyes glaring at the older woman, Kara snorted. "The drinking age is eighteen. I don't want to break the law." The last thing I need is to give anyone a good reason to suspect me of a crime.

"Break the law, my ass…" Anko grumbled as she poured one last shot. "Do you have any idea how many laws we have here in the village?" She paused for dramatic effect and slid the small glass of vodka in front of Kara. "And do you know how many no one gives a shit about?"

"Probably a lot. But I do 'give a shit' about this law. It's wrong, it'll stunt my growth and it'll kill off my brain cells. I'm still blossoming! I need those brain cells for thinking and stuff." She pushed the shot glass back to her mentor and crossed her arms obstinately.

Anko grumbled and took the shot. "Weirdo."

"Alcoholic." Kara snapped back.

"Hey now… I'm not as bad as some people." She happened to glance out the window and catch sight of the perfect example. "Like Jiraiya over there."

"Ugh!" The sannin half laughed as he held his empty stomach. Though, 'empty' might have been the wrong term. It was full of various alcoholic beverages; just no solid, sustainable food. "Why don't we grab a bit of food, eh ladies? Hehehe…" The small gaggle of females floating around the old man and his entourage giggled in approval. "And then it's back to the clubs, I promise." Next to nothing could wipe the grin off his face.

Kara watched Jiraiya and his party through the restaurant's glass window. To think he's supposed to be some kind of epic ninja. Looks more like an epic loser from here.

"Oh look!" Anko feigned excitement. "How typical. It's your uncle." She pointed to a dark-haired man in the group that seemed to be making sure Jiraiya didn't fall down in his drunken stupor.

"Now I know you must be drunk." Kara rolled her eyes and pointed out all the obvious differences. "That guy has short black hair, TWO dark eyes and you can actually see his face. Clearly not Kakashi."

Anko moved her hand like a mouth in unison with Kara's logic, mocking her. "Dur… it's called a transformation jutsu for a reason."

Kara took a second look at the man. She was still skeptical and Anko could tell.

"Yeah, he does this every year Jiraiya's in town for his birthday. If Kakashi walked around looking like himself, it'd easily ruin his reputation." The woman elaborated further. "He just waits till the old man is so out of it he doesn't know who the hell is partying with him. I tell ya', the craziest shit happens when Jiraiya floats around town instead of just sticking to the whorehouses." Her laughter died off as the spoken of ninja entered the restaurant; the disguised Kakashi leading the way. "Well, speak of the Devil."

Kara continued to stare, trying to see some semblance in the man.

"Really, just a quick bite and then we'll be on our way." The unrecognizable Kakashi negotiated with the restaurant owner to let Jiraiya and his 'friends' be served.

The owner shook his head and tapped his fingers on the countertop. "I don't want any trouble. He's so loud and boisterous-"

"Yeah, but that's all he is. Just a little loud. Come on. It's his birthday." Kakashi pressed further.

Kara walked up and got the owner's attention; looking into his eyes sweetly. "Birthday's do only come around once a year."

"Well…" The man sighed, caving to the pair's argument. "Fine, but as soon as you lot are done eating, you're out. Understand?" He pointed at Kakashi.

"Understood. Thank you, sir." He nodded appreciatively.

"Uh-huh…" The owner eyed the two of them suspiciously. "I'll go send a waitress to your table." He walked away.

"So." Kara hopped up onto the countertop and stared at the man she knew to be her uncle. "You look awfully familiar." She tapped her chin thoughtfully.

Kakashi stared back and chose his words carefully. "Is that so, little girl?" Kara nodded with a knowing smile. "Okay, who told you? Tenzou?" He looked around for the only guy he had told about his little masquerade.

"What?" Kara held her hand to her chest feigning offense at the question. "What makes you think I wouldn't recognize my own flesh and blood when I saw it?" She noticed the disbelieving look in his unnatural brown eyes and sighed. "Anko pointed you out. I still didn't believe her until you admitted it just now. It's a really good disguise, by the way." She poked his exposed cheek and pulled his black hair. "Better than Tsunade-sama."

"Hardly." He brushed her hands aside with a laugh. The impromptu examination was annoying. "I can only keep it for about eight hours or so." He caught sight of Anko building a toothpick structure at her table. "I'll be right back."

Kara slid off the countertop and watched Kakashi sit down across from Anko at the other end of the restaurant. That's probably not going to end well. She raised her eyebrow at the situation. Oh well, not my problem. She turned to leave and walked right into someone.

"Is this seat taken?" Kakashi slid into the empty chair across from Anko without waiting for permission.

"Yes, actually. It is." She looked over at the man through the base supports of her little toothpick tower. "But I guess you can sit there until she comes back." Anko added another layer to her work before snapping at the intruder. "What do you want, Kakashi?"

He leaned forward and held his hand at an angle threatening to topple the woman's diligent work. "I want to know how you know it's me. I only ever told Tenzou about my little charade."

The snake woman's eyes turned to wicked slits as she glared back at him. "Knock this over and you die."

"Answer my question and you won't have to trouble yourself." He inched his hand closer.

Anko slowly sat back in her seat and crossed her arms. "A few years back I noticed…'you'" She waved her hand at him, implying his disguise. "And I was convinced you were some kind of spy because I didn't recognize you. Tenzou was with me and he casually suggested I not start anything with a complete stranger." She leaned forward and smiled. "It didn't take much to make him tell me exactly why I shouldn't."

Kakashi nodded slowly. "There aren't many people who can make Tenzou tell a secret…" He pulled back his hand and placed it gently on the table so as not to disturb Anko's creation. It didn't do much good, because at the same time a tremor rocked the entire restaurant; knocking over just about everything that wasn't nailed down.

Anko stared down at the pile of loose toothpicks covering the table.

"I swear that wasn't me." Kakashi watched her carefully out of the corner of his eye while he looked over at the other end of the restaurant; the source of the commotion.

"Oi! Watch where you're going short-stack!" The boisterous Toad Sage wobbled backward two steps after Kara walked into him.

"Ah, sorry." She tried to walk around him, but with his large berth and drunken staggering about, she ran into him again.

This time, he fell backward, right onto his rear end. The entire restaurant shook with the force. A few of the tramps in the man's entourage squealed with laughter at the sight. The sound of their laughing deeply embarrassed the old ninja. He stood back up, puffed out his chest and glared down at Kara with a crazed look in his eye. "Do you have any idea who you're messing with? You… you…." He bent down to get a better look at the girl. He gasped when he recognized her. "You buzzkilling, obnoxious, little child, you!"

Kara blinked innocently. Okay, now would be a good time to find an escape route.

"I am the Great, All-Knowing, All-Powerful Toad Sage Jiraiya! And you…. You have exasperated me for the last time!" He jumped up onto the nearest table, his head nearly touching the ceiling.

Kara stared up at him from where she stood unmoving. "Really?" Her quiet voice carried well in the shocked-silent restaurant.

"What? Well… Yes!" His face was bright red; whether from alcohol or aggravation no one in the building could tell. "I will not tolerate being annoyed by you any longer!"

"No, that's not what I was asking." Kara gingerly pushed a young couple's plates to the side as she climbed onto their table to face Jiraiya. "Are you really All-Knowing and All-Powerful? Cause I think you're exaggerating there." She adjusted the scarf around her neck and the scabbard strapped to her back. "I'm pretty sure I could beat you in a fight." She curled her fingers around the handle to her sabre.

"Kara!" Kakashi shouted at her while he pushed past people frozen in awe of the sight. He knew she had gone too far and he would only have moments to get to her before Jiraiya did. Anko was following behind him at a somewhat slower pace. She kind of wanted to see what was going to happen.

The simple sentence set Jiraiya off. "How dare you challenge me!" He bellowed and raised his hands up to the ceiling. With a single surge of chakra, Rasengan spun to life in each of his hands. The lights in the restaurant flickered and began to die. The near-comatose crowd of customers screamed back to consciousness and charged for the exit, pulling Kakashi and Anko, just as they were about to reach Kara, back out into the street with them.

"No! Ugh. Get out of the way!" Kakashi tried to order the crowd to disperse so he could get back into the building, but it was useless. The street was flooded with people running in all directions. "Kara!"

"Oh relax. I'm sure she's fine." Anko got a hold of his arm and kept him from shoving anymore panicked civilians out of his way. There was a sudden surge of energy, the restaurant interior flashed red and the lights of the entire street went out. "Would you look at that? The power's out." She sighed.

"Thank you for stating the obvious." Kakashi jerked his arm back. "But if you don't mind, I need to find Kara before-"

"Before what?" Kara's cheerful voice interrupted him.

Both adults swiveled around expecting to see the teenager. They did not. "Kara?" Kakashi asked before coming to the realization that she was using her Toton jutsu. "What in the hell would possess you to challenge Jiraiya when he's in a state like that?"

Kara dropped the ninjutsu and frowned. "I'm sorry but he started it." There was a loud crash across the street where Jiraiya was still tearing the restaurant to shreds. "And apparently, he's still trying to finish it."

Anko chuckled at the pile of chairs and tables that were being flung out of the shattered windows. "How long do ya'll think he's gonna keep this up?" She asked no one in particular.

Kara continued the conversation with her uncle. "He was drunk and he ran into me TWICE. Then he fell and got all mad and I had to distract him so I could escape."

"And let me guess…" Kakashi raised his hand and gestured to the darkened street lights. "You did this?"

"Kinda… sorta… maybe… yeah." Kara admitted. "It was easier than I thought it would be. I just grabbed a light bulb and made as big of a flash as I could. Though, I honestly didn't expect it to knock out the power to the whole street."

"Heheh…" Anko chuckled when she saw Jiraiya stumble out of the building and trip over some of the furniture he had flung outside. "…dumbass."

Kakashi noted the sannin as well and began to usher Kara away. "Well, it was only a micro-EMP. It could have been worse."

Kara's eyes lit up with comprehension. "EMP? Electro-magnetic pulse? I can do that?" The man nodded. "Hn. There's all kinds of things I can do that you haven't told me about, isn't there?"

He nodded again. "Better for you to discover them on your own. I'd hate to ruin the surprise for you."

"YOU!" The restaurant owner shouted and pointed at Kakashi from across the chaos ridden street. It would take him a minute or two to reach the guilty party.

"Well…" Kara stretched and began to distance herself from her uncle. "I'm sure you're gonna be busy with all of this for awhile. See ya' later sempai." She slipped into an alley and disappeared.

"So." Anko had grown bored with Jiraiya's drunken exploits and walked over to join her fellow shinobi standing on the side of the road.

He glanced at her for a moment before looking back at the restaurant owner as the man made his way ever closer. "So.", he replied. "Night." He turned and like Kara, disappeared into the night.

"Night." Anko sighed and strolled away in the opposite direction.

The poor restaurant owner arrived on the other side of the street to find himself alone.

No. I don't know when the next update will be. It's truly a miracle this one made it out. But here's a heads up; I'm sick of writing a young girl, so "Kara's Arc" is going to be a separate story taking place during the 2 year gap in the manga. This is now the ending of Last. "Kara's Arc" is Seduction. A story I'll be putting out shortly. Thank you all for sticking with me. Hope you enjoyed reading as much as I know I loved writing it.