A/N Well I'm sorry for a lot of things. Mainly for a suuuuuuuuuuper late update.

I finished the Uchiha massacre...that's something right...right...PRAISE ME (TT_TT)

A lot of things happen...um...there's less action than I imagined...(if there's more it's cause i'm trying to buff it up while editing). And um 'romance' happens. yeah lets go with that.

Also, my belief lies in "jack of all trades and master of SOME". So if random people are learning stuff it shouldn't be very prevalent, they just gain a skill. (i. I teach Kimi basic sealing he's not going to be running off to make his own, but he will be seal saavy and know when some might be appropriate to use)

ALSO THANK YOU TO THE PERSON WHO REMINDED ME OF THEIR AGES, IT'S REALLY HARD TO KEEP TRACK OF HAHAHAHAHAHAHA (she's bassically still sixteen here because it's before her birthday...probably)

And randomly I would really appreciate those of you who ask questions to do so in a way I can reply. After all I can't reply to a guest review and doing so in each chapter is tiring. Hypocritically though I will reply to one right now.

To the person who asked "Why is Kimimaro learning kenjutsu and something something, isn't he super really good at taijutsu, is he just gonna ignore his immensely powerful bloodline?" (I paraphrased but here's my answer);
Kimi is around 5 when Miyu finds him. He isn't good at shit at that point. Sure he's a prodigy in using his bloodline but he is still a child and would easily be defeated by any jounin. He got stronger with his own methods within the years he spent with Orochimaru, and that was with limited resources. his 'ultra powerful bloodline' is also his only skill, albeit used in conjunction with mad taijutsu skills. Realistically this means he pretty much has one mode of attack. So therefore put him in a village. Teach him to use swords cause of course he's going to have an affinity (though it won't be comparable to his bloodline he would become really adapt at it), teach him more taijutsu, more ninjutsu and overall ninja skills and he could become immensely powerful. His bloodline could be hidden (a necessary trump for shinobi), and he would be at the level where he could beat high ranking ninja in a multitude of ways and they would never realise he's even stronger. Enemy ninja wouldn't know about his bloodline assuming he only pulls it out in a situation where its necessary and it is essentially do or die. He would be like every other ninja without a bloodline, strong in his own forte (kenjutsu/taijutsu) and still have a power that puts him above the rest should he choose to reveal it.
It's weird and i may or may not have lost track of the question...possibily leaving it unanswered but those are my beliefs.

Anyway let's get movin' this is a pretty long chapter...

~Chapter 21 - TO BE AN UCHIHA

1 year later – A small apartment in Konohagakure…

"Miyu!" The blonde wasn't even fazed as her neighbour barged into her house, absolutely furious for lack of a better word. Even Kimimaro was shocked to see the usually impassive silver haired shinobi practically fuming.

"Kimi, would you mind sending this to Iruka?" She tossed the boy a scroll and ushered him out of the house, "Take Kurama with you as well." She gave the fox a brief nod, watching with satisfaction as the furry canine led her apprentice out of the building the traditional ninja way, through the window.

"How could you not tell me?" Kakashi burst out, his first words conveying an odd amount of hurt. Miyu merely sent him a blank look which hit him harder that he thought it would.

"Minato told me the information was to be kept confidential and anyone who should know would be informed." She replied blandly. Honestly speaking, she was quite confused. She could understand him being annoyed at not being fully updated, but his anger seemed misplaced in her mind. The Kakashi from her memories had very rarely been as mad as this one. Maybe it was because he was older and more experienced with his own emotions? That being said, the cause of this sudden intrusion was something she could only guess at.

"But you…!" he growled out a sign of frustration, falling into the uncomfortable feeling of helplessness, "Why did sensei chose only you instead of a whole Anbu squad? It's…" the words wouldn't come, lodge in his throat.

"Fugaku took matters into his own hands," She said dully with a strained smile, "It is the Uchiha who have caused the mess and thus it should be the Uchiha who should clean up."

"That's just…"

"It is what it is," The blonde said, "No matter what it seems like blood will be spilt so why are you worried about who's in charge of it." She was too detached, Kakashi noticed with a grimace. With a sudden realisation it had hit him that she had probably forced herself to be.

"That's why I'm asking why it had to be you. To spill the blood of your family…You're only sixteen. I understand Fugaku but why isn't the rest of the older generation taking part." He couldn't wrap his head around the controversial topic. In reality he would have preferred if Minato had just ordered his squad to do the removal, they were definitely capable enough.

"Listen to yourself Kakashi," Miyu replied with a mirroring frown, "I'm not 'only sixteen', I'm already sixteen and you know too well that I'm not an innocent little girl. I'm a kunoichi, a jounin, and I've had my fair share of blood and death."

"…" He remained silent, listening while he tried to decipher his own thoughts.

"The reason why the older generation isn't taking part is because they would be forced to kill their loved ones. Their fathers, uncles, mothers, the elders' no matter what they have been scheming had lovingly raised a large part of the Uchiha in the past," She explained slowly, "Fugaku is determined an Uchiha should be the one to fix this, and besides himself I am the perfect candidate."

"How so?" Kakashi challenged falteringly.

"I am an outsider," Miyu stated with finality, "I wasn't born in the clan but placed there. No matter what the blood tests might say there are many who doubt if I possess any Uchiha blood at all, thinking I might have just stolen a pair of eyes from one of their corpses. I have no significant ties to anyone but Fugaku, Mikoto, Sasuke and Itachi, meaning I could efficiently kill any other Uchiha more easily than others of my clan. If it was up to me, Fugaku wouldn't be participating at all." As she said the words it seemed to work out too perfectly in Kakashi's mind. Did she mean to tell him she had never made any other bonds in the eight or so years she had lived with the clan?

"That still doesn't make this right." Kakashi didn't know what else to say after her argument had been almost flawless. Rationally she was correct, and rationality was all a good shinobi needed, making morals a second priority. Right now it was the same mindset as his younger, more spiteful self, and it made his chest hurt all the more.

"This isn't about being right or wrong," Her eyes held depths he couldn't comprehend with his current state of mind so he was forced to turn away, "It's for the sake of Konoha."

Kimimaro sat transfixed as he watched his saviour train. With captivating grace she swung her sword downwards in an arc, feet turning as she transferred the momentum from her waist down to her arm. In a quick flawless moment she twisted her wrist, drawing the blade inwards before thrusting out again with enough force to make the wind tremble. In contrast with the striking beauty of Hayate's deadly blade Miyu's style seemed more cunning, one that would take your life before you even noticed you were cut. He watched her exhale and relax, returning the odd reverse blade to its sheath. There was definitely something troubling her.

"Kimi do you mind doing me a favour?" The blonde called as she walked over to him, ruffling his white hair.

"Hai?" His eyes squinted slightly and Miyu couldn't help but imagine him as a cat. It was adorable.

"I'm going to be away from the apartment for the next week or so," She informed, "So instead of leaving you here alone, I've arranged for you to stay with Iruka."

"Are you going somewhere Sensei?" He asked with uncertainty.

"No," She gave him a soft, reassuring smile, "I'll be in the village but I'll be preparing for a mission so I won't have a lot of free time. I probably won't be coming back to the apartment for a while and stay at the compound."

"I see," Her student looked down, fiddling with the edge of his sleeve, "Is it a dangerous mission?"

"Of course," Miyu replied frankly, "But if you don't believe I'm strong enough to handle myself then you're seriously mistaken."

"Ah…" He quickly raised his hands defensively, "O-of course not."

"Good boy." She ruffled his hair once more with a toothy smile, "I'll asked Iruka to teach you a little about seals, so make sure to study hard."

"Hai."

He is avoiding you. Miyu grunted in acknowledgement, knowing personally how true that statement was.

"You think I haven't noticed?" The blonde, swung around, lifting her legs and resting them on the ornate desk.

Are you feeling lonely? Though I can change my form, I doubt you would find little comfort in embracing anyone other than your beloved. The fox snickered in her mind, stealthily keeping himself hidden in the shadows. Feel free to take a peek.

"A peek?" She scoffed and shuffled through more of the papers that were lying around. Some documented the activities within Konoha while the rest concerned reports of other villages. Either way, she didn't have the heart to see them as anything more than black scribbles on parchment.

Just a glimpse, Kurama tempted. His red eyes watched his chosen target, as he spoke with his partner through the link they shared.

"Fine." She conceded rather easily, knowing the fox was trying to do her a favour, and slowly closed her eyes. She searched deeply, for the remnants of his chakra within the seal, and traced it. Her senses faded slightly before merging with the demons. She felt the hardness of the ground beneath his paws, and the soft wind that blew across his fur, but more importantly she was granted his vision. It seemed the fox was currently perched on and empty crate within a narrow alley, already facing a certain silver haired ninja. Unfortunately, Miyu also recognized the area as having a rather well known bar among the older shinobi.

It seems he is learning how to drink away his problems. The fox spoke, his voice clearer than usual. Miyu almost wanted to slap the young ninja. He should be more alert and aware of his surroundings, even within his own village. Like this he hadn't even noticed he'd been tailed.

"That fool…"

"Fool?" A new voice questioned, jolting the girl out of her trance.

"Gah!?" She made a small shout of surprise as she just managed to catch herself, before glaring at the offender.

"Sorry?" Minato was surprised, slightly taken aback by the flash of red in the blue eyes, "But you shouldn't have been sleeping at my desk in the first place." He assumed.

"Then you shouldn't have been late." The girl emphasised with a pout, moving out of his usual seat. It seemed Minato was completely fine with allowing her to read some of the more official and confidential papers.

"Hey don't blame me, it was Shikaku's fault," He sighed and slipped into his seat, skimming over a few of the pages splayed on his desk "Anyway, it seems like we're finally smoothing out the Kumo situation, about time too."

"Sending their ninjas back alive was a smart move," Miyu answered, "No matter what some of the council members say. Though there are still some people that think the Raikage is using his own soldiers as mere scapegoats."

"He's a forward guy," Minato chuckled, "Not one who would resort to stealing a bloodline to assure his victory. I'm sure he would rather fight it out with his own fists."

"And you know this from the one time you battled him during the last war?" Miyu asked with a tiny smile.

"Real men speak with their fists." He gave her a slightly pitying look, as if he felt sorry she would never experience a man-to-man talk.

"Yeah, yeah, get that look off your face, before I show you what my fists are saying." He was quick to respond, quickly changing back to his usual look.

"So," Minato let out a small cough, trying to look his most professional, "What was it you wanted to speak about?" Miyu instantly straightened up, her serious putting the man on alert.

"I have a request, Minato."

"The moon is bright." Fugaku acknowledged with a tired voice. In his hands was a simple Anbu mask, yet it felt heavier than a boulder.

"Yeah, it's full tonight," Miyu glanced up, her own disguise already in place, "Have you already isolated the targets." They were months ahead of schedule. Idly she wondered if it would still go down in history as the Uchiha Massacre.

"Thankfully, with the information from Iruka it seems like those directly involved in the coup will be in the main meeting hall. Everyone else, will be gathered in a small branch building on the outskirts of the village," Fugaku pointed over to the south-western section of the compound, "Mikoto will keep them there until we're done."

"Those involved…" Miyu could only be happy that their early intervention meant less of the Uchiha had been influenced by the elders, and ultimately the Madara impostor.

"Are you ready?" The Uchiha head held out the white mask.

"Yes." She took the mask, slipping it onto her face and feeling the familiar weight.

"Fugaku!" The first one to notice them was predictably the elder seated across from the doorway, "What are you doing here?"

"Am I not allowed free access in my own home?" Fugaku retorted his voice serious as he surveyed the room. Amongst the dozen or so elders was about twice as many other clansmen, their ages ranging from 18-40.

"You know what Sousuke meant, Fugaku," Their apparent leader said, trying to ease any suspicions, "It is unusual to see you in the meeting hall at this time."

"And yet, I know for a fact, the same cannot be said about the elders," Fugaku's voice was grave and the aura he had made Miyu wonder how his command could ever be questioned, "Let me get to the point as this is the first and only time I will ask. Stop your foolishness."

"What are you on about?" one of the younger offenders asked, his calmness fading.

"The coup," It was almost amusing to see them flinch, "Your plan is flawed. Our Hokage has already known about your plans for quite some time and as you head I'm disappointed."

"Disappointed?" The main elder scoffed as he regained some of his lost composure, "We are the ones who are disappointed in you, Fugaku."

"He's right," Sousuke had the gall to look ashamed despite their current situation, "Fugaku, you were chosen as the Uchiha head because you were the most fitting to lead us to greatness. Yet look at where the clan has fallen."

"Fallen?" Fugaku echoed, trying to understand. He knew when he became head he was supposed to better his clan and that was exactly what he had done…wasn't it?

"What are you unsatisfied with?" Miyu cut in, her voice a tone lower and ultimately unrecognizable, "The Uchiha clan is one of the major clans behind Konoha and is treated as such. The civilians practically worship the ground you work on, and the shinobi of this village respect you-"

"Namikaze Miyu, is it?" A stranger interrupted piercingly, making emphasis on leaving the Uchiha out of her name, as if stating his point. He managed to put her on high alert, she should have been unrecognizable, but already too early on in their plan she had been singled out.

"Ah, it seems like you managed to find me." There was no point in continuing the charade, so she pushed her mask aside, letting the layers of genjutsu fall with it. Her stature shrunk, and her inky black hair faded into gold. The only thing that remained was the red of her eyes that mirrored the accuser's.

It seems his skills lie through seeing through deception, Kurama commented, sneaking a peek through her vision, surprising considering that is the base of the Sharingan. Miyu didn't deny it, she hadn't thought about getting through the mission undetected, it was merely to make Fugaku a bit happier about the situation. Still, he looks familiar…

"What was the point of the disguise, child?" A patronizing elder questioned, his voice full of venom.

"I requested it of her," Fugaku answered, unhappy that they seemed to be turning on her, "After all, I am the one who should be burdened by hatred at the end of this."

"That's very honourable of you, Fugaku," a more quiet member intoned, "But what are you thinking would garner such anger?"

"I am to put a stop to this foolishness," Their head proclaimed assertively, "To protect the village and the remaining pride of our clan, I cannot allow the coup to go through."

"It is not about what you allow, nor are your actions going to protect anything," Another nameless, faceless elder retorted, "In fact, we have already begun." Miyu caught a glimpse of an odd red haze that flashed passed the speakers eyes. They all seemed to truly believe they were doing the best thing possible, ignoring all other facts.

"And I am saying once again, the Hokage knows," Fugaku repeated, "Have you all gone too senile to realize what this means for you and your plans?"

"What?" One of the younger members all but hissed, "The plans are perfect, we would have Namikaze out of his seat before he even realized."

"How?" Miyu asked, her voice silencing them all, "With your silly bribes towards the ninja council? Or maybe your attempts at hypnotizing those you thought were your comrades?" They we're taken aback, surely their slow persuasion would have done something for their cause?" "Minato is a great leader, and that is a fact. For you to think, his own subordinates would forsake him, for one of you…the idea is beyond ridiculous. Not even Danzo was willing to cooperate."

"The war hawk, accepted our gifts graciously." The same man continued.

"I too, would also accept gifts if they were freely given." She couldn't begin to think how someone had convinced them such a petty, story book plan would work. Even Danzo, as much as he previously had wanted the eyes, wanted nothing to do with the matter.

"If that's the case we'll usurp him through force." The same Uchiha that had uncovered her disguise voiced his opinion, and oddly enough, even the more sensible elders seemed to take to his suggestion.

"Of course, that weak kind of Hokage, couldn't hope to take our forces."

"Do not mistake his kindness for weakness," Fugaku warned, threateningly, "It is only through my plead that he didn't send the whole Anbu corps here to raid our homes."

"Good, Fugaku, there's hope for you yet," It seemed all the elders had similar, condescending personalities, "You've done something useful for our cause."

"If only you could see the doom you will cause yourself," He truly felt sorry for them and as their leader, he felt himself wanting to resign. As his final act though, whoever had done this to his clan would pay.

"Miyu, what have you done?" The building was aflame, the walls painted red as blood splattered and pooled on the floor. His head pounded as Fugaku tried to understand what was happening, all the while watching his surrogate daughter perform her deadly dance. Her eyes glowed red, showing the fabled Mangekyo Sharingan his clan had forever sought. Ironically, it was the same set of eyes that was their demise.

"Fugaku, you…" A weak hand grasped at the bottom of his robes, and he looked down to see a familiar elder, "You brought this monster into our clan?" his hand drop and he collapsed, the slash wound on his back bleeding profusely. She glanced over, looking right passed him as she threw a kunai his direction. It was off, flying past his face as it thudded into someone behind him. Fugaku didn't care to see who she had killed. The bodies that lay piled around were unmoving, all of them. He told himself they hadn't suffered, most of them dying via severed necks. Yet a few, like Uchiha Sousuke, had died a bit more violently.

"…Miyu." He could do nothing but watch as she battled the last traitor in the room, her blonde hair dyed with the blood of his kin. They were almost evenly matched, but the blonde was winning, pushing the other back. She slashed her kunai forward, before bring her leg to kick out in the direction the man had dodged. It hit with a heavy thud, and Fugaku could almost hear the cracking of bones.

"Get up trash!" She growled out furiously. What she got in response was a cutting, maniacal laughter.

"Oh, this is unexpected." The man she had kicked got up easily. Despite being injured he held himself as if he had taken no damage at all. "You, who are you?"

"I am the one who will defeat you," She retorted, "Now tell me where you are hiding Madara!" Fugaku was lost. What did his great ancestor have to do with all this, and why did he feel so unsettled?

"I would not be so foolish." The young Uchiha, through glazed red eyes, surveyed the room. He frowned in disappointment, everything was a mess. "You are not an Uchiha, I know that for a fact, yet why do you have those eyes?" She was undeserving and he wanted nothing more than to tear them out of their sockets.

"…" Miyu remained silent. She didn't want to give anything to the man, the less he knew the better.

"Everything's gone wrong…" he muttered to himself, "The fox failed, Namikaze is still alive, and now the coup is nothing but a slaughter of my own. Everything is because of you." He brought a hand to his face covering his eyes with a loud sigh. "Must everyone be so useless?"

"Useless?" Miyu was irritated by the statement. He had the gall to say such things about the people he had led to their demise?

"Yes. In the end if I want something done I will have to do it personally." Ironically, she knew he would manipulate many more people to reach his goals. "Oh well, I guess it wasn't for nought." The chilling smile he gave froze her to the spot. What else had he done? What had she missed? "Konoha village will crumble, and I will attend to it personally. Enjoy your days of peace while they last." Miyu half-heartedly threw a kunai at his face, only to watch the body disappear in a flock of crows. Without knowing his location, there was no point in trying to catch the clansman he had enslaved. Instead, she would use him as a means of tracking Madara.

"Miyu, what is the meaning of this?" Fugaku stood slowly, his clothes stained with the pooling blood of his clan, "Explain to me why I was knocked out, and why Madara is apparently the cause of everything."

"I'm sorry Fugaku." Miyu began, cleaning and sheathing her blade. Funnily enough Masamune had refused to budge from its case so she had relied on her more familiar blade. The sentient sword had deemed the clan too 'innocent' to be slain, a fat that stirred up her heart. "There is a lot I have kept hidden from both you and Minato. Let us tie up this matter first before I share my knowledge." Her eyes reverted, the usual blue reappearing. Blue-eyed, blonde hair dyed red, compared to her disguise, she looked nothing like an Uchiha.

"Traitor!" The woman that screamed this at her collapsed, crying into her hands while other scornful members comforted her. Miyu would have preferred if they had just physically attacked her rather than take this emotional route. She had expected it though.

"Fugaku, did you spare no one?" A young man asked, his eyes pleading to know his father was safe.

"None." Miyu replied in his stead, her face impassive and unmoving.

"You, you…" He struggled to find words and screamed in despair and frustration, most of the clan quickly mirroring his response as they came to face reality. Those eyes, full of tears, hatred and despair turned on her, the one drenched in the blood of their loved ones.

"...Demon! How could you?" Similar shouts berated her from those who were overcome with anger. The callers flinched when she looked in their direction, but she could not look everywhere at one and before long the small, crowded building was overcome with the noise of their feelings. Even the children, the ones that had eagerly smiled at her, now eyed her with fear. She dare not look for those familiar faces she knew best. That would only destroy the resolve she had painstakingly built up.

"Fugaku," The blonde began, her voice cutting over every other, "Explain the situation to them. I need to report to Minato and it would be better I left." She abruptly turned to leave, walking out of the building and ignoring the glares. Fugaku would have admired her resilience had it been any other situation. As her figure entered the night he caught a glimpse of a canine figure jumping down to join her. It looked back and stared at his clan with red eyes full of hatred and instantly, the Uchiha head understood why.

"Is it over?" The Hokage asked when the girl entered. Just looking at her made him weary and he hurriedly offered her a seat.

"No thank you, I won't be here long anyway," She declined politely, "The coup has been avoided, and Fugaku is back at the compound explaining the situation."

"And how are you feeling?" She just gave him a quizzical look that concerned him more than a sad one would have.

"Fine, a bit tired but other than that I didn't sustain any injuries or lasting damage." Honestly speaking, she was regretful that she had killed so many of her kin, but it was to prevent the massacre. She was convinced it was for the better, at least Itachi and Sasuke would grow up as they should have. "I sent Kurama over to clear the apartment, is everything set up?"

"Yes," her Hokage gave her a small smile, there was little else he could do, "I've cleared away some land across the river by Konoha memorial. It's out of the way and within the tree's by the main wall."

"Thank you very much." She couldn't trust herself to enter self-exile like Itachi, not with everything she wanted to protect right here. Instead she would simply seclude herself. To the common population of Konoha, Uchiha Namikaze Uzumaki Miyu would disappear. As if to remind her, she felt her shoulder burn from its recent branding. "Did you get me a mask?" She asked curiously, wondering what animal she would be assigned. It was a rarely known fact that Konoha had a limited number of masks to limit the amount of Anbu at a time. Usually it was simply newer members taking the place of their predecessors who then when on to become teachers or simple jounin. It also stopped the village from running out of animals.

"Here, I think you'll like it," He tossed her a simple white mask, with a slightly pointed snout and two straight ears. The red, decorative paint lined the eyes and mouth as well as adding three whiskers to each cheek. "I think Kushina's the only other to have shared the animal."

"How cliché," She gave a slight laugh, holding the fox mask over her face, "Does it suit me Hokage-sama?" She knew for a fact she wouldn't be getting the dog mask or the cat mask as they were currently in action, but she still hadn't expected to see this one.

"Boar wasn't for you," Minato replied with a shrug, "Now I have one request to make before you leave."

"What is it?" She asked curiously. He looked rather concerned which made her think that there was little choice left in this appeal.

"I couldn't leave you to be by yourself so I assigned someone to stay with you…" He trailed off at the look she gave It was one that made him shrink down into his seat.

"I'm not a child, Minato, and Kimi will be there as well." Did he really assign her a guardian?

"Kimimaro is a good kid and all, but he is still just a child. I want someone there who can keep you safe and offer you relatable company."

"Who is it?" Miyu conceded with a sigh. Of course the blond was too good natured to let her go off on her own. He had her best interests in mind, though she could only wonder who had been tasked with the job.

"Me." It would have been a lie if she said she hadn't been surprised, but the last person she had expected her silver haired neighbour. They hadn't parted on the best terms last time they met, and as Kurama informed he had been well and truly avoiding her.

"Kakashi?" She tilted her head to the side in question.

"You two ought to get going," Minato stated, cutting their reunion short, "I have a feeling Fugaku should be arriving soon and you should get settled in Miyu. Kakashi knows the way so just follow him."

"Hai," They both saluted as they left, Miyu only turning back to send a small inquiry.

"Minato, I would appreciate it if you could get the ninja council together for me sometime soon, after this mess calms down a little. I have some info that could be useful." Once again the girl was a mystery, her way of asking was more of an underlying order that belied the seriousness of her words.

"Of course." The Hokage replied, neatening the papers on his desk.

The silence was almost stifling and yet she caught him glancing at her constantly, as if he was struggling to speak. More than anything it was irritating. "Spit it out Kakashi." Miyu demanded, looking forward as they walked away from the main section of the village.

"Ah," He was caught off guard but took the opportunity, "I would like to apologize." He began, his brow squirming uncomfortably. She found it strange he could still make so many expressions without the use of the lower half of his face. "For being idiotic and losing my temper."

"It's understandable, after all, tonight I did some unreasonable things." She skirted around the topic, not really wanting to begin a whole discussion about spilling the blood of kin. He looked at her, and for once he truly looked at her, not turning his eyes away from her own.

"What I really meant to say, was that I was worried about you," He continued, not allowing her the chance to interrupt, "I still am. I know you are strong, the tattoo on your shoulder and your white mask proves that, but I am still entitled to my own worries. I couldn't concentrate at all these past few days, instead my mind was wondering to all the bad possibilities. What if you failed and the coup still went, what if Fugaku died, what if you died. The Sharingan is not to be messed with and yet you, took on dozens of them, and came out unscathed. Meanwhile I had envisioned you embedded with kunai."

"That is reassuring." She commented dryly.

"If it was possible even in the slightest, I saw it. And that's why, these past few days I have thought of nothing but you, even if it was your multiple death scenes," He was frank with his words in a way that made her feel that odd, familiar feeling, "And I realised, I don't want that. My teammates died one by one, my father before that. Countless comrades were lost on difficult missions, not to mention the war. And I don't want it anymore. It's so simple. If I don't want those important to me to die then I have to protect them. What I'm saying here is you are important to me. So even if it's only a little, please rely on me more and let me protect you."

"Protect me," She was almost incredulous at the thought, "You may be older than me, but by now we should at least be equal on terms of skill level. Are you saying you will follow me on the S-rank missions I will receive and safeguard me? There are a lot of people important to us both and you can't be everywhere at once. You can't protect everyone at once. But I share your sentiments. What I did today was protect those dear to me, even at the sake of others. This is the extent I will go, can you say the same?"

"I believe I could," Kakashi replied after a moment of thought, "I'm not asking to be everywhere at once, only where I can be of help, of use or simply where I want to stand."

"And if I don't need you?" She questioned, "It's very noble of you but save you shield for those who actually require it."

"I feel like you're hearing my words but not thinking about them," The grey eyed male said with a sigh, "I'm saying that I want to be with you, regardless if you need me." Those words definitely put a thump in her chest. This Kakashi, was so different to her own. She could think about how he was less mature, less experienced, less naïve, but at the same time he was also more open, looking towards the future rather than being trapped in the past. He was different and she understood that she may never see the same Kakashi she had known, and yet they were one and the same. He was earnestly speaking to her now, something she had rarely experienced and thus she wa loss. How was she supposed to react? Even after all the years her feelings had never changed.

"Why must this be so confusing?" She uttered quietly, sometimes she wished she had forgotten it all, "Kakashi, how do I appear to you?"

"Well, you are a beauty, a very strong kunoichi with blood that tied to the village. You came to Konoha as a stranger but now you are an irreplaceable part of the village. You're smart enough to pass most exams with top scores and talented enough to make most jealous. But most of all you are kind." He answered, "And you are someone very important to me."

"Important…" The word held a lot of connotations and she wondered if to him she was 'sensei's missing blood kin' or if she was, to put it simply, a woman. It seemed she wasn't the only one frustrated with the pace of the conversation.

"You're making it much more difficult than it has to be," He explained as if she were an idiot, "Just say 'yes'. Let me stand by your side and guard your back." He stopped his steps and caught her arm, pulling her closer before reaching up with his free hand and pulling down his mask. Miyu had little time to be anything other than surprised as she was caught off guard. He forced their lips together in a show of passion, one that voiced his feelings better than he could have said. The kiss held for a second, and it was chaste, the silver haired ninja giving her lips a cheeky lick before retreating. "Do you get it now?"

A/N Thank you for reading :)

I realised a lot of things here. For one, it's difficult to write a battle scene of what is essentially a massacre dude to the fact Miyu would have easily cut down anyone in her path if but a few brief moments. Sounds overpowered but remember her first sword (zeijaku ha) was made for the art of iaido/iaito (quick drawing).

The writing is also a little jumpy, maybe? I apologise but I just wanted to get this out while I had the the chance (its hard for me to find time to type these days)

Also, she's not revealing her time-travelling ways when she says "There's stuff i have to tell you guys." I literally meant she'd be sharing some more important info that they otherwise wouldn't have gotten.

I also feel like I'm entitled to make up facts in my fanfiction ie. the Konoha Anbu system. (Please don't hurt me...)

Also romance...I smashed their faces together.

Next chapter is a dedication to the dense idiot I made Kakashi, his feelings and his view points over the years. After that we go towards genin days

I just. I dunno guys, I just wanted to post a chapter after so long (O_O')