"Alright, well…I think I'm going to go," Kaiya said, standing up from the booth of Ichiraku. Naruto, with a mouthful of ramen, turned to her.

"Awww, come on, Kaiya!" he pleaded, once he'd swallowed. "We haven't eaten here together in such a long time!" She smiled sympathetically, leaving money on the counter.

"Sorry, Naruto, but I'm meeting with my team soon for a mission. Maybe some other time, ok?" The blonde stared into his bowl, letting out a sigh.

"Yeah, alright," he decided moodily. "But you owe me a bowl." Kaiya nodded, ruffling his blonde hair as she did so.

"You got it, knucklehead." She walked out of the ramen stand, feeling giddy for some odd reason. "I guess I'm just in a good mood today," she figured, staring up at the beautiful midday sky. She smiled to herself.

Kaiya closed her eyes and let the warm breeze blow against her skin as she walked to her destination at the village gates. She wasn't going to let the fact that they were going on a D-ranked mission get to her surprisingly good mood. Actually, she was almost positive that nothing could ruin it.

A couple of weeks before, Ringo informed her that she and Kakashi would be moving into his apartment and out of the Nohara Estate. Even though she hadn't been named Chunin because of the interruption made by the Sound and Sand, she was given permission by the Konoha Elders to leave the protection given by the barrier surrounding Ringo's property. She'd still have to stay with Kakashi, but at least she'd be free from the ANBU guards, and she could finally let her friends know where she lived (an example being Sasuke, who'd been coming over almost every day for the past week after training—while Kakashi was out, of course).

On top of that, she was able to start training with her team again, after months. Their teamwork had improved substantially since the last time they trained, thanks to the Chunin Exams and their personal trainers. Her injuries were no longer an issue, so she was cleared to go on missions again.

Then there was Sasuke. Ever since their training session after the Third's funeral, the two had been getting closer and closer every day. And then there was that kiss… She didn't know what they were, exactly, but she knew that they were together, and that's all that mattered.

Things were finally looking up.

Kaiya stopped when she caught sight of Asuma and Kurenai fighting against two strangers. They wore black cloaks emblazoned with red clouds, and one of them had a huge sword wrapped in bandages. Her eyes widened as Kakashi suddenly appeared, just when it seemed the two Jonin were going to be defeated.

Dammit! What do I do? she asked herself. I'm supposed to meet up with my team for the mission, but with Uncle Asuma and Kakashi caught up in this, I can't just leave.

She watched for a few more moments, hiding behind one of the many trees littering the trail that led outside the village; it didn't seem like anyone noticed her, so she decided to keep herself hidden. She was facing the strangers' backs, so she couldn't make out their faces. However, she swore she heard something about one of them being from the Leaf.

"We've come looking for something," the shorter man said in a dreary, monotonic voice. Kakashi's eyes lowered. Kaiya knew the fight was serious if he had to use his Sharingan right off the bat. Should I go get help? But if something happened as soon as I left, I'd never be able to forgive myself. She decided to wait a little longer and hear some more of their conversation.

"Looking for something?" Kakashi repeated suspiciously. One of his clones was on the lake beside Kurenai, and the other was on the sidewalk beside Asuma. After exchanging a few more words, Kakashi made quick hand signs. "Water Style: Water Wall!" At that moment, a wall of water shielded Kakashi from several attacks on either side of him. Kaiya's eyes lowered as sweat dripped down her brow.

"What the hell? Whoever that guy is, he's good." She smirked. "But I'm willing to bet Kakashi is better. He saw that attack coming, and he'd already made a counter." Kaiya's smile faded when she saw the man stab Kakashi in the back with a kunai. Her eyes widened.

A water clone.

But that wasn't what made her nervous.

Kakashi had made his own water clone, and it dissipated as the kunai made contact, returning to the lake. But when that happened, Kaiya could finally see the man's face clearly.

"I-Itachi?!"

Her heart slowed down gradually, until she couldn't feel it beating at all. Her face paled as her eyes tried to register if what she was seeing was real or just a terrible nightmare.

She took a kunai from her pouch, never looking away from the scene in front of her. Slicing her index finger, she winced as the trivial stinging sensation shot through her body like a needle. So, this wasn't a dream after all. She was really seeing Itachi Uchiha.

Itachi's red eyes slowly turned in her direction, lowering as she stepped out from the cover of the trees. Kakashi, Kurenai, and Asuma's eyes widened when they also noticed her.

"It's about time you came out of hiding," the Uchiha told her casually. "I was beginning to wonder if you were going to let your seniors die in front of you while you did nothing." Kaiya's eyes narrowed as a frown settled on her face. Asuma gritted his teeth.

"Kaiya!" he shouted. "Run, now!" But she couldn't. She was mesmerized by Itachi's Sharingan, shocked and still in disbelief seeing him after so long. "Kaiya!"

"It's no use," Kakashi told him, narrowing his eyes. "There's no way she's leaving now."

"I told Itachi I loved him."

"Itachi? Why would you tell him something like that?"

"I…I thought I did. Even now, I'm not so sure I don't."

Kaiya stopped at the edge of the walkway, a step away from the lake, where her three comrades were standing, along with Itachi. What she assumed to be his partner stared at her firmly, a malicious grin on his face. He gripped his oversized sword tightly, probably itching to use it against her.

"What about this one, Itachi?" the man asked. "Can I kill her?" Kaiya's eyes averted to him, seeing his full appearance now: He was tall and had dark, spiky hair and blue skin, and on his cheeks were gills. Kaiya's eyes lowered. He has to be the strangest person I've ever seen… His teeth were sharper than razorblades, and his forehead protector bore the symbol of the Hidden Mist; a line was drawn through it—just like Itachi's Leaf headband. She frowned. What is that supposed to mean?

"Are you one of the Seven Swordsman of the Mist?" she wondered. The man chuckled.

"Well, aren't you smart? I am Kisame Hoshigaki," he introduced. "And who are you?"

One of Itachi's clones appeared behind her, pressing a kunai firmly against her jugular. She didn't even have a chance to blink. He glanced up at Kisame. "Her name is Kaiya Umachi. She is the daughter of Yasuo, the Hurricane of the Land of Fire." Kisame's beady eyes widened with interest. A large grin appeared on his face.

"Oh, the Hurricane, you say? How fascinating. She's the only one left in her clan, isn't she?" He raised his arm, lifting his sword above her head. "It'll make tearing her to ribbons that much more rewarding!"

"Kisame, stop," Itachi demanded, just before his sword made contact with her. "She is of no importance to you." The man scowled, lowering his arm again slowly.

"Tch. What does she mean to you, Itachi?" he asked irritably. Kakashi's eyes lowered as he waited for the young man's answer.

"Nothing." Itachi closed his eyes for a moment. He turned to Kaiya. "This is a pleasant surprise. I wasn't expecting to see you," he said. "It's been quite a long time." Kaiya glanced around, trying not to move her neck. Because of the real Itachi keeping Kakashi and the others at bay, there was nothing they could do for her at the moment.

"Itachi," she said again quietly. "Why are you here?"

"You've grown," he replied, ignoring her question. All of a sudden, Kaiya's curiosity and confusion turned to bitterness. She clenched her fists.

"Well, I guess that's what happens when you haven't seen someone in five years," she snapped. "Now tell me what the hell you're doing here!" The kunai dug into her skin as her excitement caused her to shift, and blood trickled down her neck slowly. Her head was so busy reeling with emotions that she didn't even notice. "You told me you were never coming back." Kisame chuckled, shaking his head.

"Itachi, it seems you've hurt this poor girl's feelings. Let me take her out of her misery." Kaiya's eyes averted to his large figure.

"Why don't you shut the hell up and mind your own damn business, you blue bastard?" she barked. Kisame growled, a frown settling on his face.

"You little brat, I'll—"

"Kisame, that's enough," Itachi scolded.

"Let her go, Itachi," Kakashi demanded. "She has nothing to do with this." Itachi looked at him firmly.

"That's right," he remembered. "You were appointed as her official guardian. Or should I say guard?"

"Funny, Itachi...I thought that was your job," Kaiya retorted. His eyes lowered as his hand slowly moved away from her neck, and fresh blood flowed from her wound. Taking a step back, he let Kaiya turn around; she gripped her throat with one of her hands, grimacing.

I can handle the pain, she thought. But I probably won't be able to fight effectively with this injury. Besides, fighting Itachi of all people…I'd honestly rather run.

"Kaiya, leave!" Kakashi shouted. "You can't fight him, or you'll—"

"If I were you, I wouldn't pay any attention to her," the real Itachi warned. "After all, you're only wasting your breath. She won't run, and you know it." Kakashi's eyebrows furrowed. He knows her well, even after all this time… "You are not an Uchiha, who are the real masters of the Sharingan. Still…you handle that eye quite well, Kakashi. However, you lack the physical body of the Uchiha." Kaiya glanced between the real Itachi, the clone in front of her, and Kisame. What do I do?

"Do you know why the Uchiha clan is the most powerful and feared clan of all?" he asked the silver-haired Jonin. "I will show you the true powers of the Sharingan from one with Uchiha blood." Kakashi's eyes widened.

"Asuma, Kurenai, close your eyes now!" he yelled. They immediately did as he commanded. Kakashi explained that he was now the only one who could take on Itachi, Sharingan to Sharingan. Kaiya gulped, her eyes frantic. "And Kaiya…" She shot him a guilty expression, even though he couldn't see it.

"What is it, Kakashi?" she wondered.

"Get out of here," he said once more. "And that's the last time I'm going to tell you. Whatever bond the two of you had back then, it's gone now. Itachi is an S-class criminal, and the last thing on his mind is you. Not only that… If you're killed by Itachi, neither Sasuke nor Naruto will forgive me. Don't be selfish, Kaiya. Go." Itachi lowered his eyes. Sasuke, huh?

Beads of sweat trailed down Kaiya's face, slipping from under her headband and down off of her face. She knew Kakashi was right, but she couldn't just leave them all there to fend for themselves. If Kakashi died there, she would never forgive him either.

"I…" She clenched her fists, lowering her head. "I can't," she admitted. Kakashi frowned.

"Kaiya—" Before Kakashi could say anything else, Itachi's clone swung at her. She easily blocked it, but the force sent her skidding across the concrete.

"Oomph!"

"Kisame, take care of Kaiya," the seventeen-year-old instructed. Kisame turned back to her. He chuckled at the troubled look in her eyes, rearing back his sword.

"Since your friends are busy, there's no one to keep me from tearing you limb from limb!"

As Kisame ran at Kaiya, he slammed his sword downward, right at her. Instead of running, she made hand signs. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" The former Mist shinobi was swallowed up in the flames. Kakashi's eyes widened as he turned around. More sweat trickled down his brow.

When did she learn that jutsu? he asked himself. Did Sasuke teach her? Or could it have been…

Itachi's eyes trailed to the sidewalk; they lowered. Kisame was thrown to the ground with hardly a scratch on him, thanks to Samehada. He pushed himself to his feet, glaring at Kaiya, gritting his teeth.

"Well, well," he mocked, raising his sword for another go. "Looks like you know Itachi's jutsu. Not that it'll do you any good." She made more seals and slammed her palms on the ground.

"Earth Style: Spiked Earth Cage!" Kisame's eyes widened as the earth beneath his feet crumbled, rising up above his head. Sharp spikes shot out of the ground, but he managed to dodge all of them. However, he wasn't fast enough to escape the earth rising on either side of him as they crashed together, crushing him.

Kaiya stood and watched, breathing heavily as her headband slid off of her forehead and onto the ground. Did I…?

Kakashi couldn't believe what he was seeing. Earth Style? So, she has two chakra natures. Then Kuro Kensei is as good as they say…even so, it still isn't enough to compete with S-class criminals.

Kaiya wondered if her team had made it to the rendezvous point yet. If they hadn't, they would soon enough. She didn't know how long it would be before they came looking for her. It wasn't in her nature to be late—unlike her silver-headed guardian—so they would probably wait until the last minute to see if she showed up. She hoped this mess would be over by then, because she didn't want them stumbling upon a fight like this and getting involved.

Before she had a chance to think of anything, her eyes widened as she let out a choked yelp. "Ug!" She'd forgotten about Itachi's clone, which had come up behind her and hand chopped the back of her neck, sending her sliding across the ground, face-first.

"Kaiya!" Damn it... Kakashi had to face the real Itachi, so he wasn't able to come to her aid, for fear that Asuma and Kurenai would be left defenseless. Kaiya lifted her face off of the ground weakly, saliva sliding down the corner of her mouth. She shakily wiped it away, along with dirt and blood, glancing up at Itachi distastefully. She couldn't see him clearly, due to the spots in her vision.

"You…bastard," she muttered, taking quick, strained breaths. She'd never taken a hit to the throat before, and damn, it hurt.

"What do you know? You're still the weak, defenseless Kaiya I left behind that night," Itachi remembered. "Someone always has to come to your rescue." His eyebrows furrowed. "I was hoping you'd be stronger by now. It seems my hopes for you were just too high." Kaiya's eyes lowered as her hands trembled. He's right, she thought, staring at the concrete. Nothing's changed. I'm still as pathetic as I was five years ago.

The Uchiha approached her slowly and reached out for her, grabbing her collar and pulling her up off her feet. She struggled against his grip, but she was too lightheaded to free herself.

"Why?" She gritted her teeth. "Why are you here?! Answer me!" Itachi glared at her with the cold pupils of his Sharingan.

"That is none of your concern," he told her frigidly. "Now…" Taking the kunai that he'd used earlier, he once again pressed it firmly to her neck. The previous wound had already healed; only a scratch remained. "I'll take care of you, and then I'll deal with the others."

Sweat dripped down Kakashi's brow. He knew he had to make a decision, but he couldn't make up his mind. I can't leave Asuma and Kurenai to fend for themselves. But…I can't lose Kaiya, either.

"You're disappointing, Kaiya," Itachi whispered into her ear. "It appears you won't be able to keep your promise after all." Kaiya's eyes widened as fresh, warm blood trickled down her neck. What? Is he talking about…? Before Itachi had a chance to completely cut Kaiya's throat, a rumbling came from the earth she had trapped Kisame in. In only a matter of seconds, the rocks exploded, sending rocks flying everywhere. Breathing heavily, Kisame took his sword in both hands, giving her an icy glare that could pierce stone.

"You damn brat," he uttered, dirt crumbling off of his face. "I'll get you for that. I'll just go straight through Itachi's clone." Kaiya's head cleared just enough for her to move, deciding to use Kisame's distraction as a chance to get away. She twisted Itachi's wrist that held the kunai, and it clattered to the ground; she lifted her knee to his chest at the same time, hoping to catch him off guard. He blocked it, but his grip loosened just enough for Kaiya to break free. She pushed herself off of him, landing between the Uchiha and his exasperated partner, who was steadily charging her, sword raised high.

When he was close enough, Kaiya jumped out of the way of his swing, landing safely on the other side of him, opposite of Itachi. Kisame was so frustrated that he just went straight through the clone; it turned back to water and sloshed at Kaiya's feet. With his clone gone, Itachi turned his attention back to the three Jonin.

"Now, let us continue," he said. "Kisame can handle her." He watched as Kakashi tried to hide his relief that Kaiya had narrowly escaped death, and he could see the strain due to the fact she was still in danger. "You seem worried, Kakashi." The latter frowned underneath his mask; his eyes lowered. "You couldn't make the decision between your comrades and your 'mission', could you?" Kakashi glanced over at Kurenai and Asuma, who were asking what was going on.

"Kaiya's fine," he assured them. "She'll be fine. I'll handle Itachi." The latter blinked.

"You may have the Sharingan, but I have a genjutsu that cannot be beaten. Only an Uchiha can stop it." Kakashi's eyes widened. Sasuke…?! "Mangekyo Sharingan."

One second later, Kakashi fell to his knees, sweating buckets and breathing heavily.

"What's wrong with Kakashi?" Kurenai wondered. She and Asuma's eyes were still closed.

"Kakashi?" Asuma called. "What the hell happened just now?"

Kaiya jumped up and aimed a kick at Kisame, only to be stopped by his sword in midair. Before she could get out of range, spikes shot out of the bandages wrapped around the weapon, ripping her calf. Kaiya's eyes widened as pain exploded through her entire leg.

"Damn it!" she shouted, back flipping to safety. She toppled, watching as a pool of blood already lay at her feet. The agony was unbearable. She gasped and winced, shaking and biting her tongue to keep from screaming out; she grabbed at the ground, scraping her fingernails against the concrete. Her eyes glanced to her sensei as they called out to Kakashi. She stood to her feet again, doing her best to stay off of her right leg. I won't be able to move at this point. And my chakra…did that sword take it away somehow? Guess I'm screwed now.

"Hehehe. That ought to keep those fast little legs of yours from causing any more trouble," Kisame chuckled. "Now, how about I just cut them completely off since they're useless?" Kaiya's eyes widened. Looks like Kakashi was right…I should've run. I wasn't expecting to face this guy… She stood still, waiting to see what would happen next.

"Kisame, that's enough," Itachi said from across the lake. "She's no longer in our way." The blue-skinned man gave her one last glare before appearing next to his partner. He'd decided to give up arguing with him, and since he'd gotten revenge for her jutsu, he felt mildly satisfied with letting her go with her current injury.

"You're a lucky brat," he told Kaiya, before disappearing. She forced herself to look at the wound, no matter how messy it was. Her leg had been sliced almost completely off. Her skin was torn apart, almost to the bone. It was now entirely covered in blood, and it was going numb. Damn…damn…it hurts…

"Are you here for Sasuke?" Kakashi asked, struggling for air. Itachi glared at his former comrade. Kaiya gritted her teeth. No, he couldn't possibly—

"No," he answered. "We've come for the Fourth Hokage's Legacy." Kakashi's eyes widened. Kurenai and Asuma gasped.

"The Fourth Hokage's Legacy, you say?" Kakashi reiterated.

"What do they want with him?" Kurenai wondered. Despite the unbelievable pain she was in, Kaiya did her best to listen to their conversation, hoping to find out some information about where Itachi had been all this time, and what it was exactly that he was after. She didn't catch much, but she did hear the latter part of the conversation:

After thinking for a moment, Kakashi asked, "Your target is the nine-tailed fox inside of Naruto, isn't it?" Kaiya's eyes widened; she gasped. What the hell? They're after Naruto?

She couldn't see anything from her position except Itachi and Kisame. She was able to catch a glimpse of the alert on Itachi's face.

"You belong to an organization known as the Akatsuki, don't you?" Kakashi questioned.

"Akatsuki?" Asuma repeated quizzically.

Itachi lowered his head. "Kisame…we'll take Kakashi. We don't need the rest of them. Also, kill Kaiya too." The latter's eyes widened, but there was no time to think. She couldn't move anyway, so there was really nothing she could do but wait to die.