I almost split this into two chapters because it is SO long! It's a lot of character study and interaction that will set up the more action-packed chapters to come ;)


Chapter 48: The Not-so-Calm Before the Storm

"It's Gaara - he got captured by Akatsuki!"

Kaiya's eyes bulged. "What?!" She hurriedly opened her door and pulled Naruto inside with her. "Tell me what happened!"

"I dunno, exactly," he said hurriedly. "But a message came from Suna, and Tsunade-baa-chan is sending Team Kakashi right away - she said to get you before we went, something about seals-"

Kaiya nodded, closing her eyes and focusing. "I just need five minutes. Where do I meet you guys?"

"Front gate." He tugged at her arm again. "C'mon, let's go!"

"Five minutes, Naruto," she said firmly, pointing at her casual dress. "I can't go on a mission like this - I have to change and get my gear. I'll meet you there. And Naruto!" He'd just raised his hands to form a sign. "Remember what I told you last night - we can't tell anyone about our parents, just that we're related." It had pained her to make Naruto keep the secret, but in a sign of maturity, he'd agreed.

"Naruto," Kaiya said softly as his eyes started to droop. "Before you go to sleep - look, we can't tell anyone who our parents are."

"Huh? Why?"

Kaiya chose her words carefully. "You're a Jinchuuriki, Otouto - and there are people out there who already want you for that. You've made quite a name for yourself already in some places…" She thought of the bridge now named after him, and of Gaara. "But our father was famous and infamous, all over the continent. If it got out that you were his son AND the Kyuubi's vessel, it would make you way too easy to find. Do you understand?"

Naruto considered her words. "The people you say want me - you mean that group, right? The one…the one with Sasuke's brother." His eyes hardened.

"Akatsuki," Kaiya nodded. "They already know who you are, now…and Naruto, they're moving forward with their plans. We don't want to draw any further unnecessary attention to you - and coming out as the Fourth's son? That definitely qualifies as 'unnecessary attention!'"

Naruto nodded. "I know, Nee-chan." He formed his hand sign and 'poofed' out.

Kaiya rushed to change into her mission clothes. A calm had washed over her, the same calm she felt any time one of her 'siblings' needed her. She was focused, alert, with no hint of panic creeping into her thoughts. Everything was clear: her vision sharpened and her nerves stood on end, ready to receive and send signals. Her muscles relaxed even as they tingled; tension would only slow her movement and hinder precision. She could feel the ebb and flow of her chakra and beating of her heart. Her mind became analytical, sifting through everything she'd learned about Bijuu extraction, categorizing the information and weighing the likelihood of different scenarios.

She checked her packs: standard weapons and gear, Hiraishin kunai and holster, scrolls, tags, canteen, food pills…she grabbed her notebook and an extra vial of chakra-infused ink. Only Gaara's seal would require the special ink. Here's hoping we get to him in time for me to use this…

This would be the true test of all her preparation from these past few years. This would be the first time coming in direct contact with Akatsuki since Uzushio…and there was a possibility of Itachi showing up. Kaiya emptied her mind for a moment, focusing on her breath. She was ready this time. She had to be.


As Sakura and the original Naruto left her office, Tsunade beckoned to Kakashi to stay behind. She dismissed everyone else, including Shizune. Kakashi found this curious, but waited patiently for the Hokage to speak.

When she did, her face looked worn. "Kakashi…there's something you need to know about Kaiya. I don't like telling you this, since it should really come from her, but it might affect this mission because of the Akatsuki association…"

"It's about her history with Itachi, isn't it?" Kakashi said quietly, startling the Hokage. "I've known for a while."

"So she told you?" Tsunade gave a somewhat relieved sigh. "Well, at least she's confiding in someone, then…we only figured it out through context clues…"

"We?"

Tsunade gave her brow a rub. "Jiraiya. She took out a lot of frustration and anger on him last night. She said something about her teacher being killed by someone she'd loved." She gave the Copy-Nin a level look. "Will this affect her ability to complete this mission, do you think?"

"She's gotten better with avoiding genjutsu, even eye-based," he responded clinically. "Her fighting style has become more offensive, which helps with her defense, too…and she's becoming quite adept at using Hiraishin in combat-"

"Kakashi," Tsunade interrupted. "You know that's not what I meant."

Kakashi closed his eyes in resignation. "I'm not completely sure…but the fact that Naruto is on this mission will keep her focused. If Itachi shows up, Kaiya will protect her brother."

"I'm not sure that's such a good thing," Tsunade muttered. "We need her to stay alive, and capable of analyzing and performing Fuinjutsu. There just isn't enough time to put together a different squad, one with fewer personal stakes." She stood. "I imagine I don't need to tell you this, but keep any eye on her, Kakashi. She's in a lot more pain than she lets on. It might make her reckless."


The team left quickly, leaping through the trees in formation until Naruto started rushing ahead.

"Oy, Naruto," Sakura called. "I know you're in a hurry, but don't disrupt the formation!"

"I'm not gonna just wait around, dattebayo!" he yelled back. "We can't waste time!"

Kaiya felt the same sense of urgency, but the team needed to pace itself. Besides ensuring an effective defense should they run across any opponents, the formation was intended to preserve their collective energy. If they arrived in Suna early but exhausted, they'd be useless. She looked down, trying to calm her own mounting frustration, when a sandy-haired head caught her eye. Oh god - she doesn't know…

"Temari!" She leaped down onto the path.

Temari looked up in surprise. "Kaiya?" The severe expression on the redhead's face immediately put her on edge; the rest of the team joining her only compounded the feeling. "What is it?"

Kaiya spoke quickly but clearly, not wanting to leave the other woman guessing. "Gaara was taken by Akatsuki - alive. We're on our way to Suna to help."

"What - Gaara?!" Temari's eyes widened and her face paled. Kaiya had an idea what was going through her head.

Kakashi spoke up. "We're still two and a half days out from Suna. Come on - we'll fill you in on the way."

They kept going, Naruto once more rushing ahead. Sakura called out to him again to slow down.

"Keep a cool head," Kakashi reminded him. "Didn't Jiraiya-sama just tell you that before we left?"

"I hate this!" Naruto shouted. "I know why they're after me and Gaara…they want the monsters inside of us. I can't stand it - they only see us as those demons, as things they can take and use!"

Temari's breath caught. This kid…he's a Jinchuriki, too? She looked from Naruto to Kaiya, who'd kept pace beside her the whole time. Kaiya's eyes were focused on her brother, intense and pained. She knows - of course she knows…no wonder Gaara trusts them both so much. Naruto's just the same, and she's probably seen how others treat people like them. Shame ate at her insides. But Kaiya…you didn't shy away from him, did you? What if Kankuro and I hadn't stayed away for so long…would things have been better for Gaara?

Kaiya's hand on her shoulder brought Temari out of her dark thoughts. The redhead spoke low so only Temari could hear. "I know what you're thinking, and stop it. You were a kid, surrounded by people who only said that Gaara was a weapon. Our village was forbidden from even talking about the Kyuubi, so most of our generation still doesn't know. Things were different, and there's nothing you can do to change the past. You're by Gaara's side now - that's what matters." She withdrew her hand. "Now - talk to me about what will happen in Suna until Gaara is brought back: what your council will do, what you'll need to do once you're there."

Temari felt a wet drop hit her cheek. She looked ahead in surprise. He's…crying…for my brother…and Kaiya's trying to keep me focused…She felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude toward the pair. Uzumaki Naruto, Uzumaki Kaiya…thank you. She turned her attention back to the redhead and spoke with her through the rest of the evening. Kaiya nodded and asked her questions, keeping Temari's mind on what she could do.


The trip was uneventful, but tense. Kaiya stuck close to Temari, sometimes talking with her, sometimes just being there. It's what she would have wanted had their positions been reversed. It was hard to believe that just twenty-four hours ago, she'd been beyond elated to have her brother back. She couldn't imagine - didn't want to imagine what would happen if it was Naruto who'd been taken by Akatsuki.

It was a relief to everyone when they finally reached Sunagakure no Sato two days later. The guards rushed them into the village, straight to the hospital and Kankuro's bedside. When they arrived, the team skidded into the room, only to be met by a small, elderly woman launching herself at Kakashi, murder in her eyes.

"White Fang of the Leaf!" the woman cried. "You will pay for what you did to my son!"

Kakashi seemed in shock at the accusation, so Naruto acted quickly, making shadow clones to block the woman's attacks. The woman was surprisingly spry, jumping backwards and landing like a cat, low to the floor. She made to pounce again.

A man whose face sagged with age to the point that his eyes barely seemed open stopped her. "Nee-chan, take a good look - that is not the White Fang. He died many years ago, do you remember? You cried tears of anger because you could no longer avenge your son."

The woman froze for a moment, seeming to be in shock. Then, her toothless mouth stretched into a laughing grin. "Gotcha - I was only pretending to be senile!"

"Kankuro!" Temari's strangled cry from the doorway redirected attention to the exam table. The puppet master was writhing in pain, clawing at his throat as the poison attacked his muscle tissue. Sakura immediately put her hair up and got to work examining him.

Kaiya stood by Temari. "I won't say 'don't worry,'" she said softly to the other woman, "because that's not going to happen, no matter what. But I can say this: you can rely on Sakura. She was trained by Tsunade herself."

The pinkette proved more than worthy of that reliance: Her quick assessment of the poison and subsequent extraction had everyone in the room in awe. Kaiya found herself watching the Hokage's apprentice intently, analyzing her method and admiring her precise chakra control almost to the point of envy.

For the next few hours, Sakura continued to work on extracting the poison. Kaiya, Kakashi, Naruto, and the old brother and sister sat on a bench near the doorway, watching, waiting. Kaiya's ears perked up when Naruto asked Kakashi who this 'White Fang' was. She noted with interest the woman's - Chiyo's - expression at his answer: surprise, then cold bitterness.

It struck Kaiya that it didn't matter whether the White Fang - Kakashi's father - had been honorable in battle or not; the fact that he'd killed Chiyo's son was enough for the woman to discard any pretense of international cooperation or friendship. She could have caused a diplomatic nightmare with her actions; the misunderstanding could have resulted in strained relations at the least…but it didn't matter, because she thought she was finally facing the man who'd killed her child.

How many grudges are still being nurtured? How long does it take for those wounds to heal? And how long do we keep paying for the crimes committed in the past?

Wars had a way of extending beyond battle grounds and treaties, past the years that marked them in the history books. Memorials and gravestones recalled the names of those who'd died in the line of duty, carrying out the will of their village or country. Stories were written of the exploits of the strongest warriors, some touting them as heroes, others as scourges, depending on which side of the long-ended conflict recited them. Monuments like the Valley of the End served as constant reminders that even a harmonious place like Konoha once had a bloody past.

Kaiya felt a weight on her shoulders and chest that had no physical source. She leaned forward onto her thighs, eyes cast down. The Valley of the End…bloody pasts…old grudges…She couldn't help recalling the story of the great battle that had happened at that place, so many decades ago. The history books had all claimed that when Uchiha Madara stood against the First Hokage, he'd been acting alone, and that the rest of the Uchiha clan had been completely exonerated of their association with their ousted leader. But were those ties really severed so completely in everyone's eyes?

The conversation she'd had with that civilian woman, almost two years ago now, sprang to her mind. No, she thought, troubled. There was still suspicion around them, even a decade before they were wiped out…

Kaiya hadn't thought much about the Uchiha massacre recently; between the difficulty in developing the lock seal, training, and then that 'mentorship' with Sai, she'd been stretched thin as it was. Now, though, in this forced calm-before-the-storm where she could do little else but think, Kaiya felt her old need to solve the mystery of the Uchiha Massacre resurface.

Very briefly, Hikaru's voice echoed in her head: "Kaiya…you have to let that go. You're letting this obsession with Uchiha Itachi rule your life! Why are you still so fixated on questions that have no answers?"

Kaiya's eyes hardened. He wouldn't understand. How could he?! A small voice in her mind reminded her that her friend had seen her after the massacre, when she was so certain that something was off, that there had to be another explanation for the atrocity.

Sasuke had finally fallen asleep, once more in his hospital bed. Kaiya tucked him in and brushed a dark lock from his face. She couldn't get Sasuke's cries for his brother out of her ears, couldn't erase Itachi's tears from her mind's eye. It couldn't be true. Itachi wasn't some cold-blooded killer. Sure, he was - had been - in Anbu, and those missions were rumored to be shady at best, but his own family? Something wasn't right, and it tugged hard at Kaiya's gut. She flickered from the hospital room - Sasuke would be out for a while; the nurses had given him a mild sedative to help him sleep.

She tapped urgently on Hikaru's window. He had barely unlatched the balcony door when she started talking in a rush. "We need to get the team together - something's not right about all of this. There has to be an explanation!"

"Kaiya, what are you tal-"

"What do you mean, 'what am I talking about?!'" she cried impatiently, pacing in his living room. "The - what happened last night! The Uchiha clan!"

"What - slow down, Kaiya, I just got up," Hikaru took his teammate's shoulders, noticing for the first time that her wrist was splinted. "What happened? Are you okay? Did someone-"

"I'm fine!" She shrugged him off. "That's not important! The entire clan - it's all gone. But they're saying…" She shook her head. "They've got to be wrong. There's no way he would -"

"KAIYA!" Hikaru had to shake her to get her to focus on him and stop moving. "Tell me what happened. I'm in the dark here. What do you mean, the entire Uchiha clan is gone?"

She did focus, albeit briefly. "They're…dead," she said simply. "All of them…except for Sasuke…" She started trembling as the images of the bodies flashed through her head. "Hikaru…they think…they're saying that Itachi…"

Hikaru paled, but set his jaw firmly and led the redhead to his couch, grabbing a blanket for her shoulders. He recognized the signs of emotional shock.

Kaiya felt like her very organs were shaking. "They're wrong, they have to be - he would never…" Pain shot through her wrist; images of Itachi's eyes, tear-filled, then cold and hard, competed for dominance in her mind. She swallowed, throat dry, breath quickening. "That's why we need to get the team together, now! They must have missed something. They can't just accuse him like this, I mean, how would they know for sure?"

She looked at Hikaru and was confused by his expression. He looked like he was afraid of her. "What? What are you looking at me like that for?"

"Kaiya…" He slowly shook his head. "I think they would know, if they're already saying that…"

She pushed off the couch sharply, eyes blazing, manic. "No, they DON'T! They don't know him!" She spun around. "If you won't help me, I'll just prove it myself!"

Kaiya's hands tightened into fists under her chin. Hikaru is wrong - this isn't an addiction. There is something not right about all of this. And I am NOT like I was back then - I can handle this!

"Nee-chan…?" Naruto's voice brought her head back up. His eyes shone with concern; Kaiya realized that her hands had tightened so much that her knuckles were stark white. If it hadn't been for her gloves, her nails would have bitten into her palms. "Are you okay?"

She gave him a smile, hoping it didn't look fake. "Yeah, no worries - just thinking."

On Naruto's other side, Kakashi filed this away in his head. Whatever Kaiya was thinking, he recognized the determined glint in her eyes, the stubborn clench of her jaw. Now wasn't the time to talk to her about it though, as much as he wanted confirmation that she was, indeed, keeping her focus on the mission at hand. Sakura had just siphoned the last of the concentrated poison from Kankuro's body. It would be time to carry onto the next phase of the rescue soon.

"Okay," said the pinkette, wiping her brow. "He's out of the woods. I drew as much of the poison out as I could; he'll be weak and numb for a bit, but he'll make a full recovery!"

The whole crowd sighed in relief. Temari, realizing her brother was going to be okay, backed against a wall and sank down to the floor, her limbs letting go of all the built-up tension from the past few days at once. Kaiya felt her own lungs empty; she hadn't realized it, but she must have been half-holding her breath.

Pushing aside her thoughts on investigations, she went and sat next to Temari. The questions about the massacre could wait; Temari needed a friend right now. Kaiya said nothing, just gave the woman's hand a squeeze. Temari looked back at her, breathing freely for the first time in days, and squeezed back. He's all right…he's all right…They both knew that this relief wouldn't last until Gaara was home safe as well, but for now, it was welcome.


When he awoke, Kankuro provided a scrap of cloth taken from one of the Akatsuki invaders; Kakashi summoned his ninken to follow the scent and find where they'd taken Gaara. In the meantime, Kakashi took up Suna's offer to put the team up for the night. He caught Kaiya's eye; she nodded. It would also be a good time to apply the lock seal to Naruto.

Kaiya went to Naruto, who'd grudgingly agreed to resting in the village after Kakashi pointed out that the next day, they'd all need their full strength.

"Come on," she said, putting an arm around him. "I have something for you."

One of the Suna guards led them to a pair of rooms - one for Naruto and Kakashi, one for Sakura and Kaiya. The siblings dropped their bags in their respective rooms (Kaiya having transported Sakura's as well, since the pinkette was still hard at work on an antidote) before reconvening in the "boys'" room.

Kaiya unrolled a scroll with a seal diagram. "This is something I came up with while you were away," she explained. "A sort of extra lock to put onto the door holding in the Kyuubi. If someone tries to take it from you, this will slow them down."

Naruto looked at his sister in awe. "You made this?"

She nodded and smiled softly at him. "I'm not about to let anyone capture you, Naruto - but if something were to happen, I wanted to give you something that could help. I'm working on others, too - maybe even something that could remove the Kyuubi safely."

"So - wait," Naruto interrupted, confused. "It's possible to take the Kyuubi out of me?"

She frowned. "It is - but right now, the only methods that exist for that…" Kaiya trailed off, unsure that she should have brought this up. If Naruto found out that extraction killed the host, and that that was what was likely happening to Gaara now…he'd never sleep, and he wouldn't be refreshed enough come morning. He might even try to leave in the middle of the night, alone, wandering the desert with no idea where to even find Gaara…

She chose a lighter version of the explanation. "Well, those methods are extremely dangerous, and difficult. There isn't really a reliable one yet." It's a half-truth, she assured herself. Not actually false…just not the whole story…

Kaiya refocused on the formula. "Let's get this thing on you then, shall we? Shirt off - it'll go around the seal on your stomach."

He took off his jacket and mesh. "How does this thing work, exactly?"

"Well," she began, directing him to lie down and using the Revelation jutsu to make the Eight Trigram Seal show. "This seal - the one keeping the Kyuubi in - is a bit like a locked door, or I guess more like a gate. It lets some of your chakra into the Kyuubi, and some of its chakra out to you. The flow is almost imperceptible usually; you'd only notice it in times of stress."

Naruto nodded. "I've felt it before…when I was really upset, or angry, or when I just really needed it…Pervy Sage was trying to teach me how to control it."

Kaiya frowned at the mention of Jiraiya, but quickly relaxed her expression before Naruto could notice. "Anyway, the lock seal is like a bunch of little knots for your chakra. It'll only activate when triggered, either by you falling unconscious or you intentionally setting it off. I made sure to specify things so it only goes off under certain conditions…Once activated, the lock shuts off the chakra flow around the Kyuubi seal, blocking all access to the beast's chakra."

She took off her gloves and rubbed her hands together, warming them and gathering her own chakra. "This will only take a minute or so. I want you to pay attention to how the seal feels as it goes into place - I'll be showing you how to manually trigger it after, and it helps to have a sense of the thing first."

Before she started, Kaiya took a moment to really study the Eight Trigrams Seal. She'd seen it before on Naruto's belly when he was a baby - it sometimes showed up if he was in distress, even then. The Third had kept a diagram of it in the Fuinjutsu archives, so she'd been able to study it on paper. This was the first time she'd looked at it in person and able to understand the symbols, though.

Naruto noticed her expression: she looked almost sad, like she was missing something, or someone, and the seal reminded her of that. "What is it?"

Kaiya traced the swirling lines of the seal with her fingers, not touching, just hovering. She knew Naruto was very ticklish.

"This seal…" she said softly, eyes distant. "Our father is the one who performed this…this is his writing…"

It couldn't have been more different from Gaara's. Besides being a far more balanced design overall, the strokes of the script were…elegant. Kaiya could imagine that the seal had been applied in a hurry, and yet there were no lines out of place, no sign of rushing. Every mark was deliberate, purposeful, yet still allowed for flexibility.

She had to tear her eyes away from it; the lines were mesmerizing, but she had a more important task at hand. "When this is over, I want to do a more thorough examination of your seal, Naruto," she told the blond. "Knowing just how it works may be key to protecting you from extraction attempts. In the meantime, the lock seal should help, too." She gave him a confident smile. "Just relax - it won't take long, but it might tickle."

Naruto watched as she cupped her hands around the swirling seal. He felt a sensation like a thin pen tip gliding over his skin. She was right; it did tickle a little, and he had to fight to keep from laughing or twitching. There was no pain, and he wasn't sure he even felt a difference, but he did feel her chakra gently guiding the new marks around the symbols on his stomach. It was warm, steady, bright, and made him feel…safe.

After applying the new seal and showing him how to activate it (and warning him not to do so unless the situation was truly dire), Kaiya gave him a soft, reassuring smile. "Get some sleep. You need your full strength to face tomorrow." She reached out and ruffled his hair. "I'll be right beside you, the whole time."

Naruto smiled back up at her. "Thank you…Nee-chan."


Sakura came into the room she was sharing with the redhead and collapsed into bed. Kaiya, who'd been sketching designs in her notebook, looked up from the other bed. "Any luck with the antidote?"

Skura smiled tiredly. "More than luck - I was able to make three doses. Just gave Kankuro one of them."

Kaiya smiled. "That was amazing, what you did in there, Sakura."

"Hm?" Sakura looked over to her, brows raised. "Oh - no, I just did what Tsunade-sama taught me."

"No," Kaiya insisted. "You've got some serious skill! I've been working with Shizune for the past couple years, and between you and me, I think you actually have a better instinct. Don't get me wrong - Shizune is amazing - but she tends to be overly cautious sometimes. You take appropriate risks and act quickly."

Sakura blinked at her and blushed. "You really think so?"

Kaiya nodded and smiled teasingly. "I don't just hand these compliments out freely!"

"Ah - thank you…" Sakura stared at the ceiling. "I just hope it's all enough…I worked so hard these past couple years so I wouldn't be a burden to anyone…so I could help Naruto, and Sasuke-kun…" She trailed off.

Kaiya set down her notebook. "I know the feeling," she said softly. "I've been doing the same."

"Kaiya…" Sakura sat up and faced the redhead. "Can I ask you something? About Sasuke-kun, and his brother…how did you know them, before? I mean, Sasuke-kun seemed to know you already…"

Kaiya sighed. "Well…I told you that I was in the Academy around the same time as Uchiha Itachi, right? We started the same year, though he finished within months…" She paused, not sure how to continue, how much to say, or even how to explain. "I did know him for longer than that - or at least I thought I did. I guess…the easiest way to describe it is that it's a bit like you and Sasuke."

Sakura's eyes widened in understanding. "You - you were in love with him?"

Kaiya gave a small nod. "I…was. So yeah - I do know something about what you and Naruto are going through with Sasuke, and not just because I miss the kid."

Sakura was in shock. In all the times she and Kaiya had spoken - and they had on several occasions in the medical research wing now - she never seemed like the type to go for…well, for a psychopath. It's not totally the same as with Sasuke…he didn't kill his whole clan…

"Sasuke-kun isn't the same as Itachi, though," she said softly. She didn't want to offend Kaiya, but she felt the need to say this all the same. "He isn't…"

"A mass murderer?" Kaiya supplied bluntly. "I know. With him, it's not a matter of bringing him back home. Trust me, I know that. And as long as he's after Naruto, it doesn't matter what he…once meant to me. I will fight anyone who comes after Naruto, or goes against my family and village. I guess you could say that's my Nindo."

Sakura looked down, ashamed to have brought the topic up. "I'm sorry, Kaiya…"

She shook her head. "You have nothing to apologize for." She closed her notebook, sealing it with a touch. "I'm going to get some air before turning in. Sleep well, Sakura."

"You too, Kaiya…"


Kaiya wandered down the hallway. There was a small outdoor landing along part of the floor that overlooked the village of Suna. She stood with her hands on the railing, taking in the darkened cityscape below. The chill desert night air was refreshing and Kaiya felt better just for being outside.

After a few minutes, the sliding glass door opened, and Kakashi came beside her and leaned on the railing. "Bit stifling in there?"

She shrugged. "Needed some air, I guess." She glanced at her companion. "When do we leave?"

"As soon as Pakkun comes back with a location," he answered. "Hopefully early morning. A message came from Konoha - Tsunade is sending Team Guy for backup. You got that lock seal onto Naruto?"

She nodded. "It's all set. Team Guy, huh? Good - we'll need a group that specializes in combat."

"How are you holding up?"

"I'm not the one you should be worried about." She looked back out over the village. "You know, it's been three days now since they took Gaara. At this rate, our best hope of rescuing him is in their method taking a lot of time." Her jaw tightened.

"I know," he said in a low voice. "What would you say is the worst case scenario?"

She thought for a moment, keeping her mind cool and clinical. "Worst case would be something like what happened at the last Chunin Exam: one of them extracts the Shukaku in order to become the next Jinchuriki themselves. It takes less time because it's basically a glorified chakra transfer - maybe the better part of a day at most, less if the person is adept at those techniques."

"In which case, we might be too late already," Kakashi muttered darkly. "But it seems unlikely that they would go through all that trouble if they were just trying to create new vessels for their own use."

"I agree," she nodded. "They waited a long time to do this, and even if the goal was that each member was to become a Jinchuriki, there's no guarantee that they'd be compatible with the beasts. Besides, that extraction method is no secret; they could've started any time."

"True…" Kakashi glanced back at her. "What is the more likely scenario, then?"

"Assuming that much prep time?" Her brows rose in consideration. "Honestly, it's hard to say. There really aren't any records of extractions that take that much time and planning."

"But you have a theory, don't you?" It was more a statement than a question. "And there's the fact that Akatsuki tried to get you early on…at one point at least, they wanted a talented, creative seal specialist for their plans."

She blushed at the compliment. "Or at the very least, they didn't want…" She suddenly cut herself off, eyes widening as a theory hit her. "No way…"

Kakashi turned to her fully. "What is it?"

"My second Uzushio trip," she started. "I was intercepted by Root on the way out there, and they had me - but I woke up at the Uzumaki Strait…What if it was Akatsuki? I know it sounds ridiculous-"

"No," Kakashi mused, eyes narrowing. "It actually would make sense…You said that Itachi and Kisame were waiting for you along the way back, right? So they knew what route you were taking."

Kaiya shook her head in disbelief. "It did cross my mind back then that someone had dropped me at the Strait on purpose - that they wanted me to make it to Uzushio…"

"There's a chance that was actually Root, though," Kakashi argued, considering all possibilities in his head. "Such an underhanded tactic suits Danzo's style, and you did black out…"

Kaiya shook her head immediately, then hesitated. She had it on good authority that wasn't what had happened, but she couldn't say so without admitting that she'd been speaking in secret with the Root leader. "Maybe…but the Akatsuki angle makes more sense. They wanted me to get to Uzushio and do my research - they must have known why I was going, somehow…though I guess it wouldn't be that hard to put together, once they knew that I was going to Uzushio at all…"

"Which raises the question of how they knew that in the first place," Kakashi added. "If they're still on good terms with Orochimaru, maybe…" That was a frightening thought. "But one thing at a time. Whatever Akatsuki is planning, it's possible they wanted you to complete your research before capturing you. The fact that they apparently managed whatever it is they're doing without you hopefully means they're not so interested anymore…but they might still target you."

"Great," Kaiya mumbled sarcastically. "Just what I was hoping for - another bulls-eye on my back. Perfect for helping me sleep tonight…think we could change the subject for now?"

"What do you have in mind?"

Kaiya thought for a moment. A small smile passed her lips and she tilted her head back toward him. "You know, before today, I don't think I've ever heard you talk about your father."

Kakashi's face was carefully blank. If she hadn't been standing just a couple feet away and looking directly at him, Kaiya might not have noticed the subtle tightening of his jaw under the mask. "Not much to say."

Oops, sensitive subject…She raised her eyebrows but didn't press. She knew the Copy-Nin well enough now to recognize when there was something he simply did not talk about.

Looking back over the village, she said lightly, "Actually, I feel like there's not much I do know about you. Kind of unfair if you think about it…I mean, you knew my parents, and you've sort of known me my whole life - no, I'm not mad at you about that anymore," she added with a teasing, sidelong smile. "But come on…you even know my favorite food and my birthday. I don't know yours."

Kakashi kept his gaze on the village below. When it seemed he wasn't about to contribute to the conversation further, Kaiya turned her own eyes forward again, vaguely disappointed.

"Salt-grilled sanma."

Kaiya snapped her head back to Kakashi. He turned his head a few degrees to look at her. "And September fifteenth."

The smile that spread slowly across her face could have lit a thousand rooms - at least, that's what it seemed to Kakashi, watching her from the corner of his eye. For a brief moment, she reminded him of when they'd "first" met over three years ago: full of vibrant energy, finding humor and opportunity in the most surprising situations. What had happened to that person?

Kakashi thought back to Tsunade's words: She's in a lot more pain than she lets on…

Kakashi was no stranger to that kind of pain. The deaths of his parents, his comrades, and his mentor followed him wherever he went. She's never seen war, he reflected. But she knows loss, and betrayal…

That betrayal…Anytime he thought about how Uchiha Itachi must have used her, toyed with her for whatever end, a bitter taste entered his mouth. He'd long ago given up on figuring out the prodigy's thought process; to try was to tempt madness. Once again, the image of Kaiya in that field, screaming at the air, flashed in his mind.

"Kaiya…" She looked over at him, her smile fading when she registered his expression and tone. He hated himself for making that smile disappear, but he had to say this. "Itachi wasn't one of the Akatsuki members who captured Gaara, but we still might have to face him. I need to know that, should that happen, you are mentally prepared to do what is necessary for this mission."

He expected anger, a verbal tongue-lashing, maybe a huff. Kaiya surprised him with thoughtful silence, instead. When she spoke, there was no venom, or sarcasm, or indignation - only calm reflection. "You know why I started developing that barrier trap seal in the first place?"

He was confused by the unrelated question. "To create an impenetrable barrier."

Her lips quirked upward. "That wound up being its purpose, yes, but initially it was just a bonus. I made it so I wouldn't have to keep chasing Naruto any time he tried to run away from something he didn't want to do."

A full smile spread across her face. "He's always been a handful - you know he hates getting shots? He used to hate homework too, and training, at least when it required intense focus. Well, I guess he still doesn't like homework…He'd try just about anything to slip away when I tried to make him do those things. I could usually catch him, but I got tired of it constantly interrupting what we were doing. So I had an idea: make a barrier where I could go in and out as needed, but if the target tried to leave, they'd wind up right back where they were when the barrier was set. No high-speed chases needed. Granted, by the time I could make it work, it wasn't even needed for him anymore!"

She sobered and looked out over darkened roofs of the Sand huts. "I guess, in one way or another, most of what I've done in my life was for him, or at least for the kids at the orphanage. What I'm trying to say is…well, I actually just said it to Sakura: It doesn't matter what there was between Itachi and me back then. If he is after Naruto, or any of my family, I will fight. I will do whatever is necessary to protect my family."

Kaiya…She kept surprising him. The depth of her love for Naruto, and for all of her patchwork "family," was astounding to him. Kakashi felt it again: that desire to open up to her, to share in that devotion, to become a worthy recipient of it as he gave the same to her in full.

He turned toward her just as she turned back toward the door. He started reaching out to her, his hand seeking her warmth. "Kaiya…"

She stopped and glanced back at him inquisitively.

Kakashi lowered his hand. "I…wanted to say sleep well. We have a hard few days coming up."

She nodded. "Same to you."

After she left, Kakashi gave the railing a single pound of frustration.


Making her way back to the room she shared with Sakura, Kaiya ran her hands over her hair. One minute, she thinks Kakashi is starting to open up to her, the next he's all business. Granted, I haven't been so open with him lately, either…

The thought pained her more than she thought was possible. She shook her head in an attempt to clear it. Another topic rattled into place.

Was Akatsuki the reason Root hadn't been able to capture her?

The logic was still sound. If they had intended to use her skills, it would have been better to wait until she was fresh from her archive research. Kabuto had hinted that he knew who her "rescuers" were…well, if it was Akatsuki, chances were Kisame and Itachi had been the team. It was possible that it was a different team on the way to Uzushio, but she was only there maybe two weeks. Why bother with a team change?

As she considered this new hypothesis further, something else about that trip sprung to mind: Whoever had "rescued" her from Root had taken the time to return her kunai…the ones with her old Hiraishin formula…

Kaiya felt her face pale; her steps slowed to a halt. There should have been no reason for an Akatsuki member to gather and replace her weapons, especially ones with a Space-Time formula inscribed. Finding them would have taken extra time, and it would make more sense for them to just keep them, maybe study the formula for their own use…but instead, that person took that time and effort to return them to her…

Itachi?

A small flicker ignited in her chest, the likes of which she hadn't felt since realizing that there was a way to make the lock seal work. It was much milder, and held back by stubborn doubt and the voices of everyone who'd say it wasn't possible if they knew what she was thinking right now…but it was there.

It was hope.


So...what have we learned today?

1. Kaiya's "Nindo:" She will do whatever it takes protect her 'family' (Naruto, of course, as well as the rest of her "patchwork family"). Big surprise, I know, but hopefully revealed in an adorable way :) Plus, the reason she developed her Barrier Trap Seal in the first place!

2. Kaiya's thought quite a bit about war before. I wonder why...

3. Hikaru's fears over Kaiya's obsession/addiction with solving the massacre? Well, now we see where he got those fears from. She was manic immediately after the Night.

4. Kaiya finally learns Kakashi's birthday and favorite food. Cuteness and steaminess ALMOST ensue, but they both chicken out again :P

...oh yeah, and Kaiya has more concrete evidence that she WAS right about Itachi all along - not hard evidence, but something meaningful!

Did I miss anything?

Next Time: They Meet Again! Team Kakashi heads to the Akatsuki hideout, but gets blocked along the way...leading to another face-to-face between Kaiya and Itachi. Stay tuned!