Author Notes: You guys... I am amazed but your increased response with every chapter and want to thank everyone who takes the time to leave a review, it's the best and keeps me going!

Thank you as always MegaDarkly for helping me through this chapter and for your quick feedback!

Heishi=soldier

This whole chapter follows episode 197-198 and I stole some lines from it. Also, I added some lyrics from Fleurie's Soldier song in here. it inspired me for this chapter.

Enjoy!

Chapter 17

..~**~..

Kiba hated nothing more than waiting on the sidelines while others fought but Katsuyu had been clear. Naruto was fighting Pein and he didn't need anyone else interfering.

They had to believe in him.

He wrinkled his nose at the smell of death in the air. His mother and him had been lucky to make it out alive after Konoha's destruction but so many others – civilians mostly – had been crushed under the weight of the buildings.

He thought of Shino and Hinata, wondered if they had made it out alive. Shino was nowhere to be found but he could smell Hinata's faint scent on the air. She was nearby.

Shikamaru, Ino and their dads were nearby too and Kiba had every intention of joining them when his nose picked up another scent.

One he hadn't come across in days.

Beside him, Akamaru whined.

"What the hell is she doing?" his Ma asked, and he followed her line of sight towards a lone, masked ninja heading straight for Hinata's group.

Lucy…

She pounced on another masked shinobi who had been holding Hinata back, taking them both by surprise.

"Hinata, go!" His ears picked up on the strained voice behind the mask and he watched with wide eyes as his teammate ran head first towards Naruto and Pein.

What was she thinking? She was going to get herself killed!

But then he remembered when Naruto was concerned, his purple-haired teammate seemed to lack all common sense.

His Ma gave a low whistle. "Didn't you tell me that girl just passed the Genin exams?"

Kiba's attention turned back to Lucy who was dancing around the taller masked ANBU, dodging his attacks with more grace and ease than he'd ever seen from her. He'd heard from Sakura she had left to train outside of the village. If that was the case, then what was she doing back here attacking a fellow shinobi? Why had she let Hinata run into danger?

His senses were going wild, but he also trusted Lucy to do the right thing. He was one of the few who knew the truth about her visions of the future after all.

After watching her stumble from a particularly vicious punch, Kiba turned to his canine partner.

"Let's go, Akamaru!"

He had every intention to kick the ANBU's ass.

"Kiba, stop," his Ma's sharp voice ordered him. "That's not a regular ANBU, that's Danzou-sama's man. We cannot get involved."

"But, Ma-" How could she expect him to just stand there and watch his friend get pummeled to the ground?

"You can't intervene, but maybe he can." She motioned at the other masked shinobi standing slightly to one side. His mask was all white, similar to Lucy's, with the kanji four above the brow.

Kiba clicked his tongue and headed straight towards him. If this guy wasn't going to help Lucy then he would, consequences be damned!

As he approached, his nose picked up on various scents coming off the shinobi but the strongest smell almost made him stumble. He didn't want to believe his senses, but Inuzuka noses never lied.

"Do something!" he exclaimed, gesturing towards Lucy's current fight with the ANBU. "Don't just stand there, go! She needs your help!"

The masked shinobi looked from Kiba to Lucy and back again, eyes narrowed behind his mask. His posture was stiff and his shoulders tense as he debated whether to intervene or not. Something was holding him back.

After a moment, Kiba lost his patience and grabbed him by the front of his black uniform.

"So it's okay for you to fuck her, but you won't man up and save her?" he growled, a clear threat in his voice.

"Kiba!" his Ma warned him, but he didn't relent, his grip tightening further.

The shinobi's eyes went wide before he turned to look at Lucy lifting her mask just enough to spit out blood before muttering a few choice words to her opponent.

Kiba released him. "Go!"

The shinobi disappeared, his body flickering to the girl's side. Kiba couldn't hear the words they exchanged, nor Lucy's expression behind her mask, but he noticed how close they stood next to each other. He ignored the clench of his stomach as he tried not to let their proximity affect him.

What was Lucy doing with these people? What kind of training was she going through? And who was this Danzou guy his Ma had mentioned?

He had so many questions burning through his mind but knew now wasn't the time for answers. Retreating back to Akamaru's side, a sudden burst of wind and chakra almost blew him off his feet. Dark chakra radiated throughout Konoha and Kiba's skin prickled with uneasiness. He brought up his hand to shield himself from the rain of debris thrown their way and peering down below, he spotted a sphere of dark red, evil chakra full of anger and hate.

"Naruto has released four tails," Katsuyu's voice rang out over the chaos.

Catching the look of panic on his Ma's face, he reached for Akamaru on instinct for reassurance as dread twisted in his gut.

..~**~..

..~**~..

"Kinoto-sensei, she needs a medic," Four stated, defying our leader.

I sat on the hard ground between the two men, atop of the Hokage Mountain, dazed but safe from the crazy fight below between the Kyuubi and Pein. Blood trickled down my arm from a gash as I clutched my aching stomach where Aka, the Ookami team member, had struck.

Adrenaline and anger pumped in my veins keeping me from feeling the worst of the pain.

Four's sudden arrival at my side as I faced Aka had been a huge relief. There was no way I could have held my own against him. Four had blocked all his attacks until the sudden release of Kyuubi's chakra took us by surprise.

Before we could get our bearings, Kinoto had appeared, cutting the fight short and dragging Four and I to the Hokage Mountain before throwing me to the ground.

"Next time either of you idiots pick a fight with another team, you better make sure you can finish it," our leader snarled, frowning like thunder. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sensei," Four and I echoed.

Of course, that's what he's worried about. I made Team Tora look weak and that reflects poorly on him.

Thankfully, Kinoto hadn't seen me throw myself at Aka or even Hinata and the ongoing fight had us all distracted.

I didn't know if it was the after-effects of my fight or the murderous chakra in the air from the Kyuubi, but I was seething with rage. Kinoto could do his worst, I knew I had done good. By going after Aka, Hinata had made it to Naruto, and everything was back on track as it should be.

Nothing else matters.

Kinoto dismissed Four and then disappeared himself with a pop and trail of smoke leaving me to fend for myself atop the mountain.

It's my punishment, I realised. He was putting me in the corner like a bad child, refusing to send me a medic for disobeying orders, but I didn't care. I had done what I needed to do and Kinoto could suck it.

I kept my focus on the battle below, watching Kyuubi rage against Pein, destroying everything in its path and a strange sense of satisfaction enveloped me.

What felt like hours later, when the battle was over, I lay flat on the ground, light-headed from loss of blood and panting for breath. I watched in fascination as a myriad of green souls swirled around the village, resurrecting the dead.

I've done it.

I closed my eyes, feeling somewhere in the rubble Kakashi's chakra flare to life, and I grinned. I couldn't sense Genma but I knew he'd make it too.

Pein is gone.

And then in my delirious state, I was laughing. I opened my eyes to look at the brilliant blue sky above, not a cloud in the sky. It was a perfect day.

The threat is over. And soon, Danzou will leave.

Kinoto returned with another ninja in tow.

"She's lost a lot of blood," the stranger exclaimed before his soothing healing chakra began to spread through my body.

I barely clung on to consciousness, pale, blue sky swimming before my eyes.

A warm hand brushed hair away from my eyes before coming to rest on top of my head.

"I hope you've learned your lesson, Six," Kinoto's low voice spoke and cold fury settled in the pit of my stomach as his fingers weaved through my hair. "We'll make a soldier out of you yet."

Fuck you.

..~**~..

Soldier keep on marching on

The next few days were a mess and the anger I had felt since my fight with Aka and the aftermath with Kinoto didn't leave. It weighed on me whenever I went, wrapped around my shoulders like a cloak I could never shrug off.

I was in a horrible mood and every training with Kinoto or meeting with Danzou just seemed to amplify my anger and hate.

At first I thought the sudden mood swings may have been hormonal and was panicked at the thought of being pregnant, but as Three calmly reminded me, I had received a birth control shot same as every kunoichi when I had joined. Besides, what I was experiencing wasn't typical mood swings. There was something inside me, something hateful that made me want to lash out. For the first time in days, I was no longer fearful of spars and fights - I was itching for them.

But training had taken a backseat as we were kept busy in the makeshift camp Konoha had become. Tsunade was in a coma and what remained of the village had to be both cleared of all debris and also organized as a camp for shinobi and villagers alike. Tents were quickly erected in an orderly fashion and whatever time Team Tora didn't spend training or on border patrol, we were working in the crater helping with tents, cleaning up debris, unloading supplies, and distributing rations and water.

The underground tunnels where we had previously trained had collapsed and the rest deemed unsafe so training was now held far away in the forest outside the village walls.

At times I sensed familiar chakra - Kakashi, Kiba or Sakura - but we never crossed paths. It was a tense and strange time as everyone worked collectively while waiting for the Daimyo and his advisors to arrive. The Daimyo was supposed to appoint a new Hokage to succeed Tsunade and re-establish a much needed chain of command which was currently divided between Danzou, the Elders, and Shikamaru's dad, Shikaku.

I worked long hours every day in the village, but I didn't complain as most of my shifts were with Ryo. When we weren't on night patrol whispering atop the village walls, we spent most of our time in the tent I shared with Three who conveniently was always gone with Shiro.

Ryo was easy and uncomplicated and I clung to him like a lifeline most nights. More than the kissing or the sex, it was our conversations that I looked forward to the most. Spending days training or working with a mask on, unable to speak to anyone unless it was Kinoto was making me feel more and more like an emotionless robot.

Just being able to chat and joke around with Ryo soothed the turmoil within me and made me feel myself again.

Made me feel normal.

I told him all kinds of stories, some true, some not so true about my life before I arrived in Konoha.

And sometimes we talked about Team Tora, training, and everything else.

"So you sing a song in your head?" he asked with a raised brow.

He lay on his side, head in his hand as he trailed his fingers down my naked back.

"Yeah, it's like a brain hack," I explained, looking up at him. "You concentrate on the song to take your mind off the pain or to distract yourself from someone else's pain."

"Huh. I never thought of using a song before," Ryo added, leaning closer.

"Why? What do you think about?"

The lascivious smile on his face answered my question before he latched his lips to my neck trailing kisses down to my collarbone.

"Ryo…"

"Lucy… let me stay the night."

"No, we can't," I urged, pushing him away. "We have early training tomorrow and Three will be back soon."

He sighed and finally pulled away. "Yeah, you're right. I should head back."

He looked more exhausted than usual. I was tired as well but our late night meetings were the only thing keeping me sane and, selfishly, until I found a way out of this nightmare, I needed him.

I stared at his muscled back and messy bed hair as he sat up and wondered if I had made the right choice sending him away.

"Get some sleep, I'll see you tomorrow," he said, pressing a light kiss to my lips as I lay back on the pillow.

"No one's around," I assured him with a yawn checking for other chakra signatures. "You can sneak out."

He nodded, pulling the porcelain mask over his face before disappearing through the tent flaps.

I fell into a fitful sleep and when I woke up the next day, the ball of anger was still within me.

I knew it was going to be a shitty day.

It's just stress, I thought as I ate breakfast with my team around our usual campfire. The training, Danzou's interrogations, Kinoto's threats, you're surviving as best as you can and if anger is what you need to get through this hell, then so be it.

Except I had a feeling the newly formed anger within wasn't just a coping mechanism but something deeper, something rooted within me, but I wasn't sure what.

Jogging, kata, shurikenjutsu, all of it helped to focus my mind and anger on something productive. I could feel Ryo's worried gaze on me as my killing intent grew with every kunai I threw at the practice targets, but he remained silent and for once Kinoto kept his insults to a minimum looking rather pleased with my aim.

We travelled a little further beyond the trees towards an open patch of grass which we often used as a training ground. Team Ushi was already there warming up and Kinoto announced sparring matches.

"Light sparring," he warned, his dark eyes flicking to One and Two who often landed their opponents in the infirmary.

We matched up into pairs and I went against Five, the blonde kunoichi. Ninjutsu was her forte and fortunately for me, taijutsu was not. I was taller and stronger than her and was able to push her hard, thrilled that my punches and kicks were landing more often than not. By the time Dajimu shuffled the pairs again, she looked haggard and was cradling her shoulder.

Next, I found myself up against Seven, the young shinobi with dark-red hair, who had been one of the last to survive the Chase. He was lethal with a blade but again we seemed to be evenly matched when it came to taijutsu. I was taller than him, but he was faster and although I landed a solid kick to his back, he punched me in the face.

That's going to leave a nasty bruise.

After our spar, I was granted a short break and as I gulped down some water and put ice on my cheek I caught Kinoto's eye as he discussed the next pairings with Dajimu.

Shit.

I already knew what to expect.

"Six and Ten, you're up."

If there were two shinobi that would revel in humiliating me in taijutsu, it was Nine and Ten. The two bullies from Team Ushi had kept their grudge against me ever since the Chase and even Kinoto had been wary of pairing me up with one of them during exercises, but not today.

Ten, the black-haired shinobi was both larger and taller than Ryo. He wasn't the best fighter, but what he lacked in skill he more than made up for in aggressiveness.

He struck before I was ready, swiping my legs from underneath me and I fell to the ground.

"This looks familiar," he taunted, a sly grin on his face. "You, on the ground, getting your ass kicked."

I picked myself up, ignoring him. I had to focus or he would land another hit. He came at me again and I dodged, jumping over him before blocking his roundhouse kick and punching him in the face.

He lurched backwards, shaking off the hit. "Bitch."

I smirked, waiting for him to make the next move. If he thought I was going to make this easy for him, then he had another thing coming.

"Did Four teach you that?" he continued as we circled each other. "Is that why you get on your knees for him?"

I struck hard, aiming for his throat, but he was ready, knocking my arm out of the way before countering with a punch in one fluid movement. I blocked again and aimed a high kick which he dodged.

Kinoto and Dajimu were weaving through all the sparring partners but I could tell they were keeping a close eye on us. We continued to spar, Ten's punches hitting more times than not. He kept on taunting me throughout; saying petty, immature insults to get under my nerves and the sad part was it was working. I grit my teeth, my blood boiling in my veins as I itched to wipe the grin off his face.

So, I retaliated in kind. "What's the matter, Ten? Having an off day? I thought you were going to kick my ass."

He jumped at me, wide open, and my fist hit him right in the chest, under his ribcage. My eyes drank in the pained look on his face and I grinned like a Cheshire cat.

"You're obviously having performance issues, perhaps Seven can give you a hand."

"You fucking bitch," he seethed and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Behind!

His chakra reappeared behind me, but I was too slow and he kicked me hard in the ribs. I countered as best as I could, stumbling backwards, my sandals sliding against the ground as fury overtook my initial shock.

Chakra was against the rules. But if he wanted to play dirty, then that suited me fine. With narrowed eyes and killing intent rolling off me in waves, my hands flew through the seals. I had spent the past few days perfecting a zombie genjutsu and Ten would make the perfect guinea pig.

"You ever seen 28 Days Later, fucker?" I snarled, staring into Ten's angered face.

Before I could make the last seal, a large, calloused hand grabbed my wrist and twisted my arm behind my back.

"Six, that's enough," Kinoto ordered, towering above me.

I fought against him, but his hold tightened, and I gave in, falling down on one knee. Blood pounded in my ears. My face throbbed, my split lip was bleeding and one of my ribs was broken, but my eyes were locked on Ten.

The asshole smirked at me and I lunged forward, killing intent clear, but Kinoto held me back.

"Six, knock it off!"

I knew Kinoto was going to give me hell. I knew I had broken the sparring rules and he was going to punish me somehow, but with perfect timing, a cloaked Root member appeared before us.

"Danzou-sama has requested her immediate presence," he announced, clearly unconcerned that he was interrupting our training. "He's in his tent. Do not keep him waiting."

He disappeared and Kinoto released his hold, tugging me back to my feet.

"Grab your mask and keep your mouth shut. Am I clear?"

I panted hard, struggling to calm myself down and finally nodded.

"Let's go."

..~**~..

Head down till the work is done

The walk to the huge navy blue tent, one of the biggest within the camp, was exactly what I needed to clear my head and prepare myself to see Danzou again. The guards let us in and I admired the rich rugs and a stack of books in the corner, before following Kinoto's example and taking a knee on the rug, head bowed.

Sitting on a long high-backed red velvet sofa like he was bloody royalty was Danzou. He looked so smug sitting upon his 'throne' that I already knew what he was going to say.

"I am the newly appointed Rokudaime."

I tried not to roll my eyes. When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die, I thought, and you, old man, are going to die.

"I have been summoned to the Five Kage Summit and will be leaving soon," he continued in his sharp, authoritative voice. "While I am gone, there is an important matter that needs to be addressed."

I scowled, feeling his gaze on the back of my head. I had no idea what he was referring to but already I knew I wouldn't like it.

"War with Akatsuki is inevitable. As Hokage, the villagers and Daimyo will look to me for protection and as such I cannot afford any loose ends among Konoha shinobi. Six, as an outsider your loyalty to the village remains a concern, therefore I have taken steps to arrange your marriage within the week."

My head snapped up. "Wait, what?!"

Danzou ignored me. "Kinoto, the nakoudo will contact you tomorrow to discuss further arrangements. Make sure the proper steps are taken."

Nakoudo? I thought with dread. That's a matchmaker…

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

My mouth fell open as I turned to look at Kinoto. What the actual fuck?

Kinoto! Danzou picked Kinoto?!

Before I could say a word, the new Hokage turned to me, a clear warning in his eye. "Since you have no family to represent you, Six, the village shall act as your parent and provide the funds for everything you should need."

The threatening look on his face stopped me from saying a word, even though I was fuming inside. Did he seriously think that paying for the wedding was going to make me comply? Abate my anger?

"You are too kind, Hokage-sama," Kinoto answered for me when it was clear I had nothing to say.

I clenched my jaw so tight my muscles ached. There was no doubt in my mind my team leader had known about this for a while and had obviously kept it from me.

"Kinoto, you may leave us. Six, take off your mask," Danzou ordered and this time I knew what to expect. He was going to use his Sharingan again to interrogate me, but with the sudden announcement of my marriage to Kinoto I wasn't sure how I was going to keep my emotions under control.

Keep it together, Luce. I sucked in deep breaths, letting myself be pulled into the genjutsu once Kinoto had left. Come on, this is the last time. Don't fuck up now. You'll never have to see him again after this.

I was back in the Hokage's office before it got destroyed by Pein with Tsunade and Genma standing before me.

Here we go again…

The interrogation didn't last as long as usual and most of the questions were focused on the Five Kage Summit, which I had already discussed at length. Since everything I had previously revealed had turned out to be true including Pein's attack, Naruto defeating him, Danzou being appointed as Hokage and the Raikage calling the Summit, he had no reason to distrust me anymore.

I knew Danzou already knew about Madara so I revealed he was the true leader of Akatsuki and would interrupt the summit to declare war.

I didn't say a word about Sasuke.

"So the five countries will come together and form an alliance to fight against Madara?" Fake Genma asked.

"Yes," I admitted. "They will form a Shinobi alliance and everyone will fight against Uchiha Madara."

Tsunade frowned. "Who will lead such an alliance?"

"One of the Kages will be chosen by the Land of Iron's leader. After considering each Kage individually, he will finally settle on Danzou as he has the most war experience."

Tsunade looked satisfied and I could only imagine Danzou sitting on his velvet red sofa beaming at my answer.

I almost wished I would see his face when the other Kage finally turned against him and it all came crashing down.

"Finally, Lucy, we would like to review the information you gave us concerning your family," Genma continued, taking the file that Tsunade handed over to him.

I kept my face blank. "Of course."

Danzou had been trying to squeeze more information out of me ever since Pein's attack about my family. It seemed he wanted to locate the source of my Kekkai Genkai and hoped to track down others like me.

Since I had revealed so much useful information, finding more of my kind would be useful to him. Greedy pig.

Too bad my special ability was all a big, fat lie.

"As you mentioned your ability came from your father's side of the family," Fake Genma said, his gaze flicking between the file and myself. "Your father…"

"Fernando," I supplied.

"Right. His clan decided to move to a peaceful land where you grew up."

"Yes."

"But you don't remember the exact location."

"Not since I woke up in Kawa."

"A peaceful land you described with no hidden village or samurai, and with lots of mountains and beaches."

I almost laughed at my succinct description of Spain.

Genma's hard gaze held mine. "We believe you may be describing the Land of Rabbits, wouldn't you agree?"

Had it not been for the previous genjutsu sessions with Danzou, my reaction would have given me away.

Oh my God.

I pushed away the shock and hurt to the back of my mind.

I'm such an idiot.

"Yes, that's right. The Land of Rabbits," I repeated the stupid name in a small voice.

The Land of Rabbits had been a joke. The origin of the word 'España' was supposedly 'rabbit' and one night, while talking about our parents, I had told Ryo on a whim that my father was from there.

It was just a joke.

A silly joke shared late at night between two lovers.

A silly joke that he had reported to Danzou like a good little soldier.

Damn it, Ryo... how could you?

The rest of the genjutsu passed by in a blur. I was asked a few more questions about the Land of Rabbits because it seemed in some sick twist of fate that it actually was a real place in the Naruto world. The session was cut short and Danzou covered his Sharingan again. He remained silent for a moment, making me squirm before him on one knee before I was finally dismissed. I left the tent without another word crossing paths with Sai. A faint memory of Sai meeting with Danzou nagged me in the back of my mind but I let it slide.

I had bigger problems to deal with.

I slid my white mask back on, wincing as it grazed my swollen cheek and stalked through the village of tents. With every step, white-hot anger bubbled within me, threatening to lash out at anyone who stood in my way.

Ryo had betrayed me.

He had betrayed me in the most horrible way. I had trusted him blindly, but not enough to tell him anything of consequence, yet still. The things we had shared together, all those nights whispering sweet nothings in my ear…

I'm going to kill him!

My sharp chakra senses spread through the village, itching to find my traitorous teammate.

I'm going to fucking kill him!

Finally, I sensed his chakra ahead. He was on patrol along the newly built village walls with the rest of Team Tora.

Found you.

In a flash, I closed the gap between us and decked him right in the mouth.

"You asshole!"

His porcelain mask shattered as he fell to the ground, hard. It took the combined efforts of all my teammates to pull me away.

"How stupid do you think I am?" I yelled, struggling against them. "Did you think I wouldn't find out?"

Four wiped the blood from his cut lip before slowly getting up to his feet.

"What did he promise you?" I continued, enraged. "What the hell did he promise you to spy on me?"

A masked Three slid in between Ryo and me, holding me back. "Six, calm down!"

I expected Ryo to be his usual cocky self and throw something back in my face. Push me back, start a fight, anything! He had played me the whole time after all. He had made a fool out of me. The last thing I expected was the look of shame on his face.

Goddamn it, Ryo!

"Tell me!" I screamed and his hazel eyes finally locked with mine.

"Lucy…" The remorse in his voice was like a slap in the face and I reeled back. "He promised to cut my deal down to one year."

The deal he made with Danzou – for his brother.

I scoffed, an evil, twisted laugh escaping my lips. What an idiot! Didn't he realise it yet? Didn't he realise he was being played by Danzou just as I was - as we all were? Fury rose in me like a tide, drowning every other thought. This whole time – all those nights – he'd played me. I felt humiliated. I felt like the biggest fool in the world.

I glared at him, tears burning in my eyes, but he couldn't look me in the eye.

God, I hated him!

I wanted to hurt him. And if I couldn't do it with my fists, then I would do it with my words.

"Your brother is dead." My voice cut through him like a kunai and I relished the stunned look on his face.

"Six!" Three gasped.

"You hear me? Whatever Danzou promised you it doesn't matter because he's fucking dead!" I could tell my words affected him. He was shaking all over, but I didn't care. "Don't you get it yet? The whole deal is a lie! He's never going to let you go. Never!"

This time, Two intervened. "We don't talk about that, Six. Shut up before I report you."

Yes, go ahead. Go report me to Kinoto. Report me to my fucking fiancé! I wanted to shout but looking at his young adolescent face right next to One made me realise that shouting at them, hitting them would resolve nothing.

They weren't the enemy.

They were just a bunch of kids.

Kids, who'd been misled and manipulated their whole lives by Danzou.

"Get out of my face." I pushed past him and stormed away, anger still thrumming through my veins.

..~**~..

Waiting for that morning sun

Breathe, breathe, I reminded myself, walking past the tents and heading for the river, far from everyone else. You'll get through this, just calm down.

For once I was glad for the white mask hiding my face, hiding my identity. I wanted to be left alone and walked with purpose, trying not to think of Danzou, Ryo's betrayal, my upcoming marriage to Kinoto. Everything was happening too quickly and if I stopped for a second to think about it all I was going to lose my bloody mind.

I had to keep it together. At least for a day, ideally two until Danzou was far away from Konoha and I could find Genma and figure a way out.

The rage inside me simmered down, and as much as I willed it to go away, I could feel it in my chest like a ball of energy behind my solar plexus. A small flame seeking out any kind of fuel to grow and turn into an inferno.

Stop. Don't think about it. Breathe and walk. Breathe and walk.

My side was killing me. The anger had taken the pain away momentarily but now it was back with revenge. I should have gone to a medic, but it was too late now and as I came across the edge of the forest, Naruto's chakra brushed up against my senses.

Naruto?

He wasn't alone. There were two others, but I didn't recognise either of them.

I heard shouts and went to investigate. What was going on? Muffled voices filtered from behind the wooden shed and I jumped atop of the roof lightly, staring at the scene below.

"…was your very own Sasuke! So why the hell should I care about anyone else? I'm going to kill him!"

Two Cloud nin, who I recognized as Karui and Omoi, were standing before Naruto. Karui, with long spiky dark red hair and bandana, had Naruto in a chokehold up against the shed.

My eyes narrowed.

Omoi stood before them with his arms crossed, brows furrowed. Despite being young, he was quite the looker. "Then… how would you suggest we deal with our hatred? How do you suggest we find justice?"

If I remembered correctly, they were Killer Bee's students and wanted information on Sasuke who had kidnapped the Jinchuuriki.

Naruto wasn't going to give it to them.

"Take it out on me as much as you want," the blond answered. "Hit me-"

Karui didn't let him finish and punched him squarely in the face knocking him off his feet. I winced, remembering I had done the same to Ryo. But my stupid teammate had deserved it. He had been spying on me for Danzou. Naruto had done nothing wrong. He was simply protecting Sasuke, same as he'd always done even though the Uchiha would never thank him for it.

Karui kept on punching Naruto. Despite witnessing so many beatings from training, the sound of her punches irritated my ears. I knew Naruto was trying to prove a point, but clearly the Cloud kunoichi wasn't going to stop.

So, what are you going to do now, Luce? You gonna sing a song inside your head and ignore your friend or are you going to do something about it?

Sai was hiding among the trees watching as well and my anger returned with a vengeance.

Like hell I'm going to watch this, Naruto!

Without warning, I dropped down behind Karui, catching her off-guard.

"Go on," I snarled, kunai at her throat. "Punch him one more time, I dare you."

She stiffened at my words. "I'm just doing what this fucker wanted."

My blade pressed sharper against her throat and a thin line of blood appeared.

"Karui!" cried Omoi and my eyes flicked from one Cloud nin to the other. He didn't intervene, his eyes wide. With the porcelain mask hiding my face, they both thought I was ANBU.

I shoved Karui off Naruto and she jumped back next to Omoi.

"Get out of here," I told them, not liking my odds. From the size of their chakra they were Chuunin or higher.

"Not until we get some answers about Sasuke," Karui hissed, visibly pissed off.

Naruto struggled to get up to his feet, leaning on the wooden shed for support. He had a rather nasty black eye and his nose was broken and bleeding heavily.

"Whoever you are, don't interfere," he said, his voice unusually serious. "This is my choice."

Whoever you are? Is he serious?

I clicked my tongue, keeping my eyes ahead. "Really, Naruto. You're going to let these assholes from Cloud push you over after what you've just been through."

Karui took a menacing step forward, one hand on the hilt of her katana. "What did you just say? Maybe we should teach you a lesson."

My fists clenched as I struggled against the urge to fight. I needed to get rid of them and quick. "Killer Bee is alive," I revealed, turning to Omoi who seemed to be the more reasonable out of the two. "He faked his death and is hiding from the Raikage."

He looked stunned. "How do you know this?"

"I just do. Sasuke thinks he captured him, but he didn't. Also Sasuke is officially a missing nin now. All the info Konoha has about him is public. Go through official channels to get it rather than beat people up."

I slipped my kunai away and noticed Omoi pull Karui back and talk among themselves. I glanced at the chakra hiding behind the tree. "Sai, come give me a hand with Naruto."

I grabbed the blond's arm and he looked at me like I had grown a second head. "Lucy…?!"

Sai appeared before us grabbing Naruto's other arm. "You shouldn't be here, Six."

"Beats doing construction work," I answered, watching the blood drip from Naruto's face.

"If Kinoto finds out, you'll be in trouble."

"Are you going to report me?"

"…No."

"Then let's go."

No one said another word until we reached Naruto's tent. We helped him down on the futon and I got him a wet towel to stop the bleeding as Sai left to get a first aid kit. His tent was decent size and had a chest of drawers, a futon, a wash basin, and several crates of food and water in one corner. I realised that everything from his apartment had been destroyed and felt a pang of guilt for packing up my belongings when I had left but none of his.

The silence was awkward as hell as we waited for Sai to return. I wasn't sure if Naruto was shocked, pissed or both but he was staring at his futon cover in silence and it was so uncharacteristic of him, it was almost scary.

"Nice tent," I said, easing my body to the ground to lean against the chest of drawers. My side was throbbing again, but it felt good to just sit for a minute and do nothing. "Guess we won't be living together again for a while."

Naruto didn't speak straight away but turned to face me. His bright eyes were darker than I remembered and full of distrust.

"Why are you wearing a mask, Lucy?" he asked, his tone neutral.

No more Lucy-chan, eh?

"It's protocol."

"Take it off."

I thought of my bruised face and decided against it. "Probably best if I didn't."

I could tell that under the calm exterior he was angry as hell with me. He had never been very good at hiding his feelings and his hands shook as he lowered the wet towel and glared at me.

I gave a sigh. "Naruto, just spit it out."

"You knew about Ero-Sennin."

It wasn't a question, but I answered all the same.

"Yes."

"You knew about Pein, the village being destroyed, all of it."

His voice was growing louder with every word.

"Yes."

Go on, blame me, I thought, watching him rile himself up. Blame me for all your troubles.

"And Hinata? I heard you helped her go after me. She put her life in danger for me!"

"I know, and yes, I helped her."

"HOW COULD YOU DO THAT?!" he finally exploded, his beat up face twisted with anger as he sat up in his futon. "How could you let Ero-sennin go to Rain like that and get himself killed? How could you not warn Baa-chan about Pein and let the village get destroyed? Baa-chan had to save everyone and now she's in a coma! Sakura-chan is watching over her day and night. Hinata-chan tried to save me and almost got herself killed! And now Sasuke…"

His eyes narrowed at me and I could feel the Kyuubi chakra boiling just beneath his skin.

"Sasuke joined Akatsuki!"

He was panting from all the shouting and he looked in pain from the beating he'd received.

"I thought," he continued, his voice softer. "I thought after you saved Asuma-sensei that you would keep my friends safe."

He looked at me, his blue eyes peering into mine. They held so much pain and disappointment that it was like a kick in the teeth. He had expected me to keep everyone safe. And even though it was clear in my mind from the beginning that I was no God or superhero who could swoop in and save the day, I couldn't shake the feeling that I had failed.

I had let him down.

And because I couldn't say the words or even explain myself with Danzou's seal in my throat, I did what I did best.

"And you said," I countered, a hint of anger in my voice, "that Konoha would keep me safe until I found my way home. Yet here we are."

I caught the flash of hurt in his eyes and ignored the guilt that gnawed inside me.

..~**~..

..~**~..

Having heard what had happened from Sai, Kakashi followed him to the tent, Yamato in tow.

He wasn't surprised to hear that Naruto had tried to defend Sasuke in front of the Cloud ninja. He was surprised, however, that Lucy had intervened. Not only that, but she had been training with Danzou this whole time.

As he entered Naruto's tent, he noticed several things at once:

First, the tension between Naruto and Lucy was palpable. Neither of them were looking at each other.

Second, Lucy was wearing a porcelain mask on with the number six.

Third, Naruto was covered in dried blood and looked terrible.

"Yo."

His greeting did nothing to alleviate the awkward tension in the tent. Naruto was angry and Lucy was stubborn. No one said a word as Sai went to work, wrapping Naruto's bandages.

"Six, can you help me with his chest?"

Lucy tensed at the codename and Kakashi exchanged a look with Yamato. He had heard about the so-called training program Danzou had created and had vehemently opposed it since he had experienced Root's ruthless training himself all those years ago. If Tsunade had let Lucy join, then there was no doubt in his mind that she had a good reason to do so.

Or that Danzou had somehow twisted Lucy's arm.

The masked kunoichi nodded at Sai and scooted closer to Naruto. Kakashi noticed she was leaning more heavily on one side as she wrapped bandages around Naruto's torso.

She was injured.

Naruto remained unusually silent which was always a bad sign. If Kakashi were to guess, the blond was angry at seeing his friend again after the eventful past few weeks. Kakashi was sure he blamed her for all his troubles which was largely unfair. But Naruto as usual wasn't thinking straight. He was seething.

"You took quite a beating," the Copy Ninja observed.

"If Six hadn't intervened, I would have stopped him," Sai answered instead and for once he sounded sincere.

Yamato shot Kakashi a look. Again, as per Root protocol, Sai was referring to her codename.

"Just call me Lucy," she snapped.

Naruto stiffened as Sai looked confused. "I don't understand. Isn't it protocol while you're wearing the mask to-"

"Oh, for fuck's sake!" She ripped the mask off, revealing her face. "There, you happy?"

Her left cheek was a nasty shade of purple and so swollen her eye was half-closed. Yamato's eyes widened even more at the sight while Naruto looked appalled.

Sai didn't bat an eye. "Hello, Gaijin."

A crooked smile broke on Lucy's face. "Hey, Sai."

"Do you need me to patch you up too?" he asked.

Noticing everyone's stares, she lowered her head, touching her cheek gingerly to assess the damage. "No, it's ok, I'll go find a medic after. I think I have a broken rib too."

"What?!" Naruto exclaimed with wide eyes, but she ignored his question shuffling back to the chest of drawers to lean against them.

"Sai, if you're done with Naruto, could you give us a moment?" Kakashi's question was more an order than a request.

Naruto thanked his teammate for his help and Sai left. Before Kakashi could speak, Naruto beat him to it.

"What the hell, Lucy?" he blurted out, his one good eye watching her. "What kind of training have you been doing?"

Kakashi intervened before she could answer. "Do you have a cursed seal like Sai?"

She nodded and Naruto looked between her and his sensei as understanding dawned on him.

Kakashi ignored him. "Who else knows about where you're training?"

"Tsunade, Genma and well, Sai."

Kakashi paused. They had to pull her out before it was too late, but as soon as Danzou found out, Root would come after them.

"Danzou's just left the village," Yamato warned him, reading his thoughts. "Not today."

Kakashi sighed, he was right, it was too risky. They would need to wait. He sent the girl a silent apology and she nodded in understanding.

"Where's Genma?" she asked. "He was supposed to help but I haven't sensed him in days."

"He's been sent on back to back missions," Yamato informed her. "Border patrol. He should be back tomorrow night."

"Then I'll wait for him to return and we'll figure something out."

"What? No!" Naruto argued, shuffling in his futon. "Kakashi-sensei, we need to do something."

You need to do something. The underlying meaning wasn't lost on the silver-haired jounin and while it was true that he commanded enough respect and power within Konoha's ranks, things weren't quite the same without Tsunade.

"Naruto," he began, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Danzou is our Hokage now. Moving against him would be treason. We need to tread carefully. Lucy, I don't know how you ended up in his training or why, but my guess is he was after your Kekkai Genkai. Your visions, is that correct?"

He noticed the girl shift uncomfortably under his gaze but nodded. It was time to ask the tough questions.

"How much have you told him?" he demanded. "Was he aware of Pein's attack and Tsunade-sama's sacrifice? Did the information you give him allow him to become Hokage?"

Lucy looked stricken. "What? No! Nothing has changed. Kakashi-san, I made sure of it. We're safe."

Kakashi believed her. The fire in her eyes was proof enough that despite everything she had suffered, she had protected them. He knew of Danzou and Root's methods. He knew it mustn't have been a pleasant experience being at their mercy for so long, but somehow she had protected her secrets.

"Good work," he acknowledged, and a blush spread across her cheeks.

"I wrote down everything I know," she continued, unable to look him in the eye. "About my visions, I mean. I gave those scrolls to Jiraiya-sama for safe-keeping. Tsunade has access too. I told them to read ahead to be prepared."

Her green eyes flicked to Naruto, who stared down at his bandaged fists. She looked pained as she spoke again. "I tried to warn Jiraiya-sama, but… he said he didn't need them."

Her voice came out as a whisper.

"I'm sure you did your best," Kakashi cut in. She remained silent; her eyes set on Naruto who refused to look at her.

Kakashi exchanged a look with Yamato. They would need to have a private talk with the blond later about all of this.

"All right, we need to figure out our next step," Kakashi announced, breaking the awkward silence. "Naruto, what do you have planned?"

"I want to speak with the Raikage," he answered without missing a beat.

Yamato loudly disagreed. And he was right. It was a terrible plan. Naruto was injured, he could lose control of the Kyuubi anytime, they needed to stay put and help with the village…

"I met Yondaime Hokage," Naruto cut in, surprisingly them all. He stared at his futon before looking up again. "He was the one that suppressed the Kyuubi."

Sensei…

"How is that possible?" Yamato asked, while Kakashi noticed Lucy didn't seem surprised at all and was watching him with a knowing look in her eye.

What else does she know about Konoha's secrets?

"Yondaime told me a masked member of Akatsuki was behind the Kyuubi attack sixteen years ago," Naruto continued. "He was too strong to be beaten. He's been pulling the strings behind the scenes. He probably used Pein and if Sasuke has joined Akatsuki, then he's probably being used as well."

Before either Yamato or he could react, Lucy added, "Yeah, it's Uchiha Madara."

..~**~..

..~**~..

Perhaps I shouldn't have blurted out Madara's name like that, but my body was starting to ache all over from sitting on the hard ground and I just wanted to cut to the chase.

Why didn't I let Sai bandage me?

"What?!" Yamato exclaimed, mirroring Naruto's expression.

"It makes sense," Kakashi said coolly. "It's what Jiraiya-sama feared."

He went on to explain his theory as well as who exactly Madara was for Naruto.

The blond turned to me with narrowed eyes. "Why the hell didn't you say anything before?"

"Because I'm not supposed to!" I argued, tone rising to meet his anger. "Tsunade was really clear-"

"Then what else are you not saying?" he lashed out. "You said the village had been keeping secrets from Sasuke and me."

I blanched as Kakashi and Yamato's eyes turned on me.

"Naruto!"

Shut your mouth!

"After meeting Yondaime I think I understood what you meant," he continued, ignoring my warning. "But what about Sasuke? You said Baa-chan and you had a plan. An ally to help you. But Baa-chan is in a coma now."

Shit. I couldn't believe he had said that out loud in front of Kakashi. I thought he knew our conversation was meant to be kept quiet.

"Tsunade will wake up in a few weeks," I admitted, hoping it would appease his anger and make him would drop the subject. Of course, his sensei immediately picked up on his words.

"What's this plan regarding Sasuke?" he demanded, looking between us. "Lucy, what is he talking about?"

Damn it, now look what you've done! I glared at the blond idiot, but he wasn't about to back down.

I ignored Kakashi's questions.

"Naruto, I told you to trust me. I told you to focus on Konoha and training and leave Sasuke to me."

My words were laced with barely repressed anger. The last thing I needed was for Kakashi and Yamato to be involved. They didn't know the truth about Danzou and the Uchiha Massacre yet and now wasn't the time to get into all of it.

"How can I trust you when you won't tell me what's going on?" he bit back, and my eyes narrowed further. "Sasuke is my friend and I promised to bring him back to the village. Alive. And if I have to go see the Raikage to make him change his mind then I will."

I scoffed. "Going to the Raikage won't change a thing."

He was on his feet in a flash. "Shut up! I don't care what you think. You've never even met Sasuke so why do you care? Maybe you should just leave us the hell alone!"

Woah.

"Naruto, enough!" Kakashi's sharp voice chastised.

I stared into Naruto's angry face, everything else disappearing from my vision. He stared back at me, the whiskers on his cheeks more prominent than ever, and I swallowed hard.

Maybe you should just leave us the hell alone! Although the tent was dead silent, his words rang out in my head again and again.

Like a punch to the throat.

A dagger to the heart.

Tears sprung to my eyes and a hint of regret crossed the blond's face, but it was too late.

Yeah. He's right, I thought with slow realisation. What am I even doing here? He doesn't need me. I got played by Danzou, by Kinoto, by Ryo... Clearly I have no idea what I'm doing. I was an idiot for ever getting involved in the first place.

Wordlessly, I picked up my mask and slid it back on. More than anger or hurt, or anything else, I felt tired. Exhausted. And wanted nothing more than to head back to my tent and sleep through the day. Forget about everything if only for a while.

"Lucy…" Yamato began, but I ignored him and gripped the chest for support as I got to my feet.

Walking around Naruto's futon, I left without a word. I hadn't gone very far when Kakashi fell in step with me. We walked in silence as I headed to the other side of the village where Team Tora's tents were located.

I felt wretched.

I had taunted Naruto, let my anger take over, and made a big mess out of everything. And even worse, Kakashi and Yamato had witnessed it all. I didn't know how to say sorry. I didn't even know if I could trust my voice, so I said the one thing that had bothered me since Kakashi had walked into the tent.

"I knew you would be okay," I said, my voice weak and tired. "I knew Pein would bring you all back to life otherwise I never would have let the attack happen. I swear, Kakashi-san."

"I know," he answered. "I believe you. Because I'm your favourite, right?"

He spoke so casually, as if Naruto hadn't just basically told me to fuck off, that I paused. I could even see the grin through his mask and understood that he didn't hold any of it against me.

"Naruto doesn't always think before he speaks," he continued, and I almost laughed.

Understatement of the year.

"He didn't mean what he said-"

"Yes, he did." I looked at him, forcing a smile on my face. "But it's okay, Kakashi-san. I'm not so weak anymore. I can take the punches."

His expression turned grim at my words, especially considering the current state of my face.

"I'll be okay," I assured him. "You'd better head back and take care of Naruto, he's going to need you. I'll wait for Genma to return and we'll figure something out."

He hesitated, hands buried in his pockets, before he gave a final nod and left.

..~**~..

Soldier keep on marching on

..~**~..

Itachi remained hidden in the Land of Lightning on the northern coast.

The thick pine forest bordering the coastline was a perfect hiding spot for any missing nin and he had spent weeks hiding among the tall evergreen trees during his time with Akatsuki.

As he awaited Team Taka to recover, he remained in the forest, traveling to nearby coastal hamlets for supplies and staying far away from any shinobi scouts. He kept a watchful eye on Sasuke, using his summons to report any movement, but didn't dare send any shadow clones with Madara so close.

As soon as Sasuke and his team snuck out of their hideout and headed straight back to Konoha, he knew what his younger brother's intent was – he wanted to destroy the village.

Their home.

Too late, little brother. Pein has already seen to that.

His summons had also kept him informed of the situation in Konoha. Lucy had warned him after all. She had mentioned Akatsuki attacks and asked him not to concern himself and focus on Sasuke. And after finding out about Pein's invasion and that not a single casualty had been reported except for Tsunade, who had fallen into a coma, he trusted her enough to keep his distance and keep an eye on his brother instead.

He wondered how Sasuke would react once he reached Konoha and saw the village destroyed.

Would he still want to attack? Or would the destruction satisfy his revenge and appease his hate?

Itachi hoped for the latter but knew to prepare for the worst.

Should his foolish little brother seek to destroy their home, he would not hesitate. He would stop him.

He would not let his brother go down this path of self-destruction and hatred any longer, not when innocent lives were at risk.

At least, he realised he needs to break away from Madara, he thought, noticing that Team Taka was no longer wearing the Akatsuki cloaks. Perhaps there is still hope.

Itachi stopped in his tracks as his crows let him know of Madara's sudden appearance.

Something had happened.

The Hachibi was alive.

The Five Kage had been summoned for a meeting.

Danzou was the new Hokage.

Itachi's jaw clenched. Few things could yet surprise him in this world but the news of Danzou becoming the Hokage was worse than anything he had imagined. Logic dictated that Hatake Kakashi was the next obvious choice for the position but Danzou, like the snake that he was, had managed yet again to pull some strings and get his way.

Anger coiled in his stomach.

Madara had once again manipulated Sasuke into doing his bidding and his brother was now headed to the Land of Iron to find and kill Danzou. Itachi itched to go after him. If Sasuke thought he could infiltrate the meeting and take on all five Kage then he was more foolish than ever. He would get himself killed.

The Land of Iron wasn't so far. A day at most by boat headed west.

But then another voice echoed in his mind. Once the Five Kage Summit is called, come find me in Konoha.

Itachi hesitated.

Lucy…

He hadn't seen or heard from her in weeks. He had heard from her sensei, Shiranui, that Danzou had forced her hand somehow and she had agreed to join his training. Itachi still wasn't sure whether to berate her for putting herself in danger again or to admire her for her selfless act, but either way he knew she wouldn't come out unscathed.

Tsunade had forbidden Shiranui and him from intervening until the right moment and Itachi had trusted the Hokage's judgement.

He hoped that Lucy had found a way out, and quickly.

He hoped that Konoha had protected her, but Tsunade was in a coma and Danzou was the new Hokage.

The thought unsettled him. She could be in danger.

He remembered how the foreign girl had confronted him in the forests of Fire Country against all odds. How her green eyes had shone with unshed tears as she spoke impossible words and offered an unthinkable deal. How he had almost sliced her throat when he had heard them.

She had known. She had known his deepest, darkest secret after he had spent years burying the truth and losing himself in lies. She had seen his past, all of it, and yet she hadn't regarded him with disgust or hate. She hadn't pitied him or yelled. She hadn't reacted in any manner he had always imagined others would when they found out the horrible truth.

Instead, she had given him hope.

She had showed him another path, one he had never considered for himself, and had promised to save his brother from Madara's grasp. Not only that, but she had stayed by his side, helped him through his illness, and soothed his pain.

And now the thought of her trapped in Danzou's schemes made him sick to the stomach.

His decision made, Itachi doused his campfire with water and got to his feet. Clasping his travel cloak about his shoulders, he jumped to the trees and headed south.

To Konoha.

..~**~..

This chapter and the next were planned as one single chapter but with so much happening I had to cut it short.

Itachi is on his way back to Konoha and we'll be seeing Genma soon too. Things will look up for Lucy, but yeah just like real life sometimes you have the worst of days... The anger she is feeling is not just in her head, there is definitely more to it.

Let me know what you think in a REVIEW! I would love to hear your feedback!

sai xx

p.s. Anyone catch the Game of Thrones reference? :)