A/N: I am very sorry that again it took me longer than expected to post this chapter! I caught a nasty summer flu and my head was pretty preoccupied with the production of mucus rather than thinking up plot. But here it is and to make up for the delay it's pretty long!

I want to thank my beta Be-Mindful for the patience and I congratulate her for getting my awkward and sometimes bizarre sentences straight. You're the best!

Music: "A Wolf At the Door" by Radiohead

- Chapter 7 -

A Visitor at Night

"Please listen carefully. Right now, your Captain is in the capable hands of our Iryo-nin at the hospital. As you may recall, I assigned you to take turns watching an individual named Fuu — the currently assigned ward of Hatake Kakashi" Sarutobi Hiruzen began, moving to stand in front of the remaining members of Team Ro.

"Due to recent events her status has been put forward for reevaluation. It was now raised from the previous civil status, with a surveillance level one, to unconfirmed spy with the new level of four."

They all appeared to calmly accept this new piece of information. As though they were oblivious to the fact that the Hokage's orders cut across protocol. Be it a child or elder, woman or man — usually at this point, they would all end up in the interrogation department without fail.

With every intention to share the most recent developments before any of them would interrupt him, Sarutobi Hiruzen continued, "We have reason to believe that said individual has connections to the enemy and may pose a threat to our village. It was however decided that the child should remain oblivious to our suspicions for the sake of further examination."

"Please note that her abilities have yet to be confirmed, so I advise you to tread carefully. Do not underestimate her. She may look like a four year old, but we now have intel from a recent enemy encounter that suggests otherwise. It introduced us to an unknown technique that allows the person to have one's body age while providing a huge chakra boost."

Finally one of the ANBU raised his head and the Hokage nodded, allowing him to speak.

"I beg your pardon, Lord Hokage. But why isn't she with Intelligence?"

Acknowledging the interjection with a grim expression and a curt nod, the Third joined both his hands behind his back. He knew of the danger. Even if it evidently had not stopped him from allowing Kakashi to become personally involved.

Tilting his head just a little to the side, the Hokage decided against the simple answer to this question in favor of replying, "According to the unknown individual, Fuu is his daughter. He knows of her whereabouts but doesn't seem to be emotionally invested in her. Whether that was a bluff, or an attempt to frame the girl we now need to determine." Hiruzen paused then, shifting his glance towards the man who had brought this into question. "However, the girl had not been informed of the encounter between her guardian and the person claiming to be her father."

Now presented with their village leader's intentions, some of the others lifted their heads as well.

"She's bait?"

"She will have to choose a side if it comes to the crunch" Hiruzen agreed after a moment of hesitation. "After the aforementioned encounter this man will expect us to do exactly as you've suggested. Bring her in for interrogation, start treating her like a suspect… like a true ally of our enemy. Whether he intends to make us shun her, or because he plans to take her back just in time — I don't know. What I do see, however, is the potential for creating a bond. This way we might be able to find a clue to this unusual chakra technique and win an ally ourselves. In my many years I have never heard of anything that even begins to compare with it."

And again the Sandaime couldn't help but imagine what his former student might have given to get his hands on the girl. If she truly was a child to such powerful genes, many would like to stake out a claim.

"Your Team Captain will personally monitor her for the next week once he has been discharged from the hospital. As her guardian he will be the first to question her since we believe that he has gained her trust. Fuu herself shall give us the information necessary to reconfirm her status. By the end of this week, we will either lower her security level or bring her in for a proper interrogation."

The Hokage gave Team Ro a moment to think this over. When no more questions arose, Hiruzen made his way back to his desk.

"It will be your mission to keep an eye on her. Guard her during this time, since her father might make a sudden appearance. Treat this assignment with utmost importance and great discretion … You may all leave, except..." the Hokage finished as he turned to Yamato on his far right.

The other ANBU bowed respectfully before quickly exiting the office, the last one closing the door behind him.

With his hands busy organizing the scrolls on his desk, the Third gathered his thoughts before finally looking at the figure of the one remaining ANBU. The shinobi patiently waited to hear the reason for his presence.

"You told me everything about the encounter in the Land of Rivers" Hiruzen observed as he started stuffing his pipe; pretending as if this wasn't a half-directed question. He trusted Yamato but knew just how close he was to Kakashi. "I trust Kakashi with Fuu. Otherwise I would have never allowed for her to be assigned to him. It is just that the girl possesses an unusual power and I fear that it could interfere with the flow of events as I've predicted it. I want you to make ensure that Kakashi will be able to use this week to the fullest, no disturbances allowed. Whatever method he chooses, is completely up to him, but I'd like to be regularly informed of his results."

Yamato blinked at the Hokage through the slits of his masks, watching the old man light his pipe. His eyes swayed only for a short moment before he decided on his answer. "I was wondering why he would accept this mission. First the position as her guardian and now his attempt to prove her innocence, my Lord."

"Ah" nodded the Third and leant back in his seat. "I agree with you that it's hard to find him in such a picture. Even Morino-san was suspiciously curious about the method I used to threaten my ANBU captain to make him play house with a little girl. While I am not sure whether to be flattered or offended myself, I I am perfectly sure that, at some point, Fuu has become a manifestation of Kakashi's wish."

"His wish?"

Biting on the end of the pipe Hiruzen decided that a little bit of truth would neither hurt Yamato nor disrespect Kakashi's privacy. It was all there, after all.

"He lost many people that were dear to him and has blamed himself for their deaths ever since. While that is something that will hardly ever change, he has decided to prove that he is capable of protecting someone. Hence his unusual determination to go out of his way and stand up for Fuu, even when it meant standing up to me. All of this might cause trouble later on, but for now I would like to see him try" the old man decided with an emphasize on his last word.

Kakashi's dark eye fixed itself on the little girl seated at the end of his hospital bed. For some time now, he had found her otherwise comfortable silence oddly disturbing. Not that he preferred the pushiness of Kurenai, or Gai's earlier entrance for that matter, but Kakashi had expected Fuu to say something.

'What happened?' for example or 'How are you?'

When it was just the two of them, Kakashi normally found her quite talkative when she was offered the chance. But right now his ward showed absolutely no intention of living up to that. She even avoided looking at him, let alone the fact that she chose the spot furthest away from him.

Shifting his own gaze down to his hands, which twitched numbly on both sides of his propped up body, Kakashi knitted his brows. Rubbing the fingertips against each other he still recalled the feeling of securing her trembling body in his arms.

Relief … Fear … Unease … all tied together into a tight knot between her small shoulders — betraying the sudden rise of suspicions and doubts.

Kakashi could tell that Fuu was genuinely worried about him. He on the other hand still felt reluctant to turn against her — despite his awareness of the power she undeniably had over him. One out of so many questions rose in his mind but Kakashi didn't voice it. Not today.

The silver haired jonin sighed and turned to his night stand. The fruits had already been raided by a certain kunoichi, but lifting some grapes, he found what he had been hoping for.

"Fuu" he called softly; the sound of her name causing a shift behind that dark veil of curls that hid her face.

Waiting patiently, Kakashi was finally rewarded shortly afterwards.

A pair of green orbs blinked at him questioningly, before they spotted the red fruit in his hand. The sight prompted the girl to incline her head; freeing her little heart-shaped face of any loose curls. Her guardian mimicked that movement, though turning in the other direction — uncomplaining about her hesitation. They both knew that she would eventually give in.

Kakashi had realized upon the return from the mission previous to this one that all Fuu needed for a moment of pure bliss was a strawberry.

Of course Kakashi would never openly admit to having kept this a secret from Kurenai. He argued with himself that it was not stubborn selfishness but a necessary step in securing the girl's trust. Especially since none of their other tricks had managed to unbend Fuu's starchy attitude.

The gift from an old lady next door had resulted in a giggling Fuu, hugging a bowl full of red fruit while fishing for one strawberry after another with her small chubby fingers. They indeed had become a little chubby, which was probably due to the regular meals and the sweets Kurenai spoiled her with.

Still, the strawberry incident had also been the first time the girl had almost refused to share with Kakashi. Somehow this had led to him chasing her through the house despite not even being particularly fond of this sweet treat. Seeing the different faces of this little girl, however, had taken his mind off things. That and the fact that it was just too amusing that Fuu had actually believed to stand a chance against him.

After Kakashi had cornered her in the kitchen, Fuu had scrutinized him with a long stare before begrudgingly offering him the smallest fruit.

At least he now knew how to bribe her...

"Thank you, Hatake-sama" Fuu muttered as she inched closer to him and carefully accepted the fruit from his hands.

"You bought them" Kakashi reminded her with deep hum to his words as he tried to hide his amusement from observing her fascination with the red object.

Gingerly Fuu picked at the little leaves of the stem as if this was actually a candy she first needed to unwrap. For the first time since Kakashi's arrival her face switched from that troubled look to intent study.

Below his mask Kakashi pressed his lips together while trying to suppress that strange little smile Fuu tended to put on his lips. He found himself in the position of watching a wild, little animal and had the feeling that any sound might result in an introverted Fuu again. Unaware of the entertainment she provided, the little girl faced the difficulties of having to decide which part to chomp on first.

Given only one strawberry she was somehow spoilt for choice.

Finally the girl stuffed the whole fruit in her mouth and started chewing, her legs picking up a happy rhythm while bouncing against the bed.

Kakashi leant his head against the pillow, thinking about how it was possible that this four year old could possibly be a spy. Of course his experience recalled all of the trained children he had encountered during the war. Deceiving others with their charms while still too young to cause much physical harm. Eventually those innocent faces had ended up with their little bodies turned into bloody piles on the sidelines of the battlefields. After all he himself had been far from harmless at her age…

But could his perception suffer that much from sensory overload? Even with Fuu's ability to share and influence other people's emotions she shouldn't be able to override logic.

Kakashi's first attempt to solve the problem would involve a little training. The thought of actually trying to teach someone, caused for a spark of excitement.

As a captain of an ANBU squad Kakashi had of course lead his comrades, fought alongside them and sharpened their skills during team training. But this would be quite different. Kakashi had yet to understand Fuu's almost magical charm and how it could possibly work without chakra. Surely this would prove to be a test for them both and maybe they could find a way to control that part of her.

'Can't help but to get closer' Kakashi realized and met her mindful eyes. 'But as soon as I prove her innocence, she'll be able to grow up in a normal family — far away from her father and bad memories. She'll surely be able to make friends and live a happy life. After all the girl is still young enough to forget everything … as well as the face of some shinobi.'

Swallowing hard on the last thought, Kakashi nudged Fuu a little with his knee. "So, what are the rules for staying over at Kurenai's?"

"To let her spoil me, though in moderation, and to not talk about anything that might worry her" Fuu chimed readily while playing with them hem of her new dress.

"That's includes … ?"

Fuu bit on her lip as she tried to come up with an answer, "The time you told me to jump out of the window?"

"… Amongst others. Though that time was just to prove that I would be fast enough to catch you" Kakashi reminded her without one shred of bad conscience. Something that could easily change if Kurenai got wind of any of this…

"What about your other pranks?" Fuu suddenly turned on him and even though the serene green of her eyes held no accusation, Kakashi involuntarily opened both his eyes at the sudden sly comeback. While her question admittedly caught him a little off guard, the jonin couldn't help but study her closer. As always there was the shimmering air around Fuu's small frame once his Sharingan swept over her.

Was that actually Futaba? Or some sort of camouflage technique to hide or block her chakra?

Clearing his throat Kakashi drew his brows together, building that slightly offended line Fuu had gotten quite familiar with. "Do I look like someone who would play pranks on you? I think not."

"Understood" Fuu giggled though her smile faded as soon as she caught sight of her guardian's skin color. With just a small movement he had revealed the grimace on the visible part of his face. "Does it still hurt, Hatake-sama?"

"Nah. There's no need to worry. I'll be as good as new tomorrow. If only to escape the clutches of all these annoying peop–… well, never mind. I'll be fine."

Her two greens orbs showed a brief glimpse of desperation mixed with disbelief before the girl slowly lowered her head once again. Kakashi wondered why she would retreat when suddenly there was a small hand grasping three of his fingers.

'Please let me prove your innocence. Please let my gut feeling be wrong' Kakashi thought and gave his ward a very carefully squeeze in return.

The key turned around with a distinct click, one that finally caught Fuu's attention.

Blinking away whatever thoughts had clouded her eyes and mind, Fuu's arms tightened around the backpack which she had kept on hugging along their way. Drawing upon her previous observations, Kurenai knew that this silence was unusually heavy for the child.

There was something about the expression of the little girl that was rather painful to look at. Remembering that not long ago Fuu had already once lost her guardian, the tense movements on this evening were perfectly understandable.

When they were saying their goodbyes to Kakashi, Fuu had seemed reluctant to leave the hospital room. As always the way of understanding between the small ward and her guardian had been on a whole different level compared to Kurenai's attempts.

She still remembered that at first, they all had been a bit lost about how to deal with Fuu's ingrained modesty and shyness when it came to voicing her needs and concerns.

Kakashi's rules, which had been expanded by quite a few, were absolute. Whenever Fuu would even think about hiding her uneasiness, he would either flat out ignore her or just flick her forehead, growling something like 'Annoying, troublesome brat' — soon to be shortened to a simple 'Annoying'. His patience had worn quite thin during the first week.

However, whether it were the constant flicks that finally shown an impact on the child, or the fact that Fuu would pick up a piercing stare whenever troubled and somehow using this as a medium – Kakashi and Fuu finally clicked. Seldom Kurenai or Asuma had witnessed a Kakashi who was so close to being at ease around another human being. It was both beautiful and quite sad.

During their silent conversation in the hospital it was obvious that Kakashi was getting tired and so Kurenai had offered to take Fuu in for another night. That actually had gained her a second 'Thank you' from Kakashi, making the kunoichi overly self-conscious. She couldn't remember that Kakashi had ever thanked her for anything.

Now Kurenai took a deep breath to shake off her own feelings.

Turning back from the door of her apartment she observed the little girl she'd be hosting for another night. Over the past couple of days they had spent together, the kunoichi believed their bond to have deepened — maybe even to the point of her gaining an actual understanding of what was going on inside that little head beneath all those soft curls.

Fuu needed a little longer to adapt to the situation. However Kurenai's fingers tingled with the need to smoothen the worry between the girl's brows. How could there be any hidden malice hidden in those big eyes?

"Come on in, Fuu-chan" the kunoichi called softly and watched the frail figure stumble inside, while she herself closed the door and reached for the light switch.

The outlines of furniture, now illuminated, transformed into the simple yet comfortable design of the little apartment. Moving out had been her first true act of teenager rebellion. Especially once her father Shinku, though usually not one to talk much, had quite suddenly decided to change this lifelong habit for the benefit of pointing out possible candidates for marriage. The idea of a grandchild had actually rendered a special touch to his already bossy attitude.

'I think that parenting suits you.'

Kurenai quickly shook her head. Even if it didn't help subduing the blush which now spread on her cheeks. Now however was hardly the time to ponder on the matters of a certain Sarutobi heir, so the kunoichi moved towards the open-plan kitchen.

"How about you make yourself comfortable while I prepare a little snack before bedtime? Maybe some tea…" Rummaging through the cabinets Kurenai hoped that she would be able to calm the girl down. Finally she found what she had been searching for, "Look, Fuu-chan, that's the tea blend you drink with Kakashi, right? … Fuu-chan?"

The little girl had not moved an inch, still clutching the worn backpack as if this was her life line — or that of her guardian. She shook quite visibly and Kurenai dropped everything to immediately hurry to her side.

Even with her slender shoulders hunched, Fuu wasn't able to hide that her whole body trembled uncontrollably as her face cracked. There were tears in her beautiful eyes, creating two brilliant emeralds.

"It's going to be alright, Fuu-chan. I am sure that tomorrow you'll be back together with your Hatake-sama" Kurenai tried to comfort her, unsure about how to prevent those tears from falling.

"I am not so su-ure" Fuu sniveled and her expression became almost too unbearable to watch. "Something feels wrong, Kurenai. I can't help him, but want to! I-" but she was interrupted when the tears finally started falling. Big heavy drops hit the floorboards before Kurenai could free the bag from her grasp and quickly gather her up in her arms. Fuu buried her face in Kurenai's shoulder and clung tightly to the fabric of the woman's dress. "I-hi'am u-hu-seless … aga-hain!"

"Shh" Kurenai hushed at the bitterly weeping child as she tried to soothe her by stroking the small of her back. Somehow the kunoichi had expected something like this, but she would never have imagined it to be so heartbreaking.

Of course she was used to seeing crying children, though at that time everyone had shed tears over fallen and loved ones. Carrying Fuu with caution towards the bed, Kurenai could not help but share part of the misery Fuu found herself in.

"You're not useless, Fuu. Without you Kakashi would still be very lonely and we — Asuma and Gai and all of the others — we are very thankful that you take care of our dear friend. And who ever said you're useless?"

Resting the girl on the bed, Kurenai carefully tucked the covers around her when she noticed how exhaustion rushed through her little body. The small outbreak and all that had happened today must have drained her completely.

Fuu contemplated her words before hesitantly answering, "Snake man. He always said that I was usele-hess, because I couldn't do amazing things like Futaba."

Kurenai felt like her blood had suddenly turned to ice. It was nothing short of a miracle that she managed to keep a smile on her face; even though it felt wrong and strained. Burying her trembling hand in the soft strand of Fuu's hair, Kurenai felt a little reassured – as if touching the child meant that nothing bad could have happened to her.

"I like you well enough, Fuu. Now don't worry and sleep!"

"… I like you too, Kurenai" came the sleep drunken reply before Fuu's head sank deeper into the pillows.

Long after the girl had fallen asleep, Kurenai still sat at her side of the bed and watched the peaceful expression, still lined with tears. While outwardly strangely calm — inside there was a fierce battle of her mind and heart.

Snake man.

It could … Fuu wasn't actually referring to that person, right?

Orochimaru.

The corridors of the hospital emptied quickly with the approaching evening. The day shift made place for their relay and soon the voices faded to the occasional reverberating steps of the nurses going for a spin to check on their patients. Now that the visiting hours came to an end, they helped patients get ready for the night, whilst others still needed their medications.

One of the nurses entered Kakashi's room with a silent greeting and placed a small tray upon the nightstand next to his bed. Glancing towards Asuma who leant out of the window for a smoke, she voiced no complain nor did she ask him to leave, but somehow both requests showed briefly on her face.

"Rest well, Hatake-san" was all she said, before sending a smile in the direction of said patient and letting herself out.

"I wonder if it's the mask" Asuma mused as he slipped off the uncomfortable window seat.

With no intention to answer the Sarutobi, Kakashi took the glass of water and picked up the little capsule containing some supplementary iron and painkillers. Asuma decided to inspect the collection of fruits Fuu had bought with her small pocket money. He remembered how the girl had refused him to pay. Those small glimpses of her stubbornness something that actually made him chuckle.

"What do you think of her?"

Feeling a little caught, Asuma turned to raise one of his eyebrows at Kakashi.

Sometimes, especially since Fuu's appearance, Kakashi would ask for other people's opinions. For ages now the silver haired shinobi had held them all at a distance, severing attachments and preferably shutting himself off in his lonesome yet controlled world.

To Gai, Kurenai and Asuma himself, it came as a surprise that he now allowed them within his personal boundaries. And even Asuma could not help but acknowledge Fuu's part in this.

It was probably only his own hunch that Kakashi was slowly building up a social network to support Fuu; getting ready to pass the little girl on as soon as it would be safe enough. However, even Kakashi couldn't possibly deny that he too was fond of her. Maybe too fond for his own taste.

"I still have to get over this picture, you see? An ANBU, a ruthless and coldblooded warrior, cuddling a little girl in broad daylight — right in front of the gates. You sure must have missed her" the Sarutobi ventured and checked with a quick flip of the package cap how many cigarettes he had left.

Kakashi sighed deeply in response. Of course he should have expected some kind of remark at one point, but he still found it to be a pain in the arse. There was no chance either Kurenai or Asuma would let him ever forget his overreaction.

But Kakashi was tired and a little impatient. "I am actually serious, Asuma."

"Innocent I'd say" Asuma offered with his voice showing no sign of his actual thoughts. Before Kurenai had left with Fuu to get her ready for another sleepover, Kakashi had told them both a short version of his encounter while the child dutifully waited in the corridor.

The kunoichi had left after their update — fuming as she half dragged the confused little girl with her.

Wetting his lips to carefully measure his words, Asuma continued, "That's what you want to hear, right? However you'll need much more than my assessment to convince the Third. What do you have in mind?"

" … I have to find a way so that I can talk to Futaba."

Trying to link the name to something familiar, Asuma furrowed his brows. "Isn't that Fuu's — what did you call it again? Guardian spirit?"

Inclining his head while searching for the right words, Kakashi's dark eye slowly found its way to Asuma's face. There was conflict in its depths and a silent wonder. "That man fed us quite an amount of information. It was him, who mentioned Fuu and Futaba, unmasking them as something that could pose a threat to Konoha."

Asuma nodded and registered with a surprised blink that Kakashi probably had spent all of his wake time trying to figure out a way to save Fuu the scary experience of interrogation. That would at least explain the unusual resolve which he had also showed the Hokage.

"I won't take the bait that easily though. Claiming to be her father, only to make light of her misfortune and pain, he would raise anyone's suspicion. That man was cruel, but also quite manipulative. He triggered some strong emotions. Just like how Fuu draws in people. Something which I believe she does unconsciously but could still be traced back to her father."

Staring at the grapes in his hand, Asuma mulled over Kakashi's words before finally lifting his brows with a deep sigh. Leisurely he threw one grape in the air and caught it in his mouth.

"So you're suggesting that it's either danger in form of a four year old girl or her presumed father" Asuma concluded while chewing. With a barely visible movement he threw the rest in the air and finally lowered his head and hand, the grapes now all stored in his right cheek. "Whut if tshey'rer wurking ash a team?"

With a pained expression Kakashi moved the basket out of Asuma's reach and agreed, "Possibly. However that man was angry and at the same time delighted to point me in the direction of Fuu's secret. That was no half hearted hint. He enjoyed the idea that something had driven his daughter back to Konoha. That something had hurt her so badly that she was forced to go into hiding."

"I thought Fuu never left the Uchiha district" Asuma interrupted and registered that Kakashi's eye was drooping more than usual.

"Futaba" was Kakashi's dissyllabic response and he raised a hand scratching his head. The movement told Asuma that the painkillers finally took hold. The medics had blamed the pain on the impact of the jutsu that somehow had knocked the ANBU out. "I think that Futaba is the key. First of all, I will need to get acquainted with Fuu's powers and once she can master them, she'll probably be able to call on Futaba."

"How? Just how? She's a guardian spirit for Kami's sake! It's not like you can just ask Fuu to pull her out so that you could talk with her over a nice cuppa tea" a rather grumpy Asuma pointed out since he felt that this conversation was heading in a direction he didn't like at all.

When he continued, the young Sarutobi tried however to keep his voice down, "She poses a threat and that's something you simply don't want to see. You are in denial, Kakashi, and now it slowly catches up with you. You know the procedures of Konoha better than I do and it's about you becoming unable to save her, isn't it? That's what troubles you and it shouldn't."

Asuma actually rubbed at his face in an attempt to bite back the sudden anger. This wasn't about his father failing to understand what reason could possibly prompt Asuma to leave and train outside the village, somewhere people would recognize his own talents.

Once the tight knot inside the young Sarutobi's chest finally loosened a little, he fixed a stern gaze on his friend.

"Kakashi, I thought that you of all people would understand what needs to be done. You'll be better off if you just… commit Fuu to the care of the interrogation team. For your own good."

For a moment it almost seemed like Kakashi was actually considering the proposal of his friend; humoring Asuma's hope that he shouldn't feel as guilty for his own selfishness. The jonin's fingers twitched and tucked at the cover of his bed, while his mind dwelled somewhere else. That Asuma of all people would be the one to remind him of his old ways actually came as a surprise. Then again, Kakashi was well aware of the turmoil inside of the Sarutobi — knew of his growing frustration.

This appeared to be just another way of showing it.

"I will prove her innocence. There's no need for you to get so worked up. I'll know when to stop" the silver haired ANBU captain explained calmly.

To this Asuma threw his hands up in the air and grabbed his head, rubbing at his eyes since he too was so tired of this whole … affair. It was not that he disliked the girl but he was able to tell just how much of a mess she was causing.

Why could it not have been a girl without a story, without dark secrets and connections to an enemy?

Because then Kakashi would have never gotten involved.

"I saw it right before my eyes" Kakashi continued as if returning to his previous trail after taking a shortcut. "A man in his twenties started aging while pulling out a huge amount of chakra. My Sharingan could hardly keep up with the process and I even missed the moment when he activated that jutsu. If he can pull that off, maybe Fuu as well has this ability."

"Are you telling me that we left Kurenai with a little monster that could age any second into a badass opponent?"

"Ah, you might be right" Kakashi blinked blankly and Asuma stared at him in utter disbelief. Meanwhile the silver haired shinobi made himself comfortable before he added with a yawn, "Why don't you go and check if everything's alright?"

Asuma merely growled at Kakashi before he stormed out of the room. He took the fastest route to Kurenai's little apartment and it was only when he came to a halt in front of it that he felt their presence. Three ANBU members were guarding the little complex. His stern expression softened and suddenly feeling rather self-conscious, Asuma turned and walked away, shoving his hands down his pockets.

In his room at the hospital Kakashi put an arm under his head and felt a smile tucking at his lips. He found that provoking his friends to push them away, was actually quite handy.

However, when he felt sleep cloud his mind, the jonin clung to the idea of solving Fuu's mystery.

It was just a hunch, but somehow he could not shake off the words of Fuu's supposed father. Maybe the girl was actually the one protecting Futaba. So what if she was the one who actually brought Fuu to Konoha? He wouldn't be able ask Uchiha Yashiro; there was no one left alive who could possibly confirm Fuu's words.

His frustrated groan faded to a soft sigh and soon Kakashi's breathing continued with the deep rhythm of sleep. Courtesy of his medication.

The moment Futaba awoke, she knew that her plan was coming apart.

She could still feel the aftershocks of the turmoil Fuu had experienced earlier and out of reflex she masked her chakra; hiding beneath the familiar layers that always buried her consciousness during the day.

It took Futaba some time to adapt to the situation. She felt that there was definitely something dirty about her own chakra — like a layer of dust. Concentrating on the blood running through her veins, she finally felt how her energy was purified and she was ready to cast her net.

Right next to her was the familiar chakra of the woman who had won Fuu's affections.

If Futaba remembered correctly her name was Yuhi Kurenai similar to the previous nights her chakra picked up on the changes in her environment rather quickly. Gently Futaba guided her back to sleep, sending her to the depths of her dreamless regions. A place from which the kunoichi would not wake until the rise of the sun.

Without further ado Futaba moved on to the spirits gathered around the building. Three of them stood out, their minds wide awake.

{What are you doing?}

"I plan to open myself a way" Futaba breathed, trying to ignore the flaring spike of irritation that followed her announcement.

Finally she allowed herself to open her eyes and for a brief second she stared at Kurenai's peaceful face. The woman was close to her, probably ready to soothe any new worry that might haunt Fuu in her dreams.

{Open yourself a way? Where do you plan to go? The house is surrounded with ANBU, if you haven't noticed.}

"I know. Have I ever not been careful?"

{You don't actually want an answer to that question, do you?} The voice inside her head finished his words with a deep-drawn sigh, before settling somewhere in her head.

While Futaba carefully got out of the bed, she felt him flip through her mind like the pages of a book.

It wouldn't take him long before finding the reason for her risking this cover. On the edge of the bed Futaba bit her finger, tasting blood and feeling the disturbance in her own chakra system. Just like Fuu's tears had done, now blood dripped onto the floorboards.

With just a few hand signs it quickly transformed to a perfect copy of little Fuu in front of her. Not losing any time, the little girl hurried to the bed side and climbed on top of it, inching closer to the kunoichi next to her. Looking down at her, Futaba felt as if someone had plucked a string of her heart. Before the bittersweet pain could cost her any more time, however, she pushed herself up.

Right now was not the time to be sentimental.

{Ah…} The voice was back and with an overtone that seemed far from pleased. {So Kakashi met Hiroko. Well, ain't this just great?}

"When I woke there was this thin layer of my father's disgusting chakra coating my own. We both know that this man is hardly one to joke around with and he would definitely make sure to lure me out by raising suspicions against me, mainly against Fuu."

{Sooner or later they will interrogate her, Futaba. I can't see how you will be able to prevent any of this. As soon as you're all healed, you need to get the hell out of there!}

"Actually I can't. I have to at least fulfill Fuu's wish" Futaba responded curtly and opened the wardrobe trying to find something decent to wear once she had discarded Fuu's clothes. She was lucky to be nothing but skin and bone — otherwise the fabric would definitely burst during the transformation and leave behind evidence.

Picking a black kimono that was probably more of a dressing gown, Futaba quickly slipped in it. For only a second she allowed herself to actually enjoy the soft feeling of silk on her skin. To cover up her white skin she pulled on some black pants and wrapped her head tightly with a scarf.

{What now?}

"My father expects me to run from this village and right into his arms. How about I'll try and surprise him by actually going out of my way? Heading in the opposite direction for example" Futaba proposed and checked the positions of the ANBU guarding the house.

For a second she furrowed her brows in an attempt to decide which was the best way to proceed with 'opening herself a way'. Her chakra searched the neighborhood when suddenly she hit on an idea. About five minutes away a couple of watchdogs slept peacefully. So squinting her eyes shut, Futaba send her chakra in the system of one of the animals and quickened its heartbeat by clenching and unclenching her own hand.

The quite of night was soon disturbed by a sudden bark, quickly followed by more and Futaba focused again on the ANBU, who alarmed by the noise, took off to investigate.

{Clever girl.}

"Don't sound too surprised" Futaba returned before quickly climbing out of the narrow bathroom window.

It was the only one that had already been open and when the ANBU returned, nothing should be amiss. Plus she would need a secured return route — and a different method to distract the guards on her way back.

While running through the narrow passages of Konoha, Futaba avoided the spirits that still buzzed with wake minds.

Despite any necessary caution, Futaba found it utterly freeing to be outside once again. Three weeks now Futaba had been shut inside, making her presence as scarce as possible while always keeping an eye out for Kakashi or Kurenai.

Now the gentle cool of night caressed her tired skin and if it weren't for the tingling of the wound on her throat, it would have been easy to believe that everything would somehow turn for the better for once.

The hospital was not as dark as the surrounding buildings and in its lit windows Futaba caught side of medics and nurses on their night shift.

{No. No! I take everything back. You're incredibly stupid! Return to the house immediately and leave him be!}

"Aren't we catching up a bit late? What were you thinking—" she stopped herself and peeked around the chimney which served her as a look-out.

{Why would you pay him a visit?}

"Don't make it sound like I am bringing him flowers and chocolates! It wouldn't bother me as much if his death would not pinpoint in Fuu's direction. If he dies, she'll end up forever in the hands of that interrogation team — just imagine if she actually started talking about 'snake man'."

{Never thought that anyone could actually be 'fond' of that sadistic, sick bastard. Snake man… only Fuu could come up with something like that.}

Moving towards the next chimney Futaba tried to locate Kakashi, while scanning the area for possible threats.

She of course remembered the deal with her sensei.

"He was actually … nice … to her, that is" she whispered and felt her mind reeling for a moment while thinking about what Orochimaru had done to her. "I just hope that Fuu does not let on about her own secret."

{It should be fine, your erased her memories, right? So Fuu should neither recall me nor Orochimaru. Not to mention all of the other fun people you've met. Even Hiroko should be no more than a blurry memory for her. Now go! You don't have much time left before sunrise … Stop worrying, Futaba-nee.}

A small smile appeared on her sharp face.

It had been ages since he had last called her 'sister' and it somehow always felt kind of special. Savoring the last bit of that sweet feeling, she quickly went off to find a way inside.

The room smelled of disinfectant and detergents. A combination that was uncomfortably familiar to Futaba's nose.

Slipping from the windowsill she carefully approached the bed, aware of the creaking and murmurs filling the small room.

The silver haired shinobi tossed about in his hospital bed. Maybe it was that the events of the last day and the old fear of again failing someone which had triggered bad dreams. His body, tense and aching, was burning up and the fever had him covered in sweat.

Futaba looked down on him and sighed upon finding her suspicions confirmed. Something was trapped in the Hatake's system. Hiroko never did things halfway.

{He looks pathetic.}

Deciding not to comment on that, Futaba placed one hand on Kakashi's chest and pushed a considerable amount of her own chakra in his system to stabilize it. Only then did she move on to find the source of his worsening condition. Knowing her father, he probably had wanted to make sure that it would be a lengthy and painful death.

Beneath her hands the body of the shinobi calmed and with some more effort Futaba guided him to the same dream region she had earlier sent Kurenai to. Again his chakra affinity sent little shocks through her body and she clenched her jaw to ignore the dizzying effect it had on her.

Casting a brief glance over his body she quickly found the source of evil.

"There it is" Futaba whispered as she tucked gently at the fabric of his shirt.

Apparently he had refused to change into the hospital scrubs and for this Futaba was grateful. She could easily access the band-aid that covered the wound through the damaged material of his shirt. With one quick motion she tore it from his skin; carefully regarding his masked face to determine whether this was enough to wake him.

{Pull down the mask.}

"What?"

{I am curious. This is quite the opportunity to finally see his damn face. I always bet that he was actually quite ugly.}

Again ignoring the childish demands of her brother, Futaba bent over the sleeping body. Ripping the fabric just above his collarbone, she found a minor scratch that was already about to heal. The nurses had cleaned the wound, but she could sense that there was more to it.

Futaba pulled the scarf down which had been covering her own face. Moving quick enough to effectively silence her scruples, she started sucking a little on the already torn flesh of her finger. The blood pooled readily on her fingertip and she let one drop fall on his wound.

With a faint sizzle it melted with the wound and for a moment nothing else happened.

"So it's not as bad as I thought" Futaba exhaled and was about to rise from her uncomfortable position above the shinobi as her eyes fell on his face.

Slowly but surely Kakashi's silver brows started trembling, drawing together, and he squinted his eyes, as if the pain was increasing rapidly. Huffing with annoyance Futaba knocked his spirit back into the realms of dreams.

{What's going on?}

Watching the shaking frame Futaba thought about Fuu's fear to lose this man. A memory crossed her mind and she closed her eyes for a brief second in defeat before taking a deep breath.

'I promise you that I'll never let you get hurt, Fuu-chan. I will face the danger and fear in your stead.'

If the Hatake did die, Fuu would be hurt, scared and in danger. This was the Copy Ninja of Konohagakure, a prodigy and legend amongst shinobi. Surely his death would cause a huge uproar and that was the last thing Futaba needed right now.

Angrily she bent down, supporting herself on the bed, and quickly covered the wound with her still bruised mouth. In the rush of the moment she did not care about the intimacy — neither did it occur to her that she would have to face the consequences.

The taste was not the usual iron bite of blood, but of a rather bitter quality. The inside of her mouth contracted to the liquid and her senses swirled the taste together with the smell and heat of his body.

{What are you doing?!}

But Futaba was too focused on keeping up a steady breathing rhythm as she got so close to finding the seal that her father had buried in the Hatake's blood stream. There was no other explanation for it and she herself had experienced firsthand how it felt like to have one's own blood sealed.

When the tip of her tongue finally touched the knot of sour chakra a light exploded behind her eyes. Heat rushed through her body, paralyzing her and...

... the next thing Futaba knew, was that she was flying through the room.

She crashed on her back and it knocked the air out of her lungs. Tiny dots, so many shiny little dots of light danced in front of her eyes as the overwhelming presence of a foreign chakra burned her body inside out. There was nowhere she could escape to. Only by biting herself she had managed to stifle her cry. The taste of her own blood cleared the red haze and cooled her burning body.

Gasping Futaba shook herself out of her daze and opened her eyes. Above her appeared the ceiling of the hospital room and slowly she remembered why she was lying sprawled out on the cold floor.

What the hell just happened?

"Get up, silly girl" Futaba scolded herself and when she felt the words leave her mouth, she realized that the ever-present voice inside of her head had disappeared. Usually, it would have been his annoyed words giving her the necessary push. But there was nothing but a burnt-out feeling… and suddenly the awareness hit Futaba like a massive rock.

Hiroko's target had not been the life of Kakashi…

Somehow her father had known that Futaba would try to keep a low profile, to take care of things and to finally give Fuu a place to stay… He knew that she would not leave Konoha, so he needed something that she wanted back for her dear life…

Hiroko's actual target had been the connection she shared with her brother.

"No!"

Futaba was on her feet and in the glass of the window she met her own desperation. Deep, heart-wrenching desperation shone in her green eyes and for a moment the earth beneath her feet tumbled, having her stumble against the open window. Nausea chocked her, restrained her from gasping for the much needed air.

"Otouto" she whispered and her arms tightening around herself, as the sudden emptiness was quickly absorbing her — only lightened with the first spark of rage. "How? I-"

Way too late her senses picked up on the conscious struggling to the surface of wakefulness. When Futaba turned around, her eyes met for a brief second with darkness and piercing red. How was it that he was fine? Why…

'Are we all alone again, my dear?'

The words of her father filled her mind and the aftertaste of his blood seal still on her lips, she felt the true extent of her bitterness as she whispered, "You will be fine soon, Hatake. So take care of Fuu."

'That idiot brother of yours left you to die? My, that's so cruel' whispered the sickening sweet voice of Hiroko in her memory.

For the last time Futaba soothed Kakashi's blood, called out to it with her strongest lullaby and pushed the shinobi back to sleep.

Today she had paid the price of saving someone's life.

…

She had lost her brother.

Again.

'So, so alone aren't we?'

unknownher: Thanks for reviewing again and I hope this chapter keeps you in suspense! Actually the story and characters really take on a life of their own - each chapter turns out a little different and it's pretty exciting for me as well ;)

NoBirdWithinTheCage: As usual your questions and speculations give me so much new ideas - thanks so much for those and your continued support! I won't answer them yet but I'll reveal bit by bit and would love to hear your opinion about the new one!

/.../ aaaand that's the end of this week's chapter! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I loved writing it (considering the impressive amount of cold medicine in my system...)

All those strawberries made me hungry so I'll go and fetch some now! =)