Kakashi stood in front of Rin's gravestone. He was clad in his anbu garb; a black sleeveless top with matching pants adorned by gray armor. His headband rested carefully over his left eye, overlapping with the black cloth that hid his entire face. He placed beautiful white and pink flowers in the stone vases, kneeling.

"It has been hard, first Obito, then you. Now Kushina and the fourth. I couldn't protect any of you." His voice was soft, careful not to be overheard. The cemetery was empty, save for him, but he could never be too careful. "The boy, Naruto. He'll grow up alone and everyone will hate him because of what the fourth sealed within him." Kakashi shook his head. It was hard to admit his failures. There was nothing he could do. All the skill in the world and yet he continued to fail. There was a point in time when he had so much in life. Comrades who fancied themselves friends, a great mentor who offered so much, status, and support even though it went unacknowledged. Now he was left only with his status.

"Talking to the dead doesn't bring them back." Her voice was warm and her tone soothing, like honey tea. He didn't need to peer back at her, he already knew who had interrupted his peace. Just like he knew the inviting atmosphere she portrayed was nothing more than an illusion, hiding her true nature.

"Go away, Mio."

"I didn't come here for you." She admitted, keeping her tone light. "I'm here to visit my sister." Kakashi looked back at her, a hint of surprise clouding what little of his face was visible. He hadn't pegged her as the sentimental type. Mio was one of the most hardcore, and cold hearted members of the anbu he'd ever worked with. She was standing a few rows back, her arms folded over her chest. Wrinkles creased her forehead as she furrowed her brow, her full lips fashioned in a scowl, and her black hair was braided down to the curve of her back. Her outfit was identical to his, though her beautiful face was unhidden. A purple embellished panda mask rested atop her head.

"You don't speak to her?" He asked.

"She's dead." Mio remarked.

"It isn't really for her." A hint of amusement brightened his demeanor. "The flowers are in honor of the dead. Talking to them…that's for you."

"Well this is why I don't talk to you." She rolled her eyes, readjusting her focus on the sky above. "You're weird, and soft." Kakashi brushed the face of Rin's headstone to ensure there was no dirt or imperfections, ignoring her venomous words, before standing up to leave. He paused next to her, on his way out of the cemetery.

"We can't trust the living with our secrets." He noted. "So I give them to the dead." Mio looked at him, her stark blue eyes widened slightly. If it wasn't for her eyes she could easily be mistaken as a Uchiha. Kakashi filed the comparison away in his memory and moved on, taking a few steps forward.

"Does it help?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"It lightens the burden…enough."

—-

Kakashi leaned against the empty white wall, folding his arms across his chest. Tenzo and Itachi sat at a small round table in front of him. The room was quiet and relatively undisturbed. Itachi sat unmoving, studying his teammates carefully. Tenzo fidgeted with his thumbs; a thought clearly hung on the tip of his tongue yet for some reason the brunette refused to voice it.

"Does anyone know anything about her?" Tenzo's voice cut through the silence, the dam of control finally bursting. "I mean has anyone ever worked with her before?"

"She does a lot of special assignments for Master Jiraiya and she was a favorite of the Fourth Hokage." Kakashi announced, not moving from his spot on the wall.

"She's a top pick for intel and 'persuasion' assignments." Itachi added. "I don't think Danzo likes her much though."

"With Danzo it's not about liking someone, it is about trusting them." The silver-haired teenager remarked. "Coincidentally, he neither trusts nor likes Mio."

"Does anyone like her?" Tenzo questioned.

"I hear she's a real bitch." Mio's voice filled the room, her tone betrayed no hint of malice. Tenzo tensed in his seat, visible discomfort shadowing his face.

"I heard that too." Kakashi agreed, his gaze shifting to find her. "Hard to say though, since she's never really around."

"I work better alone." She shrugged.

"I don't think Danzo trusts you with the others." The dark haired Uchiha spoke up, his eyes examining their fourth teammate carefully.

"Also true." She smirked. "But he trusted me with you so….are you duds or are you just that trustworthy?"

"Only time will tell." Kakashi chuckled, slapping Tenzo's back before offering him a friendly squeeze to the shoulder. "This one…well he might just be a dud."

"Relax helmet." Mio grinned, commenting on his choice in headband as she claimed the chair between him and the Uchiha. "I don't bite." She straddled the chair backwards, sitting down heavily. Kakashi sat across from her, his right eye trained on her collected features.

"I assume the need for information is why you were chosen to join us." He observed.

"Nobody makes a man squeal quite like I do." She sighed, giving a half-shrug. "No secret is safe."

"Do you have a kekkei genkai?" The brunette asked, finally recovering from the hole he'd dug himself.

"No." She let out a soft laugh. "Let's get this out of the way, shall we?"