Hey! I think maybe a few people got confused and all last chapter. Setsuko's blood got to him in time. That was what shielded him from the blast and fire. Sorry if I confused some people.

A Lost Chance

Kakashi dismissed his team and watched Naruto go to the Uzumaki Estate with a heavy heart. It had been a month since his house was destroyed. A month Tsunade moved him into the Uzumaki Estate until they were able to rebuild. One month of Naruto mopping about. It had been a month since Setsuko disappeared after slaughtering those cloud-nin. A month since Setsuko wielded her deadly Shinigami, a strange weapon that would increase in weight if someone tried to use it. A month since her last D-rank mission with her team. A month since threatening her team. Some were happy that the demonic cousin of the Nine-tails was gone. Of course, team 28 had yet been filled in on Setsuko's unique condition. Only Tsunade, Kakashi, Jiraiya, and Naruto knew the whole story about her appearance. Team 28 didn't even know that she looked different than what she had come to them in. Sakura and Sasuke wondered off in the opposite direction. He sighed and shook his head. Tsunade was at a loss at what to do about team 28.

". . . . Kakashi-sama . . ." A quiet voice came out of nowhere. Kakashi looked at Hyuga Hinata as she stood beside him, poking her fingers together in a nervous habit.

"Konnichiha Hinata-san." Kakashi replied cheerfully. Hinata smiled briefly. "Is there something you need?" (Hi.)

". . . . ummm . . . I was wondering . . . . how is Naruto?" Kakashi smiled at her shyness. It was obvious to everyone but Naruto that she liked him.

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A hooded figure entered Konoha without the slightest problem. The guards laid on the ground asleep. Behind them, another hooded figure picked there way through the unconscious leaf-nin. They disappeared into the shadows before the first one could realize it. They hopped from building to building, looking for a certain building. Not a sound was heard as they easily leapt over the heads of anyone still out. The lamps' lights did not touch them as the streets soon began to blur to the hooded figure. Finally, they stopped in front of the home of the 5th Hokage and quietly slipped pass the ANBU without a second thought and glided into the office of the Hokage as she slept onto of some of her papers. A gloved hand reached out of the cloak towards the Hokage.

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Kakashi yawned as he pulled his glove on. He glanced over at the only two things that had remained of his home. The two pictures he kept above his bed. A picture of his team while he was a Genin and his current team. The edges were slightly burnt but nothing more. The Copy Cat Ninja opened his door to see Naruto standing outside of it with his hand raised to knock.

"Kakashi-san, Tsunade-sama sent a message to come and met her. She said that she doesn't need Sakura and Sasuke." With that said he left. Kakashi's heart went out to him. His cousin was gone. Not even the ANBU could find her. Tsunade said that if she wasn't found soon then Uzumaki Setsuko would be declared a missing-nin. Since those words were uttered, Naruto became more and more worried about his cousin each day. He was no longer his hyper-active loud-mouthed self. He was quiet and seemed tired all of the sudden. Kakashi couldn't blame him. Each day was one day closer to having the ANBU sent after his cousin with intent to kill. And today . . . from the message it seemed as though it would be today that the ANBU would start to hunt the Uzumaki woman without trying to bring her back alive. Kakashi didn't want to see what Naruto would do. She was his only family. She understood everything and there was no need to worry about a cold look from her because of the Kyuubi. Kakashi merely grabbed an apple on his way out to catch up with Naruto and quickly ate it, throwing the core away as he hurried.

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Naruto would not stand for it. On the inside he was fuming. Tsunade would declare Setsuko a missing-nin! If that was so then he would hunt down his cousin and run away with her. She was the only one that truly understood. He wouldn't let them take her from him. She loved him because he was Naruto. And now she was gone because she saved Kakashi! It didn't make sense! Of course people would want her gone. She was his cousin. And she didn't look like them. Naruto felt himself slowly feeling like she did when it came to most people.

"Setsuko-chan!" Naruto hugged as she came into the small home they lived in. After a moment he released her and smiled at her while he took a bag away from her. Her crimson eyes blinked in surprise before softening at him.

"Hai?" She replied but he could hear the anger in voice as she tried to mask it.

"What's wrong?" Setsuko smiled gently at him before patting him on the head.

"Don't worry about it. It is nothing." She muttered as she left the room. Naruto huffed and followed her.

"Setsuko-chan, I wanna know!" Setsuko glanced back at him as she put down the groceries. She smiled and was about to reply when he cut her off. "Setsuko, please, we're family! We shouldn't keep secrets. I know your secrets and you know mine. It's not fair if I can't have any secrets and you can!"

"It's nothing . . ." Naruto would have protested more but Setsuko had handed him a container of ramen. "It's a beautiful day outside Naruto. Why don't you go eat on top of the roof and I'll join you shortly." Naruto happily agreed as he took the ramen and left. Halfway to the roof he realized that he didn't have chop sticks to eat it with a turned around to go back. As he neared the kitchen he heard a clanging sound. He quietly peered around the corner and watched his cousin throw around a few items in anger. She was yelling a few curses and such before she dropped to the ground and punched the floor. "Damn humans! I hate them!" She whispered. Naruto barely heard her as she spoke. "He's . . . he's just a boy . . . but they don't care! I . . . . I hate them . . . . they're bastards."

Naruto picked up his pace to the Hokage office and find out if today was the day that his cousin would be declared a missing-nin. If today was the day he left Konoha.

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The market place was extremely busy. No one noticed the hooded figure in front of a fruit stand. A gloved hand reached out to pick up an orange. Money was dropped onto the counter as the hooded figure walked back towards the village gates. The money was stained red.

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Naruto entered into Tsunade's office. He looked around confused as she was nowhere in sight. After a few minutes of looking he found red stains on the carpet. Naruto tilted his head to the side as he looked at it with utter confusion. The genin squatted down to the carpet to inspected it better. Naruto squinted his eyes as he stared at the stain. It looked like . . . blood? A hand seemed to come out of nowhere and grabbed his shoulder.

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Kakashi came to the gates of Konoha. A twig snapping alarmed his to another presence. A dark cloak fell to the ground from a tree along with red stained gloves. His eyes traveled up to the person who dropped the cloak and gloves.

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"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Naruto had spun around and looked at the face of the Hokage, looking half dead from lack of sleep. That sight alone had scared the crap out of him.

"Naruto? What are you doing here?" She yawned. "And this early in the morning?"

"Tsunade-sama, you called Kakashi and me here." Normally she would flinch at Naruto calling her Tsunade-sama. It was so unlike him. But her calling him here? It must have something to do with the previous last night.

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Kakashi stared in utter shock at the woman who sat in the tree, eating an orange. Black dress shoes and white socks adorned her feet. A simple red dress with short sleeves that almost went to her knees hugged her perfectly. A black wrist band on her right wrist had golden cravings engraved on it. Dark green hair was moved gently in the wind as her pale skin that was lightly tinted a pale blue did not contrast with her appearance. Crimson lips held a faint smile as her eyes were closed. Finally, her dark red eyes opened and stared at the man in front of her.

"Konnichiha Kakashi-kun."