This story takes place about 6 months after "Kakashi and the Raikage of Thunder Country." This is a companion piece to the previous story.

Book IV of the Kakashi-Kunoichi Chronicles

Kakashi and the Counterfeit Kunoichi

Part I Rikako's Return

A Dog Day Afternoon

Kakashi is home on a lazy late afternoon. He is no longer responsible for a genin team, his third having been taken over by another jounin after one of his team passed the chuunin exams. He's been mentoring his new chuunin and going on an occasional mission. Things are calm and quiet, the way he likes them. It's been several months since his trip to Thunder Country, another chuunin exam has come and gone since. The last one was not held in Konoha and as he had no team he didn't attend. His thoughts drift to whether the Raikage had been there. Was she surprised that he hadn't made the effort to see her? But a clean break is best. Yet it's been months and he still couldn't get her out of his thoughts and yet he does not have the same feelings of longing and depression as the time she left. The incongruity disturbs him. Why constantly think of her if he no longer loved her?

But he's glad to be free of a seriously "mental" girlfriend. One who repeatedly tried to kill him on the pretense that it's a "training exercise" each time he pissed her off by being late. Now if only his married friends would stop trying to set him up. What's the deal with married couples? They're always trying to enforce their idea of bliss or eternal servitude on others.

He suddenly senses someone at his door. The person is not knocking, it is more like a dog scratching at the door trying desperately to get in. Kakashi quickly opens it, prepared for any surprise...but not this surprise!

It's Rikako, bedraggled, worn out, torn up. He has never seen her in this state before. What could have happened?

She says hoarsely, almost in a whisper "Help me...please."

Kakashi quickly picks her up, "I'll take you to the hospital..."

"No! No hospital...tell no one or..." she passes out.

He brings her in and places her on his bed gently. He checks her for wounds and broken bones. Nothing apparent except numerous scratches and bruises. It looks like she's been hiding out, escaping from something, making her way here through the forests rather than the main roads. He carefully takes a cool towel to wash away the blood and dirt caked around her face and hands. She looks different since he saw her last. Thinner, with dark rings around her already dark eyes, giving her an almost skeletal look. Her hair has been cut short. What could have happened? The agents have not reported anything unusual.

Exhausted, she sleeps through the night. The aura of green chakra is back. He thought she had it under control. The green chakra pulsates around her as she tosses and turns, sometimes muttering unintelligible words, but he consistently catches one – kage - shadow.

So fragile, she has never been helpless, despite her small stature, she always gave off a pervading aura of strength. A guilty feeling, he likes her like this, vulnerable. It's a male chauvinistic thing to think and she would berate him if she knew. He always thought he wanted someone strong, someone who could take care of herself, someone whom he would not have to protect. He did not want that type of responsibility, that type of pain should he fail – he's had enough of that in his past. But along with strength usually came independence and obstinacy. She never really needed him. He wants to protect her now in a way he couldn't in the past. He wants to keep her safe from whatever tormented her, whatever danger that imperiled her.

One word, shadow, what could she mean? Is something following her like a shadow? Is it something dark like a shadow? Is it something with no material form like a shadow? Is it a kage of a country causing trouble? But he promised her not to do anything, so he waits for her to explain.

She sleeps through the afternoon and the night, finally waking at dawn, takes a long hot shower and changes into the clothes she left behind nearly a year ago. Her stuff is still in his apartment. He never got around to packing it up. She hasn't asked him to send her anything, as if she left her past permanently behind, and needed no reminders. Laziness, that's part of it, but it would also mean it was truly over between them and perhaps subconsciously he was not ready to accept that final conclusion.

Kakashi is in the kitchen making breakfast. She looks like she could use a good meal. She sits down at the little dining table without word.

"So what happened?" he asks as he places a plate of scrambled eggs and toast in front of her.

She says nothing but slowly takes a bite of the toast, chewing tentatively. He waits patiently for her to say something. But she says nothing until she polishes the plate. "I want to see my parents. It's been a long time."

"Oh, well, okay if that's what you want.," he replies, a bit confused.

She gets up, looks at him and says abruptly, "Well, aren't you coming with me? You don't have anything better to do, do you?"

"Oh, sure, of course I'll come with you," surprised at her insistence.

Homecoming

They walk the two miles to her parents' house, at a slow pace, unusual for her, she was always in a hurry. He waits again for her to explain. But silence, so he prompts her, "You mentioned a shadow while you were sleeping…"

"Did I? Hmm, that's strange. I wonder why."

"That's my question."

"Oh, yeah, that's right. "

She is avoiding the question or rather avoiding the answer. There is no point in pushing her, so he bides his time.

They arrive at her parents' house an hour later. Her parents are already up as well. She rings the doorbell rather nervously. Her mother answers. Rikako manages a smile and says, "Hi mom, I'm home, for a while anyway." She puts her arms around her mother, hugging her tightly, and starts to cry silently. Rika is speechless, not so much as suddenly seeing her daughter whom she hasn't seen in a year, but when was the last time she saw her cry about anything?

Kakashi thinks whatever it is, it's seriously serious.

Dr. Otori's serious visage finally breaks a smile when he sees his prodigal daughter home. She even gives him a tight hug and additional tears. They spend a couple of hours with her parents before the office opens to receive patients. Rikako seems back to normal - smiling, laughing and telling them stories about Thunder Country. Kakashi thinks they don't know what really happened. She hasn't told them, and she never will.

On the way back, they bump into some of her friends whom she greets warmly, with hugs and promises to get together for drinks. She seems genuinely pleased to see them, and excited about a reunion.

Back home again, Kakashi tries to broach the subject again, "How long do you plan to stay?"

"Why, are you trying to get rid of me?" her brow furrows.

"No, I mean what happened in Hidden Cloud Village? Are you still the Raikage? Tell me, let me help you…" he doesn't want to push her, but his curiosity is overwhelming.

She's still silent, contemplating what or just how much she should tell him. Finally she says in a broken voice, "Just hold me…please."

He puts his arms around her. She presses herself against him. He feels her little heart pounding a few inches below his. Then she tilts her head to look up at him. She gazes into his eyes, but for some instinctive reason, he's afraid she's trying to hypnotize him, or worse, so he closes his. Then he feels her hands pull down his mask and her lips pressing on his. He could give in quite easily at this point, but something tells him it's not a good idea. His quiet simple life was being invaded again. He wants no further complications. He gently pulls her arms away, but she still tries to hang on and he uses more force than he intended.

Rebuffed anger sparks in her dark eyes. She never took rejection well.

"There's someone else, isn't there?"

"Huh? No, there's no one else, it's just that…"

"Liar! Bastard! Traitor! You and this village, you all betrayed me! You left me there to suffer. You did nothing to try to help me! Cast me away like dirt! Like garbage! Now you shall all pay!" Her green chakra suddenly pulses around her.

He's shocked at her over reaction. Her outrage, her green chakra, this isn't good. I thought she had that under control.

He feels her trying to invade his mind, he manages to put up mind blocks but not before she sends him disorienting images to confuse his mind so that she could attack. A volley of shurikens and kunais fly at him - he manages to block most of them but due to his disorientation, several get through and he feels them enter his limbs and chest. He has to get away from her. His mind blocks would only last so long. If she reads his mind, she can anticipate his attacks…

Kakashi leaves behind a clone to battle her while he rushes to the Hokage's suite – he has to warn him, she's irrational, and might try to destroy Konoha in her state. He's not sure if even the Hokage can defeat her - her powers have grown since she left.

A trail of blood follows him. When he enters the reception room, he sees the Hokage - sitting down calmly chatting and drinking tea with… the Raikage!

The shock of seeing her there, coupled with the severe lost of blood, finally forces him into unconsciousness.