Disclaimer: Naruto & co. don't belong to me. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

Chapter: Retaliation

Yuki's eyes narrowed. Finally. A reaction. Hiashi didn't realize that he had been holding in his breath. "They might try to kill you," continued Neji. "Or they might try to use you. We can't say for sure. But they will come for you." Neji paused. "But....We can't ask you to not leave these walls. We only wanted to warn you."

"Why?" The single word from the girl's mouth caused the whole den to silence. Up till then, tiny whispers could be heard. There was anger boiling under the tone of her voice. All recognized it, but refused to acknowledge it. What reason had she to be so angry? They hadn't even begun to tell her....

"Because you are a Kanzen Seishin. Because our ancestors before us, the original two Kanzen Seishin, created havoc during their time. Memories like the ones they had created are not so easily forgotten. They will see you as a symbol of it. They will try to destroy you." Again there was no reaction from Yuki. Was this the true face of the maroon-eyed jounin? Was she truly as calculative and analytical as she looked? Her eyes were sharply criticizing the room. Almost as if she were assessing every opening's chances of escape. What was on her mind?

"I see. I'll keep on my toes then," she said dryly. So this was what Sasuke meant when she had gone out of her coma. That people would be after her.

Neji wasn't done speaking yet, In truth, he was as much unnerved as Hiashi was with the rising tension in the room. And Yuki's silence.

"We found one way to protect you from most, if not all threats."

"Only one?" Neji's eyes widened. Did she know? There was something in the tone of her voice that indicated that... and her behavior... towards Sasuke. She couldn't've known... could she? Neji swallowed down his anxiety. How exactly was he supposed to tell her this?! He had grown so fond of her during her stay. Did he dare hurt her like this?

"You marry Uchiha Sasuke." Neji had decided to take the hasty approach.

"And if I don't?" The statement was followed by a refusal so quickly, before anyone expected it to come. Naruto and Sakura, the only two in the room that did not know, were frozen.

"You will marry Uchiha Sasuke," said an elder. Yuki turned sharply at him. The elder gasped at the dangerous look in her eyes.

"I don't see why I have to," she said icily.

"No one would dare attack the wife of an Uchiha," Neji tried to reason.

"Besides," began another elder. "The Hyuuga made a pact with the Uchiha a long time ago, to assist each other's clans whenever absolutely needed. This is the time. The Uchiha have nearly died out. Sasuke is the clan's only hope. Yuki. You can help him rebuild his clan." Sakura and Hinata were blushing at the implications. Naruto looked lost. Neji, Sasuke and Kakashi were tactfully expressionless. Hiashi looked a little worried.

"And if I refuse this... duty?" She spat the word out like it was the lowest thing in the world to her.

"There will be no room for refusal."

The silence in the room was overwhelming. Each and every person expected a fight to come up. They were disappointed.

"Fine." Waves of surprise washed over them. As Yuki stood up, they braced themselves, but she was quietly walking towards the exit. "Thank you for your hospitality and all your help. I'll be leaving now."

"She agreed to it... just like that..." Sasuke murmured. "I thought she would....."

"Fight back," Kakashi finished. They were all too surprised to move. Only Kakashi had recovered quick enough. He excused himself, politely, and then went after his sister.

"Sasuke," Neji called. Sasuke's attention snapped from the open exit to the Hyuuga. "You will call us if you need us." It was highly improbable, the young Uchiha hated to ask for help, but help had to be offered anyway. Sasuke nodded. He decided to get his teammates to leave before Naruto would start off a fight with the Hyuugas. Naruto was already standing up.

"We'll leave now," Sasuke interrupted, grabbing the blonde's arm before he could do anything. "Let's go, Naruto. Sakura." The Hyuugas simply watched their retreating backs leave the compound.

"She found out earlier, somehow," Hiashi said, breaking the silence. "That could be the only reason why Yuki acted the way she did."

"That means that she probably had enough time to concoct a plan," Neji thought in alarm. "What is she planning to do?"

Yuki burst into Tsunade's office. One look of her face and Tsunade dismissed all the company she had with her in the room.

"Transfer me back to an anbu."

"I- w-what?! Yuki-chan!"

"Transfer me. Then send me away, if only for a few months. Please do this for me," she said. There was such a desperate look in her eyes that Tsunade almost agreed. Almost.

"You've only barely had duties as jounin, Yuki-chan. Why?"

"This is not the life for me. Please, Tsunade-sama. I'll even accept that damned position as anbu captain right away." Yuki knew that it was an important fish that she was dangling on the line. They'd been trying to make her captain for years. Tsunade alone could not refuse refuse her request without checking with the village council. Tsunade clenched her teeth and closed her eyes.

"If that is what you want."

Yuki nearly collapsed in relief. She almost thought that she would refuse her. Tsunade left the room for a moment to call on the council. They were needed to re-initiate Yuki to being an anbu - and to initiate her as captain. Tsunade returned, telling her that it would take two days at least to collect all the members of the council as well as anbu team-leaders. Yuki nodded in acknowledgement and left. She didn't see Tsunade fall back in her chair as she closed the door to her office. She didn't see Tsunade start crying for her.

"Why?" Kakashi caught Yuki digging up all the scrolls she had used during her anbu days. Yuki paused, for a moment, and then continued to look through her belongings. "I expected - Yuki-chan!"

"I reinstated as anbu," she said, without looking back at him. "And I accepted the position as captain. I expect to be hearing from them in a few hours." Kakashi felt his heart skip a beat as he digested the information.

"I thought you said that you'd give up on that life..." he said gently.

"I did. But I'm going back."

"I don't want you to." Kakashi's statement froze her. She turned around slowly, her mouth fixed thinly. She wasn't wearing her mask. "Yuki, that's not a life I want for you."

"I don't have a life, niichan. My life was already stolen when they decided who I was going to spend the rest of my life with," she said bitterly.

"But you're still trying aren't you? Still trying to run...."

"What else can I do? The Hyuugas have been so kind to me, even though- ... I can't fight them. I won't. Not for all their kindnesses."

"I would not have agreed with them if I didn't think that the match would benefit you...."

"You agreed to it?" Her eyes had snapped wide open.

"Yuki-chan... you must understand that Uchiha Sasuke could protect you in more ways than I can." Yuki hardened her face at this, slitting her eyes at her brother. "Didn't you hear what Neji said? No one would dare attack the wife of an Uchiha."

"What about an anbu captain?" she challenged. "I think that that position is just as good."

"You'd be risking your life for nothing when you have the perfect life lying on your feet!" Kakashi shouted.

"How can it be perfect when I can't choose the life I want?" Yuki shouted right back.

The man outside the front door halted his hand in mid-air just before he could touch the door knob. Two voices were heard, yelling, probably at one another - one male, one female.

"How do you think he feels when he is also ordered to get married?" Male.

"I bet he thinks he's lucky to have someone already picked out for him. Never mind who because he could always get any girl he wanted, right?!" Female. "He thinks he can act all charming and immediately win me over. Well, he's wrong! I can see through his act! Do you know how I feel about that? Do you think I like being treated like that? To pretend like he needs me but really he's just doing his 'duty'?"

At this point the dark-haired man clenched his teeth, turned around, and with a scowl, ran away. "How dare she think I was deceiving her," he growled under his breath. He didn't hear her start sobbing.

"D-do you know how I- I... al-w-ways w-wanted something like t-that?"

Kakashi softened and turned away in guilt, but he caught her as she was about to fall, allowing her to sob into his jacket.

"I d-don't c-care anymore," she mumbled. 'I'm taking that frickin' job and I'm getting out of here. If only for a few months...."

"Alright," Kakashi said soothingly. "Alright."

The siblings stayed in that position for sometime before Yuki broke off, saying that she wanted to clean herself up. Kakashi nodded in sympathy and left her by herself. But as soon as he closed the door to her room, she collapsed on her bed and began another round of tears.

"Kakashi-sensei!!" came a strangled cry the next morning. Naruto was banging on the jounin's door. It was nearly 8 in the morning. His voice was joined with another, probably Sakura's. The silver-haired jounin got off his breakfast table and opened the door suddenly, allowing his two impatient students to fall on the ground. "Hey! What did you do that for?!"

"Being noisy," Kakashi grumbled as he massaged his temple. Sakura looked apologetically up at him while Naruto simply looked exasperated. The two picked themselves up off the ground. "What are you two doing here so early?"

"We wanted to talk to Yuki-chan!"

"Well, her room's over there, but I don't think-" Kakashi didn't get to finish his sentence as Naruto barreled off in the direction he had just pointed, Sakura following closely behind trying to tell him to slow down. He saw the two stop in their tracks after they opened the door to her room. Kakashi went over and peered over their shoulders... and froze. "Y-Yuki...." Her room was empty. All her things were stacked neatly but Yuki wasn't there. The bed was made. One of her outfits lay on top of the sheets... with a piece of paper on top of it. Did she... Did she already leave?

Kakashi swooped down on the sheet of paper and quickly glanced through it. He felt himself breaking a little inside. So... she'd already left in the night. She didn't even say goodbye to him personally.... Only that sheet of paper in his hands.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura managed to squeak out.

"She says for you both to take good care of yourselves," Kakashi said nonchalantly. But his fingers were trembling. His hand went around the paper and crumpled it. The noise and the action startled both Sakura and Naruto out of their stupor. "Look's like I'm to finish up where she left off with your training. Kaze no jutsu wasn't it?"

A week passed without anyone noticing. They'd all found out that she had gone back to being an anbu - to Naruto's huge disappointment. But they couldn't do anything. Heck, they didn't even know where she was. They knew that she had returned to Konoha some time during the week, but the exact time was too obscure. Only Hinata had seen her. And even then it was by luck. She had seen someone washing herself off by the lake Shino liked to go to. And the next second the person had disappeared. Hinata only saw her purple hair and glanced very briefly at the color of her eyes. It was a dark red. Almost maroon. It could've been Yuki. No one knew. When they went to check with Tsunade, they'd found that she had indeed returned, for only a brief while. Even Kakashi could confirm it. She had left a note for him telling him of her well-being. Despite that, only one person seemed indifferent. Sasuke.

But one night, to Naruto's delight, he had spotted her on her way out of Konoha. A little more than a week since they'd last seen each other. She was half-hidden in the trees, but both caught sight of each other. Naruto was about to scream her name, but decided against it when he saw how shifty she looked.

"Yuki-chan?" he said gently as he made his way to her. She was at that lake. The lake Hinata had last seen her at. "Yuki...."

"Good afternoon, Naruto-kun," she said with a little smile. "How have you been?"

"Where have you been?" he hissed angrily as he folded his arms in front of him and glared at her. Yuki let out a little giggle and then replaced the hood on her head. The hand that held her anbu mask ready to cover her face. Naruto held that arm down and glared at her to prove his point. "Everyone's been looking for you."

"I know," she said solemnly. "I've just left a note to Kakashi-niichan to tell him that-"

"Why are you running?" Naruto interrupted roughly.

"I'm going off for another mission soon, Naruto-kun," she said gently as she took the hand that was holding on to her arm and lifted it off her. Naruto stepped back in surprise.

"When are you coming back?"

"Take care of yourself alright?" she said, ignoring his question. "You look well enough, so I suppose so." She placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it an affectionate squeeze. Naruto saw her place the mask over her face and was about to grab it off her in anger, but she had disappeared. Just like that.

Clenching his fist, Naruto growled at her sudden disappearance and then made his way back to the village. To the Hokage's office. To demand the reason why Tsunade was sending her off on so many missions. But Neji had intercepted his path halfway there. They were both rushing towards the Hokage offices.

"I just received word," the Hyuuga said calmly. Naruto's ears pricked up. "Yuki's anbu team have just arrived in Konoha." Naruto was confused. Just arrived? But Yuki was all set to leave when he had seen her. And that was even less than five minutes ago. Naruto was about to tell him that when they skidded to a halt in front of Tsunade's office. There were a bunch of nurses and doctors running to and from there. There were some jounin littered around the place as well. What was going on? Neji pushed his way in, dreading that the ambush of medics had something to do with Yuki. Naruto followed him out of curiosity, already knowing that Yuki was alright.

"What's going on? Tsunade-baba?" Naruto asked when he reached her personal office.

"Naruto-kun," she beckoned him to her. Naruto's eyes widened when he noticed the blood on her hands. "Help me apply pressure here," she said, replacing her hand on a body with him. "I need to check on the others." Naruto was shocked. The feeling was quickly replaced with nausea.

Neji stood by the doorway, having suddenly been ordered to keep curious on-lookers out. His senses reeled at the stench of blood that was all around the room. He counted three bodies. All anbus. One female. Two males. No, the female wasn't Yuki. Her hair was too brown for that - or was that blood? In any case, he felt sickened at the sight of the bodies. Oh, they were all still breathing alright, but to even begin to imagine the pain they were going through with all the wounds - Neji looked away in disgust.

"This was Yuki's team," Tsunade said to the two chuunin absently. "Lucky that she managed to stay conscious when she arrived, but these three...." She winced at that. Naruto and Neji looked at her questioningly. "There was an ambush. These three were told to look out for Yuki while she... but they were given a surprise attack instead. Yuki didn't know about it... the attackers were too silent. The she came and took care of all the attackers. That man, Naruto," she said, looking at the man Naruto was nearest to - the one Tsunade had just told him to apply pressure to his wound. "He helped Yuki carry the other two here. But they were surprised again from behind. Yuki was the only one left standing."

"How?" Neji asked. Tsunade glanced warily at him.

"After all the training you Hyuugas put her through, need you really ask?" There really wasn't any need to.

"Are these people-" Naruto caught sight of a still-bleeding wound and felt his stomach lurch.

"They'll live," Tsunade said solemnly.

"And Yuki? Where is she?" Neji demanded.

"She's alright. There were some internal injuries but I'd already taken care of that."

"Where is she?" Tsunade ignored him and called for one of the doctors to come in.

"Kazekage-sama! The envoy from the Hidden Leaf Village has arrived. Do we show him in?" Gaara turned his emotionless expression from the pile of papers on his desk to the shadowed figure at the door. He nodded and told everyone else in the room to leave with just a look of warning from his eyes. A hooded figure entered the room and the door was closed.

"So what do I call you?" he asked.

"Hatake," the person answered. Gaara narrowed his eyes. Either the envoy was a really young boy, or it was a girl. He narrowed his eyes even more at recognizing the name. To his memory, the name 'Hatake' could only belong to that silver-haired jounin that headed Naruto's squad. "My name is Hatake Fuyu Yuki. Konoha anbu captain." She unhooded herself.

"So the rumors were true...." he murmured. "You are Hatake Kakashi's sister. Child of Uchiha and Hyuuga. Welcome to the Hidden Sand Village. You will be safe here."

"Why so?" Yuki asked, her eyebrow arching up.

"Being Uchiha Sasuke's fiancé for one," he said with a smirk. Yuki sneered at him. "Another reason is that this is my village. Whilst I live, every sand particle in this village is under my control. I own this village." The two glared with such obvious hostility for each other. Yuki remembered the time Gaara had been an enemy. But she also remembered the time he had come and saved the leaf-nins from Orochimaru's lackeys.

"Will I be safe from you?"

"Frankly? As long as you are friend to Uzumaki Naruto." Yuki looked puzzled. When did Naruto get in the picture? "He is the only person I respect. Regardless of whatever pact there is... if you betray him-..." He left his threat hanging.

"I'd be the last person to," Yuki said, looking and sounding devoid emotion. "Now that I have declared my loyalties, when do we begin?"

"I've yet to find you a substitute instructor. I don't have that much time to spend with you."

"I'm a fast learner."

"I'm sure you are, being an Uchiha."

"So why don't you teach me?" she asked.

"Like I said, I don't have time to spend with you."

"Kazekage-sama. You don't sleep. You have time." Gaara smirked at her boldness and then took out something from the drawers of his desk.

"Why don't you start reaching these scrolls and I'll get back at you later tonight. Night's the only time I've got for you."

"Alright." Gaara tossed her a key.

"Your apartment. Walk east about a block. The door has a black circle on the topside. It won't be hard to find." Yuki turned around to leave, but Gaara stopped her just as she was about to close the door. "Take off the hood. You look too conspicuous." Yuki smiled at that, though he couldn't see it through the anbu mask, and then said her goodbye as she closed the door.

True to his word, Gaara appeared at her doorstep later that night and urged her to follow him to his own home - where they could begin her training on the flat roof.

"Tsunade-sama said that among all that know fuuinjutsu (sealing skills), you stand out most. Why is that?"

"Apart from the demon inside me?" he asked steely. Yuki simply shrugged. "Your Hokage knows that... I have the most unusual collection of fuuinjutsu at my disposal. You should know this, if you read through the scrolls I gave you."

"I did. And they are unusual."

"Yes. Half of them can only be performed by those that have a demon already sealed inside them."

"Is that a necessary condition?"

"Yes. Otherwise, you'd just have to increase your level of chakra." Gaara was openly scrutinizing her. "You've almost reached your maximum. How pitiful."

"I gather that even that would not be enough."

"Not even for a Kanzen Seishin. Let's begin."

A/N nope... GaaraOc is never gonna happen -smile- just lettin y'all know.

Blue Savage: yay! Actually, I have read your fic but I couldn't find anything to comment on so I wanted to wait till the plot reveals itself more -smile- (Sakura fics aren't really of my interest... haha... I think I've just evolved to a Sakura-hater)

Nikko: uhm.. I generally update once a week, friday afternoons by my time (actually, normally at 3 pm or so, but yeah, that day - the last update- I was late by... about 5 or 6 hours haha... I didn't think anyone would actually notice. -today I'm late by 2 hrs... circumstances could not be helped) I can only update once a week, to keep the story unbroken and make it not seem like I'm in a slump (like I am right now) but... you can expect about 2 more updates after this (once a week) and then after that... I don't know... I'm gonna work on it though.... I have it written... but I don't like how that thread went so... I might have to change bits of the plot... It's tiresome but it has to be done -sigh-