He'd been at it all morning, she knew only because she had followed him early that morning into the woods. She watched silently as he fought those invisible demons with a ferocity she had never seen before. It frightened her and touched her and she wanted to reach out and soothe him.

She lowered her head, nibbling on her lower lip in habit. What he had done she could never had gone through with. She thought of Shino, of Kiba and knew if she had faced the same decision as him…she would not have the courage to do it…

"Do you think I am a coward Hinata?"

His voice caught her off guard and she found herself staring into those blue eyes, "I... I don't understand…what do you mean?"

He shook his head firmly, turning fully to face her and she knew then that he had known she had been watching, "For what I did…some people have called me a coward…"

"That isn't true… It took great courage to do what you did… No one can ever understand what you went through…. Not even I could…" her voice lowered to a soft whisper, "Sasuke needed to be stopped… even if he was your friend you knew that…."

"I killed him Hinata… with my own hands I killed him… I must be a coward to kill my best friend because I could not bring him back…"

"No, Naruto-kun... He went freely into the darkness, you did all you could and nothing more… it does not make you a coward to do the right thing… it does not."

"It's…not true is it?"

She wiped the blood from her pale face, frowned and shook her head, "No…your grandmother was loyal. What Keno did was not right…it is my fault that she is dead. I should have come sooner."

"Not that…" She lowered her head, her eyes trying to make out something… anything, "When I hit him…I saw something…I am not suppose to see anything but I could see his fear, bright as day… Like my grandmother used to say…I do not know what it is…only that it is not this eternal night I am used to… Could he be right? Am I just a weapon?"

"What is your name child?"

"Yumi…"

"No, no, your surname, the name your father gave you."

"Tanaka…."

"Tanaka…. I bet you did not know that every son born of the Tanaka clan is blind. It is that fault that allows them their limit…But that when a daughter is born… well, that is a far more special thing. What you did to that young man. I had always heard rumors but to see it first hand…you could be a true demon with those abilities… I have seen those with your powers who have abused it… But you are good Yumi and you always have a choice…you need never to doubt that."

Tears sprung to her eyes and stung the cuts on her face but she could not understand who this woman was, could not understand and yet…she was comforted by her words.

"Who…are you?"

"I am Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage of Konoha…and I have come to take you home."

"Hinata you don't have to be so gentle with it." Hinata found herself blushing profusely as Naruto grazed the surface of her hand, "You should bind it tighter, it won't hurt me anymore then it already does."

She nodded firmly, managing a soft yes before pulling a bit tighter on the bandage, "You keep getting hurt…I worry…"

"It happens when you train as hard as I do."

"But…but you don't need to train anymore…. There's peace now…"

A grim look appeared on his face and she stared in awe at him as he shook his head firmly, removing his hand from her hold, "This peace is so fragile… It may end at any point. If we let ourselves become weak…then nothing will come of it… When this peace ends, someone must fight for it. I want to be able to fight still…" He smiled softly at her, "And I am lucky to have you help me."

He had rarely smiled since he had gotten back from whatever mission he had been on… She knew little of it, only that they had failed and that they had come back wounded and desperate… It had changed so many of them; their moods had been darkened, like a light dimmed from too much use. And they had tried in many ways to cover it up; to hide the fact that whatever had happened to each of them had destroyed their spirit…

But you could see it. You could see it in the way they acted, their words chosen too carefully, their steps elongating, their voices caught somewhere between the past and the present.

"You fight so hard for peace… I wish someone would fight for you instead…"

Her words caught him off guard and he found the courage to smile again, reaching over to touch her cheek, "I am not the only one fighting for it…. everyone in Konoha is trying...only I fear everyone is losing the strength to continue…"

"A Tanaka…. I thought they had all but become extinct."

"So had I…and not only did we find a breed able female but she is a blind female…"

"A blind Tanaka female… I thought that only males were born blind in the Tanaka Family."

"Indeed," The Fifth Hokage had been discussing their newest member with Shizune, they sat in the quiet solitude of her office, blinds closed, the hokage bent over paperwork.

"The Tanaka Family has always been silent, their bloodline hidden. Their daughters are born with sight and their sons without. It is for that reason that the family have their limit. But when a daughter is born blind her power is doubled. It's based strictly on the release of chakra. Take a Hyuuga for example; they are born with the ability to see chakra in the enemy. A Tanaka though, can see only that and even then they can not see the person. They release an immense amount of chakra, like a bat does with sonic waves, these wash over the enemy and interprets his next move through the reading of his chakra. It is a scary technique… to be able to predict the moves of your enemies."

"But if she is exuding such an immense amount of chakra, does it not drain her all that more quickly?"

"That is what I am trying to figure out…I'll need Hyuuga Neji for that."

"What will he do?"

"He'll fight her…. He and Naruto. They'll show us why she does not run out of chakra…"

Yumi sat silently in the shadow of a large tree, listening to the world around her. The sun was out, it warmed the tips of her toes and saddened her, and she was unused to the warmth of the sun. It had brought nothing but danger to her and her grandmother. To be seen had meant certain death for them…

"Hello there."

The voice startled her and she turned towards the voice, not seeing the tall shinobi who stood in beside her but she felt his aura, brighter then the sunshine against her eyes.

"So you are Yumi."

She liked the sound of his voice, it was deep and caring, something sad in the undertones, like he was hiding something and at the same time not.

"Yes, may I ask who you are?"

She heard him sit next to her, his back also against the tree, "Hatake, Kakashi. I am to watch over you."

"I did not realize the Hokage was so concerned over the well being of a blind girl."

"You are no girl, almost a woman of eighteen if I guess right…. And you must be important if I am to watch over you. Konoha has peace now, after so long… we will not hesitate to eliminate potential threats to that peace."

"I am not your enemy…"

She felt him turn to face her, his eyes looking her over, then softly, less the watchdogs of A.N.B.U were listening, "You never know who your enemies are until they have a kunai to your throat."

She thought on this, and then turned to face him, her voice soft as well, "You have a sad bitterness to your voice Kakashi. Let whoever broke your heart know they have placed a weakness in you, people who do those things are truly the enemy you should fear…."