Chapter 6

The next day proved relatively easy for the Sand ninjas. Jiraiya had apparently kept quiet about what he knew, and ANBU was at least staying out of their immediate way. Both Kohaku and Sakura were released from the hospital, and the work crews were finishing up the major repairs. "We'll have to go home soon," Senjo noted as she and Kohaku made their way through the streets.

"You sound disappointed."

"Well, it's kind of nice here, and the kids around our age seem friendly under the circumstances. There's a little something here for everyone."

"We're still in enemy territory, even if back home isn't much better. But you're right, it is nice here."

"Peaceful too. I bet once we leave-" Both girls suddenly froze, quickly glancing up and down the street. "You feel that?"

"Yes." High concentrations of chakra were approaching, and the two ninja quickly took to the roofs. It wasn't long before they saw two figures walking towards their location, both in red-patterned black robes with straw hats pulled over their faces. They walked slowly, almost casually, but they had a purpose.

"Think they're from another village?" Senjo whispered, eyes still following the strangers. Kohaku shook her head and smiled when she detected another chakra trail.

"I don't recognize their dress code, and their chakra is incredible. You going to follow them, Kurai?" Senjo whipped around when she heard him laugh, and he jumped over from the next roof. She was going to get herself killed if she didn't start paying attention to everything around her.

"I see that they caught your attention too. Any ideas?"

"Not a clue. So be careful, all right? And if they're from Sound village, let someone know right away."

"Fine, fine, I will. We'll meet back at the apartment." The girls nodded, and Kurai was off tracking the new shinobi.

'This is boring,' Kurai said to himself as he watched the strangers eat. 'All they've done I walk around, and no one else seems to notice them. I should-' Kurai ceased his complaining when he saw Kakashi heading towards the building, only to lean against it reading. A few minutes later two more Jounins, a man and a woman, arrived, and he leaned forward to hear their conversation.

"…I'm meeting someone here. Sasuke, that is." Kurai saw one of the strangers stiffen momentarily, and they both put down their drinks.

"Oh it's unusual for you to wait for someone. Is the offering for Obito?" the man asked Kakashi as they all glanced into the building. Something was going on, but Kurai was only sure that they had picked up on the large amount of chakra the strangers were still giving off.

"Obito?" the woman asked, breaking her gaze to look at Kakashi.

"Something like that," he answered. Kurai's gaze did not move off the ninja in the building, when suddenly they were gone!

"Shit, they're fast," he swore, taking a moment to track their chakra. He found them on the next street over, still walking casually. He was about to give up on seeing anything useful, when the two Jounins that had been with Kakashi confronted them.

"You're not from this village, are you? Why did you come here?" the man demanded in a rough voice.

"It's been a while, Asuma-san, Kurenai-san," the shorter foreigner replied. Kurai was taken aback for a moment. How did he know them? Had a former Konoha ninja moved away and now suddenly come back? Did the death of the Hokage have anything to do with this?

"If you know us, you must be a former ninja of this village." There was a pause, and Kurai tried to get a better view from where he was observing in the bushes. The shorter man had raised the brim of his hat, and although Kurai couldn't clearly see his face, both Leaf Jounins pulled back. "Y-you're-" Another pause, and the stranger completely removed his hat and unbuttoned his coat with slow purpose. When one hand rested just inside his coat, he stared at them with Sharingan eyes and a Konoha forehead protector that had a deep gash through the metal plate. "No doubt about it, it's Uchiha Itachi," the man- Asuma said to his companion.

"Uchiha Itachi?" Kurai had checked the bingo book for information on the Itachi that Sasuke had mentioned. Only one man went by that name, and he was a missing-nin from Konoha. He had killed his entire clan four years ago, leaving only one survivor: Sasuke. Itachi was supposed to be a genius, having become a Jounin and ANBU squad leader at thirteen. "I was still in school when this guy was doing A-class missions." A sudden movement caught his eye, and Kurai saw Itachi's partner, now also without his hat, swing a bandage-wrapped blade at the Leaf ninjas. The woman- Kurenai, leapt back and formed seals that Kurai recognized as a genjutsu similar to what Senjo used to hide in plain sight. He watched the fight for a minute more before he felt his muscles ache to be a part of the action. When he saw Itachi break Kurenai's trap genjutsu, the Sand boy had a kunai in his hand before he even realized it. She landed on top of the water just as he stood to help, but someone was suddenly beside him, one hand on his shoulder.

"I mean no disrespect, but Itachi is out of your league," Kakashi said as two more of him appeared at the fight.

"How about you let me determine that."

"If you feel like dying needlessly, then go. But as your team's captain, wouldn't that be a waste?"

"How do you know that I'm the leader?"

"You wear the Chuunin vest and draw all the attention to yourself, allowing your teammates time to prepare. It's easy to see when you know what to look for. But listen carefully: Those two men belong to an organization called Akatsuki. I've been told they're looking for people of interest and power."

"Then-"

"Konoha will handle its own people. But your village has its own power to worry about. You need to warn them."

"Let this organization come and take Gaara. I don't care."

"They will destroy your village in their attempt to subdue Gaara. Somehow, I don't see you abandoning your home." The clone disappeared as Kurai heard Kakashi yell something to the others about closing their eyes. Whatever Itachi was about to do, Kurai had to leave and round up his team before he was spotted. As much as he hated the demon child of sand, he wasn't about to let the rest of the village go down in flames.

Senjo and Kohaku were on their way back to the apartment to wait for Kurai. On the way they passed a bridge and noticed two boys staring at the water in contemplation. Kohaku recognized them as Neji and his teammate Rock Lee. Both looked up as the girls approached, and Lee smiled at them. "Greetings. You are Kohaku, yes? The one who saved Sakura-san?" He looked so happy, so elated to meet them, that both of them looked at each other for a moment, not sure what to say.

"I didn't save anyone," Kohaku finally replied. "Sakura tried to stop Sasuke and myself from fighting, and I just didn't want her to get hurt. I would've done the same for any of my friends."

"Friends? But you're from Sand Village."

"Would you rather I not have tried to help?" Lee closed his mouth and scrunched his large eyebrows together.

"That is not what I meant. I-"

"It's all right. Kohaku's just being a smart ass," Senjo assured him, elbowing her teammate in the ribs. "But what are you doing outside the hospital? I know I've seen you there a few times."

"The doctors said that Lee should get some fresh air, and I'm here so that he doesn't overdo it," Neji answered. "We should head back in though, Lee."

"Okay Neji," the green-clad boy answered. Senjo was about to suggest that they continue on when she caught something in Kohaku's face that she hadn't seen in years: The brunette was biting her lip a little and staring at Neji. Her eyes were soft, and there was a slight blush to her cheeks that made her slightly-tan skin glow a little. She kept flexing her right hand like she was holding her staff, and the left kept coming up to play with a strand of loose hair near her ear. It was a slightly nervous stance, one that betrayed too many openings if kept up for too long. The only other person she'd ever stood like that for had been Tansei.

"Why don't I escort you up, Lee? I have a few last things to check in anyway. Kohaku, I'll meet you in a little while."

"Senjo, we-" Kohaku didn't get any more time to protest as Senjo practically glared at her and mouthed the words "talk to him" as she walked away. Neji watched his teammate and the other Sand girl walk away before he turned to face the brunette.

"What did you do to Sasuke yesterday? Why did he go berserk?" Kohaku sighed and again resolved not to hide it. She was leaving soon, so what did it matter if she was hated? At least Sakura had partially understood her reasoning.

"You wouldn't understand even if I told you. Just know that I never meant any harm to come to Sakura or Sasuke. I just wanted to prevent the past from repeating itself." She knew that Neji would pick up on her demeanor around the Konoha Genins, especially Sakura or anyone who mentioned her. He kept looking at the water, but she was sure that somehow he was also looking directly at her.

"Do you remember what I said to you when we first met?"

"You said that I was not a potential enemy as long as I didn't harm anyone."

"I said as long as you didn't attack anyone. You had the right idea, for the right reasons, but you lacked the right plan."

"So what does that mean?"

"I still don't consider you an enemy." He turned to go, and Kohaku wrestled with a question that was struggling in the back of her mind. Finally, she just decided to go for it, and reached out to touch Neji's arm.

"What would it take to consider me a friend?" He paused, then turned back to look at her with eyes that most people of her village might consider lifeless. To Kohaku, the white Hyuuga eyes were more expressive than anything she'd seen.

"To help us of your own free will. If you considered us friends first, I might extend the same courtesy to you." He walked away, and Kohaku leaned over the railing of the bridge, staring at her reflection in the water. Her forehead protector gleamed in the sun, and she smiled slightly.

"Thank you, Neji."

The three Sand ninjas arrived at the apartment all at once, and Kurai began packing his few belongings immediately. "Get your gear, we're leaving."

"What's the rush?" Kohaku asked, nevertheless beginning to gather her things.

"Those two strangers are part of a greater organization. Kakashi explained a little of it, and I checked the bingo book. All Akatsuki members are S-rank criminals, and they're taking other ninjas of interest and power from the hidden villages."

"Then Naruto-"

"He'll be fine, Senjo-chan. But we need to warn the Kazekage that our village will more than likely be a target."

"Gaara would fit right in with people like that," Kohaku predicted, shaking her head. "But he might still want to fight them for kicks."

"The village would be destroyed if he used a wide-scale attack. We need to hurry so that if Akatsuki does show, we can stop them before they meet him," Kurai added.

"Right." In ten minutes they were geared up, and Kurai was off to tell the elder council about their departure. Senjo went to alert the hospital, and Kohaku found herself walking towards the main gate.

"Kohaku!" a familiar voice called out. Sakura waved and ran over, carrying a wrapped bundle in her arms. "Oh, are you leaving for home?"

"Afraid so. Something urgent came up, and we need to head back right away."

"I hope everything's okay."

"It will be, so don't worry. I'll be seeing you, Sakura. It was nice getting to know you. Konoha is an interesting place."

"Same here. And I still owe you for helping me. I'll repay you somehow."

"You owe me nothing. If anything, I owe you for starting that whole mess." The two girls smiled softly, shook hands, and then Sakura went on her way. "I will prove myself to this village one day. I will aid it of my own will. And I will do it right next time," Kohaku whispered to herself.

Kurai was jogging towards the main gate when he noticed a figure leaning against the wall of a nearby building. He slowed to a walk and approached, a smirk beginning to form when he recognized Sasuke. "Yo," he greeted, raising a hand.

"What do you want?" Sasuke seemed a little lost in thought, but the attitude came back in an instant.

"Nothing, really. I was being civil, but that's not my normal style." He made to leave, but Sasuke stepped forward.

"Wait."

"Yes?"

"I need to know something, and you seem like someone who gives straight answers. Kakashi-sensei told me there was a genjutsu on me, but I saw someone in that clearing." Kurai frowned a bit, thinking back to the fight he had just witnessed between the three Konoha Jounins and Itachi. There was no way that Sasuke could even hold a candle to that guy. Hell, Kurai wasn't even sure he could do anything to hurt him.

"Your brother." When the other boy looked up with wide eyes, Kurai continued: "I found out who Itachi was because all you wanted to know was where he was. But honestly, I only saw you and my sister in that place."

"So what did I see?"

"No idea. So Itachi is who you train to defeat?"

"No. I train to kill him." The look in the Leaf boy's eyes had gone dark and hateful. Kurai knew the look well only because his own eyes often held that look when he thought of Gaara and his many training sessions to take out the demon child.

"So we both want to kill the most impossible targets."

"That's what makes it so exciting. To finally have my revenge is something I've looked forward to for four years."

"Same here, but I've been training almost double what you have. Guess that means I'm better."

"You weren't so good when we fought," Sasuke shot back, mirroring Kurai's smirk. The Sand boy chuckled and ran a hand through his hair.

"We were interrupted. You owe me a rematch, if only to prove who the better avenger is." Kurai extended his arm, and Sasuke grasped it, both with serious looks on their faces as they shook hands.

"Deal."

Senjo, for the third time that day, had just left the hospital. Up ahead she saw Naruto running down the street, a bright smile on his face. "Where's the fire?" she teased as he stopped in front of her, panting slightly.

"The perverted hermit is going to show me a new technique while we go look for this woman that he knows! Next time I see Sasuke, I'll beat him for sure."

"I didn't know you two were such big rivals."

"Of course we are. That's what being friends is partly about. When I beat Sasuke, he'll become stronger to try and beat me. He won't be able to, but we're still helping each other in that way too." He looked so happy, so excited to learn something that would give him an edge. "Hey, you look like you're going somewhere too," he added, nodding at her pack. Senjo shrugged and adjusted its weight on her shoulders.

"I am. We've been summoned home now that Konoha is doing okay. My team is probably waiting for me at the gate."

"Oh, well it was nice seeing you here, Senjo. You should come back and visit after I learn my new technique so I can show you." They both smiled, and Senjo giggled a little. Naruto amused her greatly, and she would miss him.

"I will, I promise." She started to walk away, when I question popped into her mind, and she felt that he was the right person to ask.

"Hey Naruto, can I ask you something?"

"Hm? Sure."

"If you were to meet Gaara again, what would you do?" He was silent for a moment, eyes wide as he thought about all the things he might say or do. Finally, he looked up at the sky and replied:

"I'd thank him." Senjo couldn't hide the shock on her face or in her voice.

"Thank him? For what? He tried to kill you and your team, and he would've led my village in destroying Konoha. What could you possibly thank him for?"

"For showing me what I could've become. There's only one difference between us, Senjo. I have friends, and he has no one. I fight to protect my friends and the people of Konoha. Gaara fights to prove himself to himself. I used to do that, in a different way. But I would still thank him. And then I would offer to be his friend." She was still stunned, not sure what to say. Naruto gave a sad smile, and extended his hand. "So, friends?" Senjo took his hand and squeezed it, pulling him into a quick hug.

"Of course, Naruto. I wouldn't have it any other way." They went their separate ways, and Senjo soon saw Kurai and Kohaku waiting for her.

"You're late," Kurai scolded half-heartedly.

"Sorry, Kurai-kun. I was saying goodbye to some people."

"It's all right, but we need to get going," Kohaku said. The three of them walked past the gates and took to the trees instantly, hoping to arrive home before any Akatsuki members showed up. Back at the gate, Jiraiya waited for Naruto so he could begin the sure-to-be-difficult search for Tsunade.