As the trio of chunin and their jounin leader traveled through the forest, they came across a sign that looked as though it had been purposely slashed at with a sword. It said:

"YOU ARE NOW ENTERING KIRIGAKURE TERRITORY"

Shiatsu studied the sign before asking Kakashi, "What are we doing here?"

Kakashi hesitated before replying. "…There is a person…Whom we must kill…"

A thrilled Kazemaru spoke up, "Whom? Who must we kill?"

Kakashi didn't reply, but he continued to walk on. Tsunade…Why did you ask of me this mission?...

After an hour walking in the woods…

As time passed, Kakashi had been sensing a large amount of chakra in the forest, and by now, the amount was overwhelming. This is it, he thought. He's coming…

"Okay, team! We'll settle here tonight. And, Shiatsu, I need to speak with you."

Mitsume and Kazemaru prepared the camp, while Kakashi and Shiatsu wandered into brush a couple minutes from the campsite.

Once Kakashi stopped, Shiatsu asked, "So…What did you want to talk to me about?"

Kakashi bent down so he was eye-level with the kunoichi (female ninja) and placed his hands on her shoulders. His look was stern and their noses almost touched.

"Shiatsu, you may not know who we're fighting against, but I do. He wouldn't think twice about killing a girl, in fact, he didn't think twice about killing his own family! So be on your guard and promise me one thing."

"What?"

Kakashi looked deep into her eyes before saying, "Don't you dare die!"

"Kakashi…"

He released her and headed back for the campsite, but Shiatsu stayed where she was. Is Kakashi that concerned about me?

Shiatsu kept pondering, unbeknownst that she was being closely watched, very closely, in fact right behind her.

Earth style! The barrier of cutting leaves jutsu!

The leaves around Shiatsu's feet slowly started swirling around her legs and up to her waist.

"Wha-what's going on!" There's no wind! Who could be doing this!"

The swirling torrent of leaves had already created a barrier around her entire body and had reached such high speeds that they were almost invisible.

She slowly reached out her hand to pass through, but she reeled back in pain. Her fingers had been cut and blood poured from the wounds.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Shiatsu turned behind her to find a boy around her age with long black hair and eyes similar to Kakashi's sharingan eye. He bore the Konoha leaf symbol with a large engraved line across it on his hitai-ate leaf headband. His glare was cold and hateful.

A cold chill tickled the back of her neck as he circled her.

"Hmph. Another one of Konohagakure's 'mighty' ninjas. You don't stand a chance. In a short time, you'll be cut to ribbons by leaves."

"So it was YOU who did this!"

The boy laughed and said, "You catch on well. And what face do you think your precious Kakashi would do if he saw you dead? Or…Should it be the other way around?"

"Don't you DARE hurt him!" Shiatsu clapped her hands together and performed several katas. Fire style! Phoenix Fireball Jutsu! She cupped a hand around her mouth as large flames shot out around her. All the leaves shriveled up and she stepped closer to the boy. "You're finished."

The boy started to laugh and said, "Do you even know who I am? I am an Uchiha. I have killed many with these hands…" He slowly brought both of his hands to chest level. "Do you think you can match that…?"

Shiatsu stepped closer and replied, "I too have killed my family and many others…I came from a family that carried a very strong kekkei-genkai (a skill passed from one generation to the next), but I was the only one to obtain and release it…upon them…It killed them and now it will kill you…"

Itachi silently chuckled as he watched Shiatsu. Her chakra had increased immensely and seemed to glow around her body. Her pupiless eyes stared into his and she gave an evil grin.

Itachi glared at her and smiled, She's not using an illusion…it's…real…

Shiatsu rushed at him at an incredible speed, intent on killing him. Itachi didn't even bat an eyelash, instead he performed a long list of katas.

All of her power will be mine…Merging Possession Jutsu!

His body began to glow and he ran straight at Shiatsu. A smirk appeared on his face before they collided. Once they touched, Itachi melted into her body.

Shiatsu fell to her knees, clutching her stomach.

"What is this! Aarrgh!" She rolled herself into a ball and gave out little grunts of pain. "What are you doing to me!"

…those pathetic friends of yours and that man will die…by your hands…

"NOO!" She clamped her hands onto her head shouting, "No, no! Get out of me!" Shiatsu struggled to maintain control of her body. "No…no……" She stopped. Her hands fell from her head and she stood up, smiling. Her sharingan eyes glinted in the sun. A small smile slid across her lips.

She cupped a hand over her eyes and slowly slid it down her face. Her fire-red eyes turned back into her normal blue eyes. "Now to finish what I've started." With Itachi's evil smirk, she headed back to the campsite.

But hidden in the leaves of a tree nearby was Kakashi. He had seen and heard everything that had just taken place. The look on his face was pure terror. He was trembling and couldn't believe any of it. "No…not this, not her…"

Realizing that there was nothing more to do, he returned back to the campsite.

Once he reached the clearing, he saw that everyone was asleep, even Shiatsu. He stared at her long and hard, remembering that this is Itachi now. The person who he was told to kill has become the one he holds most dear.

Kakashi took one last look of sadness upon her innocent form, leaned against a tree, and kept watch on Itachi.

"Kakashi-sensei! Wake-up!"

"Hunh? Wha?"

After being rudely awoken by Mitsume, Kakashi punched him on the head.

"Owwww! What the heck was that for!" cried Mitsume while rubbing the new lump on he forehead.

"It's for waking your ninja master when he's sleeping!"

Mitsume left to the other side of camp mumbling something like "jerk" and "sleeps too late".

Kakashi's visible eye roamed the early morning scenery, and he thought, I must've dozed off… His thoughts soon turned to hatred as he spotted "Shiatsu". She was sitting by the burnt out campfire, glaring his way. He glared back.

The usually lazy jounin slowly got up and stretched. He wandered over to where Shiatsu was and sat down beside her. He playfully ruffled her hair and greeted her with a "good morning". She only turned away. "Hey, aren't you going to say 'good morning', Shiatsu?" he asked.

She turned his way again and said, "Good morning," before turning away once more.

"Well aren't you a little demon this morning…" Kakashi left her for fear of being killed just by speaking. He quickly gathered some belongings and again looked at her. His eyes filled with sadness. Why, Itachi? Why her?

He put on his pack and yelled, "Alright, team, time to move out!"

As their long walk led by Shiatsu continued, Kakashi became worried. Where are you taking us Itachi? What have you planned? But Kazemaru seemed to ask Kakashi's question for him.

He caught up with Shiatsu and asked, "Hey, do you really know where you're going?"

Shiatsu calmly replied, "Of course I do, why wouldn't I?"

"Well, we've never been on a mission in Kirigakure territory before…"

"So?"

"So…We don't have any experience of this land—"

"Well, I do."

"Since when? We've never left the village before, except that one time when we had to run some errands…"

It seemed as though Kazemaru had caught on so she said nothing more.

Confused, Kazemaru slowed down until he was beside his sensei.

"Kakashi-sensei…Shiatsu doesn't seem like herself today…"

"Yeah," added Mitsume. "She's being awfully strange…"

Kakashi stopped in his tracks. This can't go on any longer…they're already concerned… "You two stay here. I'll be back."

He approached "Shiatsu" cautiously, and she seemed to notice. She spun around facing him. Just as she did, a kunai-knife was against her throat.

"Let her go…Itachi!"

A smirk appeared on her face and her eyes became sharingans.

Kakashi watched in horror and thought, His chakra…is much more intense! Is it because of Shiatsu!

As Itachi's sharingan eyes dug into his, he started to feel immense pain. He fell to his knees, clutching his head and screaming pain.

Mitsume and Kazemaru saw their sensei suffering and were horrified. They stared in shock as Shiatsu looked their way. She tilted her head in a way that made a cracking sound, making them uncomfortable.

They watched as she performed countless katas, unable to move. Thorns of Blood Jutsu!

Large thorn vines sprouted from the ground and encaged the two chunin. As they struggled, they were quickly cut.

Shiatsu chuckled to herself as she saw blood pour from between each opening. "Pathetic fools." She turned to Kakashi who had gotten over his pain and was panting. "Now what to do with you…"

He glared at her and in a flash, held her up by the neck, suspending her above the ground. His fingers dug into the curves. Gasping for air, Shiatsu asked, "Do you…really…want to…to kill…the one you…love?"

Kakashi hesitated and threw her against a tree. She gave a yelp of pain on impact. Blood dripped down her forehead as she slid down the trunk of the tree. And at that very moment, Itachi's power had loosened enough for the real Shiatsu to call Kakashi's name before blacking out.

Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke and reappeared by Shiatsu's side. He put both hands on her shoulders and shook her. "Shiatsu! What did you just say? Shiatsu!"

Shiatsu's hand trembled and he grasped it. She gazed up at him and begged. "H-help…me…Ita…chi…he…"

"What? What about Itachi? Shiatsu!"

She tried to warn him of Itachi's plan, but fell unconscious. Kakashi slid his fingers along her neck until he came across a soft pulse. Good… He gave a relieving sigh. She's still alive…but so is Itachi…

He left her by the tree as he went to check on her teammates. He spotted the pile of thorns and the puddle of blood beneath them. Ripping out his kunai blade, he slashed at the giant thorns.

After ten minutes or so, the thorns had finally been decimated and Mitsume and Kazemaru fell out. The chunin were drenched in their own blood and had large thorns sticking out of them.

Again, Kakashi slid his fingers along both necks in search of a pulse, but none could be found. They were both dead.

Kakashi buried his face in his hands. His body trembled in fear and grief. This is it, Itachi…you've gone too far…

He grabbed the kunai knife, seeped in the poison in which the thorns produced, and headed for Shiatsu. His free hand reached for his headband and he revealed his sharingan eye. He bent down on his knees and said, "Good-bye, Shiatsu…"

His eyes welled up in tears as he lifted the knife above his head. Tears streamed down his face. He began to hesitate, but knew he had to do it. His fingers tightened around the blade until his knuckles became white. He tightly closed his eyes, not wanting to see this death, and brought down the knife.

Papf!

Kakashi opened his eyes and saw that his arm was being crushed by Shiatsu's hand. She had that evil smile on her face and her eyes had turned into sharingans again. When she spoke, it sounded as though both of their voices had merged.

"Hmph. Kakashi, did you really think you could kill me just by killing your little wench here? Well, you're wrong. All the damage you do to this body doesn't affect me at all. Instead, Shiatsu suffers.

"Right now you can't hear her, but I can. She's screaming at me to give you mercy and is trying to communicate with you. Too bad. Now let's cut to the chase, Hatake, I want to see you dead and you want to see me dead. One of us is going to die in the end, and it's going to be you."

Kakashi glared at Itachi long and hard and couldn't feel any emotion other than pure hatred. The feeling of killing that Uchiha became intense. "You…will pay for this…"