A/N-Sorry to those of you to whom I said I would update last night…the hotel I stayed at did have internet but it was wired and I only have wireless…gomen nasai…but that gave me extra time to work on a one-shot that is being posted as well…enjoy. Thanks to ShadowPrincess-Shekailaia, Dog of the Dead, Yargy the Pirate Queen, Supershark1, Loku, Kyuubi92, Loki Zentra, Seyann (STOP REVIEWING BLAST IT! And yes, Six Flags was AWESOME!….the atomic wedgie…) and Duckichan87 for reviewing the last chapter…READ AND REVIEW!

Disclaimer-I don't own Naruto

Chapter 42

The black-haired rouge Shinobi stood on the wide branch of a tall sycamore tree that stood alone in the middle of a field in full view of Michelle's old house. Feeling a sharp tug on the pieces of his hair that had trailed within the baby's grasp, he looked down at the bundle in his arms and saw that Kenji had a fistful of black hair in his tiny hand and was pulling. Hard.

The red-haired baby glared-no word of a lie- at the older ninja with his sharp blue-green eyes, eyes similar to his father's. Itachi smirked slightly. It appeared that Kenji, for all appearance sake, had inherited his father's distinct…temperament. That could come in handy if the boy ended up getting irritated easily.

But to wait for Kenji to grow up before he could be used against his parents would be a long wait, a wait that Itachi wasn't willing to suffer.

His slight smirk slowly twisted it's way into a sinister smile as he thought of what, exactly, he was going to do to this baby. Gently prying his hair out of the baby's grasp, the former leader of the Akatsuki set the infant down on the broad branch, pulled a scroll out of his pack and began to memorize the handseal sequences. Finally ready, he set the scroll down before the child and began performing the rapid handseals, this time applying chakra. As the jutsu took effect, a glow surrounded Kenji and obstructed him from Itachi's sight.

A thought occurred to the evil ninja-after this the newborns would be under such sharp guard that he would never be able to get his hands on them. He should've waited before taking Kenji…now he'd never be able to touch the other babies.

But as the glow from the jutsu faded and Itachi saw Kenji again, he couldn't help but think 'Well at least I have this one'.

Mika's quiet sobs still echoed through the house. It had been 3 days since her little son had been taken away from her. Her moods changed so dramatically that it was almost impossible to track them. For the first little while after her son was taken, she had trained-almost 12 straight hours. Anyone who tried to talk to her was delivered a rant about how a certain black haired Shinobi's life belonged to her.

That had ended at around noon the day after Kenji had been taken. Now she was to be found in her room, alternating between sobbing quietly into her pillow and crying loudly on Gaara's shoulder.

She hadn't eaten until Gaara told her to eat or he'd filter it into her with the sand.

She was almost cried out but whenever she thought this, she would simply break down crying again. Kakashi had wanted to take Sienna and Keiko back to Konoha because the sight of children seemed to only upset her more but Mika wouldn't allow it. "I want my daughter with me." She had said weakly.

But as bad as Mika felt, Seyann felt just as bad. Even though Michelle, Gaara, and Kakashi…they had all told her that it wasn't her fault that Kenji had been taken, she still felt responsible. Over and over she would tell herself that if she had just been a little more trusting in Kakashi…if Itachi hadn't spooked her as much and she had been able to detect the Genjutsu…. if she hadn't been so easy to persuade…Mika would've been able to be protecting her son as she should've been instead of being forced to subdue her friend…

And Kenji would still be there and be safe.

Sey sat up in bed and leaned her blonde-brown hair covered head against the wall. Nothing anybody could say was able to persuade her that the kidnapping was anyone's fault but her own. Plus, Mika hadn't said two words to her since that day, three days ago…and Seyann knew her friend was holding the wife of the Hokage accountable for her son's disappearance.

Even though she'd never say it.

A shuffling alerted Seyann to someone approaching and she recognized the footsteps instantly. Quietly lying back down in bed, Seyann rolled to face the wall, showing the door her back and closing her eyes as Mika cracked the door open.

Seyann could hear the slight smile in her friend's voice as she spoke. "Forget it Seyann. Your breathing is all wrong for someone who is supposed to be asleep and not only that, your chakra levels are still on edge. You're awake." Seyann sighed and turned to face her friend.

Mika looked terrible. Her long black hair was messy and unkempt having not been brushed for several days and her hazel eyes were flat and red rimmed. Fresh tear trails were evident on her face and she wore a terry bathrobe with her arms crossed over her chest, tissue clenched in the hand that was visible. Slippers were what made the shuffling sound and they started up again as Mika crossed the threshold of the room and walked over to sit down beside her friend on the bed.

"Sey…" hiccupped the grieving mother "You've gotta stop beating yourself up about this. About Kenji being taken that is…" Seyann's eyes widened, their color showing clear shock. "How did you…" Mika smiled wanly. "You've been sulking in your room for the past three days…I heard you throwing things earlier…" Mika's hazel eyes traveled the room and took in the shattered bud vase, the broken light bulb, various slash marks that had somehow manifested themselves in the wall in patterns that looked like claw marks and other unbreakable items that were strewn about the room haphazardly.

"This actually shows how you and Gaara are releated… You're acting like my husband does when he's ticked off…that's how I lost my best vase last year…Mist country was being difficult." Seyann chuckled before she could catch herself. "See that's the Seyann I know…the Seyann who is in no way at fault for what happened. I do not hold you responsible." Mika held out her arms and Seyann began to cry again and leaned into her friend's grasp. Mika started crying again as well and the two women comforted each other.

Deft fingers pulled a shuriken out of the holster that Itachi-Sama had given him. The same Itachi-Sama had given him an assignment-an assassination assignment. After showing him the house, Itachi had told him to kill the womn who lived inside-the black haired one with hazel eyes…and anyone else who might get in his way.

He didn't know what the girl had done to provoke the wrath of Itachi, however, he would gladly obey his masters instructions. He lived for death-at least that's what Itachi had told him.

On the tip of her consciousness she could detect it…the only reason it didn't send off alarms earlier is because of the familiarity of the chakra pattern. It was similar to Gaara's and yet still, somehow different. Seyann felt it as well and the two women exchanged a glance, remaining in the embrace as not to tip off their observer that they knew he was there. The black haired one tensed as she heard the ninja stars cutting the air and, when the window shattered, she slammed down onto the bed, taking Seyann down with her. The stars thunked into the wall right where their heads had been.

From where she sat downstairs, resting after a training session with her katana, Michelle heard the window shatter and was up like a shot, taking her assassin sword with her.

Upstairs, Mika had taken off her housecoat revealing her pajamas-a tank top and a pair of boxer shorts. Seyann was wearing a similar outfit and while neither of them bore a shuriken holster, each took one out of the wall and preformed a replication technique on it. Michelle had come into the room just as they were doing this, having put the girls in a safe place and was now standing with her friends.

The three women stood there, Seyann and Michelle flanking Mika each tensed to face whatever was coming next.

The dust and glass shards from the broken window were finally settling and, just beyond the ledge, they could see a figure-male with shaggy shoulder length hair-standing on the tree branch just outside Seyann's window.

His slightly almond shaped eyes were blue-green and his shaggy hair was red with black streaks. His complexion was rather pale and in appearance, he was about 17 or 18 and in his hands was another set of shuriken to throw at the girls.

He smirked.

"Hello Ladies." He said coldly. "My name…is Luka."

Mika thought her heart was going to break. She knew who he was. She knew it.

Mothers always always know their children.

And he was in no way 17 or 18…she mouthed his name, lowering her shuriken.

"I've come here to kill…you."

He raised a lazy finger and pointed it right at Mika.

A/N-Now how's that for suspense…anyone for guessing as to the identity of the hired assassin? With this a one-shot is going in 'Pieces'.

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