Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Theif of the Sand: Sorry for lack of update! Well, I had some family problems...so that kept me from updating. So Please be Kind! Enjoy!

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chapter 8 - Old Friends, Former Love

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I watched the proverbial sunrise
Coming up over the Pacific and
You might think I'm losing my mind,
But I will shy away from the specifics...

'cause I don't want you to know where I am
'cause then you'll see my heart
In the saddest state it's ever been.

This is no place to try and live my life.

- A part of "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been", Relient K

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It was out of character and everything but Zabuza couldn't stop himself, he dove over Kisame and gave him a brotherly hug. "Kisame! You teme! You could have told us you were here!" Kisame returned the hug, the grin still evident on his face.

Zabuza moved off of him and returned to his spot the right of Kyo.

Kisame's grin faded as an awkward silence came fourth. They stared at the fire, and Kyo could of sworn she heard Itachi say, "Oh mighty fire god, we bow down to you..."

Kyo snickered and two people beside her looked at her wondering what that was about.

"Something wrong?" The shark like man ask concerned.

"No, its just I thought Itachi was praying to the fire-something about a fire god..."

Zabuza gave a look of what-the-fuck? While Kisame just shook his head in mirth, "Not again Itachi-san."

Kyo laughed and relaxed once she felt an arm around her shoulder, she looked to see Kisame but he was just reaching for a box.

She followed his gaze and saw him produce a small scale. Her eyes widened and she realized. A Samehade scale! For me? She reached out and touched it. Her chakra felt almost absorbed and that she noticed.

Zabuza looked at this wide eyed. He saw her flinch from the chakra eating scale so he prepared to solve the problem, he tore off a part of his bandaging and wrapped it around the scale. Now the little chakra-eater was deprived of his desert.

The two boys gave her a smile, in a way they gave her a present together. She smiled at them for the gift and put the object in her black pants, "Thanks, guys."

She wrapped a one arm around each of there necks and pulled them into a hug. The two gazes met, Kisame had just given Zabuza an idea.

Releasing them of her hold Kyo stared into the fire. Kisame met her eyes, after he tapped her on the shoulder. She turned, and wondered what he wanted.

He gave her the best puppy-dog-eyes he could muster and clenched his hands together while saying, "Don't I get a kiss in return?"

"Hey! I thought you were giving it to me just to be nice!" She poked him in the shoulder and stuck out her bottom lip.

Zabuza raised an eyebrow at him, Kisame knew ever since he was on a three man team with her that he liked her, a-lot. His little crush never grew out.

Kisame glistened his teeth in that response but kept a steady head. He made sure not to gloat. "Please?" He said in the most innocent voice an Akatsuki could muster.

She laughed a sure. And gave him a quick peck on the lips.

He frowned at the peck, disappointed that he didn't get anything more-at least he had control. But oh-well, it was all she could do she didn't want her two best friends to get angry at her because of that, so she scooted over to Zabuza, he looked well very red this evening.

He backed away as Kyo advanced on him, he was scooting away. He was more nervous than a teenager, she came up to him quickly and then almost to close to him. He closed his eyes, there faces were nearly inches apart and her hot breath aroused hair on the back of his neck. Her hand came past his head and he opened one eye, she shook something.

It was a bag of chips.

Zabuza cursed the potato chips down to hell. Couldn't she just be coming on to him? Why this day was full of saps! He groaned in annoyance.

"Want some?" She asked offering the bag to the dangerous criminal. She shook it in front of him, "Hello? Anyone home?"

Zabuza lost himself out of his train of thought, "No." He said bitterly. And shook her hand away, he pouted like a little kid in front of the fire. Then he glanced at Kyo, "Hey what was the jutsu you used anyway?" He inquired. It was unique and had some touch to it, the feathers suited her well.

"I don't use and tell, Zabu." She said playing a childhood nickname when the three were a three man team.

"Uh huh...Sure." He nodded his head, he looked back. "Don't you think you should get them to there places? You all are on a mission right?" He nodded his head suggestively.

"Yeah," she sighed. She glanced at Zabuza and then to Kisame, Itachi's eyes were still stuck on the fire. "But it was nice seeing you guys again. I hope next time we meet under different terms."

She gave Kisame a hug and Itachi a wave before lastly she settled on Zabuza.

He gave her a grin hopeful for a kiss, he was going to die soon anyway. Why not make him a happy man? Using a daring move when she moved in for a tackle hug, he grabbed her face and pressed his lips against hers, sliding his tongue into her mouth.

She was surprised by the action but she owed him for saving her life too many times to count so she felt as though she was paid up, when the tongue wrestled.

A soft moan escaped her. Yeah...No more sweets for him.

She pulled away then gave him a glare crossing her arms, angry like a little child. "I think your paid up, don't you think?"

He nodded still dazed a little bit, and proceeded to let her leave. He didn't want to let his old comrade go, he might not ever see her again. Zabuza sighed and looked at the ground. Today was a bittersweet day for himself, yet he had no better.

He rose his head to see a gaping Kisame, his mouth almost hanging to the floor. He pointed a finger at him and his eyes bulged out, "Oh my god ! You did go through puberty!"

His eyes narrowed at Kisame's old joke of him being an old man, since he never showed any hints of being a teenager when they were younger. He picked up a rock and threw it at him, "Oh shut-it, Sharkface." But on the inside he was grinning, and smiled to his accomplishment. Man, would he like to have preened her feathers.

Kisame's blood began to rise and a boiling monster was lodged in his gut, he made no hint of it but placed it in the back of his mind. (Which someday will lead to a tumor in his skull. Bottling up feelings is bad for you.) Relax... Relax... You don't need to rip his body into pieces, he looked up at the half-moon. Relax.

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Morning...the F-cking Morning...

"Are you alright, Sensei?" A female that was identified as Tazuna's daughter Tsunami. She had black hair and average dark eyes, she held her hands on her hips as she studied the man in the bed.

"Yeah...I just can't move for a week or so." His body had been drained because of the Sharingan, it drained chakra as much as the Samehade ate. There was one of the reasons to cover up his eye, to conserve chakra.

Sakura was leaning against her sensei's futon (bed) and spoke up her pink tresses falling down, "What? The sharingan is incredible but..."

Tsunami interjected, "...if it puts that much stress on the body, I guess you have to think before using it."

"Well we got away from that strong ninja! He won't be coming back, right?" Tazuna asked hopefully.

Instead of answering his question Sakura spoke up thinking out loud, "By the way what was the white feather thing?"

Kakashi's eyes remained droopy he explained, "That's a genjutsu-an illusion, which caused us all to fall asleep. Most likely the feathers were a symbol of something, or the person's chakra.

He picked his head up new found strength coming into him, he looked around the room examining the room for clues. He finally looked to Sakura she would be sensible, " Sakura? How did you get here?"

Sakura opened her mouth to answer then closed when she realized that there was no answer, so she asked the only other person, Tsunami. "How did we get here?"

Tsunami pondered and then remembered the incident, she spoke up, "A Leaf ninja with the same uniform as your sensei, Kakashi and a man with a straw hat carrying a huge sword on his back. But I couldn't see the face clearly." She paused and looked at Kakashi a grin shown on her face, "You know the Leaf ninja stayed here for a while, he was very polite." Her face grew cherry as Tsunami remembered, "He also said that once you all woke up to notify him."

Kakashi nodded in understanding and then grimaced he shot out of his bed pain jeering through his back, "Red and black cloak!" His face was alert and he walked over to Tsunami and placed his hands on her shoulders, "And a 'huge' sword? Are you sure?" He looked at her his eye seemed to be glazed over with worry.

She nodded shaking, at his aggressive grip. Her face shook in th jonin's strong grip, her eyes widened and Tsunami pleaded help with the example on her face, she looked towards Sakura.

At that time Kakashi's grip loosened he proceeded to alert Kohona, he managed to pull out a brush, but it was though something was forcing him to stay away from reality, it was though the Yamanake clan had used there secret jutsu against him. There was something wrong with this scene he looked around the room, his vision becoming black. Not again.

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Sometime Later... After There Discussion With Tsunami's Son: Inari (fox)

Kyo had followed behind Inari and proceeded to follow him through the door then he stopped, feeling it would be impolite. So he reasoned for sitting on the stairs, and waiting for the little boy to come out. He held his chin in his hands, through the barriers he could hear Tazuna mutter an apology.

There was no need.

No sooner than he had become uncomfortable another person Naruto came pounding up the stairs his voice ringing through the house.

"Damn it! Where's that little piece of shit!" He trudged up the stairs and proceeded to go into the room and have a few words with the little fox.

Kyo's eyes narrowed at the words and he shook his head in disdain. Where was his respect? But being his sensei he allowed him to get close enough to the door so Naruto would learn a lesson.

Naruto pressed his hand against the door, shook was painted over his face when he heard the muffled sounds of...

Crying?

Inari was in his room crying, he looked out to the ocean. Wet stains fell on the picture as Inari's sobs of tears fell. He held his only remnants of his passed father in his hands, his tears could be heard through the walls.

Naruto eyes became cold as snow in pain when he felt regret not pity. He moved away from the door, walking into his teacher Kyo. He picked his head up to look the man in the eyes but Kyo wouldn't meet his gaze he, turned his back to the kitsune and stated.

"We have training." His voice not spelt with the warm embers of his voice to Naruto, something had changed in the person but he continued with a word of ten thousand meanings. "Come."

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In the Forest...

Kakashi supported himself on crutches. He walked with a slight limp, he was healing at an abnormal rate. At his side was Kyo dressed in his jonin uniform, chewing on a piece of grass.

Kyo's hair was still in it's strange style, well clarified Sasuke's style. Except from the fact that his hair was a deep dark brown with slight red tips, there was nothing to be noted from him. His scar on his left eye was still visible, but his bangs covered most of his view. Kyo was occupied with his blue notebook sketching out characters on a flimsy notebook. And being almost completely ignorant to his students. He bet Iruka pitied the student's senseis'. They were the laziest, most apathetic, late, mysterious, and more forward had the most fan clubs.

Yes Kyo had a fan club. But she had never seen them, frankly it would be embarrassing if one of his friends found out. He almost was an older copy of Sasuke, but had a heart for a change.

Back to the subject Sakura brought up the topic again, "Sensei! What's a little training going to do! Our enemy is a ninja you (Kakashi), struggled against even with the sharingan!"

"This is training just until I get better, you won't be able to defeat him without me." He attempted to reassure her.

Kyo looked up from his drawing only barely skimming the pages.

Sakura put her hands on her hips and continued fighting her no-win battle, "But sensei," she whined, " if Zabuza is alive he could attack at anytime!" She raised her hands and twirled around before looking her sensei's in the eyes, "So should we be training?"

Kakashi looked to Kyo for assistance, so in duty she snapped his book shut turning the genin's attention to the man. She let out a sigh, "About that Sakura..."

She closed her eyes and basically recited the excuse for the jutsu that had been effectively used on the missing-ninja. "Since the GenJutsu was unidentified an fatigue varies from each person's condition, he could be out for a while." Pointing to Kakashi with his thumb she continued, "Especially since the chakra drain from being an elite and/or the strain of the battle." She crossed her hands and stretched, "Either way you all will be training."

No signaling the training to begin, Kyo closed her notebook and placed the book in the back of her pocket. "So...let's begin." He lazily turned his head to Kakashi. An awaited the lesson they had planned.

"HELL YEAH!" Naruto said in all the excitement, he wanted to be Hokage (fire-shadow) after all...

"Ok," Kakashi said awkwardly, "Before that I want to talk to you about the shinobi ability, chakra."

"Umm..." Naruto's mind was blank. I've heard about it somewhere... "What's chakra?"

"You're a ninja and you don't know that!" Sakura said in utter disbelief, "What did you learn in school!"

He rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably. "I used to sleep during the hard classes..."

...This is bad.. Kakashi thought, head falling down.

Kyo sweat dropped and resisted the urge to smack the kid, Better to be thought a fool. Than to be known one.

Kakashi handed the job to Sakura to explain chakra to the hopeless ninja.

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After the 'Beautiful Young Girl Sakura's' Explanation...

"Exactly." Kakashi said with pride, he wiped a tear from his eye. He sniffled. Iruka had some good students.

Sakura scoffed at her accomplishment hoping it would impress Sasuke.

"Hey? Hey?" Naruto tried to grab there attention. "I didn't understand that complicated explanation but isn't that something you learn with your body?"

Sakura shook her fist at him. Maybe she could punch some sense into him. Yeah...

"Naruto is right." Sasuke reluctantly agreed with him, "We can already use jutsu."

"Nope! You guys are not using Chakra properly." He paused. "As Sakura said earlier, to release Chakra means to bring out physical and spiritual energy and mix them together within your body. And based on what jutsu you use, (Fire-Water-Earth-Wind-Lightning) the type and amount of Chakra that is released will be different." Another mind numbing pause. "You guys aren't using Chakra effectively yet."

Kyo took over the situation recollecting on the memories when she tried her first clone and failed. "Even if you are able to release a high amount of chakra unless you control it properly the jutsu will be weakened or will not work at all."

Kyo put her hands on her the back of her head looking of into the trees. "And by wasting energy, you won't be able to fight as long. These kinds of weaknesses will appear."

Rubbing the back of his head since he spotted his problem Naruto spoke up, "So...What should we do?"

"Learn how to control it." Kyo said simply, "Through very tough training."

Sasuke and Naruto tensed, and leaving Sakura to speak up, "What are we going to do...?"

"Hmm...?" Kakashi said the next to words in an obvious meaning, he placed a finger over his mouth, "Tree climbing!"

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Sorry, for the Lack of updates, we had some family Problems so here is chapter eight. Please Review... And I'll let you ponder this thought...

Is Kakashi catching on to Kyo?

-Theif of the Sand

note: this is a Kakashi x Oc x Kisame fic, yeah well most people will be happy to see Zabu out of the picture...