Frozen Tides

Circa 2012-2014 ?

This one I would like to possibly revamp and actually write someday. It is also posted on my ao3

Summary: A mysterious Uchiha-bred girl has been found and returned to her rightful home. However, her Sharingan-hybrid eyes are developing dangerously, and the secrets that she keeps may very well mean the end of Konoha. [Neji x Kagome x Sasuke; Naruto/Inuyasha Crossover]

Genre: Drama / Angst / Romance / Humor

Rating: M

Chapter One

Eyes Like Yours

The day was hot and humid, and Sakura was beginning to wonder if it was ever going to end. Her clothing was filling with sweat, she was positive that she was beginning to smell like one of the guys, and she really wanted to sink into a nice, cool tub.

But, Team Seven was on a mission. An admittedly easy mission, yes, but a mission nevertheless. And that, Sakura knew, meant that she would have to endure the heat until they finally arrived at the lone village they were meant to retrieve some ancient scroll from.

"Gahh!" Naruto, dragging his feet, whined. "Kakashi-sensei, can't we stop for just a minute?!"

The jounin did not pause in step, or bother to glance over his little orange book, as he said, "I'm sorry, Naruto, you'll just have to wait until we get there to rest. Just think of it this way: the more ground we cover now, the more time we'll have to rest later."

"Keh."

"Oh, please, not now," Sakura sighed. She really did not want to listen to them fight, especially after they had just stopped only a hundred yards or so back. It was just too hot for their squabbling.

Naruto growled, glaring in the direction of the only person he knew made that sound. "Sasuke-teme," he hissed. "You think you're so cool, but it's only obvious that you're dying along with the rest of us! Admit it, already, damn it!"

"You're such a loser, Naruto." Sasuke's reply was so simple, yet it clearly struck a nerve.

"I'm a loser!" Naruto spat. "Ha! The only loser I see around here is you, you bastard!"

"I'm not the one that dropped the map into a river," Sasuke retorted.

"Y-y-you tripped me, though!" Naruto yelled. He tried to take a threatening step in Sasuke's direction, but Kakashi-sensei's hand quickly put an end to his idea by grabbing at his collar. "Ugh! Kakashi-sensei, let me go! I'm gonna show that bastard once and for all that I'm way more awesome than he can ever hope to be!"

Rolling his eyes, the Uchiha stated, "You can't prove that."

"I can and will!" Naruto jerked against Kakashi-sensei's hand. He made little ground, as Kakashi-sensei continued to walk forward, but other than that, he did not appear to be getting any closer to the Uchiha twit he so wanted to pound into the ground.

"You're so stupid," Sasuke sighed. "You don't even realize that I was talking about the fact that I tripped you, since we both know you wouldn't even be able to touch me in a real fight."

"Guys, please," Sakura whimpered. Inside, though, she felt Inner Sakura rise up and cheer on Sasuke. Because, really, there would be absolutely no hope for Naruto if Sasuke decided to take a fight between them seriously. The Uchiha would pound the Uzumaki into the ground, and she would be left to help the poor blonde recover from the injuries.

Naruto growled, "Y-you're the one that's stupid, Sasuke-teme!"

"See what I mean." Sasuke shook his head, before returning his attention to the road laid out before him. He would have liked to be at the village already, but he knew that Sakura, especially, would not be able to take the heat and the chakra depletion along the way. That was the reason Kakashi-sensei had chosen to walk, even if Sakura and Naruto had yet to realize that fact.

"Kakashi-sensei, are you positive there's nothing you can do to make them stop?" Sakura asked. She was hopeful, even if a part of her believed she had no right to step into Sasuke's argument and put a stop to it.

Smiling a bit, Kakashi merely said, "Boys will be boys, Sakura."

"And you're no help," she mumbled.

"Now, Sakura," Kakashi smiled a little more, "that was not very nice."

Putting on the sweetest smile she could muster, Sakura giggled. "Whatever do you mean, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Gaaaahhh!" Naruto struggled to get free. "Let me go! Let me go! Let me go!"

"Hn?" Becoming aware of the fact that he still held Naruto tightly within his grasp, Kakashi sighed softly. These genin would be the death of him, he just knew it. Until then, though, he supposed he had every right to return the favor. "Very well, Naruto."

"Eh?!" Naruto squeaked girlishly, as Kakashi-sensei finally released him. He stumbled over his own foot, falling forward, but the biggest surprise had to be when a small, brown haired boy came running out onto the path and slammed directly into his side.

Sasuke turned on his heel, a kunai suddenly in his hand as his Sharingan flared to life. No one—no one!—was going to get the upper hand while he was around, and he was not about to trust the small boy that shook his head in confusion as he rose up onto his knees.

"W-what?" The boy blinked, lifting his head. A clean, smooth cut was revealed as he lowered the hand he had held strangely against his cheek. It did not appear to be bleeding anymore, but it had been, if the blood smeared along it was any indication.

"Run, run!" another boy burst from the tree line. "Sanyu, I told you to get out of here! Run, damn it!"

The small boy scrambled to his feet, his pupils dilating as he remembered the reason he had been running in the first place. Then, like a scared rabbit, he turned heel and began running in the direction of the village. Someone—anyone!—had to help them!

Kakashi narrowed his visible eye, watching as the new boy turned to the forest. He looked ready to run himself, clearly believing it safe, until a single kunai pierced through the tree line. It would have cut cleanly through his sleeve, no doubt, had Kakashi not interfered and batted the weapon away with one of his own.

The boy blinked, and then smirked in triumph. "Hey, you freak—!" he was briefly aware of the way the girl nearby gasped at his choice of language, "—I bet these shinobi here have come to take you away once and for all!"

"Actually—" Kakashi tried.

The boy's eyes were wild, as he shouted, "They'll lock you up and throw away the key! You deserve it, after all! And don't try to deny it, 'cause we all know that you're the reason that that man came here! You're the reason that he decided to kill all those innocent people!"

Sakura frowned deeply, wondering what could have brought on the boy's reaction.

"You're nothing but a monster, Kagome!"

"You're wrong, Akiyama." A girl appeared seemingly from nowhere. "Y-you're wrong."

"I'm not wrong," Akiyama snarled. "You're the reason that Kaori went nuts. She was your best friend, but she realized that you didn't deserve to live! That's why she went after your parents, because she was trying to find a way to slit your throat without you ever realizing it! And if only she had succeeded, maybe then that man wouldn't have killed my parents!"

"I di-didn't do anything," the girl stated.

"Fuck that!" the boy spat. "We all know that the only reason that guy came to the village is because of those freaky eyes that you have! Your father had them, too, and that's probably the only reason your mother ever fell in love with the bastard!"

"Don't—" the girl, Kagome, seemed to be struggling with her slight stutter, "—don't talk about my father that way, cousin."

Team Seven frowned in unison. The whole situation was a family feud?

"You're no cousin of mine, freak!" Akiyama hissed. "My father disowned your mother as soon as she married that bastard father of yours! He realized that man would be bad blood—he could see it in his eyes!—and he wanted nothing to do with him, her or you!"

"Your blood still courses through my veins, Akiyama! You can't change that fact!"

"Don't try to sound tough, Kagome," Akiyama laughed. "The only thing you've got going for you are those freaky eyes your father passed down to you—"

"M—" her confidence was broken, "-my ey-es."

"That's right." The boy grinned manically, knowing exactly how to get into his dear cousin's head. "—Those freaky eyes are what destroyed this village, Kagome! You're the reason that that man came here, because, if you didn't notice, he had them, too!"

"N-no."

"That's en—!" Sakura began, until Kakashi-sensei placed his hand on her shoulder.

"This is not your fight, Sakura," Kakashi explained quickly.

"B-but, Kakashi-sensei…?"

Naruto appeared to have had enough, too, as he shouted, "Hey, you little bastard! That's no way to talk to someone related to you!"

Akiyama turned his blue eyes upon the blonde, before snorting. "Who do you think you are?" he demanded. "You don't know anything about me or that little freak over there—!"

"Stop calling me that!"

Akiyama stiffened, twitching, as he slowly turned himself until he was staring deep into the eyes of death. The crimson orbs glared furiously at him, boring into his very soul, and he immediately began to hyperventilate. "S-s-see what I mean?!" he shouted. "You're nothing but a freak, Kagome, and those freaky eyes of yours are only proof of that fact!"

Kakashi's single eye widened, as he muttered to himself. "Sharingan," he said. But, it was all wrong. Her eyes were crimson, yes, but instead of the small commas that should be present, her eyes contained what appeared to be thin, black tears into the pupils. He had seen something like it before, b-but it just was not possible that she could possess that version of the Sharingan.

The kunai within Sasuke's grasp dropped the ground, his mouth hanging open slightly, as his own Sharingan eyes stared into the girl's crimson orbs. T-there was just no way! N-no way!

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura immediately sensed that there was something wrong with the boy that she had loved since she was little. He appeared to be more pale than usual, and he had dropped the weapon that he had been holding firmly within his hand. I-it was almost like he had seen a ghost and—

"S-she's got—!" Naruto shouted.

Akiyama took the reaction and turned it into an advantage for himself. "See what I mean, Kagome?" he snarled. "You really are a monster if you can scare trained shinobi."

"I told you," Kagome snapped, "to stop calling me that."

Akiyama seemed to sense the oncoming danger, as his cousin elegantly pulled a kunai from her holster. He became hypnotized by the movement for a moment, watching her arm swing upward into the air, before he realized that it was her freaky eyes that was causing him to feel the way he did. "S-stop it, you freak!"

"I won't let you torment me, cousin—" her voice became a low tenor, soothing the soul and echoing outward, "—I won't let you destroy the peace that I have managed to find since that man came here. I had nothing to do with it. I had nothing to do with him. Say it, cousin, say it."

"Y-you had not-nothing to do with…" Akiyama trailed off. "No!"

The connection snapped, and Kagome immediately reached up to touch the suddenly stinging area around her eyes. She had never been able to hold it long, despite her mother's attempt to teach her, and she was not surprised that Akiyama had broken away from the connection.

"You're a freak!" Akiyama declared. "You always have been, and you always will be!"

"Y-you're wrong!"

"No, no, I'm not!" Akiyama shook his head violently. "You're the one that caused your parents to die! You're the one that killed Kaori! You're the one that called that man Itachi here! You're the reason for it all, Kagome, and I wish that you had never been born!"

Team Seven remained frozen, each stunned by the small piece of information that Akiyama had given them. Itachi. Uchiha Itachi—for there was no doubt that it had been him, considering the fact he had killed people when he came—had come to the small village they were assigned a mission to. Uchiha Itachi, missing-nin, murderer of the famed Uchiha clan, and brother to one Uchiha Sasuke.

"I didn't do anything!" The girl's arm reared backward, her eyes blazing.

"Y-you st-stay awa-away from me, y-yo-you freak!" Akiyama gasped in horror. He felt like his cousin could see through him, as if her eyes could cast him straight into the pits of hell, and he was not surprised to feel the strange magic they cast winding its way around him.

Suddenly, unwilling to become a victim of Kagome's eyes, Akiyama turned tail and ran like a coward.

"Run. You always run, cousin of mine," Kagome whispered. She sounded so sad, but she quickly recovered from the emotion by smirking in victory. "I won't be so lenient on you next time, Akiyama, t-that I can promise you."

Kakashi watched as the girl spun expertly on her foot—she clearly had been trained—and down into a kneeling position. Her wrist snapped, releasing the deadly projectile she had held so lightly in her grasp, but the jounin was not about to interfere a second time. It was all too clear to him that the girl's Sharingan was accurate—if she wanted to kill that boy, she could—and she was only using it in order to taunt her cousin.

The kunai hit the dirt, snagging the edge of the running boy's sandal. Akiyama yelped, hitting the ground, before he scrambled up onto his feet once more and continued to run.

The commotion over, Sakura finally took a step toward the frozen Uchiha girl. It was clear to her that the girl was related to Sasuke in some way, and she hoped that the brooding Uchiha might be able to find a little happiness knowing there were other Uchiha out there. "Are you okay?" Sakura asked.

Kagome lifted her head, her crimson eyes glaring at them. "Don't."

"W-what?" Sakura asked, confused.

"J-just don't," Kagome snapped. "You wouldn't und-understand."

"We'll understand if you let us—" Naruto started. He realized that her answer had shocked Sakura, and that Sasuke was being a stupid idiot like always, but he was sure that he could reach the girl in some way. After all, there was nothing that the future Hokage could not do!

"No." The girl shook her head. "No, you wou-wouldn't."

"If you give us a chance—" he tried again.

"Leave me alone." Her eyes alone, so tormented and full of pain, commanded them. Ordered and controlled them, as her Sharingan eyes cast the silent spell upon the area with ease. "Don't follow me."

Then, just as quickly as she had appeared, she disappeared.

Sasuke broke away from the spell almost immediately, instinct pushing him, as his own Sharingan sought out the new chakra that the girl emitted. He found her almost instantly, and streaked into the forest in order to follow her.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura shouted.

"Sakura!" Naruto yelled, as the girl sped after the Uchiha.

"Well—" Kakashi, alone and left behind, said, "—this has certainly turned into an interesting mission."

Chapter Two

Cousin of Mine

She was right there! There was no possible way that she could—!

Sasuke's eyes widened, as the girl turned her crimson eyes upon him and then disappeared entirely. Shock barely registered through his body, as her breath appeared on the back of his neck, and he was not completely certain whether she would have killed him or not if—

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura's voice pierced through the forest, fear etched into her tone.

"What're you trying to pull?!" Naruto hissed. "We're not trying to hurt you or anything!"

The girl, Kagome, parried the kunai that Sakura sent hurtling in her direction. Then, shifting her way around the stunned boy within her grasp, she rushed back into the darkness of the forest. "I told you not to follow me," she shouted back at them. She could only hope that, this time, they would be smart enough to understand her command.

"Sasuke-kun—!" Sakura slid to a stop next to the Uchiha, "—are you hurt?"

"No," Sasuke growled. He quickly shrugged her hand away when it settled heavily on his shoulder, and sent a furious glare in her direction. If she had not interfered, he might have been able to estimate the strange girl's ability to use the Sharingan. But, no, her obsession with him could not be pushed aside for even a moment.

"You can't…" Sakura stopped. "Sasuke-kun, that girl clearly doesn't want anything to do with us. We should just leave her alone."

"That girl happens to be connected to my brother in some way," Sasuke retorted. "Not only that, Sakura, but I think it is my business if someone suddenly appears out of nowhere with the ability to use the Sharingan. Or have you decided to forget that that bastard decided to kill nearly everyone with the ability?"

Sakura took a small step back, mumbling, "Sasuke-kun."

"Not only that, but if Itachi really has taken an interest in her, then she could be in serious danger, Sakura!" Sasuke growled. "As the only remaining Uchiha in Konoha, and current Head of the Uchiha clan, it is within my right to do as I please with those that might still be alive in the world! So, butt out!"

"Hey!" Naruto frowned. He did not like the way that Sakura's face fell, and he was more than willing to correct the arrogant Uchiha's behavior. "That's no way to talk to a girl, Sasuke-teme! Besides, Sakura hasn't done anything wrong!"

"Naruto—" Sakura smiled sadly, because she did understand, "—please, it's fine."

"B-but, Sakura," Naruto tried.

Shaking her head lightly, Sakura stated, "Sasuke-kun is the current Head of his clan. If he thinks that it is best to search for this Kagome girl and warn her of the danger she could find herself within, then we should honor his wish." But, Lord, despite that fact, Sakura hated to think of all the other reasons Sasuke might want to go chasing after that Sharingan-wielding girl.

Snorting at the look that crossed the stupid blonde's face, Sasuke returned to his task. Finding that girl, even if it seemed entirely out of character for him. Because, though he could justify that he wanted to warn her about Itachi's true murderous nature, he also knew that he wanted to make sure that she was real. That she existed, breathed and carried the ability he had feared would dwindle away from the world once he and his brother were dead and gone.

Kagome panted, her body feeling heavier as she neared the one place she knew would give her sanctuary. She had used far too much chakra, and she refused to deactivate her eye technique when there was a possibility that Akiyama was right. And, even if she was allowing her chakra to rapidly decrease, she did not know those strange shinobi, which made it even more possible that Akiyama was right.

"You're a freak, Kagome! A freak!" The memory stabbed at her mind, causing tears to gather in her eyes, but she refused to let it stop her from running. She refused to simply give up because one of the few people she still had in the world decided that she was not fit to live. "A freak!"

"I'm n-no-t a freak," she told herself. "I'm n-not."

"You're disgusting! You killed Kaori, after all, didn't you?! You killed your best friend!" Alone, afraid and growing weak, she could not stop the constant assault to her mind. The memories were fresh, new, and Akiyama's words rang true with each and every syllable. "Monster!"

"I'm n-not." Tears caressed her cheeks, creating paths of anguish that would soon wash away, and she could not stop them suddenly. The very thought that those strange shinobi might be after her, that they wanted to lock her away and let her rot for all eternity, forced each tear from her eyelids. And she knew, once she started, she would not stop.

Finally, pushing through the dense foliage, Kagome was glad to find that she had made it. She had arrived at the one place she could rest and be happy, despite the old memories and sorrow that permeated the very walls. Home.

And, hopefully the detour that she had taken would deter the shinobi following her.

"Now—"

Kagome stiffened, fear coursing up her spine as she slowly turned on her heel. There, directly behind her, stood the masked—no doubt—jounin that she had just left standing on the roadside.

"—while we might seem scary, I assure you that we mean you no harm." Kakashi decided to pacify with the girl, as he smiled. "We're actually here on a mission, though you don't need to be bothered with the details, and—"

"Get away from me!" Kagome ordered.

Kakashi narrowed his visible eye, watching as the girl's Sharingan shifted until the strange tear-like markings were connected in a wheel-like fashion. There was still something wrong with it, something that he could not quite put his finger on, but he was not about to take his chances. Not when the girl's Sharingan closely resembled the Uchiha's guarded secret: the Mangekyou Sharingan.

The eyes began to pull him inward, but her control was not focused or trained, giving Kakashi the opportunity that he needed.

"Wh—?" Kagome squeaked.

A mere flick of the wrist, and the girl dropped, unconsciousness, against his arm.

"You shouldn't waste your time believing that you are one of them," he says.

Vaguely, she is aware that the world around her is not real. Yet, she is unable to control herself as she slips into another fighting position. Her hand is shaking, the kunai she is holding practically useless, but she has to try. "Y-you're wrong!"

"You've been given a gift, don't you see?" he asks. "A precious gift from your father's line, and you should use it well."

There is something wrong. She knows there is something wrong, but she cannot quite pinpoint what it is as she glares at the sea of red clouds that surrounds her.

"While, I admit, it has been altered with the help of your mother's blood, you still—"

"I told you to shut up!" she roars. She leaps into action, her kunai flashing, though she has no doubt that the more experienced fighter will come out the winner of their battle. B-but, at least then, she will be able to rest with those that she was once able to love.

"Foolish girl." He smirks, his eyes taunting her, as he continues, "You will join me soon enou…"

Sitting up suddenly, she felt her eyes shift immediately when she realized that she was not alone. The nightmare had drained her of color, she knew that, but the people sitting so close to her—

"We're not going to hurt you," the girl said.

A hand touched her shoulder, and Kagome flinched away. Swinging her head to the side, she was more surprised by what she saw there, in his eyes, than the fact that she had woken up surrounded by people that she did not even know. "Yo-your eyes," she stuttered.

Sakura stilled at the girl's side, feeling anger fill her up inside. How dare that little twit completely ignore her and then stare stupidly—dreamily!?—at Sasuke? As if she would suddenly drown in his very eyes—one thing Sakura would admit she would love to do—if the spell that surrounded them was not broken by someone!

"It's called the Sharingan," Sasuke said. "Don't you know that?"

Sasuke's blatant statement tore through Sakura's thought process, and she instantly wanted to whimper at her own stupidity. Of course the girl would be mesmerized by Sasuke's Sharingan—who wouldn't?!—but that did not mean that Sasuke himself would be affected by the girl's stare. So, really—

Her eyes changing, narrowing, Kagome snorted, saying, "I happen to be aware."

"Well, then, you're not as stupid as I thought you were," Sasuke retorted.

Oh, Lord, they were not going to fight, were they? Sakura twitched from the very thought, memories of Sasuke and Naruto constantly fighting appearing in her mind.

Rage filling his chest, Sasuke beat down the need to put the suddenly temperamental Uchiha in her place. He was the leader of the Uchiha clan now that there was no one else to fill the position, and the girl would need to learn that quickly. "I'm Uchiha Sasuke."

Kagome frowned, but knew that it was polite to give her own. So, she replied, "Kagome."

"Hey, hey!" Naruto cut in, leaning forward from his spot. "You want to know my name, right?"

Glancing in the blonde boy's direction, Kagome frowned a little more when she became aware of the fact that the jounin had brought them all into her sanctuary. Her eyes moved beyond the blonde, spotting the jounin, and she made sure to glare harshly at him with her Sharingan activated.

Kakashi merely smiled in return.

"Hey!" Naruto raised his voice. "Did you hear me?"

"Everyone within a twenty mile radius heard you, dobe, now shut up," Sasuke growled. Quickly, before Naruto could reply, he returned his attention to the girl. "I doubt that Kagome is merely your name. Do you have a surname, or are you merely trying to hide your—?"

"U-Uchiha," Kagome choked. She knew perfectly well what it meant.

"That's what I thought."

Sakura glanced between them, and, upon noticing Sasuke's smirk, she clenched her fist at the jolt that rushed through her system. W-why was Sasuke smirking at the girl like that? S-so, she was related to him, that was a given when they noticed the Sharingan that she possessed, but they really did not share anything in common other than that.

Sharingan clashed—crimson eyes stared deep into crimson eyes—as Sasuke's smirk grew a little more. Her giving him her surname made it all the better, since, from the look in her eye, she was well aware of clan regulation and protocol. "Well, then—"

"I won't go with you," Kagome snarled.

Sasuke paused, before letting out a hiss of, "What?"

"I w-won't—" her resolve crumbled for a moment, "—go with you, Uchiha Sasuke. You might think that sharing the same surname means that you have the right to tell me what to do, but I've never once met you. My father made sure that I was aware of the Uchiha clan, but I have a home here, I've lived here all my life, and I refuse to do anything that you say."

"Did your father tell you what happens to those that defy the Uchiha clan?"

"Y-yes, b-but that man, Itachi, he told me t-that the Uchiha clan was gone."

"I take back what I said, you are as stupid as I thought," Sasuke growled. He saw the anger in her eyes, watched it grow and fester there, but he refused to take back his statement. "In fact, you're a fool if you believe the word of a murderer, cousin."

Chapter Three

Fright

Electricity seemed to channel itself between them, as the two Sharingan-wielders glared at one another from their positions across from one another. One wanted complete control, submission and loyalty, while the other simply wanted to be left alone.

"I told you w-what you wanted to hear, so you c-can leave now." Kagome broke the silence, despite the fact that she had hoped Sasuke might, but it was becoming increasingly clear to her that Uchiha Sasuke would not leave until she proved herself to be an incompetent Uchiha.

"You're in danger, you stupid girl!" Sasuke snapped. "Don't you understand that?"

"Sasuke, maybe we should just—" While Sakura had already tried, she still felt that she might be able to convince Sasuke that they should just leave the Uchiha girl alone. Because, then, they could go back to Konoha and forget about her, and Sakura would be able to finally capture his heart and—

Sasuke cast his glare her direction, effectively shutting her up.

"Gahh!" Naruto whined. "This is so boring! Kakashi-sensei, aren't we supposed to be getting that stupid scroll or something by now?"

"We still have a few days before our squad is due back in the village, Naruto," Kakashi said. He flipped a page in his book, delighting in the illustration on the side, and giggled soon after he spoke.

"But, we've just been sitting here for the last two hours," Naruto huffed. "There has to be something that we could do until Sasuke-teme realizes that he can't make Kagome do something that she doesn't want to do."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. Naruto, clearly, knew nothing about clan life. However, he had more pressing matters, as he turned his eyes upon Kagome. Her Sharingan glare, obviously reserved just for him now, instantly reactivated. "What makes you think," he asked her, "that you'll be safe in this tiny little village?"

"I'd be-en just fine until you s-showed up," she said.

"Oh, yes." Sasuke snorted. "The village believing that you're the reason that some madman attacked them, and your own family declaring you an outcast is really wonderful, isn't it?"

"Don't assume that you know anything about me!"

The command sent a jolt through his body instantly, as Sasuke felt his entire body jerk. Her eyes, despite the fact that they appeared so familiar, were so much more powerful than his own. They ordered, commanded and easily manipulated in a way that not even Itachi's Sharingan could hope of accomplishing.

"Now, now—"

"Don't touch me!"

Kakashi retracted his hand, his voice stilling as the girl's strange Sharingan eyes settled upon him. He swallowed quite suddenly, instinct telling him that the girl was far too powerful for her own good, but he quieted that voice with reason. The girl was unable to control it most of the time, her hold could be broken by those with the will to break away, and, most of all, she did not ask for anything that could be harmful to him or his genin squad.

Returning her glare to Uchiha Sasuke, Kagome stated simply, "I w-will not go with you! Get that th-through your head, and just leave me a-alone!"

"Um," Sakura tried. The girl was already on her feet, though, and stomping out into the clearing that surrounded her small home. So, really, there was nothing that Sakura could have done. But—! "Sasuke-kun?!"

Ignoring Sakura's silent plea for him to stay, Sasuke stepped outside the hut. He scowled instantly when he noticed that the girl had retreated onto the roof, pouting like a baby. No respectable Uchiha should ever be caught in such a situation. That, he knew, would be the first habit he made sure she got rid of. Then—oh, then—he would work on the stubborn defiance that she continued to throw his way.

"I told you to leave me a-alone!" Kagome hissed when she spotted him. They were related, yes, but those she believed to have loved her had hurt her before. So, really, what reason did she have to give Uchiha Sasuke any benefit of the doubt?

His good looks?!

It was not going to happen. Kagome snorted, deciding it best to simply ignore the other Uchiha in an attempt to make him go away. After all, Akiyama, when they were young and naive, tended to leave her alone once he realized he was not going to get any enjoyment out of harassing her. There was a fair chance that Sasuke would be the same way, and she was hoping for that—

"And I told you that you need to return to Konoha with me—" Kagome twitched, "—but, clearly, neither of us is going to listen to the other. We're Uchiha, after all."

"T-that's got nothing to do with it!" Kagome cried.

"How do you know?" Sasuke snorted.

"I do-don't." She stumbled over the short sentence, feeling stupid, as he sighed and turned his head away from her.

"Hey—!" Kagome could only assume that the blonde boy had stepped beyond the doorway, as his voice rose into the atmosphere, "—you two do realize that we can hear you, right?"

"You do realize you're an idiot, right, dobe?"

"Gahh!" Kagome imagined that the blonde was twitching madly. "Sasuke-teme!"

"Naruto—!" wonderful, the whole squad was now outside, "—you leave Sasuke-kun alone! Don't look at me like that, you idiot! You know perfectly well that this is not the time to be fighting, and, besides, there's a chance that Sasuke-kun could accidentally hurt you and then I'd have to—"

"That's a wonderful way to think of your squad member," Kagome mumbled.

"Sakura, that is quite enough."

"B-but, Kakashi-sensei, I was only—!"

"I said that is enough, Sakura, now, please, put Naruto down."

Releasing a sigh, the newly found Uchiha girl stood from her position on the roof. She frowned down upon the group, her shining eyes piercing into them even without the Sharingan activated, before she turned on her heel and quickly leapt into the nearest tree.

The forest, at least, should give her sanctuary until they were gone.

Sasuke went to follow her, until Kakashi's hand settled heavily on his shoulder. He glanced at the jounin, his question clear in his eyes, while Kakashi smiled a bit at him from over his little orange book.

"We should give her a bit of time to herself, Sasuke," Kakashi explained. "She's had a rough day already, having to fight with one cousin and stumbling across another, and she deserves a bit of rest. Don't you think so?"

Though he did not agree, Sasuke realized that Kakashi would not let him follow her. Not this time. So, he turned his head away and shrugged off the jounin's hand in order to find a nice tree to release his frustration on.

"Eh?" Sakura blinked. "Sasuke-kun, wait for me, I'll come with you!"

"Sakura!" Naruto called after her. He, like always, would be the last to follow.

Kakashi sighed lightly, returning to his book.

Alone. She was finally alone. And already, realizing her mistake, Kagome could feel the sense of isolation sneaking up on her. It was rather odd, though, considering she had never really felt it so strongly before she had discovered that that man Itachi had lied to her.

There was another Uchiha out there.

A-and, she had survived, so there was a chance that there were more out there.

Curling in upon herself, the young Uchiha frowned deeply. Akiyama wanted her dead. Itachi wanted her to chase after him for increasing the hatred the people around her felt. Sasuke wanted her to follow him into the unknown. They all wanted, wanted, wanted, and she just wished that the nagging memories would leave her alone.

"Freak!" Akiyama always yelled.

"Hate me," Itachi had told her.

"Come with me to Konoha," Sasuke had demanded.

Shaking her head, Kagome felt the first wave of tears trickle over her cheeks. She could not stop them, no matter how much she wanted to, because she knew that those related to her would always want, want, want. They would not stop until they succeeded, and the thought alone almost made her think Akiyama was right.

A small drop of water stopped her thought, and she glanced upward. She had not noticed earlier that there were dark clouds rolling in, but her sense of isolation was quickly being overridden by a deep sense of dread. Because, she knew, when there were extremely dark clouds, there was usually—

Her pupils dilated with the first crack of thunder, and then, Kagome screamed.

It is dark.

She cannot see anything, and she wishes that the sound of pouring rain will go away soon. Slowly, she rolls onto her side, pulling her blanket a little higher with the latest flash of lightning. Her pout grows, because she has never really liked rain, and her mother usually comes for her when there is a storm.

"Mommy," she whispers into the dark.

The sound of rolling thunder replies loudly.

Making a noise in the back of her throat, she finally tosses the blanket from her small body and slides out of bed. If her mother will not come for her, she will go to her. And, with that thought, the young girl bounces across the room, wanting to find her mother as quickly as possible.

She enters the hallway when she hears it. A strangled sound just above the next roll of thunder. Lightning quickly followed, filling the small space with ample light, and the shadowed sight before her young eyes surprises her.

"Mommy?" she calls.

The woman in question turns, a mere flash of lightning showing her fright, as she yells, "Kagome! Kagome, get out of here—!"

"Mommy!" she screams, watching the—

"Wake up."

Startled by the voice, ripping her away from her memory, Kagome snapped her eyes open. Her Sharingan ablaze, she cast her frightened eyes upon the other Uchiha that sat beside her. She thought it odd that Sasuke would sit at her side, but the sight of another person compelled her body to move of its own accord.

"Eh?" Sasuke gasped, as his newly found cousin gripped onto his shirt and refused to release him. Her tears soaked the front of his clothing, drenching him in her sorrow, and he found himself at a complete loss as to what to do. He had never—

Practically wrapping herself around him, Kagome's mind was soothed a little when Sasuke's hand settled on her head. He was there with her—there was someone with her!—and she did not care that he wanted her to follow him without hesitation in that moment. Not as long as he did not choose to push her away.

His tension decreasing, Sasuke felt that he understood the girl's pain. That he shared in it, and he allowed instinct to push his hand through her dark hair. It seemed to help, and for that, he was grateful.

"Sasuke-kun, I brought you—!" Sakura pushed the door open, stepping inside with a smile. It faltered, though, as the image before her burned itself into her mind. "—you—Sasuke-kun?"

Kagome started at the sound of a glass breaking, pulling away from her cousin as if she had been burned. Her Sharingan filled eyes caught the pretty green eyes that Sakura possessed, as the girl slowly backed away toward the door.

"Um—" Sakura knew she should not read much into it, the girl looked like she had been crying, after all. But, it hurt to think that Sasuke was willing to be so tender with another girl, related or not. "—I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"Sakura."

"S-Sasuke-kun?" Sakura questioned.

"Stop it," the Uchiha boy demanded.

Her head falling, Sakura stared at the floor. What else did she expect? That he would suddenly push the girl away—the girl that was related to him—and come to her, declaring his undying devotion? That he would fall at her feet and ask her to forgive him for allowing another girl to cling to him the way he never allowed her to?

Sakura shook her head, fighting back the sea of tears that wanted to crash over her cheeks. She knew it was ridiculous, she did, but she could not fight the part of her that wanted to keep Sasuke all to herself. The part of her that believed Sasuke should pay attention to her after all they had been through.

"A-are you—?"

"I'm sorry," Sakura practically yelped. She did not want to hear that girl talk to her! She did not want to feel like the one that had been pushed aside in favor of a person that had just stepped into their life by chance! "I'll go get something to clean this mess up."

As Sakura left, Kagome frowned. "I di-didn't mean to—"

"It's not your fault," Sasuke reassured her. He was not entirely positive why he had said it, but he knew that the Uchiha girl by his side needed to hear it. She needed her confidence rebuilt after years of insults, and, if he had his way, within time she would act like a true Uchiha.

The distant sound of thunder rumbled through the small home.

Kagome let out a small sound of fright, scooting closer to Sasuke out of instinct, and felt her nightmares driven back by the feel of his hand on her shoulder. It had been so long since she had felt some type of peace, and her tortured mind was pleased with the small reprieve.

Sasuke nearly sighed. Her current behavior, as well, needed to be worked on.

Chapter Four

Family is Family

Silently, Kakashi watched Sasuke interact with the small Uchiha they had found. His visible eye crinkled downward into a pleased look, while his mask lifted into a smile. Sakura may not appreciate the attention Sasuke continued to give the girl, and Naruto may not know how to handle the situation, but he was perfectly aware of the social and mental growth it would give his student.

And that, everyone knew, Sasuke definitely needed.

"Gahh, Sasuke-teme, we're supposed to be practicing until Kakashi-sensei decides to go get that stupid scroll!" Naruto shouted. He stomped his foot childishly, pouting, as he continued, "Damn it, fight me already!"

Kakashi watched, amused, as Sasuke merely ignored Naruto in favor of showing his newly found cousin the technique he felt she should know. It seemed to be going well, since the girl was eager to learn anything and everything the other Uchiha could teach her, but Naruto's need to be the center of attention was clearly distracting her a bit.

"I can to do the Uchiha fire technique!"

"Prove it," Sasuke urged.

Her face red, and unwilling to be proven wrong by her cousin, Kagome began to perform a series of hand seals while simultaneously turning on her heel away from the other Uchiha. Then, in a brazen display, she threw her head back and shouted, "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

The fire spewed from her mouth, striking the nearest tree, which immediately burst into flames. The young girl did not hesitate, though, for she had already finished another set of hand seals. "Water Release: Water Bullet Technique!"

Naruto, pumping his fist into the air, shouted, "That was so cool! Don't you think so, Sakura?!"

"Uh, yeah," Sakura nodded, forcing herself to smile.

Kakashi's watchful eye noticed it all—from the way Sasuke's smirk turned proud, to the way Sakura shifted in despair—while the Uchiha girl put her hands on her hips and stood triumphantly.

"There!" Kagome stated smugly. "I told you I could do it!"

"Tch," was Sasuke simple reply.