Kakashi's View:

With Aurora's powers no longer suppressed, she was able to create stronger jutsus. The icicles she made in the yard no longer melted with just the suns help. She had also learned how to make the floors slick without hurting the floors or grass. Since I had no basis on what her powers really should be at this point, I guessed she was progressing just fine.

"Father look!" She came running to me from the field of small, icy towers in our backyard. She made a few hand signs, and all of the icicles changed colors. Most of them were green, but a few were blue and purple. She was learning to change the color with her chakra.

"That's very good." I gave her an eye smile. As impressive as it was, I didn't want her to just rely on just ninjutsu. "Say, why don't we visit Gai today, eh?" The ice all turned blue-green in excitement.

Gai was going to meet us on the edge of the drop off where the village once was. The area was fenced to keep anyone from falling into the crater that the village was being rebuilt in. I leaned on the fence to look over the construction while Aurora hung back, still afraid of heights. She was about to tell me, once again, that I might fall when I felt someone approach.

"Kakashi!" That someone come up behind me and put a playful arm around my neck. "Looks like you got home safe! Let me see how you're doing." He started checking me over, getting embarrassingly close to me.

"No...really I'm fine…" I said as he checked each spike in my hair.

"Gai-sensei, what are you doing?" Aurora asked, I was wondering the same thing.

"Making sure your father is doing alright." He gave her his bright, good guy smile. "Alright! It's been a while! How about a rematch?"

"Huh? No, that's not why..."

"We're up to one hundred matches right now! Let's have one more!"

"Ugh...ok." I started to play rock paper scissors with him. Aurora just looked very confused at the overly enthusiastic man.

"No sharingan!" Gai pushed my hand down, "No, rock, paper, scissors! NO! Not this time. Our challenge will be that!" He pointed to the Hokage monument.

"Gai-sensei…" Aurora tried to protest, wanting to know why we were really here. He either didn't hear her or ignored her and continued on.

"I've put a finish line up there! Lee is waiting! Let's race to it."

"Gai, this isn't the time for…" He just cut me off.

"I know, that's why I want a hot-blooded challenge between us right now!" I had no idea what he meant by that. "Do you accept it?" I sighed, turning to Aurora.

"You want to go ahead and tell us who won? Gai's right, there's no time like the present." This made Aurora make a face.

"Father...you said…"

"I know, I know. I promise we will train later."

Aurora's View:

Of course Gai-sensei and father ran past me before I could even get started on making my way to the finish line. I watched in horror as my father and Gai played like..well, children. I had no idea how childish father could be, he was so serious all the time.

"Who...is my father?" I questioned his entire personality.

I was just behind them the whole time, not able to keep up with them. Choji and Shikamaru looked stunned as they leapt over them.

"W-what the…" Shikamaru tried.

"Hi Shika-kun, Cho-kun!" I waved as I passed them.

"Aurora?!" I heard them call in confusion. I had to keep up so I couldn't stop. A few blocks down, I was forced to stop. A bull pulling a cart was crossing the road, I was sure they would have to stop too and I could finally catch up I watched in amazement as father climbed a wall with just his feet to avoid it and Gai some how went under it without getting hurt. I was amazed at their skills, wondering how they had do that.

I almost lost them because of the delay, but I heard wind chimes go off a little ways ahead and followed the sound. There wasn't any wind, so it had to be one of them running into it.

Up on the rooftops were two blurry figures, but I couldn't get up there without a ladder. I decided it would be faster to cut through some construction area to keep up, dodging workers and tools. One grabbed me around the waist, catching me by surprise.

"Hey! What in the world are you doing?" It was dad.

"Gai and father are racing, I'm seeing who's winning." I panted. "I'm going to lose them!" I got away by turning into water for a second. I had learned to do that again after the seal was gone. I couldn't control it all of the time, but it did come in handy for things like this.

"Aurora! Wait! It's not safe here!" I heard dad call, but I kept going.

"Aurora-chan?!" I stopped dead in my tracks when Naruto called. I had seen a flash of Gai's green suit going this way and was nearly knocked over by an orange blur. "Don't tell me you're racing too?"

"Just keeping watch." But I wasn't keeping up at all anymore. "What are you doing?" Naruto's face fell. "Naruto-nii, are you ok?"

"Hehe…" He laughed and ruffled my hair, hard enough it stood up. "Nothing, don't worry about it." I know my mask was up, but he saw that I knew he was lying.

"Nii-san, you're lying…" Naruto sighed.

"You know about Sasuke...well...I'm going to save him. But...others don't see how it's possible…" He looked so sad, I wasn't sure what to do. "Anyway, like I said, it's nothing for you to worry about." I hugged him around the waist.

"Please don't get hurt…" I loved Sasuke-nii too, but it wasn't worth Naruto-nii's life.

"Hey...how come you call me Naruto-nii?" He completely changed the subject.

"Cause you're part of our family, right? Dad, father, you and me!"

"Huh?" He just looked super confused. Sakura had caught up to us at this point, listening quietly behind him.

"You know, Iruka-sensei and Kakashi." It felt weird calling them by their names.

"WHAT?! IRUKA-SENSEI AND KAKASHI-SENSEI ARE TOGETHER? Why didn't anyone tell me?!" Naruto freaked out, shouting everything to the world. Everyone around us heard, but thankfully it was mostly Naruto's classmates. They were used to his loud outbursts.

"Really? You didn't know?" Sakura asked. "Come on, it was obvious. I mean, they have a child together."

"Wow, you weren't gone that long…" Kiba teased him. "Three years of training should have sharpened your mind, not dulled it."

"Hey! Shut up Kiba!" Naruto yelled. "Does that mean...Iruka-sensei is living with you guys?" Naruto suddenly looked sad again.

"Yeah, but you can come over anytime!" That got him to smile again.

"Heh, alright!"

The others dispersed back to what their jobs were for the day, leaving me and Naruto to find my father.

"There you are!" Dad rounded the corner, having followed me here. "I told you it's dangerous, are you hurt?" He was still worried I'd gotten hurt in the construction area.

"No…"

"Iruka-sensei, when were you gonna tell me you're dating Kakashi-sensei?!" Naruto interrupted, pointing accusingly at him and making dad turned bright red.

"Naruto!" He was surprised at Naruto's accusing tone. "I thought you picked up on it. I'm sorry, I guess I should have told you." He scratched the scar on his cheek. "Well, I guess it's better to find out now than never. Oh, since you're here." Dad reached into his pocket. "I haven't told Kakashi yet, but here's a key to the new house." Naruto smiled brightly at dad, thanking him.

"Sensei...Aurora said we're a family…is…" Naruto had his head down, covering his eyes in a shadow. "Is that true?"

"Naruto…" dad put a hand on his shoulder. "Of course we are. You've always been important to me, and I know you are to Kakashi and Aurora too. You're part of the family." Naruto's shoulders shook.

"Naruto-nii?" I took his hand, which he squeezed really tight.

"I-I'm just happy." He finally looked up, smiling brightly again but tears were running down his face. "You don't know how much it means to me...I promise to be the best big brother ever!" Naruto suddenly picked me up, pinning my arms to the side and spinning me.

"Gah! N-Naruto! Stop! Put me down!" I protested, but he kept telling me how he promised to protect me and teach me new stuff and on and on. I was really dizzy by the end.

Kakashi's View:

The race with Gai did help me clear my mind. I had been stuck in my mind with the fact I nearly became the Hokage. He told me, even if I had, I would have been great. I had my doubts, but I thanked him anyway. I left back towards where we lost Aurora, hoping she ran into someone she knew and wasn't lost. The new layout of the village was a little confusing.

Of course, Iruka had found her before I did. I swear her had a radar to detect her. They were joined by Naruto, who was spinning the poor girl around.

"Maa, don't make her sick." When he put her down, the little red head was very wobbly on her feet.

"Kakashi-sensei! You lied to me!" He was suddenly very mad at me, pointing at me in an accusing way.

"Eh...me?" I had no idea what he was getting at.

"You said you weren't dating anyone! You're living with Iruka-sensei!" Iruka glared at me, but both of them had it wrong.

"No, no. I said I didn't have a girlfriend, I never said I wasn't seeing anyone." I watched the tan chunin roll his eyes. "I thought you were smart enough to catch on, but I guess I should have elaborated." I mean, he'd seen us together at the markets with Iruka carrying Aurora. If that wasn't obvious, what was for this kid?

"Wha…" Naruto was dumbfounded. "You still tricked me!"

"No, I really didn't." I didn't want to argue with him, but he was being quite dense right now.

We were about to head home when a ninja informant came to find me.

"Hatake-san, you're needed at the hospital…" He panted. "A woman came to the gates with a child. She...was in the Akatsuki." Naruto's eyes widened as the man spoke.

"Iruka, go ahead and head home with Aurora. Naruto, go home. I'll be back…" In my mind I wondered, was it the blonde woman from before?

There were ANBU posted outside of her door, making sure she wouldn't escape. I highly doubted she could right now, the report was she had a child not long ago and was nearly dead at the gate. She was lucky there was a patrol out at the time. The guards stepped back, allowing me through.

She was very pale from blood loss, but Shisune was there to monitor her. If Tsunade was up for it, she would be here too, but for now she was still very weak.

"What happened?" I asked Tsunade's assistant.

"We have no idea where she came from. She just showed up at the gate. There was a report she was dead, but...she must have faked it for her child…" I looked over to the blonde on the hospital bed. Even passed out, she looked troubled.

"And the child?"

"He's ok, just a little underweight. We haven't brought him back to her just yet, she's yet to wake up." The brunette looked worried. "I don't know how she made it here without bleeding out first. She was out there on her own, there was no way she knew she was bleeding internally from childbirth. She is stable now, but…"

I sighed, knowing this woman did it all for her son. It made me think about the sacrifices every parent had to make, the most noble of them was to give your life for theirs.

She started to stir, surprising Shisune. She checked the woman's vitals once more before the blonde opened her eyes. Panic took over, she tried to jump up but the cuffs kept her in the bed.

"W-where am I...where's Hiroshi!?" She was scared, mostly for her child, but I saw in her eyes that she feared us.

"Easy...he's safe." I put my hands up in a non-defensive way. "He's being taken care of."

"Where. Is. He." Her voice now held an edge to it, she was becoming angry.

"As I said, he's safe in the nursery. Take a breath and calm down. Shizune, would you go get him?" Shizune quickly left, hoping to avoid the blondes wrath. She still glared, but she knew she was in no position to threaten me. "Now then, let's start with an easy question. What is your name?" It took her a minute to catch her breath again.

"Nina from Iwagakure." At least she wasn't fighting my questions.

"Good, now, Nina, tell us why you're here…" Before I could finish she started crying. "Huh? Wait…" She wouldn't stop.

"I-I'm sorry...I've been trying to get here for so long." She was actually happy, not upset about this. "I...ran away from the Akatsuki to save my son...the masked man wanted him."

"You know I have to ask this, but if it's too difficult to say then don't. Who's his father?" She got really quiet. "Is it the masked man?" I was afraid she'd been hurt in the worst way.

"Tsh...no…" She smiled fondly. "If I tell you, you must promise not to hurt him. He's innocent in all of this, take it out on me if you have to, but leave him alone, un." I sighed.

"Alright. I'll vouch for both of you to have asylum here, but in return you must tell me all that you know." She nodded as Shizune came in, holding the small child. "You may release her bounds…" Shizune stepped back as an ANBU came in to untie her hands. "Try anything and our deal is off." I threatened, making sure she knew she was only unbound to hold her son.

The look she gave her child when he was returned to her was pure adoration. It was hard to imagine that she was a criminal.

I waved Shizune and the ANBU out to continue talking to her.

"The only reason you're not in an interrogation room is because of your condition. Don't think that can't…"

"Stop yoru threats, I already told you I'll tell you what I know." She held him close, making him fuss a little. "This doesn't leave this room…"

"I can't promise that." I stopped her. "I can assure you that only the Hokage and I will know."

She wasn't happy about it, but seemed to understand why.

"Fine…" She looked back at the child, caressing his face fondly. "I wonder, who he will take after…" she wasn't stalling, just over taken by the sight of her son. "His father...is Itachi Uchiha."

I had no idea how to respond. For a moment, I reeled on this information. Why on earth…

"I know what you're thinking, even with your face covered, you're easy to read." She looked at me with a smirk. "There's a lot you don't know about him…"

"The Masked Man came to us and told us some things. Are they true?" Her face told me it was.

"Yes. What he left out was that he and another man, Shisui, tried to stop it. If Danzō had not taken Shisui's eye…"

"Are you saying Itachi never intended to kill his clan?" She nodded. It confirmed Itachi had done it, but as a last resort. "Did he tell you this?"

"Yes." Hiroshi started fussing again. I knew that sound from Aurora, it meant he was hungry. She was unaware of what it meant, not knowing what to do.

"Erm...he wants fed."

"How do you know?" She asked, shifting to take her top off. I looked away, giving her some privately. "Tsh, what? Never seen a woman feed her baby before?"

"It's not that...anyway, I just know." She didn't need to know my personal life. "What else do you know about the Masked Man?"

"He's intent on taking on all of the nations. He's also manipulative, he's twisted Sasuke's mind…" I knew this, but it was good to have it confirmed. "Also, it's known that once you give him what he wants, you're no longer useful to him. He'll dispatch anyone he deems no longer useful."

That was chilling, knowing he was no doubt going to do that to Sasuke.

"You tried to make him leave, didn't you?" She cared about Sasuke, it was written on her face.

"He's hellbent on getting revenge on the Leaf...I did try, but he will not listen to anyone. If someone could get through to him…"

"You don't think Sasuke's evil?" She shook her head, watching her child again as he fed.

"No, his heart maybe in the dark right now, but he wasn't that way before Madara. If he hadn't twisted Itachi's intent, he might have come back."

"What was his intent?"

"For him to return a hero. After killing him, Sasuke was supposed to return here…"

More questions followed, but she didn't know the Akatsuki's final plan. She knew they were gathering the Bijuu, but as far as she knew, it was to use their powers to threaten war upon the nations. Somehow, that was supposed to stop war from ever happening again.

She didn't know his full plan, but she did provide enough clues for us to know he was trying to build an army. We just weren't sure who he had in his arsenal.

"I wish I had more information, but that's all I have." Nina seemed upset she didn't have more to provide.

"No, you've done fine." I assured the blonde woman. "Our deal stands, you and your son have asylum here. However, until we know what you say is true, you will be under surveillance." She didn't seem to care, or if she did she hid it well.

"Why would I come all this way just to fuck everything up, un?" If she wasn't trying to stay calm for her nursing child, she may have chewed me out for that.

"Fair enough. Still, you were part of Akatsuki. Let's just say our trust for each other is shaky at best. For now, focus on your recovery for him." I looked pointedly at the boy in her arms. "He needs you."

This is where The Dove and The Crow and Last One will tie into each other a lot more. Please R&R!