The festival noises faded into the distance the further Kazuko ran, the streetlights casting shadows on the quiet roads. She pumped her legs as fast as they could go, cursing Naoko for talking her into going out tonight. If she had stayed home, she could have been at the victim's apartment by now.

Her house was dark when she finally arrived home. Kazuko raced to her bedroom to collect her ANBU mask without bothering to turn on the lights. She knew exactly where she was going. She decided she should also change as well; the kimono she wore was cumbersome and hard to move in.

A noise sounded from the living room and Kazuko froze, her senses heightening. She knew it wouldn't be Naoko—he would have announced his entry or at least turned the lights on if he didn't think she was home. Kazuko had left the front door unlocked, knowing she wouldn't be long and not expecting anyone to follow her in.

Kazuko grabbed her weapons pouch and tiptoed to the bedroom door, peering into the darkened room beyond. She could sense someone in there, and they weren't friendly. Before she could take a step into the lounge, a hand was around her neck and a strong force pushed her back against the bed. She grunted in surprise and pulled out a kunai before thrusting it into the perpetrator's back, just below his shoulder blade.

The man swore and tightened his grip on the kunoichi. Kazuko could see a snarl on his lips, the light from the moon filtering in and casting shadows on his face. She struggled against him, wrapping her legs around his body and pushing the kunai even deeper into him in the hopes that he would loosen his hold. He didn't, and Kazuko could feel her power start to drain from her body, as if he was literally sucking the life out of her.

"You think you could trick me?" The intruder spat, his fingers tightening even more around her neck and completely cutting off her airway. For the first time ever, Kazuko started to fear for her life. "Pathetic. I saw through your little ruse the moment it was made." His lips curled up in a sneer and he stroked a finger down her cheek. "You have made my life here quite difficult. I'm going to take my time with you, I think."

"I'm going to kill you!" Kazuko's voice was barely a whisper, but she still managed to make it sound menacing, and she glared at the criminal before her. She didn't know how he had figured it out, but she wouldn't let him go now that he was here, in front of her.

The Night Demon laughed in response. "Brave words for a dying girl." He moved his face until it was directly in front of hers, and Kazuko could feel his vile breath on her skin each time he exhaled. She knew she had to get out of his hold and counterattack, but the fact that he was literally pulling the power from her body wasn't helping. She had to distract him, to somehow release his hold on her neck so she could move again.

"Airi!" The voice sounded from the kitchen, loud and worried. Kazuko felt the hand pull away from her neck and instantly the man vanished, retreating after realizing they had company.

The voice called to her again and she struggled to sit up, her body slow to respond despite her internal monologue telling her to go after the criminal. She tried to yell for the newcomer to follow him, but her voice came out raspy and she ended up having a coughing fit. She cursed herself for being so caught off guard, for letting him sneak into her home so easily. She should have taken more precautions.

Kakashi appeared in the doorway and turned the light on, eyes widening at seeing the dishevelled woman on the bed. He had moved his hitai-ate to the top of his head and his left eye glowed red as he took her in.

"Airi, are you okay?" He asked, kneeling before her, his hands grasping her arms as his eyes wandered over her body, checking for injuries.

"I'm okay." Kazuko replied, coughing from the pain in her throat. "I said I'm okay, Kakashi." She repeated when he didn't letup, his hands roaming over her body to make sure she wasn't injured. She grabbed his hands and placed them on her lap, looking into his eyes reassuringly. "More importantly, why are you here?"

He didn't look reassured and he held her gaze with anxious eyes. "I got worried when you rushed off. And then I heard a woman was killed in the village and I wanted to make sure you were okay." Kakashi squeezed her hands, his eyes imploring. "Did he hurt you?" He noticed the bruise already forming on her neck and his gaze darkened, fury burning beneath them. His hands moved to her neck and he traced the marks with touches so feather-light it almost took Kazuko's breath away.

"I'm fine, Kakashi. Really." Despite her words, tears sprang to her eyes, surprising her. She wasn't one to cry, and she didn't know why the urge suddenly hit her. All she knew was the relief she felt upon seeing him in front of her, his worried eyes staring into hers.

Kakashi had his arms wrapped around her in an instant, and he drew her close to him, hands trailing up and down her back soothingly as she fought to keep the tears at bay. She was an ANBU member; she had many near-death experiences. She was not going to cry over this one.

"Hey, everyone was wondering where you were tonight Kazu—oh." Naoko cut himself off as he walked into the bedroom, shocked at the sight that greeted him. "What's going on?"

"Airi was attacked." Kakashi answered. He stood up and moved to the side, giving Kazuko space and allowing her 'husband' a chance to see her properly.

"Attacked? By whom?" Naoko rushed to her side, checking her over much like Kakashi had. "Are you okay? Are you hurt? What happened?"

Kazuko waved his concern away, already feeling the strength slowly return to her body. "I'm fine. It was nothing." Now that she was starting to feel herself again, all of this coddling seemed over the top, and Kazuko just wanted it to stop.

"It was nothing?" This time it was Kakashi who had spoken, and he gave the white haired kunoichi an incredulous look. "You could have died!"

"And yet, here I am." She tried to defuse the situation with humour but neither of the them even cracked a smile at her words. She sighed "Look, fellas. I'm fine. There's nothing to worry about. Kakashi got here just in time and scared him off."

"What if he tries again?" Kakashi asked, not convinced.

Kazuko shook her head. "I'm sure he won't." That was a lie. The criminal knew who she was. Hell, he had known their plans from the beginning! She didn't think he would leave her alone after being so rudely interrupted tonight.

Kakashi glared at her, unimpressed by her bravado. "I'm not willing to take that chance." He told her. "Team Seven will be your bodyguards until this criminal is caught."

"What? Look, I appreciate the concern, Kakashi, but I'll be fine." Kazuko could not have a bunch of Genin looking after her—not when she finally knew what the Night Demon looked like. She was one step closer to finding him.

Naoko placed a hand on hers. "Kakashi's right. It's too dangerous for you right now."

Kazuko shot him a look so heated he flinched, his hand recoiling from hers. "I'm fine." She insisted.

Naoko stood up and motioned for Kakashi to follow him into the living room, leaving Kazuko alone with her anger. He didn't need to ask who had attacked her; one look from her had told him everything. Her eyes had told him all he needed to know, and Naoko knew she would step up her efforts to find him after this incident. She would stop at nothing to hunt down the man who had murdered her sister, and Naoko knew that doing so could get her killed. Better to have a bodyguard to keep her in line, so she wouldn't run off and do anything reckless.

.

.

.

Kazuko was sitting in Ichiraku Ramen with Naruto, his short legs swinging happily on the stool as he slurped up his meal. The team had made it their mission to keep her safe for the past week, much to Kazuko's chagrin. They were doing it because they believed she was in danger, so she couldn't fault them for being protective.

What she could get mad about, was how on-board Naoko was with the situation. When she had tried to get him to persuade Kakashi out of bodyguard duty, he had flatly refused. He said it would be a good idea for now, and that he would rendezvous with the Konoha ANBU alone in order to figure out their next move.

"Hey Airi," Naruto piped up after he had finished his second bowl. "I'm going to meet up with the others to train after this, is that okay with you?"

Kazuko smiled at the blond. She really did have a soft spot for him. "Of course, Naruto. I'll follow you wherever you need to go."

Naruto smiled, but it quickly turned into a frown. "I'm sorry you have to hang out with us. I know you're supposed to be here on your honeymoon."

"You don't need to apologize, Naruto." She told him with a pat to his back. Kazuko had spent a lot of time with the blond Genin the past week, preferring his company over the moody raven-haired male. She was getting used to Sakura, having had to spend some time with the young girl, and Kazuko realized that her first impression of the pinkette had been wrong. When she wasn't fawning over Sasuke, Sakura was a decent person, and Kazuko could tell she would turn into a fine kunoichi. Still, she much preferred hanging out with Naruto, and she often wanted to help him train, though she knew that would blow her cover.

The pair quickly finished eating and they made their way to the training grounds, Naruto chatting Kazuko's ear off the whole way. He was always so excited when it was time to train, and Kazuko enjoyed seeing his enthusiasm as he told her about everything he was learning.

.

.

.

Kazuko sat against the base of an old oak, watching Team Seven train together. Kakashi had to leave for a while but had instructed his students to keep training until he got back. He was still trying to teach them about teamwork, since Naruto and Sasuke seemed to believe that they would better working alone than together during missions.

Watching Naruto was always amusing. He was so passionate about everything he did, and he always gave his best when training, despite the constant complaints.

He caught her eye and trotted over to where she was seated, a huge grin on his face. Kazuko handed him a bottle of water as he sat next to her, and he took it with a word of thanks.

"You aren't bored, are you?" He asked her after taking a sip.

Kazuko shook her head with a smile. "No. I'm enjoying watching the three of you train together." She watched him, her head cocked to one side as her mind battled whether or not she should say something. "Naruto, can you keep a secret?"

He almost spilled the water he had been drinking in his haste to look at her, eyes lit up in excitement. "A secret? What kind of secret?"

"You have to promise you won't tell anyone. This is really important, Naruto." She gave him a stern look, emphasizing the seriousness of what she was about to say.

Naruto nodded his head vigorously, his sky-blue eyes fixed on her. "I promise! I won't tell a soul!"

"Okay." She took a moment to get her thoughts together. She knew she shouldn't say anything at all, but Kazuko was tired of keeping this a secret from everyone she was starting to care about. "It's about me and Hiromasa."

The blond's eyes widened. "Are you pregnant?"

Kazuko choked, not expecting that comment. "No, I am not pregnant! Look, what I am about to tell you is top secret, okay?" Naruto nodded and held his breath, shuffling his body closer in anticipation. "We are not here on our honeymoon. We are ninjas from the Sand village, and we've come here to track a criminal."

"No way!" Kazuko hadn't seen someone look so excited in a long time, and she laughed at his reaction. "That's so cool!"

"But it's a secret, remember? You can't tell anybody." She reiterated, putting a finger to her lips.

"Does Kakashi Sensei know?"

Kazuko shook her head. "No, Kakashi doesn't know. The only person in the entire village that knows is Lord Hokage."

"Why did you tell me, then?" He asked, eyes furrowed in confusion.

"Because," Kazuko bumped her shoulder against his and gave him a grin. "I trust you. And, to be honest, I kind of wanted to tell someone the truth. Besides," she added with a wink. "Now I'll be able to teach you some cool moves."

"What are the two of you whispering about so enthusiastically?" Kakashi asked, appearing in front of the couple.

She knew he wouldn't have heard anything, but Kazuko still felt nervous at his sudden appearance. Still, she let a small smile grace her lips as she looked up at the silver haired Jounin. "We were just discussing Naruto's new training routine." She replied without missing a beat. "He is very excited to have a break from missions because it means he can train more with his teammates."

Kakashi raised his eyebrow at her, as if he didn't believe her words, but he let it slide. "If you are so excited to train, Naruto, why aren't you out there with the others?"

Naruto scrambled to his feet, spouting apologies before running to his teammates, glad to be away from his sensei's shrewd gaze. Kazuko watched him go, proud of him for not blurting something out that would have made them both look guilty.

Kazuko smiled warmly at Kakashi as he took Naruto's spot beside her, and the two made easy conversation as they watched his students train in the distance.

As always, reviews are welcomed. Thanks for reading. :3