Part 3

Ria glanced at Kakashi, they were on their 50th mission together. It hadn't taken long for Kakashi to make ANBU captain. He like Shisui and Itachi led many teams on their own. But sometimes he would be paired up with Ria. Those missions were always the toughest. But they made an incredible team. Their years of work had made their ability to sense the others moves easy, it had become second nature to them. They barely had to talk anymore, the level of trust was incredible. The only other team that had that level of trust was Ria and Shisui. "It's going to rain," Kakashi stated sensing the movement of the clouds.

She sighed standing up, "We still have miles to cover…what a pain."

"There is a hideout nearby, we could wait out the rain," he suggested.

She nodded, "Beats getting drenched, lead the way, your highness."

He hit her on the head for her teasing as he led her to an old hideout he had long once used under his sensei and his old team, it felt weird to come here. "It's so cold in here," Ria shivered she headed straight to the fireplace using her Fireball jitsu to light it up, needing the heat as her ANBU uniform wasn't the most covered. She pulled off her mask putting it on the side along with her flak jacket and her weapons. Kakashi followed suit, it didn't feel right to be fully armed when they were alone together. He stumbled when he felt her hand, hold his wrist, he looked down to see her scowling at him,

"What did I do?" He always felt like she was telling him off.

"Show me your hand," she demanded.

Confused he did so, sure enough, he was bleeding, he didn't recall getting knicked in the battle they had, "I'm bleeding?"

"Your lack of awareness is a stuff of legends," she made a face and then pushed him down on the bed as she grabbed a medi-pack to deal with his injury.

"It's okay," Kakashi tried to pull his hand from her grasp, "It's barely a scratch, Ria…come on, you don't…"

She looked at him sharply, "You're my teammate and you are hurt…"

"I'm not hurt," he argued.

"I don't care what you think, just let me do this," she snapped, getting irritated with his resistance, "You are so ridiculous sometimes. Can't you see you are important to me?"

Kakashi stared at her, his eyes widened, "What?"

"You are important to me," she stressed the words, "So I don't care how big or small the wound is, I don't want to see you wounded, I don't like it," she finished and stood up not looking at him, "Where are we?"

"This used to be Minato Sensei's old hideout, he has a lot of them over the Fire County. No one knows about them other than me," he said to her softly, still a little shaken by what she had said. He didn't know that she cared about him. He was still not sure in what way she cared about him, she was too hard to read.

"Really," Ria looked about, "He had a lot of weapons," true enough the walls were lined with all sorts of scrolls and weapons.

"Well, he had to be prepared for every eventuality," he told her softly following her around the room, "Whatever a battle might need, he was ready for anything."

"Kakashi," Ria turned to face him, she wasn't expecting him to be so close to her it startled her making her blush, "I'm sorry," she took a step back, for some reason their close proximity threw her off. Seeing the blush on her cheeks made Kakashi blush, he had never seen her blush, it was endearing.

"Yes," he tilted his head waiting for her to ask her question.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to…but what was your dad like?"

His body went cold, he wasn't expecting her to ask him something like that, "Why?"

She lowered her eyes, "I never knew mine. He died when I was 1, I think, I'm not even sure about that…I love Uncle Fugaku, but he has always made it clear that he is not my father and does not wish to be like a father to me…It makes me jealous of Itachi and Sasuke…seeing them with Fugaku and Mikoto. Every day I feel like I'm more and more alone. I love them but sometimes that love isn't enough…I'm sorry…if I offended you…I was just curious about what your father was like."

"He was my hero," Kakashi mumbled, "I looked up to him, he was all I had as my mum died when I was born. Everyone always said that he was a legend, the Leaf's White Fang but to me, he was my father, my idol. He was always there for me, he always had a smile for me. It was what made me happy. But…he couldn't handle losing his comrade…he couldn't handle being called a friend killer…so he killed himself…" tears filled Kakashi's eyes, "Now it's all I remember…seeing him dead on the floor…in our home."

"I'm sorry, Kakashi…I didn't mean too…" she hurriedly wiped his tears, "I was being selfish…"

"No," he smiled at her, "It's okay, I need to talk about it, I need to keep remembering who he was before, not what he became."

"He would have been proud of you…" she touched his cheek gently, "You're strong, smart and above all, you have a good heart Kakashi."

He couldn't help but reach out and touch her cheek, "I'm sure your father would have been proud of you too, you are everything any father could have hoped for in their child. You are brave, sweet, strong and your heart, it shines…he is lucky to have had you."

Tears fell from Ria's eyes stunning Kakashi, she smiled through her tears, "Thank you."

"I'm sorry," he panicked, "I didn't mean to make you cry."

She shook her head, "They are happy tears," she hugged him surprising him further.

"You are important to me, Ria, I don't like seeing tears in your eyes, happy or not," he smoothed her hair down.

She looked up at him confused, "I'm important to you?"

He nodded, "You are. You always have been."

She went a bright red, her heartbeat loudly she let go of him and looked away unable to look at him directly, "Wait did I say something wrong?"

"No," she mumbled, "It's just…no one's ever said that to me before…"

Kakashi frowned, "Wait, your stars have never told you that you were important to them?"

She shook her head, "I love them…more than I can ever say…but I…I can't shake this feeling."

"What feeling?"

"That Uncle Fugaku only cares about me because he feels sorry for me if I was anyone else he wouldn't notice me…do not get me wrong, I will never stop loving them, but I'm afraid that one day I will be all alone…I'll have no one…Shisui will get married and have his own family, Itachi and Sasuke will grow up and move away from me….I'll be left alone…"

Kakashi pulled her back to him holding her hand, "You will always have me. No matter what. I won't ever let you be alone."

She was struck by him, she had never noticed how she felt when she was with Kakashi, she felt vulnerable but strong, it was as if she could cry but also she could stand up for herself. It was a weird feeling, she couldn't describe it…Kakashi was a strength to her but he allowed her to be weak. It didn't hurt. With everyone else in her life she had to be strong, she needed to be strong, with him it didn't matter.

"Why do you do this to me?" She asked him softly.

"Do what?"

"Make me feel happy," she answered her voice was a mere whisper.

"I make you feel happy?" He repeated.

She gulped her throat feeling dry, "It scares me…"

"It scares you that I make you feel happy?" he was confused but unable to stop himself from brushing her hair from her face, he had this innate desire to keep touching her.

She nodded, "You make me feel happy, seeing you makes me happy, talking to you makes me happy, being beside you makes me happy, I'm afraid of losing that…of not being able to do the same for you…:"

He smiled at that, "Don't ever worry about that, my whole life you are the one who has only ever truly made me happy."

Ria stared at him, her eyes sparkled as she smiled back at him, "Really?"

He nodded, "Really. I'm in love with you, Ria."

She reached up and kissed him, she was tired of talking, no words could truly describe what she wanted to say so she decided action was her only recourse. "Woah, wait," Kakashi broke them apart making her redden and feel guilty,

"Did I do something…" he didn't let her finish as he moved down his mask and kissed her back this time with nothing in the way of his lips on her. He crushed her against him as he kissed her deeply putting every ounce of passion he had for her into his touch. They fell back gently on to the bed, continuing their actions each moment escalating further and further. Until both collapsed down together breathless, their clothes tossed around the room. They were both blushing pink lying next to each other. Ria glanced at Kakashi, seeing his eye made her giggle and she hugged him, covering her face in his chest.

He was both in shock and completely euphoric, to see her happy with him, it was all he could ever ask for. He never thought he could feel this level of happiness, he had lost so much, but she…she was something that he couldn't deny. Ria was his world.

She leaned up and kissed him sweetly, deepening the rosy blush she smiled at him, as she played with his hair, "You are my final star Kakashi."

"Me?" He repeated his eyes sparkling.

She nodded, "You are mine, forever."

He kissed her for that rolling her under him and making her giggle at his playfulness, "My boys were right."

"Right about what?" She asked him.

"You do smell amazing," he kissed her neck, "It's an addictive scent."

Ria was sitting by the river, she was alone just watching the water pass by. She didn't know that she was being watched, at that moment she was in her own bubble of nothingness. She was just enjoying the sounds, scents, and sensations of nature. It was calming. Doing the job she did, it was difficult to take a moment to just truly enjoy being alive. Lately that is what she felt the most. Being alive. There was a happiness in her that was pouring out of her. It made her shine brighter than ever.

"You should tell her," an Uchiha stood beside Fugaku, "She would join our fight."

"No," Fugaku said sternly, "Not Ria."

"Why not?" He frowned, "She is strong, incredibly strong if we had her the ANBU could do nothing, there is no way we would lose."

"Ria is not an Uchiha," Fugaku said directly crossing his arms.

"Then what is she?" He demanded, "All these years you have had her here with us, she has spent her whole life with us, she eats, drinks, trains, cries with us. She is one of our own…"

Fugaku stared at his clan member, those words shocked him, "You think of Ria as one of our own?"

The mans' jaw tensed, "Of course I do, we all think that. Don't you? Isn't she anything but family to you?"

"Uchiha is blood," Fugaku said shakily, he had no idea. This whole time he felt that the whole clan agreed on that principle, the Uchiha were a blood clan, there were no fostering relations outside of that clan, doing so was a betrayal. But somehow, that girl had managed to become more to them, she had become a part of them.

"She may not have our blood, but she is family. You may have raised her up yourself, but we also had a hand in it," he said curtly, "She should join our fight, Ria believes in us, she will fight with us."

"No," again Fugaku refused, "Ria will not be bound by our choices, she has her own life to live. Whatever side she falls in, it will always be her choice, I will not burden her. I have a promise to keep and I will keep that promise till the day I die…don't ever think about involving her in clan business again. Ria is not an Uchiha," with that Fugaku walked off not wanting to show the tears that had formed in his eyes for having said that about her.

Ever since he held Ria in his arms he had loved her like his own. Watching that girl grow up without her parents, without the two people who would have adored her, the two that were her own, hurt. When she would watch him train and wanted to be like him, it hurt. He never felt worthy to be a father to her, he never felt like she should care for him the way she did. For him, Ria deserved more than the Uchiha darkness. But her strength, her love was too infectious. She began excelling and his pride in her grew. He began enjoying teaching her, watching her succeed. The day he took her to the Academy was a painful one, signing her up without a surname, seeing her with all the other kids without a clan symbol on her back, watching her fall into the shadows in the ANBU when she firmly belonged in the light. He felt as if it was his fault because she was involved with the Uchiha she had been ostracized, forced to suffer the same disrespect they had. It angered him. Ria never let anything keep her down, she made people notice her, significant people noticed her and praised her. She never turned her back on those that loved her, she always came home, she always smiled for them. The day she protected Itachi, Shisui, and Kakashi from death, that day Fugaku's debt to her increased, she had saved his son, protected him with her life, he could do nothing but watch as his presence yet again made her suffer, the doctors too afraid to touch her. He had to rely on outside influence to save her, he was useless in protecting her, if anything he had made her life difficult. That's why...that's why he refused to have her involved in the Uchiha plan. He couldn't let Ria get hurt or have the burden of becoming a traitor on her hands. If they succeeded he would protect her, if they lost, he would ensure that the world knew she had no involvement.

Fugaku went home after awhile walking around the forest to clear his head. He sat down to eat dinner with his wife and sons, he frowned crossing his arms as he noticed only Mikoto and Itachi were ready, Mikoto smiled noticing Fugaku's tension, "Look behind you."

He turned around and saw Ria tied up by her own chakra string, Sasuke hitting her repeatedly on the head whilst wearing her ANBU mask, her mouth was tied up with a scarf.

"What's going on?"

"I caught Ria," Sasuke said brightly, "She is my prisoner."

"What did she do?" Fugaku asked as Itachi sniggered, Sasuke was only 4 years old, with nowhere near enough strength to even pose a threat to a shinobi like Ria.

"She said she was going to eat me, Daddy," Sasuke said with honest eyes, "Now she can't eat anyone," he turned back and hit her again.

"She needs to eat dinner, like you, do," Fugaku said sternly, but his eyes sparkled, he loved watching Ria play with his sons, it made him happy.

"Prisoners don't eat," Sasuke crossed his arms.

"Actually," Itachi interrupted, "I'll think you find it's a human rights thing, prisoners have to be given food."

"What?" Sasuke scowled.

"It's true," Mikoto nodded, "Isn't it Fugaku? You are the Head of the Shinobi Police, you have many prisoners, you have to feed them right?"

"I do," Fugaku nodded, "Can't starve them."

"Fine," Sasuke pulled Ria behind him as they sat at the table, she was still tied up, he put her mask on his head and then pointed his toy katana at her, "I will let you eat but you better not try to eat me, or you will suffer."

She narrowed her eyes at him, they all watched as Sasuke took some food and lowered the binding on Ria's mouth so she could eat, jokingly she tried to bite him making him shriek and jump back, "Daddy!"

"No eating Sasuke at the table," Fugaku said sternly.

"Fine," Ria answered keeping herself tied up even though she could release herself, "I won't eat him now, everything here looks tastier anyway, thank you for the food Mikoto."

Mikoto smiled, "It's okay."

"Somebody feed me!" Ria moaned Fugaku glanced at Sasuke who was hiding behind Itachi,

"She is your prisoner."

Sighing he went over and using chopsticks fed Ria, there was a sparkle in his eyes too. Ria always played wholeheartedly with Sasuke, she taught him many things but always in a guise of a game which made him happy. They were eating as a family, albeit a mismatched family when Shisui appeared behind Ria, "Sorry Uncle Fugaku, Mikoto, but we have a mission."

"What?" Ria groaned glancing at Shisui, "Again?"

"It's not a big one, a day tops," Shisui began but then frowned, "Were you trying to eat Sasuke again?"

"Yes," Sasuke jumped up and hit Ria on the head again, "She is my prisoner now, so she can't go on a mission."

"Sorry, kid," Shisui ruffled Sasuke's hair, "But you're going to have release this prisoner to me, I promise I'll return her back in the state you have her in, but for now," he took the mask from Sasuke, picking Ria up he threw her over his shoulder as he saluted to Sasuke, "She'll be my prisoner."

Before Sasuke could argue Shisui had stolen Ria, much to Fugaku's annoyance, "He couldn't even let her finish dinner."

"You know Shisui," Mikoto smiled, "Any excuse to spend more time with Ria."

Fugaku tensed, he knew. He could tell that Shisui cared deeply for Ria, he probably loved her but there was something that only Fugaku noticed, Ria did not share the same romantic love that Shisui had for her for him. There was no doubt about it, she cared for him more than anything, he was one of the most important people in her life, but love? No, she hadn't fallen in love with him. He also knew that Shisui knew that fact too, he was keeping himself beside her whilst knowing she might go into someone else's arms. He was afraid of that day, of what it would do to Shisui to see her with someone else. He hoped that day never happened.

Ria and Shisui completed the mission they were on within the allocated time frame, she returned late at night and went straight to bed, exhausted from the travel. Lately, it felt like the missions were getting riskier. It just meant she needed to keep up with her training and also her rest. Fugaku watched from the corner of his eye as Sasuke slipped from his bedroom and went to Ria's, he sighed, there was a storm brewing and he knew his baby was afraid of the lightning. Instead of coming to his parents or even his brother for comfort, if Ria was home, Sasuke would always go to her. It didn't take long for his other son to slip out and do the same thing. Itachi wasn't afraid of lightning, he just loved being with the two of them. Mikoto laughed lightly as she sat beside Fugaku giving him a cup of green tea as she sat beside him, "He fights with her every chance he gets but he loves her all the same."

Fugaku grunted taking the cup and sipping the hot drink, "She needs to take a break, she has been on way too many missions."

Mikoto teased him, "You know you put up such a strong facade but you are such a softy, especially to Ria. She is the ANBU's Captain's Captain, of course, she will be busy."

"She isn't the only operative in ANBU, but it sometimes feels that way…" Fugaku tensed his jaw.

"You are a good man, maybe you should take Ria out somewhere, she would love to spend time with you, you rarely get to see her with your work and hers," Mikoto smiled at him.

"What?" Fugaku looked at his wife.

"Take her out, for dinner. Just her," Mikoto said softly, "You know, for a few years, she was all we had. All your time was spent with her, and she looks up to you. But ever since Itachi and now Sasuke, you haven't trained with her, you've barely had a conversation with her, maybe you should…she is your eldest."

"I'm not her father…"

"Not by blood," Mikoto touched his shoulder, "But her real father isn't here anymore…you are the only one in her life…we all know you love her dearly so let her see that again."

Ria was training with Shisui. She had blindfolded herself and was listening to loud music to drown out her senses. They fought like this a lot over the years, at first it was hopeless, just blindfolded Ria struggled to fight Shisui, even then she doubled down and deafened herself. It was only the last few months she began to put up a fight. Without her senses, she focused on her heart, the way it beat…the way it sensed things. In her mind everyone was a light, fortunately for her, Shisui was a bright light to her, she was incredibly perceptive to his moves and kept up with her kunei and shurikenjitsu. Fugaku watched in shock, he had no idea Ria had improved this much, she had found a way to prevent being taken by the Mangekyo Sharingan. The two fought intensely, neither holding back. Every time Shisui's hit struck Ria, it made Fugaku tense, but she carried on, just then he joined in fighting her himself alongside Shisui. Ria finally succumbed completely breathless dropping her shuriken, before she could take off her blindfold, Fugaku patted her head making her freeze. She knew that touch. Shisui sat down beside her taking her headphones off, "You're getting better Ria, you kept us both off for a while."

She took her blindfold off, her eyes only on Fugaku, not knowing what to say, the two had not trained in years, it made her feel so small looking up at him. Fugaku put his hand out to help her up,

"You've done good kid, let's go get some food."

"What?" Ria mumbled, confused.

"I'm hungry and you look a mess, let's get something to eat, Shisui, Itachi is looking for you," without waiting for Shisui's response he pulled Ria along behind him, leaving him alone completely surprised as much as Ria was.

They sat having a barbecue together, Ria was a ball full of excitement as she began relaying all her training to Fugaku who listened intently. The way she talked, the way she smiled, everything reminded him of that one person, that person he had made a promise to. Being beside Ria, seeing her having grown up, it made him happy. That tiny little baby was now a teenager. 17 years old.

"I'm boring you aren't I?" Ria said sadly, "I'm sorry," she lowered her head slightly.

"No," Fugaku shook his head, "I like listening to you."

"Really?" Her eyes sparkled, "Can we…can we train together again?"

Fugaku was surprised by that, "You want to train with me?"

She nodded, "Yes."

"What's the point?" Fugaku was confused, "You are already training with Shisui and he has his Mangekyo…he is stronger."

"I always enjoyed training with you, I made all my jitsu when I trained with you," she said brightly, "Don't get me wrong, I love training with Shisui, but it isn't the same."

"If I have time between training Itachi," Fugaku said softly, his neck was red but luckily his shirt saved him from being exposed, he knew Itachi hated training with him, knowing that Ria enjoyed it and wanted it meant a lot to him. He had to admit, he missed training with her himself.

"Okay," Ria said happily, "I won't let you down."

You've never let me down…Fugaku wanted to say but wasn't able to. He couldn't get the words out of his mouth. All he could do was nod at her and watch her as she carried on her stories. He could have sat there forever listening to her.

Ria was waiting outside an onsen, in her arms was Pakkun, Kakashi had asked her to come to this unique hot spring. It was unusual to come to a hot spring, usually, they would sneak to a hideout to spend time together. This time he wanted to do something special. She wasn't wearing her uniform, there was nothing about her that even indicated that she was a shinobi. She was wearing a black and grey cheongsam, shorts underneath and with sandals, her hair fell down her back like always only constrained by her red bandanna. She looked like any other beautiful girl. She sighed when she felt his arms around her, "You are late."

"I went to get this for you," Kakashi presented her with a flower.

She took it but still pouted, "Not good enough…" she turned to face him, he wasn't wearing his uniform either, not even his headband. Instead, he wore a plain one to cover his Sharingan, she was used to seeing his face she reached up and touched his jaw, "What are we doing here?"

"We are having a break," he said brightly.

"I can see that, but why?" She asked him.

"It's my birthday," he tilted his head.

Her eyes widened, "What? Really? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Ria we have been together for years, and you've never once realized that I have a birthday?" He laughed.

She blushed, "Well I don't have one, so I forget others do."

He frowned, "You don't have a birthday?"

"Well Uncle Fugaku doesn't know when I was born, he knew how old I was…what year but not what day…he wanted to celebrate a random day but I told him I didn't care…every day is my birthday."

"You are so sad," Kakashi kissed her forehead, "Well today is my birthday and it's now yours too…we can celebrate together forever."

"Did you get me a present?" she grinned cheekily.

"I did," he nodded, "And it's this trip, I think you'll like it…well, I hope you do."

"It's an onsen, all onsens are the same…why did we come to this one?" She asked as he led her in taking hold of her hand, they had crossed the border and were near the Grass County up in the mountains. It wasn't like Kakashi to cross borderlines. It could get dangerous if other shinobi thought the Leaf had sent invaders.

"This one is special," he said as they entered their room, he covered her eyes and led her to their outdoor natural hot spring, she could feel the heat of the water, it smelt wonderful.

"What are you doing Kakashi?" She made a face at his secretiveness.

"Look up," he tilted her head and uncovered her eyes, she lost her breath. They were so close to the stars, it was as if they could touch them. The night sky was clearer than she had ever seen it, it was stunning. The owner arrived and smiled, "I see you came for our starlight bath. They say the waters here are blessed by the celestial spirits, it can rejuvenate all magic in a person and heal any pain."

"It's beautiful," Ria breathed still stunned.

"I knew you would like it," Kakashi grinned. Reluctantly the owner made Ria change into a yukata, it was a black yukata emblazoned with the stars, she shined in it. While she got dressed the owner carried on her story, "My great, great, great grandfather told the story once about how a Celestial Spirit once bathed in these waters. It was here that all the Zodiac have visited in their celestial spirit form to be close to that first spirit who came. They say his power lives in the water. You came at a very opportune time."

"Why?" Ria asked curiously, she loved hearing these stories.

"The water is especially potent when the full moon is out. You and your husband will enjoy it very much, it is clear how much he loves you…you are a lucky woman…"

"Husband?" Ria squeaked her eyes on Kakashi who smiled at her brightly. She was suddenly pushed towards him by the owner making him catch her in his arms,

"Ahh young love, go enjoy the water, we will set up the dinner for you," the owner left them alone.

"Did you tell them you were my husband?" Ria looked up at Kakashi.

He rubbed his neck, "They were very particular that only a married couple could use this room…anyway, you will be my wife one day, right?"

She blushed bright red as she covered her face in his chest unable to look at him, her actions made him laugh, "Come on, let's enjoy this onsen. I'm happy it's just as good as I read."

They got in the water together still holding each other's hand, Ria's eyes were on the sky, she couldn't stop her blush from Kakashi's earlier words but was also instinctively drawn to the sky. It felt like it was all made for her, "Where did you read about this? I thought I'd read every book on the stars."

"I actually found this in one of the second Hokage's books," he said simply.

Ria frowned and broke her gaze to look at Kakashi confused, "Second Hokage?"

He nodded, "Yes, I was doing some research and I found this page. It was about a hot spring connected to the stars, the Second Hokage wrote how he believed that this place was magical…it was weird to read because it felt like poetry, not science, you know the Second Hokage from the school books, he's always been so serious, so direct and methodological but to use words like magic was weird. He wrote this place had been blessed by the stars, war could ravage around it but this place will remain protected, it was heaven."

"It is heaven," she said happily.

"You are my heaven," Kakashi smiled at her and kissed her cheek, making her giggle and splash him for his cheesiness.

After their weekend finished, the two stood hand in hand, Ria kissed him sweetly, "Thank you, that was amazing, it was the best gift I could ever have gotten."

"Let's make it a tradition," he smiled leaning his head against her head, "Every birthday, we will come here."

"Deal," she said excitedly.

"And when we get married," he began… she covered his mouth going red,

"Stop talking about that, you are embarrassing me!"

He laughed hugging her, "Well it's going to happen, you can't prevent it."

"I don't want to prevent it," she closed her eyes holding him, "It's just…the thought…"

He grinned, "Don't worry about it, I'll fight anyone for you…"

"I just want them to love you as I do," she smiled, "You are all important to me."

"They will just have to accept it, I'm not going to ever let go," he hugged her tighter.

Ria and Kakashi both headed to separate missions. She happily skipped to the village gates, that weekend had left her in an incredible mood. Not even a two-month mission could put her down. She stopped skipping when she saw Itachi, he was standing there, blood on his hands, "Itachi, what's wrong?" Then she saw it, his Mangekyo Sharingan and her whole world came crashing down. She grabbed him before he collapsed in her arms, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

The funeral was a cold, somber affair. Itachi had lost all feeling, he couldn't even look at the photo of Shisui that marked his memorial, he couldn't even look at Ria, she stood beside Fugaku. She hadn't spoken a word since then. It happened then, one moment she was standing the next she collapsed, Fugaku caught her panicking, her collapse came out of nowhere, and then the blood seeped from her mouth, "Ria!" He cried out, the whole clan jumped into overdrive, keeping all the others away from her as Fugaku picked her up in his arms. He had seen it. That mark. The mark he never wanted to see. He ran as fast as he could to the hospital, leaving everyone behind. The whispers flooded through the village, first Shisui Uchiha is murdered, the next Ria collapses. Her collapse made Lord Danzo demand that the Uchiha hand over Ria, he argued for days with the Hokage,

"They are poisoning her! They are destroying that child, and you are just watching?"

"I cannot remove an adult, Ria is her own person, she is 20, not 2," the Hokage answered, "I cannot decide where she lives."

"She is not theirs either, you saw her…if that wasn't poison what was it?" Lord Danzo darkened, "She is the star of the ANBU we cannot lose her like this."

"You have no proof it was poison," Saratobi said softly, "I doubt the Uchiha would do that to her. If they wanted her dead they had plenty of chances when she was younger and much easier to kill."

"Now she is a threat, she can fight against them," Danzo argued, "That's why…they probably never expected her to become so strong."

"If Ria needs protection she will get protection, but right now there is no proof she was poisoned or that the Uchiha are behind it. I will not vilify a clan on a rumor…right now they are hurting, they have lost one of their own and another is in critical condition."

"Ria is not an Uchiha," Danzo snapped, his anger not lessening in the slightest.

Fugaku held on to Ria's hand as she lay attached to many wires, he couldn't let go, she was in so much pain. He could feel it. And now that mark…the mark on her arm…it had arrived. He couldn't let her go, not like this. Mikoto was in tears, Sasuke clinging on to her, Itachi quiet in the corner, he couldn't breathe. Ria looked so weak.

"Why won't she wake up?" Fugaku demanded from the doctor who squeaked.

Shaking he answered, "It's a form of PTSD…her body is in shock."

"Shock?" Mikoto whispered.

"It seems that the news of Shisui Uchiha…he must have been important to her…it's shut her body down…the pain was far too overwhelming…" the doctor explained, "There isn't much medicine can do for her."

Itachi left the hospital room, he couldn't handle it anymore. She shouldn't be there, she shouldn't be the one lying there, she shouldn't be in this pain. Before he got down the corridor, alarms were alerted throughout the hospital, he turned to see the doctors running to Ria's room, they began pulling her bed towards the emergency room. A doctor on the top of her trying to resuscitate her as Fugaku ran beside them, still holding Ria's hand and calling her name. She had gone into cardiac arrest. The doctors finally had to push Fugaku out of the way as they headed into surgery, they wouldn't communicate anymore as they focused on Ria. Fugaku didn't leave her side, when she returned to her room, still unconscious he stayed by her, holding her hand. The mark was gone. It made him sigh a sense of relief. She was going to be safe. A doctor came in and stood beside Ria checking her vitals, "I am sure she will recover."

"She is strong."

"But I am sorry," the doctor hung his head.

"Sorry?" Fugaku tensed looking at him, "Sorry about what? She is going to be okay right?" He panicked.

"She will be fine, I'm sure she will be up to her old strength fairly soon, but…"

"But what? Spill it, doctor!" Fugaku demanded.

"We weren't able to save the other," he said softly.

"What?" Fugaku stared at him, his voice a whisper.

"She was 2 months pregnant. I am not sure she was aware of it herself, but the trauma she received has caused her miscarriage. It is our belief as doctors that she must not be told about this, her mental state is not strong enough to handle this information and may cause psychosis."

"She was pregnant?" Fugaku mumbled.

"Yes," he nodded, "We cannot be sure who the father is…but she was pregnant."

Fugaku had no idea, he never knew that Ria was seeing someone, that she had someone in her life…that information made him angry, beyond angry, he was furious. Here she lay, heartbroken and in pain, the person who caused this was nowhere to be seen. He couldn't stand this village anymore.

Ria's eyes opened suddenly. She was alone in the dark hospital room. She could feel it, that pain in her heart. Something had happened. She pulled herself up, her whole being was screaming in pain but she pushed through taking off the wires that connected her to monitors, as she did so it alerted the nurses who hurried into her room believing she had coded.

"What are you doing?" They cried out as Ria fell out of bed, they tried to put her back in but she pushed them away with incredible strength,

"Stay away from me…I have to go…" she managed to fall out the window making the nurses scream as they ran to see if she was okay, she got up, bleeding and having broken her foot, she carried on moving forwards. They all hurried alerting the authorities but she wouldn't stop, anyone who tried to stop her she defeated even as injured as she was. She finally made it to the Uchiha Quarters, she saw it then, Itachi surrounded by the bodies, Sasuke stunned into his Mangekyo Sharingan, Ria ran and pulled Sasuke into her arms covering his eyes and holding him tight, "Don't look Sasuke, don't look," she repeated as he collapsed in her arms.

Itachi tensed he wasn't expecting to see Ria, "You shouldn't have come here, you don't belong," he pulled out his katana, his hands wavered.

"You won't touch him, kill me if you need to but don't you dare touch Sasuke," she screamed at Itachi, he got ready to attack her when his sword was stopped. He looked up to see who stopped it and his blood ran cold. That smile. It broke his heart. He sheathed his sword and turned his back on the two of them, "I'll let him live, maybe he will be strong enough to beat me one day, but I doubt it," with that he left them, tears slipping from his eyes.

All the pain in Ria flooded out of her, she screamed and as she screamed it happened. The whole village looked up in shock as it rained starlight. It was hauntingly beautiful. Kakashi was on his way back from his mission when he saw it, that image made his blood run cold. He could sense Ria's pain, it was her. He ran, faster than he ever could. The only scent that he could register was her, he could taste the blood in the air. He arrived just before the other ANBU members and shinobi. She was crying as she held Sasuke, her pain broke them all. To see her like that…it cursed them all.

Ria refused to listen to doctors orders, she wouldn't leave Sasuke's side. She wouldn't heal. Every day she waited for him to open his eyes. She just wanted him to open his eyes. The doctors got to a point when they had to involve the Hokage, he stood in Sasuke's room, Ria was asleep beside him holding his hand, her whole body still racked in pain.

"We need her to rest, and she won't if she is beside the boy…" the doctors explained, "She has lost a lot of blood, Lord Hokage."

"She is a stubborn child," the Hokage said softly.

"It's not just stubbornness, he may have been drained off his chakra, but she miscarried a child," the doctor said urgently, "Her body is too weak right now for her to strain it further, she has already drained her chakra, broken her foot and bled more than she should have…"

"I was pregnant," Ria looked at the doctor who gasped he had no idea she was awake.

"Um…uh…"

Her eyes filled with tears, "I lost my baby?"

"Ria," the Hokage went over to her but she flinched letting go of Sasuke's hand.

"Am I cursed?" She whispered, "First daddy and mummy, Shisui's parents, Obito, Rin, Minato and Kushina, Shisui, Fugaku, Mikoto…the whole clan and my baby…everyone is dead…is it me?"

"You are not cursed, child."

"Then why are they all gone..?" she screamed at him, "I can't keep anyone safe…I can't protect anyone."

"Please calm down, you should rest, Sasuke will need you…" The Hokage tried to assure her.

"No," she backed away, "No, no, no, no," shaking her head, "I stole his happiness…they are all dead because of me…I'm cursed…I can't protect him, I'll only end up killing him."

"Ria please…" the Hokage could see the turmoil in her eyes before he could do anything she vanished.

"She's not going to survive, not in the state she is in!" The doctors panicked.

Saratobi nodded, he ordered all the shinobi in the village that were currently not on assignment to find Ria…a day went by, two, three, a week, a month, a year…no one could find even a shed of hope to where she could have gone. It was as if she no longer existed. Her absence broke Kakashi completely. Seeing his emptiness, Gai, Kurenai, and Asuma petitioned to have him removed from the ANBU corps and returned to the Jonin ranks.

Nothing mattered to him anymore.

Everything he put his heart in to…he lost.