After Fū was sucked into the spiral, Madara stood on the pillar, looking at Kaiya, without any kind of movement, an action Kaiya couldn't understand. If he controlled the human-sucking spiral, why didn't he just use it against her, too? Torune and Fū were both skilled shinobi, but both of then disappeared immediately into the spiral. The was no guarantee she would have a different fate in that situation. Truth to be told, neither Torune or Fū were prepared when the attack came.

'What's your name?' Madara asked, calmly, 'Kaiya, was it? Kaiya and what?'

'Why do you need to know?'

Kaiya frowned. There was no point in attacking him- any attack would pass right through him.

'Curiosity.' Madara answered.

'You won't get much with mere curiosity. You need to put effort into finding out.'

'So be it.'

Next thing she knew, Madara was right in front of her. The tachi she once had her hand on for a possible defence moment wasn't withing her reach anymore but in Madara's hand. That's when she felt how something went right through her upper stomach. At first, she didn't feel anything more than that but as the realisation kicked in, so did the pain. Looking down, the sight only confirmed what she thought to have happened. Her tachi went through her body and was left hanging there.

During her time as an ANBU, she experienced various stabs and near-death experiences, but none like this. None of the stabs she's experienced were this deep, and definitely not made by her own weapon. As a shinobi, it was meant to happen at least once, she guessed. As she tried to reach for the sword's tsuka*, Kaiya felt how the ground began to feel altered and her surroundings spin around rapidly, making her lose the sense of gravity and her whereabouts.

Next thing she knew, she was standing on a rectangular pillar in what seemed to be the middle of nowhere. The sky, if it could even be named sky, was black, and the surroundings were nothing but thousands of rectangular pillars of various sizes with nothing between them but an endless abyss of black. What if...?

'Torune! Fū! Are you here?'

No answer came as a piercing pain went through Kaiya's body. The sword was still there. She grabbed the sword and made a light attempt to pull it out. The action was followed by another shiver of pain. Kaiya grunted and closed her eyes. She didn't have time to kid around. She grit her teeth, gathered all the power she had remaining in her and pulled out the tachi. An electric shiver of pain ran through her body, making her wish she could scream in order to release all of that pain. Yet, she couldn't scream- god knew what or who else was present in that abyss of nothingness.

The tachi fell to the ground as Kaiya put a hand on her stomach. It felt warm and covered into something liquid and just as warm. She didn't need to look to know exactly what it was, and that she needed help immediately. She knew many things and she was capable of many things, but medical jutsus were never her forte. She tried to activate the healing jutsu she once learned in the ANBU. It was weak, and she felt tired but a little bit of a something was better than nothing.

'They can't hear you. I made sure of it.'

Kaiya's eyes widened as she looked around her, trying to locate the owner of the voice. She didn't have to search much. Behind her stood the masked man, on a taller pillar, looking at her.

'Don't hurt them,' Kaiya said, 'Please.'

The man jumped on the same pillar as Kaiya, now standing a mere two hand lengths away from Kaiya.

'I won't, and won't do anything more to you either, if you cooperate with me.'

Silence fell between the two for a moment. It was a risky situation, but it wasn't just her life that was on the line. Wherever Torune and Fū were, they depended on her. She let her hand down, stopping the healing jutsu.

'What do you want to know?' She asked.

'You're a Konoha shinobi. Do you know Hatake Kakashi?' He asked.

'Yes.'

Just this? Fine. For now, Kaiya's strategy was of telling him short answers that only confirmed or deny his assumptions and thoughts, and no extra info.

'Good. Is he alive?'

'Yes.'

'Are you related to Hatake Kakashi?'

For a moment, Kaiya hesitated.

'Answer me.' Madara insisted.

'Yes. I'm related to him.'

'What is he to you?'

'Nothing more than my biological father.'

It was probably the most honest thing Kaiya had said in a while- many liked to bring this topic when talking to her, about how she and her father Kakashi... For her, he was just another man that happened to be the one her mother once chose to trust. She was nothing more than the result of that choice. Her real father, the one she always looked up to, the only one she can think of when saying father, was back in the Kobayashi clan, married with her mother.

'How old are you?' Madara asked.

'Eighteen.'

Madara nodded. 'Thank you.'

The same feeling of losing the sense of gravity came upon her. She closed her eyes and tried to send away the feeling of pain and vomiting that came upon her. When she felt like she hit the ground, she opened her eyes. She was on a pathway in a forest, and it was night outside. Next to her was her bloodied tachi.

'Kaiya-sama! What happened?'

Kaiya looked up and saw Fū and Torune looking at her, worryingly. Kaiya shook her head.

'Got stabbed. Are you two alright? Where are we?'

'In front of Konoha's gates,' Fū informed, 'We're perfectly fine. You aren't, though.'

Kaiya sighed in relief. Thank god. They're fine, and we're home.

'You should go to the hospital.' Torune said.

Kaiya made an attempt to get up. 'Indeed I should- hn. Damn it.'

'The stab.' Torune stated, simply, 'Fū, help me.'

Torune took Kaiya's tachi and put it back in its sword bag on Kaiya's back, before taking Kaiya by one shoulder. Fū took her by her other shoulder and slowly, they raised her up on her leg, and walked slowly to the hospital.

They got there, Kaiya was immediately rushed into an emergency room where some medical nins took care of her for what seemed like a short eternity, and as soon as she was put into one of the ordinary hospital rooms, things began to feel blurry.

The last thing Kaiya knew was how she was sitting in the patient's bed, watching the town's flickering warm lights on the streets, as a light breath of wind would pass by the window next to her, carrying the very last leaves of autumn that were strong enough to hold onto their mother tree, before eventually taking their flight away into the eternity of the afterworld, along with the pure, joyful voices of kids laughing through the streets. Kaiya's eyelids became heavier and heavier as the night softly played its music, eventually making impossible for anyone to complete the quest of resisting another night of the soft, enciting slumber. During those moments, Kaiya felt how she lost that battle, as she slipped away from consciousness. I'm home. I'm safe.

By the time Kaiya was returned of her consciousness, the night was long since gone. Her hand was held by someone, as they waited for her return worryingly.

'Kaiya-chan... please.' They murmured. 'The mission must've been rough, wasn't it? You should've never went there. It hurts you, and... and it hurts me to see you suffering. Alot. I can't wait for Lady Tsunade to feel better. She would never do this to you.'

A light grunt escaped Kaiya's mouth, as her grip tightened around Lee's hand. She opened her eyes slowly and tilted her head in Lee's direction. A small, tired smile appeared on Kaiya's face.

'Lee.' She said.

It was a long time since Lee carried such a wide, sincere smile. He got up from the chair he was sitting on and pressed his lips against Kaiya's. He wanted to feel she was there. To know for sure she was there with him, only with him, and no one else. The two remained still for a few moments, before letting go. Lee looked at Kaiya right in the eyes, both of them radiating nothing but happiness. Kaiya's hand reached out for his face, before allowing her thumb to massage his cheek.

'I've missed you.' She said.

In some moments, a person can't help but become the prey of their instincts and heart's desires. Sometimes, it's best to let it happen as your rawest emotions come free, allowing you to become the one who you really are. Without hesitation, Lee hugged Kaiya tightly, and when she responded to his affections in the same manner, his whole body sparked in joy, allowing him to experience a level of happiness many could hardly even dream of, let alone hope and search for. Lee planted his face in Kaiya's neck, taking in her smell, memorizing one thing only she had, something that captured his love even more.

'I've missed you more than you imagined,' he whispered.

He wanted her. He needed her. What once began as a friendship and comradery between them blossomed into what now was the love of their lives.

'Did anything happen while I was gone?' Kaiya asked.

'Other than me missing you terribly?' Lee asked, as he let go and sat back on his chair. 'Not so much. Naruto left as well, but he didn't explain much about it. Builders continued fixing the village, people slowly returning to their normal lives... that kind of story.'

Kaiya relaxed her head and looked at the ceiling as she thought at the boy's words. She never got the chance to know Naruto well and honestly, she had no hurry to do so. It wasn't like she disliked him, it was just that after hearing people talk about him and seeing him around a couple of times, even though she might form some sort of friendship with him, she would have a hard time tolerating his behaviour.

'Is he still going around looking for Sasuke?' She asked.

'Yup. He'd rather die than give up looking for him.'

Kaiya bit her lower-lip. 'It's quite reckless, but I see where he's coming from. I'd do the same for some people.'

Lee thought for a moment. 'I would do so, too. But sometimes, it's better to know when to stop before putting yourself or other people in danger.'

'Yes, but when you love someone and you want nothing but to be with them, you just don't care anymore. You want nothing but their presence and acknowledgement.'

Lee paused for a moment. 'Is that how you feel about me?'

'You know how I feel about you. I would do the same thing Naruto does for you. I would do that as well for my brother, my mother... anyone who I truly care about.'

'I wouldn't go away. Konoha is my home. I belong here, and the people here are my family.'

'You know-'

Right as she began talking, the hospital's room slammed open, allowing a girl with two buns to enter furiously, followed by a boy around her age, and a man in his thirties, both of them calm.

'Lee, you traitor!' The girl yelled as she reached Kaiya's bed, 'Why didn't you tell us Kaiya was back? And to have the audacity to come and visit her without us-'

'Actually, I wanted to talk to her alone,' Lee stated, simply, 'I was going to tell you guys later.'

The girl froze for a second, her anger dissolving. The two weren't just friends now. They wanted privacy. Their teacher shook his head lightly, with a tint of amusement on his face. Whenever something like this happened and two members of the same team began dating, the third one was bound to feel left out in a way or another. A pity, but it wasn't like it would break their relationship. Hopefully.

Next to him, a boy with long dark hair snorted, obviously amused at the girl's realisation. He honestly couldn't care less if the two were dating or not. It was a little odd, but if they were happy together, there was nothing wrong. Besides, it wasn't like Lee's feelings were something temporary. He knew the boy well enough, and he had to spend two full years with him talking about how he was so sure of how Kaiya will show soon and how less exciting it had become without Kaiya... As he said, but was a little odd to see Lee in a relationship, but it wasn't his business.

'Right,' Tenten laughed awkwardly, 'well we'll come back later then...'

'It's fine.' Kaiya said as she pushed herself into a sitting position, 'You're already here. I'm happy you came.'

As Tenten sat shyly on the edge of the hospital bed at Kaiya's legs, Neji took a chair and sat comfortably while laying his legs on the hospital bed.

'So no more ANBU?' Neji asked.

Kaiya shook her head. 'Nope. Shitty people, too much stress.'

Neji nodded, lightly. 'Relatable.'

'Um... If I may ask, what did you do in the ANBU? What was it like?' Tenten asked.

The room fell silent, as everyone's attention laid on Kaiya.

'Maybe it's not appropriate-' Guy began.

'Assassinations, mostly,' Kaiya explained, 'About seven out of ten missions were assassinations, another two were, maybe, espionage and one would be an ambush. Generally, ambushes would go together with assassinations, but not always. The missions are paid very well, especially assassinations, but it's not like the money would erase the memories. To put it in a nutshell, if you're in the ANBU, you create nightmares for money. In order to maintain certain peace and to ease the world from a little pain, you take that pain on yourself. The less pain the world feels because of you, the more pain you feel because of the world.'

No one said nothing, as they thought of the girl's words. It was a difficult topic, but they've come across it various times, especially in the past few years, ever since Akatsuki's rise. People die, people are born. Some die to allow others to be born, and the ones born fight to find a place in this world where it's warm and welcoming for them until the responsibility of allowing others to come into the world is passed down to them. And so, this never-ending cycle of birth, death and rebirth has repeated itself for thousands of years, ever since the dawn of all living things.

'When you enrolled to be a shinobi,' Guy said, 'you swore to dedicate your heart for humanity. The more you dedicate your heart, the greater the price is, thus a greater pain that your heart must carry for the rest of your life. Yet, with this price being said, your soul's strength will forever be venerated, as one of the few who were dareful enough to venture in such far, deep seas, and one of the only ones who resisted and survived the currents that pushed you to give up and to lower your expectancies of what your true potential is.'

Kaiya thanked the man for his wisdom. As she thought of his words, she wondered how she never took a moment to notice how wise her teacher could be. As silly as he would act, he could be wiser in a level much superior to his silliness. It was quite astonishing once you got to know him, and Kaiya couldn't be more grateful for that. She was grateful for everyone around her, and for the home she found. Even if they weren't related by blood, she felt closer and more to them than with many people. Kaiya couldn't help but smile. She finally had a home.

*tsuka: japanese sword handle.

A/N

Me: (writes a 3K chapter in a month)

Also me: (writes a 2.6K chapter in a week)

That is very muc e. So, I've been feeling a little sick and tired for a little while now, and my anxiety really said ? ? because of the whole coronavirus thing going around. Don't worry tho, it's just a light case of the flu that decided to pass by me this winter. But like, it was the night between Sunday and Monday, it was 11:30 PM and my body went like n o. I felt sick AF, I couldn't sleep and writing inspiration hit me. I wrote 1.6K in one sitting, between 11:30 PM and 12:50 AM.

Anyhow, we're done with this chapter, Kaiya's home and now it's time to prepare for the war arc! *Excitement enters the chat*

-Avery