Ran stiffened gently letting her hands slip from her face turning coldly to face the former ANBU captain. This was a delicate situation. The problem was that he had just witnessed her having a breakdown. She could not pretend that what he had seen did not happen. No amount of acting would downplay the severity of the situation. Lightly she glanced him over making sure that he wasn't directly in opposition with her; no weapons were drawn. She wasn't sure entirely how much he was aware of but judging by the fact that he hadn't drawn a weapon he didn't know enough yet. If he knew the truth in her statement from the darkness he'd have already slit her throat. Ran swallowed before speaking.

"This isn't your business. I think you'll understand that it's classified." Although he did slid his hands into his pockets relieving some of the strain from the room, it wasn't the answer she wanted. It implied that he wasn't going anywhere.

"You know…" he took a step forward, "I'm old enough to remember the look that was just on your face." Another step forward.

"I didn't have any look on my face…" she said smoothly before stepping back as he came forward.

"It's the look of desperation. You have nothing left to loose. You are at the end of the road with two paths and you have to choose one." He shrugged his shoulders. "Your eyes gave you away. You can't hide how dilated your pupils still are." Of course he would be good with noticing body language. She tried to appear flippant.

"It doesn't really matter what's happening. It's not your business." She felt her back hit the wall behind her. Kakashi smiled beneath the mask, trying to calm her nerves since she looked like a caged animal. He was worried that she was already on the brink of a break down and he didn't want to push her too far. If he wanted answers he would have to play this carefully and make her feel comfortable. She would have to trust him. Kakashi was sure on at least one front she would trust him. She needed this. She needed someone to be at her back; no matter the situation she was in he could tell that she had absolutely no one there for her.

"It does involve me." He said splaying a hand against the wall beside her head trapping her in. "You see, I already know it involves Naruto, which makes it my business." There was dead silence for a long few moments where all he could hear was the monotonous carrying of her breath on the air.

"I would never let him get hurt." She whispered looking down instead of up at him.

"I know that. I saw your exchange with the ANBU earlier. But you know…you cannot protect him on your own." The set of her jawline straightened after his last comment.

"You have no idea what you're getting into…" that was when he saw it.

There was a flicker in her eyes. At first when she glanced up there was a golden tinge traced around the pupil but then as he continued to stare he saw the outer edges of the gold molt into a vivid aqua. Kakashi tilted his head raising an eyebrow a bit in shock. Her eyes, the way she had shown them now, were of a distinctive clan that was thought to be deceased. They faded back to their original one tone color before he was able to make a comment. The clan her eyes belonged to was a very old very important one. Their name, Iwaii, meant stone wall and had been given so as a tribute to their memory. The Iwaii clan had been known as a type of defensive electrical maneuvering unit. Many of their members had left the small village they'd grown up in, south of Konoha, to join the front lines force. The Iwaii had been back up frequently for the Uchiha and Hyuuga to create attacks from behind their shield like quality. Normally, they would first use their electrical shockwaves to destroy or breakup a battlefield, then they would create a blocking jutsu only capable of their kekkengenkai. Last, the Uchiha and Hyuuga would attack from behind the lines of the shield force for safety. However, once a year the Iwaii would be called back to their home village for a reunion of sorts and to celebrate the new children born while they'd been gone. Their clan had been plagued with fertility issues due to the nature of their shield being projected outward from their chakra centers.

One year just after the reunion had begun, a war had broken out on the edges of their beloved village. The town had been cut off from supplies and for days the enemy attacked the walls barreling through them to destroy what was within. As a sort of last act of defiance, the Iwaii clan had taken the circle around the village. In a perfect unison of collaboration they had surrounded their home and created a sphere of protection using their shield type jutsu. They'd held the chakra wall for days until reinforcements had arrived from Konoha but the physical strain on the family members bodies had been too much. Medical ninja had tried in vain to save the lives of those who'd so willingly protected their village. Even children had come forward to hold the barrier in place. Only two had survived but later died in battle to Kakashi's knowledge. The girl standing in front of him however told a different story.

"Well that is rather unexpected." He eyed her carefully.

"Like I said, you don't know what you're getting into." Ran moved his arm sighing and turned to go into her kitchen. "And if you're done interrogating me…you can leave." She called opening a cabinet over the stove.

"Explain it to me then. What does any of this have to do with Naruto?" he asked watching as she began to measure out tea leaves from a green pouch into a small silver straining spoon.

"Nothing as long as I do what I'm told." She snapped before she could stop herself. She stiffened at the counter holding the spoon over the cup staring wide eyed down at the blue tiled counter.

"What are they making you do?"

Naruto sat on his couch with a towel around his shoulders and yawned. He stretched his tanned arms above his head arching his back as tiny droplets of water dripped down the nape of his neck. He'd just gotten out of the shower and after having put his checkered pajama pants on he'd settled in front of the TV. What he wanted to do was run. He wanted to run over to Ran's place and make her explain what was going on. The issue here was he didn't know if she was back yet or what the ANBU had needed her for so quickly that he couldn't go. It was gnawing at his insides as he flipped through the channels with one hand and picked at the edges of his pants with the other. Technically Ran was his girlfriend now and he had a right to be worried but that would look too concerned. He didn't want to control her. Ran had always been a sort of free spirit and he knew that she would do what she wanted to do. Nothing he said or did would change her once she'd made up her mind. She had explicitly told him not to go with her and then slammed a door in his face. Naruto felt his brow crease just before the remote fell from his grip to hit the floor beneath his feet. Ran had never raised her voice to him. Ever…whatever had been on that note had panicked her…and it had nothing to do with the ANBU core unit. She'd been worried about him. The only times he'd ever seen her yell or even remotely raise her voice had been during fights where she was warning him about something or suddenly defending him. She'd never even brought her voice up around Sasuke…He spring to his feet immediately. If she was about to do something stupid for his sake he couldn't let her go through with it…he had to find her.