Morning-8 am.

Tori awakes with a start as she hears a knock on her door. She looks around, and realizes she spent the night on her couch, yet again. Also, the picture is resting on her stomach, and she groans as she sits up, rubbing her lower back to smooth out the kinks in her body. Standing, she slowly makes her way to the door and looks out the window through the blinds. She sees Kakashi and sighs, taking hold of the door knob.

Upon looking at Tori, Kakashi's eye widens slightly, and he chuckles. "Well good morning sleeping beauty…" She shakes her head and lets Kakashi in as she plops back down on the couch, holding the picture still. Kakashi sees the picture, and raises a questioning eyebrow. "Yeah…I feel asleep with it again last night." She looks at the window as Kakashi opens the blinds slightly.

"Did you dream too?" Tori rubs her face, waking up and shaking her head. "Not this time, surprisingly." She walks to her kitchen sink, putting the picture on the island, and splashes water on her face as Kakashi looks at the crack that runs across Orochimaru's face, and he looks at Tori as she turns around, wiping away the water, fully awake now.

"You know…"Kakashi picks up the picture and gazes upon the smiling Tori in the picture, along with the Sanin of the Leaf, "I never heard the story between you and him." Tori walks past him, ignoring the comment as she goes into her room to grab fresh clothes. She walks out and goes to her bathroom directly across from her room.

"You'll probably never hear it," she whispers as she closes the door behind her. Kakashi looks at the picture one last time and hears the shower turn on. "I've got all day, if you care to tell." He goes over to the couch, and lounges out on it, crossing his legs as he pulls out Icha Icha. He hears her begin to sing silently, and a small smile comes to his lips as he listens and reads.

The hot water is running as Tori slowly begins to step into the shower. She bites her lip some as the water stings her leg, but she quickly gets used to it as she fully submerges herself under the spray of rushing water. She pulls back the curtain, and sighs as the hot water relaxes her tense muscles.

Tori turns around, letting the water run down her back as she grabs her body wash. She squirts it into her hand, and memories begin to trickle inside her head.

"So, what shall we do today?" Tori smiles as she feels arms wrap around her shoulders, and she looks up to see her beloved.

Shaking her head, Tori begins to scrub her legs, and grabs her razor as she sets her foot up on the shower edge, she stops singing, memories rushing back to her.

"What's this?" Tori hears her door open, and glances over her shoulder to see Orochimaru walk into her home. He wraps his arms around her shoulders to see her painting. He smiles and kisses her cheek as he gazes upon her newest work, a mountain sunset with snow along the peaks.

Tori forces herself back to the present, done with shaving, and grabs her shampoo now, taking in a deep breath. As she lathers up her hair, she slips back in the memories, unable to fight them.

"This is Alpha, Omega, where are your coordinates?" There's no reply, and Tori stops in the tree limbs, Aoi stopping a few yards from her. "Omega…answer me." Again, there's no reply, and Aoi gets a worried look on his face as he fluctuates his chakra to search for Ayame and Kenji.

Tori blinks, letting the water run down her face as she washes out the shampoo and looks around for her conditioner.

Aoi and Tori are rushing toward where they last believed they felt Ayame's and Kenji's chakras. Tori is holding her breath, afraid of what she's going to find. The trees rush by them as they get closer to someone, and when they get to a clearing, Tori freezes when the scene meets her eyes. A man's back is facing her, long raven hair cascading down his back, and he lets go of a lifeless Ayame as he retrieves a kunai from her.

Tori shakes her head again, fighting back the tears and anger that's rising from the pit of her stomach. She puts her hand against the wall of the shower, and bunches it into a fist as she slides down to sit in the shower, letting her defenses fall. She crosses her arms and her body shudders as the tears come.

"O…Orochimaru?" Tori can't believe who she's seeing, for he had been gone for years now and disappeared without a trace. She then looks down at the body of her student, tears appearing as Tori looks at him. "Why did you..." Orochimaru glances back at her, and a smile comes to his face as Tori shakes her head. "Why are you doing this?" Orochimaru looks at Tori and Aoi contemplatively and chuckles as he turns around, facing her.

"Orochimaru, answer me damn it!" "Oh my dear, I have no motive as to why I'm doing this, your dear pupil here was just in the wrong place at the wrong time…and plus…" He disappears and appears behind her, whispering in her ear, "You, as Konoha Shinobi, are my enemies." She gasps as he pulls out a kunai to draw it on Aoi, who Tori pushes out of the way.

She grabs Orochimaru's wrist, and holds him there while she orders Aoi to run away back to the village.

Orochimaru pulls out another kunai with his free hand, twirling it to get a better hold on it, and grasps her wrist with the one that she's holding. Tori sees the other kunai, a shocked look upon her face as she stops his oncoming hand, kunai positioned for her throat.

He then pulls Tori close to his body, spins around, and then quickly pins her to the tree, crowding her. Tori head butts him hard, and he stumbles back enough to where she can get her hand up to punch him square in the chest, making him stumble back farther.

They both stop, staring at one another as Tori gasps for breath, licking her lips to moisten them.

A chuckle escapes Orochimaru as he sees a tear fall from Tori's eye as she looks at him, and he waits for words to start flying. When they don't come, he raises an eyebrow, and speaks. "I bet you're wondering why I even left Konoha in the first place." She doesn't say anything, and Orochimaru eyes her as she relaxes, but not enough.

"Well?" He stands against a tree, and watches her as she places a hand on her knee and stands up straight, wary of the man she once knew.

"Why…why did you do that? And I'm not just talking about my pupil…your fellow Shinobi? How could you?" Her hands ball up into fists as she remembers the Hokage's report that Orochimaru had left the Leaf. "How could you slaughter them for senseless bullshit?"

He laughs, and it sends disgusted shivers down Tori's back as he stands up off the tree. "I have my motives for that, and they are really quite simple." He shows both of his palms to Tori as he begins to explain. "You see, in the world, there is an infinite amount of jutsu. New ones are being created each and every day…"

Tori's hands ball up into fists of anger as she senses where this is going. She takes in a shuddering breath, and Orochimaru continues. "…And my goal is to create and understand all of them. I'm researching Forbidden Jutsu, after all, my dear."

Staring at him in disbelief, and shakes his head. "So…you left because you wanted power?" He lowers his chin some, and nods. "I told you it was simple."

She disappears, reappearing by Orochimaru, causing him to gasp as he sees her fist fly for his face. He ducks under her arm, and quickly punches her with a strong upper-cut, only to find it's a shadow clone. He hears movement behind him, and is met by a punch in his face. He is thrown a few yards, rolling a bit, and he recovers, placing his hand on the ground pushing up as he does a quick back flip.

He stares at the woman with curiosity as she stays in her position, not challenging him. He keeps his kunai drawn but straightens up. He can see that anger is writhing through her form, causing her to shake and not look him in the eye. "Why are you still so conflicted? Shouldn't your goal be clear, Tori-kun?"

Slowly looking up, there are tears in her eyes that refuse to fall, and it confuses him. "Yes, my goal is clear, for you have murdered my pupil, my niece, when we were only scouting our borders," she yells this at him, seething with anger, " and you left the Leaf simply because you wanted power, and were declared an enemy of Konoha, but I honestly can't bring myself to hurt you," her voice loses its edge that it had, "the man that I loved, and still love…" Orochimaru's eyes widen slightly, and then narrow as Tori lowers her eyes away from him, wiping the tears away.

"You're not lying, are you?" Tori shakes her head and stands up straight, composing herself as she takes a deep breath. "I wouldn't lie to you, I would never dream of it." She shakes her head, looks at him as he contemplates over her words.

He slowly looks at her and her eyes widen as she sees something in his eyes that was never present before. Disappearing, Orochimaru leaves his spot, and Tori gets on her guard. She tightens her grip on her kunai, and turns around quickly as she feels his presence behind her. Tori blocks an attack, metal hitting metal and he keeps going around her, like a dance of death, and she barely meets him a few times.

She's too slow on one block, and Orochimaru buries a kunai deep within her left shoulder, and also rips one down her face, hitting the bone a bit. Tori stumbles backward, and can't see straight. "Orochimaru…stop this!" He shoves Tori from her blind side, and trips her. Tori hits her head hard on the fall, and her world is spinning even more as Orochimaru presses a knee into her stomach hard, keeping her down.

Tori tries to sit up against his knee, reaching for his wrist to keep the kunai away, but her vision goes blurry as he presses against her stomach rather roughly, pushing out the air from her lungs. Tears form in her eyes as he presses her stomach even harder.

"You should have never fallen in love with me from the beginning," he whispers in her ear as Tori tries to escape. Holding onto her wrists, he takes the kunai and presses it against her vest, ripping through the fabric quickly, penetrating her skin and breaking through her rib cage.

Crying out in pain, Tori goes to head butt him, but he pushes the kunai deeper into her ribs, trying to get to her lungs when he hears yells. He stops, pulls the kunai quickly and it seems like he's about to slice her throat when a huge grey wolf barrels into Orochimaru, ripping him away from Tori.

She hears snarls as Orochimaru makes a sound of frustration, and then yelps of anger as the wolf charges him, keeping him away from Tori. Soon, there are voices and Orochimaru looks around, and splits, with the wolf in hot pursuit.

Tori hears someone by her side, and then the person yells for a medical Nin. "Get Tsunade over here, NOW!" The ninja looks back at Tori, trying to get her attention. "Tori…Tori, look at me." He snaps his fingers, and pats her face a few times when Tsunade shoves him out of the way.

She immediately unbuttons Tori's vest to assess the damage, and gets a stern expression on her face as she places her hands on the wound. "Someone hold her down, this is going to hurt." As soon as she fluctuates the chakra through her hands to her injury, Tori screams out, her body writhing as the bones slowly mend half-way.

"Tori, Tori stay with me." She begins to fade in and out, the pain too much for her to handle. "Tori, Tori-"

"Tori, are you awake?" She jumps, looking around her bathroom as she hears a knock on her bathroom door. "You've been in there for a while, are you ok?" She hears Kakashi's concerned voice, and nods, slowly standing up. "Yeah, I'm alive. Just…I don't know."

Turning off the shower, she gets out and grabs a towel, drying herself off quickly. She dresses, and flips her head, wrapping her hair in the towel as she grabs the door to open it to a worried Kakashi. Tori sighs and shakes her head as Kakashi steps back to let her out.

"I'm fine Kakashi, I mean it." He tilts his head, and nods. "Whatever you say, Tori-senpai." She shakes her head again as she goes into her kitchen, rummaging around in her cupboards. "What are you looking for?" He sits down on a stool, watching the woman very carefully.

"My tea…have you seen it?" She opens another cupboard, frustration rising within her. Kakashi shakes his head slowly, but a thought comes into his mind. "I have some though, if you want it." Shaking her head, she closes the last cupboard roughly, startling Kakashi a bit. Concern enters his eye as she leans against the island, and he sees her shoulders shake.

His eye widens a bit as he slowly stands up, approaching her cautiously. "Tori? Are you alright?" Suddenly she slides down the island and curls up, wrapping her arms around her knees, hiding her face. Kakashi walks over to her quickly, and bends down by her, but she doesn't feel him.

"Tori…you can't keep looking into the past," he startles her when he speaks and she stares at him with tears down her face. He tilts his head, pity swelling within him, but he keeps it concealed because it would be the last thing she would want.

"I just can't see why he…" Kakashi takes her right hand and squeezes it slightly, looking into her eyes. He doesn't want to say anything that will set her off, but he needs to say what's on his mind. Tori looks into his eye pleadingly as she sees the truth in his eye. He sighs and stands up, unable to hurt her, although she knows for herself.

"If you want, I'll treat you to lunch." He walks over to the door quietly and opens it up. "I'll see you later, okay Tori-senpai?" He sees her look back at him over her shoulder, and she nods. "Yeah…I'll see you at lunch Kakashi." And he leaves, softly closing the door.

She pitifully stands up, grasping the edge of the island as she straightens up. Swallowing hard, she goes to the picture, and looks at it one last time. Memories surge within her again, but she keeps them at bay as she sets it down, facing her room.

Tori looks at the clock and it reads 9:45 a.m. She undoes her towel around her head, and dries her hair as she walks to her bedroom, her resolve stronger now.

One hour later-10:45 a.m.

Tori walks out of her house, refreshed and ready for the day now. She looks up at the sun, and sees some birds soaring high in the air, taking in a deep breath. She slowly begins to walk along, thinking of everything that has happened, and how she's handled it.

She also thinks of the amazing support from friends that she's had, and everything that Kakashi puts up with. Shaking her head, she realizes how much she's taken for granted too. Tori gazes through the trees as she walks, random rays of sun hitting her face as she contemplates her life.

A sudden rustle catches her attention, but she doesn't announce her awareness. She keeps walking, and sighs as she comes to a rather brash conclusion about her behavior. Biting her lip, she sends out her chakra to get a grasps on her opponents. "Three?"

Stopping, she scoots her foot in the dirt, and shakes her head. Then suddenly three bodies burst from behind the trees. They jump at her simultaneously, trying to not let her have any leeway to move. Glancing up at them, a stern expression is on her face as she grabs the one's wrist, kunai in hand. Tori pulls on their wrist, flipping the person over on their back. She tries to look at their faces, but sees they are wearing hoods and masks.

She jumps, still holding onto the first attacker, as one tries to swipe her feet out from underneath her. Tori lands, stopping a fist right in front of her face as she sees a third foot go for her head. Her eyes widen momentarily, and when the foot connects with her face, POOF, a log appears.

The three attackers look around quickly, and then one is pinned down by five kunai as the other cries out, being taken under the earth, leaving only their head. The last and final goon is standing there, dumbstruck, and Tori appears right in front of him, merely inches away.

Slowly looking up at the threatening image of the woman, the doomed individual sees his fate as he senses her fist hitting his face, but he quickly blocks it, pushing it down as he tries to back away. Tori's too quick though, and grabs his shirt, reaching for his hood and mask.

Ripping it off, Tori is shocked at the face she meets. "Daisuke?" She looks at the other two, and shakes her head. "What are you three doing?" Daisuke smiles meekly, waving as Tori drops him to go help out the one pinned to the ground, who turned out to be Kenshin, and to release Suzume from the ground.

15 minutes later-Ichiraku Ramen

"So you three were seeing just how much the studying and practicing on your own helped you?" Daisuke nods a bit, slurping up his ramen as Old Man Teuchi hands him another bowl. He nods his thanks and then sits up, looking at Suzume and Kenshin as he begins to explain what they've been doing.

"Even though you said wait three days to meet you, we were all too excited, and we wanted to see what we're capable of after that much studying." Suzume nods in agreement, and puts in her three cents. "And, we were practicing between the three of us for a while after you left yesterday too, Sensei." Tori nods, quite proud of this group as she watches them enjoy their meal.

"Well, you all did quite well for beginners." They all nod, and Kenshin speaks, wiping his mouth clean of ramen with a napkin. "What could you help us with then? What could we improve on?" Tori laughs as she shakes her head. "Easy guys, no need to try to rush things too fast."

Daisuke looks up, a slightly aggravated look on his face. "But we want to learn all that we can as quick as possible," he slurps up the bit of ramen falling out of his mouth, "and we can't do that if we go slow." Their sensei laughs at his eagerness, and stands up as she looks at the clock. "Well, I'm off guys."

They all three jump up, leaving their bowls behind. "But wait, we aren't done telling you everything!" She waves them off, laughing. "I think you guys will be fine on Saturday. Keep reading and practicing on your own. Bye now." And she disappears in a poof, leaving them standing in the street.