I really had a good laugh writing this chapter and I hope you do too.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.


Katsumi stayed hidden in the shadows while the ANBU team reported back to Kakashi, saying that they had a good idea of the general area that Uchiha Madara's hideout was located.

The ANBU left right after Kakashi thanked and dismissed them, allowing Katsumi to step out of the shadows.

"They didn't even notice you there. Is there anyone outside the Shisou clan that can detect you in the shadows?" Kakashi asked her once she sat down on the edge of his desk.

Katsumi nodded and sighed. "Yes. Any well trained sensory shinobi will be able to sense my chakra in the shadows, but it is so spread out that it is hard to pinpoint, so they would just believe that they are being surrounded. Those with Sharingan or Byakugan eyes can spot my chakra easier, but if I know they are watching, I'm able to spread it out even more so they won't know where I'll attack from," she explained and ran her fingers through her hair.

Hm… That means Madara will be able to see her coming unless he is preoccupied with other attacks. We do not want him knowing she is alive until the last moment.

Kakashi leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "I've been meaning to ask you. What do you have to say to Sasuke?" he asked her.

"That is something I'm only supposed to tell to Sasuke, but I can tell you this… It's a message from Itachi," Katsumi told him with a smile.

Kakashi stared at her in shock. "Itachi? How is it possible he was in Heaven?" he asked, stunned at the thought.

"Itachi was not as bad as everyone thought. He was always loyal to Konoha," Katsumi told Kakashi and then proceeded to explain what happened with Danzō, the Council, and Madara.

Kakashi sunk into his chair with a sigh. "It makes sense, but whenever we would end up fighting him... His attacks were always deadly. I ended up in a coma from his Tsukuyomi," he said, wondering what the explanation for that was, but after a moment he closed his eye in thought.

This changes a lot of things.

"...Now that I think about it, Gai told me that after Itachi used Tsukuyomi that it drained him and seemed to injure his eyes. Afterwards they were forced to flee. He did it to avoid causing any real injury and so that he and Kisame would have an excuse to flee, right?" Kakashi asked after a few moments.

Smiling, Katsumi nodded. "See? They named you Hokage for more than just your strength," she said, reaching over and ruffling his silver hair.

Kakashi playfully swatted her hand away before glancing at the clock. "We should head back to the training field," he told her.

"Hai, I'm going to stay hidden until the right moment. I do not want anyone mistaking me for somebody possessed by Ochi-san," she said with a quiet sigh.

I knew this would come up eventually.

Kakashi stood up and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Orochimaru was too far gone. I doubt he would have changed even if you had made it back from the mission," he told her.

Katsumi glanced up at him with sad eyes and nodded. "I know," she said and stepped away from him and into the shadows next to the wall. "We should go," she told Kakashi and then melted into the shadows.

Nineteen years can change a lot, but hopefully she can still bounce back from things. I do understand how she still considered him family though.

Kakashi quickly made another kage bunshin to stay in the tower before he headed off to the training grounds.

….

The Rokudaime Hokage looked over the group of gathered shinobi as he stood on top of a pile of logs at the training ground. Kakashi was slightly surprised to see Sakura and Shizune, but he took it as a sign that Tsunade was stable enough to be left with just the medics from the hospital. All of the Konoha Eleven were standing together towards the center of the group, but Kakashi was also surprised to see a few ANBU were present also.

Might as well get this over with.

Kakashi stood with one hand in his pocket and raised his other hand to let all of the shinobi know that he was ready to speak, which caused all whispering in the clearing to cease.

"Kakashi-sensei! You're actually on time!" Naruto shouted in amazement, which earned chuckles throughout the crowd from those that knew him well.

The Hokage sighed and shook his head in amusement before speaking. "I know many of you are wondering why I called you all together, but I can assure you that I actually have good news to share," he said, noticing some of the gathered shinobi exchange glances. "Some of you may remember that when I graduated from the academy, that I was teamed up with my friend and comrade, Shisou Katsumi."

The older Jōnins looked startled when he mentioned her name, probably wondering where Kakashi was going with this. The few that had seen Katsumi with him the other night just nodded to themselves.

Kakashi suppressed a sigh as he thought a moment about how to proceed. "For those of the younger generation that doesn't know, Katsumi was the last of the Shisou clan, which was feared as much as the Uchiha clan at one point. She was killed nineteen years ago during a mission when we were attacked by two Iwa shinobi-"

Naruto, being Naruto, suddenly spoke up again. "What are you getting at Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura immediately punched him, telling him to shut up and listen.

Kakashi could not help but eye-smile at their antics.

Ah, some things never change when it comes to teammates.

"My point is... Shisou Katsumi has been resurrected thanks to her determination to annoy Kami-sama for the past nineteen years."

The only sound he could hear at the moment was some birds singing in the distance.

Hiashi, head of the Hyūga clan, was the first to speak up. "The return of such a powerful kekkei genkai is great news, but why hasn't she appeared yet? I know for a fact she is nearby," he said, gaining curious stares from many of the Chūnins and Genins.

Kakashi nodded to him, acknowledging his question. "She just wanted to be sure that she wouldn't be mistaken for Orochimaru," he explained.

"Why would we think she is Orochimaru? We all know he was killed by Sasuke," Kiba said from where he was standing next his dog, Akamaru.

"It's because our eyes looked so much alike, except his was a shade greener while mine are pure gold," Katsumi answered as she rose up from the shadows next to Kakashi, her slitted eyes scanning the crowd calmly, though Kakashi could tell she was slightly nervous about being in front of so many people.

I guess this is the first time she has been with so many people at once, from what she told me it sounds like she only spoke with maybe ten people while she was in Heaven.

Kakashi could hear some of the Genins commenting on how cool her entrance was, but once again Naruto caught his attention.

"Katsumi-san, how did you know Orochimaru?" the blond, still a Genin, asked.

Katsumi sighed and glanced at Kakashi, who nodded, signaling that it was okay to tell them.

"Ochi-san was my cousin, Naruto-kun."

Kakashi hid his amusement at the fact Naruto did not know which to be more surprised at; the fact Orochimaru was Katsumi's cousin, that she called him Ochi-san, or that she knew his name.

"Moving on," Kakashi said before Naruto could reply. "I called you all here to welcome her back and so you would know who she is if you see her around the village. The Kage meeting has been postponed for three days, so she will be going back with me because the only way Shikaku and I could travel that distance quickly was by her using her shadow travel."

"Are the stories true about the Shisou clan being able to solidify and control shadows?" Sakura asked, probably hoping to see a demonstration.

Sakura has always been the curious one.

Kakashi chuckled as the shadows around Sakura's feet darkened and lifted off the ground, forming into several kunai. The shinobi standing around her stared in awe as one floated forward and tapped her on the shoulder, causing her to turn and grab it out of the air.

"Yes, it's true," Katsumi said with a grin, having not moved a muscle.

"So you can control shadows like Gaara can control sand!" Naruto said suddenly.

Katsumi nodded and smiled. "Hai. Gaara-sama was quite surprised when he found out," she replied and allowed the shadows to return to their proper places.

I can tell she is starting to get uncomfortable from all the staring…

Kakashi stepped forward after she answered the question. "That's enough questions for now. If you have any more questions I'm sure Katsumi will be around to answer them later. You all are dismissed," he said, causing most of the shinobi to disappear from the clearing.

Unsurprisingly, Naruto stayed behind and walked up to Kakashi and Katsumi. He had a serious expression on his face, which Kakashi realized had been appearing more and more since Pain's attack.

"Katsumi-san, I wanted to ask you something," Naruto said; his sharp blue eyes filled with hope and a bit of apprehension.

Katsumi tilted her head and regarded him curiously for a moment. "You want to know if I've talked to your parents," she guessed before he could say anything.

Naruto stiffened and stared at her in shock. "How did you know?" he asked her as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Do you know who your parents are, Naruto?" Katsumi asked him with a slight smile.

The blond nodded quickly, but then glanced at Katsumi with hesitation. "Yeah, my dad appeared in my mind and restored The Seal during Pain's invasion," Naruto told them, not sure if Katsumi knew about the Kyuubi or not.

Why am I not surprised you managed to do that, Minato-sensei?

Pulling out of his thoughts, Kakashi focused on Katsumi as she gave Naruto a small smile. "I know about the Kyuubi, Naruto-kun. And yes, I have spoken to your father quite often over the years. He was always talking about how he was so proud of you. He wished that he and your mother had survived that night so they could have been with you," she told him gently.

Naruto's eyes started to water and he quickly wiped his face on his sleeve. "Got something in my eyes," he mumbled before looking back at her. "What about my mom? Did you know her?"

Katsumi smiled at him as he asked the question. "I would hope so; she was my sensei after all. You take after her with your personality and love for ramen."

"My mom was… What was her name?" Naruto asked; his eyes wide as he absorbed the information.

Kakashi noticed Katsumi glanced at him, silently asking for permission. He nodded to her as he tried to decide on something.

"Your mother was Uzumaki Kushina," Katsumi told him, earning a smile that seemed to light up the area.

Might as well use this opportunity as Hokage to bypass the laws the Sandaime ordered.

"I'll be right back," Kakashi suddenly said and used Shunshin to disappear from the area, leaving Katsumi and Naruto looking bewildered.

….

Come on, I know it's around here somewhere…

Kakashi was in his apartment looking through his dresser drawer. He reached down into the bottom drawer and dug around a moment.

There it is.

He pulled out a photo album that he had not touched in years and opened it. After flipping through a few pages, Kakashi found the picture he was looking for. He took it out of the album and placed it inside his pocket before setting the album back in the drawer and disappearing from the apartment.

….

Naruto and Katsumi were still talking when Kakashi arrived back in the clearing. They broke off their conversation as he walked over to them.

"Why did you run off, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked as he turned away from Katsumi for a moment

Katsumi flashed him a knowing look along with a small smile.

She could always read me so well…

Kakashi stepped up to Naruto and held a photo out to him. "I believe you should have this, but you cannot show it to anyone else or tell anyone who your parents are until you are eighteen. Just make sure you don't get it messed up."

The silver haired Hokage doubted that Naruto had heard anything past the first few words, for the blond shinobi was staring at the photo with wide blue eyes.

The picture was of Namikaze Minato before he was elected Hokage. He was still wearing his standard Jōnin gear and his blue eyes that matched Naruto's stared happily at the camera. Standing beside him with his arm wrapped around her was a beautiful woman who had to be Uzumaki Kushina. She had tomato red hair, violet eyes, and was wearing an outfit similar to Sakura's, but in the same shade of blue of Minato's Jōnin outfit. Kushina was also smiling happily and had a bit of a blush on her cheeks.

Naruto's eyes started tearing up again and he quickly rubbed them before smiling at Kakashi. "Arigato, Kakashi-sensei," he said and then surprised the Hokage by pulling him into a hug.

"You're welcome, Naruto," Kakashi replied, used to the blond's random moments of affection.

He ruffled Naruto's hair a moment just before the younger shinobi stepped back to stare at the picture again.

That picture will be worn out in a week I bet. Unless…

"Naruto, let me have that picture back for a moment and I can make sure it won't wear out or get damaged," Kakashi said holding his hand out.

Naruto handed the picture back to him a bit slowly, though he could understand why his former student was reluctant to let it go so soon.

Noticing movement, Kakashi glanced down and saw his shadow solidify as it formed a pedestal in front of him. He looked back up at Katsumi as she grinned.

"I figured something steady and clean would make it easier," she told him, causing Naruto to look between them with absolute confusion.

"Huh?"

Kakashi flipped the picture so that the image side was facedown as he set it on the black surface. Two clips formed on both sides of the photo to keep it securely pinned down as he reached onto his back pocket and pulled out a brush and a bottle of ink and set them down on the pedestal too, a tendril of shadow wrapping around the bottle to keep it secure.

"I could get use to this," he said, sending an eye-smile to Katsumi.

"Tsh. Don't count on it," she replied as she rolled her eyes.

Kakashi smiled beneath his mask as he uncapped the ink bottle and dipped the brush into it. He started drawing several designs of the back of the picture, causing Naruto to step forward to get a closer look.

"What kind of seal is that?" Naruto asked as he studied the increasingly complex design carefully.

Stepping closer to lean on the edge of the shadow pedestal, Katsumi was the one to answer as she watched the brushstrokes with sharp, golden eyes. "It is a common, but complex seal that only Jōnin level and above know how to use. It is both a protective seal and a blood seal. The protective part of it will prevent it from being damaged by wear and tear, water, dirt, that sort of thing. The blood seal will allow only you to see the picture if you spread a bit of your blood on the seal. Don't worry, the seal will absorb it and keep it from ruining the picture, and you will have ten minutes before the seal reactivates," she explained, knowing Naruto would understand most of it after traveling with Jiraiya for three years.

Kakashi had pretty much finished drawing the seal by then and he looked up from the photo. "Naruto, I need a drop of your blood in the center of the seal," he told the blond.

Nodding, Naruto bit his thumb and then held it over the paper, allowing a drop of blood to land in the center of the seal. Kakashi formed a few hand signs and touched the paper, causing the seal to glow red for a moment as the blood faded away. He picked up the photo and handed it to Naruto, who stared at the blank area where the picture was before. Naruto grinned and then bit his thumb again, which had already healed from the previous time, and swiped it over the seal, causing the picture to reappear.

"This is awesome, Kakashi-sensei! Arigato!" Naruto said excitedly as he looked up from the picture.

Kakashi nodded and then glanced at the sun to take note of the time. "Weren't you supposed to be helping Choji make the final repairs on some of the restaurants?" he asked as he looked back down at the orange and black clad Genin.

Naruto's eye widened. " Oh right! See you later Kakashi-sensei! Katsumi-san!" he shouted as he darted off.

He may have become stronger, but he is still as hyper as ever. I'm just thankful he wasn't put on the team with Gai and Lee.

Katsumi snorted in amusement after Naruto was out of site. "He is something else," she commented before turning to Kakashi. "I'm going to visit Tsunade-sama. Are you coming or do you have other things to do?"

"I'll come with you. I want to get an update on her condition anyway," Kakashi replied and they left the clearing and headed towards the hospital.

I still do not understand how women can hit it off and just start talking about any little thing.

Kakashi stood near the door to Tsunade's room as he spoke to Sakura. Katsumi and Shizune were having an in depth conversation about medical jutsus. It had turned out that even though Katsumi was not a medic nin of Shizune's or Sakura's level; she had still trained under various medics and knew many tricks and tips that she could explain to other medic nins.

"I'm pleasantly surprised, Kakashi-sensei," the pink haired medic said as Shizune excused herself and stepped back inside Tsunade's room.

Katsumi stepped up beside Kakashi as he replied, "Hm? What is it that surprises you?" he asked, noticing Katsumi's golden eyes glitter with amusement at Sakura's comment.

Sakura just better not say anything incriminating while Katsumi is here.

Kakashi forced himself to look unperturbed as Sakura crossed her arms while her green eyes filled with mischief. A quick glance to the side showed that his friend had tilted her head in curiosity at the change of mood.

"I've just been surprised at how you attitude has changed from being the most lazy Jōnin to a pretty sufficient Hokage. I half expected you to keep being late at meetings and still have your nose stuck in that perverted book," Sakura said with a sweet, yet evil smile as she watched Kakashi stiffen as the temperature in the room seemed to drop twenty degrees.

Kuso! How did I know this was going to happen someday?

Kakashi decided that his life was probably in danger at the moment and tried to Shunshin away, only for it not to work. Glancing down with his right eye, he noticed that a chakra fused shadow rope extending from Katsumi's hand had wrapped around his leg.

"Going somewhere, Kakashi?" Katsumi asked in a dangerous tone, her slitted eyes glared at him intently.

Kuso! Kuso! She used my whole name. This does not bode well for me…

The Hokage's eye widened and for the first time in a while, he actually feared for his life. Kakashi held his hands up in a placating manner. "Now, now, Katsumi, you wouldn't do anything overdramatic now would you?" he asked, sending a hopeful eye-smile her way while thinking of a punishment for Sakura.

Katsumi smiled at him and spoke with what sounded like… a purr? "Now, Kakashi, when have I ever been overdramatic?"

Kakashi sweat-dropped and sent a giggling Sakura a glare. "It's not what you think! I don't actually read it that much! It's where I keep the rose that you gave me-" he defense was cut off by a massive wave of killing intent from Katsumi.

The silver haired Hokage could feel the chakra signatures of several ANBU arrive nearby, but none of them appeared.

I'm going to have a long talk with them if I make it out of this…

"Kakashi, are you telling me that you kept a memento of me… in a perverted book?" Katsumi asked as several more shadows solidified and wrapped around his arms and legs to keep him immobile.

A shadow formed in front of him and took form of suspiciously like a shoe and positioned its self in front of a very sensitive area.

This is getting very dangerous…

Kakashi gulped. "Katsumi, I'm no matter how temporarily, Hokage, if you attack me it would be consider treason and you'll be arrested," he said, though he swore that he could hear an ANBU chuckle.

Katsumi raised an eyebrow and the shadows around Kakashi tightened. The shoe pulled back and was about to hit him when the door to Tsunade's room swung open and Shizune poked her head out.

"Tsunade-sama is wake!" she announced and then stared at the scene in front of her in confusion. "What's going on here?" Shizune asked and looked over at Sakura who was a few feet down the hall laughing, but sobered as soon as Shizune spoke.

Perfect timing.

Kakashi sighed in relief as the shadows melted away from him. "Nothing, Shizune," he said and then followed Sakura into the room with Katsumi right behind him.

"We will continue this discussion later," Katsumi whispered before moving to stand beside him.

Hopefully 'later' will give me a chance to escape.

Kakashi suppressed a sigh and turned his attention to the Godaime Hokage, who was wolfing down a bento like she had not eaten in weeks, which was fairly accurate.

Tsunade chose to ignore Kakashi and the recently survived shinobi; instead grabbing another bento as she looked up at Shizune. "Shizune, get me some more food! Now!" she ordered and then stared at Tonton as if picturing the small pig as a main course meal, causing the pig to squeal and run out the door.

"Hai, Tsunade-sama," Shizune replied with a small bow and hurried out the door.

Sakura kneeled down beside her mentor and spoke to her quietly a few moments before Tsunade sent her out of the room on a mission to make sure her office was stocked with sake, to which Sakura rolled her eyes at and grudgingly left the room.

Tsunade quickly finished off the last bento and then turned her golden brown eyes on Kakashi and Katsumi, narrowing her eyes at the latter. "Kakashi… is that who I think it is?" she asked him while staring intently at the long dead cousin of Orochimaru.

Kakashi nodded. "Hi. Katsumi showed up at the Kage summit meeting, having been recently resurrected by Kami, who she had annoyed for the past nineteen years," he explained and stuck his hands in his pockets, resuming his typical relaxed stance.

Katsumi took a step forward and bowed slightly. "It's good to see you again, Tsunade-sama," she said with a smile.

The blond Hokage nodded curtly to her before addressing Kakashi. "That is quite a tale. How do you know she isn't an imposter?" Tsunade asked while keeping an eye on Katsumi.

Kakashi shrugged and eye-smiled. "You really think I wouldn't recognize my best friend and former teammate? Her chakra signature, while much stronger, is still the same and she has used Shisou clan limited abilities as well," he replied and nodded to Katsumi.

His friend instantly understood his meaning and the shadows around their feet solidified and took form of a solid black clone of Katsumi, which waved at Tsunade before melting back into harmless shadows again.

"I guess that proves without doubt that it is truly Shisou Katsumi. How many people know that she is back?" Tsunade asked, looking to Kakashi again.

I really hope she didn't want to keep it a secret.

"I made an announcement earlier today, so everyone? As well as the other Kages and their guards, plus Mifune and a few samurai," he said with an eye-smile.

Tsunade merely nodded and closed her eyes in thought for a few moments. "It seems a lot has happened while I've been in a coma. I'll speak to Shizune and Shikaku and have them fill me in on everything. It's obvious that you were appointed Hokage in my place, Kakashi. So are you going to fight me for the title or are you going to hand it over quietly?" she asked with a smirk, knowing Kakashi's answer.

I couldn't be happier now that you're awake and Katsumi is back.

"If I had the Hokage hat with me; I would throw it to you and run," Kakashi said, earning snorts of amusement from the two Kunoichi.

"Very well, Kakashi. Katsumi, as soon as I'm released from the hospital I want to hear the full story," she said and dismissed them.

….

Kakashi Shunshined away as soon as Tsunade dismissed him and he quietly wondered who he could get to help keep Katsumi from killing him.

I seriously doubt she would, but it been a long time since I've had this kind of fun.

He had ended up in the restaurant district of the village and was walking aimlessly when he noticed a group of Jōnin in one of the local bars. Kakashi quickly adjusted his path and entered the bar.

"What's up, Kakashi?" Genma greet as he took a swig of sake while still holding a senbon in one corner of his mouth.

Anko, Inoichi, and Shikaku, looked up from the bar when Genma spoke.

"Where's your friend, Kakashi? I expected you two to be joined at the hip from now on," The scarred Nara asked, gaining a curious glance from Anko.

The purple haired kunoichi smirked as she ate some dango and flicked the stick into the wall to join its companions which had already formed half of Konoha's symbol. "It would be nice to have another competent kunoichi around here," she commented.

Inoichi raised an eyebrow. "My daughter along with Sakura, Tenten, and Hinata are turning into quite 'competent' kunoichi," he said dryly, though his light blue eyes were filled with mild amusement.

Anko rolled her eyes and tugged his blond ponytail. "You know what I mean; someone closer to my age."

Ah, it's great everyone gets along so well. I can't imagine how bad it would be if we didn't like each other.

Kakashi passed by the Jōnins and took the seat next to Genma. "To answer your first question; I was looking for someone to help protect me from Katsumi," he admitted with a small chuckle and ordered a drink from the bartender.

"It isn't really good for your reputation for you to be seen drinking in public, being Hokage and all," Genma commented with a grin.

Kakashi pulled down his mask and swallowed his drink in one fast movement so that no one saw his face. "I'm no longer Hokage. Tsunade-sama is awake now," he said with an eye-smile.

"That's great news! I guess the ANBU will summon us if she needs to talk to us," Inoichi commented and took a sip of his drink.

Anko suddenly appeared on the other side if Kakashi. "Tell me, Kakashi, what exactly happened that you need to be protected from Katsumi?" she asked, licking her lips in anticipation for some juicy gossip.

Kami, I'm really glad Anko and Katsumi have different views on things, or else it would be trouble if they got along.

Kakashi chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Well Sakura, who is reaching your level of evilness, Anko, decided to mention my favorite reading material in from of Katsumi."

Anko barked out a laugh and ruffled Kakashi's silver hair. "Poor Kaka-kun is going to get castrated by his best friend so soon after her return."

All four male Jōnin winced at the thought.

"How did you escape from her?" Shikaku asked since he knew the abilities of the Shisou clan rather well.

"She had me trapped and was about to start the torture when Shizune announced that Tsunade was awake. Katsumi said we would continue the discussion later and released me. As soon as we finished talking to Tsunade I Shunshined away and found you guys," he explained with a sigh.

I know she can find me quickly. I just wonder how long she is going to keep me on edge.

"You do realize the only thing you are doing is delaying the inevitable," Genma said and patted Kakashi on the back.

"I was hoping a bit of sake would dull the pain of whatever she does," he admitted, causing Inoichi to chuckle.

"Well you better brace yourself then. I can feel the presence of another mind approaching rapidly," the blond said, causing Kakashi to hang his head in defeat.

Well… here's hoping whatever she does is quick.

"How long did you think you could hide, Kashi?" Katsumi's voice echoed through the room and Kakashi slumped his shoulders in relief.

She's using my nickname again, so it can't be too bad.

"Not long at all, but I figured I could get a say to say goodbye to my friends," he admitted, hoping a bit of a guilt trip would work on the furious kunoichi.

A quiet sigh echoed through the room and Kakashi felt her chakra signature form right behind him as she emerged from the shadows. A moment later she leaned forward and rested her head on his right shoulder and placed her hands on the bar, effectively trapping him for the time being unless he used a jutsu to get away.

"I'm disappointed, Kashi, did you really think I would hurt you?" Katsumi asked, ignoring the disbelieving chuckles from the other Jōnins.

Kakashi could not focus on answering the question for the simple reason that his mind was occupied with something else.

She is so close to me; I can feel her body heat through my flax jacket and her beautiful hair is tickling my hair- wait! Did I just call her hair beautiful? Katsumi is my best friend for Kami's sake! I shouldn't think of her like that, but that doesn't mean she isn't beautiful…

Kakashi thoughts were stuck on that train of thought when Katsumi turned her head a bit to see that Kakashi's single eye was staring straight ahead in shock.

She frowned and looked over at the other male Jōnins while Anko waved her hand in front of the unresponsive Jōnin's face. "Did I really scare him that badly?" Katsumi asked, still not moving from her spot.

Genma, being the ladies' man, merely smirked, showing he knew what the problem was.

Shaking his head with an amused chuckle, Shikaku had it figured out as soon as Kakashi stiffened when Katsumi leaned against him. That plus the way he had seen them interact at the Kage Summit just further proved his theory.

The blond Yamanaka was the one that ended up assisting Kakashi. "Katsumi-san, I think he just might be in shock from your… close proximity," Inoichi told her while motioning with his hand to point out his meaning.

Katsumi's gold eyes stared at him in confusion for a moment before it dawned on her. "Oh!" she said and jerked back from Kakashi as if she had been shocked; a light blush gracing her cheeks for a few moments.

Anko snickered threw her arm across Katsumi's shoulder. "I really like you; even if you are related to Orochimaru" she said with a smirk.

Katsumi's thoughts quickly switched from Kakashi to Anko. "You were his student weren't you? I'm sorry about all the trouble he has caused. I wish I had been around to stop him."

Frowning, Anko turned Katsumi so that she could look her in the eye. "How close were you to Orochimaru?" she asked curiously.

The other Jōnins had one ear tuned to the kunoichi's conversation, but their main focus was drawing Kakashi out of his stupor.

Katsumi sighed and ran her hand through her hair. "Very close. We would hang out whenever we were both in the village and he would always pick me up and give me a hug before leaving on a mission," she explained with a sad smile.

"I could never imagine him acting like that," Anko said as she lightly rubbed her curse seal.

"Yes, from what I've heard he changed a great deal when I died," Katsumi said as her slitted eyes tracked Anko's hand movement. "If you want me to I can take a look at that seal and see if I can remove it. I've trained under many great seal masters," she offered.

"As long as removing it won't require another bite," she said in a joking voice, though her light brown eyes were serious.

Katsumi smirked slightly, but it did not reach her eyes as she remembered her new diet. "Don't worry; I'm sure I can find a way to do it without biting."

"But it would be rather kinky and fun to watch," Genma said and ducked out of the way of Anko's kunai, which flew by him and cut a few strands of hair off of Shikaku and Inoichi.

By that time Kakashi had come back to full awareness. "Don't you know better than to say something like that in front of kunoichi, especially bloodthirsty ones like Anko," he commented with an eye smile.

Genma was about to reply when a tendril of shadow rose up behind him and smacked him on the back of the head.

The other Jōnins chuckled until Anko and Katsumi looked towards them and each raised an eyebrow in a threatening manner.

My worst nightmare has come true. Katsumi and Anko have become friends.

"Don't think you are getting away unpunished, Kashi," Katsumi warned as she turned back to him. "Hand it over," she said and held her hand out in a give-me movement.

Sighing, Kakashi reached into his back pocket and slowly pulled out Ichi Ichi Tatics. Before he had a chance to even open it and say goodbye, Katsumi snatched it out of his hand and flipped it open and lifted a flattened black rose out from the pages, which she handed to him.

At least she gave the rose back to me before she destroys it. Maybe she won't think to search the apartment for the others.

Katsumi skimmed through a few pages of the book, blushing as she progressed further into it. "This is utter trash!" she said and then held her empty hand out and summoned shadows to her palm, which quickly shifted into a vortex that she threw the book into.

Kakashi sighed in defeat and rested his head on the bar while he mourned for his book. As he slipped the rose back into his pouch, he noticed Inoichi had his lips pressed together to keep from laughing while Shikaku was smirking behind his glass. Genma of course did not try to hide it and chuckled as he chewed on his senbon.

"Nice one Kat-san," Anko said with a snicker, but stopped as soon as she felt a shadow wrap around her with the sharp tip resting against her throat.

You made a mistake calling her that, Anko. She can call everyone else all the nicknames she wants, but if you shorten her name you are risking your life.

"Don't. Call. Me. Kat," Katsumi warned with narrowed eyes before releasing the shadows and turning back to Kakashi. "Let's get out of here. I need to search the apartment for more books."

Anko glared at the retreating shadows and turned back to the bar. "And people call me insane. Tsh. At least they expect it from me," she grumbled under her breath.

You have a point there, Anko.

Kakashi hung his head in defeat at the thought of losing his other books, but he raised his hand in goodbye to the others before stepping outside into the night air, followed closely by Katsumi after she said goodbye to the others.

As the pair walked slowly towards his apartment, Kakashi studied his friend out of the corner of his eye. Katsumi's jet black hair was highlighted by the light from the moon and her golden eyes seemed to glow in the darkness.

She's only been back four days and I'm already thinking about her like that. The last time I saw her she was eleven. I doubt she would even feel the same way.

"What are you looking at, Kashi?" Katsumi asked, her sharp eyes noticing his staring.

Kakashi just eye-smiled and casually looked away. "Nothing," he replied and the two shinobi jumped onto a roof top to carry on to his apartment at a faster pace.

I need to stop my thoughts for a while. I'm going to get in serious trouble if I keep thinking about her like that; plus I have the war to concentrate on now.


Long chapter was long. lol. 6,415 words.

Review please!