Okie, second chappie! Yayz!! ^^

Well, most people know this Japanese term, but I'll put it here anyway: Konoha(gakure) [Hidden Leaf], Iwagakure [Hidden Stone]

Alright! Enjoy!!

I'm not exactly sure how long I ran for, the sky was obscured by dark, menacing clouds. Aside from that, all I knew was that my leg muscles were burning—and it takes a lot for my muscles to wear out. They were screaming and begging for me to stop and rest.

Mind over matter, Kagami… I thought to myself over and over again. Mind over matter… Somehow I managed to keep running.

I couldn't believe that I didn't see this coming. I knew that the Gods might come after me one day. I guess…life is cruel that way…

But I always saw Nagato as the father figure to replace my biological father—he died in a clan massacre along with my mother, though he was never much of a father anyway—and it hurt to have him send someone to kill me.

Not wanting to think about the topic anymore, I let the surrounding area show itself in my mind. Until this point in time, I'd just been running and dodging anything that was in my peripheral vision and in my way, never really paying attention to what exactly I was dodging. I didn't even know where I was going; I was just going wherever my instincts took me.

I realized now that I was in a small white cherry blossom tree forest. These rare forests were usually very beautiful, but the darkness consuming the trees caused them to appear extremely dull. What else I knew about these ornate forests is that they were native to Konoha. At least I was headed to a village and not just wandering aimlessly.

After running a little longer, the cherry blossom trees started to give way to taller, leaf-covered trees. It was a signal that I was getting close to Konoha.

In making that realization, I stopped in an especially thick part of the forest. I quickly unbuttoned my cloak—desperately hoping that Sasori wouldn't gain any ground on me—and slipped it off my shoulders, putting it on the ground and stepping on it so the harsh winds wouldn't blow it away. I then opened my small duffel and took out my shinobi top, and changed out of the loose black tank top and I was currently wearing and into the much cheerier, jade green top.

I'll change into my shinobi capri's later…when I get to the village…Shoving the cloak and top into my bag as best I could, to where they wouldn't permeate the bag, as I continued on my escape.

When I could finally see the gate to the village in the distance, I could also make out a person walking into the forest. I quickly hid, hoping that I was not noticed.

I waited.

"Come out now…I know you're there…" a vaguely familiar voice sighed.

My eyes went wide. I came out of hiding—up on a tree branch, well hidden by all the foliage—and looked at the person.

"Ka…ka…shi…-s-sempai?" I stuttered.

He walked the rest of the way to my still figure and then smiled through his ever-present mask at me. "Kagami…long time, no see, ne?(A/N: "isn't that right," "don't you think," etc.)

"Y-yes…it has…" Kakashi was the ANBU that took care of me after my parents were murdered.

He examined me, and he probably immediately noticed how horrible I looked. He just kept smiling through his mask at me. " Let's go into the village, and you can tell me what you've been doing…" He starts to walk back in the direction of the village.

I kind of just stared after Kakashi for a minute, stunned to actually be seeing him again after all these years—to be honest, I thought he got KIA'd—, but when he was about fifteen feet away, I came back to my senses and dashed after him.

--Later, at Ichiraku Ramen--

"Welcome to Ichiraku, what would you like?" the girl…Ayame, if I remember correctly…asked Kakashi and me as we sat down at the stools in the small ramen shop.

"Ummm…" To be honest, I wasn't all that hungry. You tend to lose your appetite when you know there's a serial killer after you. "I'd just like some rice, thank you…"

Ayame nodded and turned to Kakashi. "And the usual for you, Kakashi-san?"

"Yes, thank you, Ayame-chan." Kakashi "smiled" at her.

"Coming up!" Ayame then walked to where her father, Tesuchi, was beginning to make our orders.

Kakashi then turned to look at me with a narrowed eye. " You do have money, right? I'm not paying for you, you know…"

I made a warding gesture and sweat-dropped a little. "Yeah…" I patted my little duffel once. "In my bag here…" I opened it up just to assure him. But what I forgot, was that my cloak was the first thing you see in my bag.

I looked up at him and his eye was wide. "A…akatsuki…? Kagami…you…"

I sighed and closed the bag back. "Not anymore…" I looked down. "It's just… I couldn't stay in Kumo anymore, or come back here. I never intended to join Akatsuki… but when Nagato took me in… he helped me with my Rinnegan, and was more a father than my own ever wa—"

"Wait a second, Kagami. You said…Nagato?" he asked, interrupting my hysteria.

It took me a moment to answer him. "…Y-yeah… Nagato… is the leader of Akatsuki. I was ten… and I had separated myself from Kumogakure. I had walked nearly to the Iwagakure border, but I was dehydrated and starving to death. Then, out of nowhere, Nagato came up to me…I thought he was going to attack me. But…he saw my eyes, and I noticed that his eyes were the same as mine as well. He took me in, and he… I saw him as what my father should've been.

"So you see, it was never my intent to join Akatsuki."

Ayame then set our orders in front of us and smiled.

We grabbed a pair of chopsticks, broke them, and said "Itadakimasu," though I said it less enthusiastically. Kakashi ate his ramen in the blink of an eye, not letting anyone have so much as a glimpse of him without his mask on. I ate my little bowl of rice slowly… one grain at a time.

While I slowly ate my rice, Kakashi replies. "Yes…so why'd you quit? Or…run away from them?"

I put my chopsticks down. " Nagato…is after me. To kill me. You see, the Rinnegan Gods made an error…and placed us on earth at the same time, which is unheard of. The Rinnegan Gods contacted him and told him to kill me. I found out beforehand… and here I am." I couldn't bring myself to tell him about Sasori being the actual S-class criminal trying to murder me, I mean, even though I've never seen him fight, but… I didn't really want Kakashi to get involved with someone like him—regardless of sempai's reputation as a shinobi. But, really, it was Nagato's intent to have me dead, and I didn't feel the need to blame Sasori for all of this. I continued eating my rice.

Kakashi nodded and continued to speak. "Well, if you want to stay in Konoha for a while, I can get one of the Chuunin to share her apartment or something with you for the time being."

Immediately after Kakashi finished talking, a girl with long—though not as long as my hair—dark purplish-black hair and white-tinted-lavender eyes sat down at the stool next to me. I recognized her eyes as the Byakugan kekkei genkai. A Hyuuga.

Kakashi leaned forward to look at the Hyuuga and smiled with his eye at her. " Hinata. Just who I had in mind. Can you let Kagami here," he pointed to me, " live with you at the Hyuuga Manor for the time being? Consider it an S-class bodyguard assignment."

"U-umm… s-sure, Kakashi-s-s-s-san…" Hinata replied, accepting her mission to "guard" me. But… Did she have to stutter so damn much?

And with that, I turned to face her and smiled softly. "Hey. I'm Yabunirami Kagami. Nice to meet you, Hinata."

"Thank you, Hinata," Kakashi said as he leaned back from the counter. If you would show Kagami to the manor when you're done here, that would be great." He then looks at me. "We'll talk more later, Kagami." Kakashi then makes a handsign and poofs.

Hinata began talking after Kakashi left. "I j-just need to get some ramen to-go…then w-we'll go to the manor."

I nodded and got some ryo notes out of my bag—careful to not let Hinata see my cloak—and set the notes on the counter. I looked over to where Kakashi had sat and he left no money. I sighed and put some more money on the counter.

After a few minutes, Tesuchi handed Hinata a little crate with three bowls of ramen in it. She stood up, grabbed the handle on the crate, and walked a few steps. She turned around and gestured for me to follow, and I did.

--At the Hyuuga Manor—

As we entered the manor, Hinata took off her shinobi sandals; I followed her example. I walked into the manor…

…And was glared at by three pairs of pale colored eyes. And all of them had their dojutsu activated.

Hinata spoke to them after a moment. "Th-this is Kagami…I've been assigned to k-keep her here and guard her…"

The smaller male—seventeen and Chuunin or Jonin—deactivated his Byakugan and turned his expression to one less hostile. The small female did the same.

The older male—probably Hinata's and their father—kept his glare of hostility. "Who assigned you this mission? Whoever did probably knows very well that we don't just allow someone into the manor."

"Ummm…well…Kakashi-san assigned the mission to m-me…" Hinata replied. She ALMOST went a whole sentence without stuttering. I was surprised. "He s-said… 'Consider this as an S-class bodyguard assignment'…"

That seemed to catch the man's attention. "I see… Alright…if that's the case, Hinata…She may stay in the spare room across from yours." He looked back at me. "Kagami, welcome to our home. I am Hiashi," he then gestured to the younger male, "That is Neji, my nephew" and he put his hand on the girl's shoulder, "And this is Hanabi, my younger daughter."

I bowed and said, "It's nice to meet you all…"

"I'll take you to your r-room now, Kagami-san…" Hinata said as I stood back up straight. I nodded and followed her down the hall.

Alright…I was REALLY wanting this chapter to be longer than it is but…I dunno what more to type to continue the chapter…T_T so until Chapter 3!!!!^^

Click the green review button! It is your bestest friend in the entire world!^^