A/N: Kyahaha! Third chapter! And I can color using markers now! (useless information, that... XD) Oh, and in case you haven't noticed, I've been trying to follow a pattern for the chapter titles, but now I've broken it! I couldn't come up with descriptions for the times of day (noon, daybreak, dawn, etc.) that would fit this chapter and the previous one! Haha! XD I might try to go back to that pattern, and I might not...Only time will tell...jikan ka tatte bawakaru...cry...ima mo ji wakeja iu datte ko makasenai...

Sorry 'bout that...felt the need to burst into song...XD

Disclaimer: Do I need to explain?

Chapter 3: Doushite Ka Na?

"Wh-what?!" Kotone blinked, at a loss for words. It was the day after the 'restaurant encounter', and the young Uchiha had decided to tell the amethyst-eyed teen what he had seen before consulting going to Kakashi. "A-are you s-saying that...that I-"

Sasuke nodded sullenly, his hands still in his pockets. Sakura's mom had let him in and, thankfully, Sakura herself wasn't home to chew him out for acting as Naruto had the night before. He walked over to the bedside table - Kotone was using one of the spare rooms in the Haruno house - picked up a navy blue hand mirror, and then walked over to Kotone. He held it up in front of her face.

"Tell me, Kotone: your eyes, what color are they?" He asked quietly, not wanting to scare her or give off any negative impression whatsoever.

"M-my eyes?" Kotone cocked her head to the side a little. "They're…purple, just like my dad's." She felt the onyx-eyed teen was trustworthy and wouldn't play tricks of any sort on anyone - especially someone who wasn't even born in the same village - but she refused to believe what she had just been told: that she somehow possessed the bloodline traits of two seperate clans, yet was member of neither. Was that even possible?

"Now imagine yourself in a dangerous situation, just like last night at the restaurant." Sasuke commanded. Kotone, feeling it best to comply, closed her eyes, trying to picture herself in the middle of such a scenario. And then she opened her eyes, expecting the crimson of the Sharingan and the bulging veins of the Byakugan to greet her in the mirror. She blinked in surprise, and Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

Nothing. The purple irises were still...well, purple, and no veins were visible anywhere.

"Are you sure of what you saw, Sasuke-san?" Kotone asked, gently taking the hand mirror from Sasuke and laying it back on the wooden table. "Maybe it was the shock or stress of being almost blown apart that - gyaaah!" She just jumped back quickly, held up a hand, and deftly caught the slim kunai Sasuke had thrown at her.

"What the-?!" Kotone fumed. She didn't notice that she'd taken action a split second before Sasuke let fly the weapon, hence her non-injury; all she knew was that she'd been so close to losing an eye, and the person responsible for it was smiling! She dropped the small knife and came closer to Sasuke, brows furrowed.

"Sasuke," she began, voice low and dangerous - a first since she came to the Leaf village. "Can you please explain why you tried to take my head off?"

Sasuke only smirked, meeting her gaze. When imagined danger hadn't worked, he quickly worked out that he needed to create the danger, which he'd just done. "Perfect." he said, grabbing the hand mirror and holding it in front of the raven-haired girl once more. "Now do you believe me?"

Kotone gasped. There, staring back at her from out of the glass, was the burning red of the Uchiha bloodline limit, coupled with the bulging veins of the Hyuuga's. "No…no way..." she murmured, leaning closer and touching her cheek, as though trying to make sure that what she was seeing truly was her own face.

It was.

"Think you can explain how this happened?" Sasuke asked, his voice still quiet. He slowly set the hand mirror down again and rested one hand lightly on the girl's shoulder.

Kotone shook her head. "No…no, can't. I've heard of these two bloodline limits, but never had them. My family has it's own bloodline trait, but it's not this!"

"Whoa, whoa...back up a bit." Sasuke interrupted, his interest piqued now. "The Uchihara clan had a bloodline limit?"

Kotone looked up, all traces of the Sharingan and Byakugan gone from her face, and nodded. "Yeah, we do. It still exists, and I'm one of those who possesses it."

"If you don't mind my asking, what was - sorry - is it?"

"Well, there are different levels, actually..." Kotone sat down on the small cushioned chair and indicated that Sasuke, too, should take a seat, which he did. Then the amethyst-eyed teen went on. "It's called Korotsukae, and it had something to do with the psychic abilities of my clan. The most basic form - and the most dominant - was telepathy. The next level was clairvoyance and ability to communicate with spirits. It was this one that my father - the clan head - possessed. And by spirits, I don't mean just those that are dead. A person with this type of bloodline limit would work great in tandem with someone possessing the third and highest level, possessed by less than one percent of the entire clan - the ability of astral projection."

"'Astral projection'?" Sasuke leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees.

"One who possessed this form of our clan's kekkei genkai could project his soul out of the body, rendering it impervious to most injury. But if a sufficient amount of force were applied to a vital area, or if it was fatal enough a blow, then the user could be harmed, but not as much as when he were dealt the blow while his soul wasn't in the astral plane." Kotone explained. "However, this presented problems: while the soul was outside of the body, the user couldn't make use of his techniques, and the longer the time spent in the astral plane, the more vulnerable the body became." Here she stood up and picked up the charm she wore the night before - the one of her family crest.

"That's what our clan symbol stands for," she continued, handing the metal charm to her companion. "The top loop represents the head - the clan's bloodline limit - and the lower one the body - armed and unarmed combat. The symmetry indicates a balance between the psychic and the physical aspects of my clan's combat style."

"Hmm…that's pretty deep symbolism, but it makes sense." Sasuke commented, slowly turning the charm in his hand; it was symmetrical, if only horizontally. "So...is there anyone in your family who possesses this third level of the bloodline trait?"

Kotone nodded slowly. "There are currently two clan members who possess the trait: me and my sister."

Sasuke nearly dropped the metal charm in surprise. "So what you mean to say is...you have three bloodline limits?" He had a right to be shocked; no one could possibly possess that many! Acquiring a large repertoire of techniques - like Kakashi had done - was possible, but he knew that the same couldn't be said about kekkei genkai. Possessing one already put considerable strain on the user involved (unless he or she was used to it); how much more with three?

"Mirrors don't lie, do they, Sasuke-san?" Kotone gave him a sad smile as she took the charm from him and tucked it into the top drawer.

"But...but you have no idea how you...acquired those…?" Sasuke had recovered his wits, and was now more intrigued than ever.

"These eyes? I'm not really sure..." Kotone began slowly, closing her eyes and covering her face with her hands, "but I think it happened after my last mission. I was about to enter the village - I'd told my squad-"

"'Squad'?" Sasuke arched a slim black eyebrow.

A sharp intake of breath, and Kotone smiled sheepishly. "Gomen. I meant teammates. I told them to go ahead because I wanted to stay behind for a bit to sketch the sunset over the mountains. Art is one of my hobbies, you see."

Sasuke was becoming a little suspicious, but allowed none of it to show. "So you're an artist. Anyway, go on."

"Well...I was just outside the gates when around four people jumped me from behind. There was a struggle and then, without meaning to, I activated my kekkei genkai just as one of my attackers sank a kunai into my gut. They thought I was unconscious, but I wasn't. Then they carried me away."

"Carried you away to where?"

Kotone shuddered slightly. Using as few words and as little time as possible, she described the place she'd escaped from only a few days before. Onyx orbs went wide for the third time that day.

"That...that's Orochimaru's hideout!" he burst out, remembering his short stay with the reptile-like rogue.

"Oro...Orochimaru?" suddenly Kotone didn't look as passive as she had moments ago while narrating what she could recall. She balled her hands into tight, tense fists. "That's the name I saw scribbled on the floor of the demolished Uchihara manor only a few days ago!"

"That's what you meant last night, wasn't it?" Sasuke felt a sudden kinship with the teen in front of him. "When you said that you had no home to return to, you meant your village and your family's manor; everything had been destroyed."

Kotone nodded slowly. "For four years it has lain in ruins. I can feel that my parents are dead - as are the rest of my clan - but I'm not so sure about my younger sister..."

"You're the eldest?" Sasuke almost smiled at how this investigation was turning into a game of question-and-answer.

Another nod, this time accompanied by a small smile. "Her name was Kaoru, and in every aspect we were complete opposites. I enjoyed spending time with my dad, training; she stayed with Mom, gardening and such. I wore my hair long; she preferred hers cut short or tied up. She was outgoing; I kept to myself. The list goes on..." Kotone stopped to take a deep breath, and then went on. "But she was just as skilled as I was when it came to combat." A bitter laugh. "In fact, she was supposed to take the Chuunin exams the year Hanagakure was attacked..."

"...and for all you know, she might be dead. You could be the only Uchihara left." Sasuke thought out loud.

"Yeah, it's possible, isn't it...?" Kotone reached out and laid a hand over Sasuke's. The onyx-eyed teen started, but one glance at the purple orbs and he relaxed.

"Sasuke-san?"

"Hmm?"

"Th-thank you...for coming over and asking me all these questions about me..." Kotone began, her voice barely audible. "If you hadn't..." the raven-haired girl fell silent, letting the thought hang in the air.

Sasuke blinked, unsure of how to react. Even he didn't know he'd be acting this way towards the newcomer! What was going on? Then, slowly, like a fawn learning to walk for the first time, a smile crept onto the stoic teen's face. "Nan demo na...You're not the only one who's been faced with the prospect of being the last of their kind, Kotone-san..." He turned to leave. As far as he was concerned, the interview was over; he'd learned something about their new companion, but not about what he'd been hoping to find. That was all right with him, however.

As he turned the doorknob, Sasuke glanced back over his shoulder. "Oh, and you might want to see Kakashi about helping you set up a meeting with Hokage-sama."

"Huh?"

"You're going to need cash to help you find your sister, right? And the only way to earn money is by working - missions, probably a teaching job at the Academy if you don't mind screaming brats, and stuff like that..." The mahogany panel swung open, and the Uchiha was gone, leaving Kotone to her thoughts.

At length, she stood up and walked over to the window, where a gentle breeze was blowing through. She knew Sasuke was right - that she'd need to set up some sort of agreement with the village head - but she knew that that entailed presenting certain paperwork - documents that she'd rather keep under wraps. Besides, she didn't have them with her; they were most likely destroyed along with Hanagakure. She sighed.

She had to try; it was the only choice she had.

"So you'd like to start operating as a unit of Konoha?" The Godaime Hokage, Tsunade, looked up from the sheaf of papers on her desk, amber eyes boring into Kotone's amethyst ones. It had been two days since Sasuke had visited her for his little investigation, and now Kotone found herself standing in an office room, having a private audience with the village head herself.

"Hai."

"And so soon after you got here, too..." The Fifth Hokage got up, circling the table and standing in front of the sixteen-year old kunoichi. "Why so anxious?"

Kotone took a deep breath and told Tsunade the same thing she'd told Sasuke, leaving out the fact that she had two doujutsu in addition to her clan's special ability.

"So you wish to earn enough to finance your search for your missing sister..." the amber-eyed woman turned away, going to stand by the glass window. "But-"

Knock, knock!

"Excuse me," Tsunade said, making her way over to the oak door that led to the outside hallway and opening it. "Ah, Kakashi, there you are. Did you find the papers?"

"Yes, I did. It was quite easy to find Kotone-san's documents; I doubt there's another kunoichi with such a name..."

"I hope you brought them with you. Please, come in. Oh, and I hope you don't mind another person in the room; she was anxious to talk with me, so I decided to accommodate her."

"'Her'?" Kakashi's silver-haired head peeked in, and he smiled. "...Oh. Ohayou, Kotone-san..."

Kotone blinked hard, not bothering to reply. Kakashi had found her paperwork? But...how-?

Tsunade laid a hand on the younger kunoichi's shoulder and, as though reading her thoughts, said, "Around a year ago, I came across a report that had been filed two years before. It told of the destruction of Hanagakure and how the relief teams we had sent out had arrived too late. They were able to salvage the bulk of the documents in your village's archives, though; these, that they brought back with them.

"We kept them, of course, since that village is part of the Fire Country and is practically under our jurisdiction. Because you were in no shape for a one-on-one interview with me - or another of my subordinates - when you first arrived, I asked Kakashi to delve a little into your background - meaning he had to find your registration papers and stuff. Once he learned you were from Hana, the search became easier from there."

"And here they are!" Kakashi finished cheerfully, handing the five-page document to the Hokage. For around ten minutes they stood there while Tsunade read through it, her amber eyes flitting back and forth across the pages. Suddenly, the golden orbs grew wide, and Tsunade peered over the top of the paper to glance, bewildered, first at Kakashi, then at Kotone.

What's wrong? Why is the Hokage acting like that? Kakashi thought, throwing a sideward glance at the young kunoichi.

"Well, Kotone, I must say I'm...surprised by what I've read here..." Tsunade began. She then turned to the silver-haired jounin and gave a small smile. "Well, Kakashi, it appears we have another prodigy in our midst."

"Kotone-san?" Kakashi's single visible eye widened, but not much. "Why do you say so?"

"You didn't read the file; that much is obvious." Tsunade smiled again. "Anyway, Kotone, you have quite a remarkable record. 83 D-rank, 69 C-rank, 55 B-rank, 28 A-rank, and 15 S-rank missions. Quite an achievement." She paused to flip to another page of the file; she'd read it only minutes ago, but she had to make sure she'd read it correctly. "And the explanation for that is: you entered the Konohagakure Ninja Academy when you were five years old. Hmm...one of only three ninja from Hanagakure for that year. I wonder if your old school records are still there...Anyway, you began your training at age five, and then graduated when you were seven-"

"Hmm…Only two years, huh?" Kakashi mused out loud. Tsunade cleared her throat, and the silver-haired man stopped talking. The amber-eyed woman gave a satisfied smile and went on.

"At age eight, you became Chuunin and, at the same time, were recruited into the ANBU. You quickly rose through the ranks, and then were promoted to squad captain at the age of twelve." Tsunade laid the papers on the desk. "Hence the hefty number of high-rank missions you have under your belt."

"Uh..." Kotone fidgeted, not knowing what to say. She hated this feeling, as though she had been thrown into a spotlight.

"Well," Tsunade said after what seemed hours, "I wouldn't want to let these records go to waste, and, seeing as you were - technically - an external unit of this village, I would be more than willing to help you in searching for your sister. I'll have to give it a bit more thought, though; I'll just ask Kakashi to fetch you when I've come up with a decision." She glanced at the masked jounin. "That is, if it's no trouble for you, Kakashi."

Kakashi inclined his head slightly. "Of course, no problem at all, Hokage-sama."

"And you, Kotone?" Tsunade turned back to the amethyst-eyed teen. "You don't mind waiting?"

Kotone shook her head. "No, Hokage-sama, I don't mind at all."

"Very well, then. That will be all."

oOo

A/N: Well, as promised, more on the 'combined kekkei genkai' thing, and the kekkei genkai of the Uchihara clan. The name 'Korotsukae' is actually derived from two words: kokoro ('heart' or 'spirit') and tsukae ('to use'). As for the combined Byakugan and Sharingan, the idea actually came from a friend of mine, whose original character was the first recipient of this combined bloodline limit. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to ask her permission to use her idea because it seems that she's doing everything in her power to avoid me (and I've no idea why...). So, this is the next best permissible thing I could do, I guess.

Now that I've cleared that up...

Peace out! Dewa mata and God bless!