Fading Love

By: Kaname Hatake

Recap-

"Good…" That Girl smiled. "The summoning technique worked."

Kaname hoped down and ran over to the group.

"Are you all okay?" Her tone was worried.

"We're all fine…" Daiske grumbled as Kaname hugged him tightly.

Sasuke walked over to That Girl. "How did it go?" he asked.

She chuckled.

"Fine. They were nothing compared to me! I didn't even get to use my techniques…"

Sasuke laughed softly.

"Crazy girl…" he muttered.

"Well," she said to the crowed, "now that we're done here," she paused, "It's time to get Aya."

Chapter 6: The Scroll

Aya fell to the ground with a cry. Her form was bloody, and she had gashes and cuts strewn about her, but her green eyes glared up at her captor with pure hate and determination.

Unari chuckled.

"This Leaf kid just doesn't know when to give up!"

He threw a few more punches and kicks at the girl, making her scream out in agony. Sumi smirked and walked over to the motionless Aya.

"What's your name?" she enquired.

Aya mustered up as much strength as she could and shot up a full-out glare.

"Fuck you!" she spat.

Sumi laughed and bent down, grabbing the Sarutobi roughly by the hair and yanking her up to eye level. Aya squeaked at the pain.

"I don't think you heard me…" she smiled softly.

Abruptly, the air was knocked out of the brunettes lungs as the Uchiha's fist rammed into her stomach. Aya gasped and chocked on the air around her.

"I said," Sumi's eyes narrowed, "what is your name."

The prisoner whimpered slightly as she contemplated giving her identity. What would they do with it? Would they blackmail her father? Would they transform into her and steal her identity after they killed her? There were just too many possibilities.

The female Uchiha rolled her eyes and nodded at Unari, who in turn raised his sword and thrust it downward.

"It's Aya!"

The sword stopped right at her back, the tip barely drawing blood.

Unari laughed.

"Pathetic!" he mumbled as he put his Katana back in its sheath.

Sumi's face stayed the same; stoic and cold.

"Aya, what?"

"Sarutobi…" the young ninja muttered, defeat sinking into her being.

Sumi's grip on her hair loosened, and Aya fell the ground with a soft thud. The broken ninja watched through hazy eyes as Sumi walked away.

"Put her back in the cage once you finished," she stated as she rounded the corner and out of sight.

Aya's mind swept with fear as she heard Unari advance forward from behind her.

"Well, Aya, looks like we're going to have a little more fun…"

Aya silently sat there and took the beating, and only once she was safely back in her cage did she let herself cry.

"Guys… Neji-kun… please, hurry up…"

~X~

The team flew at the speed of light with Neji leading the way, his Byakugan ablaze.

"Aya's chakra, I can feel it!" That Girl yelled.

Kaname's eyebrows burrowed together.

'Thank god we have This Girl and Neji on our team…'

"I can see a cave coming into view in about the next 30 meters!" Neji yelled. "There is an enormous amount of chakra in there… what the hell is going on?"

Kaname nodded in agreement.

"Yeah… The guy who hijacked Aya was strong, but he wasn't that strong…"

"Something is off," Daiske murmured.

"Hn." Toshihiro agreed.

Kakashi motioned the team to a clearing.

"Okay, so now that we've found Aya, we need a plan."

Toshihiro nodded.

"I have a few options."

"No."

Everyone turned their heads towards that girl. She stood with her eyes glued icily on the earth ninja.

"We'll do this my way."

"And what exactly is that?" he queried.

"Let me do all the work. You people will only get in my way."

Sasuke scoffed.

"Like hell we will."

"We all want to save Aya!" Kaname scowled.

"Just hear me out," Toshihiro replied.

"We're just wasting time with our 'ideas'!"

Toshihiro ignored the white haired girl and turned to everyone else.

"I say we go in three groups of three, split up in the cave, and search. If we find the girl, send out a chakra flare, and the other groups will follow it to them. Also," he continued, "we know there is more than one opposing ninja in there, so we have to be prepared for a fight."

"His logic is so youthfully instructed, but he's so stiff!" Guy yelled. "Loosen those youthful limps, Toshi!"

Toshihiro twitched slightly at the nickname.

"Erm… Ehem, so I suggest we split up as followed: Neji, Kaname, and Kakashi on one team, Sasuke, Daiske, and Guy on another, and Lee, That Girl, and I on the last team. This way, there is a sensor type ninja on each team, and we can communicate through This Girl's telekinesis."

Everyone nodded, liking the plan, excluding Her.

"Okay, let's go!"

Everyone nodded fiercely and sprang back into the trees.

~x~

The pain coursing through her veins was unbearable. After Unari had stuck his last kunai into her, he left the fallen Kunoichi to bleed; with no chakra whatsoever to help herself in the long run.

Unari continued to laugh evilly as he entered Sumi's bedroom. The ninja, who was currently undressing, gave a backwards glance at him

"What do you want, pervert…?"

He chuckled as he advanced towards her naked form.

"Oh, nothing, just, "he stopped to snake his arms around her waist, "taking advantage of our time alone." The last word was hissed into the raven haired woman's ear.

Sumi shrugged out of the nin's muscular arms and glared at him.

"We have a mission to fulfill. Don't bother with such hopeless antics."

Unari sighed and backed away.

"Ya. Ya, ya…"

As Sumi slipped into her new ninja attire, she felt a funny presence.

"Unari," she whispered harshly.

"Hmm?"

"Do you… feel that…?"

"Ahh… so you're finally in the mood, eh?"

She slapped his purple head.

"Ass! No! This chakra presence… Shit! They found us!"

Without warning, a loud crash rumbled through the hideout, origination from the western end of the layer. Sumi grabbed her large axe and ran out the door, her henchman close behind.

"Go get the girl!" she ordered, flying through seals. "We're getting that scroll at all cost." Unari smiled evilly and vanished. 'Let the games begin,' the missing Uchiha smirked as she licked her blood red lips.

~X~

Kakashi's hand stopped flickering with his chidori and allowed everyone to enter the new hole in the wall. Inside, Kaname shivered.

"It's freezing…"

"We don't have time to whine, Hatake," Sasuke growled slightly. "Let's get a move on."

Kaname ran up to Neji and Kakashi and took a final look at the new groups. She sighed, then spun around to face the awaiting darkness.

"GO!" Toshihero yelled.

Kaname sprang forth and ran through the twisting tunnels of the wet cavern. Neji's byakugan led the way down the treacherous passages, which slightly eased Kaname's fear of running into something. When it came to darkness, it took her eyes a while to adjust.

"Something's coming," Neji suddenly warned. Kakashi nodded and pulled out a kunai.

"Kaname, Neji, get behind me."

The two Chunin obeyed.

Kakashi felt the walls, and found an entrance. "Were going in," he told them. On his count, the three jumped into the room, their guards up, Neji's Byakugan activated, and Kakashi's signal Sharingan swirling in his left eye.

Neji scanned the abnormally dark room for any sign of life.

"Aya!" he suddenly yelled.

Neji looked above them. In a cage hung on the ceiling was Aya. A soft flow of blood dripped off her and plopped to the ground, like a demented tear falling from a flowers petal. Neji ran towards her.

"Aya! Aya, answer us! GAH!"

Kaname gasped as Neji flew back at her.

"Whoa! I gottcha!" Kaname caught the Hyuuga clumsily and fell backwards. "Neji, you okay?"

Neji grunted. "Ya..! What the hell was that?" Quickly, he activated his bloodline limit.

"Pathetic, kid…" a man's voice chuckled from behind the two. Neji flew around just in time to block a punch to his head.

"Gentle Fist Technique!" Neji's bound hand hit the ninja in the chest, sending him flying.

"Ack!"

Unari sprung back up and glared at the brown hair kid.

"You've got some nerve!" he yelled as he ran back at Neji, but a flash of purple caught his attention.

"Kaiton: Shi Kage no Jutsu! (Fire Style: Shadow of Death Jutsu)" Out of Kaname's hand sprouted a large shadow. It looked like a reaper of some sort. When it hovered over the earth ninja, it drew its scythe and struck. Abruptly, Unari was engulfed in a wave of heat. He had never felt so blistering in his life! He fell to cold cave floor, attempting to cool his smoldering body.

"Gah—AHH!" he screamed in agony.

"Chidori!" Kakashi bellowed. The Hatake's shrieking hand pierced the ninja in the chest; a through-and-through blow.

Unari chocked, blood spluttering from his lips. Kaname looked away, sick.

"Neji, get Aya…" she demanded. Neji ran to Aya's cage and lowered it.

"Aya…!" he nervously mumbled. He pried the crate open and jumped to his female companion's rescue.

"N-Neji…?" she moaned. The Hyuuga's lavender eyes glared into her hazy green ones. Then he put his hand in a seal.

"Release!" he commanded. Automatically, Aya's eyes dilated properly, and her chakra began flowing back to its normal current. She felt reenergized and strong again.

"Neji!" she cried.

Then his lips connected with hers. The kiss was strong and sloppy, but Aya didn't care. She happily returned it. Ha! The now free captive would have even wrapped her hands around his neck if they weren't pinned above her!

"Ehem." a voice coughed from behind them.

"Kaname!" Aya squeaked. Said girl giggled.

"Hi there…" She then ran to her friends bound hands and cut the chains. "Sorry, Aya love, but we really gotta get outta here…"

Aya nodded and stood, but fell not a moment later.

"Aya!" Neji gasped. Aya huffed in pain. Frantically, Kaname knelt beside her. "Um…! I'll try and heal you!"

But Kaname just sat there and stared as her friend cringed in anguish. She had never tried to heal another person before! Whenever she got hurt, her body naturally reacted… like it knew what to do, but to project that onto Aya was another story.

Shakily, Kaname raised her gloved hand and placed it on a single wound and tried to concentrate her chakra. Nothing happened.

"Are you going to help her or not Hatake?" Neji growled angrily. Kaname huffed and tried again. Still, no blue chakra rained from her hand.

"You're so weak!" a female voice radiated from behind her. Kaname turned to see Her running towards them.

"Wha-?" she stumbled. That Girl pushed Kaname out of the way and placed her hand over Aya. Ice began forming over the frail body, until it covered her in a thick sheet. The demon closed her eyes and concentrated. The ice began to glow a soft blue, and then, in one swift movement of her arm, the ice shaved off. Not a scratch was left. Not a scar flawed her skin.

Aya beamed up at her best friend. "Thank you so much!"

The white haired girl smiled and hugged her friend tightly. "Anytime."

"What did you do?" Kaname wandered in awe. She received a glare.

"I'll tell you later, but we got to move!"

Then it occurred to her.

"Umm… where are the others?"

That Girl hissed slightly. "I knew you found Aya! Thanks for telling us Kaname! Weren't you the one they assigned to send the flare to alert us?"

Kaname flushed, embarrassed. She had completely forgotten.

"Oops…" she mumbled.

Kakashi finally walked over.

"I discarded the body, but there is still a large chakra presence here. I have a feeling this isn't over yet." The Sensei's lazy eye floated over to Her. "Why aren't you with your group, girl?"

She rolled her eyes. "Because I knew you found Aya. Psh, I didn't even think you'd be able to do kill the henchman… lucky you proved me wrong." Then she looked at KANAME. "And that technique you used, don't tell me that's as good as it gets!"

Kaname pulled her hands into fists. "Of course its not! I'm not as weak as you make me out to be!"

That was a lie. Kaname wavered slightly and looked away. That was her most powerful technique, and it wasn't even hers. Kakashi taught it to her a few weeks earlier.

The Girl saw Kaname's faltered glare and sneered. "How weak…"

Kaname would've retorted, but chose instead to turn and run out of the room, now determined to find the others.

"Wait, Kaname!" Aya yelled. She had to warn them about Sumi Uchiha!

"Kakashi-Sensei, there is another!" Quickly, she filled the remaining three in. Kakashi scowled at the bad news.

"Come on. Neji, carry Aya. You," he pointed at Her," follow me and find Kaname and the others! Now!"

~X~

The auburn haired Kunoichi ran through the maze of halls in search of her comrades.

'They're around here somewhere…' she rambled in her mind. As she rounded another corner, she saw the faint outline of someone walking towards her.

"Toshihero!" she cried in relief as she ran at him. "I'm so glad I found you! Where are the others?"

He didn't reply. As Kaname got closer, the image became sharper. She halted to a stop and jumped backwards, reaching for her kunai.

"Heh, it's just a child!" a woman's voice cackled. Kaname barely had enough time to dodge the oversized Ono (axe).

'Shit!' Kaname yelped. 'This is bad!' The teen continued to dodge blows, until out of nowhere, the axe sliced her leg.

"Kya!" Kaname fell out of the air with a thud. The little Hatake gripped her leg tightly, blood oozing out of the wound. Kaname pushed the thought of the red substance to the back of her mind and tried to shuffle backwards.

"So weak," Sumi sighed. "It's almost degrading to kill you." Then she smiled. "But I can't have you running back to your little pack of flea's, now can I?"

Kaname whimpered slightly in fear as the woman raised her large weapon over her head.

"Sharingan…" she spoke. Red eyes began smiling evilly down upon the frightened 13-year-old.

Then, a flash of white hot pain struck Kaname in her mind.

Red eyes…!

A memory tore from the depths of Kaname's soul.

It was of a man in a bloodstained ANBU uniform, his red eyes boring down onto her, and a Katana raised above his head. Kaname's eye's shook with fright as the memory embedded itself into her mind. It was there to stay.

"Die…"

As the Ono descended on Kaname, the girl's body seemed to react on its own. Kaname's good leg flew up and connected with the ninja's stomach. The woman gasped and dropped the axe and stumbled backwards. Kaname, still in auto pilot, threw a right hook at Sumi and knocked her back another two or three feet. The wound on her leg glowed blue once again and healed itself right as Kaname charged at the missing nin.

Out of nowhere though, a figure jumped in front of Kaname and stopped her from moving any further. Kaname's eyes slowly regained the ability to see, and she was now face-to-face with the Uchiha crest.

"Sasuke…?" she mumbled, confused.

"Moran!" he shouted as he grabbed her and flew backwards. "Are you insane, or just trying to get yourself killed?"

Kaname glanced up at his angry eyes, confused.

"What?"

The rest of the teams, including Aya and Kakashi's group, appeared with their weapons drawn.

"Payback's a bitch, isn't it?" Aya smiled devilishly.

Kaname looked at everyone in awe.

"Kaname, did you even realize what you were about to step into?" Sasuke looked at her quizzically. Kaname looked past him and at the smirking enemy. All around her were explosive tags. One step into that tangled web, and she would have been dead.

She gulped. "God… Thank you Sasuke…"

The boy grunted.

"So," Kakashi said to Guy, "what's the plan?"

Guy did a freaky pose. "I'll do a youthful thing!"

Kakashi, along with everyone else, sweat dropped.

"What youthful thing?" Kakashi hissed.

"It's…" Guy fumbled, "a thing in progress! Respect the thing!"

"We're doomed," Daiske muttered bitterly. Lee punched his arm.

"Guy-Sensei will come up with a wonderful plan!"

Sumi laughed. "A much fun as this is, kiddies, I need that scroll, so either give it to me now, or die. You're choice. Choose wisely."

Guy stepped forward. 'Get everyone back,' he mentally ordered to That Girl. She nodded and sent the message out to everyone else. Next, he drew his kunai.

"We KONOHA shinobi will fight to the death! Prepare yourself, for we won't go easy on you!"

Sumi chuckled and got into a defensive position. "You brought this on yourselves!" she yelled as she charged forward.

Guy took his kunai and threw it at the approaching enemy.

'Too easy!' she thought as she side-stepped the kunai. But something on the knife caught her attention. It was sparking.

Attached to the end of the kunai was an explosive tag!

'Shit!' she screeched. The knife hit the ground and ignited all the other paper bombs. The Konoha shinobi were already halfway out of the cave when they heard the explosion.

Outside on the field, the group looked back on the collapsing cave. Kakashi and Neji searched for any sign of life in the rubble and found nothing. Eventually, they found Sumi Uchiha's dead body. They decided to burn it along with the rest of the cave's secrets.

"I can't believe it," Sasuke muttered on the run home. "All this time, there's been another Uchiha, and she was just like HIM…"

Kaname looked at Sasuke sadly. She knew about his clan by now of course.

"Sasuke, there is nothing you could have done…"

Sasuke sighed. "Ya… I guess…"

That Girl appeared next to Sasuke and gave him a sympathetic look.

"Sasuke-kun…" she whispered sadly.

Kaname felt awkward suddenly. The air between The Girl and Sasuke got heavy…

"Well…," Toshihero said loudly, shaking the weird atmosphere away, "this was fun… We should do this again sometime…"

"Ha!" the girl laughed. "Not unless you follow my orders! You almost got us killed!"

"Like hell…" he chuckled. "If we followed you, we WOULD be dead right now…"

That girl growled. "You better watch yourself boy. I can kill you in a moment's time."

"Heh! I'd like to see that, you cute little demon…" He smirked.

The white haired girl's fist filled with ice shards, which flew at him with deadly precision.

"Not a chance," he sighed, dodging. "You may act strong, but your really weak!"

"Wanna try that again?" That Girl yelled as she stopped on a branch. Everyone else stopped too. "You think you can beat me, go ahead, you fucking, cocky man!" Her chakra was dangerously flashing.

"H-hey," Kaname laughed falsely, "Calm down, ne?"

Anger boiled softly behind said man's brown eyes. "-sorbed…."

"What was that?" The Girl yelled. Everyone shuffled uneasily.

"Guys," Kaname began again, but she was interrupted.

"I said, stop being so damn selfish, Ookami!"

…..

Everything went silent.

"What," That Girl stuttered, "did you just call me…?" The white haired girl's voice shook.

Toshihiro's eyes winded as he realized what he had called her.

"Ookami?" Kaname wondered aloud, "Who the heck is Ookami?"

Sasuke's glare was frozen on the man in front of him. "I haven't heard anyone call her that in years…" he muttered.

"Call who what?" Kaname yelled, turning to Sasuke.

An eerie chuckle froze Kaname on the spot.

"Well, looks like my covers blown…"

Another round of light danced in front of Kaname's eyes as another memory rose to the surface. The scar on her back seared with pain as she choked slightly on her own breath. Tears gathered in her eyes as flashes from the past flew through her mind.

Blood.

Death.

Pain.

Agony.

Sasuke….

"Itachi!" Kaname yelled. Kaname didn't even know what she was saying. Who was Itachi? How did she know that name?

Her female teammate's chakra flared.

"You bastard!" she snarled. "I should've known it was you!" That Girl ran at the man, her face and chakra furious beyond belief, but the man disappeared in a mirage of crow feathers.

In the sky, they began to recollect, but instead of the earth ninja Toshihero reappearing, the dangerous missing ninja, Uchiha Itachi, appeared, glaring emotionlessly down upon them.