Chapter eleven : Confessions

Her brain was pounding, like some persistent deep hammer thud echoing throughout her aching skull. Chihiko tried to think clearly, but that only caused the pain in her head to intensify, so excruciating that tears formed in the corners of her closed eyes.

There was no telling what time it could be; she had been out for what must have been a few hours. But like a person who's slept for too long, and upon waking they feel like they've only rested for seconds instead, Chihiko was still immensely listless. She tested her fingers, moving one at a time just to see how quickly they would respond. Chihiko knew she was in trouble when all of a sudden her one boot started to twitch.

"Don't worry; the effect will wear off soon enough.

The voice was smooth and imposing, and not in the least bit sympathetic to Chihiko's near-paralysis. Once again she tried to flex her arms, but the limb opposite of it on her body, in this case her thighs, moved instead, and Chihiko supposed that she must have looked like a marionette that's had its strings twisted and miss-matched. She abandoned trying to sit up and instead focused on unclosing her tightly shut eyelids. They were latched rather forcefully, and all she could see from behind her lids was a faint pink glow.

With a surge of determination, she finally succeeded in opening her eyes. She was met with a blast of electric light as thick tears of pain and tiredness tumbled freely down the sides of her face, strangely cold against the warmth of her flushed cheeks.

Chihiko felt a soft carpet underneath her and realized the she was lying belly-up in some sort of office. Turning her head sideways in both directions, she ogled at the elaborately-decorated chamber, which would have seemed gaudy, had it not been located in Konoha. Every wall had either a scroll or watercolor painting draped on it, and even with her hazy vision Chihiko thought she could see shimmering gold inlaid in the room's wallpaper, signs of decadence surrounding her like a whirlwind of riches. Near a row of windows at the back of the office was a fine-looking desk made of a rosy-colored wood which had been carefully carved and polished to a magnificent sheen. Gazing through the windows carefully, Chihiko distinguished an orange sun slinking towards the horizon. It was probably late afternoon.

Before she could admire the room any longer, Chihiko sensed an ominous presence hover over her like a shadow. A set of fingers suddenly clenched the front of her shirt, ripping her off the ground in a show of deadly strength. Dangling like some child's plaything, Chihiko looked at the hand as it slowly inched its way around her neck, and then her gaze trailed down the sleeved arm attached to it. From there, she soon found herself staring into a beautiful pair of brown eyes, female eyes, heavily lashed and intense, a blaze burning within them.

The woman had flaxen blond hair that was tied back into two pony-tails, one of them whisked over her shoulders. She was wearing an unrestricting, open-front jacket of pale green fabric, under which was a very low-cut shirt, her heaving bosom threatening to spill out of it. On her forehead, nestled directly in the middle of her pale brow, was a diamond-shaped marking that was either a deep blue or purple bead or paint. With her head wrenched upwards, Chihiko could see little more of the woman's body, as she was being forced to look the woman straight in the eyes.

The woman seizing Chihiko lifted her higher yet, and although her iron grip was fast and sure, not a single muscle in her arm was trembling from exertion. With an effortless swing, Chihiko was soon jammed against one of the walls. A picture frame was jabbing into her back uncomfortably, but it was nothing compared to stifling rage that the woman was emanating. Face blanched with fear, Chihiko thrashed about, arms moving when she thought her legs would, but she didn't care, she just wanted to free herself in any way possible. Her struggle only caused the woman to tighten her grip, long nails digging into the soft flesh of her neck, slowly crushing her windpipe. Choking for air, Chihiko could feel the skin on her face turn gray with suffocation.

"I-I can't be-breath…" Chihiko thought she could see the color fading from the room. She tried to move her hands up towards her face, so that she could try and pry herself loose, but her body was still disobeying the commands of her mind.

"That's the point," the woman snarled, red lips curling to reveal pearly white teeth, "Why should I let you go anyway? You have invaded Konoha through the use of an artificial form of identification, proving that your reasons for being here are unjust. Not only that, but you have destroyed three buildings, one of which was our largest hospital facility! Give me one reason why I should let you go!"

Chihiko gulped, the bubble of air becoming trapped as it tried to slip under the woman's unfaltering hold. Her lungs ached, begging for oxygen.

"I…I ca-came here…" gasping and coughing, Chihiko tried to speak, voice grating in her throat, "…to find my…my friend's murderer!"

Another tear, leftover from before, slowly quivered out of her eye and fell onto one of the woman's fingers. She did not flinch.

"There are no murderers in our village…not anymore at least…" she spoke, sounding almost insulted by Chihiko's excuse. Scowling, she spoke in a low tone that forced sweat to break out on the younger girl's face.

"I don't want to hear any more lies from you…We received an urgent message from the Waterfall village late last night that their most powerful kunoichi had been kidnapped. She could be identified by her white-hair and by two moles underneath her right eye."

Chihiko could feel the woman's eyes searching her, studying her, exposing the girl for who she really was.

"It seems to me that she wasn't kidnapped at all…she appears to have come here by her own volition."

Breathless and wordless, Chihiko nearly blacked out when the woman shook her rigidly, pinioning her against the wall even harder now.

"Speak to me! Don't you know who I am!?" she bellowed, her other hand firmly planted on her hip as she brought her face close to Chihiko's, their noses nearly touching. She was just about to say "no" when all of a sudden she realized that she had seen her before. The woman's face had been carved into the side of the one mountain surrounding Konoha; hers had been the final one on the right-hand side.

All at once Chihiko felt both incredibly weak and stupid. Whatever energy she had left drained out of her body through her toes and fingertips as she finally abandoned the fight to break free.

She was being spoken to by none other than Konoha's most prominent figure, the fifth-Hokage herself. Word of her legendary strength was legendary, even to one as far-removed from society as Chihiko. She might have been able to fight a four-man assassination squad and a Taijutsu master, but no amount of Aikido prowess could ever save her.

This was the end of the road. There wasn't a lie Chihiko could say that would help matters now.

"He…He t-told me to come here…told me that Zaku's murderer was here…during the ch-Chuunin exams…" spit dribbled from her mouth, and although it seemed frivolous, Chihiko wished she could wipe it away. To spit on the Hokage, even by accident, seemed like some crime punishable by death. All her life, she had heard terrible stories about the Hokage of Konoha, how each of them had been powerful enough to move mountains and crush entire armies. Now she was being help captive by one of them; Chihiko couldn't imagine a worse scenario.

"Who told you?" the Hokage demanded, and although she still sounded harsh, a hint of curiosity had wiggled its way into her words. The woman tapped a single foot impatiently, waiting for Chihiko to answer. It took the girl a second to find her voice again.

"The…the snake man…" was all she could say. Although it had sounded like childish prattling to Chihiko, the woman's eyes widened slightly, as if everything at once, like the pieces of some puzzle finally coming together, made sense. Her grip suddenly slackened, fingers relaxing, and Chihiko plunged onto the carpeted office floor with a loud thump.

Chihiko reached around to rub her sore and numb rear and it soon dawned on her that she had regained full-control of her limbs once more. When she looked up, she saw that the Hokage was in some sort of trance, digesting Chihiko's confession.

"Ho-Hokage-sama?" Chihiko said, making absolutely sure to speak formally when addressing Konoha's leader. This seemed to pull the blond woman from her reverie.

"You…tell me everything," looking down at Chihiko, her gaze now softening, the Hokage tapped chin, obviously rapt in what the girl had to say. Before speaking, Chihiko slowly clambered back onto her feet, knees buckling halfway up. She was still a little weak from the previous two battles.

"Yes, Hokage-sama…" nodding politely, Chihiko began to explain herself, how she had been contacted by Orochinaho, how she had learned of her friend's death, and how she had been informed that his killer could be located here in Konoha. As she spoke, the anger seemed to filter out of the Hokage's face, the fire leaving her eyes. When she concluded her story, the woman gave a deep, heavy and frustrated sigh.

"Orochimaru, you bastard…you're still trying to make my life hard, eh?" she spoke as if to herself, a wry smile turning up the thin corners of her otherwise plump lips. She stiffly hugged herself, the outward curves of her voluptuous chest resting on her crossed arms.

"Kawano Chihiko, is that your name?"

Chihiko was startled at first when she heard her name being spoken, but she collected herself quickly, nodding again. Her back was rigid now, arms straight at her sides, the very image of obedience. The only part of her that wasn't stern was her eyes; they veered onto the floor sheepishly.

"I never meant to cause this much harm…this much damage…please forgive me…" Chihiko spoke in a soft, breathy voice, averting her gaze from that of the Hokage, afraid to make eye contact with those piercing brown eyes.

"There is little that needs to be forgiven, Chihiko-san," voice now completely removed of its previous fury, the Hokage unfolding her arms, placing her hands on the sides of Chihiko's arms. As she touched her, Chihiko could feel the nervousness leave her and be replaced by a more welcome sensation of safety. It was so foreign to her by this point that the girl couldn't help but shudder slightly. When was the last time she'd felt absolutely safe?

"The man you mentioned, the "Snake Man", is known well to everyone in Konoha, for he was once a member of it. He was an infamous traitor who has in just two years caused more devastation to this village than any other shinobi force," the Hokage started, a grimace etching the milky smooth skin of her face. Chihiko listened, absorbed in what the older woman had to say. Finally, after so much confusion and doubt, she might hear the truth at last.

"His real is Orochimaru, although I'm certain he gave you a pseudonym to remain anonymous. About two years ago, he infiltrated the Chuunin exam that was being held here, posing as a Jounin from the Sound Village. The boy you mentioned, your friend, along with two other Genin, was being used by Orochimaru like pawns in order to secure his alias.

"Along with his three Genin, Orochimaru was able to enlist the aid of the Sand Village, telling him that he would help them overthrow Konoha so that they would be the ruling shinobi nation instead.

"By the end of the Chuunin exam, the Sand discovered that Orochimaru had deceived them, that he had actually murdered their own Kazekage in order to temporarily take his place. It was only due to the self-sacrifice of our third Hokage that his plan was foiled. The Third killed himself in order to seal away Orochimaru's hands, so that our village could stand as it does now."

As she finished her account, the Hokage walked around the room, taking a seat at her desk, planting her elbows on top of it. She laced her thin fingers together, and then spoke from behind her hands, eyes zeroing in on Chihiko.

"And that brings us here, doesn't it?" she asked dryly, a little winded. She was used to everyone already knowing Orochimaru's history with Konoha.

"It's obvious that you were duped by Orochimaru and I can't blame you for falling into his ruse. After the Chuunin exam, he was able to coerce one of our most promising Genin to leave our village and strike a gash through his forehead protector. Orochimaru is a deceiver, a foul man who wishes this village to be burned to the ground by any means possible. Through you, he might have been partially successful."

A knife of guilt cut deep into Chihiko's gut, twitching and stabbing. However much the Hokage candy-coated her story, in the end, Chihiko had been still been tricked. She had been foolish and acted on impulse. If it had not been for the Hokage, she might have killed an innocent man.

Zaku...

"Zaku!" Chihiko blurted, remembering her entire reason for being here. Mouth tense, she continued, speaking in a serious voice, "My friend, you say that he was being tricked by Orochimaru. Since everything he told me was a lie…do you think…is there any way that…"

What she wanted to ask was "Is he still alive?" But the words just wouldn't cooperate, and an incoherent string of fumbling broken phrases spilled out of her mouth instead. Hands now folded in her lap, the Hokage made a soft noise under her breath, eyes nearly closed.

"I know that this will be hard for you to hear…but you deserve closure, after coming all this way," she began, the tears already welling in Chihiko's iridescent green eyes. After a pause of consideration, the seated woman spoke again, "Abumi Zaku, along with Tsuchi Kin, were both murdered by their leader, by Orochimaru himself. He is dead."

Its one thing to know something; you can doubt your own knowledge, lie to yourself, say it isn't true or that you must be in the wrong. When you hear it from the lips of another, however, then there's no mistaking it.

Chihiko was discovering this for the second time now in only a few weeks. First, her abandonment by her own parents, and now the truth about the death of her friend, her dear friend, her only friend. Salty, fat droplets teetered towards the inner corners of her eyes, and when her vision had become so fragmented and clouded that she had to blink, the tears toppled out and down. She made no attempt to wipe them away, felt no shame in crying. To her, honoring the death of Zaku was more important then upholding her composure in accordance with the shinobi code.

"Chihiko-san," the Hokage interrupted softly. She knew the girl would need time to grieve, to absorb this cruel reality. But there was more to discuss, and it couldn't wait, no matter how much the Hokage wanted to stall. She needed to bring the girl back into focus.

"I know what it means to lose someone you care for…I know what you're feeling…"

"Zaku died knowing that he had been working with an evil man. I can't change that," Chihiko suddenly interjected, much to her own disbelief. The words had formed in her heart by themselves.

"But he will always be my friend, and I will always remember him as that, not as an accomplice.

"In the meantime, I must repent for my actions…I have acted outside the ethics of Aikido, and it is a serious offense to both my discipline and my teacher."

"Well, aren't you mature!" a surprised expression on her face, the Hokage was taken aback by the young girl's quick turnaround, "If only a few of our younger shinobi were more like you…there's this one boy who just can't seem to grow up…

"But anyway, you have to understand. It's easy to blame yourself for everything in situations such as this, but it isn't right, and it won't change the past. You were being used against your will…had you known better, do you really think you would have come here?"

Chihiko solemnly glanced at the Hokage, realizing that she was trying to cheer her up. It was a nice attempt, but she was just too unwilling to just forget all that she had done. Noticing her apprehension, the Hokage stood up from her desk, using the backs of her legs to push the seat out from under her.

"Tell me, are there many shinobi like yourself in the Waterfall village? You seem very humble for such an extraordinary fighter. We don't see many Aikido users these days, at least not after the Great Shinobi War," she spoke kindly, moving away from the desk, sneaking a meaningful glance at a map of all the major shinobi nations.

"No. There are few shinobi who are equipped to handle missions, and of that there are only three Jounin. Of that, two are prepared to retire," Chihiko stated bluntly, a little wary to reveal her village's shinobi ranks. With some hesitation, she added, "I will soon be joining them as the fourth Waterfall Jounin."

For a moment it seemed that the Hokage's dignified jaw might hit the ground.

"Four? Its no wonder your village was so adamant about finding you…" she exclaimed, a little incredulous, but she doubted Chihiko was the type of person to lie in order to glorify herself.

"Knowing that…it's not surprising that you were able to defeat four ANBU…"

It took a moment, but Chihiko soon grasped that the Hokage was referring to the masked assassins. They had taken quite the beating during that battle, and the girl's face suddenly tensed, betraying her worry.

"Don't worry," smiling, the Hokage once again placed her hands on Chihiko, this time on her slender shoulders, "All of the ANBU shinobi were only minimally injured. Whoever taught you should be commended."

A small, nearly unnoticeable smile appeared on the girl's face. It was the first that the Hokage had noticed anything other then a frown cross the girl's lips.

"Well, now that we have that cleared, we need to move on to other things…" the older woman continued, twisting one of her ponytails, "like your return to your village."

Whatever pride or good-feelings the Hokage had bolstered in Chihiko were snuffed out like a candle in the rain.

Shame began to swell in her core, like a scream building up in someone's chest. Coming to Konoha with the intent to avenge Zaku's death, it had all been for naught. The only self-fulfilling thing in her life had all been a scam, and Chihiko felt intense pangs of guilt, shame, anger, and embarrassment shoot through her like arrows. As each one passed through her, more and more of her began to realize that the only course for her was that of obedience, of training. To be a tool was her shinobi way…there wasn't anything left for her. There was no room for a life, for friends, for anything.

"When should I return…can I even return?" she asked somberly, wondering just how disgraced her elders would be in her if she returned now, after all she had done. She doubted that they would even consider her for the Jounin position now…all her training would be for nothing. She would be a disgrace to the entire village.

The Hokage walked back to her desk and pulled open one of its drawers, taking out a small green, yellow and red scroll. Chihiko instantly recognized the seal of her village's chief stamped in wax on the outside of the document. Carefully, she placed the tube of paper at the front of her desk.

"This is the message we received from the Waterfall village. While I myself am unfamiliar with the inner workings of your village or with your chief's disposition, I am sure that I can arrange for your return without any ramifications. I will send word of your predicament and of Orochimaru's part in all of this," the woman spoke clearly, putting the scroll back inside her desk.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama. I cannot return home until I undo all of the damage I've caused," Chihiko said. She struggled to smile, knowing that things might turn out all right, but all that she could muster was a half-crooked thing that was half smirk and half grimace. There were just too many things to consider; she couldn't relax until she heard from her village.

The Hokage frowned inwardly, thinking about the burden the young girl probably had to bear, being so young and forced to do so many great things. She had seen young shinobi twice as old as her crumble under the weight of expectation; it was surprising that this kunoichi seemed to accept her responsibility so easily. There was an inner strength to this girl that the Hokage could sense with her experienced eyes, and then below that, something else. All her life, she had never seen a shinobi so young summon Jyukai Koudan, the gigantic tree, and wield its power so fluently.

"I'm happy to hear that…it could take many weeks to repair just one of the buildings. If you are to stay, I shall have one of this mansion's rooms rented out to you. I doubt any of Konoha's citizen's will be eager to welcome you into their inns," the Hokage said, scribbling notes on a blank piece of paper with a horse-hair brush.

"And as long as you're here, you may call me Tsunade. I have too many people around here calling me Hokage-sama; it makes me feel old."

Chihiko nodded, surprised by Tsunade's hospitality. Although it would be strange to stay in such a magnificent and sprawling establishment (she would rather sleep in Ishiraku's tiny inn), Chihiko knew that the Hokage was right in wanting to keep her safely tucked away. These were proud people and she had caused a significant amount of damage, maybe even injured some people. From now on, she was more then an outsider, she was something worse. There would be no more cheery faces or happy salutations for Chihiko, at least not outside the mansion.

"I know that my stay here is not recreational, Tsunade-sama. When shall I begin renovations?" Chihiko replied, ready to make amends on behalf of her own village. If she didn't, Waterfall's slipshod reputation would sink even lower. Even if she wasn't admitted back into her village and had to live the rest of her lonely life as an outcast-kunoichi, Chihiko wasn't about to let her elders, and more importantly, her teacher, suffer in the wake of her tragic mistake.

"Soon enough. But there is something else that I would like to do during your stay, if you agree to it," Tsunade answered, still occupied with her notes. Now waiting for the ink to dry, she finally rested her brush back into its holder, finished with whatever she was writing.

"I'm going to be forthright. There is something about you that I can't shake. I watched you fight those ANBU with incredible ease. Nobody lives through one of their ambushes, not without losing a limb or two, but you came through unscathed."

She stopped, carefully eying the white-haired girl for any kind of reaction, but the girl's face remained self-possessed. Chihiko's green eyes stared back, unwavering, unblinking, and it was hard for the Hokage to believe that this was the same girl who only ten minutes ago, had been crying and quaking in fear and panic. For a moment, Tsunade felt as though she were talking to a statue.

"Therefore, when you are not attending to repairs and reconstruction, I would like to have some of my shinobi study you, if only so that I can have you put into our shinobi records. I assure you, they will be kept private," Tsunade explained, trying to sound as cordial as she could. She was just a few steps short of requesting Chihiko to become a lab-rat and she didn't want to scare the girl into thinking she would be put on some dissection table or be cut open to see how she ticked.

"That is, only if I have your consent."

Chihiko thought about this carefully. The Hokage hadn't killed her, so perhaps she could be trusted. But what if her life had only been spared so that the Waterfall's most prudent "weapon" could be researched? The thought of being examined and watched made Chihiko feel uneasy; she was used to only having Hitaishii observe her. Was she really comfortable with having complete strangers monitor her?

"Chihiko-san?"

Batting her eyelashes, the girl looked back at Tsunade, still standing next to her mahogany-wood desk. When she had looked into the yellow eyes of Orochimaru, Chihiko had sensed many things: anger, cruelty, lust. They were the eyes of someone who didn't care about killing or hurting, who had no regard for human life or fragility.

But Tsunade was different. Although Chihiko could feel some sort of faint connection between the two, she knew deep down that the Hokage would not lie to her. Thanks to Orochimaru, Chihiko was now aware of what it felt like to be deceived. Looking into the woman's beautiful, yet strong, face, Chihiko did not sense that sort of motive, only unreserved honesty and seriousness. She was sure of this just as she was sure that spring followed winter.

"That is fine," Chihiko finally answered, and this seemed to please the Hokage, who filed the completed documents into a single manila envelope.

"As long as I have your word that this research will remain secret."

Another smile, and then Tsunade clasped one of Chihiko's hands in her own. As she did this, the younger girl felt a warm bubble of reassurance spread throughout her body, like smooth hot chocolate filling a person's stomach after a long day in the snow.

"You have my word as the Hokage of Konoha, Chihiko-san," guiding her towards the room's exit, Tsunade released the girl's hands so that she could open the large door, the hinges noiseless. Chihiko glanced out to see a lingering hallway, several doors on either side of it.

"I'll have my attendant, Shizune, take you to your room. She should be arriving shortly."

As if the Hokage could project her voice through the entire mansion, a woman with chin-length brown hair appeared from around the bend of the corridor, wearing a plain blue kimono. In her arms was a heap of folders, books and scrolls so high that she had to look around it in order to see. Chihiko was amazed that the woman was able to keep it all balanced and still rush down the hall towards Tsunade's office.

"Shizune! I have a job for you!" the Hokage barked out, causing the younger woman to nearly trip in her stacked-heal sandals.

"Yes, Hokage-sama?" Shizune responded, the stack in her hands wobbling. Once or twice, the top-most book nearly fell, but the woman was deft and nimble, and she tipped her arms in order to keep the entire pile from falling apart. Chihiko realized that the attendant had not even noticed her being there; her attention was devoted to her master.

"This is Kawano Chihiko, from the Waterfall village," Tsunade said, stepping to one side so that Shizune could get a better look at the girl. At first, the brown-haired assistant seemed taciturn, and Chihiko could feel the woman glaring at her reticently. Just as Tsunade had predicted, there would by many who would not trust Chihiko as she did.

"Shizune, you have no reason to suspect Chihiko-san anymore. All of the details are in this report, which needs to be filed in the records room."

Nonchalantly, Tsunade slapped the manila envelope on top of the tower of manuscripts, and it suddenly started to sway dangerously. Like a sandcastle left too long in the baking sun, all of the books and scrolls began to slide off like crumbing grains of sand, slowly at first, one or two at a time. Seeing the woman's dilemma, Chihiko rushed out from behind Tsunade, hands already in motion to snatch up the cascading downpour of documents. Several seconds later, the entire pile that had once been trembling in Shizune's hands was now being held securely in Chihiko's.

"T-Thank you!" picking up the few folders that had fallen first, Shizune bowed gratefully. She seemed relieved, and also a bit more accepting of Chihiko, who simply nodded in response.

"Now then," Tsunade said, satisfied that at least one more person in Konoha was accommodating to the probably misunderstood kunoichi.

"I need you to take Chihiko-san to one of the guest rooms. Also, please have a hot meal ready for her."

"Right away, Hokage-sama. Is there anything else that you need?" Shizune responded politely before turning to Chihiko, who was still burdened by the vast pile in her arms.

Exhausted from two battles and a near fatal confrontation with Tsunade, Chihiko suddenly felt the muscles in her arms starting to sting, struggling to remain clenched. Her biceps quivered and shook, the burning lactic acid causing her fingers to slip. With a single hand, Tsunade scooped the books out of Chihiko's arms, balancing it effortlessly on just her thumb and two other fingers.

"Not now, Shizune," she responded, but before she retreated back into her office, she looked at Chihiko sternly. The fire in her eyes once again started to smolder.

"Chihiko-san. You have my protection while in the village, so don't worry about how the other villagers perceive you. I can't help what others feel or think.

"That being said, I must advise that you not give anyone reason to fear or otherwise be wary of you. I don't need any more incidents, not with all that's already happened.

"Finally, and most importantly, if I find that you really are here to invade Konoha, that my trust in you has been squandered…I personally will kill you."

The Hokage was utterly serious.

Without another word, Tsunade turned quickly and disappeared back into her office, leaving Chihiko and Shizune alone in the hallway. They both exchanged a nervous glance, although Shizune seemed more accustomed to the Hokage's fiery personality; she gave Chihiko a cheerful smile.

"I trust in you, Chihiko-san, that was just Tsunade-sama being her scary self. She's been my master for so long, so I'm just used to it," the woman whispered, making sure that her words wouldn't make it past the doorframe. Petrified by the Hokage's death threat, Chihiko found herself mired to the floor, unable to move or breathe or speak.

So much had happened, so much had changed. She had gone from being an invader to being a misguided pawn in one of Orochimaru's schemes. It was hard to believe that she was still alive at all. Chihiko gingerly touched the skin of her neck; it was still sore where the Hokage had grasped it, and she traced the deep indentations that Tsunade's fingers had made on her flesh.

More so than ever before, Chihiko would have to be as unobtrusive as possible. Her only comforting thought was that she knew she wasn't a hazard. Now it was just a matter of making the other villages aware of that as well.

"Now, I bet you're ready to get some rest…" Shizune remarked, noticing the tired bags underneath the girl's eyes and her frazzled white hair.

"The guest rooms are just down the hall. Once I show you yours, I'll tell one of the chefs to bring up some food for you."

Even though the thought of food made her salivate, Chihiko couldn't help but feel a slight sting of guilt. Back at the "Gentle Springs", Ishiraku was probably wondering where she was, his hot egg omelet now growing colder and colder. It had probably taken him so long to make the bed and clean the room for her, and now it was all going to be a waste. Chihiko made a mental note to go back and apologize, although it would have to wait a while.

With a heartfelt sigh, Chihiko followed Shizune down the hallway, realizing that the attendant had already started to walk away from her.

"I guess there's only one way to go now," Chihiko thought aloud, footsteps heavy and solemn along the hardwood floor. With every step, she felt the distance between the Waterfall village and herself become larger and larger. The longer she stayed here, the more her chief's contempt in her would grow, she was sure of it. He hated Konoha, and Chihiko thought with a huff of disapproval that he might have been glad if Chihiko had buried Konoha to the ground after all.

Nothing Tsunade had said indicated that she wanted to dominate the other, smaller villages, so why did her chief and the other elders loathe Konoha? There was no reason for such animosity and Chihiko felt it was useless to fight for such a hateful leader.

Chihiko doubted that she would enjoy living in the Waterfall village after all she had seen and heard. What if Onoda sent her back, this time on a suicide mission? What would she do? Where did her allegiance lie, if not in her own village?

At least she had Hitaishii, who above all, believed that the shinobi countries could live in peace, that there was no need for competition or fighting amongst the nations. Chihiko was proud to be his student, his tool, if nothing else.

Even if she was just a puppet, she would at least be one unclouded of hate and anger. For her, there was only her teacher, her master. This she decided, was the way things needed to be, and she nodded her head as if to reaffirm this to herself, confirm her judgment.

"Um, excuse me? Chihiko-san? You're room is back here!" Shizune's voice rang clear amid Chihiko's muddled thoughts, and she twisted around to see Shizune standing next to a doorway maybe fifteen feet behind her. Face reddening, Chihiko scurried back as the attendant added, "You really must be exhausted! Don't worry, the guest rooms are really nice, better then the one I have probably!"

Chihiko thought that Shizune was only half-kidding, for the woman seemed almost jealous as she fumbled in her pockets for her keys. She produced a large metal ring with several different types of keys attached to it, some of them nearly rusted to the point of breaking, others shining. It was one of these newer looking keys that Shizune inserted into the doors padlock, giving it a couple twists until there was a satisfactory click.

She pushed the door open and flicked on a light switch that was just inside the room on the first wall. Instantly the entire room was basked in a soft, white glow.

"Here you go. The shower is in the attached room near the back, with fresh towels in the closet. Let me know if there's anything you need," Shizune explained before closing the door behind her.

It was certainly…plush. As to be expected of any room in the Hokage's mansion, the guest bedroom was sparkling clean, with a down-filled mattress atop a queen-sized bed that looked like it might swallow Chihiko whole. Everything was either blue or white, with a large bay window on the wall farthest from the door which was partially opened to let in a cool, refreshing breeze. Billowing curtains of sheer fabric fluttered in the air like the skirt of a ball-dancer's dress.

The room was astonishingly pretty, but she was almost afraid to touch anything, lest it might crack, repulsed by her filthy hands. She unzipped her boots at the doorway, removing them slowly. Her feet instantly began to swell, having been confined for nearly two days straight, and Chihiko let out a low groan of fatigue. Carefully navigating the room, the girl made for the bed, and eyeing in guardedly, wondering if it really was meant for sleeping or if it was for show, she sat down on the one edge. Instantly her entire body sunk into the marshmallow-like mattress, the lavish mattress sponging around her like the petals of a closing flower. The entire surface of the bed was cool, much like a patch of grass in the morning.

Chihiko had wanted to take a bath, for her skin felt sweaty and she knew her hair was caked with dust and dirt, but drowsiness was winning out by a landslide, as she reclined backwards, feet kicking up into the air. Arms spread apart, Chihiko smiled, for no reason in particular except that she was finally in a bed, and let her eyes close.

"It will…only be for just a little…only until…dinner…" she spoke lazily. She then gave a jaw-cracking yawn, as she pulled herself onto the bed, curling her self into a small ball of yellow and white fabric, her hair becoming invisible amongst the white pillows and blankets, so that only her green dreadlocks were visible.

She thought once more about Ishiraku, about the room that she should be in, about how hard it must have been for him, and Chihiko tried to move, so that she could possibly call him or write a letter or something. But she was just too tired, her arms felt like they were being tied down to the bed, and her mind was filled with too many thoughts to concentrate on any one for more then a few moments, making her even more weary.

It wasn't long before she fell asleep, snoring just a little, her body nearly hidden in the voluminous folds and bulges of the mallow-like mattress.

((A/N: Sorry this chapter is so long, but I really wanted to introduce some more Naruto characters, plus make them relate to Chihiko in the most realistic way possible. Hope you enjoy, and please write a review if you have a moment!))