Chapter 2:

Lesson 2: Tears are never shed for oneself, but for others. I will never cry about my death, for I have long accepted it, but I will cry for the people I will leave behind.

The dream that I had that night was horrible. Like watching in first person every single horrible thing that happened in the Naruto anime and more. Everything changed from a drawn in cartoon, to vivid reality. I actually saw when Pain crushed the village. I saw Jubi get resurrected. I swear I could smell the metallic tang of blood from the battlefield. I was terrified. And then there was an absolutely bloodcurdling scream...

I regained consciousness suddenly and I felt myself shake underneath the thin covers of the hospital bed. Taking deep breaths I tried my best to calm down and prepare for the upcoming craze of a day in Konoha.

"I know you're awake. You can stop pretending." I heard a voice say to my right. "I brought you some food." He said when I opened my eyes and peeked out from underneath the covers.

The cat masked Anbu held out a tray to me and I gave him a look that clearly said, 'Are you shitting me? I am not eating something that could be poisoned or something.' He just laughed at my expression and placed the tray on the side table. I sighed in resignation and then sat up to eat.

Then I remembered just who had a cat mask like that in the anime. Yamato.

My mood darkened considerably.

I took the tray and set it in my lap. Then taking each of the dishes on the tray, I carefully examined the look of each of them. Rice, tempura, and miso soup were all fished through thoroughly. I then sniffed each one of them with just as much attention. I could tell that the Anbu was watching me carefully as I meticulously looked at my food.

Without turning my head I looked back to Cat Face and locked eyes with him through his mask. I then turned back to my rice and my chopsticks and dug around in my rice for what I was looking for. It was a small seed, not noticeable enough to be deemed anything but a garnish for the dish, but to a picky eater like me who could find something I didn't like in any dish, it was relatively easy to find. I looked at the Anbu again out of the corner of my eye then promptly ate it.

I swear I saw him twitch. 'Good' I thought bitterly.

I then went to the soup and the tempura and did the same thing; found the suspicious seed and then ate it. When I was done I turned to the masked man. "Happy?" I asked, sarcastically. The Anbu stiffened. "'Cause that's not even the a tenth of what I know." I said.

I then put the tray to the side and slid out of the bed, no longer hungry with the discovery I had found in my food. I couldn't trust anyone or anything in this world. I made my way to the door and closer to the interrogation I knew was coming. Cat Face appeared beside me and then before I knew what was happening, I falling into unconsciousness again.

I was in a dimly lit room when I came to, sitting at a table with a man with a black trench coat and two jagged facial scars. Ibiki Morino.

"Welcome to the Torture and Interrogation Corps." He said. "How are you feeling?" he said with false politeness.

This is one man that I knew I didn't want to purposefully piss off.

"Homesick" I answered. He grinned a nasty grin.

"Well you're not going home until I have all of my questions answered. Are we clear?"

I chuckled a bit at that and grimaced slightly at the metalic tang of blood that seemed to stain the air. "I appreciate the sentiment, but I am never going home." I told him. "It's impossible." I said. "I don't even know how I got here, but I do know that my trip was one way. I'm never going back." I said again.

"You should make the most of it then. Tell us what you know and let us take it off of your shoulders."

"It's not that easy. It's never that easy." I said back. "But 'what's worth the prize is always worth the fight'." Quotes were easy, coming to mind whenever I needed them, and implying truth that I couldn't exactly state frankly. Directness would make me lose this game.

Ibiki slammed his fist on the table between us. I jumped. "What do you know about the Leaf and where are you taking this information?"

"I-I..." I gulped. My thoughts scrambled together and I settled for. "Nine." He was silent for a while, then motioned me to continue. "Ten is the older number, but nine is more important. The tenth is who was the most dangerous in ancient times. The tenth one is the most immediate danger to the Leaf now. Both of them will attempt to destroy this village. Ten is enough for five teams of two. Now one less. Nine, is what they're after. All of them." I paused for effect. "Nine is a very special number."

"Nine is also perfect for three teams of three." He said.

So he was playing my game. Good. He can make whatever he thinks about what I say. I hope he writes it down somewhere and just deems me mad when he can't figure them out. "The son, his wife and a brother in arms. Three. The elder, the lost, and the apprentice. Three. The healer, the eye, and the fox. Three. The first lead, the second destroy, and the last are the keys to everything." I said.

"A goal, a reason, and a means. Three." He said.

"All are from this village. Yours and mine." I said back.

"What is your place in the three?" He asked. "What is your purpose here?"

"I am not of the three. I am the variable. The anomaly. I am the catalyst of an unknown equation." I felt my body tighten at the thought of being put in such a dangerous position within Tobi's plan. Interfering with something so much larger than I was and being as helpless as I was did not sit well in my mind.

"I wish I knew why I'm here. I don't want to be in a place that is much more dangerous than the life I led before. I like being safe. That's why I wanted to know if there were any seals on me. Normalcy I know for a fact brings less attention. It is much less dangerous to be no one than someone. I don't want to be a danger any more than I want to be in danger. "

"So you know nothing that could harm this village?" Straightforward? Am I no longer considered that much of a threat?

"I know plenty of things, but it doesn't matter as long as I stay in this village." His eyes narrowed instantly. "And I have no intention of leaving."

Suddenly, I was up against the back of my chair with a kunai knife a hairsbreadth from my throat. I swallowed instinctively. Adrenaline hit my system and my mind went into overdrive, searching for something that would placate the anger simmering under Ibiki's skin.

"Enough games, kid. Speak in sense and I will spare your life." the assassin above me growled.

"I want to help, because I have seen too much in the dreams!" I said panicking. "I don't care if I die! But I don't want to have anyone die if I could have prevented it!" The man dropped me back in the chair and I slumped dejectedly. "I don't want to see them dying over and over again..."

I had practically memorized each major character death because of how many times I watched the Naruto anime and as the geek I am I cried every time. But this time these people were real. Living and breathing and so close that I could touch them. I can still hear them screaming. I thought as I recalled my dream. I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

"I promise to help in any way that I can! I just can't tell you everything I know!" I practically pleaded. "...Don't kill me yet..." I whispered to him.

Suddenly the cat faced Anbu entered the interrogation room and yanked me out of my seat. I hissed in pain as his fingers dug sharply into my skin.

"The Hokage will see you now." I was abruptly knocked out again.

When I came to, I was blindfolded and remained in the handcuffs while being dragged along by another person. I decided to put forth the effort into walking and we traveled much quicker than before. We took so many turns that I know that I would have been hopelessly lost without the steely grip of the Anbu guiding me. I let out a frustrated sigh.

"What is it?" Cat Face's voice asked. Ah, so it was him. "Frustrated you don't know where you are?"

I let out another huff. "No, I'm frustrated because I have to put my complete and utter trust in you. Someone who I don't know and who could kill me before I even registered that you moved. I'm completely blind and am as helpless as a newborn puppy. Since I highly value safety, it is both frightening and frustrating to me."

The Anbu let out a chuckle. "It's good that you don't trust me. It will be easier for both of us this way."

"I never said I didn't trust you, only that I shouldn't." I practically spat back. "Above all I know how my mind works and I know that I have put my trust in you. Even if it is just a little bit. I had to."

I heard the steady taps of the Anbu's steps falter a bit. "Why did you have to?"

"You are guiding me though a place that is equally unknown to me, not letting me run into walls, wander off into danger, or have me fend for myself. It's hard not to."

The Anbu was silent for a while then said, "That's childish. Putting trust in strangers." He sounded almost wistful. Best give him the cold shoulder.

"As a civilian, a child no less, in a world of ninja," I said darkly, "I can do nothing but count the seconds until my death."

"Those are not the thoughts of a civilian. And no one counts the seconds, literally."

Did he forget that I was slightly insane, or at least not normal? Maybe. I'll show him.

"Three days, ten hours, forty eight minutes, and six seconds."

He got quiet again.

"You were off by ten minutes."

I let out a slightly spiteful laugh. "Is that your way of saying that I'm not the only one counting?" The smile slowly fell off my face though. "What are you counting for, Anbu-san?"

His steel grip on my wrist tightened, but he didn't say a word. I wonder what he of all people was counting for. I fell quiet too. Well, it wasn't my business anyway.

We were silent all the way until he stopped and I figured that we had arrived at the Hokage's office. I smelt something familiar in the air as we continued forward and I was able to pin down what it was only after sneezing and jerking rather violently into Cat Face's grip.

"Sorry." I said as I extracted myself from his arms. I put my sleeved hand over my nose. "The smoke just bothers me."

"Smoke?" He asked. "What smoke?"

"You mean you don't smell it?"

Another voice chuckled a little bit and I think I jumped three feet in the air at the sound of an unfamiliar voice. I quickly twisted in Cat Face's grip to hide behind him.

"I think she means the smell of the Sandaime's pipe. It is detectable from here." The new voice said.

"Inu-senpai is a friend of mine. There's no need to be startled." the Anbu said to me. "You have a sharp nose for smelling that all the way out here."

"How can you not smell it? Can you not smell the antiseptic in the hospital? Or the blood in the Interrogation room?" I asked disbelieveing.

"Well then what do I smell like?" He asked skeptically.

"Like cardboard or freshly cut wood." I said.

"And Inu-senpai?" He asked me.

I thought for a bit as I tried to pin the smell to an object.

"I think it's... dog shampoo?" I asked tentatively. "It's weird." I only remembered that smell from when my brother decided to give my a bear hug after washing my dog. I shivered inwardly. He was covered in fur.

They both were silent for a while.

"She had a good nose." the other man said. "Keep an eye on her, Neko. I'm going to go test some genin today. I had better not be late." He ended cheerfully.

"Senpai, you never pass them. And you were supposed to meet them four hours ago."

"Huh, so I was." I could hear the smile in his drawl and couldn't help snickering. I bet my left eyeball that the person in front of me was Kakashi.

"The're gonna be mad if you don't have an excuse." I said. "And they'll probably yell at you for being late."

"Eh, I'll just use the black cat one today." He said. "Later."

I barely heard him leave. That was one of the scary thing about ninjas. Most of the time you don't hear or see them until they're right in front of you. It would probably scare the shit out of me if I wasn't jumpy to begin with.

Cat Face pulled me along and I tripped over the first step.

"Oh, I forgot to mention that we were going up steps. Sorry about that." He said.

"Too late now." I complained back. We went up some steps and then turned right into what I thought was a hallway from the way my steps echoed. I was getting tired of walking.

"Are we there yet?" I asked.

"No." was the curt reply.

"Are you sure?" I said.

"Yes, I am the one who knows where they're going."

I sighed heavily. "I'm tired of walking."

"You can sit when we get there. And we're almost there."

"I know."

"The smell?"

"My grandfather used to smoke. I could always smell it." I explained.

"Used to?"

"Family's dead." I lied. Well, more like I would never see them again, but hey, details, details... Depressing fucking details.

"Sorry." Cat Face said.

"No need to be." I said back. "I'll get over it eventually."

We continued on in silence before we stopped again, in front of what I absolutely knew was the Hokage's office. The smell of smoke was overwhelming.

"Hokage-sama. It's Neko." Cat Face said.

"Come in." Came the scratchy voice of the Hokage.

I heard the door open and I tried to bury my nose in Cat Face's arm sleeve. I wasn't able to though as he disappeared from my grip as soon as I was through the door. Bastard. I stuffed my nose into my shirt and tried to push up the blindfold so I could see. Instead, I was pulled back with a hand over my eyes into someone's arms. What the fu-

"Ah, you came just in time. Despite being four hours late." The Sandaime said with some hint of a lecture in his voice.

"Maa, I ran into this cat earlier..." I was completely surprised to say the least. I couldn't believe my ears. Or rather I could but didn't want to.

"Ameko, this is Hatake Kakashi. He will be the one taking care of you while you stay in this village. Kakashi, this is Ameko. Be warned that she has a mouth on her. And apparently she has a keen nose."

"I see." He said.

"Well I don't!" I spoke for the first time in the conversation. "I don't see a thing!" I would have waved my arms in the air for emphasis if they weren't tied up. It's as if they forgot to untie me, even though I know that they did it on purpose. "Can I at least have my wrists untied so that I can flail properly?"

"I see what you mean, Hokage-sama." The bastards! I'm being ignored.

"Good." the old man said. "I'll have a sliding door installed between your apartment flats. Unless of course, you'll just let her use the spare room in yours Kakashi." Wait, I have to LIVE with him?

"I object!" I yelled out just to have Kakashi put his other hand on my mouth. "Mmfhmfhmmmfm!" was what came out after that.

"She can use the spare room until she graduates. Then you can knock down the wall." I have no say in this?

"Mmmfmmhmmfmmm!" I tried to say from underneath Kakashi's hand.

"Alright then. I'll leave her in your capable hands. Dismissed." Wait!

Before I could try to say something else, I felt myself being pulled through what I thought was an equivilent to a hurricane and then just as abruptly it stopped. In the second it took me to recover I realized that I was no longer blindfolded or bound at the wrists but my nose had stopped freaking out at the smell of the pipe.

Nor could I smell anything else for that matter.

I reached up to my face and felt a thin fabric with my fingertips before I realized it was attached to my face. It was a fabric mask. Eh?

"This isn't mine." I said. Then I turned and found that I was in a dressing room and there were clothes being flung at me from the other side of the stall. I akwardly caught them and then heard Kakashi on the other side of the door.

"Try them on and see how they fit!" He called. "You need to wear something other than that hospital gown."

"O-okay!" I called back. Looking at the clothes I tried my best to sort out what was supposed to go on first. Thank God I kept the underwear that I was wearing from the Nara's. It came out of a new package and I would have felt akward with Kakashi picking out something like that for me. I shivered inwardly again.

I put on the black undershorts first then put on the white pair over them. Then I put on the black leg warmers and black ninja shoes. They were oddly comfortable. Next I spotted a black three quarters sleeved mask shirt and put that on while setting the original mask off to the side. The last thing was a dark blue overshirt with shortsleeves and a grey hood. When I looked at myself in the mirror, I grudgingly admitted that Kakashi had fashion taste. I guess he didn't really use it much since he wore the Jounin uniform now. I came out of the dressing room and caught my first look at Kakashi in this world.

His hair did naturally spike oddly and slant off to the side, and he did wear his mask and have his hitai-ate slanted. My next thought was that ninja were weird.

I then asked, "What am I supposed to do with this now?" holding out the fabric mask I had on before I changed.

"Why, put it on over the one you have, of course." he eye smiled. He actually eye smiled. Seeing it in the cartoon and seeing it in real life were two vastly different things. I smiled underneath my own mask.

"Thanks for this, by the way. It really helps with the smells." I said. "I don't even know why I can smell everything." I muttered afterwards. Then I frowned at the unusual feel of the mask on my face as I spoke. Or should I say masks.

"You'll get used to it." He drawled as he pulled something out of his weapons pouch. He turned away so I couldn't see it and he walked towards the scarf section. I practically sprinted after him in attempt to pick one out that I liked. My scarf, my pick. End of statement.

I immediately gravitated towards the ones with a solid color and a soft feel. Then I weeded out the ones that were knit from the sleek fabric ones. Then I decided on a thin white scarf that could keep me warm on a cold day and still cool on a hot one.

"Can I have this one please?" I asked in my nicest voice. I adored scarves, and it was either I got this one scarf or I didn't wear one at all. I think he picked up on my appreciation for scarves, but I could tell that he didn't like it.

"It's white." He said simply. "It's kind of against colorscheme if you know what I mean." Bullshit!

"I know, but I really like this one!" I said sadly. Maybe I could already hear him saying no in my head.

"How about this one?" He asked, fingering a darker grey one. "It's still close enough in color for both."

"I don't want to look depressing." I pouted. "Please!" I begged and clutched the scarf.

"White gets dirty easiest." He pointed out.

"Please?" I asked again. I knelt down on the floor with my hands clasped over the white material.

He sighed at my antics, but relented. "Fine."

"Yay!" I celebrated. We paid and left.

When he grabbed my arm and I felt the whirlwind again, I figured out that he was using shunshin to drag me around everywhere. It was dizzying and it felt like your skin was peeling off at the speed. I didn't like it at all.

"Do you really have to do that every time we need to go somewhere?" I asked.

"Why, yes. Yes I do." He said. I huffed out a tired sigh again, but didn't argue with it. If I'd be living with him, I'd have to get used to it. Or learn how to avoid him at all costs while traveling.

"Well, here we are." He announced as he took out his apartment keys and unlocked the door. "Home, sweet home."

The first room inside the apartment consisted of a couch, a table, a clock, and large wardrobe but was otherwise completely barren. He led me inside and gave me the tour. Kitchen was to the right of the first room, hallway to bathroom and both bedrooms to the left. He led me into the first door on the right.

"This will be your room until you graduate, then there will be a door installed between the kitchen and the main room of the apartment next door so I can keep an eye on you." He explained. Something he said caught my attention though.

"Graduate?"

"Hm? Did the Sandaime not tell you that you were going to the Acadamy to become a kunoichi?"

"No! He never told me anything like that! Why am I going to the Acadamy?" I asked worriedly. Becoming a ninja was dangerous. It was in the job description and I definately didn't want to do anything that remotely involved danger.

"Ah, so he didn't. This is your trial period."

I blinked. "Trial period? I'm being tested?"

"Mmhm. If the teachers or I myself find you a threat to Konoha in any way, we kill you. If not, you are obligated to help protect the village because of what you supposedly know about the future." His nonchalant way of saying it didn't help.

Shit, I knew the Hokage wouldn't be that nice. Now he's forcing me to choose between death and having Anbu-like dedication to Konoha. I took a deep breath, then exhaled.

I am indeed in deep shit.

AN: I hope you like it! Sorry again for the late update. Something came up and I couldn't. I hope this makes up for it.