Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto, sorry. Caitlin and the awesome plot are mine though.

Chapter 5: I Will Find It

"I am strong because I have people to protect."

~Uzumaki Naruto~

Months passed, and rivals were made, along with new friends. Caitlin trained as often as she could with Gai-sensei, as she liked to call him now. Every so often, Kakashi would come and watch, or just sit there and pretend to read his perverted books. Naruto also sometimes trained with them too, but he was usually too busy pulling pranks.

One day, when Caitlin was still seven, she and Gai were training when a boy from the Academy, Uchiha Sasuke, and someone who looked suspiciously like him came towards them. She suspected that was his brother, the infamous Uchiha Itachi.

"Uchiha-san, what are you doing here with little Sasuke-kun?" Kakashi asked, placing his book in his back pocket.

Curious green eyes stared at both of the Uchiha as Itachi answered, "We are here to train, of course. The other training ground was taken, and Okaa-san made me promise to train my otouto."

"Ah, well, you're welcome to train here. I doubt Caitlin and Gai mind. Do you?" he asked as he turned towards them.

Caitlin shook her head as Gai answered, "Of course not! They are welcome to train the fieriness of their youth here along with Caitlin-chan and I anytime."

Sasuke looked slightly horrified when he said this, making Caitlin cover her smile as he tugged on his brother's hand and whispered, just loud enough for the others to hear him, "What is wrong with him?"

Caitlin's giggles couldn't be contained as she answered them, "There's nothing wrong with him. He just always talks like that."

"Oh," Sasuke said, blinking in surprise. "Are you a genin already? And is he your sensei?"

"No, I'm not a genin yet. I'd prefer to graduate with people my age," she giggled, "though I'm flattered that you thought I was. Gai-sensei is my sensei though, just in taijutsu. I actually used to really suck at it. Everybody would beat me at the Academy."

"Can I train with you, tomorrow? I really want someone to train with," Sasuke said, as he looked at them with pleading puppy dog eyes that worked amazingly on Gai.

"Of course, we would love to have an extra youthful training partner! And I could be your most youthful sensei!"

"Um," Sasuke said, "do I have to call him sensei?"

"No, Sasuke, you don't have to call Gai-san sensei," his older brother answered, a tiny smile on his face as he stared at his brother.

Gai pouted as Sasuke let out a breath he'd been holding in. "Thank goodness," he muttered.

X~x~x

This was how Caitlin's friendship with the Uchiha brothers started. Sasuke would train with them and Itachi would either help with his brother or would pick him up afterwards. When they were at school, though, it seemed as though Naruto had some sort of rivalry with teme, as Naruto called him.

Caitlin thought that it was hilarious, and soon came up with her own nickname for Sasuke, which was Duck Butt. He did not find it funny, but it made Itachi laugh the first time he heard it.

School was finally out for the day, Sasuke was just about to escape with his brother, when suddenly Caitlin shouted, "See ya, Duck Butt!"

Itachi let out a surprised chuckled as Sasuke glared at Caitlin. "I'm gonna kill you."

The two blondes looked at each other and then took off running with Sasuke at their heels. It was a nice day, and one of their last truly happy moments.

X~x~x

"Haruno Sakura, Hokage-sama wishes to see you," said the young messenger, a genin, Caitlin assumed, considering he didn't have the vest yet.

Iruka-sensei frowned. "Why would the Hokage wish to see Sakura-chan?"

"He mentioned something about specialized training because of her almost perfect chakra control. He plans on having her apprenticed to Tsunade of the Three Great Sannin."

Caitlin felt her heart constrict. She had admired Jiraiya of the Sannin because of his sealing abilities. She herself was already training in sealing. The best she could do so far was creating a sealing scroll. It would help her cut back on costs, at least. But still, what was so special about that girl? Caitlin knew she was being irrational, but this girl just had a dream of hers shoved right onto her lap and she didn't even seem excited!

Caitlin watched with sorrowfully and angry eyes as the pink haired girl left, and vowed to become as strong as she could, even if she didn't have a Sannin as her mentor!

x~x~x

The next day, she checked out two books from the library for shinobi on sealing, which caused the librarian to give her a strange look. Sealing was not a popular study in Konoha, but she had vowed to be the best she could be, so she would do it.

She read whenever she could, and this was how Itachi found her, a book in her lap after school as Naruto and Sasuke squabbled amongst themselves, and another about poisons and herbs beside her. A dictionary was also open in front of her, since she sometimes came across words that she couldn't figure out, though usually it was the math that got to her in the sealing rather than the vocabulary. The dictionary was used very often though when she read the book about poisons and herbs, though.

"Those are books on sealing. Not a popular choice," he remarked with a raised eyebrow as he watched the two boys, who were now wrestling each other to the ground.

Caitlin shrugged. "It will be useful to know. And besides, my idol is a master of fuuinjutsu."

"Your idol?" Itachi asked, smirking as Naruto started pulling Sasuke's hair.

"Yep. Jiraiya of the Sannin," she snickered. "They're fighting like two civilian girls."

"Yes, they are. I will have to tell Okaa-san about this, and then teach otouto not to fight like that."

"It does have its uses, though. An enemy nin would never expect their hair to be pulled like that suddenly. And besides, all's fair in love and war," Caitlin quoted.

"Have you ever thought about taking advanced classes?" Itachi asked, his eyes never leaving the two quarreling boys.

"Yes, but I quickly shot down the idea. I like being with Naruto, and I hope I'm in the same genin team as him," she said. Suddenly, the little girl frowned. "Hey, Itachi?"

"Hm?" he asked, finally glancing down at her.

"If something were to ever happen to me, like if I was killed on a mission, would you take care of Naruto for me?"

Itachi slowly blinked, not expecting that. "Yes. I expect you would watch over Sasuke then?"

"Course! Duck Butt is annoying sometimes, but still!" Caitlin answered, grinning at him. "Besides, you're too awesome to be taken down by an enemy ninja so easily."

"I'm glad you have such faith in me," Itachi replied, a tiny smile on his features as Sasuke, having won the fight, came towards them and grabbed his older brother's hand.

"Come on aniki. Let's leave this dobe," Sasuke said as he walked away, his brother walking beside him as Naruto huffed angrily on the ground.

"TEME!"

x~x~x

We should have seen it coming, Caitlin thought to herself. I should have seen it coming!

The night of the massacre, Caitlin couldn't sleep. She just had this horrible feeing in her gut that sang wrong, Wrong, WRONG! Something bad was going to happen. She didn't know where or to whom, but she still told Naruto.

"Meh, you worry too much, 'Lin-chan. It's nothing," Naruto told her after she had voiced her fears to him. She frowned, and decided to get out of bed.

"Hey, where are ya going?" Naruto asked, tilting his head curiously.

"To the memorial stone. I'm hoping that it will calm me down if I go there, and then maybe I'll be able to get some sleep," Caitlin answered, sighing.

"Well, don't stay out all night. And if you do, at least spend it training."

"Yeah, yeah, I will," she answered her best friend as she left their shared apartment to go to her place of solace and memorial of her second idol.

X~x~x

Flashback

"Bakashi, I know that this stone means a lot to you, but it's raining. You'll get sick."

"Have I ever told you about my genin team?" Kakashi asked tiredly.

Caitlin shook her head. Kakashi rarely talked about himself, but she had never really minded. She understood that sometimes the past should be brought up, but those times are rare. The past should stay where it belongs. Like the dead.

She frowned sharply. Where did that come from?

"I'll tell you about Uchiha Obito, my teammate who taught me about being a team, and whose name is on this stone.

"He… he acted a lot like Naruto."

"Like the sun," Caitlin interrupted, a tiny smile on her face.

Kakashi smiled. "Yes. Exactly like that. We… we were on a mission, and our other teammate had gotten captured. Our sensei was gone, and I wanted to complete the mission, while Obito wished to save Rin. I lost my eye on that mission. I lost it when I finally decided to go and help save her.

"After the battle with the enemy nins, the cave collapsed. I was right under a falling rock, but he… he shoved me out of the way. He died there, but before he did, he gave me his eye. He said that it was a jounin present…"

Caitlin was crying by the end of the story, and for the rest of the day, they both sat before the stone, the rain falling down but neither caring.

End Flashback

x~x~x

Caitlin was surprised when she arrived at the stone to find Kakashi. "Hey, Bakashi. You do realize that it's nearly midnight, right?"

Kakashi didn't answer for a bit, but finally looked up after a while. "Maa, what are you doing here, lecturing me about the time when you're only eight and have school tomorrow?"

Caitlin shrugged, and was about to answer when suddenly, an ANBU operative appeared. "Hatake-san, you are needed at the Uchiha compound." The shinobi hesitated. "Uchiha Itachi just massacred his entire family, except for Uchiha Sasuke."

Caitlin felt as though she had been sucker punched to the chest. Itachi…Massacre…No. !

Caitlin didn't think; she just ran as fast as her legs could take her towards the Uchiha compound. She couldn't imagine what Sasuke was feeling right then. She was unsure of what she was feeling right then. Itachi… he wouldn't have… I don't understand!

She could hear Kakashi shouting behind her, but she wasn't thinking straight. She doubted that she would ever think straight again. How could someone that was so devoted to his brother do this?

Then it hit her. It has to be a misunderstanding. Itachi wouldn't have done this.

She felt Kakashi grab her. She whirled around towards him and said, "Itachi couldn't have done this. Maybe it was someone henged to look like him, but he didn't do this!"

"Caitlin, it was Itachi. He put Sasuke into a strong genjutsu that only could have been created by the Sharigan. I doubt another Uchiha would do something like this."

Caitlin glared at him. "It doesn't make any sense! Itachi isn't the type of person that would do that!"

"But he did, Caitlin," Kakashi reminded her gently.

"I'll find out the truth then!" Caitlin muttered to herself, refusing to believe something so horrible of her friend's brother. She grabbed Kakashi's sleeve and started dragging him to the Uchiha compound.

x~x~x

"Duck Butt," Caitlin murmured as she saw him sitting outside the gates of the compound. Kakashi had went around in, to attempt to track Itachi.

Sasuke said nothing, just continued to stare at the ground and shake. Caitlin looked at him worriedly as she asked the ANBU member that stood with them outside the compound gates, "Can I take him to my apartment? He can't stay in there, not after that."

The masked ninja hesitated, and finally nodded as Caitlin gently took Sasuke's arm and pulled him up. She silently led him towards her and Naruto's apartment. No words were exchanged between them because none were needed. The event that had occurred only hours before was too horrible to describe with simple words.

X~x~x

Naruto was still up when they arrived. He knew something was up when he saw that Caitlin was practically hugging Sasuke.

"Teme? Are you alright?"

"Naruto," Caitlin murmured quietly. "Sasuke's not okay. I don't know if he'll ever be okay."

Naruto looked frantic at Caitlin's declaration. "What happened?! What do you mean, you don't know if he'll ever be okay?!"

Caitlin bit her lip, not sure how to tell her best friend what had happened. "Itachi… He killed all of Sasuke's family, except for Sasuke…"

"What?! But teme's brother, he loved teme! He was an awesome ninja! He wouldn't have done something like that!" Naruto shouted.

"Shut up, dobe," Sasuke muttered, causing Caitlin to sigh in relief as she realized that he was finally talking.

Caitlin suddenly wrapped her arms around Naruto. "I'm sleepy," she said as she snuggled her surrogate brother. Naruto rolled his eyes as Caitlin reached out and grabbed Sasuke, forcing him into a group hug.

"Let's go to bed, then," Naruto said. The blonde girl reluctantly let go of both of them and flopped onto the bed.

Sasuke grumbled irritably to himself when he realized that all of them were going to have to squeeze onto the tiny bed. Naruto snickered at his reluctance.

They were all asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow.

x~x~x

Morning found them all skipping school, sleeping in. Because of what had happened the day before, Sasuke had been roped into sleeping in between Naruto and Caitlin, and awoke to a mouthful of blonde hair, which belonged to Caitlin who liked to cuddle. Naruto lay sprawled out across the bed, taking up as much room as he could.

Sasuke pulled the hair out of his mouth, disgusted. Caitlin grumbled in her sleep as he moved her hair and Naruto just continued snoring. Sasuke gave up his poor attempt to get out of bed when Caitlin just gripped him tighter when he tried to sit up.

An hour later, Caitlin finally woke up. Sasuke was slightly annoyed with her, but then she informed him that she wouldn't give him any food if he kept on being mean. She would have still given him food, but he didn't know that, and she was willing to take full advantage of that.

The group of friends missed the rest of the week of school, but didn't really care. Caitlin brought up Itachi only once, and it was to mention how unbelievable the whole thing was. Sasuke didn't talk to her for the rest of the day, so she didn't bring it up again.

Sasuke caught Caitlin and Naruto discussing the massacre three days after it had occurred.

"Naruto… I don't think that Itachi did it. Or if he did, there was a reason for it."

Naruto scratched his head, and asked, "Well, what do you think could have happened?"

Caitlin frowned as she thought about it. "Henge. Mind control. They could have put a genjutsu on Sasuke to make them think that it was Itachi. Um… Those are all I can think of at the moment, but I know Itachi wouldn't have done something like that."

Naruto nodded his head, "All valid explanations. But Caitlin… the night of the massacre, you knew something was going to happen. I think you might have some sorta Kekkei Genkai."

She shook her head. "No, I don't think I have one of those. It was probably just regular intuition."

Shrugging his shoulders, Naruto said, "If you say so."

Their conversation made Sasuke think: What if it wasn't really Itachi's fault? If Caitlin had known something like that, then who's to say that she isn't right about the massacre?

He knew that Caitlin wanted to talk to him about the massacre, but he just couldn't. There were too many painful memories. It may make his friends worry, but he was going to do this his way.

He would find the truth.