Hey I'm back, sorry for the wait. Thank you to Heiwa-san and Regin for the reviews. : ) Enjoy.

"Check." Tenzo moved his rook. He whispered. "It's not that I don't want her to support her teammates. It would be hard to keep an eye on her in such a large crowd."

Hideko scratched her chin and moved her pawn. "Be that as it may, I want to go." She called out. "Kirika, do you want to see the chunin exams?"

Kirika strode past them on her way into the kitchen, she called as she passed, shrugging. "It doesn't matter. I'm grounded anyway."

Tenzo bristled as Kirika walked by. He was unyielding in his stance against Hideko. "I don't want to lose you in those crowds. You're staying right here."

Hideko shifted in her seat, discomforted by Tenzo's opposition.

His rook took her knight. Tenzo smirked. "Come on, I hoped you'd be more of a challenge."

Hideko grimaced, and felt her hand shake. She bit her lip and spoke out loud quickly, before she lost courage. "Kirika, I've been thinking... we should all go to watch the chunin exams today!"

Tenzo's mouth fell open. "WHAT!?"

"Aren't I grounded?"

"Postponed! You should support your teammates." She sighed and murmured. "After all the trouble you got into with Sasuke, he better win."

"...Unfortunate he ended up losing the leg. It was expected, though. Tourniquets usually lead to amputations. But it was that or letting him bleed out. That led to the first fatality on a squad I lead."

Sasuke stared out the window. "Fatality? You said amputation."

"He hung himself two days later in camp, before the mission was over. I think that counts."

"I see."

"Waste of rope... Really though, I wasn't ready to lead a squad. Children should never lead."

Sasuke stared out the window.

"What do you think?"

Sasuke glanced at Kirika. Still sarcastic, still so intense, but she was easier now. More kind. And she didn't tease him as much as before. She still teased him, grant it, but not as much. he wondered if it was the deal or her new found sympathy for his curse mark. Probably both. "I think you're digging to deep."

"I don't think your digging deep enough."

"I'm distracted..."

"I can see that. Are you bored of my stories?"

"No." Sasuke glared at his hands. "I just can't stand being stuck in here."

"You're not fully recovered."

"I've been in this bed for a week. I should be training for the chunin exams."

"The doctors say otherwise."

"Kirika." He looked at her. "Help me get out of here."

Kirika chuckled with amusement. Her eyes had a smug questioning 'Oh will I now?' look.

"That wasn't a joke."

"There's an ambu right outside the door. He'll know if we leave."

Sasuke activated his sharingan and stared at the wall. "He's asleep in his chair."

"Of course he is." Kirika only chuckled more. "What exactly do you intend to do once you get out."

"I intend to train."

"Kakashi was kind enough to allow me to stay with you. And I went AWAL, so that was a lot to ask. Do you realise how much trouble I'll be in? Even if you try to leave alone I'll be held responsible."

Sasuke glared at her.

Kirika stopped chuckling, she burst into full laughter. "I'm joking! I don't care what they do. I'm stir crazy, too. Come on!"

Kirika helped Sasuke with his training for two days before Kakashi and Tenzo found them. Needless to say Sasuke took the fault. Rather than taking Sasuke back to the hospital Kakashi took over his training. Tenzo took Kirika home. Six extra ambu were posted around her, out of sight. When the Hokage threatened her with them, she burst into laughter. Hideko grounded her. "Until the next chunin exams start." (Probably a week).

"That sounds great!" Kirika grinned "Thank you, mother!"

Hideko smiled and nodded. The grounding had been a formality; she didn't really think breaking a teammate out of a hospital to train was that great an offense.

Kirika glanced over the chess board and leaned down to whispered in her mother's ear.

Hideko perked up and moved her pawn to the board's end. "My pawn becomes a queen! Checkmate!"

"WHAT!?"

"Welcome All!" Sarutobi shouted. "Our deepest thanks for coming here, to the Village Hidden in the Leaves, for this years chunin selection! We have come to the final competition between the ten candidates who made it through the preliminaries! We ask that no one leaves until all the matches have been completed! Now everyone enjoy."

Kirika and Hideko sat next to Sakura in the bleachers. Tenzo sulked in the row behind them. Sasuke had yet to arrive.

"I haven't seen you at all this month. Where were you?" Sakura asked

"Here and there. I helped Sasuke sneak out from the hospital so I got in trouble." She pointed back to Tenzo. "This man is an undercover ambu who's been tailing me."

"Hey!"

Kirika looked at him with laughing eyes.

Tenzo shot her a glare that promised retribution later.

"You helped Sasuke sneak out...?" Sakura's eyes widened. She and Ino both screamed simultaneously. "That was you!?"

Kirika laughed, she liked how they completely glossed over her undercover agent as soon as Sasuke's name was dropped. "And before then they posted me as his guard." She winked playfully. "Jealous?"

"Hold on Kirika! What's going on between you and Sasuke!?" Ino leaned towards her, frowning.

Sakura was shifted up, too.

"You should receive the wedding invitation soon."

They gaped.

"What? Did you take me seriously?" Kirika laughed again. "You two are too easy to mess with."

Hideko patted Sakura and Kirika on the shoulders. "Look, the matches are starting."

Naruto won a surprising victory against Neji Hyuuga.

Sasuke appeared just before he was disqualified and now he was talking to Naruto about something. As Naruto left the arena Kirika glanced around. When she arrived she picked out ten exit routs, an estimate of people, and a possible percentage of people who might be enemies. She would need to move soon. She doubted Tenzo would be a problem. Kirika glanced around the arena, spotting out eight anbu who were definitely sound ninja. She would slip away when they began their attack. Through the crowd she picked out a familiar chakra.

"I need to use the restroom."

"You sit right back down. You're not going anywhere."

Kirika leaned over and whispered in his ear. "It's a feminine emergency."

Tenzo crossed his arms.

Kirika tisked. "Sakura, come with me to the restroom."

"What? Sasuke's match is starting?"

Kirika stood. "Come on, I'm about to have a mess. And that agent is pissy. Just wait outside the door." She raised a hand over her brow. "It's not like we aren't already in the nosebleeds."

She sighed. "Fine. But let's make it quick."

Tenzo rolled his eyes. "Okay. Go. But if you're not back in five we'll have a problem."

After Kirika had left the restroom, Sakura decided to use it herself. Kirika strode to the railing and looked down at the match. Next to her an ambu leaned against the railing.

"Kabuto."

The ambu nodded. "My lady."

"I need to slip out undetected."

He spoke hushed. "In a few moments I'll be casting the temple of nirvana genjustu. I can send a clone to take your place."

"Thank you, but don't bother with the clone." She nodded to the restroom. "Can you cast it when my companion comes out?"

Sakura and Kirika made it halfway around the walkway when feathers began raining down through the stadium. Kirika caught Sakura as she slumped down.

The sound of combustion rang through the air. Kirika looked at the stand where the hokage and kazekage were, smoke was rising. Several figures appeared on one of the stadium's roofs and a huge purple barrier appeared.

Sasuke jumped past Kirika, heading out of the stadium. With one hand around Sakura, she grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him back to her. "Let go Kirika!" He shouted.

"Where are you going?"

"Gaara left the stadium. Apparently he's the Sand's trump card. I'm gonna take him down."

Kirika pointed in the opposite direction. "They've summoned a giant snake. It's ravaging the village. I'm going to take care of that. I'll come find you after."

Sasuke nodded. "Right."

Once he had left, Kabuto approached her. "And like that, you have an alibi. Nicely done. Do you think he'll realise the snake hasn't been summoned yet?"

"He's high on adrenaline. I doubt it."

Kabuto turned to join the fray. "Take care, Lady Kirika."

She nodded, and laid Sakura down to pat her cheek gently.

"Uh? Wha... what?"

"We have a problem."

Sakura glanced around her. "What's going on?"

"You were caught in a genjutsu. We're under attack." Kirika pointed. "Get Kakashi. Wake him up. He'll know what to do."

"What about you?"

"The enemy has summoned a giant snake. As long as it's causing mayhem we'll have trouble regrouping. I'm going to take care of that."

"Will you be okay?"

"Snakes are my forte. Now go."

Kirika appeared by the group of sound ninja. "Lady Kirika?"

"I am." She stepped forward. "This won't take long." Kirika raised her thumb, and for a second froze. Her eyes flickered back to the village. She could see smoke rising already. She felt a pang of... something wrong.

"My lady?"

Kirika slowly turned her eyes forward. Remembering herself, she bit her thumb, smeared it across the summoner's tattoo on her forearm and made hand signs. She pressed her hands to the ground. In a cloud of smoke a huge, three headed snake appeared. She pointed a slow finger towards the village. "...Go."

Kirika ran as fast as she could towards the village. There was one other task Orochimaru had given her in the forest before she fainted. "There's something else I want you to do after you summon the snake. It's of grave importance: Kirika, protect your mother."

Hideko would be safest in the stadium, surrounded by other people. Kirika had opted to follow the snake into the village. That was where Sasuke and Sakura thought she would be, and she would need their testimony as well as those of any onlookers.

The other Leaf ninja were distrustful as ever. When a Leaf ninja decided she was an enemy and tackled her to the ground she started to struggle, but let him pin her. The idiots! "Let me up!"

"Keep the girl restrained!" Ibiki landed with a skid. He shouted to his comrades. "Nothing's working! We lost two more! We need to keep it from getting any deeper into the village!"

Kirika growled. If she didn't act quickly she really would be in trouble. She had to shout over the noise. "Use fire! You need to aim for the eyes! Or under the head!"

She had set off a line of paper bombs as soon as she was within the village, marginally staving off the snakes' attack, but when Ibiki and his boarder patrol squad arrived they attacked her on sight.

"Keep laying down a supressing barrage!"

Kirika thought, this would have been quite amusing, if only they hadn't thought her an enemy. She'd had a bad feeling the moment she arrived at the Sound ninjas' meeting point. And she felt a nervousness... something all but forgotten, that she couldn't quite place.

"Attack their eyes! I'll distract it!" Ibiki ordered.

"Roger!"

Kirika glanced around. The invasion was going poorly. It looked like the Suna and Oto forces were retreating. She'd better make it count already.

Kirika pushed the ninja off of her and lept forward at full speed towards the snake; her body like a comet encased in purple flame. She was knocked out of the way before she could reach her target.

"Toad Summoning!"

Kirika regained her balance and landed on her feet.

A giant toad stood atop the snake, crushing it. The dust from the impact it made settled.

"Heh, sorry I'm late." A man dressed in traditional red and green clothing appeared next to Kirika. He was older, with long white spiky hair. "I know you... You're Hideko's girl. Kirika. We meet at last... or should I say again? You alright? Sorry, I didn't see your attack coming before I started the jutsu. I didn't mean to steal your thunder."

Kirika dusted herself off. You fool. You just had to stop me from landing the killing blow. Now no one will believe I'm innocent. She had to go for another approach, while there was still time. If this man was as dull as Orochimaru told her, she could use him. "As... as long as it's dead. That's all that matters." She took a good look at the man. "Wait... you're..."

He wore a huge goofy grin. "Ah hah! You recognise me! Well of course, why wouldn't you!? You're talking to the one-! The only-! Master Jiraiya!"

She rubbed her arm, scuffed from her impact with the ground. She didn't really want any part in him... but if he could clear her name. Kirika channeled that off put feeling and slowly sunk to her knees. "I... I have to get out of here."

"Eh-!? What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"I... He... I'm gonna get blamed for this." She gripped her hair and put on a heartbroken expression. "I have to get out... But if he catches me-! I-!"

"Hey." He knelt down and gripped her shoulders. "Calm down, you're gonna be okay."

Kirika shook her head, frenzied. "I won't be okay! No one trusts me!" She pushed him away and stood. But rather than running, she covered her face with her hands. "I... I was afraid he would... I hoped he wouldn't do anything after the Forest of Death. Now... I can't go back to my mom! I-I don't know what to do!" Tears rolled down her cheeks.

Jiraiya's mouth fell open. He stood up. "Hey," He gave her a sympathetic, reassuring smile. "I believe you. I saw you, you were trying to stop that snake. I'll vouch for you. Just tell me what happened."

"R...really?" She breathed.

He smiled humorously. "You can trust me. I'm an old friend of your mom's, she must have at least mentioned me."

She nodded dumbly. "Y-yes. Thank you! Thank you!"

Kirika's head was down, she played with her interlocked fingers, arms resting on the table. Back in the interrogation room...

"What were you doing so far from the arena in the first place?" Ibiki asked.

"I saw the snake attacking from the stadium and I wanted to stop it."

"You were ordered to remain with your ambu guard. Why didn't you get him."

"He wouldn't have let me go."

"With good reason." Tenzo said, leaning cross armed on the wall.

"Without reason." Kirika's eyes lifted to him. "He hates me."

"How could you not expect to end up here?" Tenzo glared. "You've been a person of interest for well over a month. We both know how calculatingly you think."

"I did calculate." Kirika held his glare. "And I knew none of the boarder guard ninja were equipped to deal with it."

"Thing is, we did deal with it. And with you." Ibiki said.

"Jiraiya dealt with it. I would have killed it sooner if it weren't for you. And if Jiraiya had arrived a moment later, I would have killed it and we wouldn't be here now." Kirika clenched her fingers. "Don't pretend you don't hate me too."

Ibiki stood.

"You saw me attacking the snake. Not your men." Kirika's eyes followed him. "Did you talk to my teammates?"

He and Tenzo shifted to leave. "We did."

Sasuke flexed his hand. "It doesn't feel fine."

The nurse frowned. "Easy. Don't force yourself to move. You took damage from the battle, just because it's not broken doesn't mean you won't be tender."

He nodded.

The hospital was overcrowded. He had a quick once-over by the nurse at Kakashi's insistence, but they were so thinly stretched he'd only been able to receive a check for broken bones in the lobby.

"Sasuke!?"

He looked up. "You?"

Hideko Tachibana was nearly panting. She made her way over, around the many patients awaiting treatment. "Sasuke, are you alright?" She took his chin in hand and turned his head to the side, looking him over. "Were you hurt?"

"N-no!" He pulled back. "I'm fine. I'm only here for a check up. They didn't find anything!"

"Oh thank goodness!" Hideko pulled him into a hug. "I've been so worried!"

"Eh..." Sasuke glanced around quickly, not sure what to do. He patted her back a few times awkwardly. "Okay."

Hideko pulled away, still gripping his shoulders. "I was in the arena when the attack started. I fell asleep with everyone else. But when I woke up you, Naruto, Sakura, and Kirika were gone. I didn't know what to think! I was so worried!"

"Oh... uh-huh."

"I called Sakura's parents, they told me she was in the hospital, but she's okay! She checked out a few days ago. Naruto's was here too, he was in worse shape then she was. He's still recovering, but they were so full here... I checked him out the same time as Sakura left and took him to my house. He'll be fine, too. But I didn't want to leave him alone. He went home just this morning... he insisted. Oh, Sasuke!" She hugged him again. "I was looking for you! Naruto told me about your fight with Gaara. I'm just glad you all made it out okay."

"Uh... yeah, I'm fine." He knew everyone around them was probably too pre-occupied to pay them any mind, but he had no idea what to do. She just kept hugging him. Eventually he just relaxed and rested his chin on her shoulder.

And he suddenly started to feel the weight of the situation for the first time.

"Sasuke... I can't find Kirika." Hideko whispered. She let him go, still gripping his shoulders, she knelt to his level. "I've been to the hospital every day since the attack... I've check everywhere she goes... I've asked every jonin I could find in headquarters, but they won't tell me anything... not even Kakashi. Have you seen her? Have you heard anything about her?"

Hideko looked at him, imploringly. Her face was so distraught, so heartbroke. It caught him off guard once again; he didn't know what to say to her. He shook his head dumbly.

"I just," Sasuke realised how bloodshot her eyes were, how red and flushed her cheeks looked. "I don't know what to believe. You don't think she's..."

"I... saw her just before I left the stadium. She was awake." She went to stop a giant snake rampaging through the village.

Hideko nodded. "I heard that from Naruto and Sakura... but after that there was nothing. Nothing! You didn't see her around..." Hideko looked away. "Around anyone... odd looking? Did you? Maybe a... a man? A man who... looked like her? Or- or anyone, really."

Sasuke's brow furrowed. "You mean her dad? Orochimaru."

He watched terror and mortification bloomed on Hideko's face. She looked like she might burst into tears.

Sasuke immediately regretted saying anything. "K-Kirika told me." He looked away. "I didn't see her with anyone. I'm sorry."

"No... I'm sorry." She touched his face. "Sasuke, I'm so sorry... about everything you've been through since these exams. About everything he's done. I'm just glad you're okay."

Sasuke felt his face heating up.

"Come on," Hideko kept an arm around him, she started guiding him to the door. "We're going home." She took on a harder expression. "Now do you want to tell me why n heaven's name you thought it was a good idea to chase after those Sand shinobi? Alone?"

Sasuke looked up at her, still speechless.

"Don't you think you're off the hook, young man. You are a genin, and that was extremely dangerous. Think before you act! You could have gotten yourself killed!"

"Eh-"

"I don't want to hear it! You are grounded, mister!"

"Grounded?"

"You heard me. Now move it."

After many a session with Ibiki, Tenzo, and various ambu, it was Anko who came in.

Kirika straightened, and Anko took a seat on the other side of the metal table.

She put a cloth-wrapped box on the table. "Brought you some rice balls."

"Thanks." Kirika took the box and carefully picked the cloth corners open. "Did mother make them?"

Anko nodded. Her bearing was somber.

"How's she doing?"

"She's doing." Anko sighed, eyebrows lifting.

Kirika pursed her lips.

"She's worried about you."

She ran her fingers through her hair sheepishly. "I figured..."

They were quiet for a moment.

"Do you know what they'll do with me?"

Anko shook her head. She crossed her arms

Kirika's eyes flickered to the rice ball in her hand, she took a bite. She doesn't believe I'm innocent. She couldn't really blame Anko. Finally had enough, huh? "Did they send you in to get a confession out of me?"

Anko lifted her calm, probing eyes and looked into Kirika's. "Were you apart of any of it?"

Kirika let out a breath, both shaky and humorous. "No. But it doesn't matter much." Anko thought she saw a flicker of sadness in Kirika's eyes, before she quickly buried it under a blank expression.

Anko didn't disagree.

She had a glass-eyed smile. "I'm really in trouble, aren't I?"

"I think so, kiddo."

Kirika crossed her arms and threw a glance at the door. "It must be chaos out there, if the Hokage's to busy to deal with me."

Anko's fingers dug into her sleeve.

Kirika caught that. "Will he see me?" She glanced away. "Has he finally given up on me." The prospect set that bad feeling in her gut. More so than anything about her predicament.

"...He's dead."

Kirika cocked her head. "What?"

"The third hokage is dead." And Anko was looking at her with the hate Kirika knew she'd always born. "Your father killed him."

But Kirika did not spare it a thought. She was not prepared for the Hokage's death. She put her elbow on the table, her mouth pursed beneath her fingers. I have no one to protect me. Was her first thought, knowing full well that Hideko lacked the influence to help her and Jiraiya had not been in the village recently enough to be taken seriously on her case.

This she thought in the calmness of shock that comes before realisation.

A few more ambu came. Ibiki was in and out. So was Tenzo.

Kirika left them all with few words, having been left herself with a feeling of hollow anxiety. She asked about the Hokage's funeral, and learnt it happened before she knew he was dead. When they left her alone, she found herself constantly looking over her shoulder for the ghost of a presence that wouldn't leave her alone. Like prickles of breath just behind her. She swore more than once she heard the start of Sarutobi's voice, as if he were preparing one of his lectures.

Kirika had her forehead on her fingers when Jiraiya came in.

"Hey."

Kirika pressed her palms to her eyes, rubbed. "Hi."

Jiraiya nodded to the door. "Come on."

She sauntered up, eyes down. "Where are we going?"

"A walk. Then home."

Kirika looked at him with a mixture of sobriety and bafflement. "Why am I going home?"

He gave her a little smile. "Because I make a compelling argument."

"Feel good to see the sun?" Jiraiya grinned.

"Yeah."

"Order whatever you like. On me. Then we've got one more stop and you can go home."

"Thanks." Kirika straightened her menu on the table. It seemed her appetite died with the hokage. "I think I should tell my mother I'm okay."

"Trust me, I don't want to make her worry any longer than I have to," He chuckled under his breath. "but if she's the same Hideko I remember, if I took you home I'd never get you out alone." He smiled at her. "She still a clingy worry-wart that way?"

Kirika smiled a bit, hollowly. "Yeah."

"Always was." He leaned back in his seat. "Man, I missed her."

Kirika looked at her place setting. "You haven't been back to see her, have you?"

"I'm building up to it." He shrugged.

"How long have you been in the village?"

"A little over of month."

"A month?" Kirika glared, vaguely aware of seizing an opportunity to feel something other than remorse. "Why didn't you visit her?"

Jiraiya scratched his head. He sighed. "I don't know..."

Kirika felt a twinge of annoyance. "You think she'll forgive you when you show her you got me out of holding?"

He quirked an eye at her. "Your mom tell you she was mad at me?"

"She doesn't tell me anything."

A waiter came around and brought them tea. "Ah," Jiraiya examined the cup in his hand. "Your dad then."

Kirika rested her head in her palm. "When it comes to her, he tells me a little more than nothing." She confessed. "If you wanted to make your ten-year escapade up to her properly you should have seen her right away." She rubbed her eyes with her palms and rand her fingers across her scalp. "My father attacks the village, the hokage dies, I'm in jail, and you don't think she could use some good news?"

"Watch it, now." Jiraiya crossed his arms. "You need me kid, you're not of the hook yet."

Kirika crossed her own arms, for a moment her cynical humour shone through her eyes. "Quick to go on the defensive, eh? I think you're more afraid of facing her than I am of you."

A slow smile crept across Jiraiya's face. "Damn, you're just like him." He shook his head. "You're dramatic like him, too."

she looked up at him with interest. Orochimaru said Jiraiya was an oaf. In person, he had an easy charm. He wasn't so bad at turning a conversation, either. Kirika let him. "You say that like it's not bad."

"Well, you're like a young Orochimaru." He wagged a finger and winked. "Now I'm trusting you not to go crazy."

Kirika breathed out a laugh. "I will make no such promises."

They ordered food and chatted for a bit longer.

"Can I ask you something?"

Jiraiya nodded. "Shoot."

"Is Sarutobi really dead?"

Jiraiya gave her a look.

"It's not the first time he's pulled that with me."

"...He's really dead." He sighed. "Having trouble believing it?"

"It's... odd to think he's gone." Kirika rubbed her thumbs. She had a thoughtful look about her, and tisked solemnly. Felt the pleasant distraction of the conversation escape her stomach like wind, and felt hollow again. "I wasn't invited to the funeral."

"...Sorry about that."

"No, if I were one of those ambu, I wouldn't trust me." Kirika assured him. She took a breath. "I want to see his grave."

Jiraiya offered her a sad smile. "That's our next stop."

The hokage had a mausoleum. The Land of Fire emblem was sculpted atop the tombstone. It dwarfed all other graves of the Sarutobi clan.

Thankful Jiraiya gave her a minute of privacy, Kirika sucked in a breath of air. Thought she ought to say something.

"You..." She couldn't quite put the right thought to words. "Were you like them...?" She cocked her head, imploringly, as if she expected an answer. "You were too nice. I knew you for too long." She shook her head. "I knew it was bound to happen, it always does." The voice Kirika heard was so unlike her, small and hopelessly unsure. "You're going to haunt me for a long time, aren't you? You're not going to be someone I can forget just like that."

Was that why father sent me here?

Kirika gript the fabric over her chest. "Is this your retribution!? Is this for betraying you!?" It was almost an exasperated pant she whispered out. "That's so like you."

Kirika felt hollow. And she wasn't getting any closure from this.

"I can't mourn you," Kirika insisted. "I can't let you make me soft. I don't want to forget you, but I can't hold on to you." Her fists clenched, her head lowered, imploring him to understand. "I can't. But I am sorry."

She turned away, quickly, she didn't want to be there. She didn't want to feel the sadness, or the guilt. Jiraiya was waiting to take her home.

"Ready?"

Jiraiya took a breath. "No. Do it."

Kirika knocked and stepped back.

Hideko was at the door, she swung it open.

Kirika's shoulders slumped. "Hi mother."

Hideko's lips parted and she fell on Kirika in a tight embrace. She let out a sob and gripped the back on Kirika's head.

Kirika hugged her back.

Hideko coughed. "It's- are- are you okay!?"

"Yeah."

"God, Kirika, why are you always doing this to me?"

Kirika could feel Hideko tremble. "I'm sorry."

Hideko let go of Kirika and held her shoulders. "Are you hurt? Where did you go!? I woke up and you were gone! No one told me anything! Sakura told me you ran after a giant snake! What am I supposed to think!?"

"I was in holding. They wouldn't let me out..."

"No! Not this time! You are a genin! You shouldn't have been anywhere near that thing!" She hugged Kirika again. "And you will never try something like that again! Do you understand me?"

"Yes." That was a promise they both knew Kirika couldn't keep. She nodded back to Jiraiya. "He got me out of custody."

Having watched the exchange, Jiraiya spoke up. "Hideko-"

She slapped him on the face.

Jiraiya gripped his red cheek in surprise. "Well that was out of character..." He grumbled

"You bastard!" She shouted, she was tearing up.

"Hideko! I-"

Hideko grabbed him and pulled him into a hug. "I missed you..."

"Missed you, too, Hiko."

"Get in here. Both of you."

Anko was inside, she nodded to Jiraiya, but couldn't look at Kirika.

"Anko. Long tome no see. You're looking well."

"Well enough."

They knelt around the living room table, and Jiraiya recounted everything that had been happening since the invasion. He'd managed to get Kirika back onto propel. Sakura and Sasuke had given their statements to prove Kirika was where she said she'd be. That helped a bit.

Hideko interrupted him every now and again with coughing bouts.

"You're cough's getting worse." Kirika noted with caution.

Hideko smiled weakly and kissed Kirika on the head. "It's been getting worse for decades." She laid her head back on the table. "Decades... hnn... I've gotten old."

"At least you look better then him." Anko quits, pointing at Jiraiya.

Jiraiya shot Anko a look.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it." She stood, beckoning Kirika. "We'll give you some privacy."

Anko and Kirika drifted to the hall towards Kirika's room, but stayed pressed against the wall, just out of sight and within earshot.

"Hideko..."

Hideko kept her eyes on her tea. "Were you at the funeral?"

"Yeah. It was beautiful."

Her tears fell tea.

"Hideko... I was going to talk to you there... but it seemed like a bad time."

Hideko nodded. She looked at him. Sad eyes. "Why did you leave?"

"I though it would be best to visit you at home."

"Not the funeral. Why did you leave me?" Hideko buried her face in her palms. "Fuck. I find out my husband is a... lunatic sociopath; he kidnaps my daughter; I'm held in interrogation for two weeks; I'm terminally ill and you left. I get it. You were looking for him. But so were the ambu and I really needed you. And then Tsunade packs up and leaves with no explanation. Because she'd jaded? So was I. My best friend. I needed her. I needed you. And you weren't there."

Jiraiya put his hand on her shoulders. He pulled her close. "I'm sorry, Hideko..."

Hideko coughed between sobs. "Jiraiya... If I hadn't had Anko and Lord Hiruzen, I don't know..."

A tear rolled Jiraiya's cheek. "Damn it... I'm sorry, Hideko..."

Kirika heard another tap on her window shudders. She opened them slowly. "Hey."

Sasuke was leaning on the windowsill. "I figured they arrested you after the invasion. That or you ran. Or died. It was Orochimaru's doing, wasn't it?"

Kirika chuckled dryly and rubbed her eyes with her palms. "A bright little detective, are you? Yes."

"Figures." Sasuke breathed. "Was it protective custardy or did they interrogate you?"

"That depends on who you ask."

"They sure took their sweet time."

Kirika pinched the bridge of her nose. "I know."

"But you're here now. Which means you weren't involved. Or they couldn't book you. Which was it?"

Kirika met his eyes with a glaring gaze. "Don't ask such question. You know me better."

Yes. He did, but it still left him unanswered.

Sasuke moved from the windowsill, eyes cool and unfazed. "Let's go." He didn't bother explaining. Training, probably.

"Not tonight." Kirika sat on the sill. "I have to behave."

Sasuke looked her up and down, and was agitated, and didn't bother to hide it. It was unsettling to see Kirika this way. Her eyes, usually coolly piercing, and burning with frustrated; maybe even sad. "What happened?"

The higher-ups were closing in on her. Her mother and Jiraiya, no matter how insistent, were a secretary and an exile, and couldn't shield her forever. And Sarutobi was dead and haunting her. She was losing footing, her position all but compromised. The Konoha mission would end soon. And it would hard, she knew, with the hokage clinging to her back and her mother behind.

She wanted to tell him, she wanted to tell anyone, but held it back. Kirika rested her head back against the wall. "Interrogations are... trying." She confessed, and paused, and suddenly could not stop herself from talking. "The Third is death." Kirika stared at the setting sun. "He was the only man is this village who gave me the cared to help me... and I didn't know he was dead until after he was in the ground." Kirika closed her eyes. "It's frustrating. I hate them for not telling me. And I hate the third for making me feel this way."

Sasuke eyed her, gaze hard. Funny she wasn't angry at her father, he though, but saying that could open up a pointless argument he didn't care to have. So instead he asked, "Were you involved?"

"Being in Konoha is trying." Kirika met his eyes. "I don't want to stay here anymore. I don't believe I'm welcome anymore, either."

Sasuke eyed her: something like that he hadn't expected and was not sure how to respond. They hung in that uncomfortable silence. Sasuke figured, sluggishly, that he should say something, he considered telling her that he had been worried. "I've... been thinking about your story."

"Which one?"

"The first one." Sasuke stretched out his free arm, which reached a little more than half way through the gap that separated their buildings. Kirika let him lace his fingers into her dangling hand, and pull her arm out gently. Sasuke watched with something akin to amusement when neither his hand burst into flames, nor did she burst into petals. "The auntumn crocus."

She sighed. "Yeah, me too."

"Open your watch."

Kirika smiled a tired smile. She reached into her pocket with her free arm, pulled out her picked watch and opened it. "Do you like it?"

"It just stayed with me, like a taste I can't get out of my mouth."

Their hands stayed interlocked long after the story ended. The moon was hanging high now.

"The whole thing's bad, but the ending's just terrible."

Kirika squeezed his hand. "I know." Kirika whispered.

"You could make something else up."

Kirika did not answer. Her head rested on the sill, she stared up at the sky. "No."

He hadn't really expected otherwise. Sasuke leaned his head back too, and they both looked out into nothing.