A few moments after Sakura knocked the door slid open a crack.

"Sakura." She expected Kirika to nod her in, instead she opened the door just enough to slide out and close it behind her.

In the light, Kirika looked off. There bags under her eyes, her shoulders hunched.

"H-hey." Sakura smiled quickly.

"What brings you here?"

"...I wanna train."

Kirika raised an eyebrow.

"Come on," Sakura shrugged. "I haven't given up just because I didn't make chunin."

"...Yeah. Sure." Kirika started walking. "I could use the air."

"I... wasn't sure if you'd be home. What the heck happened to you?" Sakura asked.

"I got in trouble for leaving the stadium." Kirika said sheepishly.

"Is this gonna be a regular thing?" Sakura scolded, a little to consciously. "Can we do anything without having you disappear anymore?"

"I told you where I was going." Kirika shrugged.

"You know, in the month leading up to the exams, I couldn't find you." Sakura frowned. "And the day we finally get the squad together in the same place, the village is invaded. Is it me... or do you like to go off the grid when things get crazy?"

"I was a suspect. I was interrogated in protective custody."

"W-what!?"

"I grew up outside the village with rogue ninja. Precautions."

'Jeez, Kirika... I'm sorry. It's... a lot to wrap your hear around. Everything. Especially with the Lord Hokage..."

Kirika had to keep herself from wincing. "What's not to get? It was an attack." She clicked, and grinned cynically. "Really, you're the one who should be complaining. I assume you've been on clean up duty?"

Sakura groaned and ran a hand through her hair. "I've been training."

Kirika eyed her.

"I have! Every day! Since the day Ino and I tied! I know your books by heart, I've been mixing substances, practicing my kunai and senbon and chakra control. But the attack the Forest of Death... I get it now, what you were trying to tell me before. I don't have a strong stomach for real combat... death struggles... what real gore is." She shuttered. "I've been working on that—or—trying too, at least." She sighed. "How on earth do you prepare for that?"

"Oh, there are ways." Kirika assured her.

They walked in silence for a while.

"My father liked to experiment with new jutsu, chemicals, anything to improve combat." Kirika said, calmly, but suddenly. "He started training me at an early age, and I'm good at chemistry, so when he was away I'd play with different toxins to kill time. I didn't expect to use them, but I was in a place I shouldn't have been, and I was taken hostage by an enemy.
It's dangerous for rogue ninja to raise children you see, but my father liked to keep me close anyway. He wanted me to have the experience. And why not? He was strong enough. An accident, really. The enemy didn't expect a little child to be armed, but I had the prototype of the poison I'd been working on the night before with me in my pocket. So I faked panic and jarred just enough to break the bottle. And I nicked his arm with a shard of the glass as he tried to hold me still. He started foaming at the mouth, and once he hit the ground my tears stopped. It panicked the others long enough for my father to finish them."

Sakura gave Kirika a confused look. "Uh... why are you telling me this."

Kirika shook her head and smiled. "You wanted to know why some call me 'the viper'? That's how."

The corners of Sakura's mouth twitched, eyes in dismay, almost smiling. "Your proud of me."

Kirika quirked an eyebrow, she too, almost smiling.

"KIRA!" Naruto tackle her in a hug.

"Naruto!" Sakura growled.

"Hey Sakura!" Naruto only grinned. "Man, you are hard to find!" He looked back at Kirika. "I've been looking everywhere for you! After the attack you're mom practically grounded me! Aw, who cares! Haha! You had me worried there, but you always come back better than ever!" Naruto cheered.

Sakura crossed her arms, but giggled a bit.

"Aww, you worry about me." Kirika laughed.

"Kirika!" Anko ran towards them. She took a breath, panting, her hands on her knees.

"You need to come with me right now!"

Her eyes flickered to Sakura and Naruto, "We'll catch up later."

Anko grabbed her arm, when they were a safe distance from the others, she whispered. "It's your mom! She's in the hospital! She had another coughing spell, but then she started hacking up blood! She vomited more than three litres before she collapsed!"

Kirika was frozen. Her ears rang; her stomach was sunk. She ran.

"Mother..." Kirika gripped Hideko's hand.

Hideko's face was drained and sickly. There were bags under her eyelids, eyes were glassy and distant and her hand shook in Kirika's. "Kirika..." Hideko stroked Kirika's hand. "It's okay honey... I'm-" She broke into a violent convulsion of coughing; she covered her mouth with her elbow and jolted. "I... I'm okay, dear."

"Relax, Hideko." Anko pulled the blanked over her.

Hideko smiled. A weak, tired smile. With her free hand she stroked Anko's cheek. She squeezed Kirika's hand. "My girls... My daughters..."

Tears streamed down Anko's cheeks. She held Hideko's hand at her cheek; Anko squeezed her eyes shut.

The smile lingered on Hideko's face. Her eyes were calm. "Ssshhh. Don't cry. It's okay. I'm just tired." She sighed. "Would... one of you... do something for me?"

Kirika held Hideko's hand to her chest. She nodded.

"Would you please... bring Jiraiya here? He said... he was leaving today for a little while... but... I'd like to see him..."

Kirika gave her a worried look.

Hideko laughed weakly. "Kirika, I'm not going to die if you leave the room. Please. I'll be right here when you get back."

Kirika nodded and stood up. "I'll.. I'll be right back."

"Kirika!" Sasuke shouted.

She kept running, Sasuke, who had been running himself, came up at her side.

"I don't have time right now. I'll train you later. I need to find Jiraiya." She'd been running six ways from Sunday around the village. She'd sent an army of snakes to find him.

"Itachi was in the village. He's looking for Naruto. Jiraiya's with him!"

"Where the bloody hell are they!?"

Sasuke was taken aback. He'd never seen Kirika's eyes so... uncaringly cruel... no, it wasn't cruelty... it was hard determination. "What happened to you?"

"My mother is d- in the hospital. She wants to see Jiraya." Kirika could not bear to think that Hideko was.. dying. She supressed panic.

Sasuke's eyes widened. "H-Hideko?"

"I don't... think I have much time."

"Jiraiya left the village with Naruto."

"And you're certain Itachi is hunting Naruto?"

"Yeah."

"Well isn't this a mess... Alright, let's go."

They raced out the village gate. Kirika summoned a snake, it appeared on her shoulder. "Find Naruto!" The snake flicked it's tongue into the air before dashed off her shoulder, down onto the road. "Follow it."

"How's it trained to his scent."

"Precautions. I have one trained onto your scent, too. Alright, that's not important. Listen, Itachi is a member of an organisation called Akatsuki. They're a group of S ranked criminals."

"Akatsuki?"

"My father was a member for a while. The Akatsuki hunt the tailed beasts."

"The what?"

"Chakra monsters. The Nine Tailed Fox is one of them."

"Naruto!"

Kirika nodded. "If possible, I want to avoid a confrontation."

Sasuke glared. "I though you would help me with revenge."

"You're too weak now." Kirika's eyes were hard. Cruel. And underneath that, frantic. "Itachi can wait. My mother can't."

"Hey, Itachi. It'll be a pain in the neck if this kid makes a run for it, maybe I ought to chop off a leg just in case." Kisame said. Itachi didn't say anything. Kisame nodded. "Right."

Naruto's eyes were wide... how did this happen?

Kirika pulled her Katana and slashed it in front of Naruto, intercepting Kisame's sword.

"What the hell!?" Kisame shouted.

"Kirika the Viper." Itachi's voice was as monotonous as ever. "And I didn't expect you to be here... And you. It's been a long time, Sasuke."

"Sasuke...? K-Kira?" Naruto looked back.

"Where's Jiraiya?"

"Wha...?"

"Where's Jiraiya!?"

"H-he went out after a pretty girl."

Kirika glared. "Of course he did.."

Kisame grinned. "Ah, I remember you. You're the annoying brat Orochimaru was always dragging around."

Kirika stood between Kisame and Naruto. Sasuke appeared on the other side of Itachi and Kisame. Kirika withdrew her katana, backing up quickly and pushing Naruto further back.

"Itachi Uchiha." Sasuke growled

Kisame put his sword back onto his back. He grinned. "Well, the sharingan, and he looks an awful lot like you, Itachi. Who is this kid?"

"He's my younger brother."

"That's strange. The way I heard it, the whole Uchiha clan was whipped out... by you!" Kisame laughed

"Itachi Uchiha, I hope you're ready to die!" Sasuke activated his sharingan. "It's just as you said, brother. I've fostered my hatred for you all this time." He formed chidori. "I've lived my life for one single purpose: to see you die! It ends here!" Sasuke charged at Itachi. "And now you're dead!" He raised his chidori at Itachi. "DIE!"

Itachi grabbed Sasuke's wrist, stopping his attack.

Naruto formed a hand sign, building up the chakra of the nine-tails.

"Ah, the air is ripe with chakra." Kisame said.

Itachi squeezed Sasuke's wrist, snapping his bone, Sasuke screamed and fell to his knees.

"Sasuke!" Naruto called, he but his hands and made the sign to summon a frog.

"Too slow!" Kisame said, he swung is sword at Naruto again, Kirika forward stepped and raised her katana to intercept. Kisame's superior force pushed Kirika back further than she anticipated. Naruto, too, was knocked to the side by the huge sword, though without enough force to actually cut him. Kirika felt the presents of Naruto's chakra deminish. "Sorry kid, my blade Samehada cuts through chakra and devours it. It'll be a haste if the kid whips up any more jutsu, forget the legs, maybe I ought to start off with those arms of his." Kisame pulled his blade back, preparing to strike again.

"Get back!" Kirika shouted to Naruto as Kisame's blade came down, pushing his back. "Striking shadow snake!" She shot both her arms forward and snakes ejected from her sleeves, the snakes from my right wrapped themselves around Kisame's sword, the left shot to Itachi. He had Sasuke by the neck, pinned against the wall. Itachi jumped back, his movements graceful to avoid the snakes. Rather than pursue him further, they wrapped around Sasuke and pulled him behind Kirika. Kisame pulled his sword back, slicing through the snakes and prepared to strike again. Kirika prepared to use the shadow snake justu again, this time aiming for arm that was holding his sword. She glances over her shoulder at Naruto and Sasuke. On any other day she would have smiled. On any other day she would have looked back with those sarcastically amused eyes. But today, her eyes were hard like steel. What might have been spoken with smirking boastfulness were words frozen and monotonous. "Care to see my own original justu?"

Kisame tore his sword away from the snakes' constriction and jumped away. He grinned. "You're gonna be my first opponent? Fine by me! I'm gonna enjoy cutting you up!" He ran at Kirika. Kirika made hand signs. Kisame swung his sword.

"KIRA! RUN- huh!?" Naruto shouted

"What!?" Kisame yelled surprised.

Kirika entire body was set alight with purple fire, she rolled under his attach and threw her arm forward like a spear, striking him in the shoulder.

"Ah!" Kisame cried, he swung his sword at her arm and they both leaped back.

"Wow... she's on fire." Naruto gasped "And what's with that colour?"

"You think the Uchiha are the only ones who know fire style? This is my justu!" Kirika grabbed Kisame's sword, it cizled where she grabbed it, and using it as leverage, she pushed herself over it. She kicked Kisame in the chest, fire piercing like a blade out from the bottom of the foot that kicked him, which sent him back.

"Those occult flames spread like disease. Kisame, don't let her touch you, she's uses poisons. We didn't account for her... we'll need to change our strategy." Itachi said, he was staring at Kirika through his sharingan.

Sasuke's eyes widened. Amethyst flames. He blinked. For a moment Kirika was not in standing before him. It was her. Bloody eyed and clad in a white kimono. And dancing through a burning village.

Kirika frowned. Glaring. "I'm in hurry. What do you say we continue on a later date?"

"Heh. We'll make it quick alright." Kisame snickered, hoisting his sword onto his shoulder. "I don't think a change in strategy is needed. After all..." He charged at me. "...Her body is so tiny she'll be dead after one cut from Samehada!"

Kirika readied herself. He was right. That sword would be troublesome.

A cloud of smoke exploded in front of Kirika. Jiraiya, with an unconscious woman over his shoulder, appeared in front of Kirika. A large armored toad shielded them, intercepting Kisame's attack between it's hands.

"As you can see, you failed! Jiraiya the toad sage falls victim to no women's charm! Rare beauties fall for me! When you've reached the stature I have the ladies worship at your awesomeness!" Jiraiya shouted

"Oh don't give me that! One wink from a pretty girl and you turned into a mountain of mush! You fell for it like a ton of bricks pervy sage!" Naruto shouted "Why are you even here!? Kira could clobber both these guys in her sleep!"

"I really wish you wouldn't call me that in front of other people!" Jiraiya rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed.

"Are you kidding me!? we've got worse things to worry about what there guys think of you! Get with it pervy sage!" Naruto shouted

"Damn it! Didn't I just tell you not to call me that!?"

Kisame chuckled "Whatever name you go by, Master Jiraiya, I must say you're somewhat of a disappointment: a blusterous old man with the disposition of a child. It's almost hard to believe that you are one of the three legendary sanin."

"What!?" Naruto asked "Y-you already know who he is?"

"Uh, don't be fooled by appearances or anything this little squirt might say." Jiraiya blushed

"So you somehow managed to release the genjutsu we cased on her, eh?" Kisame said

Jiraiya sat the girl down. "What kind of cowards would do something like that? Using his sharingan to inflict genjustu on an innocent woman, all in order to separate Naruto from me. I know that he's the one you're really after."

"That explains how Kakashi knew." Itachi said "Now I understand, he learned it from you. You're right, Naruto is the prize that the Akatsuki are after. And we will have him."

The armored toad disappeared. "No way you're getting Naruto." Jiraiya said, getting ready to attack.

Kirika crouched slightly, preparing to run. "I believe I already established that."

"We'll see about that." Itachi said

"Actually, this is all very convenient: I can eliminate you both at the same time." Jiraiya grinned

"Stay out of this!" Sasuke said, he was slowly staggering to his feet. "The only one who's going to eliminate him is me."

Kirika kicked him down. "What did I say?"

Sasuke only glared at her.

"Go away. You don't interest me at the moment." Itachi said

"Well get interested!" Sasuke shouted, running towards Itachi. Itachi kicked him in the stomach, sending him a good fifteen meters down the hallway and into the wall.

"Sasuke no!" Naruto shouted, he started to run towards Sasuke.

"No Naruto! Don't but in! Mind your own business!" Sasuke yelled, he pulled himself up into a stand.

Kirika put a hand on her shoulder. She was glaring and shook her head. If Sasuke wanted to learn a very painful lesson about going against her at the hands of Itachi, so be it. It seemed Itachi himself was the only one who could break through to him.

"I told you before: I've lived my whole life for this day, this moment. This fight is mine!" He activated his sharingan. He charged once more at Itachi, and tried to punch him. Itachi rammed his forearm into sasuke's, stopping his fist and punched him in the face, once again sending him back into the wall. Sasuke twitched, trying to move.

"Th-this fight is mine." Sasuke panted

Itachi narrowed his eyes. "So be it."

Jaraiya stepped forward, only to be stopped by Kisame, who put his sword in front of Jaraiya. "You heard him old man, this fight is none of our business, let's let the two of them sort it out."

Itachi walked slowly over to Sasuke.

Sasuke looked up quickly. "And now finally!" He shouted, lunging at him again. Itachi kneed him in the stomach, sending him up and knocked him down by elbowing his back and continued to beat him. He eventually punched him into the wall and Sasuke finally fell to the ground.

Kisame grinned. "You show him no mercy."

Itachi picked Sasuke up by his shirt collar and rammed him into the wall. "You're still too weak. You don't have enough hatred. And you know something: you never will."

Sasuke's eyes widened for a brief moment and he suddenly started screaming out in pain.

He's trapped in tsukuyomi!

"Isn't that heartwarming. Using tsukuyomi on his own brother." Kisame said

Now! Kirika raced forward and aimed her katana at the arm Itachi had Sasuke pinned against the wall with. As expected, Itachi let go of Sasuke and jerked his arm back, avoiding her strike. With her free hand, she grabbed Sasuke and jumped back into one of the sides that the hallway forked into. She knelt down, laying Sasuke down, keeping an arm around him. "Go Jiraiya!"

"Right! Ninja art toad mouth trap!" He said, making hand signs and pressing his hands to the floor. A layer of flesh consumed the hallway. "You've both just been swallowed by the mountain toad! Welcome my friends, to the belly of the beast! He had a very sensitive digestive track, be careful not to upset him. Not the most glorious way to die is it? It must be humbling to know that you've been reduced to toad bait."

"Wow, I'm not liking this at all." Naruto said

"Naruto! Kirika! Stay calm. Trust in my jutsu."

"Kisame, come." Itachi called

Kisame tried to pry his sword from the flesh that welded it to the floor. "Eh! Easier said than done." He eventually pulled his sword and began to run.

"It's useless! A ninja hasn't been born who can survive this powerful stomach!" Jaraiya shouted "Kirika! Get down against the floor!" He warned

She fell back against the floor next to Sasuke, partially shielding him with her arm and chest. A wall of flesh jutted against the wall and flew strait over them towards Itachi and Kisame. After a few moments the flesh calmed down and returned to the wall. Kirika looked up, Kirame and Itachi were gone and there was a hole at the end of the hallway parallel to me, black fire was burning from the edges of the hole.

Jaraiya and Naruto came running down the hall. What the heck happened!?" Naruto shouted "Huh?" He looked at the hole. "They got away."

Jaraiya began sealing the black fire. Kirika looked down at Sasuke. She lent down and talked into his ear. "Sasuke! Can you hear me?"

He did not respond for a few moments. "...K-Kirika?" He voice was raspy and hushed. His eyes didn't move, nor did he blink. Kirika doubted he could even see her. She closed his eyes and sat Sasuke against the wall. She looked over him, moving her hand lightly across his body. Kirika frowned. Broken ribs, bruised organs, left femur and shoulder are fractured, and a broken arm. He took quite the beating.

The flesh around the room began to disappear. "Kira!" Naruto called, running up to her followed by Jaraiya. "Well? Is Sasuke alright?"

A kunai hit the wall. "Dynamic entry!" Might Guy came flying in and kicked Jaraiya in the face, grinning. And then he saw who he attached. "Uh, hehe... I guess I was a little over enthusiastic, you see I was trying to hurry and I couldn't see very clearly. Hahaha, using my headband to pear into the opening all I could see were two sinister figures looming over what appeared to be a victim kneeling helplessly on the ground so..."

"You know what!? If this is your way of saying sorry it stinks!" Jaraiya shouted

"I'm sorry but it was just a simple misunderstanding." guy apologized

Jaraiya growled. "Simple minded is more like it-"

"Stop it. Now." Kirika growled.

"Eh!" Guy winced "Hey did the temperature just drop in here?"

"I think It's Kira. It's probably not a good idea to her piss off. Otherwise she might kill you." Naruto whispered "I mean just look at her, she's glowing with blood lust."

Guy broke out into a cold sweat.

"Would you all just shut up. Sasuke needs first aid."

Naruto looked at Sasuke wide eyed. "I-Is he really that bad?"

"Two ribs broken on the left, three on the right; fractured femur and shoulder; a broken wrist; an arm with a complete split in the bone and several bruised organs. Yes. It's that bad." Kirika pressed her hand against the brake in his arm.

"What are you doing?" Jaraiya asked "I didn't know you had medical training."

"Well, I'm no medical ninja. I don't have proper supplies with me to patch him up here..." Maybe next time Sasuke would listen to her. "We'll get him back to the Leaf and into a hospital, his body should be fine." She said "But I suspect he's going through mental torment at the hand's of Itachi's sharingan."

"What?" Naruto asked

"He was hit with Itachi's genjutsu, there's no telling what'll happen to him." Jaraiya said

"What the heck?" Naruto said, he was trembling in anger. "What did Sasuke ever do to deserve this? Okay pervy sage, Kirika, it's time for a new game plan. Starting right now! I admit, I let those goons scar me a little, but that's over, no more running. After all, it's me there after, right? Well okay, then it's time I give them what they want!"

Jaraiya turned his head to the side. "Hm. Nice speech kid, but I'm afraid you wouldn't stand a chance against them. You're not in the same league. What would have happened if I hadn't shown up just now, or if Kirika hadn't been there protecting you, huh?" It took all I had to get them away from you, and I doubt Kirika could protect both you and Sasuke from two marks like them, odds are, one of you would have died!"

"Is that right!? So what are you suggesting, that we just do nothing! Sit here waiting for them to hit us again! What kind of strategy is that!?" Naruto shouted

"I don't have time for this!" Kirika shouted

Everyone froze and looked at her.

"My mother is going to die." It almost shocked her to say it, but denial was something Kirika couldn't afford to waste time on. She hadn't wanted to admit it... but she couldn't un-think it.

Jiraiya's mouth fell open. "What? Hideko?"

He saw then that Kirika was supressing panic. She'd been supressing it since she arrived. "She collapsed today. She vomited up three litres of blood. You think I'd let Sasuke anywhere near Itachi at his level or any other reason? It's never been this bad..."

Jiraiya's mouth hung ajar.

"She wants to see you. She begged me to come get you. We're waiting time..."

Jiraiya clenched his fists. "I can't come back with you yet."

Kirika's wide eyes narrowed. Cruel. Uncaring. "I will make you."

"Hideko won't die. The reason we're out here, we're looking for a person who can help her."

"Wait... do you mean..." Guy trailed off.

Jiraiya nodded. "The slug queen herself: Lady Tsunade."

"There's no time. Come back while you can."

Jiraiya put a hand on Kirika's shoulder. "She may not look it, but you're mother's a fighter. She'll hang on until I get back with Tsunade."

She was beyond help. But if Hideko were able to hold on until Jiraiya returned she would relish seeing Tsunade again. "Jiraiya." Despite their earlier encounter, she gave him nothing but coldness now. "If you fail her again the things I will do to you will make Sasuke's ordeal look like ecstasy."

Jiraiya met her's with an equally hard gaze. "I won't fail."