AN: Well guys…hello there. Um…other things that I should tell you here that I forgot…so yeah, enjoy this next chapter.

Shizune stares at Tsunade like she's insane. "Lady Tsunade…what do you mean you planned this?"

Tsunade smirks at her personal assistant, then reaches over and places a hand on my shoulder. "Popori here came to me late one night, asking rhetorical questions."

I'm about to roll my eyes, but The Hokage cuts me off, "Of course, when she started talking I knew there was something on her mind. I asked her about it, and she was a little hesitant to suggest her plan."

I shake my head, remembering exactly how that day went.

~Flashback~

I ran quickly to Tsunade's office after talking with Sasuke. I knew there was a possibility that things would get extreme, and I needed a back up plan. There was a big part of me that would hate betraying Sasuke like this, but another part which was even larger, that could never betray the Leaf.

Sure, they had a dark past, but I still couldn't betray them. All of the people I loved lived in that village. I didn't want the life I had developed there to be destroyed, trying to keep a promise I had made to Sasuke's mother.

I walked silently into Tsunade's office, taking the more suspicious route—through the window. Once I had placed both feet on the hard wood floors, Tsunade spun her chair around and gave me a look that said she knew something was up. She placed her writing utensil down, her paperwork seeming less important to her at the moment, and placed her intertwined fingers to her mouth.

"What brings you here this late, Popori?" She asked, her voice calm as her eyes searched my face for the answer.

I straightened up, walking around so I was on the proper side of her desk. I watched my footsteps as I did this. When I was in the correct spot, I crossed my arms behind me, and then looked up into Tsunade's inspecting eyes.

"Lady Tsunade," I began, clearing my throat beforehand. "I have a few questions for you."

This made her quirk an eyebrow in a questioning manor, "Is that so? Well then, go ahead."

I knew she was thinking that if I had come to her at this time at night, that it was something important.

I let a small smirk come to my lips as I spoke, "What would you do if one of the rookie nine chose to go after Sasuke, of their own will?"

Her eyes instantly narrowed into slits at my choice of words, choosing her own words as she spoke. "That depends…on what their intentions would be." She looked me over then continued, "Do you plan on following after Sasuke?" She spoke in the serious tone of voice that I had only heard on very few occasions.

I let my stoic gaze wander around her office as I chose my next words carefully. "I … Something like that." I paused, nodding to confirm her assumption. "Sasuke wanted me to come with him when he defected. That's the whole reason I was involved in the first place. I went after him on my own, because he wanted me to." I studied her expression as it went from suspicion, to shock and surprise. "I was more than willing to go with him…to keep a promise I made to his late mother." I looked at a corner of the office, smirking at myself. "But, for some reason, when it was time for him to leave, he told me to stay in Konoha a bit longer. And…he's come back for me finally." I closed my eyes, squaring my shoulders and lifting my chin as my jaw set itself in stone, the usual position I took when being addressed a mission. "I'm going to leave with him, whether you allow it or not. I will keep my promise to his mother. Well, at least for as long as I can."

Tsunade let her hands rest on her desk, both clenched into fists. She was thinking over everything, analyzing her options. She didn't know what the right thing to do was, that much was clear to me in her expression at that moment.

"I am asking you…more like begging you, to please no matter what may become of my reputation…" I couldn't help but kneel down on one knee and stare down at the floor as I finished my plea, one arm draped over my propped knee while the other was curled into a fist and pressed into the floor. "Lady Tsunade, I am pleading with you to not let your opinion of me be tainted by the disgusting deeds that I am sure to fulfill." My eyes darkened as I readied my next statement, "Because whether it is by my hand or not…Orochimaru will be dead by the time I come back to the Leaf."

I chanced a look back up to Tsunade's eyes, and in return, I got a soft smirk. "Strong words for such a small, young girl." She said in a soft voice that matched her expression. "So, you're planning on killing one of the legendary Sannin, are you?"

I nodded, "Yes, ma'am." I replied with a small mischievous grin.

She sighed, placing her intertwined fingers in front of her mouth once more, "Well, that will be a hard rode for you. No matter how strong you or Sasuke are…he will put up a fight." She looked down at me, then stood and walked slowly around her desk until she reached my kneeling figure. "Popori Ikame, I vow to always think of you as a konoichi of Konoha. No matter what gossip reaches my ear about what you may or may not have done, I will never think differently of you than what I do now."

I smirked lightly, standing up straight and locking gazes with the…no my Hokage. "Thank you Lady Tsunade. I am glad to be serving under you." I sighed, loosing my serious nature for a moment, and rubbed the back of my neck. "Well, I guess I'm off to piss people off now."

The blond busty woman laughed heartedly at my statement, then pulled me into a strangling hug. I chuckled at her action, and then saluted her before hopping onto the windowsill and looking back at her.

"Go on. You're going to be the best double, no maybe even triple, agent ever." Tsunade said, shaking her head with an amused grin as she sat back down in her chair.

I grinned, and then hopped out of the window, heading back to my home, so I could do as she said.

~End Flashback~

I roll my eyes at the memory, and then look around to see all the inhabitants of the room staring at me. I blink then look at Tsunade, "Um…what?"

She chuckles, "I just asked you something. But, never mind that. Shikamaru, go with Popori and tell everyone that she is innocent, merely hoodwinked."

I quirk an eyebrow at the blond. "Hoodwinked? Really? What if no one believes that?"

Tsunade nods, "You're right, that is a possibility. Shikamaru," She looks at my dark haired companion who gives her a nod of acknowledgement. "If anyone dares to question you on this matter, send them to me and I'll have a good talk with them."

Shikamaru presses his lips into a hard line to keep from smiling as he nods seriously. "Yes, Lady Tsunade."

I can't help but smirk, "Alright then. Let's get this over with." I sigh, stand and give my Hokage a bow of the head.

With that, Shikamaru and I head out into Konoha, to tell all that I am not a guilty person. I shake my head with an amused grin just thinking about the possible reactions of some of them. I already caught a glimpse at some of their opinions by talking with Kotetsu and Izumo. But, also I witnessed Naruto, Kakashi and Shikamaru's reactions. They all seemed pretty cool with it.

Shikamaru and I walk for a while, until we come upon a group that looks all too familiar. Team Oricha walk in the direction south of where Shiky and I were going. As soon as I catch sight of that beautiful dark red hair, I smile lightly to myself. I open my mouth to call out to them, but Shoji sees me first. His blue eyes wander over to my figure and he grabs Gontei's arm then lets go. He seems to jump up and down for a moment before sprinting over to me, nearly knocking me off my feet with the hug he gives me.

"Ah! Get off of me you idiot!" I growl as I struggle to get out of the bone breaking hold.

His auburn hair whips me in the face as he pulls away to take a look at me. "Popori! Oh, this is so great!" He looks back at my sensei and cousin, who are already within speaking distance, and yells to them happily. "Oricha Sensei, Gontei look! Our beloved Popori is back!" He's practically glowing with happiness.

Well, at least he isn't beating on me. I peer around his form to lock gazes with my cousin. As soon as our eyes meet, his blank expression turns into that of a relieved one. He was probably worried about me the whole time. He is so much like an older brother to me… I smile softly and maneuver around Shoji to get to my cousin.

As soon as I'm within his reach, Gontei captures me in his grasp and hugs me tightly. I hug him back, happy to be reunited with him. He pulls away, and for a moment I think he's going to say something. My eyes widen in anticipation, but he only sneezes, looking away so he doesn't direct any of the stuff at me. I sigh, a bit disappointed, and then turn to my Sensei.

As soon as I look to her, she gives me her gentle smile and approaches me. Placing her hands on my shoulders, she looks into my eyes and speaks in her soft nature.

"Popori Ikame, you gave your team quite a scare. Next time you feel like doing something like that, maybe you can inform us and we can do it together?" The dark red haired woman smiles at me, and then delivers a gentle hug.

I hug her back, then pull away and give my team a skeptical look. "Wait…what do you think I went off to do?"

Shoji rolls his eyes and throws an arm around my shoulders, which results in me taking that arm and flipping him onto his back. I glare down at him, then release his arm. He laughs up at me, and then brushes himself off and stands back up. I hear Shikamaru snicker slightly; reminding me that he is still here with us.

"Like I was about to say, before you interrupted me," Shoji begins with a huge smile on his face. "We know you enough to have a pretty good idea on what you were planning on doing. Orochimaru is dead, is he not? Well, you hated the bastard, right? After I heard that damn snake was killed, I knew you'd be back soon. Oricha Sensei and Gontei here agreed with me on that much." He shows a smile that makes him look like he is a boy proud of his newly given award.

I snort, rather loudly, and then look at my three teammates. "Well, that's nice to hear, but you guys would have hindered my mission, rather than made it easier."

Gontei gave me a look that clearly said, "And what mission would that be?"

I issue them all a secretive smile, "That, my friends, is for me to know and for no one else ever to find out."

Shikamaru chuckles lightly and takes my upper arm once more, "Well it seems like they didn't need to be told. Looks like they already knew." He gave my team a short wave, and then led me away again.

I look up at the dark haired, younger male with a quizzical look. "So…basically, we're going around and whoever we run into next, whether they have good or bad feelings for me at the moment, and telling them that I am innocent and free of all charges so they don't kill me on the spot?"

Shikamaru rolls his eyes and looks down at me with an amused smirk, "Yeah. That sounds about right."

I nod, "Good that sounds super fun." I say sarcastically, spying our next group to talk with.

Team Gai is in a nearby training field of course. Tenten and Neji are watching as Lee and Gai attack each other with super speed. I grimace, then look up at Shikamaru with skeptical eyes. I don't really want to talk to them right now…

"It's either them, or Ino." Shiky says, sounding rather bored.

I frown, Ino and I never really talked, but from what I've seen of her, she doesn't really like me. Maybe it was because Shoji spent more time with me than with her? She did seem to have a special look for him whenever he got around to her.

I look back to the training team, then bow my head and trudge over to them. Shikamaru follows closely behind, probably to keep them in line if they decide I need to be executed on spot.

I sigh dramatically, then fold my arms behind my back as I get closer to them. When I am close enough for me to be able to speak with them without raising my voice, they have all just started staring at me. I study all of their expressions. Tenten looks like she's seeing a ghost, Neji is sneering, Lee's eyes are even wider than usual, and Gai is studying me with an equally serene nature as myself.

The first to break the silence is Lee, of course. He bounds over to me, then says/yells, "Popori Ikame, what are you doing here?"

I stare at him blankly, then look over at Shikamaru who speaks in his bored tone. "Popori has been labeled innocent by The Hokage. Lady Tsunade has asked us to—"

Lee cuts him off by slicing through air with his bandaged hand. "No, I meant why she was on our training field. Unless she is planning to train with me, I think she should leave."

I raise an eyebrow at the miniature Gai. "What do you mean by that Lee?"

He looks over at Neji, who has his arms crossed and isn't even looking in my general direction anymore. "Neji is not your biggest fan at the moment. I believe that he would rather not be in your presence right now."

I nod in agreement, glancing over at the Hyuga. I didn't expect him to act any differently. I turn to leave, then hear Tenten yell to me.

"Nice to see you in one piece, Popori! Welcome back to Konoha." The brunette says, smiling as she says it.

I glance over my shoulder to her and give her a tight smile before jogging back to the main paths. Shikamaru catches up to me and takes my shoulders and guides me somewhere. I stare blankly for a while before speaking.

"Where are you taking me?"

He smirks, then pushes me towards a couple piles of lumber. I quirk an eyebrow at him before realizing who all is there. Team Kurenai, Ino and Choji all stare at me like I have a growth on my face. I start fiddling with my hands before I feel Shikamaru put an arm on my shoulder and lean his weight on me.

"Well guys, just thought I'd stop by and tell you that Tsunade says that Popori is innocent, and anyone who has a problem with it can go talk with the Hokage themselves." I look up to see him smirking, rather attractively as he waits for the outburst.

Unsurprising to me, the only ones who start yelling are Kiba and Ino. The two obviously don't like the fact that I was let off the hook so easily. I don't really know why Kiba is so upset, maybe because he was looking forward to fighting me. He always was the bloodthirsty one; he used to like to spar with me until either of us started bleeding. Ino, I just think she sees me as competition. She's a good looking girl…and I've been led to believe that I am too, I guess. And naturally she wants me out of the way because Shoji flirts with me more.

Now, for the guys who don't hate me at the moment. Hinata is too gentle to hold any hard feelings towards me. I came back, and that's probably all that matters in her eyes. Shino probably never cared in the first place. Choji trusts Shikamaru, and if he says that I'm innocent, well by God I'm innocent.

I sigh, waiting for the pair to cease their yelling so I can move on with my life. But, when I think it's all done, Kiba lunges at me. I'm totally taken off guard and just stand there paralyzed. He's a comrade, and I can't injure him; it's against my code, so I just stand there and wait for him to hit me. But that never comes.

I here the lazy man beside me sigh, and I look over at him. I glance over at Kiba to see him frozen in place. Shikamaru stopped the wild boy before he could injure me. How nice…I roll my eyes. Like I couldn't handle it myself…ugh.

Shikamaru sighs once more then speaks, "Kiba, I just said that if you have any problems with this, go talk with Lady Tsunade. I'm allowed to kick your ass if you get out of line trying to harm Popori." He narrows his gaze and speaks more seriously, "And trust me, if you try harming her again, even if Tsunade wasn't giving the order, I will make sure you regret it with every fiber of your being."

I'm pretty sure every person who heard what he just said, blinked in surprise at Shikamaru's choice of words after they heard them. Wow, over-protective much? Gees, he's getting to be almost as bad as Gontei. And that's to the point where it's seriously annoying. Do any of these people even know how he feels about me? I look around at all the surprised expressions, and get my answer. Obviously, hell to the no.

I scratch my head nervously then punch Shiky-kun's arm with enough force to make him falter his hand sign, breaking the jutsu that holds Kiba in place. The lazy genius cocks an eyebrow at me, then looks back to Kiba as if he's making sure he won't go out of line. The wild boy merely shrugs the previous happening off and returns to Akamaru's side.

I look over all of the young ninjas and bow my head, "I am sorry if I cause any trouble for my actions, which I know I have." I turn my head quickly so I can glare at Shiky so he doesn't try and say anything different about it like I know he was going to. "I've made some big mistakes…but in the end, I probably wouldn't have done it any differently if I knew what would happen."

I think back to the murderous thoughts I had of Sasuke. I genuinely wanted to see him strangled to death by my own hands for what he had let himself become. Also I wanted to jam a kunai into Madara's heart for leading him into that path of darkness. And again, I also wanted to kill all the people who had forced Itachi to kill off the Uchiha clan. Slowly, savoring each of their deaths.

I admit, that I wanted each of those bloody things to play out exactly like I had planned out in my mind repeatedly. But, really all I wanted was for Sasuke not end up the way he did. I just wanted my dear friend back. I was just like Naruto, but in my case, I lost hope far too early.

I wouldn't have changed myself going after Sasuke if I could. No, not at all. I would only change the way I went with him. I would have talked with him more about everything. I would have been his best friend like I used to be. I would have made him pure again.

I stand up straight, look around at all of the familiar faces, then turn on my heel and walk away. I want to talk with my uncle. No, I need to talk with my uncle. I have to discuss the up and coming war with him. I have to plan things out…I have to make cautionary measures if things happen the way I wouldn't favor them to.

I have to think about what I will do if I fight Sasuke in this war.

AN: wooo! Yeah, this is pretty much the longest chapter I've written in this fic, I think. Yep, pretty sure. Okay, so the next chapter will be focused on WAR STUFF! Hell yeahz baby! There's going to be bloodshed, descriptive bloodshed, like… '300' bloodshed! Yes! I will be putting all my writing skills into this next chapter. There may or may not be a battle between Popori and Sasuke…bc if I do have the two fight…Po-chan will more than likely die and leave all your dreams shattered. And, I know you like your happy endings, so I will most likely not have them fight. I mean, yeah Popori is bad ass enough to be able to beat up on Karin, but not nearly bad ass enough to kill Sasuke…that's just fact.

So! That is all I wrote for this…I hope you enjoyed it. I know I had fun typing it up.

Oh yes, and this chap DEFINITELY makes up for the cruddy short chaps I've been giving you lately~