Alas I have returned for a second chapter. I will tell you right now that there will be a third. I don't think this one is written as well as the first, so be forewarned. Also there is a lot less romance in this one, I'm saving all the goo for the third installment (hopefully my creativity won't fail me). I apologize for an OCCness that may be present. Happy Halloween!

Reminder: This story does not necessarily follow the Naruto time line, and it more of a collection of one-shots than an actual story.

Rating: T for minor language and some adult themes.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any shape or form. The only thing I do own is Aika...

"Kakashi-sensei, someone's up ahead!" Naruto called out over his shoulder before running over to the unconscious figure on the ground, "it's a girl!" Against his better judgment he knelt down beside her. Covering her was a black high-collared jacket with deep red clouds covering it; the sleeves were rolled up for some unknown reason.

Her chocolate brown hair was clean, though not extremely clean. Her bear limbs had dirt on them, but no bruises or sign of a struggle. It was strange to see nothing out of the ordinary on someone passed on in the middle of a road. Kakashi was much more cautious; however, once he was sure that she was indeed asleep, he turned her over.

Naruto's nose started bleeding at the sight, she was wearing nothing but a black silky set of undergarments beneath the odd cloak. The jounin just stared down nonchalantly. Sasuke, who was standing off to the side stared at the scene with narrowed eyes. Sakura was blushing beside him.

"She's not our problem." Kakashi straightened back up, not really seeing a reason for taking her to Konoha, "she's not hurt."

Sakura took a timid step forward, "but sensei, she's barely wearing any clothes, something must have happened to her for her not to be dressed." It was obvious what she was implying to everyone but the little oblivious Naruto who was still staring at the stranger.

"What kind of ninjas would we be if we just left her here, huh?" The blond said in slight frustration, surely they weren't just going to leave her there and let something happen to her. Sure, she was okay now, but there was little doubt that she would stay that way if left alone.

The whole situation had Kakashi puzzled, not that he'd show it of course, but there was something about the unconscious stranger. Why would a nearly naked woman be lying on the ground- seemingly unscathed- in the middle nowhere?

The masked man did the only thing he thought he could to do, and picked her up gently. One arm was under her bent knees while another was under her shoulders. At least they were returning from a mission, and not the other way around.

Naruto and Sakura seemed relieved, as Sasuke remained nonchalant. Questions started to arise after a few moments of silence. The girl was still soundly sleeping in Kakashi's arms, not even the new movement of being carried stirred her. Naruto looked down and saw a tattered black ribbon on the ground. He picked it up and promptly pocketed it.

It was probably better that way, for all parties. As long as Aika slept, the secrets of the Akatsuki were safe. Not that she knew an extreme amount of inside information. All she did was sleep around. She wasn't even a member, and that was something she knew all too well.

She had been closer to Konoha then she thought, not that it was her destination or anything. Overall it only took about two hours for cell seven to reach it.

Now that they were home, there was a flurry of things they could do. They could take the mystery woman to the hospital, though there weren't any visible wounds, or they could take her to the Hokage, though she wouldn't be able to say anything due to unconsciousness. They could also take her to one of their homes or drop her off with someone else they came across.

Decisions, decisions. Kakashi went the medical route. After the nins relayed the circumstances, a flirtatious nurse quickly led Kakashi to an empty room where she would be looked after. The jounin laid her down as gently as he had picked her up. She still did not stir.

The nurse checked her vital signs. They were all normal, however she did notice some uncanny bags under the woman's closed lids. "She just appears to be fatigued." She commented lightly. Kakashi nodded in agreement before murmuring something along the lines of 'I will be back later' and turned to leave.

"Onii-san..." She murmured every so lightly. It made him hesitate, and Kakashi rarely hesitated. The two stared at her, seeing if she had awaken, however nothing else was uttered from her pale lips. He once again turned and took his leave.

His team, who had been waiting in the waiting room, now joined him. "So what'd they say, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked with an overwhelming amount of curiosity. Kakashi merely shrugged before saying that she was just tired- careful to leave out her whispered words.

***

"Oh! You're finally awake!" The voice was so unfamiliar that it nearly frightened me. My eyes focused on the ceiling, shining a powerful tone of sadness that even the nurse could easily see. She frowned in return.

White. The ceiling was white with tiny grey specs. I had a headache. My leg muscles were torn from running for so very long from the hideout. The nurse, garbed in white, began asking me questions.

I simply turned over so that my back was facing her. A part of me wanted to spite the Akatsuki. To tell the ninjas of any village everything I knew. But deep down, I knew that it would be a bad idea. I would probably be killed.

"What's your name?" She had moved so that I was now facing her. My brown eyes looked up into her green ones blankly. What use would she have with my name?

I turned over again.

The nurse let out a frustrated noise at my defiance, but I didn't care. Sasori-kun... Tears welled up in my eyes for the thousandth time the past couple days. How could I be so stupid? He never loved me, hardly even cared for me.

A (very) small piece of me longed to go home to my father and brother. "Otou-sama..." He would kick me out as soon as I showed my face in Suna. It dawned on me that I was ultimately unwanted everywhere.

"Do you want your father...or brother?" I glanced at her over my shoulder, brother? How did she know I had a brother? Sure I let father slip but...I hadn't even thought of Jun-niisama since...since I left the Akatsuki.

My eyes narrowed lightly, what was she up to? "No." I answered plainly with a tone that was uncannily covered in ice. The nurse took a step back at my threatening gaze. Really, she didn't mean to touch a nerve.

But she had hit it dead on. "If you are alright, I will take my leave then." She murmured lightly at me in a tone that suggested she was waiting on me to stop her. I did not; I let her leave without a word.

I forced myself to sit up, which is when I noticed that I had been changed into a hospital gown. Frantic, my eyes skewered the room for the cloak, only to find it lying at the foot of the bed. I quickly swiped it back up to my chest and inhaled deeply.

It smelt like him. Sawdust with a hint of something unknown. It was a smell that only men seemed to be able to possess, one that was a surefire turn-on if inhaled in the heat of passion.

I buried my face into the cloth and breathed in slowly. Sasori-kun... My heart shuddered at the thought of him. Why did you..."I see you are finally awake."

My body did not move, not even a twitch, to the voice that too was unfamiliar. I was lost in the soft black fabric, in the scent of my lo-...former lover. Saline once more sprang up to greet my lidded eyes.

The owner of the masculine voice did not say anything else. He watched me silently as I lifted my head from the cloak to look at him. I could tell he was a ninja just from the mask and vest he wore. A strange man holding an even stranger book. He read to fill the silence, but stopped when he noticed the tears in my eyes.

***

The first thing Kakashi noticed was the overbearing sense of despair. The sheer amount of it was almost enough to stop him from coming inside. He could tell right away that she had an amazing ability to force her feelings onto others, even if it wasn't on purpose.

However, it was enough to make him close his orange book. If anything could keep him from reading, it was his curiosity. He wanted to know what could happen to make a woman so sad (though through his own experiences, he knew that it probably wasn't that hard), and ultimately what she had been doing in the middle of the road.

"I am in Konoha." She spoke softly, just as she had earlier in her sleep. Kakashi stared at her through a half-lidded eye. It was a gaze that reminded her of Sasori, and it made her quickly hate him for it.

"Yes you are." Kakashi replied, though she had only made a statement. He was just confirming it for her. Obviously she had some knowledge of the villages if she could recognize the leaf emblem on his headband.

The leaf made Aika's mind drift to Itachi. She remained silent as her grip on her jacket noticeably tightened. The change in atmosphere made Kakashi lift a brow, did she have something against the leaf village?

But the truth was she did not. She had nothing against the village, or Itachi, or anything. She couldn't hold a grudge to save her life, and it was one trait that put her in this situation in the first place.

Her gaze- which was directed at the bed- narrowed at the reoccurring thoughts of how she ended up here. The anger present was directed towards no one but herself- the only person she could almost never forgive. Kakashi noticed this as well. It was obvious by her new demeanor that she wasn't a threat.

***

Something abruptly hit me in the side of the head. My eyes widened in shock as I quickly turned an accusing face to the masked man. He put on an innocent face while reopening his book to continue where he left off.

I glared at him with the ferocity of a wet kitten as the small rubber ball fell to the waxy hospital floor. Rubber ball...

"Arigato, Sasori-san, would you like to join us? It's really fun!" I piped happily at a much younger red-headed ninja. A wide smile was plastered on my face and was directed to no one but him.

"I am busy." He replied rather flatly, but my smile only dimmed slightly as he handed me back the bright red rubber ball. I gently took it from him, my fingers brushing against his own.

A blush lightly graced my face as I looked up at him. His face was the slightest tint of red as well. "Aika-neechan! Hurry up!" My head turned over my shoulder to see the gaggle of other children anxious to play with the sphere some more until it was time to go home.

I began to turn from away from him to return when his voice stopped me, like it always did, "Aika-chan."

My eyes rose again, "yes, Sasori-kun?" There was a shadow of a smile on his lips, so very minute, almost invisible.

"Come by later." He replied bluntly before taking the first exit.

***

"Where are you from?" Kakashi asked lightly, though he already had a pretty good guess. She smelt like sand, it wasn't strong; however his canine-esque nose could easily detect it. Sand and flowers, a rather beautiful mixture.

The woman lowered the cloak more, almost letting go of it. "It does not matter." She whispered softly in response.

So she is a runaway then. Kakashi concluded within his head. He had already assessed that she had no ninja training, for if she did she would have easily caught the ball he threw at her. In fact, despite the depressing air she was able to produce, there was nothing special about her.

Though she was ungifted in the ninja arts, she was still a stranger. A very strange stranger at that. Why would a run-away be garbed in nothing but lingerie and a mysterious black, red-clouded cloak?

"Sunagakure." The sound of her voice was a tad bit unsettling. So far only the air had been sad, but now her voice gained a new tone. It was regretful, but only in the slightest bit.

There was something wrong with her answer. There was no doubt in Kakashi's mind that she had originated from Suna, however when they found her she hardly had any sand on her. She smelled of it, yes, but that could easily be from living there for years.

No, she was much to clean to have been running away from the sand village, much much too clean. That wasn't the only thing either, from the lack of clothing she would have easily attained scratches and scrapes from the constant beating of the sandy wind. There were no such wounds on her; there wasn't even a scratch.

Despite this set back, it did provide a little more information. She was a civilian from Sunagakure, with no ninja training. She had been running away from something or someone. And lastly, she was not in any great danger, for she was much too calm to be in any. Kakashi came up with what he thought could be the only logical answer: she ran away from a broken heart.

***

The fluttering of a thin black material caught his eye, and the metal tip of his puppet's tail swept down to gingerly pick it up. Sasori brought the old ribbon closer to his face. The edges were frayed, the color was faded, but most of all it smelled faintly like sand. Sand and flowers.

Deidara blinked at his partner, unsure of what exactly he was doing. A closer inspection of the fabric led him to believe that it belonged to their little whore. Not many women would keep such a worn out ribbon simply because of sentimental value.

However there was a problem. One was missing. Their target has two identical ribbons and so far they had only found one. Even more peculiar is the location: tangled in a piece of grass on the side of the dirt road.

Sasori tucked the treasured item into his pocket with the help of Hiroku's tail. The sand had an almost unnoticeable impression in it, as if someone had been lying there.

There five sets of tracks leading to the area of impression, but only four leading away from it. The one set (which he assumed was his missing person) had suddenly become ragged near the point of the depression in the sand. She had sluggishly fallen to the ground, and since none of the tracks leading away matched her own, it was safe to say that she was lifted from the area in which she had fallen.

It appeared (to him) that she was drugged. Probably with a senbon needle or even something slipped into what she had eaten. The shoe impressions matched those of the common ninja sandal.

Sasori's heart started to move faster. His flower had no training in the art of fighting. She could never defend herself and even if she could, she would not. Despite being in a kind-of league with a criminal organization, she did not like violence. So, Sasori came up with what he thought could be the only logical answer: she was kidnapped.

Sasori entered the alleyway with nothing but hatred in his brilliant red eyes. Aika had not come to see him, when she always did. Naturally he went to look for her and when he began his journey to her home he heard the scream. A sound that could only be emitted from her throat. A sound that should have been sweet as laughter was full of terror.

There were three of them surrounding her, none with any skill other than torturing young girls. Yes she was a still a girl, even at the age of fourteen. Everyone was surprised by her innocence due to who her mother was.

But he didn't care what the village thought of her. He didn't care what anyone thought of her. She was his and that was all that mattered. His to touch and kiss and protect, not these three insolent souls.

It didn't take long for Sasori to make the blue strands of chakra and to wrap them around her attackers. He jerked his hands and threw them away from her, and nearly smiled when he saw that she was still untouched.

They tried to attack him then, but he jerked the strings again to send them flying away. He cut the strings and moved towards her shuddering form. Her thing sweater was torn in various places, exposing flesh that shouldn't be exposed.

Aika collapsed into him and sobbed, making him even angrier. "I will kill them." He said bluntly, but she shook her head. Sobbed and shook her head at him. She didn't want them to die. She didn't want anyone to die.

The red head did not understand her. She was so simple and naïve to him, but that was why he loved her. Maybe that was why she was able to love him back; he never understood how she could love him.

Her cries stopped as he continued to hold her. He kissed the top of her head, making her look up at him. Their lips met softly as his hands situated themselves on her hips. They longed to roam, but he remained in control of his fleeting hormones. She parted from him and smiled, and that was when he vowed to never hurt her.

Fin (for now)

I hope you enjoyed it [:

I felt like the story was boring without the spice of the two flashbacks, plus it helped add some romance into it. I hope you guys enjoyed those as well :D Also, sorry for all the changes in point of view. I would get tired of first person and switch, and then hate third person and switch. Thanks for reading! And extra special thanks to everyone who reviewed on the first chapter, it really gave me the inspiration to continue.