A/N: You asked for it: longer chapters! Yaaaaaaaaay! ... Erhem, anywho, this chapter will answer some questions. Oh, I hope I haven't set Kakashi too much out of character, especially in the flashbacks...

Hope you like it! ^^

(P.S. Nii-chan or the suffix -niichan means "big brother". Kakashi was a like a brother figure to Kaede when she was little.)

That evening, Kakashi was staring out his window, not looking forward to the amount of paperwork he still had from his last mission. At moments like this, he was glad he wasn't Hokage. Sitting around doing nothing but paperwork most of the time, didn't sound all that appealing to him.

His eye flashed to the street when he saw Michiko walking around with a map, looking lost.

Kakashi went outside, on the street and walked towards her.

"Hi," he said. "Need help?"

Michiko looked up from her map, gasped and took a step back again. "N-no," she said. "Why are you following me?"

"I'm not following you," replied Kakashi, "I live here. Are you lost?" He took a look at the map. "Can't find the inn? Or are you living in an apartment?"

"No, please," said Michiko. "I… I know where to go, I just..." She took another two steps back.

"Did I do something wrong?" asked Kakashi. "I'm sorry if I've offended you…"

"It's nothing, really," she whispered. "If you'll excuse me…" She made a small bow, turned around and walked away.

This girl was getting suspicious.

"Wait," said Kakashi. "We've met somewhere before, haven't we?"

The girl stopped in her tracks.

"Tell me," continued Kakashi calmly. "Who are you?"

The she started to run.

"Hey!" called Kakashi. "Wait, come back!"

This girl was clearly not a ninja. Kakashi could chase her with ease. In a flash, he stood in front of her and she bumped into him. When he saw her face, when he could finally look into her eyes, he thought he recognized her.

"Kaede?" he asked.

Michiko immediately took a few steps back. Kakashi didn't move. "It's you, isn't it?" he asked. Michiko didn't answer. "You're alive…"

Finally, Michiko found her words. "I'm Michiko, not Kaede," she said.

"You used to live here when you were little, didn't you?" asked Kakashi, ignoring the lie she kept repeating.

"That's none of your business," said Michiko, getting nervous from Kakashi.

"You don't remember me?" asked Kakashi.

Michiko seemed to be losing her patience. Kakashi couldn't see her eyes, but he could see a tear running down her cheek. She was biting her lip and trembling a little.

"Just leave me alone …" she whispered, her voice shaking.

"I'm Kakashi," tried Kakashi. "When you were little—"

"I know."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. Michiko finally gave him a quick glance before she turned again, her long, blond hair swinging gracefully in the movement. After a moment of silence, she turned her head toward him with something that sounded like a sob, and she said: "Goodbye." And she ran again.

Kakashi wasn't going to give up like that and chased her again. "Wait," he said. He grabbed her wrist, forcing her to stop. The girl was squirming, trying to free herself from his grip. Kakashi was glad it was late and the streets were empty, otherwise they might have drawn attention. "So it is you," he continued calmly, not having any trouble keeping his grip.

"What do you want from me?" asked Michiko – no: Kaede – desperately. She stopped squirming.

Kakashi loosened his grip on her wrist, but didn't let go. "Just talk," he answered. "I thought you were…"

"… dead?" she finished in a grim tone. "Sorry to disappoint you."

"What?" asked Kakashi. But all Kaede did was turn her head, refusing to look at him.

Kakashi took a better look at her. It was strange to see her again, after fifteen years.

"You've grown up," he said. He finally let go of her wrist.

With a mixture of anger and sadness, she looked at him said: "It's been fifteen years, Kakashi. Fifteen horrible years! And it's all your fault!" Soft sobs followed that unexpected outburst.

"What are you talking about?" asked Kakashi calmly, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Kaede flinched and pushed his hand away. "Don't touch me," she said.

"Kaede, what happened to you?" asked Kakashi.

"Stop acting like you're concerned about me!" she said. "I know all about my parents… and about you!"

"What do you mean?"

"You wanted to get rid of me from the start! I was just a nuisance to everyone…"

"What?" interrupted Kakashi. "Kaede, that's not true-"

"And stop saying my name!" snapped Kaede. "I changed it a long time ago!"

"Why?" asked Kakashi. "Just what happened to you?"

"Too much happened to me!" she yelled. Tears were pouring out and she was trembling heavily. Kakashi didn't know what to do with her like this. He wanted to comfort her, but she would just refuse again.

She buried her face in her hands and shook her head. "No… no…" she muttered inarticulately, "I didn't want this to happen…"

"Kaede…" whispered Kakashi. She must have had a rough time. But how is this even possible? How can she still be alive?

They stood like that for a long time without a word.

When Kaede finally stopped sobbing, Kakashi tried to get her to talk again. "What did they tell you?" he asked carefully.

Kaede didn't look up. She stared at the ground.

"I had been in the orphanage for over two months," she started. "Most of the other children from Konoha got picked up by their parents again. Some were told that their parents were dead. That the Kyuubi had killed them. Those kids got adopted or got to live with relatives back in Konoha. I waited, and waited, but my parents never showed up."

"But didn't they tell you—" Kakashi started, but Kaede didn't listen to him and continued her story.

"I was being picked on by the other kids. They said I should just give up hope already. One of the caretakers told me my parents were not coming back for me… They didn't want me back. Everyone kept saying I should just agree with having myself put up for adoption. And that caretaker who told me the news, said that he would like to adopt me."

Her hand was forming a fist. She bit on her lip. She tried not to cry again.

"I felt so alone and that man was the only one who seemed to care about me. But…"

She couldn't go on.

"But…?" insisted Kakashi, but Kaede looked at him and shook her head.

"I ran away," she said. "I changed my name when I was 8, thinking that I could start over new. But… wherever I went… there were always… always… m-men who…" She turned her head again, embracing herself. "How could they do such things… to little children…" she whispered to herself.

"Kaede…" whispered Kakashi. "I had no idea—"

"No, you didn't, did you?" snapped Kaede angrily. "You haven't even got a clue of what I've been through! Or how painful, humiliating and lonely my life has been!"

Kakashi reluctantly agreed in silence. He tried to hold her, but she resisted. "What are you doing?" she said. "I told you not to touch me!"

"I'd never hurt you, Kaede," said Kakashi in a soft, gentle voice. "You need to calm down."

"Never hurt me?" repeated Kaede. "My life has just been one big hell because of you and my parents! My memories of Konoha are the only good memories I have! The first four years of my life! I can't remember much, but they're the only memories that kept me going!"

She looked down and let the tears drop onto the ground.

Kakashi tried to hold her again, but Kaede flinched. Kakashi decided not to try it again. He felt powerless not to be able to comfort her. He felt angry – furious – with the men who had done this to her. He felt guilty that he had sent her away on the day of the Kyuubi, instead of staying with her and protect her.

He thought about that day, fifteen years ago. Before that day, they used to be like family to each other. How did it end up like this, he asked himself.

"Kakashi-niichan!" cheered the toddler. "Look, look! I went to the park with Mommy and I got you this pretty flower!"

Fourteen-year-old Kakashi smiled down at the four-year-old. "That's sweet of you, Kaede," he said friendly. He took the flower and said: "I'll cherish it," he said. He put the flower above her ear, in her hair. "Will you put it in a little glass of water, so it won't die?" he asked. "Then I'll be sure to take it home with me after training." Kaede smiled and nodded.

The Fourth Hokage walked towards them end lifted the little girl up. "There's my big girl," he said. "Hey, Kakashi's training, so you shouldn't distract him too much, honey. Ok?"

"Ok," said little Kaede. "Sorry, Kakashi-niichan."

"Don't worry about it," said Kakashi. "I'll see you later, ok?"

"Ok," said Kaede with a big smile. Minato put her back down and she ran back home.

"It's still funny to see you being that little girl's best friend," said Rin with a smirk.

"She's just really looking up to you, Kakashi," said Minato.

"Literally," added Rin. Kakashi just smiled underneath his mask.

"Well, I'm glad you're being so nice to my daughter," said Minato.

"No problem at all," said Kakashi. "I like playing with her. Makes me feel like a big brother."

Kakashi looked at the nineteen year old, who was crying and wouldn't accept his comforting hand. She didn't just change from the outside. She was broken; yet brave enough to move on.

"Kaede," he whispered, "I've never stopped thinking about you. You, your parents, Rin, Obito… I think about all of you every day."

Kaede looked at him, her eyes clouded with tears. "You always told me not to live in the past," she said.

"Yes, that's right," replied Kakashi, "but that doesn't mean I should forget all of you." He took another good look at her. "Sometimes I was even imagining what you would look like by now if you were still alive," he said.

"Like that 'Sexy Jutsu' the kid used this afternoon?" she asked grimly.

Kakashi looked at her in surprise, but then chuckled a little. "To be honest, I've never even seen that jutsu," he said. He was thinking about how she just called him "the kid" without even knowing she was talking about her own brother.

"I don't see what's so funny, Kakashi," said Kaede.

She had every right to be angry with him. She had pleaded him not to send her away with the other children, but he had. It had been the start of something awful.

What seemed like a peaceful night became the worst nightmare in the history of Konoha.

"We have to evacuate our children to the next town! All Genin and Ninja Academy graduates should take them there! Send all Chuunin and Jounin to the battlefield!"

Kakashi ran towards the Fourth Hokage. "So it's true," he said. "It is the Kyuubi. I'll collect as many Chuunin and Jounin as I can."

"Kakashi-niichan!" shouted a crying Kaede. "Don't leave us!"

"I won't," said Kakashi. "I'll be back. Now you go along with the other children. We'll see each other again, real soon." He patted her head.

"I don't want to go," said the four-year-old. Minato picked her up. "That's enough, Kaede," he said. "Go, Kakashi."

Kakashi nodded, winked at Kaede and took off.

"Kaede," said Minato, putting his daughter back on the floor. "Do as Kakashi says and go with the other children and the Genin.

"I don't wanna go, Daddy!" cried Kaede. "I want to stay with you and Mommy!"

Kushina was still in the hospital after giving birth to their son. Kaede didn't know about it yet, because they wanted to surprise her by showing her new brother after she had spent so much time talking to her mother's belly.

But before Minato could go to the hospital, he had to get Kaede out of here.

"Kaede, be a big girl now and do as Daddy says, ok?" he said. "This is very important."

"I don't wanna go!" said Kaede again.

"I know it's scary, honey, but you have to go," said Minato desperately. "It's only for a little while!"

Kaede hesitated. Then she nodded and ran along with other young children, who were following a few Genin.

"Kaede-chan," called one of the Genin, "stay close to us! You think you can keep up?"

"Yeah," answered Kaede. The Genin nodded and continued her search for more children. The smallest children and the babies were being carried.

Before they ran towards the main exit of the village, Kaede saw Kakashi running the other way. She took the opportunity to sneak away from the group of fleeing children and tried to catch up to Kakashi.

"Kakashi-niichan!" she shouted. Kakashi looked back and saw Kaede. He stopped and ran back towards her. "Go on ahead, I'll be right there!" he said to the other ninjas. "Kaede, what are you doing?" He kneeled to the same eye level as Kaede. "You have to get out of here!"

"I don't want to go, Kakashi-niichan!" she said. She started to cry again. "I'm scared! Please don't make me go! Please!"

Kakashi sighed. He had to think of something.

"Alright then," he said.

"You promise?" asked Kaede. "You promise you won't make me go?"

"… I promise I'll keep you safe," answered Kakashi firmly. He picked her up and ran towards the main street. Kaede held him tightly. She was glad she got to stay with him and her parents. She knew something terrible would happen if she went out there. She could feel it.

But what happened then was something she didn't expect to happen. Kakashi stopped and said to one of the Genin: "Take her with you. Don't let her run by herself."

"What?" yelled Kaede. "But Kakashi—"

"This is for your own good," he said. "You can't stay here, it's too dangerous!"

"But you promised," she said with teary eyes.

"I promised to keep you safe," he answered, "and that's exactly what I'm doing."

Kakashi looked away and gave her to the Genin.

"Don't send me away," begged Kaede. "Nii-chan…"

Without looking, Kakashi said: "Go." The Genin nodded and took Kaede with him.

Kakashi heard Kaede calling him. "No! Kakashi-niichan! Help me! You promised! YOU PROMISED!" He felt like he had betrayed her.

"I'm sorry…"

"… Kaede."

A/N: Ok that is a terrible moment to end the chapter, but this time I think it's actually getting too long if it goes on any further. Heh. Need to find that balance, just too much is happening here! xD

Another great big thanks to those who have already reviewed, and as always, I'm looking forward to reading more of them. :)