A/N: I am sooo sorry for the delay! I've just moved to my new apartment in - guess what - Kyoto! And I've been terribly busy. Geez, in my country people would never notice me, but here people keep staring at my blonde head. Some find it fascinating, others find it scary (yeah, they think I don't understand what they're saying...).

Anyway! I've been changing the plot from here, since I didn't really like the original one, after all. That's why writing this chapter and the next took so long.

To compensate for all the time I made you guys wait, I'll upload two chapters today. Don't worry, the next one is a lot longer.

Hope you like it! ^^

It was dusk, and the main street was crowded. Naruto had just parted ways with Sakura and Yamato, on his way to Ichiraku. His thoughts were clouding his mind so much; he barely even noticed there was anyone on the street.

Why can't I do this? The Kyuubi's chakra comes out almost every day now. And this time it was right in front of Kaede-neechan, too. She must be freaked out.

The image of a terrified Sakura flashed before his eyes. He had hurt her, scared her. He'd so hoped it would never happen again… but he had known better. He knew the risks of this training right from the start. But he had to master this technique. He had to.

Sasuke…

A slim hand landing softly on his upper arm woke him up from his thoughts. A pair of blue eyes caught his own, looking warily, but firmly at him.

"Kaede-neechan," he said.

Kaede stared at him for the longest time before her eyes finally softened and a faint smile appeared on her face.

"Can we talk?" she asked.

Naruto nodded slowly and they moved to the side of the street.

"Listen," started Kaede, sounding a little insecure, "about what happened… You know."

"Yeah," muttered Naruto. "I know."

Kaede shifted, looking away. Her lips moved a bit, but no sound came out. It was as though she was trying to find her words. After a while, she sighed and looked back at him.

"I'm not going to lie to you. You scared me back there. I… I was scared out of my mind."

Naruto looked at his feet, feeling embarrassed.

"You must have been having it so tough."

Her words made him look back at her in surprise. Her eyes showed something that looked like compassion, worry, and something he couldn't quite put his finger on.

"Wielding such enormous demonic power inside you," she elaborated. "And being feared and hated for it. You must have been so lonely."

Before Naruto even knew what was going on, he was locked in her embrace. Her arms were wrapped around his shoulders and her ear was leaning against his.

"I'm sorry," she said softly.

Naruto froze. Paying not much attention to the people around them, staring at them as they passed, he was trying his best to comprehend what was going on here.

"What… what for?" he asked.

Kaede pulled back, withdrawing her arms. A tear was rolling down her cheek, but she smiled.

"Everything," she answered. "For running away."

"Running away?" repeated Naruto. "That Shadow Clone was chasing you. Anyone would've run. Who knows what could've happened if you didn't."

Kaede blinked, but then she snorted, followed by a soft laugh.

"W-what?" asked Naruto. Is she laughing at me?

"No, nothing," laughed Kaede. "I'm sorry. Hey, wanna hear more about your parents?"

"Eh?"

I really can't figure this lady out, he thought.

"Umm, sure," he replied. Right after he said it, his stomach drew her attention with a mighty roar. Damn it…

"How about we grab a bite?" Kaede suggested. "My treat."

Naruto felt the smile on his face appear in an instant.

"Now we're talkin'," he cheered. "Ever had Ichiraku Ramen before?"

"Umm, no?" Kaede tilted her head lightly.

"This is the best food I've ever had!" She quickly put her hand on her mouth, feeling a blush creep up her cheeks. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say it that loud."

"Are you kidding?" said Ichiraku with a big smirk on his face. "Say it even louder! Let people know that my ramen is the best."

"This is really good," said Kaede.

"Told ya Ichiraku is the best," said Naruto. "I come here almost every day."

Kaede looked at him. "Every day?" she repeated. The questions she had wanted to ask him rose up again.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked while Naruto was finishing his fourth bowl of ramen.

"Wha'?" asked Naruto with his mouth full.

"You… grew up on your own, right?" asked Kaede.

Naruto swallowed and looked at her. "Yeah," he said.

"Well… did people come and visit you? Or offer you something to eat?" asked Kaede.

"No," said Naruto. He stared at his now empty bowl. "I grew up on my own. I didn't have any friends. Everyone hated me."

"But… you never did anything wrong, did you?" asked Kaede.

"Heh… I used to pull pranks on everyone," said Naruto with a faint smile.

"I know all about that," Ichiraku confirmed. "But that was really because he wanted to get people's attention. Right, Naruto?"

"Maybe," answered Naruto. "But I'm not like that anymore. I've changed ever since I became a ninja." He looked at her. "Iruka-sensei was the first to believe in me. You know Iruka-sensei?"

"Yeah, I know him," answered Kaede. "A little. I'm glad he's such a good friend to you."

"What about you, Kaede-neechan?" asked Naruto. "I just told you about my life, so now it's your turn. You told me you left Konoha when you were little, right?"

"Well… yeah," Kaede sighed. "That was 15 years ago, when…" She hesitated whether she should finish the sentence or not. She looked away.

"When what?" asked Naruto.

"When… the Kyuubi…" she whispered.

"Oh."

"I was evacuated with the other children," she continued. "We were brought to an orphanage in the next village by the Genin, while all the Chuunin and Jounin tried to stop the Kyuubi. A few days later, most of the children were picked up by their parents or relatives. But many children were told their parents were killed in action. And I was told my parents didn't want me back… and I believed them."

She clenched her teeth.

"I ran away," she continued. "I went from town to town. First, I didn't want to go back to Konoha. But after a few years, I really wanted to see them again. So I came back, only to find out that they're dead."

"What about Kakashi-sensei?" asked Naruto. "Why didn't he pick you up?"

"He wanted to," said Kaede, "even though I always thought he had abandoned me, too. But it turns out that… he thought I was dead, like all his other friends."

"So… what kept you going before you decided to come back?" asked Naruto.

"I don't know," said Kaede. "I mean, even at that age, I thought a lot about killing myself, but… something inside me told me I shouldn't."

A short silence fell.

"You…" Kaede looked at Ichiraku, who was staring at her. "Are you… Hey, aren't you—"

Oh, no, no, no, no!

Kaede flailed slightly with her hands, stopping the old man in the middle of his sentence. He did stop, nodding comprehendingly. Kaede thanked him mentally.

"So umm, what about you?" she asked Naruto quickly. "What kept you going all these years?"

Naruto gave her a strange look. "What was that all about?" he asked.

"What?" asked Kaede as nonchalantly as possible.

Naruto's eyes narrowed as he watched her.

Crap, I didn't want him to find out like this, thought Kaede.

"Nee-chan," mumbled Naruto.

Eek! He knows!

"You're not… some kind of celebrity, are you?"

…

That question made Kaede almost fall off her stool. She couldn't help but laugh again.

"What?" asked Naruto, sounding annoyed now. "What's so funny?"

"I'm sorry," said Kaede, forcing herself to stop laughing. "You don't catch on fast, do you?"

"Huh?"

"No, nothing. Sorry. I'll explain later, ok?"

"… Sure."

He was still annoyed. She could hear it in his voice.

"So… You still haven't answered my question," she said to change the subject. "What kept you going all those years?"

Naruto stared into her eyes before a faint smile appeared on his face.

"My dream to become Hokage," he answered. "I've always been determined to become the number one ninja in this village and make everyone acknowledge my existence."

"That's a beautiful dream," said Kaede. "Do your best. You can make it."

Naruto smirked. "Thank you, nee-chan," he said.

When Kaede was almost home, she got a bad feeling in her stomach.

I'm being followed… Is it Kakashi? No… A sudden shiver had her standing still for a few seconds. This alarming feeling… No… It can't be…!

Panic took over and she started to run. Away. Away. I have to get away! He's found me!

But it was too late. Someone grabbed her from behind, covered her mouth and dragged her into an abandoned alley, pinning her against the wall in a firm grip. Kaede struggled, but when the man started to speak, she froze.

"Long time no see, Michiko," he said. "Do you recognize me?"

Kaede was too afraid to move.

"Yeah, I thought you would," the man said. "Then I guess you already know what I'm gonna do with you. I'm gonna take you back home."

Kaede pulled herself together and bit his hand until he bled and let go. As the man screamed in pain, she used one of Kakashi's techniques to free herself and ran as fast as she could.

"I can do this," she whispered to herself while running away.

The man chased her. He grabbed her wrist and pushed her onto the ground. His knee rested heavily on her back and his free hand wandered through her hair before firmly grasping it in a painful grip. Still, Kaede was too afraid to make a sound.

"Did you really think you could escape from me?" he asked. "You can never escape. No matter where you go, I'll always find you. You know that."

He aggressively pulled her hair, making her position more than uncomfortable. His other hand let go of her wrist and slid up her arm, to her shoulder, to her neck. Kaede felt her breath get caught in her throat. Tears were already threatening to come out.

"I'm taking you back home now," he said again. "If you don't come obediently, I won't forgive you. I think you know what your punishment would be."

Kaede couldn't suppress a frightened whimper, one tear sliding down her cheek.

"And don't even think about running away again," he whispered. Kaede bit her lip so that she wouldn't scream.

"Now, if you see someone familiar on the way," the man said, "don't look at them. And if they talk to you, you act normal. Got it?"

He tugged at her hair even more strongly, forcing her on to her knees.

Kakashi… Help… I don't want to go back. Not there. Please, Kakashi, help me!

Her internal plea was interrupted by the man's voice.

"I said, you got it?"

"Y-yes!" Kaede's voice was high with fear.

"Good. Stop crying." He roughly removed his hands. "Get up."

Kaede felt weak, but gathered her strength to get up.

This was someone who couldn't be messed with.

A/N: On to the next chapter! (Oh, but if you could spare a minute for a review, that would be lovely~! ^^;)