A/N: Wow... this chapter is... GINORMOUS! O.O

Anyway, this'll explain to you how Kaede came to be Kaede even after everything she's been through in the past, and why she's being taken away again. (Don't worry, I won't let her go away that easily. :3)

Enjoy! :D

(Fyi: The parts in italics are memories. Just sayin'. :P)

Kaede stood next to the window, watching as a soft breeze carried away the blooming cherry blossoms of the temple's garden. She couldn't remember feeling so peaceful before in her life.

"Maho-sama," she started before she looked from the window to the elderly woman, who sat in a chair next her, reading a book. Maho looked up with a smile.

"Today is such a lovely day," said Kaede. "May I go for a stroll down the garden?"

"Of course, dear," said Maho, closing her book.

"If it is possible," said Kaede, gathering some courage to speak her mind, "I would like to go by myself today."

Maho blinked, but then smiled again and nodded. "Very well. If you do need me to accompany you, don't be afraid to ask."

"Thank you, Maho-sama." Kaede made a polite bow towards the elderly woman and headed outside.

"If you happen to see Iwao-kun out there," Maho called after Kaede, "tell him I want to talk to him."

Kaede looked at her over her shoulder with a smile. "I will, Maho-sama."

She talked about Iwao as though he were a boy, but in fact, he was slightly older than Kaede and very tall. When Kaede first entered the temple three years ago, she was in a severely traumatized state. Iwao had scared her with his height. It had taken many moons before she finally got used to him, and in the end, the two became friends.

Though Kaede was always too anxious to go outside by herself, afraid that she might be taken again, Iwao had played a big part in helping her get over that fear.

Kaede stepped into the huge garden, the sunlight making her ocean blue flower-printed silk kimono shine. She took small steps, strolling between the cherry trees and enjoying the cool breeze that went though her hair on this warm day. She took a moment to stand still, close her eyes and smell the spring air.

"Oh? I think this is the first time I've ever seen you alone, Micchan."

She recognized the voice immediately, but the playful way he shortened her alias to 'Micchan' gave him away completely. Kaede smiled and turned her head to find Iwao right next to her.

"I just felt like today was a good day to try."

"So, how do you like it so far?"

"It's… not bad. I don't feel scared."

"That's good. This is a huge step for you, you know that?"

Kaede nodded. "Maho-sama wishes to speak to you."

"I see. Are you ok on your own?"

"Yes, I'll be fine."

Iwao turned and took a few quiet paces before he stopped.

"Micchan."

Kaede turned around, facing his back.

"I think you'll be able to leave soon. Have you decided on where to go yet?"

Kaede's heart skipped a beat. She wasn't sure she was ready to go back to the outside world alone.

"I… I don't know. I was thinking of going back to… to my hometown."

"I see," said Iwao, still not turning to face her. "The thing is, I'll be leaving this place soon, as well. I'm going to live somewhere less concealed."

"You're leaving?"

"Yeah. If you'd like, you can stay with me for a couple days until you're ready to travel by yourself."

Kaede looked up at the sky, stretching endlessly above them.

"I… Thank you. I'd like that."

Kaede kept staring at the ground as they walked. She was too afraid to look up or make any sounds. She could feel his eyes burning into her, warning her that another attempt to escape would result into something even worse than what was waiting for her back in his mansion. She couldn't oppress a shiver.

"Act normal," hissed the man behind her.

"I'm sorry, Iwao-sama," whispered Kaede.

"Whoa!"

Kaede felt so small in this huge foyer.

Iwao chuckled behind her, putting his baggage beside him on the floor. "You like it?"

Kaede looked at him, overwhelmed with shock and surprise.

"Are you serious? I didn't even know you were this rich!"

"Yeah, well, my father has some fairly… well growing… business. I'm kind of following in his footsteps. Anyway, I'll show you to your room. You have your own bathroom. You can stay here as long as you like."

"My own bathroom…"

Kaede flinched slightly when Iwao laid a soft hand on her shoulder. Iwao merely smiled at this.

"Right this way," he said.

Kaede could have sworn she heard something like… eagerness in his voice.

"Let's see," said Iwao after two minutes of walking. Het let go of her shoulder. "Here it is. Go ahead."

Kaede looked from Iwao to the door. Something was suddenly troubling her. She just didn't know what. She looked back at Iwao. He smiled at her, raising his eyebrows.

Just… just what am I thinking, she thought. This should be about the safest place in the world…

Hesitantly, she reached for the door handle, carefully opening the door.

"… Eh?"

There were six huge men wearing suits, turning their heads towards her. And none of them looked friendly.

Kaede automatically took two steps back, looking at Iwao.

"W-what is this? Who are they?"

She noticed that Iwao's facial expression had changed, as well. Suddenly, the look in his eyes was… scary.

"Iwao…"

Iwao looked inside the room.

"Is this her, Sir?" asked one of the men.

"Yes, this is her," replied Iwao. An evil smirk marked his face. "Isn't she a cutie?" He grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him, dragging her into the room.

"No…" Kaede's voice went high with fear.

"Don't worry," said Iwao. The smirk faded, but the scary look in his eyes remained as he slid his arm around her waist and pressed her against him. "You don't have to do it with anyone but me."

"But I don't want to—"

"However," he interrupted her, "I do need you for something else. I'll use you for something of much greater importance." His gaze was aimed at the group of men. "Gentlemen, she's finally here. The ultimate weapon."

All six men were smirking.

"I'll count on you to have her do her job properly. You there, you go make the appointment. You two will guard this door from the outside. Under no circumstances will you open it until we're done here." He gave Kaede's side a playful squeeze. "The rest will go back to their own businesses."

"Yes, Sir."

Just as they almost left the village, they were about to pass Iruka. Kaede kept her eyes focused on the ground.

"Kaede-chan," said Iruka. Kaede pretended like she didn't hear him.

"Hey, where're you going?" asked Iruka. Now Kaede was forced to look up and lie to him.

"Just… taking a walk," said Kaede, forcing a smile.

"And who's this?" asked Iruka, looking somewhat suspiciously at Iwao.

"He's… an old friend," said Kaede nervously.

"I'm Ishii Iwao," said the man quickly.

"Nice to… meet you," said Iruka carefully. He looked at Kaede, his eyes questioning, but Kaede quickly avoided his gaze.

"Well, I'm off," said Kaede, doing her utter best to sound as normal as possible. She walked on without looking back and Iwao walked right beside her. He laid a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it a bit too hard for comfort.

"Well done," he whispered.

Even the soft bed she was lying on couldn't make her feel comfortable. She lay, curled up, seeking as many sheets as she could in order to cover herself. Tears kept streaming from her eyes, staining the sheets.

"You should've behaved," said Iwao, re-buttoning his shirt. "Then it might've been more pleasant for both of us." He sat back down on the bed and laid his hand on her shoulder.

Kaede flinched automatically. She heard Iwao sigh, but didn't dare to look at him.

"Try and understand, Micchan," he said with fake gentleness. The nickname he'd given her when they first met suddenly sounded awful. "I care about you. I really do. Ever since I first saw you, I knew you were something special. And once I got to know you, I really grew attached to you. Your kindness, your strength, your willpower… And now, the softness of your skin…" He slid the sheets from her shoulder, caressing the revealed skin.

Kaede shivered. Iwao placed his hand on her cheek, raising her head to face him. "… Your crying face… I've always found it so beautiful…" He let go of her and stood up. "To think that underneath all that, you're cold, homicidal and demonic…"

Kaede was afraid to move, but she did look at him in confusion.

Iwao smirked. "Hard to imagine, isn't it? The first time I saw you, wasn't in the old temple. It was when you murdered one of the Feudal Lord's men."

… What?

"I saw him chasing you right outside the village, so I got curious. Maybe you were a fugitive, or maybe that soldier hadn't earned his position anyway. I found out soon enough, when he caught up to you and tried to tear off your clothes. He probably thought you two were alone out there in the forest. And then it happened."

His eyes grew wider, more evil.

"I saw blood spouting out of his back. You were so calm, as though it didn't surprise you at all. He fell and you laughed."

"No…"

"Yes. You killed him in cold blood. And you know how?"

Kaede covered her ears. "You're lying…"

Iwao grabbed both her wrists firmly, pinning them down on the bed. He hovered above her, his gaze piercing into hers, the smirk on his face growing even wider.

"You used a Bloodline Jutsu called Air Slash Jutsu. That means you're related to the Uzumaki clan. It's a jutsu that allows a limited amount of air to form ultra-thin blades of wind, cutting your opponent merciless until what's left is no longer human. An amazing Forbidden Technique. I knew right away that you'd become of good use to me someday. Those three years of earning your trust were worth it."

Kaede struggled. "I don't believe you! I'm not a murderer!"

"No, you aren't," said Iwao. "Your other half, however, is a brutal man slaughterer."

"My… other half?"

"Don't tell me you've never had any blackouts? Or never ended up somewhere, not knowing how you even got there? Drenched in blood…"

"What are you… saying…?" But then it came through to her. Suddenly, everything made sense. The same thing had happened to her four times before she entered the old temple.

"I'm talking about the other you," explained Iwao. "Your personality is split."

"That… that just can't be…"

"It's true. Quite amazing, isn't it? One half is a pure, innocent, frightened young woman. The other half is a bloodthirsty, merciless killer. And that other side of you is going to rid me of all the pests in my life without leaving any kind of trace."

"No!"

Kaede gathered all her courage, glaring into the man's eyes, which widened briefly in surprise. The smirk on his face disappeared as well.

"No?" he repeated. He shook his head and tisked. "You poor girl. Have you already forgotten where you stand?" One hand released her to remove the sheets wrapped around her body.

"No, NO!" Kaede screamed as Iwao rested his lips between her breasts. "Don't! Not again!"

Iwao looked up at her face and smirked again. "Oh, how I love your crying face."

This was too much. After all these years of intensive therapy at the temple, why did this have to happen again?

When Kaede had entered the temple, she was in a severely traumatized state. She had come to a point where she trusted nobody anymore, not even women. Iwao and Maho had found her and taken her in. It had taken a few weeks for Kaede to even talk to Maho. Slowly, she and Iwao helped her get over her fear of people, though physical contact had been something she couldn't get used to until about a year ago.

But this… This was exactly the kind of physical contact she had hoped to never have to experience again. Of all the times people had betrayed her, this had to be the worst. How could she ever live on like this?

But still… Her mother, her father, Kakashi… She wanted to see them. To ask them why they had abandoned her and never looked for her. She wanted to see them. Badly.

Finally, they left through the main gate, out to the forest.

"I can't wait 'till we get home," said Iwao casually, like nothing was going on at all. "You know, I'm kind of glad you ran away. Because at first, I went easy on you because you were so innocent, so delicate. But you do have guts for trying to run from me like that. Even though it was useless." He wrapped his fingers around her arm, tugging her more towards him as they walked. "You've given me a reason to go all out on you this time. I won't hold back anymore. And I know you're not going to like it, but… when you do something bad, you have to be punished. And what you did was bad. A real bad mistake."

Kaede felt a shiver run up her spine.

Kakashi… I'm sorry…

"Consider this a lesson," said Iwao. "You won't be so lucky if you ever try this again. Remember that."

Kaede shifted on the bench. She could feel the eyes of Iwao's men on her, watching from a distance as her 'appointment' could arrive any moment now.

She sighed. She felt incredibly uncomfortable in the revealing dress they had put on her. It was a black, very short dress with a very deep V-cut, barely covering her.

The handsome man who approached her was just slightly taller than her. He stood in front of her, making it impossible for her to stand up without getting too close. Kaede was scared. She knew all too well why he came, and why she was forced to wear such a daring dress.

The man smiled down at her. "Looks like Ishii got it right this time," he said. He sounded so friendly, as if he were merely talking to an old friend. "The girls he usually sends me were never quite what I'm looking for, but you…" He tugged a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. "You suit my tastes just perfectly."

Kaede turned away, blushing, scared.

The man chuckled. "He told me you were shy. Don't worry. It'll be fun." He gestured to help her up, reaching his hand out to her. Kaede had no choice but to accept it, but as soon as she got up, he snaked an arm around her shoulders.

"What do you want to do first?" he asked. "We've got all day, so just name it."

Despite of what he'd hired her for, he seemed really kind. Then again, this very moment was what she was being used for, too.

"I…" She hesitated.

"Hm?" The man smiled down at her. He seemed so careless. What was Iwao planning to do to him and why? Could it be that this wasn't his true face, and he was actually just as bad a person as Iwao? She could never forgive him for hi betrayal, for making her even do this!

But, she had no choice. If she didn't obey, she would suffer. That was what he'd promised her.

Guilt taking over, Kaede started the lie: "I… I like to… take walks. Around the forest."

"Ah, I see." The guilt grew at the warmth of his voice. "I like forest strolls too, every now and then. Let's go for a little bit, then."

"I have another task for you," said Iwao. "Only this time, I'll have you restrained before you run off again."

Kaede's breath got caught in her throat.

Task? Don't tell me…!

She looked at the man walking nonchalantly beside her and stopped.

"You don't mean…"

Iwao stopped walking as well and looked at her.

"Yes, there's another pest I want you to get rid of. As soon as possible. And it won't be your last one."

"But I, I don't want to kill!"

Kaede felt her heart racing at the thought of…

"You're a little late. You've already killed so many. They probably all deserved it, though, but still, a life is a life."

"No one deserves to have their life taken away!" Suddenly, she was no longer afraid to speak her mind.

"You're the one who took those lives." He said it as though he was lecturing her.

"No, no, no! I don't want to kill! I'd never kill!"

As her breathing was speeding up, she saw Iwao's face starting to show signs of alarm. He grasped her shoulders.

"Don't panic!" He ordered. He rested his hands firmly on her cheeks. "Breathe normally!"

She couldn't help it anymore. Something was happening to her. Remembering the last time this happened brought something up, she just didn't know what. All she knew at the moment was that it was getting harder and harder to breathe normally, and something was forcing its way into her mind.

It wasn't like she hadn't expected this. As soon as they were sure to be alone, he started pressing her against a tree, pecking her neck. And even though this wasn't new to her, it was a nightmare every time it happened. The nice, handsome man, who had brought her here, wasn't going easy on her. His hands were all over her body, underneath her already scarce clothing, trying to rid her of them.

"S-stop…" begged Kaede, tears streaming down her face.

The man looked at her and smiled. "So you are being forced into doing this," he said. "What makes you obey him? Family? Or maybe… a dark secret?"

Kaede's eyes widened.

"Oh, so that's it?" asked the man. "Hard to imagine. You seem so innocent, so pure… Well, except maybe down there." He laughed, making Kaede feel even weaker and helpless.

"Oh well," he continued, "doesn't matter. I don't know what Ishii's told you about me, but I'm not gentle when it comes to sex. But he told me you've got plenty of experience, so I won't hold back, anyway. Just make sure you behave. Even better: you'll work for me. You'll attract enough men to visibly increase my income."

"No…"

"Yes."

Her freedom… if this plan of Iwao's failed, she was sure to never see her family again. And what's worse: she would be forced to do this for maybe the rest of her life!

But…

"I'd rather die than work for you."

… Who…? Did… Did I just…?

She felt dizzy. She had spoken without knowing. It was as though someone else was talking for her.

"Or even better… You'll be the one to die today."

That was the last sentence that escaped her mouth before a familiar, cold darkness clouded her eyes and left her blind, falling into a space full of nothing until she'd awake again.

So that is… the other me…

"… awake?"

Kaede's eyelids felt heavy, but she had to open them. The voice that echoed through her head, it had to have an owner. A woman.

"Welcome back," said the gentle voice. "Can you open your eyes?"

Kaede opened her eyes, looking at the friendly face watching over her. It took a moment for her to wake up entirely, but when she did, numerous questions popped up in her mind.

Where am I? What happened? How did I end up here? Who is…?

She sat up straight. A wave of dizziness rose up.

"Easy, there," said the woman. "How are you feeling?"

Kaede looked at her. "Where… am I?" she asked.

"My husband found you in the woods. You were unconscious. He brought you here and I changed your clothes." A worried frown marked her forehead. "Do you… remember what happened to you?"

The last thing Kaede remembered was that man, his hands, his voice, even though it sounded so friendly, it was determining her very fate.

But what happened from there…

"No, I don't," said Kaede softly. "Not everything."

"Did you… did you witness it?" asked the woman insecurely.

"Witness what?" asked Kaede.

The woman hesitated. "The… murder."

… Murder… Murder? Oh no, I didn't…

"Are you ok? You're awfully pale…"

It was me… I killed him… I killed him…

She stood up.

"Oh! Don't get up yet!"

"I'm sorry…" Kaede tried to sound as normal as possible. "You've been too kind. But I really have to go."

He might find me here… I have to get to Konoha, where I'll be safe…

A/N: And that's how she decided to come back to Konoha.

I'm sorry for all the shifting between past and present - must be confusing. But I hope you could make something out of it. In case you didn't notice: something's about to happen in the present time... *dun dun DUN*

Please forgive me for the huge delay. I'll try and upload the next chapter as fast as I can.

And please let me know what you think. :3 See you next chapter!