A/N: This chapter contains some mild mature content. Be warned. :)

Kaede made herself as small as she could. She heard noises, but couldn't tell whether it was Kakashi or Naruto, or one of the people who were following them. She kept quiet, trying to breathe as soundlessly as she could, and not moving a muscle.

She heard footsteps getting closer, and closer, and closer, and with each step, her anxiety grew.

Naruto… Kakashi… help…!

"Kaede," she heard a very familiar voice call her.

She looked up, and before her stood Kakashi, watching her.

"K-Kakashi?" she asked carefully.

"Don't be scared," Kakashi said softly. "You're safe now."

"Where is Naruto?" Kaede asked.

"He'll be right here," replied Kakashi. He reached out his hand to her.

Kaede took his hand – it was holding hers much more firmly than usual. Something was off; she could feel it.

Instead of gently helping her up like he always did, he yanked her up, causing her to lose her balance as soon as she was on her feet. Kakashi caught her in a firm grip, pressing her strongly against him.

"Kakashi, what's the matter with you?" she asked, her anxiety growing for some reason.

"Let's have a little fun before Naruto gets here," Kakashi whispered sharply in her ear.

"W-what?"

He dragged her along, pushing her back against a tree. With his hands, he pressed her wrists against the tree, making it impossible for her to escape. His mask was already down – when did he do that? – and he forced a very deep kiss. His tongue violated all of her mouth. His body pressed against hers so hard that she could barely breathe.

She shook her head violently, breaking off the kiss. "What are you—"

Kakashi forcefully pressed his lips against hers again. His hands led her wrists to above her head. With one hand, he pressed both her wrists against the tree, the other hand reaching down her top and even underneath her bra! He squeezed her breast, caressing her nipple with one finger.

Kaede managed to break off the kiss again, panting heavily. "No! Stop it, please!" she shouted. She couldn't hold back her tears anymore. "Why are you doing this?" she asked desperately.

She then felt his knee rubbing between her thighs. He was looking at her with a smirk.

This isn't Kakashi, she thought. This can't be Kakashi! It just can't be him!

"Who are you?" she asked.

Then the smirk disappeared and the expression on his face became softer.

"What do you mean?" he asked. "I'm Kakashi."

"No, you're not—AH!" She couldn't help the moan when he gave her breast another strong squeeze. She allowed more tears to roll down her cheeks. "Kakashi wouldn't do this," she said. "Kakashi is always too careful with me. He's overprotective of me. He wouldn't…"

"That was all just a trick," said Kakashi with a smile. "I mean, when I first saw you, looking like you do… Your face, your body, everything… It just makes people want to do you. Are you really that naive?"

"You're lying," sobbed Kaede.

"No," whispered Kakashi, not in the gentle whisper he usually had. "I've planned to do this since I first saw you."

Suddenly, Kaede was reminded of the nightmare she had had a while back. The nightmare in which Kakashi had sneaked into her bedroom and almost raped her, telling her she was weak. Back then, they weren't as close as they were now. But he'd told her he loved her. And she believed him. And she loved him back.

But this… This couldn't be the man she had grown to love so much. His feelings to her were genuine.

Or was that… all a lie? Was he really just a good actor?

But Naruto trusted him. They had been friends for years. Didn't that mean anything to him?

What am I thinking? There's no way this is the real Kakashi!

You're right.

Suddenly, Kaede found herself in the same creepy place as in the nightmare she had when she'd awoken in the hospital. The place where she'd met her alter ego face to face.

The blackness in this place had faded, but it was all the more a place beyond her understanding. Everything was… misplaced, somehow. The sky looked like a chessboard, and the floor was nothing but a weak aurora. There were dead trees, boxes, broken toys… the weirdest things, all around her.

What kind of place is this?

But she recognized the place from the giant mirror before her. It was the same mirror from her nightmare. She looked into the mirror, where her other self was watching her with eyes cold as stone.

"What is this place?" asked Kaede. "It's different from before."

"It's my part of your being," her reflection replied apathically. "I'm a mess. You know that." She laughed awkwardly, sounding very weak.

"Are you trying to take control of me again?" asked Kaede. She noticed she was still trembling in anxiety for her other self.

"This isn't Hatake Kakashi," her alter ego replied. "It's ok to kill him. He won't be missed."

"You're not killing anybody," protested Kaede with little confidence.

"He's molesting you as we speak," said her alter ego. "It won't take much longer before he takes off your clothes and the real rape begins—"

"SHUT UP!" yelled Kaede, covering her ears.

"Let me take control and I'll prevent it from happening," her alter ego replied.

"No…" whispered Kaede. "You'll only make everything worse for me. I won't let you out. Ever again. I won't let you kill anymore!"

"Hm… suit yourself," her alter ego replied indifferently.

Has she really given up?

"… Why did you try to kill us last night?" asked Kaede. She just had to know.

"Because our life isn't worth living," her alter ego responded immediately. "It has never been worth it. I just happened to realize it only a short while ago."

"Maybe your life isn't worth living," protested Kaede against her better judgement, "but mine is. I have a family now. I have someone I love now."

"… Whom you just doubted a few minutes ago," retorted her alter ego. "If you love him that much, you should have known from the beginning that it isn't really him doing this to you right now. Are you sure you want to continue living this life for him?"

"And Naruto. Yes."

Her alter ego stared at her again for a moment before she replied: "Fine. Face the consequences. And face them on your own."

And with that, Kaede fell back into the currently horrible reality.

Kakashi's tongue was violating her neck, and his free hand was busy taking off her pants.

Panic took over immediately.

"DON'T! NO!" she screamed.

And right after that, she saw a yellow flash and Kakashi flew to the side. Paralyzed with fear and panic, she dropped herself to the ground, landing on her behind. Her arms fell numb beside her. She needed a moment to realize what just happened, but even after she did, she couldn't move.

"Don't you even dare come near my sister again," Naruto grunted in a tone unfamiliar to her. "You old geezer. Taking Kakashi-sensei's form… I won't forgive you for this!"

Even though she could hear everything, she was still in shock and couldn't see well. She only heard footsteps… coming closer.

No… No, not again…!

"Nee-chan," she heard. Her vision returned to her and she looked up. She found Naruto's face… but his eyes weren't his. They were red.

She got startled by them, but somehow didn't feel real danger from him.

"Are you ok?" asked Naruto.

It's still him… Thank goodness.

"Y-eah…" she brought out with a lot of effort. She was trembling and her voice wasn't cooperating.

Naruto straightened

"You bastard," he snapped at the direction where he had sent Kakashi flying just now. But when Kaede looked, he was no longer Kakashi. He was a middle-aged man, and from his forehead protector, she could tell that he was from the Hidden Mist.

The man smirked.

"Let's say I wanted to give her something to think about before she dies," he said.

The next thing Kaede knew was that Naruto engaged combat in a rage she hadn't seen before. Why were his eyes red? Was he losing control of the Kyuubi again?

Furthermore, who was this man? And why did he want her dead?

"Nee-chan," Naruto called as he dodged the deadly looking punches and kicks the man was trying to give him. "Get outta here! Run!"

Something twisted in Kaede's chest.

"But what about you—"

"GO!" yelled Naruto. "I'll be fine!"

Kaede hesitated. How could she possibly leave her brother with that assassin? Then again, what could she do?

"I'm not telling you again!" Naruto insisted. "Go! Now!"

Kaede stood up, looked at him one more time, and decided to do as he said, and ran. Between the bushes, avoiding the trees, she ran. She didn't know where she was going, but she didn't think about it at all. All she was thinking about was Naruto and Kakashi, who were currently risking their lives for hers.

They'll make it. They have to. I couldn't forgive myself if one of them died because of me.

Suddenly she heard a noise a little further ahead. She stumbled into an abrupt stop and hid behind the nearest tree. She didn't make any effort to peek and see who it was. It could be Kakashi… or it could be another assassin.

Pressing her back against the tree as firmly as she could, she closed her eyes and waited. She tried to control her shaky breathing as she heard footsteps pacing quickly in her direction. Her anxiety grew when the footsteps suddenly stopped. She trembled.

Go away… go away…

Her heart almost jumped right out of her chest when she felt cold steel pressed lightly against the side of her throat. Too afraid to open her eyes, she squeezed them even more firmly shut.

"Kaede?"

The steel disappeared, leaving a hot feeling where it had been.

Kaede opened her eyes at the familiar voice… and found Kakashi. She gasped. Every nerve in her body was screaming for her to get away from him.

"I'm glad you're ok," said Kakashi. In a flash, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her as if she could break if he held her too tightly.

Is this… the real Kakashi?

Her body giving her a strong feeling of alarm, she panicked. She flinched, jerking away from him.

Kakashi gave her a confused look.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "Where's Naruto?"

Kaede froze, finding herself unable to speak. Just looking at him reminded her of what just happened back there.

"Kaede?" Kakashi laid his hands gently on her shoulders. Kaede reacted instinctively and took a few steps backward, almost tripping over a tree root.

"What's wrong with you?" asked Kakashi. "Why are you acting like this?"

He reached out to her again, but Kaede slapped his hand away.

"Don't touch me!" she yelled.

Kakashi stared at her, looking seriously worried now. But Kaede was afraid to assume that this was the real Kakashi.

"They're out to kill me," she whispered. "They want to rape me and then kill me. Disguised as…"

She looked at him with wide eyes. He stared back.

"What did they do to you?" he asked in a dangerous voice.

He grabbed her upper arms, less gently than usual but less roughly as the man disguised as him just did.

Still, it frightened her. She squirmed to get out of his grip, but he was too strong. Both his eyes were wide open. One black and one red eye with three dots in it. It was scary. Too scary.

"Did they touch you?" he asked almost aggressively.

"Let go…" begged Kaede, her voice a little too soft. She tried again: "Let go of me!"

"Kaede, it's me," Kakashi insisted. "You have to believe me. How could I ever harm you?"

"Why should I believe you?" asked Kaede, even more confused now.

"Because I made a promise to you," replied Kakashi, the look in his eyes softening. "That I'll wait for you. That I'll get you out of that institution as soon as you're ready."

He said that the day before yesterday, when she stayed in his apartment. She'd told him he shouldn't make promises he couldn't keep.

"I will keep this promise," he said. "I love you too much to let you go. Ever. I'll fight for you. I'll live for you. Kaede, please. You have to trust me."

Kaede needed no more proof. She hugged him in a tight embrace. He didn't move.

It was only for a short while before she let go of him. "Go help Naruto," she said quickly. "He's fighting the man who…" And then her voice gave out. She couldn't say it out loud. She shivered at the memory, still fresh in her mind.

"Did he hurt you?" asked Kakashi seriously.

"He almost…" Again, she went no further than this.

Kakashi's frown deepened, and his hands released her arms.

"That… bastard…" he whispered.

This was scary. She'd never seen Kakashi look like this.

He's… furious!

"You stay here, Kaede," he said, his voice cracking with anger. "We'll kill him."

And with that, he took off.

"Kakashi!" called Kaede, but he kept rushing to the place where she left Naruto.

Don't act on pure rage, she thought. It's not like you. Don't act like this because of me. Don't do things you'll regret.

Painfully reminded of all the people she had killed with a personality made of pure hatred and rage, she couldn't allow Kakashi to live with the same regrets for the rest of his life. Evil intentions or not, he couldn't allow himself to kill anyone unless it was absolutely necessary. But it wasn't. Not today.

She ran. Her feet automatically carrying her to the place where the fight was, she ran without any doubts.

She had to stop him. She had to.

A/N: Omg no POV shifts in this chapter! xD

I hope you liked it and I will be back with the next chapter real soon. :) Please let me know what you think by leaving a review, even if it's only a short message. ^^