Excuse the long time between posts, I had issues writing this chapter. So a lot of time was wasted but ah well it's here. The 'perks' of being a single writer/editor.

Been thinking about how the story would have changed if I had set it in a different period within the Naruto universe. I set it afterwards mostly so I can go into adult themes if I wanted to (haven't so far because I haven't seen a way to fit it in yet.) and secondly because I did not want to just repeat events that everyone has watch/read/written about. There are great many other fan fictions that cover this, and I personally enjoy reading them and thinking 'ooh I remember this bit' or character. As for me I wanted to use a fresher slate and not be bound so much about events or characters.

That said, I wonder how characters like the akatsuki would react to Fukushi, probably wanting to recruit him for his effective use of jutsu and likely lead him down a darker route. Or even Orochimaru, I'd imagine he would have likely got hold of Fukushi at a young age when he was clueless and naïve. Naruto would have been more likely to try and save him from the other organisations instead of blame Fukushi directly for his actions. That said Fukushi would be older in this instance and so Naruto would probably look up to him for the 'cool jutsu'. Let me know what you think about this? I was just wondering as I was working out the next couple of plot lines.

Minor changes: changed the character list on the story to better reflect the feel of my story. (sorry Sakura and Shikamaru)

Back to the present, two days after Naruto and Fukushi fought over Saratobi.

Since Fukushi was found asleep in the porch of Monica's family, the two appeared to be ever closer. With Fukushi taking better care over his health he spent more of their free time training Monica. For the most part he read from the book of jutsu and tried to find suitable jutsus or any tips for Monica while he himself was trying to find healing techniques which matched to his own affinity. Fukushi looked a lot stronger with his muscles now broadening due to a better diet and many of the smaller scars and bruises had begun to fade off his skin. His attire had returned to is preferred style, or to as much as he could afford. He wore an olive tunic, tied with a belt and an off-white cloak which proved to keep the weather off effectively. His katana was evermore tied to his hip where with a flick of his wrist could draw out the deadly blade, should the need arise. While usually he was seen either meditating or reading from a rather large book, bound in red leather and although the book appeared to contain many hundreds of pages, Fukushi claimed it is impossible to finish from cover to cover. As he once explained to Monica that the book itself is a product of fuuinjutsu, able to store far more than its appearance would betray.

However today was different as Fukushi was sat on a bench; reading a much smaller unassuming black book. It contained every known rogue ninja and their bounty on them. In other words, the Bingo book. Fukushi had obtained a copy since he heard about it, ironically from a bounty hunter who had underestimated Monica's ability and Fukushi's proximity. Of course, in this edition, their own profiles had been added. Fukushi glanced over to see what information had been leaked of them.

Name: Fukushi
Age: Young adult Gender: Male
Previous affiliations: unknown
Rank: S
Affinity: Lightning, rumours of Wind
Motivation: Largely unknown although seeks certain artefacts.
Crimes: Murder, Thievery, Assault, Escaping Prosecution.
Wanted for: Possession of valuable information
Notable features: Heavily injured with left eye missing and numerous scars, tattoos covering left arm, right shoulder, right wrist, right flank. Often cloaked.
Bounty: Konoha (alive) 2.5 million Ryo
Iwa (alive or dead) 2.3 million Ryo
Anonymous (alive or dead) 1.9 million Ryo
Kiri (dead) 1 million Ryo
Ass' guild (dead) 700 thousand Ryo
Suna (alive) 500 thousand Ryo
Advice: Do not engage alone, if in combat aim to kill him. His teleporting jutsu makes him very efficient at singling out targets.

Name: Monica Uandi
Age: 17 Gender: Female
Previous affiliations: Konoha
Rank: B
Affinity: Fire.
Motivation: In allegiance with Fukushi (see previous entry).
Crimes: Murder, Thievery, Assault, Abandoning village.
Wanted for: Abandoning the village of Konoha
Notable features: Orange hair. Some scars on the neck. Often cloaked. Jutsu is a distinctive blue in colour.
Bounty: Konoha (alive) 1 million Ryo
Ass' Guild (dead) 700 thousand Ryo
Iwa (Alive or dead) 700 thousand Ryo
Advice: In association with Fukushi (see previous entry). Possible teacher/student relationship.

"Fuku?" A voice croaked over, still sore after Hinata's attack and she sounded rough, like the girl had a heavy cold. Monica had entered the clearing. Fortunately, once the bleeding was stopped, the healing just took time to recover has the effects of the Hyuuga gentle fist eased off her chakra networks.

"Well it looks like we are finally famous, how's your throat feeling?" He turned to look at the woman in front of him. She was wrapped up in her cloak but a bump by her hip betrayed her Wakizashi that was tied to the small of her back. Her orange hair was pinned back out of her eyes and many locks were tied into bangs and hung lazily from her head. Some even had some beads tied to her hair. Towards the back of her head, her hair was tied into a pony tail to stop the length from whipping around so much. Her appearance made her look wild, as if born and raised from nature itself. She wore black well-fitting trousers, like Fukushi which showed from underneath the cloak and her feet were clad in boots which were again similar to Fukushi and offered more support than standard shinobi sandals. Although again they were limited in quality to what their pockets could afford.

She swallowed "Sore." Monica slowly walked towards the bench and sat next to Fukushi and then leaned against him, although it felt more like falling on him as she rested her head on his shoulder. Fukushi absentminded held her to his left while moving the book further right so he could still read.

"You're rank B now and considered more dangerous than most in this book, hmph I don't think we need to worry about anyone other than official ninjas. These are just genin kids who thought they could do better outside." He looked at the woman next to him who said nothing but was reading the book that Fukushi was holding. "We should be fine." Fukushi allowed the sound of the forest, the birds and insects, the wind through the leaves; to comfort Monica. He knew her throat hurt her a lot otherwise she would be talking more than this.

They still lived in the village of Harugama, her grandparents were willing to take them in which meant they had a warm and dry to place to stay in comfort. For Fukushi this was a long time coming, although he did not tell them how long it had been since he had slept in a bed. Despite having many troubles in his past he did not wish to share; one thing weighed on his heart the most. He hadn't the heart to tell her what happened when they found him outside, asleep from exhaustion once again. He had not realised that the spirit of Aya was still alive, just he had pushed her into the deepest corner of his mind. His soul partner and he had abandoned her. He shuddered at the thought, 'maybe that Uchiha was right, I am an awful person'. He thought to himself as he knew just thinking about her wouldn't mean he would be forgiven.

"Are you cold?" Monica spoke quietly, Fukushi didn't have time to answer as the woman saddled him and laid down like a blanket over him. He needed to find Sasuke, the leaf legend had already defeated him once but whatever the effect of the sharingan was. Since their duel, Fukushi had received frequent nightmares, ghosts of those he had killed or failed flickered in and out of the very edges of his field of vision. He had managed to persuade Monica that nothing was wrong, just bad dreams. A spiral of depression that only he could resolve but still it does not mean he could get help off others. but one thing he knew for sure, was that he had no idea how much more of revisiting memories he could take.

"Come on Monica, if you can get up you can train." He tapped her hip and gently pushed her off. He could start on working with Monica. He was impressed with her eagerness to learn. Although to him, all debt was replayed when Monica had saved him almost a month ago. She just replied that she wanted to be with him. 'No need to owe anyone anything' was what she had told him. Fukushi could say without a doubt she is enjoying herself at least. Once they stood up he lead her out of the clearing to reveal that they weren't more than a few feet off the plaza in front of Monica's family house. Fukushi lazily tossed half a dozen kunai across the plaza and a pale-yellow wall was erected, mainly to protect the houses nearby and, in due time, a small crowed who had never seen ninja fight before. Doing this also helped Fukushi maintain the shield while continuing the fight, a very useful and deadly strategy. The pair of shinobi took opposite ends of the plaza and looked each other up and down. Widening their stance and readying their arms for the upcoming spar.

"Wait, Fukushi!" A man called from behind. One of the neighbours who ended up offering paid work, and to help Fukushi fit into the village better. He was red in the face from running, presumably from the town square. He ran for a bit longer until he was at the plaza. "You want to hear this, someone is offering a bounty for someone with your exact description!" Both of the ninja deadpanned him.

"Are they ninja or from the leaf village?"

"Neither, I don't think they are shinobi."

"Hmm. Interesting."

"Should we check it out fuku?" Monica asked, calling him by his pet name. She had no idea someone else had beaten her to it but Fukushi didn't mind her calling it. If he was honest with himself he liked it when only Monica called him by his abbreviated name. With a flick of his hand the yellow barrier fell and the kunai that marked the corners puffed into smoke which idly blew away with the light breeze.

"But why did you have to run up here? I am sure we would have found out if they were looking for us."

"Yes, but they were offering huge sums of money, many people may turn against you. Just don't blame them please."

"I guess." Fukushi sighed and waited for Monica to catch up. The pair waved at the man who honestly still looked concerned about what he saw. "Don't worry, we are strong enough to handle whatever they throw at us." Fukushi waved his hand dismissively and started to walk down the winding road towards the town square.

"-Memory is the key here.-" A female voice sounded and made Fukushi flinch and glance around with his right eye.

"Did you hear something?"

"Hmm? No, Just a bad feeling." Fukushi was half right, Aya's voice rarely made sense over the past month, he would hear her reciting random memories from time to time but almost deliberately ignored Fukushi who tried to communicate with his soul bound spirit. However, she just made sense… too much sense, as if she was listening in and giving advice. "Be ready to move."

It wasn't long until they reached the crowed of people. They could hear a man bellowing instructions in the middle of them. Fukushi deadpanned as he approached but what happened confused the pair of shinobi. Once the crowed noticed them they all stepped back and gave them mournful looks. As if he and Monica were walking up to their own execution. The shinobi figured they would have a chance to talk but the moment his purple eye met with the blue eyes of the man holding out a scroll and standing on a cart. He glared right back at them.

"So, the fly has fallen into the web. Riflemen! Targets identified! Fire!" Suddenly around half a dozen men moved and drew out long metal and wooden weapons and pointed them directly at the shinobi.

"Monica move!" Monica and Fukushi dived to either side as a thunderous roar from the muskets echoed throughout the valley. Followed quickly by loud screams as the village ran for their lives. In mere seconds the town square was empty save for two shinobi and six men busy reloading their muskets.

"What the fuck are they doing here?" Fukushi peaked around the corner of a building he was hiding behind.

"Who are they?" Monica asked, going as loud as her throat would allow.

"I pray to god it's not who I think. Please don't let it be them. Monica, careful there is usually more hiding. Go up high and kill anyone that you can see." Fukushi took out his blade which hung by his left flank and by cue, Monic took her blade out and channelled chakra into her legs and jumped up to the roof of the building. Scrambling up she drew the attention of some of the gunmen. Fukushi made a move. He threw four kunai around the corner and erected a barrier just as he jumped out. The muskets fired another volley. Almost instantaneously the electrical barrier was hit and glowed a fierce yellow, crackling loudly but otherwise holding. Fukushi dropped the shield as it would just use up chakra and he flicked two kunai at two men. Neither had the skill or agility to dodge and so the blades pierced between their eyes and their lives fell from reality. A flash of lightning and Fukushi was behind on of the gunmen. Before anyone realized where he was, the deadly katana cleaved through the third man's torso and dissected him through the middle, a spray of blood coating the ground in front. The ninja spun and sliced the throat of the forth man with his summoned kunai sitting in his left hand. With his leg, Fukushi kicked the barrel of a musket off target and through reflex the rifle fired off a round. Killing the fifth man through his heart. Fukushi finished off the sixth gunman moments later by finishing his move and flicking the kunai through the last mans' eye.

"-I thought the Solaris weren't a warrior based family?-" The man who ordered the attack stood terrified at the efficiency of his targets attacks. He had his own sword drawn but visibly shaking. Showing his lack of experience. While Fukushi held his katana firmly and level in his right hand.

"-What were you expecting when you found me? That I would roll over and let you kill me?-" Fukushi kept up a powerful poker face. The colour in his remaining eye dimmed. And fixed on his target. If looks could kill then this man would have been spared the cold steel. –"So tell me what is legion doing here?"-

"-I'd rather die than tell an arrogant family like you!-" He finally mustered the corage to strike out. Although against Fukushi, courage could only take you so far. The one-eyed shinobi flinched back to avoid the attacking blade while he plunged his own katana through the mans' heart. He pushed himself closer to the dying man.

"-I get it, you would have been executed for failure.-" The surviving combatant withdrew his sword from the body and flicked the blood off the blade. Fukushi looked around. 'What's taking Monica so long?' A question soon answered as a body was thrown out of a nearby window. Seconds later and Monica leaped out after the other woman and landed on top of her, baring her wakizashi down on her throat. The woman held the blade in her hands but slowly the blade slipped lower as her hands were sliced by the edge.

"I caught one Fuku, what would you like me to do to her?"

"Fucking pig, oi Solaris bastard get your wench off me!" She called out as if Fukushi would show her mercy. Instead he calmly walked towards the two ninja fighting over the bloodied blade. The unknown woman was clearly exhausted and straining hard to keep Monica from killing her.

"Tell me, why should I let you live after you insulted someone precious to me?"

"B..Because… You're clearly trying to restart your family… information I could get money off. I'll pretend I never saw you. We both benefit see?" She stuttered as the blade painfully sliced down another centimetre. Fukushi smiled.

"Wow, what great haggling skills. -There is nothing you could offer me that would spare you from what you did to my family and home.-" Fukushi spoke with venom in his words, although Monica couldn't understand she knew the intentions behind it. The ninja placed his hand on top of Monica's and began to push down. The woman's screams only continued for as long as her throat was intact. She gurgled the last of her breath as her eyes slowly showed to be void of life.

Oddly Monica could help but giggle. "Wow, Fuku, I didn't realise you were this vicious when you wanted to be." She got up and hugged the man despite both being coated in blood. Their white cloaks forever stained with the blood of today's battle. She kissed him on the lips for a few seconds. "Are you alright? This was fun right?"

"You're not gonna like this but… we are out of time." On the surface Fukushi appeared to be calm but in reality he was terrified. His past really was coming back to haunt him.

"What do you mean?"

"We have to go to Konoha, hopefully they have more sense than to put us onto the chopping block." He looked away and sighed heavily at his own convictions.

Monica's eyes widened. "Fuku! No don't! They'll split us up and I can't live without you. Let's just take out chances and get out of here? I'll follow you to the ends of the world. Just not back there." She turned his head with a stained hand and looked deep into his remaining eye hoping that he would agree.

"No, we can't, we can't just keep running. Hell, there's no point in holding onto this damn book if I can't use it in fear someone will take it away. Look, we have a bargaining chip, I'd rather choose who gets it rather than get wound down and killed for it. Or worse, you get killed over it. That's what I can't live with."

"Bu…"

"Face it, Monica we run we will never get out of this and we will die. The fact legion is here means they have found a way to bring whole armies over not just a small team of dead idiots. But I can offer my knowledge for your protection."

"Couldn't we go with legion? If you want to trade your book for protection, maybe going to their side might be safer? They don't have a motive to backstab us."

Fukushi sighed heavily and pushed Monica off. "They killed my family, friends, future, and home. Taken everything away from me and giving in to them would not change anything. Legion works off greed. I have something they don't. But giving it to them won't sate this greed. I'm the last member of my family, making me the leader by default and so a powerful political piece. They'll want my name or my head. As for you, they'll sell you for sex or marry you off. It's that simple. Legion is not an option, and never will be." Fukushi hissed, clearly irritated that Monica even suggested going with Legion.

Monica sniffed and tried to hold back some tears. "I just don't want to leave you."

Fukushi pulled her in for another hug. "I'll make it so you're safe alright?" He squeezed her and kissed her forehead.

She sniffed again. "Alright."

"We need to pack, there will be more coming." He took her hand. "I'm not budging until you're safe. It's the least I can do." His thoughts continued further although because he dared not speak out loud. He knew Aya was a kind spirit who would do anything to help others. Perhaps he could at least make her spirit proud of him. Although if Sasuke knew, how much influence did he really have? Regardless he still had a point. More-so than before especially if legion was here now. The book he held was to be paid for in blood. At first, Fukushi did not except this, then he understood what was meant by blood after he killed people just to get back pages. Now he realised that entire nations may bleed just to get at its power.

Internal conflict aside they had to get out of the town. Their first step was always the same no matter which route they took. Taking the shortest route through the allotments and undergrowth the pair burst through the oak doors of and rushed upstairs. Collecting the few possessions and clothes into storage seals. They worked fast and cleared out Monica's old room in a matter of minutes. Neither had noticed the elderly woman enter the room and nearly jumped when she spoke.

"What's going on, I heard a fight broke out at the village square, and now you're packing?"

Monica was about to answer but Fukushi raised his hand politely. "Monica, may I answer this… Mrs Uandi… to put this simply, I'm the head of my family and I should act as such. I will repay you for your kindness if I make it out alive, but I… we should put right these mistakes. I'm just sorry it took me this long to realise."

"So, you've finally grown up. Stubbornness is a very childish trait dear. It gets those you care about the most hurt." Monica's Grandmother smiled and chuckled slightly. "And you don't need to be so formal with me. I'm only an old woman."

"T-thank you." Fukushi didn't mean to stutter but it only meant his words were from the heart. He blinked blankly before bowing politely.

"Monica dear, you really have chosen a wise man. I am going to be honest but I was worried the two of you would go down a darker path. But seeing you picking yourself out of it means that you meant well just were led astray. Fukushi, you know I am not far off the truth."

"Just wish it wasn't almost getting shot that kicked my head into gear. I should have grown up sooner."

"Everyone blooms at different times, although could I ask you something?" She waited for Fukushi to nod. "You never told us why you wanted to get those pages so much."

"Sorry" Fukushi admitted then sighed. "It was the last thing my father told me to do. But I was betrayed by the man who took me in and I lost a large portion of that book. My priorities wrong and I got fixated on trying to find the missing pages to the point that I never thought about the future."

"Until you met me?" Monica interrupted, with enthusiasm in her voice. A wave of pride flowed through her as 'Fuku' was about to say her name. He looked at her, smiled and nodded.

"Half right." Earning him a small pout. "We should get going, I have no idea how fast they are planning to work but I know that if they want me for my Jutsu and name. Then we are in danger."

The two finished packing and walked down and out of the house. Fukushi was thinking hard over something that Monica could not quite read. Probably due to the nerves both are experiencing but the outside air felt off for some reason. Like something was about to happen, something big. Fukushi seemed to be distracted by it and constantly staring off in certain direction.

"Monica, before you leave. Just know he is doing this for you." Her grandmother smiled at her granddaughter who smiled back.

"He'd be lost without me." Fukushi did not want to admit how right she was. Without her he doubted he would be alive let alone be found trusting the hidden leaf. Banking on her past relationships instead of forging brand new ones. Which of course would be nigh on impossible given his history. He took a deep breath to calm down his nerves, facing those who had destroyed his family had affected him as such, yet the full realisation had not quite sunk in yet.

The two shinobi stood side by side. On the threshold of turning their lives around and make something better of themselves. Perhaps this was the message Sasuke had imbedded with his Sharingan. They turned to face each other, purple eye to grey eyes. "I hope you know what you're doing."