2. The Mysterious Mercenary, Kocha!

Yuki gripped her pendant and looked deep in thought. Her voice sounded familiar as did her name. The woman turned and walked through the group to Kakashi. She looked up at his face and laughed, "You showed some amazing skill. No wonder why every rouge ninja wants your head." She turned to Yuki and stared longingly. "You've grown, Yuki."

Yuki was shocked that she knew her name. She ran to her and asked, "You know who I am!? Tell me! Please, tell me! How do you know me?"

"I've known you since you were very small," Said Kocha lightly. "You're still so innocent. You didn't deserve those things."

"What things?" Naruto asked. "What happened to make her lose her memory?"

"I could tell you," said Kocha. "But I'm afraid that it would not help her one bit. She must remember these things herself in order to recover from her amnesia." She turned to Kakashi and said, "You are the one who took care of her?" He nodded. He noticed the glimmer in her eye change from the beastly look to an almost sad look. "Thank you!" she sounded almost relieved. "You have raised her into a fine kunoichi."

She turned back to Yuki who still looked confused. Her eyes caused Kocha's to be filled with despair. "You really don't remember." She said calmly. Yuki looked down in guilt and said, "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry," she reassured her. "They will come back in time. You just focus on the life you have now." Perhaps it's better this way.

Naruto became angry, grabbed Yuki's hand and pulled her behind him. He looked at Kocha square in the eye and said, "I still don't trust her." Kocha seemed sniggered a little and said, "Good. One of the first shin obi and general society rules; never trust strangers."

Kakashi suddenly fell to the ground grasping his shoulder. Blood streamed down his back. I don't get it! He thought. It wasn't that deep. My body should have healed most of the openings.

Kocha looked at the jounin. It must have been her. She was always good at potent medicines be they for healing or paralysis for an enemy. "Yuki," she addressed. "You can stop the blood. You have to if you want your Sensei to live." Without hesitation Yuki ran to Kakashi and made a cup with her hands over Kakashi's wound. A green light emitted from her hands and the blood stopped flowing.

"Whoa!!" said Naruto. "How did you do that!?" he exclaimed with awe.

"I'll explain later." said Kakashi. "Right now we should head back to the village. I've lost too much blood already." He turned to Kocha and asked, "Will you be joining us?"

Kocha began to say something when Yuki interrupted, "Please!" Kocha looked at her. "You have to come. I have to know more about my past."

"Very well," said Kocha. "I will come." So the group headed back to Konoha with Kocha following behind.

The group talked long into the night at Kakashi's house. Naruto was excited just to be in the same house as his sensei. After dinner, Kakashi went out to his balcony and looked up at the full moon. He pulled out a picture that he kept in his vest pocket. It was of Yuki when she was first graduated from the academy. What happened to you? How did you lose your memory?

"I see you, too, are the solitary type."

Kocha came out onto the balcony and stood next to him. She looked at the picture he held in his hands. "I cannot thank you enough for what you have done."

"What happened?" he asked. Kocha looked down and her eyes grew distant.

"I was going to wait until she recovered her memory, but since you are like a father to her I suppose I should at least tell you." She leaned on the balcony and looked over the village. "It was such a horrible experience, too much for a sweet child like her to live through. A large group of ninja attacked the village. Yuki lost her mother and her father was nowhere to be found. I guess he fought on the front lines and perished. I found her in her burning house crying on her mother's body. Before they could grab her I told her to run as far as she could. After she did, I killed most of the enemies. Then, I went on a journey to find who the invading group was and who made the order."

"Did you find out?" asked Kakashi.

"No," she answered. "I didn't live in the village long enough to find out its enemies and allies."

"Where did you come from?" Kakashi asked.

"I'd rather not say." She told him. Kakashi wanted to ask more but he saw how much the thought was hurting her. "After a long time I heard that a girl with strange powers was here in Konoha Village. If it was Yuki, then the rumors must have reached the enemy and would most likely come for her again. I will not take that chance. I failed defending her village. I will not fail this one."

"I see," said Kakashi.

There was a long silence then Kocha said, "Now it's my turn." She smiled. Kakashi stiffened a little. "How was Yuki? I mean when you found her."

"Well," Kakashi said distantly. "She wasn't in particularly 'good' shape but she was still breathing. I took her to the medical corps who did everything they could for her. They told me that she carried a strange bloodline trait. What that trait was they didn't know. As Yuki grew up I noticed strange things that would occur between her and nature. She would give life back to dead flowers and heal wounded animals on the streets. At times I would see her make spheres with the heavy rains that fell. When I asked her about it she didn't know what it was. She called it the 'Soshigan." Kocha turned her head back to the village.

"I raised her as my own and I loved her as my own," admitted Kakashi. "She's done something to me. I've never felt this way. They all have."

"Kakashi," said Kocha in a caring voice. "You speak like she will be going away. Look," she pointed at the four genin who were playing a board game. Naruto looked like he was losing. "She has a family again." Kocha continued. "As long as she is happy, I will not hinder. I could ask for no more than this."

"You sound like a mother." Kakashi smiled.

"Maybe I am. Ever since her mother died she has had no one."

"Hey, Kocha Lady!" said Naruto. The two looked at him. "You're gonna stay here in the village right?" Kocha was not sure how to respond to that. She had nowhere else to go so she nodded. "Awesome!! C'mon! I'll show ya around!"

The two smiled and followed Naruto and the other genin out of the jounin's quarters and into town. While Naruto spoke to Kocha about everything on the street Sakura turned and saw Kakashi staring at the crescent moon. She nudged Yuki and asked, "What's up with Kakashi-sensei?" Yuki turned and looked but quickly turned back to Sakura when she saw Kakashi looking at them. "I don't know." She answered. "He gets lost in thought a lot."

"Well I knew that!" said Sakura.

"Anyway," said Yuki. "I'm starving."

"I know just the place!" shouted Naruto. "Let's get some ramen!"

"Okay!" said Sakura and Yuki.

"Yeah!" agreed Naruto. "And it's on Kakashi-sensei!"

"Wha-!? Who agreed to that?!" said the Jounin.