Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto only my characters.

As always a big thank you to my Beta cheekylips.

Chapter 16 The Sixth Man

At the end of the week Maiha said her goodbyes to the Land of Iron, and made her way back to Konoha. By her calculations she was still a week away from home, and that was if she kept the pace she was on. She was excited to see all her friends and comrades. As she made her way back towards the Leaf Village, Maiha couldn't help but think about how the village may have changed, though most of her thoughts centered on Kakashi.

Maiha thought about why she left and she couldn't help but laugh. She had come a long way from that young, naive girl that had left home two years ago. She was ready, ready to face him and the past, to explain herself and move forward, even if their future was no more than a close friendship.

She stared up at the full moon, "As long as he's happy, I'm happy." She tried hard to convince herself that just being in the picture was enough but she knew it would take a great effort to follow through with those thoughts. She still cared for him deeply and two years apart hadn't changed her feelings. "Maybe in time," she exhaled and continued on.

Kakashi had left the bar early that night with Madori in tow. "It's a full moon, are you going down to the dock?"

"Have I become that predictable?"

"Well we have been together for quite a while now. When you spend a lot of time with someone you tend to pick up on their habits or routines."

"I thought about going over there, yes."

"Well, why don't we go over there now? It's a beautiful night and we can spend some time together, just the two of us," she said as she clung to his arm, as if her life depended on it.

"Uh," Kakashi began. He really didn't want to take her to the dock; he wanted to spend some time there alone.

"C'mon Kakashi-kun, it'll be romantic. I won't take no for an answer," and she pushed him in the direction of the dock.

Kakashi sighed, "Fine." Just enough to pacify her. He did feel a little betrayal in the act of taking her there; this was where he and Maiha met. They walked down the dock and sat at the end. He exhaled, Are you looking up at the moon too, Maiha? I hope you are safe wherever you are. He felt Madori lean into him and put her head on his shoulder. He knew that she had a lot to drink that night so he decided to allow her to remain in his space for a short time but after 15 minutes he had enough. He was in one of those moods where he wanted to be alone. "I should really get going, I have a mission tomorrow." Which was a lie but that was the only way he would get to spend some time by himself. "I'll walk you home." As he left her doorstep he headed out to another place where he and Maiha spent time together, under their tree at the training field. There he sat in the darkness wondering what had become of his little kunoichi.

Kakashi was called to the Hokage's office for a mission. He and Lee were to travel to a city just outside of the fire country. There they were to intercept a convoy believed to contain the daughter of a wealthy trader that had been kidnapped for ransom. The trader had specifically asked for Kakashi and since the mission was not a rank that Kakashi would usually be assigned the trader paid handsomely for Kakashi's assistance.

As he and Lee were being briefed on the mission, Maiha was making her way through the front gate.

"Uh excuse me miss, you need to check in before you proceeded into the village."

She stopped and smiled still looking forward, I must look like I'm not from Konoha, I'm sure what I am wearing is different than what they are used to seeing. She turned to the side, where the two guards were stationed. "Long time no see, Kotetsu, Izumo," she said as she nodded at each one of them. She was right, she did look different and neither one recognized her at that moment but once they got a better look at her they know exactly who she was.

"Maiha, welcome back! It's been awhile."

"Yes it has. If you don't mind I will be heading to the Hokage's office to report my return, we'll catch up later okay," she said as she waved.

"Okay see you."

Maiha was home and once again felt happy. It didn't matter at that moment what had happened in the past she was different, a new person, mature and more experienced in life. First I'll drop some of my things off at home and then go see Ai. On to the Hokage's office from there to report my return then maybe I'll go look for him. With that she smiled and quickened her pace.

After dropping most her things at home she made her way over to the flower shop to get an offering for Ai. As she entered the store she saw a woman bent over behind the counter.

"I'll be right with you. She stood up after a moment, "Hi, what can I help you with? Maiha, is that you? When did you get back in town?" Ino asked with a smile.

"Only half an hour ago."

"Well welcome back."

"Thanks," Maiha said with a smile.

"I almost didn't recognize you, you look so different."

"I guess it's a look I adapted from my travels, new look for a new me," she smiled as she tilted her head to the side.

Ino tilted her head as well, "It suits you Maiha. Totally hot, not that you weren't' hot before."

Maiha laughed, "Thanks Ino, could I get a bouquet of sunflowers please."

"Sure thing," Ino went to the flower cooler and gathered a large bouquet for her. "Here you go, on the house today."

"Oh thanks Ino I really appreciate that, I'll see you later okay."

"See ya."

Maiha went directly to the memorial and placed the sunflowers at the base. She paid her respects to Ai and then headed over to the Hokage's office to report her return. She took a more roundabout way to check out how the village had changed since she had been gone.

Meanwhile, Kakashi and Lee had left the Hokage's office and were on their way to the advantage point of the mission. As they passed by the memorial a yellow object caught Kakashi's eye and he stopped quickly. "She's back," he said quietly smiling under his mask.

"Kakashi-san we must hurry, we have to get to the advantage point before the caravan does," Lee pushed. As much as Kakashi wanted to stay he knew that he needed to complete his mission. Hopefully it would not last long and he would be able to welcome her back.

Maiha climbed the steps to Tsunade's office and knocked. "Come in."

"Good afternoon Lady Hokage."

"Maiha, welcome back."

"Thank You Ma' lady."

"It looks like you are well."

"Yes very well."

"Please have a seat and tell me about your travels."

"It's a long story, are you sure you want me to tell you the whole thing?"

"Every bit of it," Tsunade said with a smile. Maiha returned it with one of her own and began telling her the ins and outs of the last two years of her life. She showed Tsunade her new weaponry and how she had acquired each piece.

Kakashi and Lee had made it to the advantage point and took cover waiting for the convoy to arrive. While they waited they discussed strategy. Thirty minutes later they heard a noise off in the distance. "Looks like five shinobi and the girl" Kakashi said. "Lee you retrieve the girl and get her to safety. I will hold them off until you return, understood?" Lee nodded. "Ok ready... Now!" Kakashi signaled.

The assault had begun. Lee had successfully removed the girl from the group of shinobi but to his surprise she was a decoy kunoichi. "Kakashi-san it's an ambush!" Lee managed to get out before the kunoichi attacked again. Kakashi immediately positioned himself defensively summoned Pakkun and sent him to the village for reinforcements. It would be some time before Pakkun would reach the village so he and Lee would have to do the best they could to hold their ground.

One of the men immediately removed himself from the fight reserving his efforts to carry out his plan. He knew the renowned Copy Ninja was a formidable opponent and was using the other shinobi in his unit to wear Kakashi down so that it would tip the scales in his favor. The five mist shinobi proved to be quite difficult for the two hidden leaf ninja to handle and were giving the sharingan quite a workout draining Kakashi's chakra in the process.

Lee was holding his own against the two he faced; however, it was difficult for a taijutsu user to keep up with the long range attacks of the mist shinobi. Only when they were in close vicinity to him could he exchange heavy damage.

"Sounds like you had quite a journey," Tsunade said.

"I did, thank you for allowing me to seek my path Lady Hokage."

"You're Welcome." Tsunade was pleased. "I'm sure that you have some people to visit so take your time getting settled back in."

"Okay, thanks again Ma' Lady, for everything."

Maiha walked out of Tsunade's office and began toward home. I think I will go and find him, I owe him an explanation and there's no time like the present while I have the courage. About halfway home she noticed a familiar shape dart into sight. "Pakkun?" She said surprised to see him, "wait, Is everything okay?"

"Kakashi and Lee have been ambushed. I have come back to town for reinforcements."

"What? Where are they?" Pakkun gave her the coordinates. "Tell Lady Tsunade that I am on my way and to send more help." He nodded and continued to the Hokage's office. Kakashi, Lee hold on I am coming.

The battle between Kakashi, Lee and the Mist shinobi continued. They had managed to take two of them out but three active ninja still remained. Two of them concentrated most of their effort on Kakashi as he was the intended target and Lee in a last ditch effort managed to take out the last of the shinobi he had faced, however, he had rendered himself unconscious in the process. Kakashi called out to him and when Lee didn't respond, he knew it was time to finish this off as quickly as he could. Kakashi activated his chadori and when the ninja were perfectly aligned he charged forward piercing one through the chest directing his body down toward the water. As soon as his hand touched the water the other shinobi was standing in Kakashi sent a current of lightning through the aqueous conductor electrocuting him.

Considering his condition, the relentless attacks by the three ninja not only caused Kakashi injury, but the chadori combined with the second burst of lightning drained his chakra in addition to the constant use of the sharingan. Okay where is the sixth? He exhaled looking around as a heavy mist rolled off the lake in front of him. He heard a sinister laugh come from across the lake.

"There is quite a price on your head Copy Ninja, a man could live off of that for the rest of his life," the remaining mist shinobi laughed.

Kakashi stood up and turned toward the voice. "So this is about money." Kakashi surveyed the situation. My chakra level is low I am injured, and so is Lee. As long as I can keep the battle away from him he'll be okay. Hopefully Pakkun made it back.

"I feel that your level of chakra has been drained Copy Ninja. It shall be more likely for me to complete my intensions of summoning you here."

Maiha had suppressed her chakra level hoping to come in as discreetly as she could, moving her forehead protector down into place. She was in earshot of the mist shinobi's words as she ran into the thick fog, a tell-tale sign of what lie ahead of her. Maiha could feel the mis-match in chakra levels as she entered the battle ground. She positioned herself between the mist shinobi and Kakashi. Both were surprised by her entrance.

"What is this?" the mist ninja laughed. "And just what are you going to do kunoichi? You can see how easily your hidden leaf shinobi were handled, and now you intend to battle me? I will crush you. Now that your copy ninja is so low on chakra he won't be able to keep you from harm."

Kakashi was not able to see her face, nor did he recognize the apparel or weaponry of the kunoichi that stood before him.

She looked around the battle field and taking in the scene. "Looks to me that battling your comrades, which have since been dispatched, took care of most the work for you. You are the only one left and have expended no chakra. If you weren't a mist shinobi I would have thought of this as dishonorable, but now I know you are just a coward. And I am sure even in his current condition he could still defeat the likes of you."

That voice. "Maiha?" Kakashi questioned.

The mist ninja scoffed, "I'll tell you what kunoichi, I you appeal to me. I will give you two choices. I kill you quickly and then finish off the other two, or I can just kill them and keep you for myself. You will make a fun little toy for me, how I will enjoy making you scream my name," he said with a menacing laugh.

Kakashi grunted as he lunged forward to strike. It was not like him to lose control so easily, but considering the insulting nature of the mist shinobi's comment combined with the situation at hand his patience was running thin.

Maiha stopped Kakashi's advance with an outstretched hand. He was still behind her and couldn't see the look on her face. "Kakashi, you can't protect me anymore. Concentrate your energy on getting Lee to safety."

"Maiha" Kakashi said in an urgent tone.

"Have you made your choice kunoichi?"

"Indeed I have." Maiha stopped suppressing her chakra making the mist ninja and Kakashi both aware of her decision.

This amount of chakra, much stronger than before almost matching the mist ninja. Yet Kakashi still pleaded with her, "Maiha you can't ask me to just leave you."

"Kakashi I am not asking, I am telling you. Take Lee and go, he needs medical attention soon. Reinforcements are on their way, use your energy to get him back to the village. I have the most chakra between the two of us, not as much experience but I'll hold my own."

"Maiha," he pleaded again.

She turned her head slightly, "Take care of yourself Kakashi; I'll see you when I get back."

She said them, those words. He knew she would not stand down.

"Tut-tut kunoichi, you surprise me. You are willing to give your life for two badly injured shinobi, whom I will just kill anyway… after I'm finished with you!" the mist ninja shouted as he charged forward.

"Go Kakashi!" she yelled as she pushed him backward and followed up with a jutsu to create a wall of water behind her to give Kakashi time to get Lee out of the area.

"Damn it Maiha," Kakashi sprinted with Lee back to the village. "I have to hurry."

The battle between the two shinobi was hard fought on both sides but Maiha's patience and strategic thinking was beginning to pay off. Though they traded blows and had inflected damage on each other he began getting angry that she was matching him and was not as easily defeated as he thought she'd be. Not to mention the fact he was missing his opportunity to collect Kakashi's bounty.

Meanwhile, Kakashi had made it halfway back to the village where he was met by Asuma, Sakura and two other leaf shinobi. "Immediately he began barking out orders, "You two take Lee back to the village for medical treatment. Sakura, Asuma you two come with me."

"What's going on?" Sakura asked.

"We have to go back and get Maiha."

"Maiha?" both Sakura and Asuma questioned as the three sprinted through the trees.

"She took on a mist shinobi so I could get Lee to safety." I wanted to stay but she didn't give me the choice."

"Kakashi she…" Asuma began.

"I know let's move."

"Well aren't you the little martyr. Let's make this a little more fun shall we."

"I'm not here to save anyone; I'm a distraction, you fool. They are probably almost back at the village by now and you are still here. Seems like your plan backfired," she chuckled.

The realization hit him that he may have missed his opportunity. "You little bitch," he snorted, "I still have time, carrying a wounded ninja will slow him down." He raced to the side trying to leave the battlefield falling back on his original objective.

"Where do you think you're going? Your opponent is me." Maiha drew her katana and charged it throwing a blade of chakra directly in his path redirecting his attention back to her. "Must be a missing-nin, a skilled warrior would be more of a challenge." Maiha was trying everything to keep his focus on her and off his original plan.

That was it, an insult to a shinobi's skills was one thing but coming from a kunoichi, for him that was intolerable.

"Your becoming quite a bother aren't you? Alright missy playtime is over." He came at her full force shuriken and kunai whistled through the air.

She pulled out her fan and swept a wind gust toward the weapons deflecting them.

Ah, a wind user as well. He changed his strategy and came at her again with a weapon attack from above and then a second directly in front as soon as he landed from the first.

What the… how? No way can I dodge all those. Maiha was hit by a barrage of weaponry, she managed to protect all her vital areas but the sharp projectiles sliced deeply through her skin and shredded her clothing. In her attempt to evade them she covered her face losing sight of him. Knowing he couldn't fight her at close range with a drawn katana, he followed his attack with a forceful water jutsu propelling her backward crashing her body into a tree.

With her katana lost, the fans from Suna damaged from the aqueous battle and her body severely injured from his powerful water jet jutsu, Maiha began thinking of her next move. I still have a little bit left, maybe just enough. It's gotta be close range, I can't move my body well enough for a long range attack. I have to draw him in.

He walked toward where she sat on the ground propped up against the tree reveling his victory in every step. "Aww sorry to mess up your pretty little body sweetheart," Maiha was practically butchered from the onslaught of sharp objects he launched at her. "Don't even try to get up you're finished, no one could withstand a blow like that especially with a frail figure like yours."

She only had a few weapons left that could actually do any bit of good and use in her condition. She was able to reach the handle of her tanto which she wore above her waist storage pack without him noticing her movements while he was approaching her and she still had her prized metal fans. Come on just a bit closer.

He stood over her with a kunai ready to finish her off, "Who's the village disgrace now?" he smirked as he looked down at her.

Her eyes darted up toward him and she brought forth the tanto, stabbed it through his foot and into the ground while simultaneously pulling out one of her steel fans projecting the kunai ends. She stood quickly thrusting the fan upward with the opposite hand as his body leaned forward from the tanto strike. While the fan blade cut through his neck severing his head the kunai in his hand moved up and forward along with the motion of his body piercing hers. Maiha had not accounted for any reciprocal action from her attack. She let out a blood curdling screech. The echo travelled through the forest and was picked up by Kakashi's sensitive ears.

"No!" he grunted and bounded faster with more force.

Though he was dead the mist shinobi's hand still gripped the kunai and as she pushed his body away the kunai was pulled out as he fell bringing forth another scream from her. She stumbled away attempting to get back to the village. She started to black out from the pain, at this rate she would bleed out before making it to much further. She fell to her knees, "Get up!" she shouted at herself, stood and then fell again. She attempted to move forward now crawling on her hands and knees. "I'm not ready to die," she took in a labored inhalation, "Not ready." She exhaled and then dropped into the mud.

The recovery group finally made it to the battle ground. Kakashi zeroed in on Maiha's seemingly lifeless body. He called out to her but she was unresponsive. "Damn it!" he choked out as he reached out to pull her in "I'm too late." Blood was pooling around her mixing with the muddy water from the battle that had transpired earlier.

"Don't touch her Kakashi," Sakura ordered. She made her way over and did an initial assessment. "There is a lot of blood but she is still breathing. Her pulse is thready" Sakura thought out loud. "There is so much blood loss, I don't know."

"Come on Sakura do something!" Kakashi yelled.

"Shut up and let me think." Sakura scanned her body. "There it is, okay. Kakashi I need you to gently roll her over so I can close up the wound."

Kakashi did as Sakura asked, and revealed the gaping wound. "Damn it," he cursed as more blood spilled out. He knew from all the wounds that he had seen in his life as a shinobi that this was a massive injury.

"Hold her still," Sakura placed her hands over the wound, took the time heal it and then moved on to her other injuries. "Ugh she is bleeding in as well. Oh Kakashi she's in pretty bad shape."

"Sakura," he looked at her "you have to try, please."

Sakura looked down and placed her hands over Maiha and tried to heal the internal wounds while Kakashi wiped away the mud and the matted hair that had been plastered to her face from lying on the ground.

After a time Sakura had brought her from the brink of death to critical. "She is close to stable condition but we could still lose her on the way back. She needs a transfusion. Her blood volume is very low." Sakura exhaled and looked at Kakashi and how he held Maiha as he continued to preen her. "The only other thing I could try is a direct transfusion." She paused. "Kakashi your blood type, you're type O right?"

"Yes."

"You're a universal donor. But I have never seen nor done this type of procedure, I've only read about it in my medical books."

"Do it Sakura," Kakashi was already rolling up his sleeve.

"Alright," she said with a nod. Sakura quickly prepared everything for the procedure. "The best way to do this would be through gravity feed. Kakashi I'll need you to stand."

He stood and Sakura prepared him for the transfusion as well. "Let me know if you are getting lightheaded or dizzy okay."

He nodded.

Sakura released the tourniquet she had placed on his arm to momentarily stop the blood flow and it began to flow down the tubing into Maiha's arm.

After twenty minutes Sakura checked on Kakashi. "How are you doing?"

"I'm okay take as much as she needs."

Sakura noticed that he seemed a little dazed. "Okay that's enough Kakashi. I'm type O as well so I can donate too." Sakura switched out needles and performed the same procedure on herself.

"That'll have to do it for now. She is still critical but a little more stable. I feel better about moving her. She most likely will have more internal bleeding on the way home we have to hurry but cautious at the same time" Sakura said as she patched up her and Maiha's arms. Kakashi went to pick her up but Sakura stopped him. "Leave this to Asuma; he is the best candidate to carry her."

Kakashi looked over to him, "I'll be careful don't worry," Asuma responded. Kakashi nodded and they made their way back to Konoha.

"Two pints at the scene and two more here, I can't believe she made it. With that much blood loss she should have perished," the male medic said as he went over her chart while Sakura checked her pupils with a pen light.

"She's always had a stubborn streak," Kakashi chuckled softly as he stood at the head of her bed. He visited her bedside when he could and stayed for hours facing the wrath of Madori each time for her loss of attention. I am so glad you are home.

"Kakashi I know you missed her while she was gone but letting you stay this late past visiting hours is going to get me into trouble," Sakura said quietly. "Besides don't you have a mission in the morning?"

"Yeah, I know, I just feel like I need to be here when she wakes, she's been like this for a week now."

"Oh, Kakashi, what's that old saying, a watched tea pot never boils?" Sakura said with a smile. "She just needs time to heal. All her labs are good along with her assessments; we have to let her body do the rest. Now off with you, you need some rest as well."

He smiled to himself, chuckled and then turned back to Maiha leaning over to her ear, "Take care of yourself little kunoichi, I'll see you when I get back."

Thank you to those that are still following along.