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Warnings: Character death.

Day 9635

Crackle, fuzz. Cat's voice filtered over the earpiece in her ear and over the conversation between the two Kages. "Weasel-taichou, where is Kakashi and the Uchiha?"

Ume shifted in her position behind the Hokage. She sighed and whispered softly. "I have no idea. "He doesn't tell me anything. Ask the outside surveillance teams if there has been any sign of them."

"Roger."

"Weasel."

Ume shifted slightly closer to the Hokage. "Yes, Lord Hokage?"

"Tell me that someone has eyes on Kakashi and his pupil." He slanted a look back at her.

She shook her head, her mask rasping against her white hood. "No, sir. You know Kakashi sir, if he doesn't want to be found then he won't be found."

The Hokage smiled. "I would hope that he would at least do you the consideration of telling you where he would be."

Ume blushed under her mask. "No sir. He's kind of a jerk like that."

The Hokage chuckled softly. "Very well then, we will make an exception. We shall postpone this match and wait." He turned over his shoulder and told Raido to inform the proctor, then turned back towards the Kazekage. "However it is most unusual for you to insist so strongly, Lord Kazekage."

"In order to display the full strength of our village's ninja, no opponent but an Uchiha will do. This is a big chance for Sasuke, yes; but a big opportunity for us as well."

A chill chased down Ume's spine as the sand ninja in the next match withdrew. She had seen that kid fight, sure Shino had already proved to be tough, but that kid could have taken him. So much for showing off the strength of the Hidden Sand's ninja.

Speaking as softly as absolutely possible, Ume spoke into the mic hidden in her mask. "Everyone: heads up... Something feels wrong."

The answer was subdued.

A fight and ten minutes later, staring down into the arena at the Uchiha and his opponent, the churning feeling in her stomach had only intensified. She couldn't shake the feeling that someone in the arena had ulterior motives, that something just wasn't jiving. It was like knowing someone in the room was talking behind her back.

She stepped slightly closer to the Hokage, hoping that if anything did go wrong she could respond quickly. She knew she shouldn't have let the Hokage talk her into being one of his guards. Cat was much better suited to this type of situation.

"You seem tense, ANBU-san."

Her eyes flew to the Kazekage and met his eyes, the sand ninja next to him shifting slightly and stiffly.

"I am just excited to watch the match, Lord Kazekage." This guy gave her the creeps.

"Weasel-taichou. The bodies of Grass ninja have been found within the arena."

Ume turned from the Kazekage. Depressing the push-to-talk button, she whispered into her mic. "What?

"They were crushed, Taichou and there is sand everywhere."

Ume head swiveled on a stiff neck to look at the Kazekage, who was staring at her like he had heard the message. What did you unleash here?

She turned away again. "Get two ANBU from the outside squads and get those bodies out of the arena, notify who ever they belong to quickly."

"Yes, Taichou."

Ume shifted forward a slight bit more, eyes on the fight. The Uchiha looked impressive, and he was faster... and more arrogant. She chuckled slightly despite the tension. He was turning out more and more like Kakashi everyday.

Ume's brow furrowed, eyes on the Sand Ninja. The boy was sluggish at best, downright immobile in the face of the Uchiha's speed.

She watched as the the red-head dropped into a stance, gathering the sand around him to form a ball around his body. Sasuke made an attempt to break the shield and got a couple sharp, pointy sand spikes for his trouble. A short while later a third eye appeared. He apparently had decided to hole up in there for awhile. Must have something up his sleeve.

Another volley of ineffective attacks and Sasuke backed off, pausing for a moment before vaulting up the side of the arena. After a succession of hand-signs that she couldn't help but recognize, she gasped. "Holy hell."

Both Kage looked sharply at her in askance, but she just stared up at the Uchiha's arm, crackling with visible chakra.

"That technique, it's Kakashi's." The Hokage was as shocked as she was.

"Yes sir, it is."

"He proves to be more and more like his sensei everyday, doesn't he, Weasel?"

Ume snorted. "Yes, my Lord, he does. Though I don't know how that is even possible, he is so young."

There was a pause as the Uchiha raced down the side of the stadium and plunged his hand deep into the sphere of sand. The stadium erupted in roars of encouragement for the Uchiha, before going silent when nothing else happened. Then suddenly from within the sphere came a blood-curdling scream.

"Blood! It's my BLOOD!"

The Uchiha started and struggled to free his arm, eventually resorting to another Chidori to loosen the sand. When the sand gave way, the Uchiha pulled his arm free, pulling a strange, fleshy blue veined appendage out with it. The stadium was silent just staring at the sphere.

The sand disintegrated, revealing a bleeding Gaara. The boy was breathing hard and staring at nothing.

A thrill raced down her back.

Again she turned to look at the Kazekage. What did he do to this boy?

A second later, the Kages turned to stare at each other, the Kazekage got a strange look in his eye, before drawling an ominous. "So, shall we begin?"

Suddenly on of the Sand ninja guarding the Kazekage rushed forward releasing a smoke bomb.

Ume threw her cloak off and stepped in front of the Hokage, drawing a kunai in each hand.

Two kunai flew past her face, and she turned over her shoulder to watch as Raido slid down the wall behind the Hokage's chair. A second later, one of the Sand Ninja rushed her, digging his shoulder into her side, breaking at least two ribs and physical throwing her from the Kage booth. She landed on her injured side careening down the clay roof, sending shingles every which way. As she neared the edge of the roof, she managed to throw out a Kunai clutching hand, stabbing the kunai into the roof's drain work. Using the arm on the uninjured side of her body, she swung up and steadied herself of the edge of the roof. A second later, as she was trying to catch her breath, a wall of black cloaked ninja appeared before her.

Cat shoved his way to the front. "Taichou, your orders."

Ume stood and adjusted her mask. "Raido is injured and the Hokage is still in there. The Sand have betrayed us. No mercy. Cat, I want the Hokage out of there now."

"Yes, Taichou!" Cat nodded then added, "Squad One, above. Squad Two, below; protect the nobles."

Ume switched the station on the earbud and pushed the push-to-talk button. "Outside crews: we have a security breach within the arena. I repeat, there has been a security breach in the arena. Back-up requested."

There was an eerie answering silence.

"I need a reply now."

There was a crackling, faint response. "I don't think that's going to happen, Taichou. We're being invaded."

Ume swore violently, switched the station back, and pushed the PTT button. Taking a deep breath, she delivered the bad news. "We fight alone. I repeat: there will be no reinforcements. We are being invaded. We defend the arena alone."

"Roger."

Ume made jump up to the upper level, only to be headed off by a dozen Sound ninja. She shook her head and smiled under her mask. She tsked and spoke, her voice smooth and emotionless. "Hello."

A second later two Sound Ninja slid off the roof, clutching at the kunai lodged in their throats. Ume unsheathed the sword on her back and their comrades rushed her.

Almost simultaneously, chaos broke over the stadium, every Leaf ninja fighting for their village. Unfortunately for the Sound ninja in the stadium, they had attacked the wrong village.

Ume could feel her body physically slowing, every step coming a fraction later than the step previous. She had long since reverted to pure taijutsu to conserve as much chakra as possible, but, as she pulled yet another kunai from some bleeding appendage or another, she realized that if this fight didn't end soon, she would have more chakra than blood.

The first two twelve-man platoons had been easy to dispatch, it seemed as though Orochimaru was just pulling common thugs off the streets these days, but that original platoon had been replaced at least three times already and the leader of this platoon was no common ninja.

"Your taijutsu is strong, lady and you've proved that you ANBU captains are no joke, but you've lost a lot of blood." His mask hid his face, but his eyes were arrogant.

Thinking as sluggishly as she was starting to move, she searched for anyway to end this fight quickly. This seemed to be the last of the platoons sent to slow her down, but it also seemed to be a stronger, more advanced team than the last four platoons. Sighed she shook her head.

"C'mon, Bitch give up already."

The leader of the team glared down at the ninja who had just spoken. "Put a lid on it. You piss her off we'll be sending you home in a body bag and that's more trouble than you're worth."

Ume chuckled, grateful yet again for the mask that hid her emotions, shrugged and back-flipped off of the roof. As she fell, she performed a series of hand signs. Landing in a deep crouch, she glanced up at the Sound ninja on the roof, trying to decide whether or not to follow her down into the middle of the arena.

"You know the orders, we're to keep this ANBU captain busy so she can't give orders or rally any troops. Get down there."

Once all of the Sound ninja stood in front of her, she planted her hands into the ground. "Earth Style: Dropping Lid!"

The earth shook as a giant boar shaped lid dropped over the Sound ninja. Another quick succession of hand signs and she dived into the earth. She travelled under the earth lid and pulled each Sound ninja into the earth below their feet. Popping up inside the earth lid, she chuckled. "Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu. You boys just hang around for a bit. I'm sure ANBU Interrogation Squad will have a few questions for you."

She released the lid and looked around the stadium, Orochimaru's barrier was still up. She sighed and looked around the stadium one last time.

Suddenly she stopped, noticing an extra black cloaked ANBU over by where Kakashi and Gai were fighting. She did a quick head count: counting the ANBU who died earlier, all members of the Stadium teams were accounted for.

"Genma."

Genma dispatched his last opponent and turned towards her.

"Yes, ANBU-taichou."

"Watch these guys for me."

She vaulted up the side of the stadium, landing behind the ANBU imposter. "You're very clever." The fighting stopped momentarily as the Sound ninja were alerted to her presence.

She almost lost control of her anger as the imposter turned, still wearing the stolen mask.

"Somehow you knew how our rank structure was organized. Somehow you knew that it would be better to impersonate an ANBU from an outside squad. Maybe you thought they wouldn't notice or that it would provide a decent distraction to allow your invasion squads time to get in or maybe you got lucky. Still you knew that as long as you kept your head down I wouldn't notice you until it didn't matter if I knew you were here."

"Weasel-taichou, nice to meet you. I've heard so much about you." He tapped by his ear where the earbud was hidden. He had even known what station to listen in on.

Ume shrugged and wiped the length of her sword against her right leg. In a move fueled by anger and adrenaline, she surged forward and disappeared, before reappearing behind him. She swung her sword downward and misses, throwing a kunai at the imposter's retreating form.

"You seem to have lost a lot of blood, Weasel-taichou." The stolen mask mocked her. "Maybe you should sit down."

"Fuck you."

"I would have never expected such ugly language from a woman."

Ume gritted her teeth, her body shaking with the effort it took to reign in her normally dormant temper.

"Do you think that you can save you're village? You couldn't even keep this poor sop alive." He tapped the center of the mask and she lurched forward on unsteady legs

"WEASEL!"

Ume started at the sound of Kakashi's voice and the imposter took her lapse of concentration as a chance to escape into the center of the arena.

She moved to follow, only to be blocked by Kakashi. "You don't have the strength to fight him right now. Stop."

She pressed forward. "He had to have killed Noburu to get that mask."

"I'll take care of it. You can't beat him right now."

Her knees buckled, the adrenaline wearing off in a sudden rush. Still she tried to pull herself to her feet. "You know who he is." She buckled again.

Kakashi caught her wrist and pulled her arm over his shoulder.

"I'll take care of it."

Ume moved gingerly, careful not to pull the literally hundred stitches that were currently holding her body together. She carefully wrapped each wound, hoping to protect it from the rain that was sure to fall today. Pulling on her, ceremonial black robes and sandals. Silently, almost reverently, she left her apartment through the door and locked it before making her way in the opposite direction of Hokage tower.

It took her nearly twice as long as normal to get there, but a full ten minutes later she walked up to the memorial stone, staring at the three people found there. She nodded, half-stunned, at Jiraiya.

Moving pass the Sannin, she walked past Kakashi and laid a hand on Yugao's shoulder. Wincing as she leaned over Yugao, she whispered softly into her ear. "I would die."

"What?"

Ume paused and swallowed thickly. "If we switched places... I couldn't-"

Yugao nodded and stood. She smiled sadly at Ume. "Yeah, I know." She nodded briefly at Ume, before turning and leaving Kakashi and Ume alone. Ume said a quick prayer and turned toward Kakashi. "Ready?"

Kakashi looked at her over his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"We're burying him today." Ume winced again as her ribs twinged. "No. I'm not okay."

Kakashi sighed. "Let's go."

Ume made to move then stopped. "Should I go?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Doctor did say that you didn't want to get those stitches wet."

"I'm not worried about the fuckin' stitches."

Kakashi sighed. "He would have wanted you to be there."

"So I can fail him again?" Her eyes were wide, her blonde hair plastered to her face and down her back, clinging to the black fabric that was clinging to her skin. "And Asuma-"

"Wants you there too."

She let out a shuttering breath. "The only thing I was supposed to do was protect him..."

"Orochimaru knew you would be there, he had already adjusted his plan to deal with you-"

"That is no excuse!"

Kakashi grabbed her hand and pulled her in the direction of Hokage Tower. "It is today."