Sorry for the wait... I have had horrible writer's block to be quite honest. Anyways read and review, it is always helpful for beating writer's block.

Zero

Ume hated hospitals. They smelled of death and decay. They were rank with the permeating stench of withering dreams and the slow leak of vitality and strength that clung to her skin and hair for what felt like days after leaving the hospital. She could stand to watch ninjas die in battle but to watch people who garner most of their self-worth and identity from their usefulness and their honor and the pride they get in serving their village forced to just lie there watching all hope of ever being whole again, of every being useful or strong again, leak through their fingers like so many grains of sand... It was more than depressing, it terrified her.

If the circumstances hadn't been so extreme, she would have run the other way.

"How are they doing?" She ran her fingers lightly through the hair at the back of his neck.

Kakashi looked up and reached up to cup a hand over her hip. He pulled her closer and leaned lightly against her, his cheek pressed into the rough fabric of her flack vest. "Everyone has been stabilized."

"Even Chouji?"

Kakashi nodded, staring at Naruto's sleeping face.

"And he's... the Uchiha."

"Defected."

Ume cursed and leaned over to kiss Kakashi lightly on the top of his head. Giving his shoulder a quick squeeze, she let him go and moved towards Naruto's bedside.

"He's a cute kid."

"Reminds me of you when you were a kid."

Ume smiled brightly. "I always knew you thought I was cute, for all of your posturing and acting cool. Though I resent the fact that you are insinuating that I was hyper."

Kakashi shook his head. "'First time I met you, you blathered on for an hour." His voice went high and squeaky. "Hi, my name is Ume Nagasaki! I'm four years old, how old are you? My mom says I'm tall for my age and I want to be a ninja when I grow up. Do you want to be a ninja, too? Can I play with your knife? It's called a kunai, right?"

Ume chuckled. "Did you record the conversation, Mr. Specific? Besides I was in complete control the entire time."

"You fell over my fence head first."

"Hush you."

Kakashi chuckled and grabbed her hand, pulling her away from Naruto's bed and in between his legs. Resting his forehead against her stomach, he sighed heavily.

She smiled softly and untied his hitai-ate and ran her fingers unencumbered through his hair. "Look at us, eh? Mr. and Mrs. Unnecessary Guilt."

"We'd have to be married for that to make any sense."

Ume shrugged and tugged his head back lightly, dropping a quick kiss on his masked lips and then one over his scarred eyelid. "Details."

Kakashi shook his head and pulled her into his lap, pressing his face into her neck.

"Kashi-"

"Don't."

"Look I'm just giving you a little back of what you've been giving me these passed couple of months." She smiled and soothed a hand over his shoulder. "He was dealt a bad hand, Kashi. You and the rest of his sensei and friends tried hard to protect him from it, but that kid has always been set on revenge, you knew that from the get go. Maybe it might not have happened this way, but it was always likely to happen."

"I was too late, Naruto was hurt."

"Sasuke may still be young, but he knew exactly what he was doing and still did it. Don't take his guilt from him."

"Hypocrite, at least I feel guilty over a student's actions, you feel guilty over a psychopath's actions."

Ume chuckled tightly. "Yeah well I'm learning."

Kakashi's head popped up and Ume moved quickly to a nearby chair, settling back nonchalantly as Kakashi finished tying his hitai-ate back around his forehead. A second later, Sakura burst into the room.

"Ume."

Ume looked up and met the Hokage's frank glance. Silently Tsunade passed a heavy intelligence scroll over to her, which Ume took and opened, an eyebrow cocked over a suspicious blue eye. A second later, the scroll hit the floor, rolling dramatically across the floor.

"I wouldn't normally do this... sicking a woman with a grudge on this target... It's asking for trouble, but I have a feeling that it would be impossible to keep this from you and I can't have you jeopardizing this mission for your grudge match."

"When?"

"Two days, to say your goodbyes and to assemble three teams of four ANBU. You will be leading them."

"You want info or do you want him dead."

"Both preferably, but if nothing else, intel is more important than your revenge."

"Understood." Ume was stone faced as she rose and went to exit the office.

"Ume."

Ume stopped but didn't turn around. "Yes, ma'am?"

"You don't have to do this, you can choose to pick another captain, Cat or Boar would be good choices to lead the mission. You don't have to throw away your life."

Ume tensed and let out a shrill giggle. "You want me to send twelve men to their deaths and you expect me to not lead them? That monster killed one of the most important people in my life and you expect to sit back and watch. You really don't know me very well, Madame Hokage."

"I know that Kakashi Hatake is in love with you and that you love him."

Ume shook her head. "That conversation has no place in this one." She paused, her head down. "Besides it's not-"

Tsunade shrugged. "Like that? You think I don't know what's going on in my own village, that I haven't seen the way you two are together? Or maybe you're just too stupid to see it... I doubt that though. I think that it scares you, knowing that you depend-"

"I came to the realization that my world ends with him some time ago, Lady Hokage." Ume still hadn't turned around or lifted her head.

"I think you underestimate his feelings then. You know how you'd feel if he died, but yet you're willing to let him suffer that."

Ume lifted her head and levelled Tsunade with a frank stare. "I'm not a civilian, Lady Tsunade, and even more relevant: I'm ANBU. Kakashi is more than aware of this."

"Yeah but that doesn't mean that you have to sign up for suicide missions."

A sad smile flitted over Ume's lips. "If that's what the village needs, then that is exactly what it means. I took an oath, Lady Tsunade; I pledged myself to my village first and above all." She chuckled lightly. "There isn't a romance clause in my oath; no way of getting out of the deal because I fall in love. Whatever my village needs, that's what I pledged, and I won't go back on my word, period."

"And what about Kakashi?"

"I would spare him if I could, but if he knows like me I know he does, then he'll understand."

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

Ume winced as Kakashi punched another hole in the wall to the left of her head. "Kashi-"

"No. Shut the fuck up, you don't get to speak. You'll most likely die, you're aware of that right?" She made to answer, but he cut her off. "Don't speak, the sound of your voice is pissing me off, now nod. Do you understand that you will die going after Orochimaru?"

She nodded.

"And you're aware that..." He paused, looking pensive. "I don't want you to die."

"I think that's pretty fucking obvious."

"I said: don't talk."

Ume glared at him and Kakashi sighed, his anger deflating in a sudden rush. Pulling his fist from her wall, Kakashi cradled the side of her face with his hand and caught and held her eyes.

"I thought we moved past this Ume. I thought you were learning to let it go."

Ume chuckled. "It's not just about him, Kakashi. My Hokage and my village need something and I am the best person for the job."

"There are other ANBU captains who could lead this mission, it doesn't have to be you... You don't have to die for him to honor his memory."

"I told you, Kashi, it isn't-"

"I don't believe you. Don't feed me the 'my village needs me' line. I've used it more time then I can count to justify a suicide mission that I had no business being on." Kakashi stroked him thumb along her jawline. "It doesn't have to be you."

"What the hell kind of leader would I be, Kakashi, if I sent my men to the slaughter and didn't join in the fray with them. I can't do that... I'm sorry, but I can't. They have families and loved ones too. Youcan't ask me to be that cruel."

Kakashi nodded and turned his head slightly ghosting his lips over her cheekbone. "When do you leave?"

"I have-" Ume paused and cleared her throat, her voice thick and sticky in her throat. "I have two days to assemble my team and say my goodbyes."

Ume stopped abruptly and lifted a hand to stop the squads behind her. Silently, she motioned for everyone to spread out. Dropping into the under-brush, she searched for signs of an unaccounted-for chakra signal or a odd scent.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Ume felt a prickling on the back of her neck, her instincts firing off. She glanced back at Bull, who, catching her eyes, patted the bulge in his armor where the scroll was tucked safely against his chest.

"Let's keep going, we're half a day away from the village. No more breaks. I want to be there by sundown."

Ume shivered as the other ANBU captains took to the trees. As she leaped from the ground, she had the distinct thought that this had been too easy.

She perched in a tree and glanced at the waiting ANBU and moved forward only to sense movement from her left. She turned just as a Sound ninja collided with her side, re-breaking still-tender ribs.

She grunted and hit the ground hard, the Sound ninja's heavy frame forcing her harder into the ground. As their momentum stopped, Ume grabbed a kunai and stabbed him in the neck and stood, pushing his bleeding body to the side.

"AMBUSH!"

It seemed at first, that this to would be easy as her men kept a steady upper hand against the hordes of Sound ninja that seemed to pour from the surrounding forest. Ume stood in the midst of ten or eleven dead bodies and watched as Snake dispatched the last Sound ninja and counted heads No one was dead, thank God.

Suddenly a scream tore through the air and Ume paled as she turned to see the cause.

Orochimaru, arms in impeccable working order, was ripping through her men like wet paper, a sadistic smile focused in on her. She sensed Bull and a few other survivors step closer to her as Orochimaru turned to face her fully, his hands covered in dirt and blood.

"Weasel-chan, how nice to see you again."

Ume gritted her teeth and motioned silently for Bull to leave.

"Taichou."

"Go. Now."

Bull left and Ume prepared to intercept Orochimaru if he decided to give chase.

"Silly Weasel-chan." Orochimaru smiled indulgently. "What do I care for that scroll? Your man wouldn't be running with it if I hadn't all but handed it to you. No I wanted you to have it." He paused as if waiting for a response and didn't receive one. "I wanted to see if you would come for me, if I gave you a way to. You didn't disappoint. Though I will say that you and your men moved much faster than I anticipated. I was hoping to catch you before you reentered the Fire Nation but I suppose it wasn't to be."

Pulling out a kunai, Ume clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. The ANBU around her immediately spread out around Orochimaru and waited for her signal.

"Are you really planning to fight me?" Orochimaru laughed outright. "Surely you know how that will end."

"I don't care." With Ume charged Orochimaru only to be deflected easily.

She charged again as Orochimaru pulled his hand from Snake's gut. She managed to get closer this time, only to be batted away again as Orochimaru turned to end another of her men's lives. Eventually it was only her and Orochimaru. By that time she had collected a fine collection of bruises and he was still giggling like a fool, nary a wound on him. She threw a high-kick to his face and Orochimaru caught it, throwing her foot away from him roughly and then forcing her to the ground. He stood over her and tsked as she reached for a paper bomb.

Kicking her hand away, he smiled. "Uh-huh, you aren't allowed to die, Nagasaki-chan." He paused and bit into his thumb, performing a quick set of hand signs and then spreading the blood over his forearm. Ume watched in horror as he planted his hands a few feet away from her left shoulder and released the jutsu.

A second later, she screamed as Orochimaru's giant snake summon landed half on top of her, pinning and crushing the entire left side of her body.

"I think I will leave you like this, it'll make a nice present for your new Hokage. But first:" Orochimaru leaned over and took every weapon that was within her reach. "Got to make sure you don't kill yourself or destroy your body. Would ruin all my fun."

Ume cursed vilely and Orochimaru giggled. "Language, Nagasaki-chan."

He cackled and left, leaping from tree-to-tree and her vision began to fade in and out.

Her last thought was that this was one hell of a way to go, pinned under a giant snake.