The next morning, the first thing Itachi noticed was he was not in a bed. The second thing he noticed was the blanket over him and the grass under him. Then it was the small hand that held his own. Koka peacefully slept on, unaware of the panic Itachi was now facing. If she woke up and found him touching her, she would get mad at him. But if he tried to remove his hand from her grasp and she woke up, she would be mad. Slight movement from behind the girl caught his attention.

Next to Koka was Kaede, who was facing Shisui on her other side. The two older children were snuggled right up to one another. Yet another thing that would irritate Koka. Itachi was stuck. The young Uchiha gave up and closed his eyes. Maybe he could fall back asleep before trouble started.

The next few nights, the two Uchiha boys stayed at the shrine Every day, the four kids and Heiwa would visit the Uchiha matriarch at the hospital. It was on the last day though that Itachi got the fright of his young life. Koka had gone to get a drink of water but was taking a long time, making Itachi curious.

Finally he excused himself. Kaede was too wrapped up in cooing over baby Sasuke to notice, but Shisui did and followed him out the door. Upon not finding Koka at the fountain where she was supposed to be, the two Uchiha boys panicked and began to search for the young girl. When they found her, Itachi's breath caught in his throat.

Koka was cowering against a wall as a large man loomed over her in anger. Another man stood in shock off to the side.

"I'll kill you, you stupid brat." His hand was reared back to hit her. That was all it took to snap Itachi and Shisui into action. They were kids, but they were still children of the Uchiha clan. A civilian man would be no match for them.

Itachi appeared in front of Koka and caught the fist before it could make contact. Moments later, Shisui slammed into the man, sending him sprawling. The two boys took up defensive stances in front of Koka. The man rose to his feet, cursing at them. But before he could take another step forward, a much stronger hand grabbed him.

"What, exactly, do you think you are doing?" Fugaku asked the man, red eyes spinning dangerously. The police had arrived.

Itachi had never been more relieved to see his father than in that moment. More members of the police showed up and cuffed the man before taking him away. Fugaku came to Koka while another officer went to the man who was still standing off to the side.

"Koka, can you tell me what happened?" Shisui and Itachi moved off to the side as the Uchiha leader same close, but Itachi still stayed close to the girl. Koka nodded as Fugaku knelt before her.

"That man's wife is hurt," she told him, pointing to the man off to the side getting questioned by the other officer, "but it was the mean man who did it, he's her brother. She wouldn't give him money, so he hurt her. So I told her husband but that man heard me and he hit me and…and..." She broke off sobbing and clung to Fugaku who sighed.

Itachi and Shisui watched in quiet shock as Fugaku allowed the young girl to cling to him as she cried. It was combined with sorrow as they listened to her cry from her fear. Fugaku pat her head in a comforting motion before frowning. He pulled away his fingers and looked at them. Itachi could see the small smear of blood on them. Koka's blood. Rage filled the young boy.

"You need a healer." Fugaku told her ad Koka's crying began to die down.

"I'll take her to one, Fugaku-sama." They all turned to see to see a boy in his teens standing there in standard ANBU uniform, minus the mask. His bottom half covered by a black loth mask and his left eye covered by his slanted forehead protector. Fugaku nodded and stood, carefully extracting himself from the small girl before him.

The shinobi walked up and knelt down now.

"Koka-chan, do you remember me?" She nodded.

"Kakashi-san." She started to sniffle again as a new wave of tears came up on her. Kakashi opened his arms and allowed the girl to wrap her arms around his neck as he lifted her up. She really was small for her age. Itachi and Shisui followed at Kakashi's heels as he took her to a room with a medic.

"So did you figure out what to do yet, Koka-chan?" Kakashi kept her talking as they walked, hoping to take her mind off of what must have been a traumatic even for the young girl.

"Sort of," was the quiet response. Itachi and Shisui listened to the conversation quietly in confusion.

"Oh? What parts have you figured out?"

"I'll let that person stay and keep her happy, but I won't let that person hurt her." She frowned as she thought again. "I don't know how yet thought."

Kakashi chuckled. "You'll get it, don't worry." She nodded as they arrived at a room. Kakashi sat her down on a stool as they waited for a healer. The old woman who came in was a kind lady who fussed over Koka's head.

"You poor dear, you must have been so scared."

"Hai." Itachi braced for more tears from Koka, but none came, to his relief.

"Good thing you have such brave friends." The woman continued to tut around.

"Hai." A small tilt of her lips was all that appeared before vanishing. Itachi was the only witness to Koka's near smile.

After Koka's head was healed and the woman made sure nothing else was damaged, the old woman left. Kakashi helped the small girl off of the bed and onto the floor, where to the Uchihas's surprise; she stuck close to Itachi's side. The four of them made their way back to where Mikoto, Heiwa and Kaede were.

No sooner had the young girl stepped foot into the room when she was nearly swept off her feet by a near hysteric Kaede. Fugaku stood near his wife as Heiwa moved over to Koka as well. Kakashi bid his farewells before disappearing in a poof of smoke. Koka envied him. The fuss was becoming too much for her and was ready to go home.

Two chapters in one day. Review loves