A/N: Alright! It's taken forever to get something done on this one but here it finally is! I am trying to wrap this story up so that I can jump over the coming War (I'll probably end up going back to do that one, but for the moment I'm just too confused to write about it!) and start on what I think should happen afterwards!

As always if you recognize it, I don't own it!

Also, this chapter turned out really short so I apologize but for some reason this chapter has not been cooperating!

Jerrie! Sorry, no lemon in this chapter, but rest assured there will be at least one more in this story!

Now! I leave you to the Reading Games!

CONVICTION

Sometime that night, Reyna finally managed to fall asleep, still sitting on Kakashi though he remained awake much longer than she. In his own mind, he ran through all the things that Jiraiya had left behind; not the least of which being the knowledge that he had passed to his students and in some ways even to himself through Minato. Sighing, he shifted carefully against the tree, trying not to wake Reyna. Between travelling with an ANBU squad and learning of Jiraiya's death he knew that she needed all the sleep she could get between then and the next day when she'd have to report to Tsunade and deal with life again. Finally he managed to drift into a light sleep and it was the sound of approaching footfalls that snapped his eye open again a couple of hours before dawn.

He managed to move Reyna off of him and launched to his feet without waking her, a kunai appearing in his hand as he narrowed his gaze in the direction of the steps. He relaxed again immediately when Naruto stepped through the trees. For once, the blonde was quiet as he stepped into the small clearing and dropped down to sit crosslegged next to the still sleeping Reyna. That told them both more than anything else could have just how hard she was taking the news. They'd never known her to not notice that someone was approaching. Kakashi sighed and dropped to sit next to Naruto.

"I guess you told her, huh?" Naruto asked quietly, shifting blue eyes from Reyna to Kakashi who nodded.

"I didn't see the point in heading back into the village right away after that."

Naruto nodded, "I asked at the gate where you were and when they said you and Reyna had disappeared into the forest I took a guess and figured you'd be here. I thought you should know that Lady Tsunade wants to have some kind of service for Pervy Sage."

Kakashi nodded, "She'd been talking about it, but said she wouldn't do anything until Reyna got back."

"Well, I'm back," they both turned to look over at Reyna who was lying on her back, staring at the canopy of leaves above her.

"Reyna-Sensei…" Naruto started but she held a hand up and he fell silent.

"If you're going to apologize, don't. He made a choice to go alone, you couldn't have done anything to stop him. No one could have."

"Lady Tsunade could have," Naruto muttered bitterly and Kakashi opened his mouth to say something but Reyna beat him to it as she sat up and met the blonde's eye.

"Naruto, he would have gone no matter what she would have said. I seriously doubt that Tsunade sent him out lightly. He was the logical choice to send and you know that and from what Kakashi told me, he did exactly what he set out to do; he got information on a member of the Akatsuki that we didn't previously know. Now, it's up to us to use that knowledge and beat the bastards. As long as we remember and we live on, Jiraiya's still with us the same way that Asuma is still with his team."

Kakashi sat back against the tree and shook his head. That had not been the speech he had been expecting from the wolf and he sure as hell didn't expect such a soft and understanding tone. He had thought there would be an edge to her voice, but instead she spoke with conviction, her amber eyes blazing as she held Naruto's gaze. It wasn't long before Naruto's gaze started to reflect that conviction and he offered a small grin to her.

"I never thought of it that way," he finally spoke again.

"I wouldn't have if I hadn't listened to Jiraiya the last time we spoke. Now, why don't we head into the village so I can give my report and we can figure out what the hell is going on."

The three stood slowly, Reyna cracking her back as she stretched while Naruto led the way back into the village and Kakashi walked alongside the wolf. He shook his head deciding there was definitely something different about Reyna now but he couldn't quite place what it was.

"Reyna…" he started and she glanced over at him.

"I don't entirely understand it either, Kakashi. I know you noticed something different this morning when I talked to Naruto…it's…complicated. I'll explain it later, if I can figure it out myself, alright?"

Kakashi nodded and while Naruto headed off down one street, the two of them continued on towards the Hokage's Tower. Once there, Reyna presented her report while Kakashi spoke with Shikaku Nara who had been tasked with trying to figure out what to expect from Zeke and his men. When Reyna reappeared later, Shikaku clapped a hand on her shoulder before heading off to speak with the Hokage himself and Reyna turned a slightly confused look to Kakashi.

"He's one of the few Shinobi in the village who knows that Zeke is also looking for you. Not to mention with everything else that's happened…"

Reyna nodded and they started out of the Tower only to be stopped by Shizune, "Reyna! You're back!"

Reyna nodded and quirked a brow at the woman, "I just gave my report to the Hokage."

"Shikamaru's been looking for you and asked that if I saw you to see if you could meet up with him sometime."

"Where is he?"

"At home most likely."

"Alright, well I'll head over there after a shower and a clean change of clothes."

"Did Lady Tsunade tell you…"

Reyna nodded, "Kakashi told me about Jiraiya and from the sounds of it, the Hokage is planning on having a memorial service for Master Jiraiya tomorrow afternoon."

"Oh…" Shizune's customary smile faded and Reyna laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Just don't ask me to speak and I'll survive. We all will."

Shizune nodded as Kakashi and Reyna headed away and towards his apartment. Once inside, Reyna disappeared to shower, a clean change of clothes in hand. Kakashi dropped onto his couch, book in hand. He ignored the fact that she took an extra long shower and barely glanced up from his book when she emerged again still braiding her hair over her left shoulder.

"Heading out to find out what Shikamaru wants?" he asked.

She nodded, "Might as well; it beats sitting around here staring at the walls. Tsunade's given me a few days off."

Kakashi nodded and she disappeared out the door again. Once she was gone, he stood and headed over to the bookshelf where he pulled a scroll from the top shelf and opened it. He sighed as he read through the contents written in Jiraiya's unmistakable cursive. He had apparently left it with Tsunade and in the event that something happened to him she had been asked to hand it over to Kakashi with the instruction that he was not to, under any circumstances, allow Reyna to find out the contents of that scroll.

Reyna headed down the stairs and back into the streets. She quickly made her way through the village to the Nara household wondering what in the world Shikamaru could possibly want to talk to her about. Sure she had offered after Asuma had been killed, but she hadn't really expected him to take her up on it. Yoshino opened the door a few seconds after Reyna knocked and gave a tense smile to the Jounin on her doorstep.

"I was told Shikamaru was looking for me," Reyna told the woman wondering what was up with the tense posture.

"I'll get him for you," the door closed and Reyna sighed with a shake of her head; she'd actually started to forget that she wasn't the most favored person in the village.

A minute later the door opened again and Shikamaru stepped outside with the Jounin, "So you made it back alright."

Reyna nodded and quirked a brow at the Chuunin, "I did; so what were you looking for me for?"

"Well," Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head and gave a slightly embarrassed smile, "I was hoping you could help me train."

Reyna's eyes widened and she shook her head in shock, "I'm sorry? I thought you said you wanted me to help you train. What could I possibly teach you?"

"Those shadow techniques of yours; or at least the Shadow Shield. Maybe if I would have had something like that…"

Reyna shook her head and sighed, "Don't go there, Shikamaru. Trust me, it won't get you anywhere. I'll make you a deal," when he met her gaze again she continued, "I'll try to teach you the Shadow Shield, if you return the favor and try to teach me Shadow Imitation that you use. Deal?"

"Sure, no problem," Shikamaru grinned in reply before tilting his head to the side. "So…when do you want to get started?"

Reyna shrugged, "I've got a few days off so whenever."

"What about tomorrow morning then? We could meet up at the training grounds on top of the mountain."

"Sure. I usually train up there anyway. Eight work for you?"

"I'll be there," he smirked again before heading back into the house and Reyna headed back towards Kakashi's apartment.

It wasn't long before she was walking back through the door to find Kakashi exactly as she had left him; sitting on the couch and reading his book. She shook her head before disappearing into the kitchen in search of something that she could turn into brunch since they had missed breakfast but it was still a little early to call it lunch. Sighing she settled on making grilled ham and cheese sandwiches for herself before deciding to see if Kakashi wanted anything.

"Hey! You hungry?" she called over her shoulder as she checked on her food.

"What're you making?" came the reply as he headed for the kitchen to see for himself.

"Grilled ham and cheese."

"Sure, why not? What did Shikamaru want to talk to you about?"

"Oddly enough he wants me to train with him and try to teach him my Shadow Shield," she shrugged. "Not sure how that's going to work out though since it's Kekkai Genkai but I guess we won't know if it's possible until we try."

Kakashi nodded and stepped up behind her, "When were you two planning on starting on that little project?"

"Tomorrow morning at eight; why the sudden interest?"

"No reason, just curious as to what was going on."

Reyna rolled her eyes and shook her head again as she finished cooking and placed the sandwiches on two plates before digging through the fridge for something to drink as well, "So this has nothing to do with the fact that whenever something goes awry in my life you turn into an overbearing and overprotective ass?"

"Well…maybe a little," he grinned and she laughed.

"Well, I've decided that as long as I don't think I won't freak out. Therefore training is a very good plan. Now would you sit the hell down and eat?"

Over the course of the rest of the day, Reyna spent most of her time in Kakashi's apartment trying not to think about anything. That only worked for a couple of hours and slowly she found her mood dropping as she curled into a corner of the couch with a book in her hand, though she made sure that it wasn't one of Jiraiya's. Kakashi, it seemed, also noticed her steadily declining mood and he sighed, glancing over at her from his own reading.

"We should go out," he finally stated and she snapped her eyes up in shock.

"I'm sorry, I thought I heard you say that we should go out. I must be hearing things," she attempted a grin but it fell flat.

He shook his head at her, "You are not hearing things. We spend far too much time sitting around this apartment in silence."

"As opposed to walking around the village in silence because you have your nose buried in that damn book?" she half snapped before closing her eyes and shaking her head. "Sorry."

"Well, if you're snapping at random times bothered me you sure as hell wouldn't be living with me now would you?" he smirked and she glared at him.

"What did you have in mind? I'm not really in the mood for aimless wandering today."

"Hmm, sure the one time I don't have a plan is the one time that you actually WANT me to have a plan. We could head over to the Academy; you haven't seen Iruka much lately."

Reyna quirked a brow at the suggestion, "Wow, I must really be in a bad mood if you're offering to spend time around Iruka for me."

"He's not such a bad guy, he just annoys me," Kakashi grinned.

"Careful there, Hatake, your human is starting to show," he chuckled at that briefly before turning serious again.

"What do you say? I may even be nice and buy you dinner afterwards."

"Okay, now you're starting to scare me; not only are you willing to hang out with Iruka and I but you're also offering to pay for something. Maybe I should be depressed more often."

He shook his head, "I really would prefer if you weren't; I want my playful wolf back."

She did finally grin at that and shrugged, "Eventually she'll return, but what the hell do you expect?"

"Have you figured out that change this morning when you were talking to Naruto?" he asked as they started out the door and down the stairs a few minutes later and she sighed.

"Kind of, but it doesn't make a whole lot of sense."

"Try me. Maybe between the two of us we can figure it out."

"I had this really weird dream last night when I finally fell asleep. I was talking to this giant wolf that...wasn't really a wolf. I don't know, maybe my mind was just fucked up."

"What do you mean 'wasn't a wolf'?" Kakashi asked a hint of more than just curiosity behind his tone.

"Well, it was in the form of a wolf but it wasn't flesh and blood like one. It was like it was made of fire and shadow and…chakra. I could sense chakra oozing from the thing. Oddly enough though, rather than wanting to kill it or just get the hell away from it, I don't know; I felt better, safer." She shook her head again and sighed. "It was just a dream though."

"Did anything else happen? Or was it just that feeling of being safe?" he questioned.

"It spoke…don't ask me what it told me exactly but when I woke up again I still felt the pain of losing Jiraiya but it was easier to deal with and to get past. I don't know, like I said it was weird. I had this new conviction to just…live and not let anything stand in my way of that."

Kakashi's mind raced as he thought of what he had read in that scroll Jiraiya had left for him. He shook his head and under his mask a very slight grin tugged at his lips. Apparently Jiraiya had found a way to help her find the answers even when he could no longer be by her side and that just made his job a lot easier. He'd had no idea how he was going to help her reach her inner wolf-guide without actually telling her it was there. He still didn't understand most of it himself, but he could only compare it to a summons though that wasn't really what it was either. Apparently it hadn't only been on her mother's side that she had a Kekkai Genkai but on her father's as well which made sense. Most of the wolves that he'd run into, and that included the new Leaf Pack, had at least some usable chakra; his opinion of that being that that's what they drew on to be able to change forms like they did. The scroll had also outlined a bit about the connection between the Inuzuka clan and the wolves and as they reached the Academy, Kakashi decided that he should try to find a way to get Reyna working with Kiba and Akamaru, even just on a basic mission to see what came of that. Still smirking to himself, he followed Reyna into the Academy and down the halls that led to Iruka's classroom.

A/N: Again, I am sorry this chapter is so short and I feel like I didn't accomplish anything in it! Grr!

I hope you enjoyed what little there was in this chapter though! Hopefully my muse will come through for the next chapter which will include training with Shikamaru, chatting with Iruka and of course Pervy Sage's memorial service!

Until then you all know how my muse loves reviews!