A/N: Wow, I never expected this story to be popular...18 reviews in a day...thank you for reviewing, it makes me happy to read them all. This chapter is pretty long and also jumps about a bit because we are getting into the Kazekage Rescue Arc and so there are things happening in different places.

Enjoy!

They were huddled into the Hokage office and Ana watched as Naruto spoke excitedly to the Godaime and Ana took this time to appraise the blonde woman. She looked young, though she knew better then to take that to mean anything considering she is near Jiraiya in age, stern but kind. A fair and just leader, Ana surmised like Professor McGonagall, thinking about her old professor brought tears to her eyes and she looked quickly at the floor and clenched her hands tightly. She refused to cry in front of these people, people she wasn't familiar with.

"That's settled then, tomorrow you shall face Kakashi in a test of your new skills," the Hokage said, her tone clearly stating there was no need to continue the conversion further. "Naruto, Sakura if you could excuse us."

"But baa-chan what about Ana-chan?" Naruto declared pouting slightly at the thought of leaving the girl to fend for herself against the Godaime Hokage.

"Get out gaki," Tsunade said, her voice low with warning and Naruto scampered out the room, a metaphorical tail stuck between his legs.

"Tsunade," Jiraiya began nervously, allowing an unknown person into a village was always a risky thing to do, "allow me to introduce-"

"Potter Ana," Tsunade began, picking up a piece of paper from her desk which Ana soon recognised as parchment and somehow Ana knew that the Hokage knew about her. "Seventeen years old, born in Godric's Hollow, England. Magic user and saviour of the magical community. This letter has already informed me of who she is what she has done, it also assures me that she means no harm and only seeks a place to escape. Escape from what?" The question was asked brusquely.

"War," Ana mumbled quietly, her hands grasping the sleeves of her jumper nervously, "well not exactly war. I mean the war is over, I ended it, not that it was more a war to begin with. Magic is neither good nor bad, it simply exists and there are those who use is for good or those that use it for bad. We call those who use it for dark witches or wizards. The dark lord was the most powerful dark lord to use magic badly and I was prophesised to stop him. He killed my parents but failed to kill as a baby…he tried to kill on more than one occasion and when I was fourteen he was given corporeal form again…well anyway it ended in a massive battle where I finally defeated him…"

"Why do you want to run away though?" It was Shizune who asked that though after a long silence as the three shinobi reflected on the pain of war.

"Death," she choked out in reply her hands shaking as she remembered her friends lifeless eyes, glassy and doll-like staring into her. "So much death…my friends…my teachers…it was…they were…gods they all died and I needed to leave! I couldn't be around that much death, the smell was horrible and the eyes they just kept staring! I can't go back. Not to that." She was panicking her breath coming in short pants as she fell to her knees, tears slipping down her cheeks as a terrified scream tore from her throat.

"She is going into shock," Tsunade said, quickly running to her side trying to snap the girl out of her panicked state. The door to her office burst open and before she could shout at the intruder a mess of blonde hair caught her gaze and before she could blink the green eyed witch was gone.

"Don't worry Tsunade, Naruto will take care of her." Jiraiya reassured her, "so can she stay?"

"Of course she will stay, I'm not going to leave a girl as broken as she is to fend for herself. I'm not heartless." The Godaime snapped.

"Coulda fooled me," Jiraiya mumbled only to be on the receiving end of a punch, he flew through the wall and landed with a thump on the ground. Groaning he sat up and rubbed his aching jaw, "I see you haven't lost your touch."

"Tch!" Tsunade sat behind her desk once again, this time a serious look on her face. "Does she have these attacks often?"

"She has nightmares every time she sleeps, but she usually calms down a while after," Jiraiya paused slightly before continuing, a dangerous edge to his voice now. "She needs to be kept with Naruto."

"I will have them live together," Tsunade muttered distractedly.

"No," Jiraiya stood now and slowly approached the desk, "the one time Naruto wasn't with her to calm her down she worked herself up into a state…damn I've never heard such a terrifying and haunting scream in all my life…her magic, it runs off her emotions, it protects her naturally without any provocation, I approached her to calm her down and she exploded. Her magic was so violent it levelled the surrounding area, it was like shockwave after shockwave of raw energy. I have only ever had three experiences where my life was on the line. That was one of them. Naruto retuned and she calmed down."

"Why?" Shizune asked, "why was Naruto able to approach her?"

"Ah," Jiraiya began, uncertainty filling him, "I don't think you will like that answer."

"Answer the question," Tsunade snapped, her patience wearing thin.

"The Kyuubi." Silence met his declaration.

OoO

They sat on the Yondaime Hokage's head as Naruto gently rubbed her back in calming motions, her magic swirled around him but it wasn't harmful, it felt nice as it brushed against him. He didn't ask questions on why she got so worked up and for that she was thankful, it was one of the reasons she liked being around Naruto, he knew when to shut up and he understood. Without any words exchanged between them about Ana's situation, the blonde haired Jinchuriki had understood her pain.

"Thank you," she mumbled to him once she felt calm enough to speak, her head resting on his shoulder as she sat in his lap.

"Don't be," Naruto told her, his voice unusually calm and quiet, "I'm here for you." He truly meant it, it was nice to be needed by someone, to feel like he was actually helping instead of watching from behind as the distance between the one he wanted to help and himself grow further still. His hands clenched at the thought of his team mate, he wondered what he was doing, was he getting stronger? Was he that much closer to obtaining his goal and avenging his clan? Sasuke where are you? He thought. He was startled out of his rapidly darkening thought by a gentle kiss on his cheek, blushing slightly he looked down at the green eyed girl.

"It's alright," she told him gently, "it will all be alright."

OoO

"The Kyuubi?" Tsunade asked in confusion as she watched Jiraiya sit with a heavy sigh, "what does the fox have to do with it?"

"I don't fully understand it myself," Jiraiya told her and he rubbed his forehead in frustration, "all I know is that somehow she can connect with the Kyuubi and I'm fairly certain with the other Bijuu too."

"How is that possible?" Shizune asked quietly as though she was afraid what the answer might be.

"Her magic," Tsunade guessed, her mind working overtime with the new information and trying to come up with a plausible explanation, "the letter I have says she is the heir of someone called Merlin, the most powerful sorcerer to have ever existed. This magic seems to be the opposite of chakra. We have chakra coils, an intricate network that surrounds our entire body and flows with a steady stream of chakra, allowing us to create our jutsu but magic doesn't appear to work that way. Jiraiya said her magic defended her and chakra can't do that at least not without some sort of incitement from the person."

"Then," Shizune paused, wondering how to word her next question, "how does her magic work?"

"It's in her blood," Jiraiya said quietly, the revelation causing the two women to gasp.

"If what you say is true," Tsunade said, panic entering her tone, "then if she were to fall into enemy hands, they would have access to that power."

"No," Jiraiya said shaking his head, it was hard to explain it correctly to them because he himself didn't fully understand it. "I don't think it works like that. Her magic is unique to her, it only works with her. If say she was captured and her blood extracted and given to someone who shares the same blood type, the magic would become dormant, it wouldn't work. It's like chakra in that respect, you can't give someone another person's chakra and have them use it. There is also the added bonus of her magic protecting her from threats even while she herself is unresponsive."

"I see," Tsunade said thoughtfully. It seemed this girl was beginning to become a severe headache, she would be a very strong ally for Konoha and a formidable enemy. "You think her magic is connected to the Bijuu then?"

"Yes," Jiraiya nodded slowly, "in someway, though she isn't fully able to control them. It's more like her magic soothes their anger and the malicious chakra they emit. I believe she has a connection to Rikudo Sennin-"

"That is impossible," Shizune cut him off, "Rikudo Sennin was born centuries before Ana, there is no way there is a connection between them-"

"Shizune!" Tsunade snapped causing her apprentice to fall silent.

"I'm not saying she is related, I am only saying that there is a connection," Jiraiya frowned, he suddenly felt old, very old, "I don't know how but I know this…Ana has a part to play in this upcoming battle with the Akatsuki…she protects Naruto like he is her blood and she will not stand idly by while the Akatsuki threaten him. I haven't told her about the Akatsuki and you'd be wise not to either, at least not until the time comes when she needs to know."

"Right," Tsunade nodded, the headache she was beginning to associate with Ana steadily growing stronger.

"The Akatsuki will make their move soon, try not to let them know of Ana for as long as possible." Jiraiya said before standing and disappearing from the room.

"I wonder Tsunade-sama," Shizune said quietly, "if this girl will bring about a new change to the shinobi world."

"Me too Shizune, me too."

OoO

"Are you sure it's wise to do this?" Shizune asked the following day and Tsunade nodded in response, the younger woman sighed before picking up Tonton and leaving the office.

"You requested me," the ANBU shinobi said politely as soon as Shizune left the office.

"Yes," Tsunade replied as the ANBU shinobi disappeared and reappeared in front of her, "I have a mission for you but not as an ANBU. Remove your mask." Tsunade waited until the mask was removed, revealing the brown haired male beneath it. "Your mission is simple, you are to train a young girl in the ways of a shinobi."

"Hokage-sama?" He was confused, wasn't the academy and jounin shinobi supposed to take care of the younger upcoming shinobi? Why was he being asked to train a girl?

"I understand your confusion but this girl is different," Tsunade sighed, she hated explaining things but this time it was necessity which needed every little detail and she explained all about Ana to him. Though he was still a little confused about the girl in person, he understood why he was being tasked with this mission. "I am entrusting her training to you but you are also to protect her, do not let her fall into enemy hands. For the foreseeable future you go by the codename Yamato."

"Understood."

"Hey baa-chan!" Naruto shouted as he dragged a sleepy-eyed witch behind him, "I brought Ana like you wanted!"

"Naru-kun, please stop shouting," Ana mumbled as she rubbed her eyes.

Tsunade smiled, she couldn't help it when it came to Naruto, his light was endearing to people and made them want to protect the boy just to keep his light glowing bright. "Who are you calling grandma gaki?" she said in mock anger as she laughed inside at the sheepish expression Naruto gave, "Thank you Naruto, you may leave."

"Eh?" Naruto protested loudly, "but baa-chan I have to stay with Ana, she will get lost without me."

"Naruto," Tsunade began in warning before she smirked lightly, "don't you have a training session with Kakashi?"

"Oh no!" Naruto cried out before rushing out of the room towards the training grounds.

The room felt oddly silent as Naruto left, without his bubbly nature the room darkened and became lonely. Ana sighed as she approached the large desk, eyeing the man standing before it suspiciously before turning her attention to the hokage. "Why did you want me?" she asked slowly as a tired yawn escaped her.

"It's the middle of the afternoon and you're sleeping?" Tsunade asked causing Ana the shrug lightly, "you'd get on well with Shikamaru," she mumbled in distaste before clearing her mind of those thoughts. "Right, on with business then. I have decided to allow you entrance into Konoha and to live here, in exchange you shall learn how to be a shinobi and train in taijutsu." Ana looked towards the man who gave her a pleasant smile as he introduced himself to her and she returned the introduction. "Good, you will start your training immediately."

Ana left with her new trainer after that dismissal and followed him to training ground one where he stood in the middle of a field, looking at her appraisingly. "I am aware of your special circumstances and, though the majority of your training will be taijutsu, I will try and help you adapt your magic to suit the faster pace of shinobi fighting."

"Right," Ana said, her mind recalling the lessons she had with Jiraiya, "and taijutsu is training your physical body to become stronger and faster." Yamato nodded, impressed that she knew this much already. "My magic is going to be tricky though because usually in a wizard battle there is hardly any movement or any other weapons involved. It's just a wand," she was talking to herself now but Yamato listened to every word she said, "a wand would be a liability in a shinobi battle because if I dropped it, then I would be toast…I'm going to have to strengthen my wandless capabilities, I can only cast low level spells easily but the stronger ones use up a lot of concentration and energy."

"You could try meditation," Yamato advised, already growing to like the girl, she was practical and knew her faults and her limits. "Meditation calms the mind and focuses your strength, I think it would work well with you. As you develop this wandless magic of yours I can help by simulating battle scenarios with you and help your spell casting to become faster and more instinctual." Though he was unsure about the basis of her magic and the unfamiliar terms he assumed a wand was similar to hand signs, needing movements specific to each spell and to do it without this wand of her would be very hard.

"Meditation would work," Ana said slowly, smiling in appreciation, "my wandless magic is something I can practice on my own, right now I want to learn taijustu so I can become stronger and help my friends." Determination poured through her and Yamato smiled, it would be a hard journey but he had faith in this green eyed foreign girl.

"We shall start simple then," Yamato said carefully, "I want you to run laps around the whole of the training ground, I want you to run until you can't run no more. Then tomorrow you will do the same, only with weights around your legs and we will keep adding more weights as each day passes."

Ana nodded, though the process sounded boring and extremely tiring she knew he was the expert and she wasn't going to let him down. She thanked her already athletic body due to Quidditch training and took off running her goal firmly set into her mind's eye.

The sun slipped down past the horizon as Yamato sat in the field, watching the girl run, she had been running for three hours now and didn't seem to be giving up anytime soon. Sweat dripped from her brow and dirt caked her skin from the numerous times she had fallen over, Yamato had expected her to quit but she picked herself up each time and continued running, he was impressed with her will and determination.

OoO

The clay bird swooped down and caught the jinchuriki of the sand easily, though the owner of bird panted and grimaced at the exertion it had taken to finally defeat the kazekage. He made his way out of the village towards the entrance where his current partner in crime waited impatiently. He jumped from the bird when it landed and smiled at Sasori.

"You're late," Sasori sneered in his low gravelly voice, "I don't like to be kept waiting."

"What can I say Sasori no danna," Deidara shrugged lightly and patted the bird's white beak, "the jinchurki was better than I expected…but still I beat him in the end."

"Come on, we have quite a way to travel," Sasori glared at the sand before him, past memories surfacing in his mind, "and I hate to keep people waiting."

"Yeah, yeah I hear you," Deidara responded as the bird took to the air again and floated above them, neither of the two noticing the sand dropping from Gaara's body, leaving behind him a trail of breadcrumbs.

OoO

"I think that's enough for today Ana," Yamato called out to her watching in slight amusement as the girl cried out in relief and collapsed to the floor. He made his way towards the panting girl and smiled down at her, before kneeling slightly so she could look at him. "You did well for your first day, tomorrow we will try the weights and start on actual fighting. Go get some rest you deserve it."

Ana smiled ecstatically as she thanked Yamato and got to her feet after saying goodbye to him and watching him shunshin away. She walked slowly back to the apartment she was currently sharing with Naruto, her legs burned but she couldn't find it herself to complain about it, she was too happy. Her training would provide a brilliant distraction for her, a welcome thought to her grief ridden mind.

Naruto wasn't there when she got home but she remembered his training session with Kakashi and Sakura and smiled at the thought of him showing them just his new skills from his hard training. She got into the spare bed, completely exhausted and fell asleep immediately. This time she didn't dream.

Naruto entered the apartment not long after daybreak and, like Ana, fell asleep not long after he landed on his bed. He woke up the following morning to the smell of miso soup and, bleary eyed and yawning he made his way to the kitchen area to find a bowl rice and miso soup waiting for him. Blushing he looked over at the green eyed witch who was smiling happily. "How come you made this?" He asked as he sat down, he wasn't complaining but he was a little shocked by the food. He normally just had his cup ramen for breakfast.

"I'm happy," Ana declared brightly and she was happy despite her aching muscles, "I started training yesterday, I'm learning taijutsu and I'm practising my wandless magic to incorporate it into fights."

"That's brilliant dattebayo!" he shouted.

"Well," Ana said, excitement brimming in her eyes, "how did your test go?"

"We aced it dattebayo!" Naruto was catching the happy bug as he all but bounced in his seat. "Sakura-chan was so cool, she is really strong now and we managed to get the bells from Kakashi-sensei, but that's cause I used Ero-senin's books against him."

"I'm glad," Ana told him, feeling proud of her friend, "I knew you would pass. I believe in you Naruto."

Naruto blushed slightly, embarrassed at the praise he was receiving as he gave her a beaming smile. He ate his breakfast in silence after that, savouring the taste of food he wasn't used to, he thanked Ana for the food as he stood up to leave. They left the house together, though they went their separate ways soon after, Naruto heading to the Hokage building and Ana to the training ground to meet Yamato.

Naruto stood before the hokage with shock written in his eyes before they turned angry, "you mean our mission is to escort some lord back to his home!?" his voice reverberated throughout the room and Sakura immediately grabbed him by the collar and threatened him. "If Ana was here you wouldn't do that," Naruto told her and the pinkette fumed angrily and made to punch the blonde boy.

"Sakura!" Tsunade shouted, making the kunoichi pause before looking at the hokage in shock. After hearing Naruto's declaration about Ana, Tsunade knew it would be better for her pupil if Naruto left the room unscathed, though she thought Sakura should be taught how to be nicer to the blonde. "Now Naruto, this is the mission I assigned you, you need to remember that you are just a genin and as such aren't allowed on a mission higher than a C rank."

"But baa-chan-"Naruto began.

"Hokage-sama!" the door to her office was slammed open and, ignoring to protests a chunin message decoder entered the room and hurriedly handed the hokage the message before leaving in a rush.

Tsunade opened the scroll and quickly scanned the contents of the message before standing, her hands slamming onto her desk causing it to crack and splinter slightly. "The Akatsuki…they have made their move on Suna."

"Suna," Naruto repeated in disbelief before he quickly approached the desk, "Gaara! What about Gaara? Is he okay?"

"They have captured the kazekage," Tsunade said, her voice tight with anger as she slowly looked at the three shinobi before her with a careful, calculating eye and ignoring Shizune she made her request. "Team Kakashi I am assigning you a new mission. You are to head to Suna, find out what is happening and give them your aid! You are to do as the Suna nin tell you and report back to me. Get your things ready you depart in half an hour."

"Right!" The three shinobi said before leaving the room.

Ana puffed and panted hard as fought with Yamato, throwing punches and kicks, dodging when she had to. It was tiring but she was finally getting the hand of it, though her timing needed improvement. "Be free in your movements, like water racing down a stream," Yamato advised her, "be changeable like the wind blowing in the sky. Don't let your opponent catch on to your pattern," He paused catching the punch thrown his way before delivering a swift kick to the younger girls mid-section, she went flying back and landed on the ground with a painful thud. She got up mentally noting it was another bruise to add to the ever increasing number, perhaps when she got home she could connect them and make a dot-to-dot with them.

"Is that all you have Yamato-sensei?" She asked him as she ran forward, this time she feigned left and aimed a kick right, she expected him to catch her leg and as he did she punched him square in the jaw. "Finally, I landed a hit," she declared happily only to be shot down in her moment of glory by a hard shove backwards. She caught herself and managed to backflip away and land safely on her feet. "Couldn't you let me gloat for a little while?"

"Don't go getting a big head," Yamato told her lightly, though secretly he was impressed by her ability to adapt and how quickly she learned, she was already on par with a low level genin. "I do wonder how you know how to fight."

"My friend," she thought with a pang, remembering her bushy haired bookworm friend, "she was worried about me so over the summer when I was twelve we began taking self-defence lessons. Out dojo instructor was very kind to me and taught me more things than a regular class, he taught me how to fight hands on but he also taught me how to use a katana."

"You know how to use a sword?" Yamato asked thoughtfully.

"Better than my fighting skills," Ana responded with a shrug not seeing the importance of a thing right now. "Why?"

"Because we can see if we can get you a blade," Yamato frowned in thought as he began to think about the possibility of her wielding a blade. "I will have to talk to the hokage about this."

"Really!?" Ana asked before grinning happily.

"We will leave it at this today, go do some meditation to practise your magic and before you sleep I want you to do some laps around the village with the weights." Yamato told her seriously before giving her a serious look that made her gulp, "I will know if you don't do it."

She was walking back through the village when Naruto stopped her, telling her about his mission as she accompanied him to the main gate. A frown appearing on her face as Naruto mentioned that the group called Akatsuki were after the kazekage because of the Shukaku sealed within him. She looked worried as she made Naruto promise not to do anything reckless.

Everyone was waiting at the gate as Tsunade once again gave them their mission details and with one last look towards Naruto, Ana turned away to begin her meditation a foreboding gripping her chest.

OoO

She was old, far too old for this business but it was duty that brought her to the hospital, a duty her grandson had caused. If only Sasori wasn't involved in this mess then she could have stayed up in her tower playing possum. She approached the young puppet master and began examining his wound, a green glow surrounding her wrinkled hands as the medics talked around her.

"We are unable to examine all the poisons qualities, we don't have the knowledge." Of course they didn't have the knowledge, Suna was never one to learn the latest medical advancements, "but we sent a distress call to Konoha, they should send aide."

"Why would Konoha help us," Chiyo sneered, her bitter resentment for the leaf overwhelming her before she shook her head, "no, the only one who can help us now the slug princess herself." She shuddered at the thought of Tsunade but there was no denying her medical prowess.

"Tsunade-sama is hokage now, she won't be able to come." Baki informed her solemnly.

"Then there is no hope for Kankuro, I give him three days to live," Chiyo told him, her resentment showing in her voice, "the leaf won't send anyone strong enough, why would they?"

"We have to have faith in the leaf!" Baki protested, Chiyo didn't reply she only continued examining Kankuro.

OoO

It didn't take a genius to put two and two together and a furious Ana marched her way into the hokage tower, her magic whipping out before her to slam open the door to the office surprising both Tsunade and Shizune. "Tell me about the Akatsuki and their connection to Naruto," she demanded, not in the mood to play games and pretend to be naïve to this subject. The feeling in her gut had steadily gotten worse each hour Naruto had been gone until the point where she just couldn't stand it anymore.

"So you found out about that organisation did you," Tsunade said slowly, "from Naruto I presume, that baka gaki always running his mouth. We don't know much about the Akatsuki."

"Then tell me what you know."

"Ana! Show some respect-"

"It's fine Shizune," Tsunade said as she closed her eyes, "they are an organisation made up of S ranked missing ninja, they are targeting the bijuu but we don't know why or what their end game is. One of own joined to Akatsuki… Uchiha Itachi… he became a missing nin after he massacred his entire clan… surely Naruto has told you about Sasuke?"

"Yeah I know about Sasuke," Ana said slowly as her magic began to calm down.

"Itachi is his brother and extremely powerful," Tsunade sighed, her hand coming up to rub at her temple, what she wouldn't give for some sake right now. "Well he is the one after Naruto, along with his partner Hoshigaki Kisame, a missing nin from Kiri. They came after Naruto before he left with Jirairya and if he hadn't have been there, they would have taken him."

"Then why?" Ana pleaded, "why send him on this mission when the Akatsuki could try and grab him?"

"Because he is the only one who could possibly understand Gaara, he is the only one I could entrust this mission to." Tsunade said angrily, glaring at the green eyed witch.

"I'm going after him," Ana declared boldly.

"Don't be stupid gaki, your training isn't anywhere near finished."

"I'm not going to sit idly by why Naruto is in danger! You might be happy sending him of to his potential death but I am not! Naruto is my friend and I will be damned to hell before I let another friend of mine get hurt and die on my watch."

"You are adamant about this?" Tsunade asked her voice quiet, all traces of anger gone from her.

"Yes," Ana nodded, her determined eyes gazing into the hokage's.

"Then at least wait a day," Tsunade sighed, impudent kids always messing with things. "Another team will be back by then and I plan on sending them out after Team Kakashi, I will allow you to go with them."

"But-"

"This is my compromise!" Tsunade shouted at the girl, "you shouldn't leave the village at all with your meagre training but I am allowing you this compromise."

"Fine," Ana stated tense with anger as she stormed out of the office, heading straight for the training ground, intending to spend the rest of day and night training.

"Is that wise?" Shizune asked tersely after Ana left the room.

"What else was I to do Shizune?" Resignation hung in her tone as she looked at the woman, "you know as well as I that she would have followed Naruto, besides I think she will give the Akatsuki a run for their money. I will imagine they be surprised at witnessing her magical powers."

"But Jiraiya said-"

"Tch! Fetch me some sake."

A/N: So long chapter...I have a feeling that each chapter might be long...I hope the jumping around didn't make you confused and I hope it was clear what was going on in each section.

A note on the pairing: Wow, you guys have been helpful in giving me your views on who Ana should be paired with even including other characters like Itachi and Kakashi and while I love those two, they don't fit easily into the plot line I have planned out for this story...so maybe another time with those two...Now the story could go into two different ways depending on who she is paired with but in all honesty I'm leaning towards Sasuke. Though it will be a while before she even meets up with Sasuke because that comes at the end of the Kazkage Rescue arc so please bare with me on that...I'd rather not jump straight to her seeing Sasuke and being all lovey dovey right of the bat because that's not how Sasuke or Ana work...all I ask is your patience on that. I am thinking of including a small Ana Gaara chemistry thing that neither of them realise is there a sort of tension between the two, I don't know, I will have to see how that pans out...

Please review.