2.26.23 Yo! Been a while. Been working on the sequel.

Kaiya couldn't believe her ears. Her jaw went slack, hanging loose; her eyes were wide with confusion and shock. She stood to her feet, pushing her chair out from under her, slamming her palms on the table abruptly; Yoshino jumped, startled.

"There's no way they'd use me like that!" she protested angrily. "No one can be that heartless!" Yoshino opened her mouth to reprimand her, but Shikaku rested a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it lightly. The woman paused, turning to her husband in question. The look on his face indicated that he expected this reaction—well, to be honest, he expected much worse—and he knew how to handle the situation. The Hokage showed the same expression. She backed down resentfully, sweat dotting her brow.

"Kaiya, you know we're not lying to you," Shikaku told her calmly, crossing his arms. His eyes were closed again, his face set in a frown; his scars rippled as veins protruded from his forehead. Everyone that knew about Kaiya's situation was aware that telling her the truth would not be an easy endeavor. Nobody wanted to hear such a truth about their own family. Even after the betrayal and all the other truths came out, there was still a part of Kaiya that wanted to believe her family cared about her deep down, that they had kept her out of their business to protect her. But now, those perceptions were shattered, and she had to face reality.

She was a pawn from her birth. She never mattered to them.

Kaiya's countenance wavered, only for a moment. Her arms shook, and she lowered her head to keep the others from seeing her pained expression. She knew Shikaku wouldn't lie to her, and neither would Sarutobi. There was no evidence her family wouldn't do something like this. She remembered her empty, rotting compound, how they had all been a part of something she wasn't. They all died together, leaving her alone to suffer the consequences of the destruction they wrought. And now she had to deal with this.

She swallowed the lump in her throat with difficulty, just happy it wasn't moss this time. She breathed heavily through her nostrils, trying to calm herself down. She held back the tears in her eyes. There was no way she was crying again, especially in front of the Hokage.

"Your family was cornered by the ANBU, and in their last stand, they gave that warning when they saw there was no way out for them. No doubt they were trying to use it as a bargaining chip to keep themselves alive—saying that if they died, there would be nothing holding those powerful people from coming here and taking you by force," Sarutobi told her, letting out a brief sigh.

"They said they were the only thing protecting you. But our messenger told us that they were the one keeping you safe up until then, and when they were gone, someone would need to take their place. So, naturally we believed your family was just making empty threats in a desperate attempt to save themselves, and in the end their lives were taken from them. However, Fugaku Uchiha suggested we take measures to ensure that if their words were true, we'd have a way to protect you, in the absence of our perished agent." Kaiya lifted her head up slowly.

"Fugaku?" she repeated, blinking. Her eyes burned with the effort to keep her tears at bay. Sarutobi and Shikaku nodded. She sniffled as her heart wrenched. "So that's why…"

"Yes, Kaiya." Shikaku let a small grin appear on his face. "That's why you lived in the Uchiha Estate for a while. Fugaku and the Military Police offered to protect you, and the location of their estate was convenient for that. They believed your innocence, as you know. They were also investigating these 'powerful people', but they were never able to find any solid evidence that they existed. The Hokage didn't want you to be paranoid the rest of your life, so he kept this from you. We planned on telling you eventually, when we were sure it was nothing but a farce, or if we found whoever these people were. However, the circumstances have changed. We were wrong to not have been more active on this."

Sarutobi sighed, nodding in agreement. "Forgive us, Kaiya," he said. She could hear the exhaustion in his voice now. Old men shouldn't stay up so late. "Forgive me. I thought I was doing the best for you, but I see that by not making you aware of the situation, I put your life in even more danger."

Finally, Kaiya had calmed down enough to sit back down. She stared absentmindedly at the Naras' mahogany table, a solemn expression on her face. So that's why they did it, she thought, thinking back to the day she moved into the Uchiha Estate. The first few months were rocky, and most of the Uchihas paid her little to no attention. She knew they saw her as an outsider and probably didn't trust her like the rest of the villagers. But they eventually warmed up to her; they were kind and supportive up until that incident.

She'd always assumed she was placed there out of pity, so that the other villagers, who were violent and vocal about their distrust towards her, couldn't harm her. After all, most of the villagers didn't really trust the Uchiha clan, either. But Fugaku—Sasuke's father—had wanted to keep her safe from whoever was after her, even though there was no evidence that person existed, even though he was putting his entire clan at risk. That just made her love the Uchiha clan even more than she already did.

"So…what's going to happen to me now?" Kaiya finally asked, bowing her head again. She'd already been relocated twice since her family's betrayal six years ago. With this person—possibly persons—coming out of the woodwork to capture or kill her, she figured that would mean she'd have to do it again. She wouldn't want the Nara clan caught up in all of this, anyway. But where would she go? The only place she figured she'd be accepted was with the Hokage himself. But she didn't see that as likely. He had enough on his plate. He was a thousand years old and didn't have time to be a full-time babysitter.

Shikamaru lifted an eyebrow. He'd remained quiet this entire time, listening to everything his dad and the Third had to say. He knew a little of Kaiya's situation: Shikaku had told him when they were in the Academy so that he would be aware of the circumstances and not push her away like the other kids in their class. That had made her angry for a long time, but now she was grateful for it. He smirked.

"Heh. You're not thinking of getting rid of us that easily, are you, Kai?" he asked. Kaiya blinked, lowering her eyes before she bit her lip to rein her sobs in; her chest swelled with melancholy and relief. She glanced up at her classmate, and then at his parents and the Hokage, who were all grinning warmly.

"Shika's right, Kaiya," Yoshino agreed, giving her the closest thing to a motherly smile that Kaiya had seen. "I would think that after four years, you would've learned that family sticks together." Family… Shikaku nodded, chuckling lightly. Sarutobi grinned heartily.

"I think everyone here agrees, Kaiya—this is your home. You're not going to be relocating anytime soon. True family has nothing to do with blood; it's about love and acceptance. I think it's about time you stop fighting it."

That did it.

For the first time in years, Kaiya didn't hold back her tears. She didn't care if anyone was around, and she didn't try to hide her sobs out of embarrassment. Resting her head on the table, she wept freely in front of her family.

"Thank you," she said in between her cries. "Thank you."

…

"What's got you so down in the dumps?" Hibachi crossed his arms in question as he glared at Kaiya, who was staring straight ahead as they walked through the woods, paying the boys no attention. She gripped the straps to her backpack tightly, her dark eyes scanning the canopy ahead. She would never tell them, but she was searching for the silhouette that had attacked her only a few days earlier. She still had no idea what happened after he grabbed her. Did she manage to get away from him somehow, or did he just let her go? Neither one of those made any sense. She didn't remember anything after being dragged into the ground, so how could she have fought him? And if he'd gone through all that trouble to capture her, why did he just leave her in a swamp?

Kaiya's hands trembled. She had been especially nervous when she exited the village gates, knowing that the ANBU couldn't protect her away from Konoha's borders.

Why on earth had the Hokage allowed her to go on a mission outside the village? They were just going on about how dangerous it was for her in it, and after she'd just been attacked!

Sarutobi had assured her everything would be ok. He knew it was her first time leaving Konoha, but he had the utmost faith in her team.

"Bullshit," she'd said. "I don't even trust them with C-ranked missions inside the village." But the Hokage had just laughed and took out a scroll, handing it to her. Man, did she hate reading the boring things the Hokage made her look at, but she took it anyway. She was shocked to see it held information on her sensei, Riichi.

She frowned and scanned the papyrus quickly, her eyes widening at the list of accomplishments he had, ranging from his scores in the Academy to his days as a Jonin before he was barred from his duties and forced to be their sensei. At the bottom, she saw that Sarutobi had given him the label Protector.

"You see, Kaiya, Riichi being chosen as your sensei wasn't simply a punishment for him. I chose him specifically for this team because I knew that if it was ever needed, he could protect you without fail. Riichi will give his life to ensure your safety."

Even with the Hokage's word, Kaiya just couldn't see Riichi as a responsible guard. He was weird and lazy and made it clear every single day that he didn't like Kaiya or her teammates and he'd rather be doing literally anything else instead. Sarutobi had assured her that he had briefed the young Jonin on Kaiya's situation and the incident that had happened a few days prior. He knew what to be looking out for and the dangers that could be lurking behind every tree and in every shadow. But Kaiya still didn't trust him. She doubted she ever would.

She didn't trust anyone, really.

Sure, there was the Nara clan and the Hokage, and there used to be the Uchiha clan. But those were special circumstances. She didn't trust Hibachi and Unagi with her life, even if they did work as a team now. And rightfully, they shouldn't trust their lives with her, because if push came to shove, she was saving her own ass, and that's it. She held no responsibility for someone else's survival.

"Jeez, Kaiya isn't paying us any attention today," Unagi muttered to Hibachi, covering his mouth with his hand so she wouldn't hear. "Did you hear about that incident a couple of days ago at the Nara Estate? All those ANBU—"

Unagi froze suddenly. It felt like a snake had crawled up his body and wrapped itself around him tightly, rendering him unable to move or breathe. Sweat dripped down his brow, making his glasses slide off his nose slightly. He glanced around frantically, trying to figure out what enemy had attacked him, and if his teammates were in the same situation.

He frowned, confused. There were no enemies about, and there wasn't actually a snake binding him in place. Riichi was ahead of the children, keeping a steady pace, not paying them any mind. But Hibachi, like him, was frozen in place, something invisible keeping him as still as a statue. And then he saw it.

Kaiya.

She had turned around and was facing the boys now. Instead of the stoic expression she'd held all morning, since they had met up for the mission at the exit to the village, she was wearing a sneer that could curdle dairy. Her eyes were dark and fierce, with a hint of malice that Unagi had never seen before. Her eyebrows twitched, and a vein popped in the corner of her forehead. A low growl rumbled deep in her throat, like a wolf that had crossed its greatest enemy. She was pissed.

So, she'd heard him after all, even though Unagi figured she was just out of earshot. Damn she's got good hearing.

Hibachi gulped, wondering what she was going to do to them. He flinched when she reached out but was shocked when she only took hold of Unagi. The latter yelped in a feeble attempt to escape, but she was too fast. She pulled him close, sweeping him off his feet. Even though he was several centimeters taller than her now, she could still lift him off the ground with ease. It was embarrassing.

"Listen, Unagi, the last person on the planet that I'd confide in would be the two of you," she snapped, baring her fangs like a canine. Her gaze landed on Hibachi, and he quickly stood to attention and nodded, agreeing with her. "Don't worry about why I'm not paying attention to either of you assholes, and especially don't worry about what happened on the Nara's property, because none of it has anything to do with you. Just worry about not overstepping your boundaries with me, got it?!"

"Y-yes, ma'am!" Unagi promised, squeezing his eyes shut as he waited for Kaiya to punch him. She considered it, but after a moment, she decided it wasn't worth it. She had other things to worry about. If she distracted herself by beating her teammates to a pulp, the silhouette man could sneak up on her and take her away to where she belonged. She couldn't take that chance. So, she released his collar promptly, not even bothering to lower him to the ground first. He plopped onto his back with an "Oomph!" sending dust into the air. Hibachi winced.

Riichi rolled his eyes ahead of them, neglecting to turn around and acknowledge the scuffle behind him. He had too much on his mind right now, and he knew Kaiya did too. He trusted her to do what was needed and focus on the matter at hand—well, it should have been the mission—instead of beating her teammates to a pulp like she usually did. Normally when they had assignments, Team 11 put aside their differences and did what they needed to do long enough to complete them. They had done surprisingly well so far, and he'd only had one or two complaints.

But this mission was different. This was Team 11's first C-rank out of the village. And for Kaiya, that was taking a huge step forward. He had been shocked when the Hokage had given his team this task, until he learned of the events at the Nara Estate. Then it all made sense. Kaiya needed to get out of the village for a while, while the ANBU (the remaining ones, that is) swept the village for the intruder, to make sure they weren't hiding out and waiting for a second chance to strike again. Or perhaps they were following the team out of the village, and in that case, they were on their own. In either predicament, they were prepared.

Most people didn't know a lot about Riichi, and that was the way he liked it. Especially when the enemy knew little about him. They took one look at him and thought he was an average—albeit above average in looks—shinobi who didn't have anything special to offer. But that wasn't exactly true. While he didn't showcase his skillset often (because that would just give him more responsibilities, and he hated responsibility) there were times when his specific abilities were needed. He was asked by the Hokage to take Team 11 under his wing, and now he knew why.

Riichi had sharp eyesight, like an eagle. He could see through facades, such as camouflage jutsus and most genjutsu. He could see from far distances; he'd pinpointed an ant from atop the Hokage Mountain once. Many of his colleagues swore he had eyes in the back of his head. He could sense and avoid attacks from behind without even turning to look. It had earned him fame as a Chunin, then a Jonin, and had even earned him praise from the Hokage personally. Until the fateful day he decided to be a hero. That was his mistake—caring about others, trying to protect them over the sake of the mission. Many a shinobi had gotten blasted for it before, and he foolishly believed that he would be different. But he wasn't.

Sakumo Hatake, his hero. He'd saved his teammates' lives at the cost of the mission, and it earned him nothing but shame and ridicule from the village, even from those he saved. The poor man had eventually taken his own life. One of the men he had saved had been Riichi's father, in fact. Riichi grew up hearing how Sakumo was a failure, how he denied Riichi's father from an honorable death and shamed the village for years to come because his heart was too kind. But Riichi thought the world of Sakumo, because in his eyes he had done the noble thing and saved his friends from death. He was a protector, and Riichi wanted to be a protector too.

Protector. One could be the protector of many things: lives, objects, villages, ideals. The Third Hokage once told Riichi he was a protector, like Sakumo. Riichi knew what that meant. He protected his comrades. But after his failure last year on a mission, he didn't seem to like that title so much anymore. "Protector" had turned to "Failure", and suddenly he saw what his father meant about Sakumo. It saddened him, even though he despised his father.

But this new development in Kaiya's case had brightened his spirits, only slightly. When the Hokage had first told him he was going to be disciplined by becoming a Jonin sensei, he wanted to throw up. Who ever thought it was a good idea to put him in charge of children's lives? But when he heard Kaiya's story—the full, raw version, not just the version the village gossiped about—he knew this was his chance to show the village that being a protector was a good thing. And when she was attacked only a few days ago by an unknown assailant, he knew that he had to do everything in his power to protect her. He had to use all the skills he'd built up over the years to keep her and the rest of his team safe. Because eventually, Kaiya would put them all in mortal danger.

Wow, she was a handful. He wondered what was so special about her, why she had "powerful people" after her. She'd never showcased anything out of the ordinary; she didn't have a kekkei genkai or a tailed beast or anything else that made her unique or powerful. So, what did those men know about her that they didn't? Well, she didn't belong to any clan, and no one knew where her parents really came from or their lineage. In fact, up until their betrayal, no one had known they were shinobi at all. She was a total mystery, this Kaiya Kimura. Kimura wasn't even her real last name; it was just one she borrowed from a kind shinobi she once knew.

Riichi sighed. He'd rather be at home huddled in front of the fireplace with Mr. Cuddles, sipping sake and reading a nice book, but the Hokage insisted they go on this mission.

A total farce. This mission was just to get more information about the "silhouetted attacker" that killed ten ANBU agents singlehandedly and chased after Kaiya in the woods. All they were doing was meeting up with a nobleman in the Land of Keys and escorting him to the Land of Tea to see his sister get married to some rich guy. His normal set of guards all fell ill with some sort of strange illness, so he asked the Leaf Village for assistance instead. There was nothing special about Team 11 that made them stand out for this job. Literally any shinobi could have done it. In fact, it might have been easier just to send an experienced Chunin alone, but again, this was just a distraction for Kaiya.

The whole mission should take about four days, from start to finish. It would take them about eihjt hours to reach their destination and meet up with the nobleman, Kane, and then two days to reach the Land of Tea, and then another day after that to escort him home, then another eight hours to return to the Hidden Leaf. It should be cut and dry, but then again, he had the worst team possible. Who knows if they would make it to their destination on time—or alive? Kaiya might kill them all out of frustration if Unagi and Hibachi didn't learn their lesson and leave her the hell alone.

He glanced back at his team, realizing that he should probably be paying them more attention. To his shock, Kaiya was walking ahead of the boys with her head glued to the canopy, searching for something. Hibachi and Unagi were keeping their distance behind her, huddling together as they kept a sharp eye on their third teammate. They made sure to stay no less than fifteen paces behind her at all times. Riichi sighed again. Well, at least they were finally using common sense and keeping their distance.

"Sensei, this mission sounds like a bit of a drag." He lifted an eyebrow as Hibachi spoke to him for the first time since they left the village. "I mean, shouldn't they ask for a team that's been outside the village before?" Riichi didn't tell him he agreed. He cleared his throat.

"Well, Hibachi, you may have a point, but this is good exposure for Team 11," he explained, turning to walk sideways so he could see them better. He glanced at Kaiya, and she purposely kept her eyes on the trees. "Eventually we'll have several missions outside the village when you guys gain more experience. This is just the kind of low-maintenance assignment you guys need to get your feet wet. Low-risk, and you guys can train on the way. Remember the techniques you just learned? Well, this is the perfect time to practice."

Just yesterday, Riichi had taught them the chakra climbing and walk-on-water techniques. It had taken them a full day to get ahold of it, but they had gotten it. Everyone but Kaiya, that is. She struggled with chakra control, it was no secret, and these weren't easy jutsu to learn. But he was sure she'd been practicing since he initially showed them. She'd get it eventually.

"Kaiya, have you learned not to fall out of the tree yet?" Hibachi asked, unable to hold in his fits of laughter. Riichi groaned. Had they just forgotten the lesson they'd just learned? Keep your distance and shut your mouth if you wanna live!

Kaiya's eyes flared with a dark flame, and Hibachi's laugh died in his throat as he was thrown against the trunk of a tree. His eyes widened in shock and fear as he realized what he'd done. They were outside the village now, away from the safety of people and protection of familiar surroundings. He had nowhere to run. And even if he did run, Kaiya would surely catch him.

"Kaiya…" Riichi warned, but she ignored him.

"You got something to say to me?" she growled, pushing against his jugular with her arm. He gagged in a struggle to breathe. The tree's bark pressed against the back of his neck and his back, digging into his skin.

"N-no," he managed to choke out, trying to shake his head. Her hold loosened, only slightly. He sucked in a gasp of air.

"Good, because I—"

Kaiya never had a chance to finish her sentence.

The soil shifted beneath their feet; they both looked down in question, wondering if an animal was burrowing right under them. Kaiya released Hibachi and sucked in a breath when she saw fingers burst through the dirt. It took her a moment to register the hand, confused as to why it was under the earth. But then her mind flashed back to the forest the other night, the large silhouette that had reached out for her…

Kaiya let out a sharp scream as an unusually large arm broke through the dirt and grabbed her ankle. She fell backward, pushing Hibachi away from her as she did so. Riichi's eyes widened, and he pulled out a kunai as he rushed to the scene. I didn't sense it?

Thankfully he was close, and he threw the knife at the hand with urgency. It sank deep into the flesh of the middle finger, and Kaiya was released as it writhed in pain. Riichi swooped in and grabbed Kaiya, carrying her to Hibachi and Unagi, who had already pulled out their own weapons, ready for orders.

Riichi set Kaiya down next to her teammates. "Are you ok?" he asked her, breathless. She nodded, her eyes wide as saucers. She was rattled. None of the boys had ever seen her like this. She was breathing heavily, her forehead protector crooked, her hair disheveled. She didn't seem to remember how to blink.

"I…y-yeah, Sensei. Thanks." Finally, she steeled herself, taking a deep breath, refusing to tear her eyes away from the dirt, just in case the attacker came back. The arm had disappeared back into the earth. An attack was imminent.

"Alright, let's get ourselves together," Riichi said, his eyes narrowing. He was all business now. He hated it, but there were times when he had to be serious, although he was such a carefree person that it took a lot of concentration. However, when others' lives were in danger, it was easier to get into character. "Looks like our mission is taking a little detour. This is good training, too, right? No better way to gain experience than by jumping right into it, eh?" He chuckled nervously. "Just remember: Kaiya is the enemy's target. We have to protect her at all costs."

Kaiya felt embarrassed, despite the situation. Her cheeks burned a dark red. The fact that Hibachi and Unagi were protecting her? They'd never let her live this down.

Hibachi smirked, twirling his kunai around his finger as he shoved Kaiya in the middle of the group with his free hand. "Heh. Ya hear that, Kaiya?" he mocked, licking his lips. "We're gonna show you up here and now, ya wimp. Stay back!" Unagi nodded, though the nervousness was clear on his face.

"Yeah," he agreed, pulling a handful of shuriken from his weapon pouch. "We're gonna save your ass, and then you'll owe us big time!"

Kaiya opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. Sweat trickled down her brow. She didn't have a choice but to put her life into their hands. She wouldn't admit that she was afraid, but she didn't need to—her reaction a moment ago was proof enough. She wouldn't be able to face this enemy alone. Perhaps she wouldn't be able to face him at all.

"Come out, coward!" Hibachi yelled into the open air. "We know you're still here. Hiding underground like a worm, ha! Scared of a few kids and an old man or what?" Riichi frowned at the insult but didn't stop the baiting. Sweat beaded his forehead.

Can Team 11 really take this guy? From the size of that arm, we're not dealing with any ordinary enemy here…I should've had a team on standby, just in case. And Kaiya, frozen like that…

Riichi glanced at his female student, who was standing still in the middle of the triangle they'd formed around her. She was shaking; it was subtle, but he could see the slight quivering of her body, from head to toe. Whoever this guy was, he'd really spooked her a few days earlier, and now that he was here in the daylight and reality was setting in, she was terrified.

Kaiya shakily pulled out a kunai, holding it in front of her timidly. She stared at the earth frantically, waiting for the monstrous hand to reappear. She couldn't believe how unsteady her hand was. Is this how she fared in the face of real danger? What kind of shinobi was she?

"Gotcha!" Kaiya realized too late she wasn't paying attention, lost in her own world. She looked down and gasped as the large hand burst through the earth once more, this time all the way to the shoulder; the arm was the length of her body. She gritted her teeth and swiftly jumped into the air, guessing that this time, the hand was trying its luck at her throat. It narrowly missed as her team swiftly jumped into action.

"Hibachi!" Riichi called, and the boy nodded.

"Right!" He quickly made hand signs. "Earth Style: Mud Trap!" The earth bent to Hibachi's will, encasing the large arm and the rest of its body in a mud casing, bubbling to the surface. While Hibachi trapped the attacker, Riichi made seals of his own.

"Lightning Cables!" As fast as—well, lightning—blue strips of electricity wrapped around the large sarcophagus of mud, holding it in place. It sent tendrils of shockwaves through the perpetrator, and he hissed with pain. Kaiya glanced at her teammates, awed at their concentration and coordination. She turned back to the man who had given her nightmares for the past few nights, shocked at his large size. She didn't know if giants existed, but if they did, she was staring at one right now.

The hardened earth around the man's head began to crack. Kaiya braced herself, holding her breath involuntarily. Then, the dirt and mud broke away to reveal the monster's face. He wasn't shrouded in shadow this time.

Black, heartless eyes. A dirt-caked pale face with grooves and scars that made him look older than he probably was; a nose that had been broken so many times it was just a smudge on his face. Long, black hair in a greasy ponytail down his back. Rotten, yellow teeth; some of them were missing. A cruel, victorious smile.

The man breathed heavily, elated, as he glared down at Team 11—no, as he glared down at Kaiya specifically. His gaze was hungry, maniacal, as he let out a loud, raspy laugh. It echoed through the trees and in Kaiya's ears. She took a step back, biting her lip, bumping into Riichi's legs. She glanced up at him in question, her eyes pleading. He gave her a reassuring smile.

"Kaiya, we've got your back," he promised, resting a hand on her shoulder gently. "You can trust us." She turned back to her attacker, then took a deep breath as she steeled herself. '

Yes, she could trust them, she decided. She had to.

She nodded, gripping the kunai in her hand tightly, despite the fact her palms were clammy with sweat.

"So, what's the deal with you, big guy?" Riichi cracked his knuckles, pulling Kaiya to stand behind him and the boys. His smile was gone, and he was more serious than they had ever seen him. His lips were in a straight line, and his eyes were narrow and accusing. He stared at the much larger man with furrowed brows. "You just thought you could waltz into the village and take Kaiya, right? And you even had the nerve to follow us all the way out here because you thought we were vulnerable, eh?"

The man's laughter died as he returned Riichi's scowl.

"I have orders to take Kaiya Kimura where she belongs," he said plainly. His voice was rough as sawdust, like his vocal cords had been smashed. Looking at his appearance, that was entirely possible. Riichi's frown deepened.

"Do you?" he asked sarcastically. "And who might be the one giving those orders?" The man showed them a toothy grin.

"Heh. Keep asking dumb questions and you'll get your answers," he replied. "Just don't blame me when you regret it." Riichi balled his hands into fists. The air smelled of ozone from his earlier attack, and Kaiya wondered what else he could do.

"It looks like Inoichi is going to have to deal with you, then," he decided, shrugging. "Or maybe Ibiki…" Kaiya frowned in question. She knew Inoichi was Ino's dad and that he worked in interrogation, and his interrogation methods were painless. Ibiki, however, was another story. He was scary, even compared to someone as massive as her attacker. "Anyway, let's just start with your name. I think that's more than fair." The man's smile widened.

"Hmm. I suppose I could be cordial." His smile waned, just a little. "My name is Kentaro." Riichi nodded.

"Ok, Kentaro, you're the one who killed all those ANBU and attacked Kaiya aren't you?" Hibachi and Unagi shared a look. They hadn't put it together before, because Kaiya was threatening to knock their lights out, but she had mentioned the incident at the Nara Estate, as if she had been involved. And now, they knew why.

Riichi crossed his arms as Kentaro chuckled. "And if I am?" Riichi's face darkened as he dug his fingernails into his biceps.

"Well, if you are, then you're going to experience hell when we get back to the Leaf," the Jonin spat. "You can't just invite yourself into our village and wreak havoc like that without consequences." Kentaro raised a thick brow.

"Oh? But your gates are always open, and you have lazy Chunin guarding them. It was almost too easy to sneak in. And Kaiya was so vulnerable and so gullible, I—" Riichi's eyebrows twitched, and he opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted.

"Don't speak unless we ask you a question!" Mud rose up from Kentaro's encasement and covered his mouth, rendering him silent. He struggled against the hold, but with his arms glued to his sides, it was impossible. Everyone turned to Hibachi, who was holding the Earth Seal in place, a vein popping out of the corner of his forehead. "Annoying bastard." Kaiya's eyes widened slightly. Riichi grinned.

"Way to take initiative, Hibachi," he praised. "I was about to do something similar, but with a lot more pain involved. Alright, seeing as we're getting nowhere with this heap of trash, let's take him back to the village and have the ANBU deal with him. He's about to know what it's like to feel the wrath of people whose comrades were murdered. Unagi." He nodded in his direction, and Unagi nodded back.

"Uh, right, Sensei." Unagi made hand seals. The others watched as Unagi stared into Kentaro's eyes with deep concentration. "Sleep." And then, the giant man's head fell forward slowly, his body relaxing. Kaiya blinked, impressed. Genjutsu…he's getting better.

Riichi did something interesting at that moment: he bit his thumb, then made strange hand signs before slamming his palm on the ground. "Summoning Jutsu!" A POOF sound filled the air, along with white smoke, making Kaiya cough. When the air cleared, there was a large eagle standing majestically before them. Kaiya fell back, shocked.

"W-whoa!" she shouted, mouth agape. Hibachi and Unagi similarly looked stunned, taking several steps back.

The eagle had golden-brown feathers, standing as tall as the trees. Its talons were sharper than a kunai, and its wings filled the open space of the forest whenever it stretched them out. Beautiful, Kaiya thought, awed. The bird stared down at Riichi, who had called it there.

"Riichi." If birds could smirk, this eagle would have been. Riichi grinned, nodding in greeting. Kaiya paled. Birds shouldn't be able to talk.

"Miiki, good to see you, old friend. We need your assistance if you don't mind." Miiki nodded.

"Of course. Hop on." After loading Kentaro's dead weight, Riichi helped Kaiya mount the giant eagle, and the boys followed. She sat as far away from Kentaro as possible without falling off. "Ok, everyone hold on tight." They did as they were instructed, and then Miiki unfolded his giant wings and took flight, as the wind caught him and carried him into the air.

Kaiya's breath left her body as they soared above the canopy of the forests and back toward the village. She almost grinned but remembered that their return was not a good one. They failed their mission, seeing as this would take priority over escorting some rich guy to his sister's wedding. Kaiya would probably be interrogated too. She just hoped Ibiki wouldn't want to talk to her. She had no desire to ever cross paths with him again.

She turned back to her unconscious attacker, wondering where it was he was trying to take her. Again, she wondered why he didn't just grab her the first time. They were alone, and he was right in front of her, but he didn't take her to this place she belonged. He attacked her again while she was with her team, which didn't make any sense.

"Hey, Sensei," she said, trying to be heard over the whip of the wind. They were already making their descent. Riichi seemed to have been deep in thought, but he turned to her anyway.

"What is it, Kaiya?"

"Don't you think it's strange that he didn't take me before?" she asked, her hair flying around her like tentacles as they swooped down for the landing. Riichi's expression darkened, giving her the answer. "Is it dangerous, taking him back here?" Sighing, Riichi hopped off Miiki as soon as he touched the ground.

"It is," he agreed with a slight nod. "But this is the only lead we've had in six years, Kaiya. Even if this guy is just a pawn or a distraction, we'd be foolish not to detain him in search of answers. Our people have ways of making the enemy talk, even without ever opening their mouths." Kaiya blinked, jumping off next, with the boys following. Hibachi was last, shoving Kentaro's sleeping body off the bird, who ruffled his feathers in thanks.

"Ugh, this one's got a putrid smell to him," Miiki told them, disappearing in a puff of smoke. Kaiya wholeheartedly agreed. She wondered how such a disgusting stench could have slipped her hyperactive nose twice. Hibachi frowned.

"Wait, birds can smell?" He scratched his head. " Wait…birds can talk?" But everyone ignored him.

Riichi spoke into his earpiece, and a couple of minutes later, two masked ANBU appeared out of thin air, presumably to take the prisoner somewhere dark and scary.

"Good work, Riichi," one of them said. A woman. She had extremely long, dark hair tied to the side. Kaiya had never seen her before. "This bastard is going to pay for what he did to our comrades." Riichi said nothing as the second shinobi, a blond male, nodded. They both took hold of Kentaro's massive body, then disappeared again into thin air.

"Alright, Kaiya, looks like we've got to take you to the Hokage." Kaiya sighed, rubbing the back of her neck as she nodded, resigned. There was no point in fighting it. Besides, the Hokage could protect her and reassure her that all this mess was going to get resolved. "Hibachi, Unagi, good work." Riichi saluted them. "You can take a couple days off while this all gets sorted out. I'm proud of you, boys." The two preteens startled at the praise. Then they straightened up and saluted their sensei in return.

Kaiya walked past them, avoiding their gaze. Unagi seemed sympathetic, but Hibachi was harder to read. It almost seemed like he couldn't decide how to feel—angry, upset, victorious, mocking—as she passed him. Before she disappeared into the Academy building, where the Hokage's office was, she turned to them.

"Uh…" It was clear she didn't do this often. Communication was not one of Kaiya's strong suits. Neither was humility. "Thanks, guys," she said at last, fighting out the words. It felt like acid on her tongue, leaving it burning and raw, but she knew she had to say it. As annoying as they were, Hibachi and Unagi had saved her life today, and they outdid her in every facet. She couldn't deny that they worked well together, and she couldn't deny her jealousy, either. "You were great out there, and I…" She looked away, ashamed. "I owe you. I was a coward and couldn't face that guy, but you held it together." Unagi sighed, looking away.

"We don't blame you for being afraid," he said, after a moment's contemplation. Hibachi frowned as he crossed his arms.

"We don't?" Unagi punched his shoulder lightly and rolled his eyes.

"No, Hibachi, we don't," he argued, turning back to Kaiya. "Kaiya, only Sensei would have been able to face that guy alone. Whatever happened the other night…well, if that guy was chasing you, it's no wonder you were so afraid. And after what he did to those ANBU…" Kaiya's eyes narrowed. If he did all that to a bunch of ANBU Black Ops, then this was too easy… "Anyway." Unagi straightened up. "We're your teammates, and we're always going to have your back when it counts, even if we don't like each other. You can trust that we'll always fight for you."

Kaiya's heart melted as her shoulders sank. She needed to hear that, although she wasn't sure why. She didn't know anything about friendship, and Sasuke had told her that she hadn't needed it. But looking at Unagi, and even Hibachi, she wondered if there was a chance that she could befriend her former enemies. People don't risk their lives for people they don't like.

"Yeah, I guess Unagi's right," Hibachi said, looking away. There was a slight tint of pink to his cheeks. "But if we're gonna have to pick up your slack all the time, you gotta stop trying to beat us up. Or next time I'll just let the guy take you or whatever."

Kaiya's eyes moistened with tears, but she refused to give the boys any more satisfaction from her weakness, so she blinked until the urge was gone. A small grin rose on her face, and Unagi and Hibachi shared a look in surprise. Hibachi's arms fell to his side, and he balled his hands into fists. Unagi scratched his ear awkwardly.

"Yeah…I'll pick up my slack," Kaiya finally promised, turning with Riichi to head into the building. She waved behind her without looking back. As they watched her go, Unagi turned to his friend with a sigh.

"It's scary, when you think about how soft she really is." Hibachi stared after sensei and student as they disappeared behind the large wooden doors of the tacky red building before them. He nodded slightly.

"Where do you think that guy was trying to take her?" he asked quietly, a flash of worry appearing on his face, just for a moment. But Unagi caught it. He almost grinned, but the seriousness of Hibachi's question stopped him. He shook his head, at a loss.

"Somewhere bad," he answered. "Somewhere very, very bad."