A/N:

Well, this took an age and a half. Sorry about that. I barely have any time to write and I've rewritten this chaper about a million times at this point, because I had to change part of the plot. As some of you have noticed, I deleted the original chapter 81, so lets pretend you never read that okay? Good.

Also, future updates will probably continue to be uploaded at a glacial pace until further notice. On the bright side the story isn't dead yet. So, yay me.

Anyway, thanks to everyone who stuck around and welcome to all new readers. And of course a special thanks to everyone who took the time to review. I love reading what you guys think.

On that note, please don't attack anyone for their opinion. I like reading the good and the bad, whether it be a rant or well-structured. It all helps me get better and understand which things in particular I need to work on.

. . .

XVII - You Gotta be Shitting Me

"Move it brat. Godaime-sama doesn't have all day to wait for you to finish stuffing your face," the Hyuga growled when Chikako didn't immediately abandon her food to follow him.

She heaved a sigh, her stomach rumbling as if to punctuate how inconveniently timed his demand was. She wouldn't even be surprised if he'd purposely waited just long enough for her to start eating. Sometimes he was petty like that. Admittedly, at other times he was disturbingly thoughtful as well, but this was decidedly not one of those.

Raccoon's posture remained relaxed, if not a little smug. For all that he didn't really seem to be in a hurry, he sure sounded annoyed. Chikako was tempted to just ignore him and continue eating. It smelled damn good and even though she'd consume just about anything edible out in the field, she'd really looked forward to dinner. Not just for the foo either, but a summons was a summons and she had agreed to act as a Konoha shinobi while she was in the village.

"Sorry about this," she said, indicating the table and giving Kankuro an apologetic smile as she got up. She left a few bills pinned beneath her tea mug before she snatched a bite from his plate. "Duty calls." For the last time hopefully.

The puppeteer looked rather dejected for a moment, eyes cast downward and posture slumped, but then he squared his shoulders, pasted on a smile of his own and waved her off with a practiced nonchalance that was almost believable. "Don't worry, I'll just make myself at home on your couch. If you're lucky there'll even be some leftovers by the time you get back. You can invite me again tomorrow."

Chikako managed not to wince, barely. He didn't even look surprised that he'd be eating alone. She could practically hear Shikamaru's dry comment that she always left without warning, so nothing unexpected there.

Almost worse was that he'd referred to the Uchiha compound as if it really were her place, because it was most certainly not that, even if she'd lived there for a few weeks. Chikako had no claim to it and wouldn't want it given the choice. Too much blood and not enough good memories to make up for the intruder's shadow that still loomed over it - much less the damn voice in her head.

No, her home was a small room in Kiri, which she shared with a man that was probably sixty percent shark and forty percent nasty grins. It was snarky praise from Ibiki, dog fur on her clothes, the tattoos on her skin and the necklace around her throat as well as kind lavender eyes and annoying, little demons. A myriad of small things that reminded her of the people she fought, bled and killed for. Home was were her pack was, but for all that she'd spent most of her days with Kankuro since he'd arrived, he looked nearly as lonely as she'd felt in the hospital.

Chikako's expression turned soft, a joke about his eating habits on the tip of her tongue to lighten the mood, but Raccoon wasn't feeling particularly patient after all.

"Stop chattering like a teenage girl and get moving!" He snapped, physically placing himself between the two of them and using his body to maneuver her towards the door. Chikako wrinkled her nose at him, yet didn't dodge out of his way. She'd die before she ever told him, but she did appreciate that he wasn't trying to manhandle her. While she could kill him, he was considerably stronger on a purely physical level. Meaning unless she was actually prepared to go that far he'd always have the upper hand and after the way the intruder had gotten past her defenses, toyed with her like a cat batting around its food, she needed to be in control of herself at least.

It was probably a bad sign that he could tell. Raccoon always saw more than she wanted him to. Worse, that he was being considerate made her paranoid, because she refused to believe that there was a decent human being behind that arrogant Hyuga veneer.

"You realize I am a teenage girl, right?" Chikako asked once they'd made it past the entrance and left behind all the curious gazes they'd drawn. Raccoon merely glared at her over his shoulder and sped up a little, not dignifying the question with a verbal response. He had a point of course, it wasn't as if she thought of herself as a child and by now even the civilians would consider her an adult - close enough at least. All she really wanted to know was whether he'd meant it as an insult or a reminder. The man was so inconsistent with his hostility that she couldn't tell half the time.

One would think that reading him should get easier the more time she spent in his presence, but in reality she could guess at his emotions, disgust in this case, and still have no idea what the hell they meant. All she'd learned was that he seemingly couldn't make up his mind about whether he cared about her general well-being or wanted her thrown in a deep, dark cell for treason. Not particularly helpful.

More or less equally annoyed with each other, neither said another word as they made their way across the rooftops, nimbly dodging shinobi and chimneys alike. The silence didn't last long though, as the Hokage Tower was never truly empty or quiet. There were always reports to hand in, papers to file and clients whose missions had to be completed as soon as possible - preferably yesterday.

That day was just like any other. Potential clients on the ground floor, followed by three floors of paper pushers, busy bodies and most likely a few of Danzo's spies. The inane chatter of everyday business hung in the air all the way from the packed reception area and up to Tsunade's office, where they were greeted by a loud thud and an even louder shout of indignation. No guards outside the door, yet six people crammed inside the room.

"Let me go! I need to-" Naruto's words were choked off abruptly, but Chikako wasn't too worried by the commotion. Judging by the positions of their chakra, Kakashi was the one who had stopped whatever he thought he needed to do. So, like the good little soldier she wasn't, she didn't complain about the delay as Raccoon insisted on knocking instead of just waltzing in. He hadn't yet given up on trying to teach her manners, futile as that endeavor was, but he'd also discovered that not giving her the choice to be rude was the path of least resistance. So far she hadn't decided whether going out of her way to disabuse him of that notion was worth the effort.

There was another loud thud from inside the office before Tsunade barked, "What the hell are you waiting for? Come in already!"

Chikako snickered behind Raccoon's back and he nearly hit her with the door in retaliation. She managed to dance around it just in time to avoid contact, but the playful mood evaporated the second she stepped foot inside the office. It was possibly in the worst state she'd seen it in since Tsunade had become Hokage. The desk was split in half, there were several dents in the walls, the shards of at least one ceramic mug lay scattered across the ground amidst a sea of loose papers and various knick-knacks that had probably ended up in their current positions after having been thrown at Naruto's head. On top of that the smell of sake lingered, stubbornly clinging to everything despite the open window.

Chikako knew that Tsunade drank on the job and that the woman wasn't the most organized, but this was beyond unusual and had veered straight into what-the-fuck territory. If Zabuza's office had been in a comparable state someone would have called Haku for an intervention, possibly a medic or three as well just to be on the safe side, most definitely the Jounin and ANBU Commander to take over until it was clear that he was fit to give orders. Here nobody even seemed to notice the mess.

Instead of checking whether his kage was mentally capable of leading a village, Kakashi held Naruto in a choke-hold, while the other occupants of the room looked on as if none of this was their business or even out of the ordinary. The blond struggled like a wild animal, probably only refraining from biting because he couldn't reach flesh with his teeth. Not that her sensei had too much trouble restraining him. He seemed about as impressed by Naruto's escape attempts as her former teammate was by the imminent threat of a - potentially fatal, if the walls were any indication - concussion.

The whole situation might have even been hilarious if it hadn't felt as if Chikako had stumbled into a war zone. She had no idea what was going on or why it required the presence of three fucking ANBU guards in addition to Kakashi and Raccoon. Not to mention that one of them was Yamato. Something was really, really wrong and she wanted absolutely no part in it. Today was supposed to be her last day in the village. Her tattoo was finished and that meant she could go find Kisame and continue their missions for Jiraiya. No Danzo, no intruder and no damn Konoha politics to worry about. This looked like the opposite of that.

Kakashi was tense as a bowstring, part of his attention focused on keeping Naruto, who was practically foaming at the mouth, from storming out of the office. His eye was on her though, as if he expected her to react in a similar manner as soon as she found out why she'd been summoned. Two of the ANBU guards had taken position in front of the window, presumably to block that exit, and Yamato had his hands raised in the Snake seal, ready to interfere at a moment's notice. The only reason he hadn't so far probably that he didn't want to make an even worse mess of the place.

With all of them in there it was already cramped enough and Chikako really didn't need an indoor forest - or whatever the Wood user came up with - on top of everything else, so she channeled chakra into the tips of her fingers and let it stretch outward. Forming the strings still took considerably longer than she would have liked, but then it wasn't as if Naruto noticed them as they slowly wound around his calves and ankles. He was far too busy shouting unintelligible nonsense about having to save someone at Tsunade and trying to get away from Kakashi. His priorities changed rather quickly though once she attached the other end of her strings to the ceiling and yanked him upwards.

Naruto was so surprised by the sudden change in orientation that he actually shut up for a moment, arms dangling at his sides instead of flailing wildly. It gave her just enough time to lengthen the strings that confined him and make them loop around the rest of his body until he was trussed up like a bird.

"What's going on? Let me down!"

Chikako cocked her head at him, not the least bit intimidated by his furious demand. So far he wasn't leaking any demon chakra and if he started she'd roast him with a dose of Fox Fire. She didn't mind him shouting at Tsunade though. In fact, she'd be doing it herself if she'd thought it would help.

Fortunately for Konoha the woman was no sheep. She might be a drunk of questionable competence as a leader, but she didn't buckle in the face of threats, pissed off jinchuriki included.

Another nudge of chakra and the strings moved again, this time winding around Naruto's neck and jaw. This Chikako did with a deliberate slowness so she didn't accidentally cut off his air completely. She didn't want to kill him after all, merely ensure he was quiet for once.

Kakashi frowned at her. He was obviously torn about something, maybe whether to reprimand her, but since he remained silent she turned towards the Hokage instead.

"I will be leaving the village before the end of day, which means I no longer answer to you."

The woman's eyes widened minutely, but except for that only a minor flicker in her chakra gave away that she was surprised. Chikako didn't say anything more, her own expression impassive. She'd planned to announce her departure early the next day as a courtesy to Tsunade for letting her stay in the village. That was all she'd been willing to give though and if it meant getting out of whatever this clusterfuck was she'd gladly move her timeline up by a day. Something that specifically required Team 7 couldn't possibly be good.

The Hokage nodded, waving her hand dismissively, but her voice wasn't as light as she'd probably hoped when she said, "Very well, but you'll want to listen regardless. The fact that Sasuke Uchiha has killed Orochimaru does impact your plans, does it not?"

Chikako blinked at the older woman, stunned into silence. She was vaguely aware of laughter, but it took her several long seconds to realize that she was the one laughing and not just the voice in her head.

"I'm glad you're amused," Tsunade said with a little more bite before she continued to fill them in. The story didn't get any more believable.

Orochimaru was dead.

Dead at the hands of none other than Sasuke Uchiha. Sasuke, who had apparently come out of the confrontation with barely a scratch on him. Sasuke, who had then decided to tear down the compound and two others after it. Sasuke, who was as likely to free Orochimaru's experiments as he was to slaughter them.

Chikako didn't know where the information came from, but she did know that at the very least Kakashi believed it was true. Could tell by the twitch of his fingers as he tried not to ball them into fists and the way his gaze didn't quite meet hers. He didn't doubt a word of what Tsunade said and it wasn't the first time he'd heard it either.

And of course Naruto's first demand, once he'd wriggled around enough to loosen the strings and regain the ability to speak, was that they bring Sasuke back, because clearly his actions meant that the Uchiha had to be on their side. That explained the blonds crazy behavior at least, but she had to wonder how Sasuke had earned that kind of faith - or maybe he'd just not lost it yet.

They'd both left at the same time, unlike her though, he'd actively chosen to betray the village. They were both killers, but as far as she knew he hadn't stopped to help out any of their friends and allies in the past few years. On the other hand, Sasuke had remained quiet and out of the spotlight for the most part. That gave Naruto enough room to draw his own conclusions, rose-colored as they seemed to be. Given enough time he might come to look at Sasuke the same way he looked at her, like a dangerous animal that needed to be handled carefully. Safe enough to pet, as long as someone always made sure it wasn't left alone with small children.

Curious that between all of them the one bound to a literal monster was the least monstrous. Naruto was, however, stupendously and willfully naive at times. This time specifically. He kept going on and on about Sasuke's potential intentions, going so far as to claim the Uchiha was trying to redeem himself.

As if.

She had a hard time not to scoff when he told Tsunade, "I bet he thinks you'll be mad if he just comes back, so we gotta go find him and tell him it's okay." That was such a Naruto thing to assume. Disgustingly full of hope and the believe that people really were good at their core. That Sasuke, who was even ruder than Chikako and had almost killed Naruto the day he'd left, was actually concerned with Tsunade's opinion of all things.

The only thing more astonishing was that nobody interrupted his rambling. The ANBU guards, she didn't really expect to do anything. Kakashi remained quiet as well though, and Tsunade ... well she certainly didn't seem like the type to patiently listen or hold back to spare another's feelings. Quite the opposite really.

Chikako had the bizarre thought that the Godaime might be hoping Sasuke wanted to come home as well. Likely for political reasons, but still. It was as if they'd forgotten why he'd left in the first place. There was absolutely no doubt in her mind about Sasuke's plan and Chikako couldn't for the life of her understand why anyone would even feel the need to debate the matter.

As similar as she and the Uchiha were in some respects, there was one key difference. His priority weren't the lives of his friends. He'd thrown his team away the first chance he'd gotten. Chosen to rely on the snake and promises of power instead. While she valued loyalty and was willing to delay any kind of revenge indefinitely to protect her pack, he'd burn every bridge on his path to avenge the dead, consequences be damned.

Priorities, the voice sneered and she had no choice but to agree. Corpses didn't care anymore. Revenge was for the living, same as graves or funerals. She'd kill Danzo given the opportunity, for herself, in memory of Sai. Not until she knew it wouldn't put the rest of her family in harm's way though. As long as the number and identity of his ROOT agents remained unknown, taking the man out was potentially worse than letting him scheme.

Sasuke on the other hand had just turned himself into an immediate threat. She already knew he wouldn't come back, that question didn't even warrant contemplating. What had Chikako anxious was whether he'd somehow caught up to his brother in skill. Orochimaru was - had been - no easy foe to beat and according to Tsunade's intel Sasuke had easily bested the Sannin in open combat.

Itachi might be willing to beat Sasuke up, but she didn't think he'd ever kill him. Which was at the very least a massive disadvantage in a fight, especially if her former teammate had indeed obliterated Orochimaru without breaking a sweat. She knew Itachi was stronger than the snake had been, but obviously Sasuke was too, so there was really no way for her to be sure of the odds. At this point she knew better than to assume the elder Uchiha was invincible.

Wouldn't that be something? The voice crooned. This time she wanted to beat it, but of course the damn thing was only in her head. The best she could do was throw some chakra at it and hope it shut up for a while.

By now Chikako was pretty sure it wasn't a mental connection. Only a pale imitation of the intruder that reacted to certain thoughts or emotions, not the real thing. Didn't make it any less annoying though, and only marginally less frightening. She wouldn't even know how to craft a genjutsu that complex, much less one so persistent.

"This is not a rescue mission," Tsunade said sternly, drawing Chikako's attention back to the conversation. "You're to bring him back, but his cooperation is not required."

Naruto nodded like that was the best thing he'd heard all day. Made her question what exactly he thought would happen with the Uchiha back in Konoha. Dragging him back kicking and screaming wasn't in anyone's best interest. Then again, the blond probably still assumed he'd come willingly, only needed reassurance. The edge to Tsunade's smile said she knew better and also that she was too cunning to say so out loud.

Chikako growled under her breath. She hadn't listened during most of their exchange, but now she was sure that the Godaime had just let him prattle on because his delusions suited her goal.

That woman and her stupid capture orders. Go fetch these S-ranked nukenin, run get that wayward Uchiha. What could possibly go wrong? And for what? So the target in question got a chance to escape and cause some mayhem while they were at it?

"Have fun with that," Chikako spat. She didn't wait for anyone to protest, merely gave Kakashi a challenging look to see whether he'd try to keep her form leaving. She did get suspicious when he only inclined his head and held the door for her, but not enough to make her reconsider.

Maybe she should have jumped through the window instead of taking the stairs though.

With all the people on the lower levels and distracted as she was, Chikako didn't sense Shikamaru's presence before his shadow caught hers. He wasn't the only one waiting for her either, but then Temari seemed to be under the impression that this was a chance meeting.

"Aren't you supposed to be having dinner with my baby brother?"

Chikako used what little freedom to move she had left to shrug.

"What can I say? I'm in high demand." As she talked she send a burst of chakra through her feet, but it wasn't nearly enough to escape Shikamaru's hold and anything more than that would alert the guards. She didn't like being caught like this, unable to do much more than breathe and glare at the Nara. It made her itchy, made her want to run or fight - or better yet, hunt.

He returned the look with far less hostility, but about an equal measure of stubbornness. Apparently they weren't moving until she agreed to whatever he wanted. And really, who was she kidding? Kakashi wouldn't have let her walk out like that if he hadn't had a contingency plan and it just so happened to be her favorite Nara. Shikamaru might not even know the whole story, but then all he would have really needed to be told was that she was leaving to do something dangerous involving S-rank nukenin, again. Kakashi knew her more than well enough to guess she wouldn't take the news well.

She should have probably expected something like this.

Too late to make better choices now. No matter whether Shikamaru had all the facts or not, Temari most certainly didn't, which meant discussing anything openly was out. It wasn't as if they actually needed to though. Chikako already knew that she'd have no choice but to find Itachi and make sure he was okay. After all, the elder Uchiha was the reason Kisame and her were helping Jiraiya in the first place, so there would be no point in doing that if he didn't live long enough to benefit from their efforts. She also knew that going alone when she didn't have to would be stupid, especially considering that she'd cross paths with the Konoha team anyway if they went after the same targets. Also, Kakashi was an excellent tracker and there was no time to waste, because Sasuke already had a head start.

She didn't need to be told any of that. Not that Shikamaru had bothered to say a single word so far. He just stood there looking expectant, not even a little bit fazed by her anger. The fact of the matter was he was right. She knew he was right, and of course he knew that she knew he was right. So really all he had to do was wait. Goddamned Nara.

The reason she'd stormed out wasn't that she'd rather do it alone or pretend that it wasn't any of her business. It was because she was pissed.

At Raccoon for one, because he'd ruined the last meal she'd share with Kankuro for a while. The puppeteer had done her an immense favor and refused any kind of real compensation. Now she couldn't even thank him with something as simple as a dinner.

At Tsunade too. Naruto made manipulating him easy, but the woman had played up his hopes so much, he'd inevitably get hurt when they found Sasuke. Also, Chikako resented that she was just supposed to fall in line. She had agreed to act as a Konoha shinobi, but this mission wasn't fit for the temporary rank she'd been given. It wasn't something that would reasonably fall within their agreement either. Tsunade was just using her relationship with Itachi against her. That fucking woman reminded her way too much of Sarutobi.

Kakashi wasn't any better. Raccoon she didn't expect much of, but her sensei should have warned her. She understood logically that the information had to be classified, but he bent the rules whenever it suited him. That he'd chosen to let her run into this unprepared hurt, because it meant he hadn't trusted that she'd be reasonable enough not to run off on her own. Hence the silence and Shikamaru's presence.

Then there was Naruto. He was pack and not. Chikako didn't see him as family the same way she did Ibiki or Hinata, but she couldn't help but be protective of him. Granted, most of the time she thought he was an idiot and wanted to strangle him. She didn't really mind if he was angry at her either. She'd still keep him safe though, because he was good, much better than he should have reasonably turned out considering his childhood.

He made her think that no matter how dark things got, there was always the possibility for light to emerge from the shadows. At the same time she hated it when he stuck his head into the sand like this. Sometimes dark was just dark and no matter how vehemently he refused to see it, reality didn't change.

Above all, however, Chikako was pissed at herself. She'd been caught off guard in the office and then by Shikamaru's jutsu, neither of which should have happened.

It was so easy to dismiss Sasuke as a bratty kid, especially in comparison to his brother, when in truth she had no basis for that assessment. The boy she remembered had left Konoha three years ago and, except for their one encounter in the Land of Swamps, she had no idea what had happened to him since. Despite all she'd said to Naruto, she'd never truly expected this day to come. Sasuke had been a none-issue, because sooner or later Orochimaru would kill him.

Only now the snake was dead, Sasuke was out there hunting his brother and she had no idea how strong he was. How dangerous.

"You okay?" Temari asked, eyebrows drawn together in a frown. Chikako's gaze snapped back to her, only now realizing that she'd stared into the middle distance. Her breathing had become too fast and shallow, her heart was pounding and if Shikamaru's jutsu hadn't pinned her in place she would have probably shifted into a defensive stance at some point.

"Fine," Chikako lied. She didn't bother trying to sound convincing, but Temari dropped the topic anyway. With Gaara as a brother she was well versed in the art of knowing when not to pry. Shikamaru on the other hand didn't give up quite as easily. He wasn't in the habit of letting her pretend her problems didn't exist and he could usually read her even when she refused to talk.

Chikako had wanted to get away before, but now she wasn't just uncomfortable anymore. She was trapped. She'd expected that the Nara would be able to effectively restrain her sooner or later, what she hadn't considered though, was how damn scared she'd be when the time came and she couldn't just leave.

He wouldn't hurt her. She knew he wouldn't.

And still she couldn't help but try to get away. Konoha wasn't safe. The Hokage Tower especially. There were so many damn people. Locals and foreigners, every one of whom could be one of Danzo's spies or an assassin. Her back was unprotected, there was too much going on all around them for her to sense anything reliably and she couldn't fucking move. Wouldn't be able to react in time even if she did manage to see an attack coming.

The next burst of energy she used was much stronger than the last one and even though she directed that energy down and towards Shikamaru's shadow, it caused enough of a breeze to ruffle clothes and startle anyone with even a remote ability to sense chakra. Despite the brute force attempt, his jutsu barely flickered, adapting almost perfectly to the changes in energy. The Nara suddenly looked a lot more alert though. The lazy contentment of a secure victory had washed away, leaving nothing but concern in its wake.

Chikako knew she was panicking, recognized the way her throat suddenly felt too tight to breathe and the sense of terror that was creeping in on her even though there was no actual threat. It didn't matter how often she told herself that though, her heart was still racing and her chest still hurt because there wasn't enough air in her lungs. Usually she trusted her instincts to keep her safe, but right then it was all she could do to fight them.

Kill him, the voice suggested, latching on to what she so desperately tried not to think. Kill him and there is no reason to be afraid anymore. She did still have the tattoo. It was untestet, but should provide more than enough chakra to get the job done.

"Why are you still here? Get packing, we're leaving in an hour!" Someone barked and then fingers bit into her upper arm, clamping down like a steel trap. She stumbled forward as the shadow let go of her, but Raccoon didn't let her fall. He wasn't gentle when he dragged her after him and out of the tower. The grip he had on her would most definitely leave a huge bruise as well, but Chikako had never been more happy to see him.

He led her into a side alley, then slammed her back into the nearest wall with a growled, "Get a grip!"

Maybe happy wasn't the right word. Relieved fit better. She still didn't like him. Hated that he'd known exactly what to do, because it meant he understood how close she'd come to the edge. That he'd released her right after, taken a step back even, only confirmed her earlier suspicions. Raccoon saw too much, knew too much.

Now, slumped against the wall in a dirty alley, with only a livid ANBU for company, Chikako knew exactly why Shikamaru hadn't just let her go, but the thought hadn't even crossed her mind back in the tower. They'd been in the middle of a crowd and she probably would have attacked anyone who'd come too close. She'd felt as if a noose had drawn tight around her neck and when fight or flight kicked in she knew exactly what her first reaction was, and so did he.

Killing someone by accident would be bad. Would make her barely more than a rabbit animal. The thought that really horrified her though, was that, even just for a moment, she'd actually entertained the voice's suggestion.

She screwed her eyes shut. Then took a deep breath and held it. One second, two, three. She counted to twenty and then repeated the process until her heart rate evened out.

Raccoon didn't leave her. He stood far enough away not to crowd her, didn't say a word, didn't even look at her, but he didn't leave. She was grateful for that, but she resented it too. Resented him, because she was still off-kilter, unsure how to interpret his actions or what to expect.

"You are the most irresponsibly selfish person I have ever met in my life," Raccoon snarled at her as soon as he was sure she'd gotten herself under control. There was so much venom in those words, she didn't know why they made her smile. Maybe because she didn't know how to interact with him when he was being kind. Her reaction only made him angrier, made his words turn nasty. "What good is trying to protect your family when you are so broken that the shards will cut them up worse than any enemy ever could?"

Chikako cocked her head, curious. She felt like shit and it would only get worse once the after effects of her panic induced adrenaline rush fully set in, but she wasn't completely out of it. He wasn't wrong, not really. But he wasn't right either. She'd hurt the people she cared about more than once, but that wasn't all she did. Far from it.

Sai was dead and she'd mourn him for the rest of her life, but Chikako didn't think he'd have been better off never knowing her. Maybe he would have made friends, gotten away from Danzo and lived a long happy life. More likely he would have died on his next assignment or the one after that, lonely and without the capacity to even understand what was causing him pain. There was no way to tell of course. What she did know though, was that she'd made him smile and laugh and joke and huff in annoyance. She knew that he'd enjoyed traveling with Jiro and her, and that when he'd died it had been his own choice, not the duty of a tool, but the sacrifice of a friend.

Sometimes her family was in danger because of her and other times the way she chose to protect them hurt them, but in the end Chikako truly believed that she helped more than she caused harm. Shinobi were all a little broken, each in their own way. What counted was that she tried and Raccoon didn't get to take that away.

"And you're whole?" She hissed. "You've fought in two major wars, survived another. Are you telling me none of that got to you? You've never been caught off guard? Never felt like the walls were closing in on you?"

She didn't expect an answer to any of her questions. Had only asked them because she was sure she already knew. So it took her by surprise when he slammed a hand into the wall, right next to her head. She heard the stone crack as chakra spread through it. For a moment aggression was so thick in the air around them that she could almost taste it, but then his head fell forward and all that was left was a sense of grief she didn't understand.

"One day," he said, voice rough and quiet, "you're going to kill someone without meaning to. You might know who your friends are, but deep down you only rely on yourself and when you're too afraid to think, instinct takes over. Then everyone becomes a threat and that means you become a threat to everyone."

Chikako flinched, because those had been exactly her thoughts, exactly what she was scared of. It was also more than he'd ever revealed about himself and she was still too shaken not to poke at the new chink in his armor.

"Who did you kill?" It was only a whisper, barely loud enough to hear, but he recoiled as if she'd burned him. A second later he was gone and Chikako had the alley all to herself.

. . .

Packing her things took barely any time at all, since Chikako kept most everything she owned stashed away in pocket dimensions. Exchanging her Konoha outfit for Takehito's spare Hunter-nin uniform only cost her a few minutes. Telling Kankuro that he had to leave for Water right away on the other hand gave her a headache.

"I don't understand," the puppeteer insisted. "I get that you can't tell me whats going on, but if it's something bad, why would you send us away?"

Chikako sighed. He might say he got it, but if that were the truth he would have stopped asking questions when she'd refused to answer the first one. Instead he just kept circling around the topic from different angles, trying to get information out of her.

She'd waited a little longer after Raccoon had left her. Long enough to get her shit together, or so she'd though. Kankuro had immediately known something was off and he'd pestered her ever since. She wanted to tell him, if only to make him stop, but there was no benefit in Kankuro knowing.

The information that Orochimaru was dead most likely wouldn't put him at risk, but then if he connected the dots he might get it in his head that she needed his help. If there was one thing she really didn't want to do, it was add someone else to the team that she'd have to keep an eye on.

Kakashi at least she could trust to hold his own and Naruto was surprisingly hard to kill. Kankuro on the other hand would be a liability in more ways than one. He wasn't a tracker, he didn't do stealth and both Sasuke and Itachi would absolutely wipe the floor with him. Better if he didn't get any ideas in the first place.

"It's not something you can help with," she said. " And I need to get a message to Zabuza. Having your bodyguard deliver it is safest."

"Then why aren't you coming as well?"

Takehito sneered at him. "If you whine like this in Kiri they'll tear you to strips the second you pass the gates." He'd remained silent so far, only nodding to confirm that he'd understood the instructions Chikako had signed behind the puppeteer's back. He had, however, gotten progressively more irritated with every one of Kankuro's questions.

The feeling was apparently mutual.

"It's not whining! I'm worried, but you probably don't even know what that word means. You lot always let her-"

Takehito cut him off with a sharp laugh.

"We," he said, pronouncing the word in such a way as to make it obvious Kankuro was not, and would never be, included, "respect Wraith-sama enough to trust that she knows what she's doing."

Kankuro sputtered a protest, certain that caring about someone couldn't possibly be disrespectful, but the Hunter-nin didn't even let him finish.

"You talk and talk, but your actions don't match your words. Do you see the Hyuga girl here? What about the Nara boy or the torturer? They manage to care without all the bitching and moaning. You are no use to Wraith-sama. All you do is waste air and make her explain herself when instead-"

"That's enough." Chikako cut in. Kankuro ducked his head as if it was him she'd reprimanded, whereas Takehito stood proud, facing her anger head-on. That attitude was exactly what always got him in trouble with his usual partner, and Lyn had a penchant for doling out creative punishments - like forcing the scout play bodyguard for someone he considered beneath himself.

He was loyal to a fault. Something that Chikako usually appreciated, because it meant she could rely on him no matter what. He only ever questioned her orders to clarify or point out something she might have overlooked. And in the end, even when he didn't agree or didn't understand, he obeyed. It was the kind of blind trust that was both invaluable and incredibly dangerous.

She didn't know much about his past, only that he'd lived on the streets for a long time before joining the military. Now the Hunter-nin were his family and there was absolutely nothing he wouldn't do to defend them.

What Chikako knew without a shadow of a doubt was that Takehito would keep Kankuro safe, but she also knew better than to expect that he'd be nice about it. He wasn't a mindless tool and while he'd do his job, he'd also make his opinion known. Chikako didn't like that it would hurt Kankuro's feelings in this case, but the fact that Takehito spoke his mind was invaluable to her and she'd never order him to do otherwise. She had too much power over Kiri's military as it was - especially considering she'd left. She couldn't risk turning into Danzo.

"Trust me?" She asked the dejected puppeteer. "I'll be fine and you already made sure I'll have the means to protect myself."

. . .

The fluorescent lights of T&I's bowls weren't all that welcoming. Neither was the scowl on Ibiki's face. Chikako didn't greet him when she entered the office, well aware that it would be wasted breath while he was busy trying to incinerate paperwork with his eyes. She did get a little annoyed after five and then ten minutes passed and he still hadn't acknowledged her presence with so much as a glance.

"You need help with that?" She quipped. "I could slap an Exploding Tag on it if you like."

Ibiki grunted something and then waved at a stack of files on his desk. Chikako was about to protest that she wasn't one of his minions, but the dark bruises under his eyes when he did finally look up made her choke on the words.

Ibiki worked hard. In fact, he barely did anything else, but he also took care of himself. After all, the Head of T&I wouldn't be much use to anyone if he was too sick or tired to do his job.

Chikako gave him a sharp nod, but he'd already turned back to the file in front of him, so she didn't waste any time delivering the ones he'd indicated. It was a good opportunity to let Kotetsu, Izumo and Hinata know that she'd be leaving soon. Also gave her a convenient excuse to look around, see if anyone else seemed like they'd missed a few days of sleep.

Unlike Tsunade's office everything down here was tidy and organized. No clients demanding to see the person in charge, no guards lining the walls and no genin that hadn't yet realized that shinobi dealt primarily in in pain and death, even if they weren't assassins.

"You know, statistically speaking at least one of the teams we graduated with should have been wiped out by now," Chikako mused once she'd handed over the last of her files to Hinata. The other girl shrugged.

"Asuma-sensei is dead," she said as she skimmed a report and jotted down some notes. "So is Sai. You and Sasuke defected and I could list at least a dozen incidents during which one or more of us had a close brush with death. For example the rest of Team 10 in Bird."

"That last one doesn't count. You can't know for certain, " Chikako protested. "Sasuke doesn't count either. He's still alive and-"

"For now," was Hinata's dry response. Chikako hadn't told her anything about the actual mission, but obviously she knew something, which meant Ibiki did too.

"What exactly is going on?"

"Same as always apparently." Hinata used a series of seals to unlock a cupboard, then handed over an unmarked folder. In it were handwritten notes, encrypted with the code Jiraiya had made her learn, detailing a number of suspicious activities and how Danzo might be linked to them. "There is no proof for anything and the councilman does whatever he wants, seemingly without repercussions. He's slowly chipping away at Tsunade-sama's credibility. A few more months of this and they'll beg him to take the hat. There are already whispers in the ranks that he should have been the one to take over, not some drunk gambling addict who'd fled the village."

Hinata's inflection didn't give away what she personally thought of the matter, but the tight coil of her chakra certainly did. If Chikako were to slit Danzo's throat right then and there the other girl would probably congratulate her, maybe even throw a party and give a speech.

Underneath it all the Hyuga heiress had always had a spine of steel, but now she had the hard shell to match it. A few years ago such casual talk of death would have made her uncomfortable, a stuttering, blushing mess most likely. These days her voice remained even and her expression perfectly neutral, pleasant even.

Chikako blinked at her in surprise, just now realizing that her friend would eventually be the one to lead T&I. Ibiki hadn't just taken her on as some low-level minion or paper pusher. He was preparing her for his job. The girl was no longer a timid wall-flower, but a force to be reckoned with. Finally confident enough to stand her ground, and with the smarts and skill in combat to back it up.

If someone had told Chikako a couple of years ago ... well, she wouldn't have laughed, but she wouldn't have taken their word for it either. She'd seen the potential in Hinata, she'd just thought it would remain buried under tradition, social norms and her families crushing expectations.

"Fuck, I miss just sitting around during training and judging the boys for being idiots. Everyone is getting scary these days," Chikako complained, coaxing a smile out of her friend.

"You're one to talk."

She didn't stay much longer after that. Her time was almost up and Hinata reminded her rather pointedly that she did in fact have work to do.

. . .

Chikako didn't hurry to the gate. In fact, she walked deliberately slow and thus managed to arrive late. Ten minutes on the dot to be exact. She'd counted.

Catching up to the others, if they'd left on time, would have been child's play. Naruto's chakra control was so bad, she wouldn't even have needed to track them properly. Kakashi knew it too, yet they were there, waiting.

Chikako couldn't decide whether to be happy or annoyed. As she looked over the team though, the latter emotion quickly won out. Her sensei would lead them. Excellent tracker, in possession of the Sharingan, personally knew both Uchiha brothers and had experience fighting against their kekkei genkai. He was a good choice for this mission - the only good choice.

Naruto had ties to Sasuke, but he was prone to unpredictable behavior and would absolutely disregard orders if they went against what he thought was right. That already made him a wildcard, which was only compounded by the fact that over the past few years more and more of the Kyubi's chakra had leaked whenever he'd been involved in intense fights. If he lost control he might very well turn against them. No doubt the reason for Yamato's presence.

Chikako didn't understand the specifics, but the former ROOT agent could somehow reign Naruto in. That would, hopefully, neutralize the threat, but if it became necessary the team would temporarily loose a minimum of two members. Not exactly ideal cost-benefit wise.

Beyond that Chikako didn't know much Yamato or the way he fought, but as an ANBU chances were he'd at least not be in the way. Her main problem with him was that she didn't trust him, which seemed mutual considering the way he'd eyed her Hunter-nin uniform.

Then there was Raccoon, whose job was, supposedly, to guard her. As a Hyuga he'd also be useful when it came to tracking and his clan's signature taijutsu style lent itself well to disabling enemies in close combat. Chikako didn't like him any better than she did Yamato, but she was reasonably certain that he wouldn't try to kill her in her sleep.

Sadly it only went downhill from there, seeing as the remaining three members of their team were Neji, Coyote and Sakura of all people. She assumed the first two where there to learn. Despite the danger their targets posed, the tracking part in and of itself should be safe enough, a good opportunity to gain some experience.

Sakura though ...

She was strong, perfect chakra control, but she wasn't fast, wasn't stealthy, wasn't a tracker, wasn't an ANBU in training. Chikako looked form her to Kakashi, lifting a brow in question. He seemed oddly amused, whereas Yamato's chakra spoke of anger and Raccoon's held a sort of resigned annoyance.

"She's a medic," her sensei supplied patronizingly, as if Chikako hadn't already known that.

"I'm aware. Doesn't explain why she's here. ANBU has medics." And they knew how to stay out of sight until needed. They were also mostly assassins, because killing things was a lot easier once you understood how and why they worked in the first place. The Hokage's apprentice on the other hand was about as subtle as a hurricane and defaulted to brute force in combat.

Kakashi shrugged, still far too cheerful. "Sakura's better."

He said it as if the statement was fact, meaning he knew first hand that the girl was better. Whatever that meant. Better at healing? Killing? For this specific mission? Chikako scrunched up her nose. When it came down to it she didn't really care. Not about the pink-haired girl or any of her other companions. Once they got a real lead she could always just sneak away, run ahead, so the team didn't matter all that much.

"Where's Crow then?" Of the rookies he was the only one she'd trust to have her back in a fight. Not because she thought Coyote or Badger might turn on her, but because Shikamaru had already proven over and over again that he could hold his own. He didn't need instructions like Coyote did and unlike Neji he knew exactly what his weaknesses were and how to work around them.

This time it was Raccoon who answered, the sneer clear in his voice even if she couldn't see the accompanying expression beneath his mask. "Your pet isn't coming."

"That's a little unfair don't you think?" She returned in a sugary sweet tone that promised violence, then pointedly looked at Neji. "After all, you got to bring yours."

The younger Hyuga didn't outwardly react to the insult, but his chakra jumped in what was the equivalent of a flinch. Chikako knew she was being a bitch. He didn't deserve that, especially because Raccoon was the one who gave him preferential treatment even though he hadn't asked for it, but she couldn't muster up enough compassion to care.

Her question had been stupid and if she'd thought about it for a second instead of going with her gut she would have realized it too. Shikamaru was responsible for Temari and Temari didn't know he was an ANBU rookie. If Tsunade sent him on a mission someone would have to replace him and Temari was too smart not to figure out that what he'd been called away for was classified. She'd be able to draw her conclusions from there. Since the Nara's presence wasn't vital for the success of the mission it just wasn't worth the trouble.

If this were her mission Chikako would have taken him anyway, but then she'd gotten used to the way things were done in Kiri and there her word meant something. As far as she knew Kankuro was the first foreign shinobi to formally get permission to enter the village since Zabuza had taken over. Anyone else had been there on short notice and not in an official capacity. As far as he'd be concerned any and all missions were classified, accordingly when Takehito inevitably handed him over to a different babysitter so he could follow her orders, the puppeteer wouldn't be able to tell whether the Hunter-nin had just gotten sick of him or if it was something more serious than that.

She must have made a derisive noise, because Kakashi narrowed his eye at her in a silent reprimand. Chikako glared back at him for a moment, but then turned her head towards the sky.

"Fine, whatever."

As far as apologies went that had to be the shittiest one she'd ever tried to get away with. Lucky for her, he seemed satisfied with it and she didn't give a shit what the others thought. Good thing too, because Yamato was at least as unhappy with her presence as she was with his.

Once satisfied that nobody else was going to start arguing, Kakashi quickly went over the mission outline, but he didn't tell them much more than who the target was, where they were headed and in what formation to travel. Pretty standard considering how short notice the whole thing was. Chikako couldn't help but wonder if there had been a separate briefing though, because not even Naruto asked any questions.

Not that it mattered too much. She knew her own plan and that didn't involve any of the Konoha shinobi. Traveling with them was both safer and bound to yield results faster, but the second it became more convenient she fully intended to leave the team behind.

Kakashi had probably guessed as much, which was why she was rather surprised that he instructed her to scout ahead. Staying out of sight was what she did best and it put her in a fantastic position in case they encountered hostiles on the way, but it also meant he'd have no way of knowing whether she was still there.

In other words, it was the perfect position to bail. Of course doing so during the day could also put the others in danger, because once she missed a check in they wouldn't be able to tell whether she'd left or been taken out by an enemy. So maybe he knew exactly what he was doing and had decided to work with an emotional leash rather than a physical one.

The rest of the formation was structured in the same way, playing to everyone's strengths. As the medic and therefore highest priority target, Sakura was placed in the middle with heavy hitters to either side. Namely Yamato and Naruto to her left and Kakashi and Neji to her right. Raccoon made up the rear, because as an experienced Byakugan user he'd have the best chances of noticing anyone approaching form the back. That left the lead for Coyote and Blue. Both he and the wolf had good instincts on top of being very observant. Their task would be to keep an eye out for traps, ambushes or anything else out of place.

. . .

That first day they ran through the night, noon and into early evening. No training or detours, pretty boring all in all. Despite that though, they didn't get nearly as far as Chikako would have on her own. Because Neji and Sakura were seriously lacking in endurance compared to the rest of the team, Kakashi had to double the break frequency and even lengthen the duration. It was frustrating to say the least and just another reason to dislike the team.

Once her sensei finally decided it was time to make camp for the night, Chikako circled the area, attaching chakra strings to any tree, bush and stone she passed until they were encased in a semi-circular, invisible web. It was much faster than the way she used to do it, but still took her more than an hour to complete because of its size.

While she'd been gone Coyote and Blue had caught a rabbit each, and Naruto had already recovered enough to make a nuisance of himself. Yamato had decided to use his ability to create wood by making what was essentially a bungalow, which of course prompted the blond to ask for all sorts of modifications, including but not limited to a tower and a statue of himself as well as a miniature version of Konoha.

As far as Chikako was concerned the whole thing was too stupid to bother with, so she ripped a leg off of the rabbit that had already been cleaned and mostly cooked over the fire and found a perch on a tree near the perimeter she'd marked. Far enough away to get some quiet, but close enough to keep an eye on the others.

While Yamato dealt with Naruto, Kakashi was busy reading his favorite book and pretending to ignore everyone else. Meanwhile Coyote cleaned the second rabbit, Blue, ever watchful and fixated on the meat, at his side. Closer to the fire, Neji made sure that the first one didn't get burned, whereas Sakura was rolled up in her sleeping bag, dead to the world.

The only other person who apparently wanted nothing to do with the group was Raccoon. Well, either that or he'd decided to take his watchdog duties more seriously, because he'd sat down at the base of Chikako's tree only minutes after she'd gotten there.

He didn't say a word that night. Not the next one or the one after that either, but he was always there. On day two she noticed that Yamato was far more inquisitive than him or Kakashi when she checked in to make her reports, which either meant he'd decided to trust her or he didn't give a shit. Day three had her realize that Raccoon slept with his back to her, under a fucking tree and away from the fire every damn night and was likely to continue to do so.

When day four came around Chikako decided to roam a little further than usual to scout. Both because she was bored and to test whether her guard dog would react. She spotted a merchant on a road the team would have to cross around noon. The woman was so old that even her wrinkles seemed to have wrinkles, but she walked beside her ox-drawn cart instead of sitting in the back. There wasn't enough space between the all the crates and fabrics stuffed into it, she was tiny though and would have fit without too much trouble.

The cart itself didn't look like much, but judging by the gold jewelry adorning the woman's neck, wrists and hair she wasn't short on money. The fact that two shinobi with jonin-level chakra reserves were accompanying her only underlined that impression further. The one walking behind the cart was about average height for a man, with wide shoulders and a wider belly. In contrast the one in the front was tall, almost lanky and looked as if he'd fall over if he tried to wield the oversized war hammer that was strapped to his back.

What Chikako found especially interesting were their Kiri hitai-ate. She didn't know every ninja in Mist's military, not by a long shot, but she did know that escorting merchants wasn't what they did.

When Zabuza had made the decision to keep the name Chigiri he'd committed to the reputation that came with it. Even if he'd taken a mission to protect this old lady for whatever reason, no Kiri shinobi would walk out in the open like this. They lived and breathed stealth and by the time you saw them it was already too late to run. The ANBU and especially Hunter-nin were the true assassins, but to attain even the rank of genin basic stealth skills were required, be it in the form of literally remaining unseen, blending in with a crowd or posing as a civilian.

The voice in her head chuckled, no doubt reacting to the anticipation crawling through her veins and making her skin itch. It wasn't a friendly sound, but matched the grin on her face quite nicely. Seemed like she'd found her entertainment for the day.

Chikako let herself fall from the branch she'd sat on as soon as the trio had passed her, not bothering with Camouflage, but otherwise undetectable. Neither of the guards turned around. Not then and not during the half-hour she followed them. If nothing else that alone would have given them away as impostors. The only legitimate reason not to hide on a mission was as an intimidation tactic, to scare potential hostiles away before they got the stupid idea to attack. But even then they'd still have to remain vigilant of their surroundings.

One of the very first lessons taught in Zabuza's restructured academy was to always look around, especially up and down because that just wasn't something humans naturally did. Also to always expect an attack from behind. It came right after the lesson on picking one's battles and before the one to always assume the enemy played dirty. Chikako should know, she'd been roped into demonstrating more than once, because some people didn't understand that they had blind spots until someone held a kunai to their throat.

This time the demonstration was a little more permanent in nature. Her wakizashi appeared in her right hand as she walked up to the guard in the back, silent as always. It took him until the blade exited the front of his rib cage, crimson with fresh blood, to realize that they had company. Not that the discovery was much use at that point.

His gasp was almost inaudible, easily swallowed by the groaning of the wooden cart. The sound of his massive body hitting the ground though, was much louder, a dull thump as his head smacked into the back of the cart, rattling whatever was in the crates, and then another when he landed in the dirt.

His partner spun around, eyes wide and one hand on the hilt of his hammer. Stupid that he didn't draw it immediately. His stance was wrong to, feet too far together, knees stiff. He was right to be terrified, yet lacked the instincts to do anything about it.

Meanwhile the old lady, seemingly unconcerned, pulled her oxen to a stop with surprising ease and just waited for things to play out as they would. Chikako ignored her for the moment, fixing the other shinobi with a hard look. He took an involuntary step back, but aborted the second, choosing instead to finally draw his weapon and square his shoulders defiantly.

"Please enlighten me," Chikako said conversationally, "Where exactly did someone as incompetent as you get that hitai-ate?"

He swallowed, eyes darting to the dead body behind her, then her blade, still wet with his companions blood, and finally taking in the Hunter-nin uniform.

"P-pl-please," he stuttered, shaking all over, but Chikako had no mercy for fools. Clearly he knew Kiri's reputation well to be so afraid, yet he'd chosen to pose as a Mist nin regardless. She waited three full seconds before taking off his head, just in case he had anything interesting to say, any last words, but all that left his mouth was more begging.

Chikako mostly avoided the spray of blood, but got some on her left arm. It war warm and sticky, but at least it wouldn't be easily visible on the black uniform. The severed head rolled a few feet and she followed it to remove the hitai-ate. Next she patted the idiot's corpse down for valuables or anything else that might be of use and then did the same to his partner. All the while the old lady stood by, watching silently, but not the least bit afraid.

"Where'd you pick up these clown?" Chikako asked once she was done.

"In Wave," the woman cackled, "I figured they were full of shit when they said they were Hunter-nin, but they were cheap and common bandits can't tell the difference between fools and the real thing."

Wave? There were patrols in the area, even a few shinobi stationed permanently to keep an eye on things. The small country had become a good source for information since Gato's death. These two morons must have gotten lucky not to be discovered or someone would have taken them out much sooner.

"Where are you headed?"

"Just the next town over. You offering to escort me girly?"

Chikako shrugged, "Might as well." It would only take a few hours and merchants always had the best kind of gossip. If she regularly traveled the area she'd know if anything out of the ordinary had happened lately, say a stray Uchiha making some noise.