Warnings: I have included an unlikely but not impossible event in the upcoming chapters.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Pairings: I can't say for sure. In two and a half years, you can fall in and out of love, especially a young child who's just meeting many friends. This applies not just to Sairin but to others as well. Press "End" on your keyboard, read my notes, and hit "Home".

"Princess Sairin, it is time for your first meeting on the council," Hanabi reminded Sairin with her eyes open in a very pure way. It seemed unlikely that the Hyuuga clan could ever represent purity, as the sunny clear days seemed to always be unsettling and hiding something. Sairin had believed that a storm was the most honest weather. However, Hanabi was different. Her heart was as pure as the Byakugan.

"I am going," Sairin answered quietly. The Hyuuga clan had promised to escort her to the Konoha council meeting, but only Hyuuga Hiashi would be in the conference room with her. Neji, Hinata, and Hanabi, not being either the heir or the head of the Uchiha clan, were not permitted to enter.

Almost silently, Hyuuga Hiashi led the four through the streets of Konoha. There was reason enough for this quiet – it would not be favorable if the people heard the head of the Hyuuga clan telling Sairin how to best behave at the meeting.

Sairin felt the people's stares. Well, I suppose it isn't every day that Hyuuga Hiashi goes out for a walk with his clansmen, especially not with a random girl who appeared out of nowhere claiming to be an Uchiha. She tried not to let this affect her, and walked with her head held as high as she could muster – she was only 155 cm. Keep your head up, your shoulders relaxed, your chin up, and your back straight!

At long last, the group of five arrived at the Hokage tower. Hiashi turned to his clansmen, "This is as far as you'll get to go. Only Princess Sairin and I may proceed from here on in."

Hinata bowed to Sairin. "Um, I wish you the best of luck."

Hanabi almost inaudibly added, though with a strong tone, "You'll be fine."

Neji gently held her wrists and said, "The Hyuuga are your allies and friends. It doesn't matter what goes on in this meeting. We will persevere."

As he dropped her hands, Sairin saw the other Hyuuga nod in agreement. A slightly chilly air blew over her skin where Neji's warmth was. Winter is coming again. The last winter I spent in Konoha as Sairin was the winter of my eighth birthday as well as the massacre. Actually, I haven't spent any winters in Konoha as Satomi. Winter is when the snow falls most beautifully. Haku-chan and Aniki should have lived, if only to see the snow once more.

All this went through Sairin's mind during the time it took to step through the doorway of a building. As the door shut behind her, Sairin's gaze dropped to the ground. There was no need for pretense anymore. Sairin followed Hiashi into the meeting room where she was surprised by the attendance.

The Hokage Sannin Tsunade sat at the "throne" of the meeting table. Hiashi took his seat to Tsunade's left, and gestured for Sairin to take the seat to her right. However, Hyuuga Hiashi and Uchiha Sairin aside, there were no other big names. A small handful of trusted jounin along with trusted ambassadors from other nations served in the meeting in place of other heads of houses Sairin had imagined. Among these trusted jounin were Mitarashi Anko, Sarutobi Asuma, and Morino Ibiki. Sabaku no Gaara, Temari, Kankurou, and Chiyo comprised the ambassadors of the Wind country. A young man named Tatsuya represented the Waterfall country, and a boy slightly older than Gaara of the Harada clan represented the Water country.

There are as many foreigners as there are Konoha shinobi, Sairin realized. Not all the nations have been represented, either. This really must be important to be kept so small.

"Well, now!" Tsunade began in an overly cheerful manner. "Our representatives are getting younger every day. It seems that you are no longer the youngest, Sunao."

The boy from the Water country said nothing, just nodded. His large brown eyes seemed very familiar to Sairin, but there was no explanation for this, as she had never seen him before in her entire life. Judging from his stony expression, Sairin probably would have done everything in her power to forget him if she had met him.

"Anyway," Tsunade continued, "this meeting was called to discuss the trouble with the Sannin Orochimaru's recent acquisition of Uchiha Sasuke." Her words were quite mild and toned down in revealing the severity of the situation. It very well could turn out to be apocalyptic, yet one would think a petty thief made off with a fairly loaded wallet – unfair and terrible, but not disastrous.

Everyone in the room nodded in unison. Sairin noticed that every seat in the room had been taken up – no absences. The world is getting involved in such a personal matter. I suppose it's strange. I don't want everyone prying into my life, but it's nice that so many people care. Although, I guess they have to be worried too. If Orochimaru gains Sasuke-chan's Sharingan, he'll be a threat to the whole world.

"As you can all see, we have an Uchiha clan representative here today," Tsunade gestured to Sairin. "Princess Sairin is the heir of the Uchiha clan." At this point, the recently appointed Hokage breathed deeply to give her next words weight. "I might be stupid for doing this, but I intend appoint Uchiha Sairin as the head of all activities concerning Uchiha Sasuke. This arrangement is effective as of now." Turning to Sairin, she said with a smile, "I think you ought to be in control of this. Why don't you take the floor now?"

Tsunade added mentally, perhaps if I let you do this earlier, you could have persuaded Sasuke to stay. Well, I'm not perfect. I will try to make no more mistakes.

Sairin looked down at the table as she stood up, but by the time she was standing up fully, she was gazing into the eyes of every single attendee. "Uchiha Sasuke has long been my brother. During the years of my life from age five to age eight, Sasuke has looked after me. Sasuke has suffered much from living in the shadows of Itachi-sama and me. However," Sairin cut in sharply, surprising the ones who had believed she would plead for them to take pity on Sasuke. "Sasuke has made clear his choice. I give permission to all the nations here – Fire, Water, Wind, and Waterfall – to use whatever means necessary to prevent Sasuke from being used by Orochimaru. Orochimaru's death is the most preferred method, however, if Sasuke's death is inevitable, so be it." Sairin took a breath here. The attendees were silently intent. "Does anyone have anything to say?"

No one moved. Suddenly, it was as if the world began to spin the other way for some; even those who had sided with Sairin before seemed to be seeing a new side of her. It seems that the new kid isn't as childish as she looks… If she had begun to rant some idealistic view on how we must save that Sasuke, I would have smashed her face in, Sunao thought with an indifferent air and expression, but inside finally taking interest – just a little. "Well, I suppose then, that we can get started. I can deploy shinobi even into the borders of Otogakure, but I can not confirm that it will yield any results. If Orochimaru's fortress is ever found, my shinobi will not enter, and instead will report the information back to me. Forgive me, but I will not foolishly send my people to death."

"That's fine," Sairin agreed, "I prefer it that way. Hard gained information like that would best not be lost so soon. Is there any way the rest of us could deploy ninja with such a plan in mind?"

Gaara looked from his sister, to his brother and finally to the master Chiyo. They met his gaze and promptly nodded. The redhead spoke up, "The Wind nation will comply. You have no worries about abandonment from Sunagakure." It wasn't hard to see that he still felt remorse about Kimimaro, though his words were quite literal.

The representative of Waterfall pondered this longer. At long last, he said, "That is a good plan. However, my village's numbers are small. I can not divert any men from my nation. Instead, I will be the lone representative in Otogakure," Tatsuya declared.

Sairin was a bit surprised. One man seems a bit risky. "That is very well, however, I must request that you be in contact with our other allies," she gestured to Sunao and Gaara. "A solo mission may be undetected for awhile, but you may still need help."

"I wouldn't worry about that," Tsunade interjected with an encouraging smile. "Tatsuya is Waterfall's brightest and most talented shinobi. His ability is not widely broadcasted, but that is why Tatsuya can travel alone. If word got out that Tatsuya was the most powerful of Takigakure, then people like Orochimaru would wait for him to leave and seize the chance to take over Takigakure."

"Is that so?" Sairin asked. "I've been to Takigakure many times… I must have missed you every single time. Well, I have faith in you, but I still want you to have backup. That's a command from the head of the investigation!"

"That will be done, my lady," Tatsuya obliged.

"Now," Sairin turned to Tsunade, Anko, Ibiki, Asuma, and Hiashi. "How much can Konoha contribute to this effort?"

Anko flipped through her records book. "Konoha really doesn't have any shinobi to spare. We've been worn thin. We may be one of the biggest nations, but the last attack really wore down both Fire and Wind nations. Many of our ninja are already working overtime to the point that it's unhealthy."

"What about the ninja who are not working overtime?" Sairin inquired.

"That would include the recently made chuunin Shikamaru, the genin, and the academy students," Anko answered. "They're really not fit for such work."

Sairin was silent for a moment. "I know the medic-nin can never be shortened. Are there really no jounin, special jounin, Hunter-nin, or Anbu who could be deployed?"

"There are next to none," Anko repeated. "You could beg to take a select few of your friends, but that would put them in great danger."

"Well, that can be a last resort," Sairin decided. "For now, I will be Konoha's single representative, just like Tatsuya-san. I will go out and find Uchiha Itachi, and have him aid our quest."

"Did you just say that you're going to enlist the help of an S-ranked criminal to chase another S-ranked criminal and his wayward little brother?!" Tatsuya asked incredulously.

The room went silent. Rustlings of garments from adjusting into better positions ceased. Pens were dropped as all stopped entering their reports into record books. Any side discussions on how to best approach the daunting task were silenced.

"Itachi-sama is no criminal," Sairin quietly said. It seems that outside of Konoha, Itachi-sama's innocence has not spread. "Shisui's death was not caused by Itachi-sama. However, Shisui's death caused Itachi-sama much mental pain. In his attempt to set things straight for me and Sasuke-chan, Itachi-sama somehow came to the conclusion that he needed to destroy the clansmen who shunned the three of us."

"Uchiha Itachi still killed an entire clan, save for you, Sasuke, and the ones who were deceased before that bleeding day," Sunao stated. "He is still a murderer, is he not?"

"Must you question every action I declare?" Sairin grumbled in her annoyance, though to an outsider, anyone could be justified in being wary. "Itachi-sama is a good person. Every single clansman he took the life of had a reason for death. Each one contributed to our suffering. Itachi-sama, Sasuke-chan, and I were the outcasts of the clan. There was no reason. We were just outsiders. Maybe Itachi-sama committed a number of murders, but he only had good intentions in his heart, never malice. Itachi-sama is still our constant friend and ally."

Hyuuga Hiashi cleared his throat and heaved a sigh. Though he was a great shinobi in his youth, time had taken its toll on him. "I support the actions of Princess Sairin. I met Uchiha Itachi a long time ago. He was not an evil person. Besides, the current story that Itachi might have killed Shisui has gaping holes."

"Does it?" Sunao questioned. "It seems quite obvious that Shisui has died, and the only person with the opportunity and caliber to kill him was Uchiha Itachi."

Thanks.

Sairin slammed her hands on the maple wood of the table. Feeling the pain of the tree, Sairin regretted that action, but not her feelings. "What would you know about it, Harada-san? You know nothing about Itachi-sama."

"Maybe I am not familiar with Uchiha Itachi," Sunao quietly said. "However, I was chosen to represent my nation. I must be sure of my people's safety. Leaving my people's well-being in the hands of the boy who killed an entire clan can not simply slip past me unquestioned."

"First of all, Itachi-sama is older than you are," Sairin seethed. "Secondly, Itachi-sama did not kill Shisui. Third, only a truly evil person would not have murdered my clan in this situation. And lastly, Itachi-sama could fly solo and report only to me. No one else has to deal with him if he or she does not wish to. Does anyone besides Harada-san wish to comment?"

The silent room stared at her. Sairin stood firm, but inside realized that losing her composure was probably not the best action. Finally, after a long period of silence, Tsunade intervened. "All right, everyone. This meeting is officially over. Everyone, please go enjoy the gardens of Konoha if you will. Autumn is a beautiful season with maple trees displaying their reddest leaves!" Tsunade feigned a cheerful spirit as she ushered everyone out of the conference room.

Sairin heaved a sigh in a non-elegant way as she followed Hiashi out. Quietly, she forced the heavy words out of her mouth, "I really messed up, didn't I? I should have held my tongue better."

"You did fine, child," Hiashi reassured simply. "It takes courage to speak what you believe. It is not a sin to speak your mind."

"It's not just my mind," Sairin answered, a bit bitterly. "It's the truth. Itachi-sama did not kill Uchiha Shisui. Itachi-sama never was that type of person. All he ever thought about was helping me and Sasuke-chan."

"I don't doubt that," Hiashi replied calmly, but with a hint of exhaustion in his voice. "I really can not believe that Uchiha Itachi would have changed."

"He has not changed!" Sairin firmly asserted, conveniently forgetting that Hyuuga Hiashi was both a powerful shinobi veteran as well as the head of the Hyuuga clan. "I will prove to the world that Itachi-sama is as benevolent as he always was!"

I'm sure she will eventually reach that day, Hiashi wearily found himself thinking. After everything, she will not give up. She and Neji are so alike. They've been through so much. She'll make it. The Lord does not curse his creations.

Suddenly, their quiet walk was broken. Ino was running towards them looking a bit flushed, but whether it was because of good or bad, they could not tell. "Princess Sairin, there is news from the Hokage!" she told them breathlessly.

"Has Tsunade issued a new order of some sort?" Sairin wondered. "I just met with her a few moments ago. What could she have done?"

"Well, you know how the chuunin exams back in August were ruined, right?" Ino reminded. Seeing Sairin nod, Ino continued, "Well, we're going to have chuunin exams again soon. It's nearly December, and the next exams are in February!"

"Ino…" Sairin began hesitantly. "Do you realize that those chuunin exams are still two months away? Two months doesn't really qualify as a short time."

Ino gave Sairin a knowing glance. "That may have been true a long time ago. Now, it feels either as if time passes so slowly, or time passes too quickly that there is no time to accomplish anything. This is one of those times when I feel as if time is just mocking me by leaving me behind, eating dust."

Now that I think about it, Ino-san has a point. Sairin thought of the day Sasuke left, the day of the Uchiha ceremony, and the meeting. When Sasuke-chan left, I felt as if there was simply no time. Meanwhile, the ceremony to become the heir of the Uchiha could not have taken longer.

Hiashi made his presence known once more, only to remove it. "It seems you girls are a bit busy, as am I. I will leave you two be for now. Farewell."

Sairin and Ino both nodded and kept their heads low out of respect for the lord of the Hyuuga clan. When Hiashi was out of earshot, they stood straight again.

Turning to Ino, Sairin then said, "Ino, I have something to ask of you."

Hearing the graveness in Sairin's voice, Ino paid even closer attention. "I will do my best to accomplish whatever you ask."

Without smiling, Sairin told Ino of her plan, "Ino, I will be on a long-term project in Otogakure. If Konoha cannot spare any shinobi, then I at least will have to represent our village in the hunt to return Sasuke-chan and to kill Orochimaru."

"You can't do that!" Ino gasped. Her clear blue eyes grew wider than ever before. "What if you die? Orochimaru is an S-rank nin!" Ino grabbed Sairin's shoulders and began to shake her. Her grip was surprisingly strong. "Can't you leave this to the Anbu? Can't you just let Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya-sama handle him? They are at his level after all. You'll just be walking into your death!"

Seeing that Sairin gave no reaction that she heard anything Ino said, Ino pleaded, "I know Sasuke-kun was your very best friend, and you are a very skilled shinobi, but isn't this a bit out of your league?"

"Let me explain this to you, Ino…" Sairin evenly spoke. "There will be representatives from Takigakure, Sunagakure, and Kirigakure. They are all putting their lives on the line to help Sasuke-chan. Please understand that I have to do this."

"There are many jounin in this village!" Ino desperately cried out. "You can take on their tasks, while they go to Otogakure."

"Ino, I am a Hunter-nin now," Sairin gently explained. "I've already shirked my duties long enough. Besides, I have a lot of work to do." Sairin looked off distantly. "Some of my best friends have passed on. I need to give them a memorial, and hold on tighter than ever to the friends who are still living."

The blonde-haired shinobi only looked away. "This is the sort of stuff that is only supposed to happen to other people."

Quiet for a moment, Sairin then said, "Life never does go the way you want it to, does it?" She thought she knew, but in reality, she didn't know how true her statement really was. There were occurrences even before Sasuke's betrayal, Itachi's last resort, and even the day the three met. There are things that people forget – or prefer to forget. "But at least cheer up a little, Ino. I will be back for the chuunin exams. You are my friend, too. Please understand that I value my friends, and I want to hold onto them."

"I know, Sairin," Ino said quietly. Then, she smiled a painful smile. "It's hard to watch your friend walk right into danger. Still, I had to make sure that you are still you, and that you are putting your life at risk for your true ideals." Quite obviously, Ino was not assured that her friend was not essentially committing suicide.

Sairin sighed. "Nothing I say will change your mind about my mission, will it? Never mind my mission, then. I will return alive, and that's what matters, is it not?" Sairin wordlessly then turned around and left. This is Ino. She prefers to avoid these sorts of perilous situations, but she will come through in the end. This is Ino.Sairin wandered around outside Otogakure with a heavy heart. Despite the fact that she considered the village to be of no connection to herself, it was still the place she met her recently deceased friend Kimimaro. When he died, Sairin felt as if they parted without coming clean with each other. She did not know whether she simply felt extremely protective of her friend or if she truly loved him in a deeper way than the pure and innocent friendship that had burst.

It was certainly trying on a child to worry so about relationships. Children are supposed to meet others and make simple friendships. They are not expected to think of the 'why' behind everything. It was not as if Sairin was that mature either. True, she was forced to mature earlier, but one can only go so far without guidance.

Looking carefully around her, Sairin reviewed the positions of various ninja, scattered about the area. Some hid among the foliage of bright autumn leaves in shades of cerise and sunglow. The shinobi had some trouble masking their presence, but garbs of dark brown and nimble camouflage training managed to conceal Sairin's allies. While this much was true, there was uneasiness among the shinobi. They were in Orochimaru's territory – as if the thought of facing the legendary ninja elsewhere did not frighten one enough.

Sairin was certainly not exempt from such worries. Many of the shinobi from the allied lands were much more skilled – for sure much more experienced – than she was. On the way to Otogakure, Sairin noticed that she held an early lead, but also that the lead diminished very rapidly. While she was gasping for air within two hours, none of the other shinobi broke a sweat during the entire journey. Somehow, the fledgling shinobi managed to hold it together; knowing that her family and friends were causing conflicts, knowing that she was putting many valuable lives on the line at a time when no lives could be lost.

At least I am not leading this myself. While it was Sairin's objective that drove this motley group, everyone had to contribute his or her own ideas to the plan, as Orochimaru was far above any of their heads. It was exceedingly frustrating for a plan that seemed so fitting to then get rejected by one out of another ten or so shinobi. Each individual shinobi formed brilliant plans – for solo work. They considered how to play to their own strengths and cover their own weaknesses, but none thought of how to integrate that into a team effort. However, this deliberation was necessary; no one wished for a needless death. In fact, even though the battalion took many hours to plan for a minute's worth of work, this turned a number of life-snatching situations into close-shaves. In the late-autumn season, the heat of summer and a warmer year was no longer so affecting; this was a blessing for tempers among the "Sasuke Battalion" were frequently near boiling point.

Even though all the assigned shinobi knew the mission well, most disliked the way Sairin's mind worked. It was only with Sairin's insistence that they moved so slowly and made so little progress. With any other leader, a plan that had a 10 casualty projection was safe enough for a 'go ahead'. However, the child who could not stand losing any more lives refused to follow the usual shinobi guidelines. It conflicted with the many shinobi who knew that all shinobi were tools and readily accepted it. One death, or even two, is worth it, they said.

Deep inside, Sairin knew the others were right. It was realistically the best thing to do: form a plan that does not have to be perfect and free of casualty. In fact, she was even tired of receiving looks of scorn from everyone, particularly Sunao, the prodigy boy from Kirigakure. But she simply couldn't let go: the imagery of death haunted her, both what she knew it to be and what she imagined it to be.

If I could, I'd like to be one of those remorseless shinobi who have managed to let go of these emotions. Sairin found herself praying many times. It was a cold wish, filled with bitterness and uncaring intent. Yet there was no voice in her head, no conscience, to tell her that she ought not to hope for such things.

"You seem preoccupied," a high-spirited voice cut into those thoughts.

The Uchiha glanced up from her resting upon the drying grass to see Tatsuya, the solo ninja from Takigakure, bending down with a small smile. Sairin had decided that she liked the young man; from the time she met him in Tsunade's meeting room, she saw Tatsuya as a mild, fair, and pleasant person who did not hover about her, ready to pick at any mistake she made. It allowed a certain amount of comfort in conversations, especially since out in Otogakure no Sato, Sairin was far away from anyone else even close to being a supporting figure.

Supposedly the Waterfall country's equivalent of Uchiha Itachi, Tatsuya was a well-built youth whose eyes were cloudy and ambiguous in battle but lively and sparkling outside. He wasn't quite the ethereally glowing figure that Uchiha Itachi and Haku were, but his skin was lightly tanned to a milky latte colour, giving off a sort of arrogantly radiant aura. Clearly, it came from battles under the sun as well as by moonlight – on a warm day such as this one, when Tatsuya folded his shirt sleeves upward that, by birth, one could see that Tatsuya was a fair-skinned man. Blessed with ocean-blue eyes and windswept blonde hair which complemented him well, Tatsuya never was a loner despite his superiority in ability over other shinobi his age – unlike Itachi who, despite his skill and hereditary good looks, never had legions of girls chasing him nor any friends besides Sasuke and Sairin. Also unlike Itachi, Tatsuya had explained that his parents were middle-classed shinobi; he was never in the limelight for his background.

Tatsuya reached a strong hand downward and ran it through Sairin's hair, mussing it along the way. "I know what you're worried about." He gave her a reassuring smile, though as if he was not truly seeing Sairin. At the moment, it was as if Tatsuya was speaking to someone else entirely. "You're worried about your fiancé, Itachi. You're worried about all of the friends you have in Konoha. Now, you're worried about this team you're leading on a mission that's more personal for you than business."

"It would be better if I were leading a generic mission that doesn't involve the fate of the world," Sairin grumbled and reluctantly admitted while sinking her head lower until her nose touched the tips of the blades of grass.

"You never have commanded a squad before, have you, much less such a large team," the man remarked good-naturedly. "It doesn't surprise me. I was several years your senior when I first led a three-man squad. However, Lady Tsunade believes you can do this, because you have more motivation than anyone else to get it done right."

"I am also the least experienced candidate to do this," Sairin tried to continue a feeble barrier of excuses. "I have fought by myself for most of what I can remember. Sometimes, I would have a friend or two, but we fought as individuals, in-sync with each other, not as leader and follower."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, right now, you are suggesting that Lady Tsunade appointed you for no reason," Tatsuya shrugged, his golden locks billowing in the warm un-seasonal breeze. "Anyway, be on guard, Princess Sairin. Orochimaru is not a fool. He knows that people will try to interfere. He suspects that someone will try to investigate, so please be aware at all times. You can not trust even the villagers."

"I have been here before," Sairin simply remarked, as Tatsuya left. I have doubts that the villagers would remember me, for better or for worse. Certainly they would not know me as Satomi, because I never performed here.

I wonder if Sasuke-chan is here right now. Maybe Sasuke-chan is recollecting some good memories in our past… Then, perhaps there will be hope. Sairin wished upon the brightest star visible: the sun. Please do not let Sasuke-chan be too far gone. Please do not let his mind be consumed by his need for power."AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH! That's enough! Cut it out!" This demanding, bestial howl broke the silence an hour before sunrise in a region slightly to the north, in between Otogakure and Takigakure, where it was much cooler. In the peripheral area, astounded yet furious yells of "Are you fucking insane? It's four in the morning!" from villagers who needed their sleep to work the days flew about. The recipient ignored them.

Kisame and Itachi had been sitting on the tatami mats of a traditional inn for over three days straight in silence as Itachi moodily stared out the window; the shark-like man had pushed himself, he really had, but he couldn't take it any longer.

Itachi blinked less often now, and his gaze became a squint. Otherwise, he showed no other indication that he had heard the raving ninja who was waving a killer blade wildly in the small room. He didn't even bother to ask for peace and quiet.

"You're obsessed with her! She's obsessed with you! Just ride off into the sunset, why don't you?" he ranted. "I mean, how useful are you being now?"

Infuriatingly enough, Itachi only said, "What hurry have you? We have no mission currently."

What am I supposed to do? By nightfall in the village, ironically, it felt more relaxed, and less unsettling. A single silvery tear fell onto her ivory skin, mirroring the effect the frosted November moon had on all it kissed; the rest were under control. Sairin desperately needed reassurance, someone to tell her she doing right. Everyone in the Sasuke Battalion could fight, could strategize. But for all the talent dumped into one squad, they weren't faring well. Where should I go? Certainly, if he doesn't wish to be found, he won't. There were no leads. They scouted the area day in and day out. If this continued, Sairin feared the day she would have to admit she'd failed her dear friend and cousin and recall the squad from the fool's errand.

I want to be there, for Sasuke-chan. But I don't want to be here. It was a weary mission, one she both embraced and despised. It was her duty to save Sasuke. It was her desire to save Sasuke.

"Perhaps the timing of this is not right." Sairin conjectured. No one had any say in when fate could be most unreasonably unfair. Still, had Orochimaru lured Sasuke away at a later time, when she wasn't still reeling from the knowledge of Haku's death, when one of her other few friends during the four years Kimimaro had not just died, just maybe her mind would be clearer. Is that it? She wondered. It will look bad for sure, but if I could get some time off… Ino was right. I rushed into this. This squad will more or less be the same. These aren't games anymore. I'm not cut out for this. I can do any generic mission, no matter how difficult, but I can't handle something so personal. Everyone else can take this. For just a week, I could ask Sir Tatsuya to be my voice. Failing that, Sunao could be. As long as everyone doesn't go disappearing, the group is still balanced."You are doing what?!"

Scanning the faces of every shinobi in the group in one panoramic sweep of her eyes, Sairin was prepared for the adverse, shocked reactions. "I'm sorry, but I have urgent business I need to resolve. It'll be but a week, and I have been with you long enough to know you will be fine for seven days without me. During my leave of absence, I expect you all to not make any big moves. There'll be no charging of the fortress, even if you find it and can break in. Is that understood?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Tsunade-sama will be furious. Sairin and the other shinobi all well understood. After all, it was Tsunade herself who stood behind Sairin at the council meeting, and placed her in charge of this unit. How could this brat just up and out when things were roughing her up? Well, it's not like the rest of them had any respect for me to begin with. Besides, with what I am doing, I deserve none. But I have to do it. It's tearing me apart.

"This is for the greater good, isn't it?" The 'prince' from the Water nation, Sairin's ever-best-friend Sunao, questioned, rhetorically, condescendingly. His expression would lay to waste hardened warriors.

"I would…" Though Sairin could imagine it being for the better, she could not bring herself to say it. It was selfish; it was putting her personal problems first, above another personal problem that other people were dying for. What made her so special? She was an Uchiha, a name renowned for great skill and sensibility and notorious for elitism. With herself as the only survivor as far as Konoha was concerned, she ought to at least try to redeem the clan name. If she was too weak for the job, she ought to, like everyone else, abdicate the position to someone more worthy. "I would that I was sure enough to answer in the affirmative, my lord." But I have so many doubts. And that's why I must do this: to resolve those doubts.

"Hmph."

No one could deny that progress was infinitesimal, nor that morale was overall exceedingly low (the one exception being Tatsuya). Grudgingly, each of the twelve group members consented to letting Sairin take a week off, in the hopes that Sairin will return a significantly more capable shinobi. Sairin hoped she could meet their expectations.

Sairin headed due east for Water nation, chasing the frolicking mandarin glows of the morning sun. This would mark her first time in Kirigakure with a pile of gold in tow. No, wait, this isn't right. Haku-chan and Zabuza-san died in the Wave nation. She paused momentarily to reconsider her destination, allowing the chill of the wee hours to catch up and drench her. The frozen maiden known as Winter heralded her impending arrival, and the nearing ocean did not hold on to the warm kisses of the sun.

Will there be snow to greet me? She mentally asked of Haku. Will I be overwhelmed with our sweet memories here? Will my memories – mine to ever keep – be lucid, now that I am returning? Please say it is so. I have been such a wreck. I need clarity right now, and I want so badly to clearly see everyone again. As much as she loved Itachi and Sasuke and appreciated the new friendships from Ino and the Hyuuga, Sairin's cherished memories during her four years of non-identity were lifetime treasures that she could never recreate.

Though she had hoped to take a ship to Water Nation, Sairin considered heading south into Fire nation and heading to Wave Nation from the port city instead. She stalled indecisively for minute, and then two. Before she knew it, twenty minutes flew by. It was warmer now that the sun had climbed higher into the sky, and Sairin half had an urge to just find a comfortable spot to take a nap. Any thoughts of rest, however, had to wait. There was a crinkle of a leaf, muted and distant. Sairin listened harder. Quietly, softly, skillfully, but surely, someone was headed her way. She leapt lightly backwards onto a tree branch, and then again higher. The approaching footsteps grew silent, but the sound of light feet meeting the bark of a great oak was barely audible. Someone had followed her onto the trees.

By now, a confrontation of some sort would be inevitable, so Sairin held out and waited. "Hello, there!" she cheerlessly called. Her hands were already on Tsunami Jidai; her chakra may or may not be sufficient after a night of running. Her flow of chakra never had been the best; it was often confused and unsure when she tired. Pray let it be a diplomat. Let it be quick.

Sairin wasn't going to get her wish. A man in his twenties or early thirties stopped on a maple fifteen feet from Sairin's sequoia, though on a slightly higher branch. He was not incredibly powerful, nothing like her dear Itachi-sama, but he was no novice either, and he was amply armed with shuriken. On top of that, he was in peak physical form despite his age.

"You're easy to read," he remarked.

This was one Sairin didn't hear often. "What is it that you want of me?"

He smiled unsettlingly and ignored her. "Tell me, girl. Are you the one known as Shadow Princess?"

So, he has nothing to do with the Uchiha mess or Orochimaru. Sairin was a bit relieved. It's been awhile since I last had mercenaries looking for the Shadow Princess. "And so what if I am?"

His grin turned mad. "Oh, I do so love a good fight. I love it so much more when I get paid a plum paycheck for it too. What a happy day this is, indeed, that I should come across a bounty worth enough gold for me to drink out my days!"

Sairin couldn't tell if he was merely acting, or if he was for real, speaking like this. So he is a bounty hunter, is he? That's odd. Before, it was just a few people sending bands of mercenaries after me. It's never been so bad that people place bounties on my head. Her brow furrowed and the skin on her forehead creased. These days, she seemed to be taking after Itachi in aging.

Without warning, the bounty hunter attacked with his kunai, that insane grin still plastered on his face. Sairin barely had time to counter with Tsunami Jidai; the man was extremely fast. That's funny. You'd think someone so much weaker than Itachi-sama would be relatively easy to block. Whenever we sparred, I always lost, but I also accustomed myself to tracking his speed.

He was relentless. He didn't see a child of not yet thirteen years; he only saw a target, a piñata that would yield gold. Sairin used Hyousen on him, aiming jagged hailstones at the ninja, but he acted as if they had no effect as the two struggled on. She drenched him in water; he only slowed a little. Tiny jolts of electricity were all Sairin could muster, and even though water conducted electricity, he just wouldn't seem to be hampered by anything. There had already been close calls. Sairin had nearly been unable to avoid two killer slashes of that fearsome kunai, and she was ready to collapse.

And she did. Backed into a tree, barely able to keep her eyelids up, Sairin could only watch as the bounty hunter's mouth widened even further at the prospect of giving her a slow, excruciating death. She could already feel herself, stationary on the ground, burning under the sun as she bled out.

A shadow jumped out of nowhere and suddenly the bounty hunter was nowhere to be seen. Sairin could hardly register her newfound good fortune. Itachi-sama…? Are you here to save me? She heard one deafening scream of agony from twenty meters out, and then it was silent. "Itachi-sama…"

"Are you stupid?" came the cold answer. It wasn't Itachi at all, though he would have done anything to save his friend. It was Sunao, who honestly couldn't care less.

"W-what are you doing here?" Sairin stammered like the village idiot, though she snapped out of her wistful state.

The older boy only gave Sairin a scornful look. "Saving your ass, that's what I'm doing." He glared at her patronizingly, with those familiar yet distant brown eyes, for a few minutes more before he added as a straightforward explanation, "Progress is minimal. Shinobi don't travel alone, especially when they are incapable. I hail from Water nation. I was the natural choice, since I am the best our country has in the Sasuke Battalion."

And yet so impudent, Sairin thought, as much as she didn't like her prospects if he had not shown up. She wished she could have taken Ino along, even though Ino had her own genin squad to work for. It would have been a lot more pleasant with a good friend; Tatsuya was just generally friendly. In fact, Sairin considered that with Itachi, Sasuke, Ino, and Hanabi around, Kimimaro and Haku also, they could together overcome anything. She was so lost in reverie that when it suddenly slipped away, one could nearly hear the thud of Sairin's head being grounded. Oh, let's all get together for a barbecue party, shall we? That's NOT going to happen!

"So, we are headed for Water Nation, are we not?" Sunao impatiently reminded Sairin. "Are you too tired to travel or something?" Razor-edged words cut at her, but by now, her mental skin was calloused and dry; it wasn't so much that she was numb, just that they didn't hurt as much – not when compared to what she viewed as Sasuke's betrayal of such a pure, innocent friendship.

"I am quite tired." Sairin sounded the part. "I actually thought of heading to Wave nation first. I think I can make it there, at least."

Sunao tch'ed at her. "As if!" Without warning, Sunao knelt beside Sairin and forced her onto his back. "I'll blow Sasuke if you could even make it to the nearest village!" Despite her mental protests, her body was so fatigued and achy that relief even in the form of a piggyback ride from Sunao was much welcomed.

They were silent much of the way to the port town. It wasn't as bad as Sairin would have imagined it to be, but Sunao just had to break the peace.

"Hey."

"What is it?"

"Why are you so obsessed with that Uchiha Itachi?"

It wasn't a question Sairin ever expected; she didn't believe Sunao understood the concept of relationships between two human beings. "He is my best friend and my fiancé. I love him. Wouldn't you love your fiancée?" Sairin considered that possibility that he would say no.

Sunao snorted. "Oh, sure, an arranged betrothal means you love someone. What I mean is you hardly remember him. From what I have heard, you, Itachi, and Sasuke have happy-happy-joy-joy memories together, but you only remember fragments of the whole. How can you love someone like this?"

"It wasn't all happy!" Sairin defended. "We were close because we didn't belong in the clan. Besides, I remembered a lot of very important moments. It may not be everything, but it's enough for me to feel just how real our friendship was."

"You can't be in love with a shadow, a memory." Sunao seemed a little less argumentative now, a little more distant, like he was drawing upon experience for his life philosophy. "Just like back there, where you jumped first to Itachi when I saved you. Itachi may or may not love you. He may want to always be there to catch you when you fall. But Itachi is only human. He can't always be there, so you can't always expect him to be there, just by virtue of 'love', if you can even call it that. How old were you prior to the massacre? You'd just turned eight, having known him less than four years during a stage in your life when you don't understand too much. How do you know you two haven't idealized your relationship? How do you know everything will just become a happily-ever-after in the end? How do you know? How can you believe so?"

Though there was some truth to be acknowledged in Sunao's words, Sairin could not just accept that it wasn't real. After all, it was everything she'd lived for in the last few months, and everything she'd lived for before the massacre – before Itachi's final despair. "I don't," Sairin admitted, trying hard to hold back a hot wetness that threatened to escape her lashes and journey down her face. "But I still believe in it. It's all I have."

It was clear from Sunao's expression that he didn't truly believe Sairin was in the right. However, he changed the subject. "Hm. So why are you so dead-set on going to Water nation anyway?"

Sairin was quiet for a moment. "Two of my dearly departed friends were born there. One of them and his mentor both rest in the Wave nation. The other friend is the heir to the Kaguya clan, whose body failed him in a battle with Lord Gaara. I intend to raise memorials in honour of them, perhaps not this time, but some day." Her mood was tremulous; even Naruto would have felt it.

"Tell me more about the one with the mentor."

"His name was Haku." Sairin felt an emptiness throb excruciating in her chest, yet found her voice also filled with pride. "He hailed from a line of shinobi with a bloodline ability to wield ice. His abilities focused on ice needles and his ice-mirror illusion trick to complement his speed.

Sunao stiffened when he heard of Haku's abilities. "He wields ice, does he? But does he affiliate with any clan name? After all, during the era of great discrimination against ninja with bloodline abilities, most clans either vanished or were killed."

"I asked him about that," Sairin said, trying to hold herself steady. "It was from his mother's side. She'd pretended to be a civilian and married a nice, normal man. They were happy until his father caught Haku using his water and ice-wielding abilities. He killed Haku's mother for the deception, and tried to kill Haku too." Her voice cracked; how could anybody look at Haku with intent to kill? "But Haku didn't have control of his skills, and created huge ice spears that killed his father and ruined his hut in his fear. That was a long time before I met him… it was probably when I'd just met Itachi and Sasuke."

Sunao sniffed in disapproval at her fixation over Itachi, but said nothing.

"Then, Haku met Zabuza, a wanted man… It is a difficult coupling to understand, but both of them were so alone. And then I met Haku, and he was pleased to be accepted by someone his age. We trained and sparred together, though it took Zabuza a while longer to accept me. Haku always won the first time, but after a year of wandering and picking up new and old skills, I won the first match when we reunited. But then Haku started winning every match again. He was not only a master of ice and adept at one-handed jutsu, he was brilliant. I could never outsmart him… though now I often wonder whether having Mangekyou Sharingan would ever alter the outcome."

"He wields ice, one-handed, effectively?" Sunao sounded both strained and in awe.

"Is there something wrong?"

"No, it's just that ice is a difficult element to wield," Sunao explained thoughtfully, and without any spite. "I would not be surprised if you with the Sharingan could do so better than others, but for such skill, there could not be many options."

"… What are you talking about?"

"I am almost certain that this Haku is a distant relation of mine."

Sairin gasped. "Are you serious?"

"I most certainly am." His voice was wry once more. "Harada is a normal name. It is a peasant's name. My family was once known as the Hyougan clan – no, we do not have any special doujutsu – but we changed it to Harada when the persecution began. My family wields ice, and a good number of us can do it single-handedly."

It was difficult for Sairin to picture gentle, kind Haku and sarcastic Sunao in one family, but the more she saw them in one image, the more their small resemblances became pronounced. Sunao had Haku's fair skin and exact eye-shape and colour. If their abilities matched, a biological tie was the best explanation.

When they reached the port town, Sairin was still in shock, so Sunao ordered a room at the seaside inn instead of pressing on to Wave Nation.

As much as his placidness had irked Kisame at the inn, Itachi was having trouble maintaining an emotionless façade. He wore just one expression, but it was emotion nonetheless. When he'd felt certain Sairin was traveling away from her group, Itachi had followed a leisurely pace behind, and dropped back further when another followed her. When Sairin had encountered the bounty hunter, Itachi was left in doubt. He understood her diminished capacity after travel, but believed her capable of fending for herself, not increasing his pace any. When Sairin had fallen, drained of energy, it had been another who had been her reluctant prince-on-a-white-stallion. How could that boy – Sunao, who wasn't more than a year younger than Itachi, really – match him in speed? Sairin excelled in speed, but Sunao matched him – tirelessly.

When Sunao had questioned Sairin's motives for loving Itachi, he could see the sense in his words. But it's all true! Itachi protested silently. For me, it was all true. Even though I was just thirteen when we parted, even through all of these years… it was all real for me. Please believe me. Please don't doubt me.

Even the revelation of Haku's heritage affected Itachi. Haku was Sairin's first friend after she woke up with memory loss. He hailed from a clan with bloodline abilities much like the Uchiha and the Hyuuga. Itachi knew all that. Haku had once been Itachi's refuge. When Itachi bled inside at the pain he'd caused Sairin and Sasuke, Haku had been his tourniquet by being Sairin's friend – by being something good that had come out of Itachi's weakness.

Itachi's face was still slightly contorted with pain when he watched the pair reach the village from a mile away. "They're safe…" No more opportunities to play the hero. I've used up all my chances, haven't I?

A/N: Pairings may seem shaky at times, but there are some pairings I have settled for sure. This is NOT a harem-fiction for Sairin or for Ino or for any other character. At a young age, they will drift and get to know all types of people, but true love is different from affection and interest.

NOTES: I need to re-check the manga. At the time I created the timeline for this fic, there were no canon 'years'. However, since the revelation of Uchiha Madara, there has been a timeline, and I honor that. Still, it is all but impossible for me to change the story. Please also note that I began this chapter literally almost two years ago. Also, the name "Hyougan" means "Ice Eyes", even though there is no doujutsu in the Hyougan/Harada clan.

Was it terrible? Was it all right? Let me know, and what I can do to improve. Thank you!