These Eyes

Chapter Seven: A Place to Belong

~Konoha~

Sandal-clad feet padded silently through the empty early-morning streets of Konohagakure. Slim, black pants hugged muscular legs and a gray t-shirt adorned a lithe chest. Mid-length, brown hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail and magenta eyes peered around the vacant street, taking in all of the changes that had occurred since the last time he had been here, some eight years ago. It was hard to believe it had been so long, but as he took in the sight of his former village, he realized he didn't even recognize the street he now walked on.

"Ita-cough-erm, Ichiro-" Itachi glanced towards his taller companion, unimpressed look at his lack of subtlety, causing Kisame (or Kimo) to cough once again in embarrassment. "Where are we going?"

Itachi's gaze once again returned to his perusal of the streets they were winding through. For several moments he didn't answer, causing Kisame to think he wouldn't answer at all.

"We need to familiarize ourselves with the area. It's been a while since I've been in this village and much has changed." His sudden response caused Kisame to start before he began glancing at their surroundings as well. "Pay particular attention to landmarks and places of interest. Once people start moving around we'll head up to see the Hokage and work cementing our new identities." With that their trip continued in silence as they walked through the village, taking in the sights.

Their henges were elaborate and placed by the Leader of Akatsuki himself in order to hide their true identities during this long-term mission. They were impersonating two ninja that, according to their Leader, had gone conveniently missing a mission in the Land of Earth. The two men had no families to speak of, were Jonin level, and therefore perfect for their disguises.

As the sun began to rise, the pair walked onto a street that the shorter of the two knew all too well. Itachi paused as his gaze was suddenly filled with a giant red and white fan painted across two enormous closed gates.

The pair of nukenin stood silently for several minutes, Kisame glancing at his partner every now and then, wondering on his thoughts but keeping respectfully silent.

Itachi gazed at the gates he hadn't seen in eight years. The last time he had seen them they had been open, the blood-covered streets of the Uchiha district in full view for the rest of the village to see. He'd turned his back then, determined to leave and never return. Determined to live his life waiting for his younger brother to grow strong enough to finally kill him. To live as a traitor for the rest of his days even though, really, all he had been doing was following orders. All for Sasuke. So Sasuke, his beloved younger brother, would have the chance to redeem their clan and live a long life.

But now, three years after Sasuke had graduated the academy, Itachi wondered at whether or not it was worth it. Sasuke was now within the clutches Orochimaru, a vile snake Itachi realized he should have gotten rid of a long time ago.

Shaking himself from those thoughts, the former Konoha shinobi turned and began walking the other way, Kisame at his side.

"Itachi wait! What happened! Where are you going? Itachi!"

Sandaled feet stopped abruptly, small clouds of dirt kicking up around his feet.

"Ichiro?"

Kisame's inquiry was ignored as black eyes stared blankly at the small disturbances caused by his feet as he tried to remember the voice and where it had come from.

Shining sapphire eyes flashed before his memory and a vibrant smile shone up at him in his mind's eye.

Obsidian eyes widened unnoticeably as he remembered the little girl from all those years ago.

"Kimo."

"Ah, yeah?" Came the curious reply.

"Keep looking around."

"Ah, all right but-" Itachi flashed away before his disguised companion could finish.

Itachi moved nimbly across the rooftops, barely registering how the sun had begun to rise further into the sky and people had started to emerge from their homes. Reaching the outskirts of the city, he sped into the training grounds, his feet leading him to their spot.

Finally after some time, he slowed his pace, coming to a stop before a familiar set of posts set in a clearing surrounded by a familiar set of trees. Training Grounds twenty-five was where Itachi remembered spending a great deal of his childhood and teen years.

Facing the posts, Itachi closed his eyes and remembered. Memories flashed behind his eyelids.

"Itachi!"Big, blue eyes stared up at him in joy.

"Wow! That's amazing Itachi-kun! "Admiration. He'd just mastered yet another fire-jutsu.

"You're the best ninja ever Itachi!" Excitement. He never missed his targets during practice anymore.

"Come o-n Ita-kun!" Fond impatience. For the life of him he didn't know why he had agreed to attend the festival that night.

"Can't you teach me how to be a ninja Ita-kun?" Hopeful.

"Be careful Itachi." Sadness. Worry.

"Itachi…" That look…

"Itachi…I…" What?

"…I…just…" What is that look? Not just nervousness.

"…just be careful okay?" Resigned. That's not what you were trying to say.

"Itachi? Wha-Why is there blood all over you? Itachi?" Horror. Worry. Confusion. Why did she have to show up here?

"Itachi? Where are you going?" Desperation.

"Itachi…"

Kagome.

Itachi's gaze shifted to the right, disguised, emotionless eyes taking in the wide tree that he knew to be exactly twenty-two paces from his training spot. Walking over, he knelt next to the protruding roots of the old tree and stared blankly at the weeds and leaves that had covered the spot.

Kagome smiled brightly as Itachi's gaze drifted to where she had settled herself against the roots, and nestled contentedly in her well-worn spot. She gave a small wave, receiving a small tilt of the lips in return, before settling in to watch.

They'd been so young then, her even more so. He suddenly wondered what she had done with herself. What she was doing now. Surely she had grown to be an amazing young woman. She'd never been the shinobi type, so she was probably living the civilian life by now. She would be seventeen by now, probably with a nice job, possibly a boyfriend or a lover.

Ignoring the sick feeling that churned in his gut at the thought, Itachi stood smoothly and took one last look around the old training area.

Despite knowing it was a bad idea, he wanted to see her. Just to see that she was all right – safe. She'd always been so fragile, easy to bruise and easier to hurt.

As he turned to walk away, Itachi stopped as he realized he'd never even known where it was that she lived. A fact he now regretted. She'd never told him and he'd never asked.

Well, he'd just have to keep an eye out. No doubt him and Kisame would be here a while.

~Four Years Later~

Sarutobi rubbed a hand over his face tiredly as the door clicked shut behind his ANBU captain, Rooster. Wise old eyes glanced over the written report that had been handed to him after the same version had just been told to him directly.

Case # 62497.

The mission his captain had just reported back on had been on-going for the past four years; in between the many other missions his highest-ranking subordinate had been given.

The underground facility that had been found in the forest still weighed heavily on the Hokage's mind even today. How it had happened right under his nose for all that time still baffled him. Surely there was a conspiracy within the village, but he still couldn't pinpoint a source!

Wearily he opened his desk drawer and ruffled some papers around before pulling out a heavy set of papers, worn with apparent use. They'd clearly been read may times seeing as the corners were bent and torn and they had to be re-stapled many times.

These were some of the files miraculously retrieved from the burning facility four years earlier.

Rooster had apparently gotten to the scene just after it had caught fire and doused the flames before they could reach into the lowest levels. Apparently, files, such as these, were kept in the lower offices. Some of the offices had been burnt, along with the evidence within, but a few had remained untouched. And that is where they had gotten these files.

Inside this packet of information was a long list of four hundred Hi no Kuni citizens. Each one containing a name, picture, cell number, age, "crime", and a list of what Sarutobi gathered were the results of certain experiments done. Abilities, not unlike a Kekkei Genkai, that were "implanted" into the victims.

~Flashback – Four Years Earlier~

At first, Sarutobi couldn't believe his eyes and ears as he listened to Rooster describe the situation. He only started to believe it when he read it himself. Some of the things done to those poor people were so unthinkable, so inhumane, that it was a wonder just under half of the victims had survived before the facility was burned. And he knew that there had been living people in the facility, thanks to the documents and remains found by Rooster and his team when he had searched the place.

The fire seemed to have spread from the top down, as unnatural as it seemed. And coincidently, the uppermost levels were for holding the victims (Sarutobi refused to think of them as criminals. They were victims. Some of their supposed "crimes" wouldn't have even warranted a slap on the wrist). Needless to say, all of the survivors had been killed in the flames, nothing left but charred bodies. The larger offices were burnt and the labs along with them. Only small offices at the very bottom were spared and therefore only the minimal information about the facility was uncovered. No names of government officials or outside forces. Nothing to lead back to those responsible. Someone has clearly made sure to clean up their mess before torching the place.

Not wanting for such a thing to leak to the public as of yet, Sarutobi appointed Rooster and a very small, very trusted group of ANBU to scour the remains and make sure all of the bodies were there and accounted for. Perhaps someone had been able to escape! There sure was evidence of a struggle, if you go by the seven extra-crispy men in shinobi uniforms that had slit throats and strange, rounded metal objects protruding from different parts of their bodies. Sarutobi truly hoped someone had been able to escape from that nightmare.

The first thing they had done was check all of the cells and see if any were empty that weren't supposed to be. And sure enough there were several. Now that they knew some may have escaped, they continued to clean up the ones left behind.

The next day, a village announcement was given in front of Hokage Tower and Sarutobi solemnly informed the villagers of the atrocity that had occurred under their very was a decision that hadn't been popular with the Council, but Sarutobi knew that it was something the people deserved to know. Shocked and appalled silence descended over the whole village during the several moments in which their Hokage told them of the almost unbelievable scenario of an underground experimentation facility, corrupt doctors torturing and experimenting on four hundred Fire Country citizens, blood-trait-like abilities forced onto people whom had no choice, and the one responsible still being on the loose.

After the details were laid out, Sarutobi then proceeded to produce a scroll of names and read them aloud. Exclamations of shock and despair rang out several times during the start of the reading and denials were shouted out from several in the crowd.

"No! I was told he'd died on a mission!"

"-the forbidden forest!"

"-an accident!"

As the names continued to be listed, the denials dwindled down, as shock settled in at the sheer number of dead. No one noticed that the Hokage only listed three hundred and ninety three names were listed – not four hundred. At the end, Sarutobi looked over his village sadly and made a final announcement.

"I must express my sincere regret that you had to hear this today, or at all. However, as your Hokage, I felt it is best you knew that such a terrible atrocity had occurred in our beloved village. You deserve to know what truly happened to your loved ones and they deserve for their souls to move on to the next life in peace. A memorial service will be held at the site and a memorial stone will be set in place for all of those lost."

Looking solemnly at the devastated faces, Sarutobi continued, his heart in his throat. "We will find out who did this. No life should be treated as expendable, a mere tool to be used and thrown away. The ones responsible for this will be brought to justice. I give you my word as your Hokage." With that, Sarutobi looked once again at the devastated yet determined faces of the citizens. Bowing, the Hokage turned and disappeared back into the tower.

After that, the ANBU team and the Hokage worked together to find out who had been in those empty cells. If they found the survivors then there was a chance that they could pinpoint who was behind it all. And thanks to the meticulously organized documents, it hadn't been a difficult task at all.

~End Flashback~

Sarutobi pulled out the small scroll that he and the special team of ANBU had compiled about the missing victims. There were seven. Seven souls who may have survived the experiments and torture of that place. Seven out of four hundred. Sigh.

For what seemed to be the millionth time, the elderly Hokage unrolled the familiar scroll and gazed over the names and faces of each of them, their information, memorized, flowing into his mind as he read.

-Yokugo, Shippo. 13 yrs old. Cell #365. Crime: Robbery.

Enhancements: Strength-16 percent, Sight-75 percent, Hearing-64 percent, Smell-55 percent, Speed-82 percent, Special Ability: Plant manipulation.

-Taisho, Sesshoumaru. 22 yrs old. Cell #282. Crime: Treason – specifically, questioning the governing bodies of the village.

Enhancements: Strength-77 percent, Sight-89 percent, Hearing- 53 percent, Smell-88 percent, Speed-90 percent, Special Ability: Specific traits in demonic ancestry increased by 22 percent.

-Taisho, Inuyasha. 20 yrs old. Cell #66. Crime: Treason – specifically, threatening and insulting members of the government bodies of the village.

Enhancements: Strength-67 percent, Sight-80 percent, Hearing-53 percent, Smell-80 percent, Speed-52 percent, Special Ability: Specific traits in demonic ancestry increased by 46 percent.

-Tojiyoshi, Sango. 18 yrs old. Cell #97. Crime: Assault.

Enhancements: Strength-60 percent, Sight-10 percent, Hearing-26 percent, Smell-19 percent, Speed-48 percent, Special Abilities: Empathic. Healing.

-Ookami, Kouga. 20 yrs old. Cell #6. Crime: Robbery.

Enhancements: Strength-77 percent, Sight-79 percent, Hearing-58 percent, Smell-80 percent, Speed-84 percent, Special Abilities: Specific traits in demonic ancestry increased by 20 percent. Fuinjutsu (Sealing techniques)

-Hoshi, Miroku.19 yrs old. Cell #210. Crime: Sexual Harassment of government official.

Enhancements: Strength-44 percent, Sight-10 percent, Hearing-37 percent, Smell-20 percent, Speed-40 percent, Special Ability: Able to produce wind tunnels in the palms of his hands.

-Higurashi, Kagome. 17 yrs old. Cell #312. Crime: Treason/Murder. Specifically, assisted in the massacre of the honorable Uchiha Clan.

Enhancements:Strength-80 percent, Sight-92 percent, Hearing-94 percent, Smell-90 percent, Speed-89 percent, Special Abilities:_

The entries were vague. No specifics given about most of their abilities and their capabilities. And, "Special traits in demonic ancestry"? What the heck was that supposed to mean? What traits did they have? Obviously that information must have been classified and therefore destroyed.

But, as always, as Sarutobi's eyes swept the pages of the scroll, his eyes were drawn to the last entry. Higurashi, Kagome was an enigma. And it seemed like whoever had created the documents made her one on purpose.

Unlike all other 399 prisoners, her "Special Abilities" section was left blank. Did that mean she didn't have any? Or that they were only supposed to be known to the higher-ups. Sarutobi was leaning towards the second one.

Also, the Hokage had never been informed that there had been an accomplice in the Uchiha massacre. He had been under the impression this entire time that Itachi Uchiha had done the deed alone. There had been no reports on anyone helping the young ninja, let alone a young girl.

And according to all of the village records, Kagome Higurashi didn't even exist.

This entire situation reeked of corruption - conspiracy. But the single case of this girl was what gave him almost constant headaches. Perhaps she had simply slipped through the cracks and had never been documented as a child. But that was far too convenient.

And on top of all of the questions he had concerning this situation, no answers had been forthcoming. No leads had been found on the possible survivors in the entire four years they had been investigating it. A trail was found leaving the area by the small team of ANBU, but they suddenly lost it at a small river ten miles into the forest. Since then, nothing.

Despite the seemingly hopeless search, Sarutobi refused to give up. He had made a vow to the village on his word as the Hokage that he would find out who had done this and serve justice.

A sharp knock on his office door alerted him to a guest. "Yes. Come in."

Raidou, one of the Jonin posted outside his door, walked in and bowed respectfully.

"Hokage-sama. Ichijo Uname and Kimo Hashigoki are here to give you their mission report."

"Ah, yes. Send them in."

~Kirigakure~

Seven forms leapt swiftly from rooftop to rooftop over the streets of Kiri, feet landing with practiced grace and movements as fluid as water. Briefly, Kagome's eyes darted down to her now-healed leg as a phantom pain shot through her knee. She still remembered the weeks after they'd arrived in the village where she'd had it re-broken and set. Not a pleasant experience in the least. After a short time, which had baffled the medic-nin, her leg was perfectly healed and she was able to move with ease over the rooftops of her home. Vibrant blue eyes glanced down at the streets below, taking in the sights of the village she now considered hers.

People moved back and forth, enjoying the beautiful day and shopping from the venders and shops nestled on the sides of the crowded streets. The sun had broken through the mist to shine on the streets of the Mist Village. It was hard to believe that just two years ago this same village had had a distinct somber feel flooding the now cheerful streets. Kagome could scarcely believe that the old kage's plan had worked out so well when it came to how the people would react to their presence in the village.

At first the people of Kiri had been downright terrified of the power of the newcomers. Their fears increased when their special abilities (which people had assumed were simply very powerful Kekkei Genkai) of the group were discovered. Many villagers had changed their opinions on Kekkei Genkai, learning to tolerate and accept those with special abilities. But others still clung to the belief that people in possession of such powerful abilities were abnormal, dangerous, and should not be allowed to exist amongst "normal" people.

On top of those fears was the lingering memory of the attempted assassination of the Mizukage several years before by yet another group of seven powerful people, also close to the kage and that went by the name "The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist."

Needless to say, the village had been on the verge of civil war. On one side were those loyal to the new kage and her ideals, and on the other were those who believed that putting their lives in the hands of strangers (especially strangers with Kekkei Genkai) was dangerously foolish. That was until the new "special task force" had shown what they were made of.

Three years ago, the poor city had been attacked by a large group of nukenin bent on dealing yet another blow to the struggling local economy. The new force had stopped the group in its tracks just before they entered the village, brutally protecting the borders and the people within them with a passion never before witnessed by the stunned villagers.

At that time, Kagome and her comrades had known little about the way of the ninja or the techniques they were famous for. That however didn't hinder them a bit. Because of their abilities, brute strength and cunning, they had been able to run the invaders from the village, and the rogue ninja had yet to return.

Almost immediately the city was calmed. Talk of civil war was in the past and was now replaced with pride and awe over the new powers that had taken it upon themselves to defend them. The Mizukage announced, backed by the new police force, that now that they no longer had to worry about outside powers, they could begin rebuilding the economy. And so, that's what they did.

Trading routes that had been closed off because of fear and raiding bandits were reopened and trade between the surrounding villages began to flourish. New merchandise was brought in: different, exotic foods now supplemented the people's diets, colorful clothing brightened up the drab gray and brown wardrobes and the streets no longer looked like they came from a horror novel. Merchants from other villages came in and set up shops along the main streets and slowly but surely, the small village gained back the wealth it had been missing.

The grateful villagers now welcomed the strangers with open arms. It wasn't unusual to see members of the group walking amongst the streets and being greeted warmly by several villagers along their way. Some people began making up names for the group that protected them. The Anbu Captain had made and offhanded comment during one of their debriefing sessions that it was like having another branch of Anbu. Liking the idea, the Mizukage took the next step by promoting them to Anbu and creating a second branch. After all, if they were going to be protecting the village with their lives from S-Class missing-nin, then they probably deserved a shinobi rank.

But many asked "How could they be real Anbu without being ninja in the first place?" So, the kage brought in several of the elder, retired ninja from the village and asked them to teach their new Anbu the ways and techniques of a shinobi. Unsurprisingly, the powerful group caught on fast and after only a year of intense training, were brought up to the Jonin level. Another year passed and they truly were on par with true Anbu.

Kagome was, unsurprisingly, named captain of the new branch of Anbu. Unlike the others, Kiri's new branch didn't wear masks. Considering everyone in the village knew who they were anyways, really it would be pointless. And since they only had missions within Kirigakure so far, they had no need to keep their identities secret.

And now, only four years since they had arrived in the poverty-stricken village, the land was at peace. A new ninja academy was opened, replacing the brutal teaching traditions, such as the bloody fight-to-the-death final exam, with more traditional teachings used by some of the other major villages, but still with a bit of a Kiri twist. Many of the younger ninja whom had been forced to quit their shinobi jobs because of lack of missions and funding, could now proudly be called ninja again and were taking up local missions left and right, which brought more and more money into the village. The Mizukage put all of her efforts into rebuilding not only the village and its structures, but its traditions and institutions as well. Citizens of Kiri were now proud to call the Village Hidden in the Mist their home.

It was abundantly clear to everyone in the village that the kage had made the right decision in bringing in the seven strangers.

Kagome's eyes snapped back to attention as her ears picked up a small scream a few buildings down from where the group was running. Darting to the side, and knowing the other six would follow, she headed towards one of the local bars to investigate.

Landing silently on the roof across from the establishment, she listened closely to the goings-on inside the bar.

"-ust hand over your money and I won't hurt her! Hurry up!" A small scream of pain from the apparent hostage followed the man's speech.

Looking over to the only other female of the group, she saw Sango's black eyes focusing on the small establishment. "Just one."

Nodding in response, Kagome flitted down to just outside the doorway to the small bar, and proceeded to walk in nonchalantly. Stopping just inside the doorway, still unnoticed, she took in the scene before her.

A young man from the looks of it stood with his back to the entrance, facing the counter where the frightened barkeep seemed to be fumbling around with the keypad to his safe. In the young man's arms was the frightened woman, and pressed against her neck was a sharp kunai with a curved tip (signature of Kirigakure kunai), a small rivulet of blood trailing from the tip and disappearing into her neckline.

The patrons of the bar stood or sat, frozen in shock and fear, with their eyes glued to the thief and the helpless woman. The barkeep's eyes flickered about the room for help, passing over her before pausing and doing a double-take and finally staring at her in relief. Noticing the barkeep's new attitude and direction of his gaze, the thief whirled around to face the intruder.

The man's eyes widened in horror as he spotted the woman before him. Cold, blue eyes stared him down, onyx hair flowing around her head like a black cloud. Finely tuned muscles could be spotted beneath the black outfit that clung to her curves. Everyone in the village knew who this woman was. And getting on her bad side was certainly not a good idea. And it was something the thief had wisely avoided until now.

Needing no other opening, Kagome's right hand moved faster than the thief could react, flashing down to one of her many pouches and retrieving the only weapon she would need for this.

A deadly senbon flashed through the air, aiming towards the raised elbow of the thief, and the debilitating nerve within. In a split second it struck true and a pain-filled scream echoed out into the street. In pain, the man threw his hostage harshly to the side. Green vines sprung from the ground to catch her before she connected with the wall.

Dashing forward to the man and his now uselessly dangling arm, Kagome threw her arm out and her clenched fist connected with deadly force to the underside of his chin, throwing his body upward to connect solidly with the roof and fall limply back down to the floor.

Silence permeated the establishment before a huge sigh of relief could be felt from all of the patrons and several even began clapping. Sending a small nod to the grateful barkeep, Kagome reached down and hoisted the unconscious man up onto her shoulder and exited the small bar. A second later another woman, carrying a first-aid kit, entered and zeroed in on the injured woman. She quickly, treated the wound on the woman's neck, nodded in response to the small "Thank you Sango-san.", and exited the bar. The people all watched in silence as the vines retracted peacefully back into the ground.

The remaining figures situated outside dispersed silently, continuing on with their patrol.

Kagome traveled quickly to the village's prison to drop off the petty criminal, not deeming the amateur as dangerous enough to put in the shinobi prison. Feeling the wind beside her shift, she quickly discovered Shippo running alongside her, grinning from ear to ear. He always loved watching Kagome work. Men like this one never stood a chance against his 'Kaa-san'.

Knowing where she was headed, Shippo nodded towards the prisoner slung over the petite woman's shoulder. "Hand him to me Kaa-san. I'll drop him by the prison and you can go ahead and report to Mizukage-sama."

Giving Shippo a grateful smile, Kagome stopped gracefully despite her fast pace and handed the man over to the red-head now standing next to her. It still amused her how the younger man called her Mother even though she was only four years older than him. Certainly any other woman of a mere twenty-one might be insulted to be seen as a mother figure to an almost-man, but Kagome took it in stride, realizing the importance of having a parental figure to the orphaned teen.

Giving him a little pat on the cheek and another small smile, Kagome turned in the opposite direction where the kage's tower was located. "Thanks Shippo."

Shippo smiled as he watched after her as she flashed away quickly towards the cylinder-shaped tower in the distance. Shaking his head slightly, he hefted the prisoner up over his shoulder and continued in the direction of the prison.

Mei Terumi listened as her sub-Captain gave a brief report on the attempted robbery that had just been thwarted. You would think that after four years the petty criminals would learn their lesson. None ever got away, and yet they continued to try.

As Kagome finished her report, Mei's attention went to the scroll lying innocently in front of her on her desk. It had just been delivered that morning and it had been weighing on the powerful Leader's mind ever since.

After reading over it once again, she glanced up at the silent woman waiting patiently. Mei glanced at the two Jonin standing vigilant just inside the doors. Giving a small nod in their direction, she watched as the two men bowed and exited the rounded office, leaving their Mizukage alone with the Anbu captain.

"I received a rather interesting proposal this morning. From Konoha." Mei watched the deceivingly beautiful face before her for any reaction. Only a slight twitch at the corner of her mouth gave away Kagome's surprise. The other four great shinobi villages rarely contacted the remote Kirigakure. Considering how the Water Country had been having internal issues for quite some time and had rather tense relations with the other nations anyway it wasn't much of a surprise. So what kind of proposal could they possibly have to offer their most distant neighbor?

"The present Hokage, Lady Tsunade, wishes to discuss a trade agreement - a treaty as it were." Kagome's eyes narrowed at that. Everyone with a bit of sense knew that treaties were basically meaningless in this world. They were worth barely more than the paper they were written on. Supposed "allies" would turn their backs on each other at the drop of a hat if they benefitted from it. A treaty between Konoha and Kiri hadn't been signed in years. And while they weren't necessarily enemies, they weren't allies either.

On the other hand, a treaty with such a powerful village at a time when Kiri was just beginning to flourish again could mean a jump-start to making their village the powerhouse it had been before internal conflict had torn it apart. Kagome refocused her attention on her leader as she continued speaking.

"As of yet I have not been informed on what, exactly this treaty will entail. Lady Tsunade has requested that I travel to Konoha so we may discuss the treaty and all it will entail."

Kagome raised her eyebrow. "She expects you to travel all the way to Konoha during such a critical time?" Kiri wasn't out of the woods yet. Sure, they had begun to prosper, and crime had gone down significantly, but that didn't mean the Mizukage could just up and leave for who knows how long when things could still go wrong any minute. Sure, there were plenty of shinobi now to help defend the village, but the people needed their Kage right now. Leaving would be much too high of a risk right now.

Mei chuckled as she knew where the young woman's thoughts were going. "My thoughts exactly. I'm in no position to leave at the moment, and that is where you come in Kagome-san."

Kagome tensed, just knowing what the Mizukage was about to say.

"I would like to send a small liaison in my place to discuss terms with the Hokage: four or five of my best shinobi to represent the village and its interests." Kagome's lips pursed as she waited for the next to come. "I believe your Anbu squad will be able to accomplish this with the most efficiency."

Silence stretched through the room as Kagome tried to leash in the fury that the Mizukage's words had caused. 'How could she? She knows what those bastards did to us! Why would she have us go back to that damned village?'

Mei watched as one of her most prized shinobi fumed in disbelief over her words.

"While you're there," her words and piercing look broke Kagome out of her increasingly enraged thoughts. "I would like you to observe the officials to see if they are indeed trustworthy enough to develop a treaty with. Specifically the Council." Kagome paused in her objections concerning the village's trustworthiness at the mention of the Council. Her eyes widened minutely in realization as Mei sent her a meaningful look. "And if, by any chance, members of said council were to, say…act dishonorably towards the Mizukage's liaison, you would be under full rights to seek retribution against said council members. The Hokage and the rest of the council could not, in any way, interfere in such matters." Mei's smirk grew throughout her speech as she watched the calculated gleam appear in her favorite ninja's eyes.

Several scenarios ran through Kagome's mind as she processed the opportunity her Kage had just lain out before her. Her eyes flashed briefly red as the name of one man ran through her mind. 'Danzo.'

"So," eerie, blue eyes flashed up towards the Mizukage's serious face. "Do you accept this mission, Higurashi Kagome?"

"Of course, Mizukage-sama." Kagome smirked along with Mei as she bowed respectfully.

AN: Whew! Finally got that one out! Damn, it's been a while since I updated! And we finally got some Itachi action! I hope you guys like this chapter. And just to clear up a few things…

-The bird that reported back to Deidara at the end of ch.6 was one of his clay birds. Basically, because Deidara can create them, I figure he can control them and manipulate them to do things, i.e. receiving and reporting information to its creator.

-The timeline: I had the most trouble with this part. When I started writing this story, not all of the current information about the massacre, plot, and ages of the characters was known, so I just went with what I thought. So basically, everyone is older in this story than in the anime/manga by about three years. This is the basic timeline:

- Kagome:

Meets Itachi-7yrs old

Itachi leaves/Kag imprisoned-13 yrs old

Breaks out – 17yrs old

Present – 21 yrs old

-Itachi:

Meets Kag – 10yrs old

Leaves/massacres clan- 16 yrs old

Starts mission infiltrating Konoha- 20 yrs old

Present-24 yrs old

-Naruto/Sasuke/Sakura:

Uchiha massacre-11 yrs old

Graduate academy – 12 yrs old

Sasuke goes to Orochimaru – 13 yrs old

Itachi's mission starts – 15 yrs old

Present – 19 yrs old

-So! Yeah, I know, everyone is a lot older than in the series, but, really they act older than their age anyway right? Anyway, since this is mainly about Kagome and Itachi I won't be putting too much about Naruto and Sasuke and everyone else. But they will be there since they are no doubt main components of the series. And things are beginning to come to light about why Kagome was taken and put into that facility. Mwahaha!

I think that's about it. If there's anything else, please don't hesitate to leave your question/comment in a review or PM and I'll try to address it by the next chapter. For the other questions…you may just have to wait! XD

Thank you everyone who has stuck with this story and for all of your lovely reviews! I just can't wipe the silly grin off my face when I read them. Haha! Love you guys! See you next chapter. Please review!

-Kage