Fifteen minutes and forty five seconds until the meeting....

(Yes you are counting....)

You constantly check your phone for the time while pacing back and forth in the lounge adjacent to the hokage courtroom.

Kakashi watches you trying to ease the burn in your chest from your over reactive stone. Your emotions are running rampant, and causing it to glow quite brightly.

"Hana, please, you need to calm down. Everything will be fine. I have set up this entire meeting for success." He assures you.

You huff at him in disbelief. How can one man influence so many people?

"I don't know about that...I am pretty sure after this meeting you will find a box to put me in and ship me across seas without a return address." You are terrified that Kakashi will no longer see you as he does now. Once everything you have done is revealed, he may never speak to you again.

"Fuck" You curse under your breath thinking about it, and come to stand in front of him. Kakashi sits on a loveseat, laid back, acting calm and cool about it all. Meanwhile you're losing your shit.

"What worries you the most?." He asks.

You lower your eyes.
"I...well...I wasn't the greatest person before Hidden Leaf Village, Kakashi."

He shrugs.
"Neither was I."

You shake your head.
"No you don't understand. You may not speak to me again after this."

He sits up and leans forward looking you square in the eyes.
"Listen, we have all done shit in our past. It's just the life we live, I won't judge you for it."

You roll your eyes, doubtful he has had to do the horrible things you were forced to.
"Just be thankful you're a shinobi of hidden leaf and not the assassin I was...."

He scowls at you and shakes his head.

"Shinobi or assassin, it doesn't matter....we all learn to paint our hands the same shade of red. We all learn to kill or be killed...that is the way of the ninja...and my hands are just as red as yours....don't kid yourself."

You blink twice registering his words. He was completely right, it is the way of the ninja. Maybe he has done some horrible things in his past too. Maybe his hands aren't as clean as you thought they were. You slump down beside him.
"So...did I fall in love with a serial killer?"

He bursts out laughing.
"I have had plenty of opportunities to take you out, but I'd rather take you out for dinner instead." He nudges you and you barely return the gesture while staring at the windows ahead wondering how far the drop is from here. "Look, whatever happens in there I'm going to take it with a grain of salt. There isn't anything anyone can say that will push me away. So please stop worrying about that."

You lay back sinking into the chair further while blowing out a very long breath.
"Ok." You reply, feeling defeated.

The door suddenly opens and you both watch Naruto walk through, dressed in a casual navy blue suit. Well doesn't he look smashing today and ready for business. He walks in bright eyed and bushy tailed, nodding to both of you.

"You're on time! Looks like we are starting off on the right foot. Did you leave your cussing and bad behavior at home?" He asks you sarcastically.

This earns him a very dangerous glare from you and Kakashi laughs much harder than he should.
(Jerks)

"I don't know Naruto, I guess that depends on your attitude today. If you want sweet from me, you better show me something sugar coated soon or I swear I will...."

And Kakashi quickly covers your mouth with his hand, shutting you up completely. You stop talking and stare at him in shock, but are quickly put in your place by a very stern glare from him. Naruto smiles in victory.

"There's that control we need." He sighs in relief.

"Try harder, Hana." Kakashi says with authority. That damn authoritative tone does things to you...not only does it make you obey him, it also turns you on, causing you to blush. You roll your eyes and nod. Kakashi releases your mouth but not without snickering about it first.

Naruto checks his watch for the time.
"Looks like we have five minutes left until we all walk into that room. I have to say I'm a little nervous. But I think we have the upper hand here."

Kakashi nods.
"The only thing I'm worried about is the land of iron. They are planning something and I know it isn't good."

Naruto strokes his chin thinking.
"At least we don't have to worry about genjutsu this time. Any chakra draws in the courtroom is forbidden and is punishable by law."

You sit silently, trying to settle your stomach.

The land of iron...

What could their plans be for you? It is obvious it has to do with money and power. But how will their plan unfold? You have a feeling it will come at a huge cost to you.

A knock on the door pulls you from your thoughts. Konohamaru and Shikamaru stand in the open doorway looking at you sympathetically.

"It's time." Kono says.

Kakashi stands and offers you his hand reassuring you once again it will be ok. You take his hand although right now all you want to do is jump out the window and run. He notices your glances at that said window and shakes his head.
"Don't even think about it." He smirks.

You pout back at him as he leads you towards the door. Every man around you is feeling the tension brewing and it isn't helping you one bit. You bite your lip and walk out trying not to lose your breakfast.

......

Ten minutes later you find yourself standing in the center of a large echoing room, at a gold trimmed podium with all eyes on you. This is the largest gathering of highly ranked officials you have ever seen. Your eyes have caught several familiar hokage and Jonin. Ones who you wished weren't here right now. They don't hesitate to scowl or glare at you, making your stomach turn and your stone glow bright. You cover up your chest with one hand pretending to cough or clear your throat as everyone stands silently waiting for the judge to make their presence.

Behind you sits your support, Kakashi and Naruto. To your right at a separate table is Konohamaru and Shikamaru writing down notes on who is here.

Everyone is situated into groups of their own lands with their leaders ready to dish out whatever they have to say. You have never felt so small, so weak, so... goddamn scared in your life. You are literally shaking in your boots. There are no exits here. There is nowhere to run. They have you surrounded like caught prey. You Stifle back tears as you search the room full of your enemies.

You hear quiet voices coming from a group to your left. Five men stand behind their own sectioned area, talking amongst themselves, smiling and laughing. They are dressed in very expensive looking suits with perfectly combed hair and straight postures. They must be from the land of iron. You catch the eyes of one man speaking and he smiles uncomfortably at you. He is a decent looking man, with a sizable build. Much stronger looking than Arufa, with the gold chains hanging from his neck and his position at the head of everyone, he must be the leader of the group. Instinctively you look back at Kakashi for some kind of comfort.

He nods at you and glances at the men.
At least he has noticed their strange smiles.

At this point Kakashi is the only person here who can protect you. The only one here who can change the course of action to your favor. But will it be enough?...god this is torture...

Finally a woman dressed in judge's robes enters the room and you cringe at the sight of her. You know this woman quite well and she doesn't hesitate to make her presence known to you.

"Akari, Gotoru." She says as she positions herself in her seat. That name brings back a whole crap load of mistakes. You noticeably cringe at the name and Kakashi hums behind you questionably. That name is one of the most embarrassing aliases you have used in the land of water. Boy did you fuck up bad in Kirigakure.

You bow your head at her as she sizes you up. She analyzes you for quite some time before scanning the entire room.
"It looks like you've made more ripples in the pond since I last saw you."

"Small ripples, Miss. Mizukage, ma'am." You reply meekly making an inch size with your thumb and index finger. "And...if you don't mind, I would prefer the name Hana Hoki."

She raises her brows surprised by your request.
"Very well...Hana. let's see what small ripples you've caused." and turns her attention to a small group of people behind Kakashi and Naruto. "I have reviewed your many...many...files. We will go over your charges from each land and their contracts, conditions, or offers depending on the situation. Let's start with the land of rivers, Tanigakure. Could its residents representing this land please come forward with your testimony."

You are hating yourself inside watching the three members of this village make their way to the front of the room. They fixate their glares on you making your stone shoot a sharp pain through your chest.

You look away trying to focus on something else to ease your stone. Then remember what Kakashi had asked you to do if things were feeling like they are getting out of control. Say his name. Over and over until you're sick of it. So you do, in your head you say it repeatedly until magically your stone dims and the pain in your chest disappears.

The leaders of the land of rivers situates themselves beside the judge shuffling an abundance of papers while passing them amongst each other. They decide on who is going to go first, and if it isn't the head shinobi of the land you had a terrible accident with.

He clears his throat.

Here we go....

"Thank you Miss, Mizukage. My name is Yasai Kon. I am the lead shinobi from the land of rivers, in charge of delegating missions for smaller lands close by. This girl here." He points at you scowling. "Had somehow gotten her hands on a scroll that was supposed to be delivered to the land of water. However....that scroll did not make it to its destination and she used it on us instead!"

It was true....you had accidentally switched the scroll with your application papers instead of returning it to its rightful owners, then read the mantra out loud mistakenly.

Miss Mizukage turns her attention to you.

"Hana, is this a true statement?" She asks.

You sigh.
"Yes...It's true...but it was an accident.

"You activated the scroll in my office which produced a storm large enough to flood the entire building...!" He protests.

You huff at that memory. Such a stupid.. stupid mistake....

"It was an accident, I swear! And I cleaned up that entire building so why are we talking about this?"
He snarls at you.
"There is still a ton of water damage and you left without a contract dismissal!"

"Well maybe you shouldn't keep scrolls like that out in the open! It looks exactly like a normal piece of paper! You're lucky a child didn't get their hands on it and flood the entire village!." You scold.

The man begins to lose it, his face turning as red as a tomato.

"You stupid girl! There are still important documents missing from my office!"

You shrug.
"I spent weeks fixing up the place. And those important documents you're talking about are just smut magazines are they not? I found boxes of them in the stationary closet of your office alongside a very large bottle of baby oil!"

It was then that Kakashi bursted out laughing. He tries his best to hold it in behind you, but it hisses through his teeth until Naruto slaps his arm shutting him up completely.

He scoffs at Kakashi and turns towards the judge, who is finding this amusing as well.

"What say you!" He snaps at her.

She raises a brow and leans forward.
"It is a debt paid as she had already cleaned up most of the damage and Hana is right. Leaving scrolls lying around isn't wise...this issue is resolved, is there anything else you have to say?"

He glares wildly at you and shakes his head slowly.

"Please take your seat in your sectioned area. Thank you."

Mr. Kon storms very angrily over to his section and sits down hard in his seat. Inside you are fist pumping to that. One down....and well...you're not sure how many more to go...but this is a good start...

Another man from the land of rivers steps up to the plate. You don't recognize this man, which could be a good thing or a bad thing. Curiously you wait for him to accuse you of something.

Miss Mazikage speaks.
"Now, I'm going to pause here for a moment. If anyone in this room has a debt that has already been resolved by the defendant do not approach the bench."

Half the room grumbles at that and many people take their seats in the audience sections. You sigh in relief.

"Alright you may proceed." She waves her hand to the man standing with papers in hand ready to speak. He nods and clears his throat.

"My name is Nori Ataki. I am the head of the nursing department at Rivers Seniors Care Facility."

Your eyes grow wide at that and you swear out loud without thinking first.

The judge holds up her hand for him to stop and flares at you.
"Hana, please watch your language in this courtroom."

You nod and apologize feeling very embarrassed about that outburst. Then you hear Naruto scolding you from behind and Kakashi chuckling.

"Continue." She says and waves the man on.

"I am here to address a very serious situation that had happened during the time, Rin...." He points to you. "Was volunteering in our facility."

You clutch the podium feeling the suspense.

"At first she was great. All of our residents loved her, however, after a week things went sour. ..." He pauses for a moment to take a deep breath in. "We want Rin to be accountable for the damage done to the facility. She had caused such a disruption in care. It...well...it was the biggest riot the land of rivers has ever seen."

Kakashi bursts out laughing again and you cover your face with your hands.

"It was..terrifying." He explains.

The judge looks at you shaking her head.
"And what's your version of the story, "Rin." She says in quotation marks. "I'm curious."

You huff out a very large breath.
"It was an accident. I had no idea there was a resident dog in the facility until it was too late...."

Her brows knit together.
"What was wrong with the dog?"

The man interrupts.
"She doesn't like dogs!"

"It's not that I don't like them, they just don't like me!" You protest.

"You kicked charley across the room!" He argues.

"He was attached to my leg by his teeth, I couldn't get him off!" You retort.

The man fumes at you.
"He is a small lap dog! The the size of a football!"

"And that's why I punted him!"

Kakashi is in stitches right now behind you and you can't help in your nervous state to smile as well.

"That kick sent our seniors into a frenzy! It was a war zone in there! We had to call in shinobi to settle everyone!"

By now Kakashi is almost crying from laughter, even Konohamaru and Shikamaru are laughing to themselves which catches the judges attention.
"Kakashi Hatake, could you please control yourself in this courtroom?"

You turn back to look at him as his laughter fades away, although he is still having trouble keeping it down.
"Sure thing." He replies and solutes her.

Everyone's attention turns back to Miss Mizukage.
"It sounds like this is just a miscommunication. Did the dog in fact attack Hana?" She asks Nori.

He scratches the back of his head.
"Well...yes..."

"Then the problem is your own. I dismiss this encounter as well. Please take your seat."

Nori starts to protest but Miss Mizukage slams a mallet down, ending the conversation. He solemnly takes his seat next to Mr. Kon.

"This is going to take all day if we go at it the way we are. So, I would like everyone to hand me their list of accusations and crimes against our defendant and I will read over them."

Everyone in the room begins shuffling papers and each group sends one person to hand them over.

She pulls glasses from her robe and places them on the bridge of her nose. Looking down she begins to read.

It was silent for quite some time before she spoke again. "Bribing a hokage, Hana?"

You scrunch your nose to that.
"It..it was an accident?"

She shakes her head and reads on.
A few seconds later she looks up at you with a serious expression.

"I call the village of rain to the stand."

Three men approach the podium beside the judge. Three men you know well. For you had spent a few months with them running missions as a kunoichi. Each stare at you with so much hatred you could taste it. Your hands begin to shake again so you clasp them together and pray things go your way.

"Tell the courtroom about the D class mission please." Miss Mizukage says.

Your previous superior steps up to speak.

"We had accepted a mission not far from Amegakure. It was supposed to be a simple D class mission. The platoon assigned was to take a valuable package to the next village. But Neko and her attitude got the better of my men. They had stopped at a lake to take a rest, and problems arose from there. She wasn't getting along with any of the men in the group, even calling them names and talking back to her superiors."

How dare he....

At that you interrupt his lies.
"That is not how it went and you know it!" You seeth.

Miss Mazikage hushes you.

He proceeds, keeping eye contact with you the entire time.
"After an argument with a few of the men she lost control over her power and killed the entire platoon of shinobi. Most were chunin level...so young...." He shakes his head at you and looks to the judge.

Listening to this man's lies was like grinding salt into your wounds. Your stone starts to glow brightly catching everyone's attention and that sharp pain pierces your heart once again. You gasp out loud and the man doesn't hesitate to call you out for it.

"See! Just like that! That is when you know she is losing control! That is when you know she will start killing! She is a dangerous girl and should be locked away!" He explains.

The judge looks at you.
"Hana, I suggest you take contr..."

You stop her there.
"That is not what happened at all!"

She looks between you and the man and notices a slight smirk on his face. It is prominent enough that she gives you the opportunity to explain yourself.

"Please, Hana, explain your side, but be mindful of that stone."
You nod.
"His platoon..." your eyes begin to water as you explain. "They did horrible things to me! They hazed me day and night for months! If they weren't hazing me, they were sexually harassing me, to the point of making physical contact! Everytime I fought against those acts of indecency they would set me up for failure the next day! That stupid mission was a set up! It was all a ploy to get rid of me! They knew I couldn't swim.....they held me under the water until the stone took over and my instinct killed them..."

You can hear Kakashi growl and Naruto shifts in his seat. She turns her attention back to your previous superior.
"Is this true?"

"None of it I swear."

You shout loudly against his lies.
"It is true! He's lying!"

The judge sits back in her chair examining the man.
"Did you know she couldn't swim?" She asks.

"Well... yes, it was in her application. But what does that matter?."

"And yet you stopped to rest at a lake with a girl who can't swim? A girl who has no control over her power and can be triggered by intense emotional trauma?" She sets her attention back on you. "Have you drowned before, Hana?"

You stare at her, eyes now dripping with tears.
"Yes..." You barely choke out.

She looks back at the men from the land of rain.
"Were you present for this mission?"

"I...well no... I was on another mission at the time." He begins to stutter.

"Hmmm. Was there any other witnesses?" She asks.

He shakes his head.
"No...there were no survivors..."

"If everyone had died, and there were no witnesses to say what actually happened other than Hana's testimony, then what proof do you have of how the situation evolved?"

The man looks back to his peers for obvious help. They whisper amongst each other before he answers.
"We did a thorough investigation and all signs pointed to her. You have the investigation report in your hands."

She hums again, unimpressed.
"I read it. And nowhere does it mention actual proof of anything aside from the deaths of those men by her hands."

He nods.
"She killed them all. That is the point here and she deserves a severe punishment for that. I am down a platoon of very talented ninja!"

"It isn't as simple as that." She replies and turns her attention to Naruto. "Naruto approach the bench please."

You watch Naruto rise to his feet and casually walk up to her.

"Thank you."

He bows deeply to her.
"Of course, Miss Mizukage."

"Naruto, you have been investigating Hana since she arrived at Hidden Leaf Village, have you not?"

"I have. Kakashi had brought her to my attention after she had lost control in my dojo demonstrating her abilities." Naruto replies.

"Can you explain to us how she loses control?" She asks.

"Of course. Kakashi has taken her on as his student. He has reported to me over the last few weeks that she loses control when too much of the stone's energy is gathered in one sitting. It could be during combat, in emotional situations, or in a state of survival. She loses control and her cohort instinct takes over all rational thinking."

"In those times of uncontrolled power, how dangerous is she?" She asks.

Naruto sighs.
"It depends one the instinct. I believe, in all honesty, she can destroy a village with one massive burst of power."

"And the body control?...I heard there was an incident at the Leaf gala."

Naruto nods.
"Yes, there was an altercation with the land of iron. Arufa, set her off. Which I believe was on purpose."

She rolls her eyes.

"What happened when she lost control?"

"She was able to stop everyone in the gala from moving, even forcing them to the ground unwillingly."

She raises her brows.
"And after?"

"She transformed....and ran. We did what we had to do and if not for Kakashi, we wouldn't have been able to administer the sedative to stop her."

Miss Mizukage leans forward looking at Kakashi, she flicks her hand for him to approach. Lazily he complies.

"Please explain to the courtroom, Kakashi." She asks him.

He stands before everyone, hands in his pockets.
"Hana and I have established trust. It is strong enough that I am able to control her, even when she has lost complete control over her mind I am able to stop her and bring her mind back to reality. Recently I had stopped her from attacking Naruto. She had taken on the form of the Sunaneko at that time."

It was then the members of the land of wind began to whisper to your right. You can hear them speak in awe about Kakashi and your Sunaneko form.

"Sunaneko..." the judge says under her breath. "So you are truly the only person that can stop her when she loses control?"

Kakashi nods and Naruto agrees.

Suddenly the land of iron interrupts.
"Actually...There is one other."

Everyone sets their attention on them in shock.

"I would like to call someone in for questioning if the judge agrees."

She nods letting the land of iron proceed. All this time you have sat back listening to Naruto and Kakashi vouch for you. It was relieving up until this moment, now your heart pounds painfully and you can barely catch your breath. You hold your stomach feeling sick over their plan unfolding...

It was then a tall man cloaked in white robes from head to toe, pushed open the courtroom doors and entered. The room grows silent watching him. You recognize the clinking sounds of his boot buckles, the swagger in his step, and the way he clasps his gloved hands together as if he held a type of superiority. You flinch in fear as the land of iron says his name.

"I would like to call Shiro Hebi, brother to Hana Hoki, although not by blood, and the last survivor of her clan to the stand. He also bears his own stone and has gained absolute control."

You watch him slowly approach, his robes fluttering as he walks by and the world around you stills. He pauses for a moment to look at you, eyes glowing under his hood. You whimper, mouth quivering in a fury of mixed emotions as all memories of him flood back into your mind until finally you can't bear to look at him anymore. You tear your eyes away and look up to Kakashi who stares in utter shock at your brother.

"Naruto and Kakashi, please take your seats. And the land of rain, we will come back to you in a few minutes."

Everyone complies and you notice the fear in Kakashi's eyes as he walks by you. He sits down with Naruto very disturbed and they both fixate on your brother who now stands directly in front of you.

"Shiro, please tell us your story."

He nods and unclasps his hands then lifts his hood off his head revealing himself to everyone. It was as if his looks punched you in the gut, you nearly keel over at the sight of him. His features are similar from when you last saw him as a teenager, yet he has aged beautifully. His eyes are a deeper set, glowing in a bright ice blue aura. A chiseled jawline he hadn't had before brings out his more rugged looks. He was much taller, much broader than before....he was a man now and felt more like a stranger to you than ever before. Even his energy was different. It was more refined, more distinguished and controlled.
You chew your lip nervously and he begins to speak in a much lower masculine voice. His eyes never leave you.

"Just like Neko, I was sold to the Bloodclaw for the sole purpose of becoming a Gelel Soldier. At four weeks old we arrived in the camp at the same time, and had our stones placed into our bodies. Neko's was placed in her heart, mine was placed at the base of my spine. As we grew, the stone grew with us. Transforming parts of our bodies, giving us powerful abilities. However, Neko was struggling with hers. Temujin had placed the largest piece of the stone in her body because of her rare Kekkei Genkai which has the ability to enhance the stone's power tenfold. She was bred for this."
The room erupts in gasps and awes.

Miss Mizukage stops him there.
"Hana, were you not aware of your Kekkei Genkai?" She asks more sympathetically than before.

You shake your head in disbelief. So that is why your father pushed you so hard. That is why he made you suffer more than the rest.

Very concerned, Miss Mizukage lifts her hand for Shiro to proceed.

"Training was hard with Neko. I could barely keep up to her strength and as time went on she grew stronger. It wasn't until she connected with her cohort instinct, a black panther in the land of jungles, where she started to lose control. Her Kekkei Genkai became over reactive to the stone. My guess is that her panther instinct is so primal and wild it urges to take over and delve in her power. That being said...I had made progress with her during intense training sessions. I found that by establishing a pact with trust, I was able to coax the panther into submission and calm the stones' power."

Kakashi stands interrupting him.
"If I may speak, Miss Mizukage."

She nods.

"I have established that trust myself. The pact is so strong I can stop her right before she goes for the kill, even after she has wounded her prey. Can you do this, Shiro?" He says with distaste.

Shiro blinks at him and replies in awe.
"No, I haven't been that successful...How is it you have established that much trust?"

The judge questions it too.
"You have only been with her for a few weeks and you have surpassed this man? Someone who has grown up with her?"

Kakashi shrugs.
"We have connected on a different level I guess."

"How many times have you stopped her?" Shiro asks him.

"Two times now. Once when she turned into her panther form. And just recently in her assassin hybrid form." He replies.

Shiro gasps, very shook and looks back at the men of the land of iron. They curse under their breaths, then he looks back at Kakashi.

"I believe the land of iron has a contract they would like to present to us?" Miss Mizukage interrupts looking at the group of men.

The land of iron shuffles their papers quickly until they find the right one and walks it over to her.

She reads it through then summarizes it for the courtroom.
"So, you want to join the land of lightning under a new contract?"

The men agree.
"Yes, we have spoken with their hokage who has a very large interest in Neko's abilities. The contract is as follows. Neko, will reside in both the land of lightning and land of iron, carrying out all missions that require her level of ability. We will work together with Neko exchanging her abilities as we see fit. Hidden Leaf Village will release her from their contract in compensation for Kakashi's violent outburst towards our prince at the gala. As for the land of iron, Arufa would like to have her hand in marriage. This marriage will be the symbol that joins our lands together. As for the other lands that hold contracts with her, they will be paid out in full." He scans his eyes over every sectioned land. "Name your price..."

The room erupts in whispers and the man clears his throat carrying on.

"And to gain control over that stone, Shiro will take over her training as he now resides in the land of iron and has worked with her before."

It was then that Kakashi and Naruto threw their calm demeanors away and began to loudly protest the entire contract, arguing with the fact that you are still human and deserve the right to choose a partner to marry without being forced into it. Also arguing the fact that Kakashi holds a safer position with you than Shiro.

The word marriage stuck out to you in a very bad way. Your stomach drops at the thought of being with a man you don't know who has already toyed with your mind. At this point in time, you are starting to lose control of your emotions and your stone. Your instinct is kicking in as you reluctantly push yourself into survival mode. Through heaving breaths you stare at your brother begging for him to stop this with your eyes. He stares back at you equally with no tell tale sign he will do anything to prevent this. It is obvious your brother still hates you for what you did to Temujin and it is still poisoning his mind. You should have finished him off, you had every opportunity to and you couldn't...you just couldn't bring yourself to do it. Now you're kicking yourself for not following through.

Your entire world is falling apart. You try your best to hold back your stone's power but small objects around you begin rise into the air, anything electrical in the room sparks wildly or bursts, everyone stops what they're doing to look at you, and your emotions reach their peak. Your cohort instinct tells you to escape, to get out no matter what it takes. You take one last look at everyone in the room, who are now gathering chakra for a defense...and you turn towards Kakashi. His eyes fixate on yours. You tell him you're sorry in your mind then let go, giving permission for your instinct to take you away from this place, to rid yourself of everyone around you so you can run...just like the many times before. You will crush walls to escape if you have to....