It was an interesting trip home to say the least. Both boys, Shiro and Kakashi, have so much in common it is almost frightening. They had spent the majority of the journey talking about those strange Icha Icha books as well as making fun of your "wacky behaviors" as they call it. Shiro had told him all sorts of embarrassing stories about you when you were young. You were relieved they were finally getting along but also not impressed by their team up against you.

You sigh defeated, as you walk up the steps to your home. They had decided for you to stop by your place and check out the progress. Although you just wanted to avoid any more conflict. You know for sure Konohamaru and Naruto will be livid over seeing your brother tagging along.

"Hey! Looks like Naruto and Kono are still at it." Kakashi says as he opens the front door.

Shiro glances at you.

"Sorry about the mess, Neko. Buuut it was kind of your fault."

"How was it my fault? You broke into my house!" You growl.

He shrugs.

"And you started throwing punches. If you would just learn to listen."

Kakashi chuckles to himself. He ushers Shiro in through the door then sweeps an arm around your neck pulling you in for a hug.

"We're just messin around, kitten." He whispers.

You pout your lips.

"You two suck."

Kakashi ruffles your hair playfully and heads further into your house. You watch them both walk down your hallway marveling at the work Naruto and Kono have done.

Deep sigh....

"What in the hell is HE doing here?!" You hear Konohamaru shout.

Shit... you curse and hurry down the hallway to your living room.

Both Naruto and Konohamaru stand ready for a fight while your brother nonchalantly looks around at the room.

"You two have done a great job! This may be a new career for you." He snickers.

Ohhhh....whyyy....why does he have to stir the pot so much. He has always been like this, either starting fights or interjecting himself into them. Most of the time he would be the initiator and you would be there to pull him out of it. You start towards your brother and stop noticing Kakashi stepping in.

He pats your brother on the shoulder and positions himself beside him.

"He's cool...he's with me."

"What do you mean?" Both boys ask at the same time. They glance at each other then back at Kakashi and Shiro then look at you for confirmation.

You run an annoyed hand through your hair.

"Yeah...they fought, exchanged Icha Icha, and are now best friends....I think its weird too..."

Naruto and Konohamaru's mouths drop open.

"Seriously?" Konohamaru asks Kakashi.

"Seriously." Kakashi confirms.

Shiro wraps a thick arm around Kakashi's neck grinning wide.

"Yup, we're brothers now!"

""I don't believe this...." Naruto huffs.

"Neither do I, but Kakashi has proven himself to be the best man for..." Shiro begins. Quickly, so he doesn't reveal you and Kakashi's secret, you slap a hand over his mouth. And you do it hard making him look straight into your eyes. He glares at you as you hold him there, and you glare back equally, shaking your head slowly.

His brows furrow and finally he understands. You release his mouth and he carefully finishes his explanation.

"Kakashi is my equal and that makes him a brother...."

Both boys are shocked. Naruto scratches the back of his head.

"I...I don't know what to say."

You turn towards the two.

"Let's just not say anything. I'm just as shocked as you...anyways...the house looks great!"

"Yeah, you'll be getting that damage deposit back for sure!" Konohamaru replies.

You chew your lip thinking about the time when you will receive the deposit back. After that, you are basically homeless aside from Kakashi's offer, which you are still on the fence about. It is only due to the fact that you have always been independent and it is not something you can give up so easily. You haven't had someone take care of you in years and freeloading off your new boyfriend is not the way you want to start a relationship.

"I'll need a place for my stuff..." you reply quietly to yourself, still thinking about it.

Then Konohamaru says something both sweet yet cringing.

"I have a basement suite at my place you can move into. It's a two bedroom, a little smaller than this but you can live there rent free." He says.

You glance at your brother and Kakashi.

"That's so thoughtful of you Kono!" Naruto pipes up overly excited for some reason.

There is an inquisitive look on your brother's face as he stares down Konohamaru. Kakashi on the other hand looks expressionless. You are starting to realize that when he has this look he is either very upset and not willing to show it, or he is lost deep in thought.

Shiro steps forward coming within inches of Konohamaru.

"No rent hey? Why?"

Konohamaru nervously swallows.

"Well...she's been through so much. I can cover the cost until she is set up."

Shiro squints his eyes.

"Is that so..." He looks back at Kakashi who shrugs and shoves his hands into his pockets looking away.

It was obvious Shiro was picking up on the tension between Kakashi and Konohamaru.

Shiro grabs the collar of his shirt, setting Konohamaru off.

"Hey let me go asshole!"

He pulls him in close.

"You're not going to be creepy about it, are you?"

Konohamaru gasps loudly.

"Creepy!? I'm not creepy!"

Shiro analyzes him closely for quite sometime before releasing him, and Konohamaru doesn't back down. He shoves Shiro away and straightens his shirt cursing under his breath.

"Alright, alright, let's all get along. No one is going to be a creep. I mean it's Hana we're talking about..." Naruto laughs. "Who would want to put themselves in a situation like that?"

You gasp loudly.

At that comment you storm towards your hokage eyes burning with rage. Just as you are about to lay into Naruto your brother slaps a hand over your mouth.

"Fuck off Shiro!." You growl into his hand. You're getting tired of being shut up so you bite into it hard. Shiro curses.

"Hana! That fucking hurts! Let go! Would someone get her something to eat before I lose an arm?"

Kakashi begins to laugh, fueling your rage. You let go of Shiro's hand and shove a fist into his stomach. He keels over laughing.

"God damn it girl...you need to learn some respect...that is your hokage!"

"At least she used her mouth first this time...." Kakashi states and comes to your side. He sweeps an arm around your neck right in front of everyone, making you freeze in place

"How about we head to my place and you whip up some of that saury I like. We can talk about our next training session."

Utterly embarrassed and frustrated, you scowl at everyone, remove Kakashi's arm off your shoulder, and storm towards the front door fingering them all. But not without thanking Naruto and Konohamaru for their hard work first.

"Thank you for fixing up my place! Although you can also go fuck yourselves!" You say and pout your way out the door slamming it behind you.

Through the door you can faintly hear Konohamaru scolding Naruto for being so harsh and getting back into it with your brother.

That is the last place you need to be right now, trying to defend yourself against your shockingly rude hokage, while Konohamaru offers you his life in exchange for nothing, and then there is the sarcastic brotherhood you're trying to ignore.

What in the world is going on these days?

You thought for sure things couldn't get any worse.

You sigh and look up at the cloudless sky. A small flock of geese fly by overhead and you can't help but wish your stone could provide you with the ability of flight. Then you could take off whenever you wanted and no one could do a damn thing about it.

Suddenly your phone beeps in your pocket. You pull it out and read the message on the lock screen.

Hana Hoki, deployed to the Land of Lightning. Mission class A. Debriefing Wednesday at 13:00HRS in the hokage-tei.

Great...just fucking great....

You pocket your phone and sink your head into your hands feeling very discouraged over this mission. Maybe this is just your intuition talking but you have a very bad feeling about it, like something terrible is going to happen...and that gut feeling is usually right....

————————————————

You had spent the evening at Kakashi's cooking your brother and him all the foods they love. Why you did this is beyond you as they haven't treated you all that well since you had left the lake. Yet you still provided them with a fantastic meal, dessert and music entertainment. Your brother was eager to hear you sing and coaxed you into it with little to no effort. On the plus side they did appreciate you for it and showed it in very sweet ways. Kakashi rubbed your feet while Shiro cleaned up the kitchen. Near the end of the night an odd feeling washed over you. Something you had only felt in small doses, very small doses. It was the feeling of belonging to a family, and as wild as they are you could almost picture you three being one, all you were missing was Maito Gai to balance out the weirdness in the room....at least you would have some back up with him around...

Once you had tucked yourself into Kakashi's bed enjoying the feel of his soft blankets, you decided to bring up his new relationship with Shiro.

"So you're best friends now?" You asked, sourly.

He looked at you and sighed, a small smile warming his face.

"Ahhhh, to be honest. We do have a lot in common and get along great, however, I have a plan for him and will execute that said plan despite him being a pretty cool guy...."

And there it was, the whole reasoning for his comradery. You don't even bother asking about his plan, he won't tell you anyways.

"Five steps ahead?" You replied, to which he confirmed with the same usual response.

"Always...."

Fast forward to your one o'clock debriefing at the hokage-tei. You sit quietly in front of Naruto and his council discussing the mission you will be deployed on tomorrow.

Naruto leans forward in his chair, looking as serious as ever with his hands clasped together resting on his orange colored desk.

"So, I would like to start off by thanking everyone in this room." He begins to name off all the ninja in the room including yourself, Shikamaru, Sakura, Kakashi, Konohamaru, and Shiro. "Thank you all for accepting this mission." He says.

Mumbles and nods circle the room before Naruto speaks again.

"Now, this has grown into something more than an A class mission. As the number of rogue ninja has almost doubled we are considering this a special class category."

Looks like your intuition was right...

"We have gotten word from our sources that the group is traveling south west towards the land of fire, recruiting ninja along the way. They want to gather enough for an army to overpower other lands and are in the process of conquering the land of frost." He slams a fist onto the table. "We can't let that happen."

Sakura comes forward with even more frightening information.

"There are a lot of younger shinobi in the land of frost that can be easily influenced."

Naruto nods.

"Correct, which means stopping them is our priority and we will do whatever it takes. So bring your onesies and snuggies, it's going to get real cold out there."

You scowl at him and sit quietly, listening to all of the banter between everyone. Then Naruto puts you on the spot.

"Is there a problem, Hana? You've got that look again." He asks in a condescending tone.

"What look?" You argue, taken back by his remark.

"That look you always have when you don't like the situation. So what is the problem now?"

Is he serious right now? What the hell is up his ass these days?.... and your temper starts to take control.

"What is my problem?"

"Yes."

"My problem is..." you stop yourself to look around at Shiro and Kakashi who are ready to intervene again. You stand in your seat slowly, but this time you hold everyone in their seats using a large amount of your stone energy. With one simple trigger the entire room is unable to move including your brother. Everyone sits stunned and paralyzed as you start his well earned reprimand.

"Naruto, I am going to say this once and you better get this through that thick pineapple head of yours. In this room, in front of these shinobi and kunoichi, you are my hokage." Your stone begins to glow brightly but you carry on. "Outside of this establishment you are my friend, albeit a really shitty one, but you are still a friend."

You lean over the desk bringing your face close to his. "If you cannot be respectful to me inside and outside of this establishment, I will resort to harassing you every minute of every day as I have just learned how to body flicker and I won't hesitate to use it in the worst way possible, so help me god!."

You reach a hand out to flick the metal plating on his head band.

"Do you understand?" You ask.

Naruto blinks twice, his face turning white, and in a whisper he replies.

"Y-yeah...sorry."

You sit back down and release everyone. They breathe out a long sigh in relief before settling back down. You can't help but feel Kakashi's eyes on you and hear a faint chuckle from him. Yet you ignore him, too pissed off to care what anyone is thinking about your outburst.

Naruto clears his throat and shifts uncomfortably under your stern gaze. You lean back in your chair, wave your hand for him to proceed and cross your arms.

"Alright...uhhh...I'm going to have Kakashi lead this one as he is the senior here and is more than able to lead a team of this caliber. Second in command is Sakura, she will be the platoon medic as well as communication between the lead and the rest of the team. Shikamaru is on stealth tactics and strategies, Konohamaru you will be on watch duty as well as flank defense. I want Shiro and Hana to be first in line for attack. We are here for a quick mission, in and out. Keep it simple, keep it safe....any questions?"

Konohamaru steps forward.

"Do we know of their abilities?"

Naruto shakes his head.

"Anyone who has come within direct contact has either died, is being held captive, or has joined forces. We are going based on rumors and wide ranged observations."

You shake your head.

"How was this ever an A class mission?"

"Since we have not only you but Shiro with us for the time being, this mission is presumably a piece of cake. However, things have changed drastically in the last twenty four hours as their latest attempts for recruitment have been extremely successful." Naruto explains.

"Why not send the black ops with us then?" You argue.

"We have no proof that these ninja are anything special."

"But what if they are?"

"Then I guess we will be ready. This group I have put together practically outdoes any black ops out there, especially with you two on board. Don't worry, it will go smoothly. Kakashi will make sure of it." Naruto nods his head towards Kakashi, who acknowledges his confidence.

You chew your lip lost in deep thought, thinking of all the possibilities that could go wrong. What if he is underestimating these rogue ninja? What if they are more powerful than expected?

Yet everyone in the room seems so confident and eager to get out there and fight. Your stomach is turning over this. Then you feel a large hand rest on your shoulder and that lovely smell brings you back to reality.

Kakashi stands to your right looking down at you.

"You ok?" He asks.

You then realize the room has cleared aside from Naruto and Kakashi. Who look very concerned.

"It's going to be ok, Hana." Naruto assures. "A quick in and out."

"I...just have this bad feeling." You reply and look up at Naruto.

"I used to get nervous just before a mission...it will get easier." He smiles wide and gives you a thumbs up.

But all you can do is look away. This is the last thing you want to be doing.

"Come on, let's go for a walk." Kakashi says and offers his hand to you. You look up at him feeling comfort in his sympathetic smile and take his hand.

You rise out of your chair.

"Pack light ok?. I'll make sure your house is back to normal by the time your mission is over." Naruto says.

That has got you wondering how long this mission will actually take.

"When are we expected back?"

He shrugs.

"A week or so. Depending on how things go."

"But...I'm supposed to be moving out of my place in a week."

"Kakashi will fill you in on all of that. Safe travels, Hana." Naruto salutes you.

You thank Naruto and whisper to Kakashi.

"You told Naruto I'm moving in?"

"Shhhh..." He glances behind his shoulder as you both make it through the door. "Let's talk about it when we're outside. There's too many ears in this building."

"Oh..ok."

He leads you outside of the hokage administration building and into the gardens. You follow him through the winding stone pathways until he stops in a park area where he has you sit down on a wooden bench. You slump down onto it, rest your wrists on your knees and subconsciously tap your fingers together nervously. Kakashi watches you closely, you can feel his stormy eyes on you analyzing your mood.

"I hope this doesn't upset you, as it can come across as a little invasive. But, I took it upon myself to have a conversation with your landlord."

You blow out a frustrated breath.

"She has agreed to let you stay another few months until you find another place."

He pauses to let that sink in.

Confused, you just have to ask.

"And how the hell did you pull that off? Or do I even want to know?" You raise your brows.

He nudges you.

"Hey! I know what you're trying to say. There is only one person who I use my super good looks on and that person is you."

You can't help but laugh at that remark.

"Works every time..."

He chuckles.

"Yeah it does. Anyways, you have a few months now. I was getting the feeling you needed more time to figure shit out."

You nudge him back.

"Thanks, Kakashi."

"Anything for you...Now about this mission...I also know what you're thinking. And every good ninja should think exactly the way you are right now. Running through possible scenarios is a sign of intellect, someone who knows strategy and prepares for the worst. I myself think there may be more to this group of rogue ninjas than we have been told. Something just doesn't sit right."

That gets your mind spiraling in other possibilities. Like maybe you are being lead astray here in hidden leaf.

"I know Naruto hates me...but..."

Kakashi bursts out laughing.

"Hates you? That's not true!."

You scowl.

"Have you heard the shit he says to me or about me?"

"Ahhh yeah, he is one who speaks his mind. He likes you or he wouldn't have helped you out at all."

"So he's just socially awkward or something?"

Kakashi laughs.

"Extremely. It's so bad sometimes I even feel embarrassed for him. I don't doubt that your words to him today will change his behavior. I don't think he knew he was acting like that. And good for you for using your words instead of your fists."

You huff out a breath.

"Oh shut up."

He chuckles then grows silent for a few minutes.

"Look...Whatever happens from this point on is going to be a fucking mess. But...after this mission is over I'm going to end it all so you can get back to living a normal life. No more fighting for something you don't believe in, no more skimming by on nothing. I will make sure you have everything you want or need."

His words strike a chord in your heart. You try desperately not to ruin this moment with tears. If this man ever asks you to marry him you won't hesitate to do it. You would carry his children if he asked you to.

"You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, Kakashi."

He sweeps a hand through your hair letting his fingers drift down your back.

"I sure am.....Let's get through this next week. I'm eager to actually take you out on a date and not just to my bedroom for chimichangas."

That pulls a small laugh from you.

"I do enjoy bedtime chimichangas though..."

He smiles looking up at the sky.

"Yeah you do..."

You join him, looking over the scenery for a few minutes, noticing the warmer style of clothing everyone is wearing these days. And here you are heading deep into the depths of winter.

"It's getting warm out." Kakashi states. "Summer is almost here...I love summer."

"Summer reminds me of the jungle...and back home...." You reply feeling nostalgic.

He looks at you bearing a cheeky grin.

"It's bikini weather." And winks.

You roll your eyes and shove him gently.

"You're bad..."

"Bad to the bone...we will go shopping when we get back."

"Pshhhh...."

At that he stands and offers you his hand.

"Come kitten, we have a lot of packing to do for this mission. I'd like to get a head start on it."

"Oh alright."

You link your arm with his and walk beside him as he begins to describe the many outfits he wants to dress you in....

—————————————————

Mission day 1

You're late...very late...you had spent the night at Kakashi's binge watching a very action packed television series that got you all worked up and unable to sleep. Why Kakashi let you sleep in was beyond you, he knew you still had to stop by your house for a few things before meeting up with him and the rest of the group.

You were to meet at hidden leaf bridge at sunrise, so the text message stated. Now here you are rushing through the streets in a panic all because you couldn't decide on pants or shorts. The end result of your indecisive stupidity was having forgotten to put any pants or shorts on at all, but only because you had done a load of laundry and put it all in the dryer. While you waited for your clothes you lost track of time then in a panic you grabbed your stuff and left. Thank god you wore a cheongsam long enough to cover your goods coming down to your upper thigh level. You're such an idiot sometimes ....so you keep telling yourself.

The rest of your attire was black, stretchy, tight and filled with weapons of all kinds. Infact, if someone were to bump into you by accident they would probably get stabbed by a Kunai or dagger. Ok maybe you went a little overboard on weaponry, but you were sure, as you tucked them into every possible place that didn't cause you harm, each piece had its purpose.

In all honesty you looked like a girl who brought her entire armory with her on date night.... Baka...

Finally you scale the lengthy hill leading up to the bridge to find your friends grouped together patiently waiting for your slow ass to make an appearance. As you approach your fellow ninja, Sakura covers her mouth with her hand analyzing your entire outfit from the toes up. Meanwhile half the boys are falling apart...you knew this wasn't going to be good. You knew you weren't dressed appropriately.....again...

You slow your pace, noticing how Konohamaru and Shikamaru's eyes are wide and locked onto the shake in your breasts as you run. Kakashi and Shiro, are unaware of your presence at this time, reading from a book Shiro is sharing with him, most likely another Icha Icha special. The minute Kakashi looks up at you his expression freezes in place. Shiro drops his book to the ground and Shikamaru whistles very loudly.

Shyly you stride up to your comrades feeling very out of place.

You clear your throat and swallow back some nerves before greeting them.

"Uh...hey."

Sakura looks at the boys and begins to giggle, making things much worse.

"Good morning Hana!" She says. "I have to say...I wish I looked that good this early in the morning. What do you guys think?"

She nudges Kakashi who is still not able to move. You flush with embarrassment.

"Ahh...yeah...I woke up late and didn't have much time...I forgot the whole pants thing, but on the plus side I was still able to equip all of my weapons."

Shiro bursts out laughing and picks up his book.

"Fuck Neko, you're supposed to blend in, not be the damn target.... But hey I guess we could always use you as bait, am I right Kakashi?" He elbows him quite hard, knocking him out of his daze.

He blinks twice and glances at Shiro. Then his stunned expression turns into a dark disapproval.

"No, she will be wearing pants as I have brought an extra pair just in case."

"Hey now, I think she looks like a beautiful assassin ready to steal someone's heart." Konohamaru says as sweetly as can be. That causes Shiro to laugh even harder.

"Are you kidding me? Seriously...haha...you're going to make me puke."

Shikamaru smiles deviously and approaches you staring at your breasts noticing the tiny handle of a Switchblade nestled in between the cut out section of the dress.

"You got weapons in all the right places Huh?" Finally his eyes meet yours and he winks.

You glare at him. Just before you can slap him in the face with a witty response Kakashi grabs him by the back of his shirt and tosses him to the ground effortlessly. He tumbles to a stop and looks up at him in shock.

"Respect! Shikamaru. You are not the single man you wish you were."

Kakashi then hands you a pair of black pants.

"Clothes on now!"

"Yes sir.."

You take the pants shamefully and try to explain.

"I had a rough morning...sorry sensei."

"I bet..." He replies then turns around motioning for everyone to do the same.

You whip on the pants as fast as you can, securing the drawstring and tapering the shin area with your thigh high socks. Although this outfit is hotter and heavier, it is much more appropriate.

"Ok I'm dressed appropriately."

Kakashi's shoulders relax and his daddy attitude instantly disappears.

"Alright, we have a few things to discuss before we leave." Kakashi gets right down to business, most likely to avoid any more conversation around you forgetting pants this morning.

"We are headed to the Land of Lightning. My old stomping grounds so to speak. I know the roads well. I also know the terrain and predators we may encounter along the way. So listen closely, follow my orders and we won't have too many problems." He pauses for a moment to let that sink in with everyone before continuing on.

"I have been doing my own little investigation on this group of rogue ninja. My sources tell me they are pushing twenty members, and each has a decent level of training. The majority being chunin. There are four jonin in the group we need to take out first as they will be our hardest targets. I was told those jonin are from the land of earth and have advanced jutsu. We need to be careful and execute them with precision. Stealth will be on our side, now that Hana is dressed appropriately that is..." He smirks at you, making your cheeks burn.

You roll your eyes in response and look away while everyone laughs.

"Our targets are now in the land of frost but are caught up at the border. I am hoping we can intercept them in the Shimogakure valley just before Shimogakure village. We will blend into the snow as much as possible. Has everyone brought their white ninja Gi?". Everyone nods, including yourself. Although you had to borrow one from Ino, you're still not sure how it will fit. Winter attire is not something you have ever had to buy.

"Good. We will stay in allied villages along the way but will camp out if necessary. Any questions?"

Konohamaru speaks up.

"Yeah. What is holding them up at the border?"

"Good question. I believe it is the strength of the frost-nin. They are some of the strongest in the lands. I think they may have run into some trouble. However, that is just one theory. The other theory is they are bargaining with Shimogakure and it is taking longer than expected."

"Looks like time isn't on our side right now. We should get going." Shiro says and throws his pack over his shoulder.

"No it is not. Alright everyone, let's head out. We can talk more along the way."

Everyone picks up their packs except for you. Kakashi had taken over packing your bag as you had no idea what to bring for trekking through snow and cold weather. It is just not something you have ever had to worry about in the land of wind. He hands over the pack and you are surprised at how light it is. Then you sense eyes on you, Konohamaru's in fact, watching you two questionably.

"I packed you some warmer clothes." He says ignoring those suspicious eyes.

"Thanks sensei."

"I don't know what you would do without me." He says jokingly.

You giggle.

"Me either."

"Kakashi! Come walk with me! Let's chat!" Shiro calls.

Kakashi waves his hand to give him a moment.

"Hana, are you ok?"

You furrow your brows, unsure of why he would ask that. Ok maybe you are a little off the last few days but that is reasonable considering your entire world has been falling apart.

"Yeah...I'm ok. Why?"

"You weren't yesterday. I need your mind on the target not running through possible scenarios right now, ok? By now you should have a solution for everything and be feeling confident in your abilities."

Shamefully you reply.

"My abilities could kill us all. So...I'm doing the best I can and trying to keep a level head."

"I know you are. I just asked because I need you to be open about how you're feeling so I can help you through it. This isn't going to be easy, but we are all here for you. If you feel like your stone is getting the best of you I want you to come get me right away."

You nod, feeling a slight bit of relief but also feeling like the problem in the group.

"Hey! Let's go!" Shikamaru shouts.

Kakashi turns back towards them.

"We will catch up to you guys." And he waves them away. Konohamaru scowls but the rest of the group shrugs and begins their journey. You brace yourself for some type of lecture.

Kakashi brings his attention back to you and places both hands on your shoulders looking into your eyes. Quietly he says.

"No pants huh?...That outfit is going to drive me crazy you know....near the top of my list of things I want to dress you in...not fair..."

Your cheeks flush, and here you thought he was going to get into a more serious talk with you.

"Sorry about the pants." You reply snickering.

"No you're not. You did that on purpose. Now I have to fight off a hard on while leading a group on an S class mission." He grins.

"Well...maybe I can sneak into your room later and give you a hand ." You reply and notice his own cheeks pink up.

"Nah, I'm sneaking through your window this time." He replies equally and comes to your side wrapping an arm around your shoulders. "Let's get going, kitten. It's going to be a long journey."

You sigh.

"Very long....you know I could probably fit in your pack if you want to carry me."

He laughs.

"Not a chance.....well maybe....I'm sure if you pout those beautiful lips of yours I won't be able to say no...."

And you can't help but tease him.

"Sucker...."

"You shush..."

As you and Kakashi catch up to the group you notice your brother tormenting Konohamaru again and so does Kakashi.

"This is a tough group." Kakashi states.

"Tough is an understatement. You're lucky you're not me." You reply honestly.

Kakashi lowers his arm to his side as you get closer.

"Yeah...I'm thankful your brother is keeping an eye on Konohamaru."

You're not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing, but what you are sure about is how awkward this trip is going to be with the love triangle you're stuck in the middle of.

"When did he decide that?" You ask.

"After he offered you a place to stay without rent." Kakashi says bitterly.

You hum in response thinking about that offer.

"Are you going to take him up on it?" Kakashi asks.

You shake your head.

"It is really nice of him, but I feel like he would harass me a lot...or steal my underwear..."

"Yeah...harassing you and stealing your underwear is my job...."

You snicker back at him. "Yes it is."

"I have to say, I am extremely relieved to hear that...however, it's not just Konohamaru who has their eyes on you. Your brother seems to have some weird thing for you too. Come to think of it, everyone has their eyes on you..." He blows out a long breath. "I really have my work cut out for me."

You sigh as well.

"I am sorry about that."

"Hey, don't be sorry for being ridiculously hot. It's not your fault. I just hope I can keep up with the younger men hounding you."

Listening to Kakashi talk openly about his insecurities was astonishing. He has always seemed overly confident and egotistical. Maybe he is feeling more vulnerable now after giving you his clan name.

"You say men...and all I see are boys. They couldn't handle me like you do."

"No they couldn't. You would literally eat them, especially if you're hungry..."

You nudge him playfully.

"Oh probably..."

You both laugh at each other as you join the group who are bickering amongst themselves about how annoying Konohamaru was as a kid.

"Yeah Kono! You kept harassing Naruto to be your sensei." Sakura laughs.

"I remember that, and I heard you mastered his sexy jutsu, can I see it?" Shikamaru asks Konohamaru.

"I know what that is!" Shiro shouts.

"You do?" Sakura asks very curiously.

"Sure do! Kakashi used it on me during our spar. Worked like a charm. He makes a pretty hot lady."

Everyone bursts out laughing.

"I'm a silver fox in every shape and form." Kakashi says brushing a hand through his hair.

"Right, I bet my sexy jutsu out does yours any day." Konohamaru replies sourly.

Kakashi rolls his eyes and diverts the conversation to the rest of the group.

"We should all have a contest sometime and see. Whoever gets the most nosebleeds from the audience wins."

Sakura laughs at the boy's ridiculous ideas and hangs back a bit to chat with you.

"So, back with Kakashi hey?" She asks in a way that is both suspicious but respectful.

"Yeah. It all worked out in the end." You reply, glancing at her. She raises a brow.

"I think it's a perfect student-teacher match to be honest. You test his patience, which he could definitely use more of. And he seems to be able to tame that beast inside you somehow."

You laugh.

"Yeah we are the perfect pair."

She blows out a breath as you two walk side by side looking over the forest trees.

"Things got really bad for awhile there hey?"

You look over to her and feel your eyes begin to water as you remember everything that has happened since you arrived here.

"Yeah...yeah it did."

She smiles at you sympathetically.

"Well...stay close to Kakashi, no matter what, ok? He will keep you safe. He will make sure everything is alright. It's what he's always done for us."

You wipe a reluctant tear from your cheek and reply.

"That's the plan."

"Good...And for god sake would you suck it up and come see me at the hospital when you're injured?"

You laugh.

"My stone can hea...."

"I know! But still, I can ease the pain so you don't have to suffer through it."

Thankful to have such a good friend you wrap an arm around her waist and hug her tightly .

"I'm so glad I have a friend like you. Thank you."

She does the same.

"Me too."

Then Konohamaru sneaks up beside you and quickly ruins the sentimental moment.

"So uhhh, Hana...." He says shyly scratching the back of his head and looking at the ground blushing profusely. "Would you wanna go out again sometime?"

You look at Sakura who is cringing.

"I ummm...."

Thankfully your brother interferes.

"Not a chance! My sister doesn't date anyone without my permission, and I don't think you're a good match for her, so beat it!" Shiro says.

Konohamaru scowls at your brother then looks to you for help.

"Hana?"

And you can't bring yourself to say no...again.

"Sure, maybe Shikamaru and Udon can come with us again. That was super fun!"

He smiles, although hesitantly, and agrees.

"Yeah, sure, let's do that. As long as I'm spending time with you I'm happy."

"Great! When we get back, let's go do something fun." You reply.

Shiro eyes you up suspiciously.

"Cool." Konohamaru says.

"Alright, both of you go away, I need to have a chat with my sister." Shiro says, shooing them with his hand.

"No you don't!" You argue.

"Yes I do!" He persists and pushes his way between you and Sakura. He is being so awkward neither Konohamaru or Sakura want to even bother with him so they join the rest of the crowd up ahead while your brother pulls on your arm to slow your pace.

"That guy won't leave you alone hey?" He whispers.

You huff at him.

"He's a nice guy Shiro, and has helped me out a lot."

"In what way?" He asks even more suspiciously.

"Not in the way you're thinking. He's my friend".

Shiro bursts out laughing.

"Noooo, that man is no friend . He is in love with you. If you want me to get rid of him I will."

And you start to grow impatient with all of this. It feels like everyone has been at your throat lately making your chest throb in pain.

"Stop it! He's fine, I'm fine! I got it handled."

"Pssshhh, right.... How many other guys are on your heels?"

You glare back at him and he matches you equally.

"I have no men at my heels , Shiro. Stop worrying so much. Gods! I made it this far haven't I?" You pick up your pace trying to leave him behind but he grabs you by the wrist and pulls you back.

"That is not true. Remember who has been watching your back for the last two years. You wouldn't be alive right now if not for me."

"Two years?!" You gasp.

Shiro begins to choke, his face turning red.

"Well...yeah...."

"Let me get this straight, you have been watching over me for two years and I had no idea you were even alive? Do you know how awful that is?"

Shiro curses himself under his breath.

You stop walking all together, unable to comprehend that he has been there through so much suffering, watched it all, and has never come forward to comfort you the way you needed. You have been so alone for so long....

"It was the second worst thing I have ever done and I'm sorry."

"You're right...you've done far worse than that...."

"I'm sorry for that too."

Before your heated conversation can get any hotter, Kakashi intervenes.

"I know you two have a lot of catching up to do but now is not the time." He points to your brother.

"Shiro, I will make sure to set aside some time for you and Hana. But for now we have a mission to focus on." He points to Konohamaru. "And you , this is not a place to pick up women, so put your date game on the back burner until the mission is over! Everyone else, drop the personal shit we have more concerning problems at hand."

This is the worst mission ever. You cross your arms over yourself feeling very stupid right now.

Kakashi seems to notice your dissatisfaction.

"Hana, come walk beside me from now on."

You hustle over to Kakashi, very relieved at your way out of this conversation. Yes, this is a tough group and it is only going to get worse from here....

———————————————-

Twelve hours later....

You are sitting alone on a dock in Tanzaku Town, watching the stars sparkle over the ocean. You had just finished dinner and asked to take some time for yourself to reflect on things. It has been years since you have seen an ocean. You had almost forgotten what it was like. The salty air, the sound of the waves crashing against the shore. Now that your fear of water is gone you find yourself around it more often than not. Funny how that worked out...Then a voice interrupts you.

"Hey, Neko. Can we talk?" Your brother asks, as he settles down beside you looking out over the landscape.

You sigh as you have no choice in the matter. He has already taken a place beside you and won't leave you alone until he has said his piece. It is just the way he is.

"I guess..."

He looks at you with a shameful expression.

"Thanks...." Then he takes a deep breath in.

"You know I'm not all that great with words and emotions. So if I'm being a dick just stop me, ok?"

You chuckle at that.

"No problem."

"Didn't think there would be...." He clears his throat. "You know...I wish I could go back in time and change everything. Dammit.....I lost the only thing I have ever cared about. I should have listened to you. I should have followed through with our plan to run away, to leave it all behind. Instead I let him get in my head...I let him take over."

You sit silently listening to the replay of your past trauma. Trying not to picture the worst parts.

"I hate the stone we have, I hate how we are used for it. I hate how we are feared for it and worst of all, I hate what it has done to us. It has destroyed us in so many ways it's almost unbearable to think about."

Those are thoughts you have repeated many many times before. Yet it sounds so unfamiliar coming from your brother.

"I thought you loved the power, the feeling of superiority. You always wanted to be better than everyone else."

He laughs and shakes his head.

"You got it all wrong, Neko...I just wanted to keep you safe. I had to be better than everyone else. If the others knew about your Kekkei Genkai, they would have killed you before you could get control. I needed to be strong for you."

You replay all the times he outmatched you in spars. All the times he overpowered you, and here you thought he belittled you for personal gain. But instead, he was protecting you.

"I lost myself so many years ago, after what Temujin did I wasn't able to find my way back. Not until he was dead."

You look over to your brother who sits resting a hand on his knee, eyes glossy and sparkling in the reflection of the crescent moon.

"What did he do to you?" You ask.

He sighs heavily.

"After we made that pact to leave the clan and start our own lives, I found out Temujin can track us easily using our stones...so...I tried to remove it. Which almost cost me my life. My cohort took over my body. It was Temujin who saved me at that time, but it didn't come without a cost. He had used powerful jutsu to control my mind and my cohort. Then he repaired the damage done to my body. Although, that didn't come without its own cost either."

"What do you mean?"

"I cracked part of my stone in the whole process which makes the connection to my cohort unstable, unless I use chakra to strengthen the channel. By the time the incident happened I was using jutsu daily so chakra balance came easy. But maintaining the connection was difficult." He explains.

You think on that for a minute. There was a time when you had thought about removing the stone yourself. But couldn't bring yourself to take a knife to your chest. Now you are thankful you didn't make the attempt.

"So what happens if you run out of chakra?"

"Well...my cohort and I will die."

Those words hits you hard. Here you are sitting with someone you had loved so much, who is hanging on by a thread every single minute of everyday. You could lose him at any moment....

"So chakra is keeping you alive right now?"

"Yeah. I have studied jutsu for a long time now, and have mastered some techniques. So...as for not being there for you, I wasn't for quite some time until I came to my senses and got my mind right. After that I had to figure out how to keep myself alive and get my strength back. That was my priority. But it was all so I could get back to you and keep you safe..just like I've always done."

You can't believe what you're hearing. How blind could you have been? How selfish are you? You have spent the last six years blaming your brother for abandoning you when none of it was his fault. In fact everything he has ever done was for you.

And as you think about all of the reasons you should hate yourself he says something that shocks you.

"I have always loved you. It took me a while to realize that, but when I saw you in that sage colored sundress at the fair, your hair brushed out and curled from being in a braid for so long." He closes his eyes, picturing it deeply. "You looked at me with those big cat-eyes and smiled so beautifully. I knew right then how badly I had fallen for you. I have never gotten that image out of my head and I honestly don't want to."

He leaves you speechless, unable to say anything back as the tears stream down your cheeks.

"And look at you now...even more beautiful than before....it's mind blowing actually. Kakashi is the luckiest man in the world." He says looking up at the sky.

There was a point in your life where you had similar thoughts. Maybe not to his extreme but you did think of having a life with him. Hell, it was you who had devised the plan to run away together in the first place. But now things are different. Now you two are barely friends, only recently have you accepted him back into your life. And although he has similarities to who he was before, he has changed so much over the years and so have you. Nothing is the same anymore.

And he just has to ask you.

"Have you ever thought we could have been something?"

You sweep small strands of hair from your face. Ones that have stuck to your cheeks from your tears while you think of the right words to say.

"Once yes, but that was a long time ago. We have both changed so much and I'm in love with someone."

He blows out a shaky breath and begins to fiddle with a strap on his boot.

"Yeah...I actually like him too. He's good for you, and surprisingly you listen to him when he says no."

You manage to laugh a little.

"He is the only one who can stop me when I lose control."

"Ahhh...about that. We need to talk about your cohort."

"What about him?"

He huffs.

"Well first of all, it is a she not a he ."

Your eyes widen.

"No way! How do you know?"

"Yes way! All cohorts must be the same sex as their host. The cross between male and female would never work as the connections are different. So it is a she and you should address her as so."

Well don't you feel stupid ....

"Damn...this whole time..." you whisper.

Shiro chuckles.

"Also, Kakashi has it right with what you need to do to gain control. Except for one thing."

"What's that?" You ask, looking over at him.

"Does he know about the visions?"

You shake your head.

"Not really."

"Maybe that is for the best as it is hard to explain to someone who has never experienced it. The visions are the catalyst for the connection. Can you tell me what you see?"

You think hard on it and begin to explain.

"I always appear in the jungle, before a small pool of crystal clear water. Across from me is my cohort. She watches me, and gives me power when I need it."

Shiro stops you there.

"No, she doesn't give you any power. What she is doing is connecting with the stone. I'll explain the process. It is not you or the animal that chooses each other, the stone chooses for you. Once chosen it establishes a connection with the minds of the two hosts. Every time the stone is triggered by one or the other, the last vision you have had of each other passes through the connection. In your mind's eye you meet and make contact. Your cohort uses your connection more often than you realize. And when she gets the chance she will try to take over to obtain dominance in both worlds. You were paired with one of the most challenging and most dangerous cohort instincts out there. She will try to take you over, and if she does you may never come back."

That explains how easily it is to lose control. Your cohort must know more about your connection than you do. Fearfully you ask.

"What happens to my mind if she takes over?"

Shiro looks you in the eyes.

"You will be lost in your vision forever. Your body will take the form of your cohort and you will become that panther."

You hum nervously holding yourself.

"But I won't let that happen and neither will Kakashi." He states. "Chakra will balance out your Kekkei Genkai and create peace between you and your cohort. Picture it this way." He holds up his arms parallel to each other. "This arm." He shakes his left arm. "Represents the stone energy. And this one." He shakes the right. "Represents chakra. As you can see right now they are aligned. But once the stone is triggered, a current of energy passes through setting off your vibration. It begins to waver just like electricity. That vibration, uncontrolled, can cause you harm in many ways. That is why we tap into the chakra to stabilize the vibration as each are polar opposites. One grounds you, the other gives you power. Just like with electricity you need to be grounded. Chakra will do that for you. However, you have a natural power surge that happens when your Kekkei Genkai thinks you're being attacked. It multiplies the strength in both chakra and stone depending on which is triggered first. Almost like an over reactive immune system. Your energy surges and you lose control almost instantly. Kakashi has figured it all out. He is the first one outside of our clan to do so, he is a fucking genius."

You smile at that.

"He sure is."

"For someone to know nothing of what a gelel stone is or how it is used. He has figured it out in a matter of weeks with little experimentation. I'm actually star struck by him. I may outdo him in strength but he is at a whole other level for strategy, intellect, and skill. I would never win a fight against him...there aren't many ninja in this world that could beat him."

You smile wide, picturing how perfect your ninja is.

"I know that already."

"I'm actually jealous. I wish I had a sensei like you do."

You laugh.

"He's the best...really..."

"He is. Still not as good as you, though." He nudges you playfully.

You nudge him back and rest your head on his shoulder.

"You're one of a kind, sis." He says.

"No...I'm just like the rest of you idiots. Don't kid yourself." You reply.

He laughs and ruffles your hair.

You rise off him and fix your hair. Then a thought crosses your mind as you think back on how you had both gotten to this moment. Sitting on a dock watching the ocean lick the shores while resolving your childhood problems. But there is still one problem you haven't addressed, and depending on his answer, it could destroy any trust he has just built with you over the last two days. You are too easily influenced these days...

"Shiro?"

"Yeah?"

"What is your connection with the Land of Lightning and Arufa?"

He sighs hard and leans his elbows over his knees entangling his hands into his hair.

"Temujin sold me to the Land of Iron. Arufa and the Land of iron taught me jutsu and chakra control. They saved my life."

You scowl.

"So what does all that have to do with me? Why drag me into your mess?"

"I was supposed to bring you back with me...Arufa is mad over you. obsessed even.."

That reminds you of Arufa's marriage proposal.

"I'm not marrying that asshole."

"Yeah...About that...it was the only way to get you back by my side again."

"That's a pretty shitty way to do it!" You snap.

He blows out a breath.

"Ahhhh....yeah...I was desperate...ok?"

You shake your head.

"So now what's the plan now? Are you going to try and follow through with it?"

He looks over to you.

"I don't know. Everything's changed now and I don't know what the hell to do."

"Don't do anything... stay here with us."

He shakes his head.

"They will come for you...and me."

You growl angrily.

"Then let them come, we will kick their asses and send them right back to that shit hole they came from."

"No Neko, it's not that easy. There's politics behind it. They have the ability to cut off major resources to the land of fire. The land of lightning supplies this continent with ninety percent of its electricity. As for the land of iron? Their name says it all. They would also go to war over us."

You lie down on the old wooden dock feeling defeated. Shiro watches you for a moment before joining you.

"Who would have thought we could cause such a rift in the world...this is so fucked to..." You reply.

He huffs at you.

"You're kidding right? We have always caused waves. There are very few of us out there."

Stunned by that comment you turn your head to look at him.

"What do you mean very few ?"

He pauses for quite some time before answering you.

"Shiro..." you press him further for an answer.

He sighs and finally replies.

"Tori is alive...."

Your eyes widen in shock. You sit up and hover over your brother making him look at you. He can't be serious.

"Are you sure?"

He tucks a strand of hair behind your ear, eyes fluttering about your facial features.

"Very sure. We fought each other in the land of claw."

You lower your head to his chest clutching onto his shirt feeling all sorts of mixed emotions.

"Is she...the same?"

He rests his hand on the back of your head petting you gently.

"No, she's not well...and won't let me get close enough to help her. Her cohort has taken over half her mind. She's...gone crazy."

You breath out a shaky breath.

"Without guidance or training at such a young age she lost control. She recognized me and knows who I am to her, but she is out of her mind.... I retreated from our fight. If I didn't I would have had to kill her. She's not that cute little girl we used to know."

"Fuck." You curse and rise up off his chest. "I have to go get her."

"I know you do...but we have a game to play out first. Once this shit is settled we will go get her and bring her back. I promise you that."

Your mind spirals around everything, how in the hell are you supposed to figure all this out? It's almost impossible.

"I feel hopeless..." you reply sadly. "I feel like there is just so much weighing down on us...how are we supposed to fix this?"

Shiro sits up and pulls you in for a heavy hug.

"We need help...we can't do this alone...But with the right help we may have a chance at beating this."

You pull away from him.

"Look at you all grown up. That whole fuck the world mentally is completely gone now, hey?."

He grins wide and sticks his tongue out at you.

"That has never gotten us anywhere good...Let's see what that boyfriend of yours can come up with."

You reach out your hand for a fist bump.

"Deal."

He bumps you back.

"We will sleep on it tonight and talk with him about it after the mission."

"Alright." You reply.

Yet you are still doubtful that either of you can get out of this in one piece. You push it aside for the time being and try to spark up more positive conversations with your brother. Despite your dark pasts, you both did have some good times together, so you spend the next hour retelling all of the hilarious things you two have done together to keep your minds off the problems...

—————————————————

Midnight in Tanzaku Town.

You had finally gotten settled into bed although not without pacing the room for an hour reviewing all of the information your brother had told you. There is a small part that tugs at your conscience, telling you he may be lying about it all. But the way he spoke, the watering eyes, and how sincere he was tugs at the more trusting part of your conscience. You come to the conclusion that Shiro is telling the truth, and that you should trust him....for now at least.

You pull the covers up over your chest, and turn out the light. You stare up at the dark ceiling thinking of what chaos tomorrow brings. God knows how awful it has been already with Kono hounding you and Shiro on the defense about everything. Then you hear a faint shuffle in the darkness. The floor boards to your left creak and you have a sudden realization that you aren't alone in the room. You quietly try to reach for the lamp to bring light back into the room and pause at a shadow darting by the foot of your bed. Your stone begins to glow under your blankets, instinctively charging up for a fight. Then you feel movement on the mattress to your left.

You lift the sheets off your stone to expose the shadow now at your bedside. The outline of a man appears. Quickly you snatch up a Kunai from under your pillow, leap out of bed and take him down with little effort. He hits the ground with a thud and you jump on top of him. You hold your blade it at his throat, stone glowing brightly revealing his face to you.

"Ah...jeez Hana! What's got you so worked up?" Kakashi says, pinned to the ground raising his hands in the air.

Your eyes widen and you puff out a breath you've been holding. You throw your Kunai to the side and sit down in his lap confused and shaken. He grunts at the pressure on his crotch and rises up onto his elbows looking at you strangely.

"You didn't know it was me?" He asks, completely taken back.

You shake your head. No you did not know it was him, which is disturbing all on its own. You have been so worked up about everything you couldn't even tell who it was sneaking into your room and it's not like you weren't expecting him. Lost so deep down your rabbit hole of childhood trauma you had forgotten Kakashi's plan to sneak into your room. You hadn't even noticed your open window or his lovely scent filling the air.

You clutch onto his shirt with both hands and pull him into your body hard. You wrap your arms around his neck, nearly choking him trying to calm yourself.

"Woah, woah. What's gotten into you? You're shaking!" He curls his thick arms around you, coaxing you back to a normal state of mind. "I'm sorry I scared you. I thought for sure you would have known it was me...I mean...I did say I was going to sneak in and you are a kunoichi and all."

You bury your face into the crook of his neck. Feeling embarrassed over it.

"I knoooow." You whine into his shoulder.

"What's wrong, kitten?"

You push yourself upright and sit back in his lap. His hands drift down your sides stopping at your hips where he squeezes, holding you in place.

"I'm having a hard time processing everything Shiro has told me." You reply just as your stone's glow fades away leaving you two in the dark.

He sighs and curses him.

"Let's get you into bed." Then picks you up and lays you down on the sheets but not without bumping his shin on the bed frame. "Shit...can't see a fucking thing." He complains and feels around for the lamp closest to him.

He flicks on the light and looks down at you sprawled out on the bed in just a white t-shirt. Desperate for his affection you reach out to him with both hands and beg for him to cuddle you.

"I need hugs and pets." You pout overly dramatic and he melts all over your puckered lips.

"Would that calm you down?." He asks running his hands over your knees and down your thighs.

You nod and bite your lip just aching for his comfort. You watch him remove his shirt and pants and you scoot over to let him tuck in beside you, but barely give him time to get settled in before you curl up into his chest purring.

He laughs softly and kisses the top of your head.

"Feel better now?"

"Mmhmm...much better."

"Good. Do you want to talk?"

In all honesty you are tired. It has been a long day of traveling and you've done enough talking. Nestled into his arms with his delicious smell floating around you, all your worries seem to wash away. You had also agreed with Shiro not to talk about this until after the mission.

"Not really. It's late and I'm tired. I'm trying to focus on the mission. Now that you're here I feel a lot better."

He hums nervously.

"You sure?"

"Very sure."

He breathes out a long breath.

"Alright, but I'm taking you aside tomorrow to talk about a few things. I'm worried about you. You haven't been quite yourself since your brother showed up."

And you can't argue with that. It's true, you haven't been yourself lately.

"Alright."

You lift his hand off your hip and drag it up and down your back. He looks at you questionably.

"Pets please." You demand.

He rolls his eyes.

"Yes, your highness." And he begins his gentle perfected touches. The ones that put you to sleep instantly.