A pair of lips whispered "Hello...Orochipedo". The man glared and crossed his arms over his chest, pouting. "I've told you countless times, don't call me that" he hissed. "Why not? You lusted after and snared the young Uchiha after many failed attempts with others" she replied. He huffed but said nothing.

She groaned as she sat up, turning her body to stretch her tense muscles. "You're going to feel unwell for the next several days as your body and chakra get used to you being alive again".

"Wonderful" she said sarcastically. "Why didn't you let me stay dead? I said a grand speech and everything! According to logic, once one says a grand speech they die and stay dead!" Kay said while pulling her legs off the table to dangle them off the sides as she sat up.

"Madara Uchiha" Orochimaru said. Kay glared and suppressed her vocal tic. "It seems your dying by his hand has stirred up the criminal underworld. I, for one, couldn't believe that you had died, much less that the great Madara Uchiha is not only alive, but putting a plan in motion". Kay glared as she remembered the battle.

"Nevertheless, you need to recuperate. Kabuto!" he called, snapping his fingers. Kabuto appeared at Kay's side and gently manoeuvred her into his arms. He smiled at her but she turned her head away. He scowled as she rejected him. "Take her to her room and make sure she has all she needs". "Yes my Lord" came his reply and he began walking out of the room.

After laying her on her bed and fetching the books and scrolls she demanded, Kabuto stood at the foot of the bed with his head slightly bowed. His eyes wandered over her toned legs and he felt a stirring in his pants. "Is there anything else you need?" he asked. "No. Get out weirdo!" She said before burying her nose in a book. She didn't look up as she heard the door close.

Weeks passed as Kay recuperated and trained. She researched everything she could find on Madara Uchiha which was more myth than truth. Putting down yet another scroll extolling his virtues, she pinched the bridge of her nose. "You need to get out" hissed Orochimaru from her door. "I have a mission for you. Scroll delivery". Kay sighed and got up, reaching for the scroll. "Yeah I'll do it. If only to get away from your creepy as hell assistant".

She packed some essentials in a small pouch and attached it to the belt that already held her weapons pouch. How she missed her backpack!

Strolling down the corridor, a young man bumped into her. She stopped and turned to the man saying "you should apologize". "Hn" he said dismissively. Kay quickly grabbed the side of his head and slammed it into the corridor wall, a small crater forming at the impact point. "Did you forget your words?" She asked. The kid struggled against her grip, growling "unhand me!"  "Nope, not gonna happen. You need to learn to listen to your elders and your betters" she said calmly.

The kid wrenched himself out of her grip and turned to face her, blood dripping down the left side of his face. He dropped into a fighting stance with one hand on his katana. "Are you actually going to fight or hide behind your Sharingan?" Kay asked. Sasuke looked uncertain for a moment as he looked at her but then his eyes narrowed and he growled out "I've beaten stronger shinobi than you! You don't seem like much of a threat".

Kay furrowed her brows as her mouth turned into a sneer. "You don't even know me, boy. And I wouldn't boast about a battle you won when you were twelve...against another twelve year old. You haven't won many since which leads me to conclude that you are the weakest Uchiha to have been born". Sasuke activated his Sharingan but before he could use it, Kay had landed a hard blow to his abdomen, doubling the teenager over.

"For you, Itachi ended the clan and watched his best friend commit suicide. He had hoped you would grow stronger and bring honour to the Uchiha name. Instead he's forced to live in exile and watch you flounder without your precious sensei and teammates. You aren't worthy of the Uchiha name" she finished, kicking the teen to the side and continuing down the corridor and out of the base.

She breathed in the fresh air and stretched. She performed hand signs and a small red dragon appeared in her palm. "Hey Chotto! Yeah, I'm back!" She laughed as the dragon slithered up her arm, across her shoulder and around her neck where it buried its face in her hair, chittering happily. She smiled as she pet him before heading in the direction of the rendezvous point.

Shinju ran through the dense underbrush as she made her way to the exchange point. She was glad to have finally been given a mission without Hidan and Kakuzu; it seems the leader was beginning to trust her. And she needed a break as Hidan was becoming a little clingy and she still hated Kakuzu.

She arrived at the meeting point and looked around, trying to pick up on any chakra signatures. There were none. She settled herself against a rock and closed her eyes, prepared to wait.

"Alright, lets see...if this is north, then west...is in this general direction" Kay muttered as she leapt from rock to rock. The Land of Earth was a depressing place that was mostly barren rock with a stubborn tree or shrub here and there. "Small wonder the folks from Iwa are crazy, living in a place like this" she said, kicking a small rock and sending it flying over a small cliff.

Shinju's eyes opened as a small stone bounced off the top of her head. She rubbed the sore spot as she stood up and walked a little ways back so she could see the cliff top. A figure was kneeling at the edge. She couldn't make out any features as the sun was behind the figure thus blinding her.

"You have the scroll?" Shinju asked. "Which scroll? I have many" came the laughing reply. She narrowed her eyes and dropped into a battle stance. "Oh? You want to fight?" "No, but I don't have time for your games!" She yelled.

The figure jumped down and landed softly in front of Shinju. Her eyes widened in shock as she took in the woman's features. "Too bad you won't play. My games tend to be fun...kiddo" the woman smirked and rested her hands on her hips.