Naruto 1. Chapter 1: Forbidden Secrets

Forbidden Secrets

The small girl knelt anxiously by the door, awaiting her father's return. She had done it, she was sure of it, she had figured out the theory behind that jutsu that her father was so interested in. Areina had watched as her father spent hours writing down formulas only to shred every scroll of notes and storm out. She was always afraid that he would never come back, so Areina had decided to pick up the scraps and tried her own hand at figuring out the jutsu. The only problem with that idea had been that she was only a five year old girl who didn't know a thing about jutsus, chakra, or anything about being a ninja. So she had had to teach herself by reading through her father's many scrolls since her father certainly wasn't going to teach her. But now all of her hard work had paid off and she was able to figure out the riddle of some jutsu known as Crystal Release.

Footsteps started coming down the hall to the apartment. Areina perked up, was her father finally home? No, it couldn't be him, it sounded like four people walking and her father never brought people back home with him. The steps stopped outside of the door and keys rattled. _This is wrong_ Areina thought. Terrified, she darted from the door and ran into her father's bedroom, hiding under the bed. _Oh no! I didn't grab the scroll!_ Areina had had the scroll containing her formula for Crystal Release beside her on the floor as she was waiting for her father. Before she could make a move to get it, she heard the distinctive creak of the door opening.

"Doesn't she usually wait for you Orochimaru?" asked a female voice.

"Yeah, you're always griping about how you are always a step away from tripping over her," chuckled a deeper, more masculine voice.

"Now, now Tsunade, Jiraiya leave him alone. I'm sure that the girl does exist and that she's just hiding." The third voice sounded older than the others and obviously belonged to someone with authority since the other two voices were reduced into low mutters. _Wait, Tsunade? Jiraiya? Older man? Could this be dad's team?_ Areina's father often spoke of his team, Team Hiruzen. Then she heard her father's quiet rasp.

"I suspect that she is hiding as well, Sensei," he said, "She's not used to strangers. Just give me a second, I'm sure I can find her."

"Ha! Orochimaru, the great prodigy unable to find a little girl, I'd like to see that. Want to bet a kiss on whether or not he can find her Tsunade?" _Smack _"Ouch!"

"Quiet you two, you're probably scaring the poor thing even more." Areina heard everyone in the entrance quiet down and then her father's quiet step, followed by a _crunch_ that was earsplitting in the sudden silence. _He found the scroll. I'm so dead!_

"What's this?" Areina trembled when she heard her father's voice. She wasn't supposed to touch any of her father's scrolls or research. Whimpering in fear, she shuffled deeper under the bed, pulling one of the many blankets on the floor over her head. Meanwhile, in the entrance hall Orochimaru was staring at the slightly crushed scroll in amazement. "Th-th-this is impossible," he whispered, golden eyes widening in amazement. A small whimper emitting from his bedroom got the Sannin's head to snap up. Eyes narrowed, he stalked over to the bedroom, knowing exactly where his daughter was hiding. Due to the girl's fear of thunderstorms and frequent nightmares he had had to create a 'safe zone' under his bed for her to hide in so that she wouldn't try to crawl into the bed with him. Orochimaru shuddered slightly, remembering the first and only time that she had tried to seek comfort from him in the night. He had almost killed her, his sleep-fogged mind mistaking Areina for an enemy Nin. Pushing open the door to his room Orochimaru crouched down and searched under his bed for the tell-tale lump that was his daughter. One lump toward the head of the bed caught his eye. When poked, the lump squeaked and tried to retreat from his reaching fingers. Grabbing the blanket, Orochimaru pulled it away from his trembling daughter and scooped her out from under the bed and into his arms.

Forget-me-not blue stared into gold for a second before purple lids covered the girl's snake-like eyes as she fainted. Orochimaru sighed and shifted the girl in his arms, noticing her bleeding lip. _She's bitten herself again._ The girl's fangs had just developed and so far Orochimaru had been unsuccessful in breaking her of the nervous habit of biting her lip when scared or anxious. This had resulted in a recent spate of self-poisonings since along with his snake-like markings and pallid skin, the girl had also inherited his venomous fangs. Sighing again, he gently placed Areina on his bed and reached into his pouch where he kept several vials of antidote. After injecting one of these vials into her arm, he picked up the sleeping child and walked out to where his team and sensei were waiting. Orochimaru smirked slightly watching Tsunade and Jiraiya's heads bob up and down as they looked between the girl's face and his own. He knew that they had never believed him when he said that he had a daughter, after all, who would be crazy enough to love the Snake Sannin? His smirk faded however, when he noticed his sensei pouring over the scroll that he had stepped on. The Sandaime's eyes were wide and when he noticed that Orochimaru had rejoined the group his eyes went straight to the small child in his student's arms.

"Did she write this Orochimaru?" he asked, gesturing to the scroll.

"I believe so Sensei, however I haven't yet had the chance to ask her since she has fainted from fright" Orochimaru replied coolly, adjusting the girl in his arms so that her head was securely nestled against his chest.

"Well I'd faint too if I had you for a father" chuckled Jiraiya as he dodged another blow from Tsunade. Areina stirred slightly at his words, her eyelids fluttering to give a brief glimpse of blue underneath. Suddenly, her eyes flew open as she wriggled from her father's grasp and ran towards the safety of Orochimaru's room. But she had barely gone two steps before she felt her father's cold fingers on the nape of her neck, paralyzing her instantly. Areina knew better than to try to run when he gripped her like that. He guided her in front of himself and kneeling, placed both pale hands on her quaking shoulder, squeezing slightly in reassurance.

"Hiruzen-Sensei, Tsunade, Jiraiya, this is my daughter Areina. As you can see she is very much alive and certainly very real." Areina looked up at the three people in front of her, noticing that the old man in the red and white robe had her scroll loosely gripped in his thin fingers. The old man noticed where her eyes were focused and smiled slightly, crouching down to her level to look straight into her gentle blue eyes.

"Did you write this Areina-chan?" he asked with a smile. Almost immediately her eyes began to water and she started talking so fast that her words seemed to run each other over.

"I'm so s-s-sorry. I know I'm not supposed to touch Daddy's scrolls but he was always so mad about the c-c-c-crystal jutsus and he was never home and I just wanted him to be home so he could p-p-play with me. S-s-so I tried to figure it out myself but I didn't understand anything so I read all of his scrolls even though I wasn't supposed to touch any of them and then I think I was able to figure the jutsu out but Daddy hasn't been home so I was going to show him today but I got frightened and hid and and and, why is everyone laughing? It's not funny!" she stomped her foot irritated as she watched the white haired man and blond woman double up in laughter and the old man kneeling in front of her chuckle quietly. Looking behind her, Areina saw that her father's mouth was gaping open and closed like a fish as he stared at her. His hands had slipped from her shoulders about halfway through her confession and now he just knelt there, gaping, wondering how his daughter, his FIVE YEAR OLD daughter had managed to teach herself jutsu theory on her own and figure out a jutsu that had been eluding his understanding since before she was born. He was snapped out of his reverie when said daughter threw herself into his arms and started sobbing her heart out. Orochimaru stroked her hair and made soothing noises until she started to pull away, her pale face even paler from the fear of the punishment that she thought she was in for.

"Well then," he said, watching her flinch at his voice, "if you've been reading and understanding my scrolls enough to solve the mystery of the Crystal Release, can you perform any of the jutsus you've read about?" Areina's eye's widened at this and she looked shocked at the fact that he wasn't yelling at her as she had obviously expected him to do.

"I d-d-don't know. I've never tried any of the jutsus. I read that it's dangerous to use too much chakra and I've never had any training in chakra control and" suddenly her father's fingers were on her lips, preventing another rambling session.

"Well you're with me right now and Tsunade is an excellent medical Nin who can help you if anything goes wrong. Why don't you try a simple transformation jutsu?" Areina just stared at her father. Did he really just tell her to attempt one of the jutsus that she had read about? Wasn't she supposed to wait until she started going to school to learn how to perform jutsus?

"Just try it little one," said the old man, who was clearly her father's sensei, the Hokage. Well, if the Hokage said that she should try, then try she would. Taking a deep breath, Areina formed the signs for a transformation, holding the image of the blond woman, Tsunade, in her mind. She didn't really feel like transforming into a boy. There was a puff of smoke and for about twenty seconds two Tsunades stared at one another before the other fainted and transformed back into a small child. Instantly the real Tsunade was beside Areina, checking her vitals to make sure that she hadn't used enough chakra to kill herself. Once she had assured herself that the child wasn't going to die, Tsunade looked up to see that Orochimaru was once again impersonating a fish.

"It seems that we have another child prodigy on our hands" she remarked, watching as Orochimaru's head snapped around so that he could glare at her.

"So what?" he hissed, eyes flashing, "She may have the skill to be able to instantly apply what she has learned but until she grows and has more chakra…"

"Maybe if you stopped giving her chakra suppressants she would actually be able to perform jutsus without fainting," Tsunade snapped back. She had sensed the drugs in the girl's system during her quick examination and had no patience for any of Orochimaru's excuses. He was suppressing his daughter's chakra and she was going to find out why.

"I have to! If I didn't she could seriously injure herself with her kekkei genkai while I was away from home and die." Orochimaru pressed his lips together and looked away after this outburst, silently cursing himself for losing control and revealing his secret.

"What kekkei genkai is this Orochimaru?" asked the former Hokage quietly, his keen eyes watching his student's every move. Orochimaru sighed and muttered something under his breath.

"Sorry Oro, what was that?" Jiraiya butted in.

"She's a Crystal Style user," muttered Orochimaru, looking down at his daughter with a furrowed brow. "That's why I've been trying to figure out everything that I can about Crystal Style jutsus so that I can help her when she's older. With her mother dead and anyone from _that_ clan being killed on sight I have to do everything possible to prevent others from finding her. I was only planning on using drugs to suppress her chakra until I found a seal that would only prevent her from using her kekkei genkai."

"You mean," gasped Jiraiya, "You married a woman of the Akiraka Clan? Anyone from outside of that clan is supposed to be avoided by members. You lucky snake! How the hell did you manage to seduce someone from that clan?"

"Well, Areina's mother and I were never actually married, at least not officially. And luckily for me, she was a bit of a rebel." Orochimaru smirked as he said this, remembering Akiraka Kokoro, the fiery rebel of her clan. She had refused to stay away from "that dangerous intruder" and followed Orochimaru everywhere as he explored the Akiraka clan's hideout. He had gone there on a diplomatic mission but his reception by the clan had been, well, unfriendly to say the least. The clan leader, Tōketsu, had been rude and tried everything in his power to make Orochimaru's stay unpleasant. When Kokoro assigned herself as his personal pest and shadow, the other clan members became a little more receptive to what he had to stay but still held themselves aloof. Kokoro had followed him everywhere, constantly pestering him with questions about what life was like in Konoha, why he looked like a snake, who his team was, the list went on and on for miles. He had tolerated her attention until it started causing problems with Tōketsu. Apparently the clan leader didn't approve of his _daughter_ hanging around with the snake-man of Konoha when she was _supposed_ to be preparing for her marriage to a third cousin who had shown great skill with the clan's crystal kekkei genkai. Kokoro hated her proposed fiancé and snuck out of the hideout to follow Orochimaru when he left. She followed Orochimaru for several weeks before he finally confronted her, where she _convinced _him to keep her with him. Orochimaru stayed with Kokoro through her entire pregnancy and could only watch as a mysterious disease slowly took her away from him. Thankfully, Areina had survived and had become a small light in his otherwise dark life, not that he would admit that to anyone.

"Earth to Oro, anyone home?" The sudden voice jerked Orochimaru from his memories, bringing the faces of his team into focus, with the smell of Jiraiya's unpleasant breath suddenly a lot sharper than was comfortable. Before he could say anything to get his teammate to back off however, a small voice rose up from the figure nestled in his arms.

"Am I in trouble Papa?"

"No little one, you don't have to be afraid of that. I'm actually very proud of you." Orochimaru gently ran his fingers along the girl's sides, tickling her and causing the child to wriggle out of his grasp and bump right into Jiraiya who had been leaning over the pair of them. The girl gasped and rolled away, getting up and starting to run for the safety of her room but was stopped when Hiruzen picked her up. The man may have been the retired Sandaime and Orochimaru's sensei but as soon as he saw the other man pick up his daughter all of Orochimaru's instincts screamed at him to attack the man. Seemingly oblivious to his student's discomfort, Hiruzen stared down at the child in his arms, thinking hard. Having someone with the Akiraka Clan's kekkei genkai could be to great advantage to the village, but it could also bring great danger if bounty hunters came after her. As the daughter of a Sannin and the heir to an almost destroyed clan, Areina would be sure to have a high price on her head. There was only one sure way to protect both the village and the child; she would have to disappear and never learn how to use her clan's kekkei genkai.

"Orochimaru, we're going to see the Yondaime."


	2. Chapter 2: Root

Root

Areina sat outside of the Hokage's office, listening to the muffled shouts coming from inside. Her father, the Third, and the Fourth had been arguing for hours, leaving her outside to await her fate. Now she was cold, hungry, tired, and above all confused. Why did she have to come to the Hokage's office if she wasn't in trouble? What was making her father so angry if he only professed feelings of pride for what she had accomplished? The sudden opening of the office door interrupted her thoughts.

"Areina-chan, could you come in please?" It was the voice of the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato also known as the Yellow Flash. Areina had heard countless stories about him from her father, but had never imagined that she would get to meet the man herself. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, Areina crept into the office, her eyes finding her father's distinct figure, looking for comfort. But no comfort was to found in her father at this time. Orochimaru's face was livid, his normally golden eyes dark with anger. Areina couldn't stop herself from flinching when she met his gaze. _What happened to make Father so mad?_ She was once again pulled from her thoughts by the Fourth.

"So this is the girl?" he asked, peering at the child over his clenched hands.

"Yes this is the girl," answered Hiruzen, gently nudging Areina closer to the desk. Orochimaru let out an angry hiss and stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind him.

"P-papa? Papa don't leave me here!" As Areina tried to run after her father her path was blocked by the Hokage. "No! Let go of me. Papa help me! Please someone help!" She was screaming at the top of her tiny lungs, praying that her father would come back and save her. But he never came back. Areina felt a sudden jolt of pain on the nape of her neck and then everything went black.

Minato looked down at the limp figure in his arms, her purple markings bright against her pallid face. _Is this truly the only way to save this child?_ _Will she ever be able to forgive us for the pain that we are about to put her through?_ He gently lowered the girl to the floor, brushing back her ebony hair to reveal the seal on her neck, the seal that would hopefully prevent her from ever using her kekkei genkai. A knock on the office door caused him to shift the girl's hair back over the mark and straighten up. "Enter" he called.

The Fourth couldn't quite hide a shiver of disgust as the devil incarnate himself walked into the office. Danzō looked at the small figure behind the Hokage and smiled, "So this is the girl who is to be my newest recruit huh?" Both Hiruzen and Minato merely nodded, too ashamed of themselves to speak. They were handing over a mere five-year-old to Danzō, dooming her to whatever hell his Root ANBU existed in. Danzō's grin widened as he stepped closer to his new charge, but he was stopped by Hiruzen.

"Listen here Danzō, there are some, special conditions with this one."

"Oh? And what would those be?" Danzō hissed, disliking the idea of being limited in how he could use what was obviously Orochimaru's brat.

"She's only yours for the next seven years for starters," stated Minato as he lifted Areina from the floor.

"She'll be transferred into the Hokage's personal unit at the end of the seven year period."

"The girl is not to be sent on any long-term missions outside of the Land of Fire."

"She will NOT be given your curse seal."

"And finally," said Minato, placing the child in Danzō's arms with no small reluctance, "She is never to be used for experimentation of any kind. Do you understand?" Danzō glanced up into Minato's shimmering blue eyes.

"But of course Hokage-sama, Hiruzen-san." With one final smirk Danzō tightened his grip on his new prize and teleported the pair of them to Root Headquarters.

* * *

Areina woke up with a groan. Looking around she saw that she was on a tiny futon in a small dark room. When she twisted her head to look around a sharp pain flared at the base of her neck. Hissing in pain, Areina rubbed the offending spot. Groaning, she shakily got to her feet and reached for the door. Just as her fingers scraped the door handle it jerked open, depositing Areina at someone's feet. That someone roughly grabbed her by the hair and threw Areina back onto the futon.

"Trying to escape are we? I wouldn't try it girl, you belong to me now." Areina stared in horror at the man in the doorway. His right eye was completely covered by bandages and a scar in the shape of an X covered his chin.

"W-who are you and what do you mean, 'belong' to you?" she shouted, "Where am I?"

"Cocky little thing aren't you? I am Shimura Danzō your new master and the commander of Root. You are at Root Headquarters now, your new home by the command of the Fourth Hokage." Areina didn't like the way Danzō smiled when he called himself her 'master.' He started to walk into the room, causing Areina to scramble back into a corner.

"Stay away! My father will find me! He'll save me and kill you!" Oh how she wished she sounded more confident as she said that.

"Find you? Save you and kill me? Child your father _abandoned_ you. He asked the Hokage to give you that pretty little seal on your neck and left. What kind of father does that to his own child? As for him finding this place he already knows where it is my dear. Orochimaru was one of my best Root Nin. His only mistake was bringing you to the village."

"You're lying!" Why was she crying? She shouldn't be crying, she had to stay tough and get out of there. Sobbing, Areina shot from the corner and slipped past Danzō, thankful that she had always been a bit small and skinny for her age; at least, according to her father she was. _Father..._She had to find him, she had to get out of there. Areina rounded a corner and saw a door, _the exit_! Putting on another burst of speed, she ran out the door and into the dark streets of Konoha.

Running through the street, Areina dodged around ninja and jumped over carts, trying not to think of the man who was likely not too far behind her. Suddenly, a loud roar was heard throughout the village. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up in horror at the monster that was attacking the village. The huge creature swung one of its many tails down into the street, smashing both stalls and houses alike and spraying jagged splinters of wood, metal, and glass everywhere. One of these pieces of shrapnel flew straight at Areina, puncturing her stomach and knocking her under one of the bushes that lined the road. Blackness reached for her with cold fingers, silently carrying Areina into the void.

* * *

Orochimaru stalked the streets of Konoha, looking for survivors among the many dead from the Kyuubi attack. No one knew what had brought this catastrophe on the village but rumor had it that the beast was being controlled by the Sharingan. But why would the Uchihas do such a thing? They had lost just as many as everyone else. Nothing made sense anymore. Happiness didn't exist anymore. He hadn't felt this lost and alone since he lost Kokoro and now he had lost the only memento he had of his lover, his daughter.

Lost in his memories, Orochimaru almost tripped over a pair of legs sticking out of a bush on the side of the road. Very gently, he pulled the small figure out from under the bush. Orochimaru was used to war, he was used to the death and the horrific injuries that it caused. Or so he thought but when Orochimaru saw his daughter's tiny body impaled on a giant shard of glass he instantly tasted bile in the back of his throat. This wasn't supposed to happen! Areina was supposed to be safely ensconced within the Foundation. Hiruzen-Sensei had _promised_ that conditions would be laid out so that she would be safe. How had she gotten out?

As he knelt there holding his daughter, the rest of Team Hiruzen rounded the corner. Both Tsunade and Jiraiya stopped in shock at the sight. Their teammate, already bloodied and dusty from giving aid around the village, was kneeling in a pool of blood that was growing steadily lighter from the river of tears that streamed from the Sannin's golden eyes. Eyes following the unexpected tears, the duos gaze fell upon the broken girl in their comrade's arms. Tsunade couldn't stop a gasp from escaping at the sight, this was just like Nawaki's death. She began to hyperventilate. _Blood. Death. Pain._ Jiraiya's hand on Tsunade's shoulder snapped her out of her nightmares.

"The child might still be alive. Go see what you can do," he whispered, giving Tsunade a shove in the direction of the small family. She knelt beside Orochimaru and placed a hand on his shoulder. The snake-like nin turned his head in her direction, but Tsunade knew that he wasn't really seeing her, his eyes were too clouded by grief to see anything but his daughter.

"Here, let me help," she whispered. Orochimaru stared blankly at her for a moment before shifting the girl in his arms so that Tsunade could evaluate her. She placed two fingers along the child's pale neck, praying that she was still alive. Tsunade didn't like to think about what would happen if her teammate lost the only family that he had left. _There! Was that, a pulse?_ Tsunade shifted her fingers, wanting to make absolutely sure that she wasn't imagining things. "She's alive!" she whispered. Orochimaru's head snapped towards her, eyes narrowed.

"What was that?" he hissed. "Tsunade, if you are lying to me I swear…"

"She's alive, I can feel a pulse. Lay her down so I can extract that piece of shrapnel." Orochimaru gently laid Areina down, trying to prevent any further damage. He watched as Tsunade placed both hands on his daughter's lower stomach. "OK now slowly extract the shard while I heal the wound," Tsunade ordered, her hands beginning to glow a bright green with healing chakra. Orochimaru gripped the shard of glass that was impaling his daughter and with a deep breath to calm himself, began to slowly draw it out. Jiraiya watched as the pair worked, grimacing slightly when he saw the true size of the shrapnel that had impaled his friend's child. Tsunade finished healing the wound, sighing as she felt the permanent damage that this day would leave behind. A thin white scar now crossed the girl's pallid stomach as a constant reminder of the cruel fate that had befallen her. Tsunade looked up at Orochimaru, her brown eyes pensive.

"What is it?" he asked. Tsunade looked down at the child she had just healed.

"While the wound has been healed and her life is no longer in danger, there is some...permanent damage."

"As in?" Orochimaru's voice was surprisingly calm but a slight tick in his cheek gave away the turmoil inside.

"She...she can never have children. I'm sorry Orochimaru but there are some wounds even I cannot heal."

"Well, where she's going it doesn't matter whether or not the snakeling will ever bear young." All three Sannin turned to face the newcomer. As soon as they recognized Danzō they moved into a defensive formation; Orochimaru crouched in the back, ready to run with his daughter at a moment's notice. "Now now now, no need to get excited. I'm just here to reclaim what is mine. Give me the girl Orochimaru."

"What's_ his_? Areina? What is he talking about Oro?" Jiraiya looked between the two men, his boyish face furrowed with confusion.

"Both the late Yondaime and the Sandaime Hokages commanded that the girl be placed under my command in the Foundation," Danzō said with a smirk. "You three wouldn't want to disobey your friend and master now would you? What a shame, first the village is attacked by a horrible monster, then it loses its Hokage and now its famous Sannin are threatening to go rogue. My my, what shall we do?" Danzō just stood there, smiling, knowing that he had won when he saw Orochimaru begin to stand with the bloodstained girl in his arms.

"Orochimaru!" exclaimed Tsunade. "You're not actually going to give your daughter to him are you?"

"You heard what he said, it's the Hokage's orders." Orochimaru placed his daughter in Danzō's clutches, every instinct screaming at him to take the girl and run. He watched as Danzō left carrying the last piece of Orochimaru's heart. "Tsunade. Jiraiya."

"Yes Orochimaru?"

"Areina died of her wounds. We were too late to save her. Do you understand?"

"Yes Orochimaru," chorused Jiraiya and Tsunade. They looked at their teammate's stiff back with pity in their eyes. He had lost everyone that he had ever loved; an orphan at a young age, then a single father, now he was nothing. A child with no parents, a husband with no wife, a father with no daughter. Madness had taken root and Root had taken all love.


	3. Chapter 3: 6 Years Later

6 Years Later

The young kunoichi sped through the thick bamboo copse, twisting her body in impossible shapes to avoid the many kunai and shuriken flung at her. Landing in the middle of a small clearing, she spun in a circle, her own barrage of weapons flying out to stop the enemy's. Weapons soon littered the forest floor, replacing the soft bamboo leaves with a metal death-trap. Silence enveloped the clearing as the barrage of weapons suddenly stopped. The kunoichi crouched in a defensive position while drawing her tontō, holding the blade in front of her porcelain mask.

"Given up yet girly," taunted a voice from a particularly shady part of the bamboo copse.

"Not quite," came the monotone reply. Spinning to block the attack from behind, the kunoichi kicked away her attacker and raised her tontō for a killing blow. Another shinobi grabbed her wrist from behind only to crumple to the ground in pain when she bit the offending hand. The rest of the band of rogues paused in their attack, eyeing the bite victim who was writhing in obvious pain. The girl quickly ended his pain with a stab through the heart. She hated to watch her victims suffer the effects of her venom. Looking up, cold blue met several quivering pairs of brown.

"What the hell are you?!" gasped the leader of the rogues.

"Your death," she replied before her clones sliced the rogues' throats. With a heavy sigh she dismissed her clones before setting to the grim task of disposing of the bodies. She had been tracking them for the past three months, trying to figure out why they stayed around Konoha. It had turned out that the rogues had been hired to attempt to kidnap a Hyuuga by Kumogakure. This had changed her simple spy mission into an assassination mission. She _hated_ assassination missions. Something almost always went wrong and even when something didn't go wrong, Danzō still found something to punish her for.

The girl shuddered slightly at the thought. Danzō took a cruel pleasure in punishing her and was gifted in the art of finding an excuse to do something horrible. Lateness, unclean appearance, mistakes, failure to comply with requests, failure to follow orders to the letter, any little thing that wasn't up to Danzō's perfectionist standards made her subject to his sadistic mind. Shaking her head to clear away the unpleasant memories these thoughts left behind, the kunoichi went back to her task. Soon there wasn't any evidence of a fight; all the bodies had been disposed of and the scattered kunai and shuriken had been safely placed in a storage scroll. Even the marks and scratches on the surrounding bamboo had been healed. Nodding her head in satisfaction at her work, the young kunoichi sped off in the direction of Konoha. As nice as it was enjoy the freedom of a solo mission, it was time to return to her endless prison. The Foundation.

* * *

She knelt before Danzō, the torches on the walls casting shadows across her wolf mask.

"You say that you disposed of the rogues, but where is the proof of that?" The girl resisted the urge to flinch at his voice, her heart beating faster at the unhidden bloodlust in his eyes. _It must have been another disappointing day with the Small Council._ Danzō was always more dangerous when he faced disappointment, no matter how small the letdown had been. He was obviously extremely mad at something that had happened today.

"I have given you the scroll with their mission orders. Is that not proof enough Danzō-sama?"

"I don't need any of your sass girl! You were ordered to bring back their heads as proof. Where are their heads Wolf?" Wolf sighed and reached for the scroll that contained the grisly contents. She hissed in pain when she felt Danzō's strong grip on her wrist, his hot breath snaking down her neck. "Did I ask to see the heads my dear? No, now what exactly did I ask you?" He shook her slightly, twisting her wrist until it felt like it would snap. "Answer me girl!"

"You asked where the heads were Danzō-sama," she breathed.

"Yes, I asked _where_ the heads were, not _would you show them to me_. Do you understand what you have done wrong now?"

"Yes Danzō-sama." Wolf's head dropped in shame. How could she have been stupid enough to fall for this trick again? It was one of Danzō's favorites. Now she was really going to get it.

"Come with me," ordered Danzō as he dragged her to her feet, her wrist still in a painful hold. Wolf followed Danzō through the dark corridors of the Foundation, going deeper below ground with each step. Eventually they reached a hallway where the walls glistened with moisture and a slightly metallic scent permeated the air. They had reached Root's Torture Chambers. Danzō shoved Wolf in front of him, knowing that she knew exactly which of the many rooms he wanted her to enter. Wolf stalked towards the door at the end of the hall, her head held high in defiance. She was too deep now for any new rebellion to matter. "You know the drill girl," growled Danzō behind her.

The kunoichi removed her wolf mask, revealing her pale face. Despite her obvious youth, no baby fat remained in her face, revealing high cheekbones. But the most striking feature of the girl's face was her eyes. They were a bright forget-me-not blue with slit pupils like a snakes and dusky purple markings surrounded them, making the blue all the more startling against her pallor. But as the girl removed her shirt and turned her back to Danzō, her eyes lost their brightness and became dull, hiding any emotions that might betray her. She didn't have any memory of her life before Root, as far as she knew she had been born in Root. Emotions other that fear and anger were foreign things to her. She was a kunoichi of Root, a tool to be used to protect the village in its shadows. Yet she was a rebellious tool. Rumors circulated around Konoha about Danzō's 'Rabid Wolf' and his supposed problems subduing the spirit of one of his followers. But the rumors were far from the truth, she was no rabid wolf, she was a broken pup that would occasionally bite the hand of its master. Now it was time for her to once again learn the punishment for 'disobedience.'

Danzō stepped forward and swiftly chained the girls' arms so that she was held firmly in place. He eyed the scarred back in front of him, calculating the amount of stripes that she had earned. Wolf didn't even flinch when she felt the first strike of the whip. No sound left her lips, not even when the rhythm of the strokes were interrupted with harsh beatings or the burning pain of brandings. She was used to pain and was the hardest of Danzō's Root ANBU to break. All Root trainees had to go through interrogation training, where they were tortured until they broke and then continued to be tortured until they had built up a resistance to the pain. Most lasted a few weeks before breaking, with the occasional member being able to hold up for a couple of months. Not Wolf, she had taken two whole YEARS to break and another year to become completely impervious to any interrogation or torture technique that Danzō could think of. She was the perfect shinobi with her only flaw being her stubborn and rebellious nature. _She probably got that from her bastard sire, _Danzō thought. He studied his work, smiling sadistically at the girl's slumped figure, the chains on her wrists the only thing holding her thin body off the ground. Danzō snapped his fingers, releasing the chains that bound her. Wolf barely caught herself before she hit the ground, raising herself to her full, but small, height. Just as she steadied herself, Danzō tossed a bucket of liquid over her back, half-freezing her and knocking Wolf to the ground. She grimaced slightly as the mixture of lemon juice and salt water seeped into her wounds, cleaning them against any infection. Painful but effective.

"Get up and put this on, you have a new mission." She raised her hand and caught the thin red shirt that he had tossed at her. Wolf pulled the shirt over her head, ignoring the complaints of her body at every movement. "Follow me." The girl followed Danzō back up to the top level of Root, entering his barren office and once again taking up her kneeling position. "This is a mission within the village so you won't need that," he growled, gesturing towards the mask hanging from her belt. Wolf removed the mask and handed it over to Danzō, receiving a heavy box of files in return. "You are to take these to the Chief of the Konoha Military Police Force and you are to be as inconspicuous as possible." He sent a brief glare at the purple markings around her eyes. Taking the hint, Wolf slid a glowing finger over each eye, a new layer of skin forming to hide her most memorable feature. She also knew that being inconspicuous meant not letting anyone know about the fresh injuries on her back and sides. They had played this game before; having her complete a simple mission without anyone finding out that she was bleeding was one of Danzō's favorite ways to end their torture sessions. It was even more _fun_ when she was given a white shirt to wear. A red shirt meant that she had to go pretty far, but the Police Headquarters wasn't too far, so why had he give her a… "Oh and Wolf dear." She looked up at Danzō, meeting his dead eyes, "You are to deliver the files to the Chief at his house...In the center of the Uchiha Compound." Wolf's eyes widened slightly in horror. _The Uchiha Compound! That's so far away!_ Just getting to the Police Headquarters was stretching it but going all the way to the middle of the Uchiha Compound, impossible!

"As you command Danzō-sama," she said, head bowed in defeat. There was no way that she could talk her way out of the mission. She would just have to grit her teeth and do it. She was a full-fledged member of Root, not some crybaby trainee anymore. Picking up the heavy box, Wolf stumbled towards the exit, already light-headed from loss of blood. Once she exited Headquarters, the small girl began to pick up her pace and looked around, eyes once again showing life. She had always liked wandering the streets of Konoha, it was a chance to remind herself that there were people who were well, human, and not the monsters that she usually associated with within Root.

Dodging through the crowds, she abruptly fell forward when something smacked into the small of her back. Glancing in dismay at the papers scattered across the ground, she whipped around to see a small, cackling boy, about six years old, running towards a nearby alleyway in a flash of orange. Wolf sighed in relief when she saw that he was covered in red paint. _Good, that will make any blood that got onto him unnoticeable_. Gathering the scattered files back into the box, she got back on her feet and continued towards the distant compound, praying that she wouldn't faint before completing her mission.

Spots were beginning to cloud her vision and every step felt like lead. People in the streets were starting to give her worried looks, obviously concerned about her ever increasing pallor and wobbly steps. Putting on a fake smile to put passersby at ease, Wolf picked up her pace yet again, knowing that she had little time left to make it to the Uchiha Compound. The distinctive red and white fan finally swam before her eyes, telling Wolf that she was nearly at her destination. She had almost made it through the gates of the compound when someone suddenly appeared before her, once again knocking files flying.

"Oh no!" Wolf scrambled in the dirt, trying desperately to stuff all the files back into the box before whoever had knocked her over could read them.

"Where do you think you're going with that box girl?" asked the man in front of her, his very presence oozing unfriendliness.

"I'm to give these to the Chief of Police Uchiha-san," she stated politely, wishing that she could have worn her mask so that she had at least some authority. Without the mask she was nothing in this man's eyes.

"Why aren't you dropping those off at Police Headquarters then huh?" the man asked, obviously wanting to be rid of her as soon as possible.

"I'm sorry Uchiha-san but my orders are to give these to the Chief directly, at his house."

"The Chief is busy and doesn't want to be disturbed. Don't you know that today is his eldest son's birthday?" Wolf carefully picked up the box and started to try to walk around the defensive Uchiha, only to be knocked back on her face as someone rushed past her. She barely heard the young man's stuttered apology as blackness took her. She had lost the game.

The two Uchihas stared at the fainting child, surrounded by the files she had tried so hard to keep within the box she carried.

"In a rush Shisui?" asked the man who had been blocking Wolf's path.

"Y-yeah," stuttered Shisui, rubbing the back of his head. "I had forgotten to get Itachi a birthday present and had to run to get one. Didn't intend on knocking some kid out though," he added, looking down at said kid.

"Well, run on over to Fugaku-sama and see if he was expecting a package. I'll stand guard over the files."

"What about the girl?"

"I'll watch her too but I don't think she's going anywhere soon."

"But shouldn't we…"

"Get going Shisui!" Shisui shook his head at his clan mate's callousness and ran towards the center of the compound, where the clan leader had his house. Reaching the house, Shisui gave a slight bow at the sight of Uchiha Fugaku leaning against the doorway, obviously waiting for his eldest son to get back from training.

"Fugaku-sama, are you expecting a package of files today?" Fugaku looked down at Shisui, surprise briefly visible in his eyes.

"Yes in fact I was. What brings this up Shisui-san?"

"Well Kuromaru wasn't letting someone pass and they had a box of files that they said was for you." Shisui didn't quite feel up to mentioning that the person holding the package was an eleven-year-old girl quite yet.

"Oh? Well then, please tell Kuromaru that he can let this person pass," said Fugaku, raising an eyebrow at Shisui's fidgeting.

"I would but um...she um...I kinda um...knocked her out." Fugaku let out a low chuckle at this.

"Really? Just how fast were you running Shisui? Never mind that, let's go get that package." Both Uchihas had barely walked five steps when a small figure ran out of the house and latched itself onto Shisui's leg.

"Cousin Shisui! You're late!" the small boy pouted.

"I know, sorry about that Sasuke-kun" Shisui smiled while ruffling the boy's spiky black hair.

"You were supposed to help me surprise Nii-san!"

"Sorry Sasuke but I have something that I have to do now. Run along and play." The small boy looked between his father and Shisui, small brow furrowed in confusion.

"What do you have to do that's so important? It's Nii-san's birthday, we need to be ready to surprise him."

"Sasuke," Fugaku said, removing the boy from his cousin's leg, "I have some unexpected business to attend to. Run inside and go help your mother." Sasuke gave his father a clumsy salute and rushed back into the house, calling for his mother. Sighing, Fugaku turned and continued on the path towards the entrance to the compound. About halfway there they ran into a panicked Kuromaru.

"Kuromaru what…"

"You two had better come quickly, something's wrong with that girl!"

"Girl? What girl?"

"Hurry!" All three Uchihas rushed to the entrance, where Fugaku was shocked to see a small girl next to a large box of files. At first he thought that her shirt was overlarge but as he got closer he saw that the redness surrounding her was blood.

"What the hell happened here!" he roared, rounding on the two following him.

"I don't know Fugaku-sama!" wailed Kuromaru, "She was just fell over when Shisui bumped into her and a few minutes after he left to get you I noticed that she was bleeding." Shisui knelt by the small girl, trying to shift her shirt so that he could search for her wound. The thin shirt was so soaked in blood that it tore like tissue paper, revealing the horror that lay beneath. All three Uchihas couldn't hold in a gasp at the sight. The girl's back alternated between bruises, burns, and deep cuts in a complicated pattern. Any skin that was not injured was heavily scarred from previous injuries. Fugaku was the first one to snap back to his senses.

"We have to get her to the hospital. Shisui!"

"Yes sir?"

"Take the box back to my house. Kuromaru clean this place up." Fugaku bent down and scooped the girl's fragile body into his arms, noticing as he did so that she was a lot lighter than she should be. _The poor thing's probably been half-starved as well as nearly beaten to death_, he thought. Taking off at a trot, Fugaku ran towards the hospital, wondering how he was going to explain finding a half-dead child at the entrance to the compound to the Hokage. _What kind of game are you playing Danzō?_ He knew that the box was from Danzō so the girl was supposedly one of the mysterious trainees for Root. But why had Danzō sent a trainee that was obviously injured? Had she been attacked on her way to the compound? Somehow, Fugaku didn't that that was the answer. He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that told him that the girl had been sent out while injured on purpose. Leaving the girl in the eager hands of the hospital staff, Fugaku stalked over to the Hokage's office, his thoughts still swirling with possible scenarios. He was so distracted that he entered without knocking, startling Hiruzen, who had been looking out the window.

"Fugaku-san! What brings you here?"

"My apologies for barging in like this Hokage-sama but…"

"Is that _blood _on your sleeves?" Fugaku looked down at his arms. He hadn't even noticed that some of the girl's blood had soaked into his previously spotless uniform.

"That's actually what I'm here about Hokage-sama," he said, breaking his reverie. "An injured child appeared at the entrance to the compound. I just got back from dropping her off at the hospital."

"Please elaborate," sighed the Hokage as he took a seat behind his desk, hands clasped under his chin.

"I had been expecting a box of files from Danzō-sama…" Fugaku barely noticed the small flash of anger in the Hokage's eyes at the mention of the name. "But I had not warned today's lookout that I was expecting someone to come by. While the guard was questioning the messenger, another of my men, Shisui, knocked them over and they fell unconscious."

"And what does this have to do with the girl you found Fugaku-san."

"She is the messenger. You can imagine my shock when I came over to find an unconscious, bleeding _child_ next to the package."

"About how old is the, girl, did you say?" Fugaku looked up at the Hokage, frowning slightly. The old man's wrinkled brow was wrinkled even further in thought, his eyes not quite seeing the man in front of him.

"My guess would be about eleven sir." Hiruzen looked up sharply at this.

"Describe her."

"Hokage-sama?"

"Any distinguishing markings or features?" he pressed.

"Not that I could see. She was extremely pale, most likely from blood loss, and felt far too light."

"How pale would you say she was?" Fugaku stared at the Hokage. What was so important about what the poor girl looked like?

"Corpse pale I'd guess."

"Did you get a good look at her eyes? Did she have any marks on the back of her neck?" This jogged Fugaku's memory.

"Actually, she did have something on the back of her neck. When Shisui discovered her wounds, I saw a strange, almost flower-like pattern on the back of her neck." Hiruzen stood up at this and clapped his hands. Instantly an ANBU appeared before him.

"Bring me Shimura Danzō. I don't care if it hasn't been seven years yet, that man's gone too far!" The ANBU bowed and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Fugaku stared at the Hokage, he hadn't seen him this upset since the aftermath of the Kyuubi attack.

"Hokage-sama, if you don't mind me asking, what's going on? Who is that girl?" Hiruzen looked at him, his eyes sad.

"She's Danzō's best Root ANBU and it's time for her to join the regular forces."

"Wait, that _girl_ is Danzō's best? The Rabid Wolf? The fierce shinobi that everyone's been hearing about for the past three years? How can anyone have become an ANBU, even a Root ANBU at nine?"

"There have been plenty of young prodigies in the past," the Hokage shot back. That shut Fugaku up. "The girl was given to Danzō when she was five for training. That day was the biggest mistake of my life, I can see that now. Now," he turned away from Fugaku, deep in thought, "Where to put her while she heals and adjusts to normal civilization?"

"She can stay with my family." Fugaku didn't know what made him say it, but the words just kept on coming. "My eldest is her age and I have yet to meet a single person that can resist the charm of my youngest. Also, my wife has always wanted a daughter, the girl would be most welcome."

"The girl doesn't need an adoptive family Fugaku-san, she's not an orphan."

"Then why aren't you giving her back to her family? Why was she taken from them in the first place?" The Hokage looked up at Fugaku, trying to see how much he could trust the man with.

"The girl is…special. Her mother's clan is all but extinct, she may be the last one left. And her father is an extremely busy man. He thought that she might be in danger so we decided that she should remain hidden for a while."

"And you thought that the _Foundation_ was the place to hide her?"

"She was only supposed to receive training and go on the occasional mission. It was never supposed to get this out of hand." Hiruzen heaved a tired sigh and sat back down. "Who knows what kind of emotional scars her experience has left her with. Normally I would accept your offer to take her in Fugaku but she might be unstable and…"

"Who better to bring her back than a family?" interrupted Fugaku. "What better way to get rid of bad memories than by spending time with someone her own age?" The Hokage looked up and smiled.

"You make a strong case, but don't forget, she's still going to be an ANBU. She'll still have missions and other duties to attend to once she's recovered from her wounds. The physical ones at least."

"I understand that Hokage-sama but she'll still have some free time won't she? Even if it's only for a few hours in between missions she still deserves to have somewhere to return to where there are people who can look after her. Someone has to be there to make sure that she gets back to a healthy weight." Fugaku smiled slightly, thinking of how his wife, Mikoto, fussed over their sons, always begging them to eat more so that they would grow up strong.

"Mikoto would probably have her back on her feet in record time wouldn't she?" asked the Hokage, seeming to read his mind. "Very well Fugaku-san, you win. Return here at noon at the end of the week, the girl will be ready by then."

"Arigato Hokage-sama." Fugaku bowed and was just about to leave when a thought struck him. "Hokage-sama..."

"Hm?"

"What is the girl's name?"

"You will have to ask her that. I fear that she might have lost all memory of her life before Root and won't remember her name. Remembering will be a part of her recovery."

"What are we to call her then? I can't go around just calling her 'girl' all the time."

"Call her...Rei."

"Rei?"

"Yes, Rei."

Fugaku returned home in a daze, still unable to comprehend what he had just done. Why had he offered to take the young ANBU in? Was it because he couldn't stand the idea of another prodigy existing who wasn't his child? No, Fugaku shook his head, there had just been something about that girl that screamed abandoned. He wondered who her parents were. _An important shinobi who was always busy_. The only shinobi who matched that description, other than himself, were the Hokage, the other Clan Heads, and the Sannin. The Hokage didn't fit, his children were all grown up and most of the Clan Heads had children around Sasuke's age, all much younger than Rei. As for the Legendary Sannin, the only one who had even been rumored to have a child was Orochimaru and she had been killed during the Kyuubi attack. But, Fugaku stopped at the entrance to the Uchiha Compound, the "death" of a child during a disaster was the perfect way for them to disappear.

Fugaku was taken from his thoughts by the approach of his eldest son. Itachi had obviously just gotten back from the training grounds as he was covered in dirt and sweat. He stopped when he saw his father, obviously not expecting to run into him outside of the compound. He raised a brow at his father, eyes trained on the blood still staining Fugaku's sleeves.

"Training go well Itachi?" asked Fugaku, not quite ready to explain himself just yet. He would prefer to wait until tomorrow, when everyone had calmed down.

"Hn," was the only answer he got. Itachi stalked past, keeping one eye on his father, still waiting for an explanation. Fugaku sighed and followed his son. Now was not the time to worry about injured ANBU nor about how his family would take the news. It was his eldest son's eleventh birthday, a day for celebration. The end of the week would be the start of a new chapter in the head family's life and that of the nameless kunoichi who slept restlessly in her hospital bed.


	4. Chapter 4: The Injured Wolf

The Injured Wolf

Wolf awoke to find herself not on her hard futon in Root, but in a large and much more comfortable hospital bed. Someone had dressed her in a loose kimono shirt and pants and when she looked, all of her wounds had been bandaged. However, instead of feeling grateful for being treated, Wolf started to fear for her life. She was going to be in _so_ much trouble with Danzō when she got back. Not only had her wounds been noticed, but she had been taken to the Konoha Hospital, which meant that word of her had probably reached the Hokage. She didn't know why but Danzō absolutely DID NOT want the Hokage to know anything about her. But now he would and Wolf would have to suffer even more punishment because of her mistake. _Maybe if I refuse to be treated while conscious, Danzō will take things easier on me. He can't blame me for this if I'm not cooperating with the people I'm supposed to avoid anyway can he? _Just then a nurse walked into the room, carrying a small tray of food.

"Oh good, you're awake! How are you feeling dear? Everyone was afraid that you wouldn't wake up. We thought that we had lost you a couple of times there." Wolf just stared at the nurse, her face an expressionless mask and her eyes blank. She had played the fake sympathy game too many times with Danzō to fall for it now. The nurse walked up and set the tray on the bedside table. "Are you alright dear? You're awfully quiet." She placed a hand on Wolf's forehead to feel her temperature. "Hmm you don't feel feverish. Never hurts to take precautions though." Soon a cool rag was pressed against her forehead, despite her best efforts to dodge it. Wolf tried several times to remove the rag but each time she was stopped by the nurse, who introduced herself as Sen. When Sen tried to get her to eat, Wolf outright refused, turning her head away and baring her fangs in warning when Sen tried to force her mouth open.

Sen was exasperated. This girl had almost died from her wounds and was half-dead from starvation. She was paler than a ghost and so malnourished that almost every bone stood out in sharp relief against her skin. The nurse couldn't imagine how she had managed to live this long. But she wouldn't live much longer if she continued to refuse to eat. Sen retreated to the door and looked up and down the hallway, hoping for someone with some sort of authority. She hoped that if a person with a higher rank within the village ordered the girl to eat, she would. Looking down the hall again, her eyes brightened as she saw Uchiha Fugaku walking towards her. _He came to check in on his new ward just in time!_

"Fugaku-sama, thank goodness you're here!"

"Afternoon Sen-san, what's going on?" Fugaku stopped just outside the door, looking behind Sen to see that the girl was awake.

"She's refusing treatment! I can't get her to eat, and when I try to check her temperature or anything else she dodges me. She even bared fangs at me! I didn't even know that she HAD fangs, did you?"

Fugaku looked past the babbling nurse, confused. Why would the girl refuse to be treated and to eat? Then it hit him. _She's afraid of further punishment. _When Itachi was very young there had been a day when he had looked very ill but had avoided both of his parents' attempts to find out what was wrong. It had turned out that the boy had sneaked into the kitchen and eaten a whole tray of dango, giving himself a stomach ache in the process. He had avoided treatment because he was afraid of being punished for swiping the dango. While the girl hadn't been doing anything so childish, she obviously had the same fear of being punished. But what she didn't know yet was that she was no longer under Danzō's control.

Fugaku stepped past the nurse and into the hospital room, his eyes never leaving the pair of blue orbs that followed his every move. The girl looked like a cornered animal; she was frightened but couldn't run so she was ready to fight. She hissed slightly when he made a sudden movement, exposing a small pair of fangs. He continued to approach, still looking directly into her eyes. It was hard to resist the temptation to use his Sharingan to make the girl more tractable. He wanted her to obey any orders out of trust, not because she was being controlled. As he looked, he noticed that there seemed to be a small tear in the skin by her left eye. _She's hiding something_. When Fugaku reached the bed, he slowly lowered himself into one of the chairs at the bedside, still watching the girl watch him. She surprised him by making the first move. Shifting into a kneeling position, the girl bowed in deep apology, her dull black hair shifting to reveal the flower-like seal on her neck.

"Forgive me Fugaku-sama. I apologize for any damage that was caused to those files by my incompetence." Fugaku reached out and placed two fingers under the girl's chin, gently lifting until she was facing him.

"There's absolutely nothing for you to apologize for. You did nothing wrong," he whispered, stroking her cheek with his thumb. The girl jerked back in surprise with a muted hiss.

"But…"

"You got the files to the compound and freed yourself from Danzō's clutches at the same time. I'd call that a success wouldn't you?" Fugaku put a finger against her lips, preventing her from protesting further. The thumb that had been stroking her cheek moved farther up her face, eventually rubbing along the area between the bridge of her nose and one of her still pensive eyes. He wasn't surprised when a thin layer of skin was removed by his actions, revealing a faint purple marking. Fugaku repeated the treatment on the other eye, sitting back as he took in the girl's true face. Her blue eyes were surrounded by dusky purple markings, currently faded with ill health. The girl tried to duck away and hide her face but Fugaku gently forced her head back up, continuing to stroke along her markings. After a while she started to lean into his ministrations, like a cat being rubbed behind the ears. The skin was obviously sensitive there. Fugaku watched as she began to relax, not even moving when he shifted from the chair to the edge of the bed. He pulled her into his embrace, shushing any protests. Once she was safely nestled against his chest, he took the small bowl of rice from the tray the nurse had brought in and tried to get the girl to eat. She struggled weakly against him for a few seconds before allowing him to feed her. But he only got her to eat a few mouthfuls before she started refusing him again, looking slightly sick as she did so. _Just how much was she fed in Root?_ he wondered.

"Sorry Fugaku-sama, I'm not used to eating much more than that," she whispered in answer to his unspoken thought.

"It's alright, and you can just call me Fugaku." He watched as she trembled against him, her eyes closing in pain whenever pressure was put on her back. Fugaku frowned when he observed this and looked up towards Sen, who was watching the entire scene with her jaw almost hitting the floor. "Why have her wounds not been healed?" The nurse winced at his sharp tone and he could feel the child in his arms flinch, startled by the sudden change in his voice.

"There is something in her wounds that prevents us from using medical ninjutsu. We can't even use stitches, both the needle and the thread melted when the doctors tried to stitch her up." Fugaku's frown deepened at this news. _What in the world had been put in her wounds? _To everyone's surprise the girl chose that moment to speak.

"D-Danzō-sama always m-made sure that if one of his nin was captured," here she stopped and looked so terrified that Fugaku let his instincts take over for once and stroked her hair, all the while quietly whispering that she was safe. Wolf pulled herself out of his arms and looked back at the nurse. "What I mean to say is that Danzō-sama always made sure that if I was found during one of my punishment missions, my wounds would be impossible to instantly cure. I don't know the exact method but I do know that it involved some drug that was put into the food. Sen frowned and left the room to report this finding to the head doctor and through her, the Hokage.

Wolf sighed quietly and buried her face in the soft pillows, completely ignoring Fugaku beside her. _I'm dead I'm dead I am soooo dead. _She had just betrayed her master, her organization, and by extension, her village. The Foundation was the village's roots, it was the only thing keeping chaos from erupting. That is what she had always been taught, what she had always been told to believe. Now she was betraying the trust of the organization that had raised her, the only home and family, however cruel a mockery, that she had ever known. Her entire being trembled, rejecting the raging storm within her brain and a strange wetness began to cover her face. Wolf sat up, startled, and pressed a hand to her damp cheek, "What is happening to me?" she whispered.

"You're crying," Fugaku stated, watching his charge with concern. "Haven't you ever cried before?" Wolf stared at her hand, thinking hard. A blurry image came into her mind of a much younger girl with small rivers flowing from her eyes as she was led to the torture chambers under the Foundation, but Wolf did not recognize the child of her memories at all. She began to feel a mild pressure at the back of her throat and her mouth felt dry. The girl alarmed both herself and Fugaku when small sobs began to wrack her thin frame and irritate the many wounds on her back. The combined pain of both her mind and body was too much for Wolf's tired body to take and she collapsed back onto the bed, her tear-streaked face finally at peace. Fugaku tucked the girl under the blankets and softly moved her hair out of her face. He looked down at the sleeping child and sighed, completely unaware of the newcomer who stepped into the room.

"It seems that things are not going smoothly." The Uchiha whipped around in surprise to see the Hokage standing in the doorway. The old man walked into the room, his tired eyes on the unconscious female on the bed.

"Her wounds cannot be healed using jutsus and there is evidence of extreme emotional trauma. I'm starting to wonder if anyone can help her to become a part of society again…"

"She never was a part of society," interrupted the Hokage. "She has always been sheltered or removed from the real world, so you would be helping to introduce her to how people normally live."

"I don't know if I can…"

"According to the nurse the girl finally ate something after you came. She also seemed to gain some comfort from close contact with you. I don't believe that she is as far gone as you seem to believe; that is why I am authorizing her release into your care starting today." The Uchiha stared at the Hokage as if he was a ghost. _The girl was going to come home with him today? But she wasn't even close to being healed!_ "Don't worry," chuckled the Hokage, seeming to read Fugaku's thoughts. "Someone will come by once a week to check on her wounds. The most important thing right now is to get _Rei_," here he nodded pointedly at the girl, "somewhere where she will feel safe. Also I believe that she will believe that she really has been freed from the Foundation if she reads this in a non-institutional environment." The Sandaime handed Fugaku a small scroll embossed with the Konoha seal. He nodded in understanding. The Hokage was right, it was time for Rei to come home.


	5. Chapter 5: Family

Family

Wolf twisted on the unfamiliar futon, trying to find a position that didn't irritate her wounds. Strange scents assaulted her nose; the scents of strangers, cooking food, and wood polish dominant among them. Sometimes she could also detect what she thought was Fugaku's scent but she could never be sure. She lived in a pain-filled haze, only interrupted when a gentle warmth lifted her head to give her a few drops of water. Voices could be heard, sometimes a child's shout or a whispered conversation, but Wolf could never understand what was said. Uncounted days passed before the pain in her back began to fade. Wolf knew that if she had managed to complete the mission she would not have survived more than a couple of days in the Foundation. Weakness was not tolerated and Danzō would not have given her any leave time to recover from her 'punishment'. She strained against the darkness that held her captive, wanting to know where she was and why she hadn't been returned to her master.

The kunoichi hissed as this thought crossed her mind, unknowingly startling the small boy who had just peeked into the room. His frightened squeak seemed to pull Wolf out of the darkness because the next thing she knew she had managed to slit her eyes open enough to glare at the pillow that supported her head. With a groan she began to try to twist to see who had squeaked but her muscles wouldn't respond to her commands. She collapsed back into the pillow with a quiet whimper.

"Kaa-san!" shouted the voice, "Kaa-san she's awake!" Wolf could hear small feet running down a hall that were met by two pairs of larger feet. A soft voice reprimanded the child then the footsteps approached the room she was in. Wolf began to try once again to lift her tired body off of the futon but none of her limbs seemed to work. She cried out in frustration but before she could try a third time the familiar gentle warmth was next to her. The person to whom the warmth belonged was making shushing noises and touching her head. She couldn't hear where the other pair of footsteps was but when she tried to turn her head the warmth pressed her down into the pillow. By now Wolf had had enough of this; she hissed and sent a small amount of chakra to her mouth, activating a slim but very deadly pair of fangs. The warmth disappeared as whoever had been holding her down leapt back. Wolf forced her protesting body to obey her commands and leapt to her feet. The world spun before her eyes and bile burned the back of her throat but she braced herself against the wall and took in her captors.

A small boy hid behind a dark haired woman. They were on the side that the warmth had come from so the woman had to have been the warmth that had cared for Wolf all this time. She looked around the rest of the room, searching for the owner of the other pair of footsteps. There was no one else along the walls and the door to the room had been closed. Wolf looked up just in time to dodge the dark figure that came flying down from the ceiling. The figure somehow twisted around to launch itself off the wall that she had been leaning on seconds before to come right back at her. Wolf twisted out of the way and collapsed back onto the futon as the figure slammed into a very shocked Fugaku who had chosen that moment to come into the room.

"What in the world is going on here?" Fugaku shouted, gripping the arm of his assailant in a tight hold. Wolf could finally see exactly what had attacked her. Instead of the burly assassin that she had expected she saw a thin boy who looked to be about her own age, his long hair flopping into dark eyes. She was jerked from her examination when the woman spoke up.

"It's my fault Fugaku, we spooked her and she defended herself and Itachi defended us." Fugaku looked from the sullen boy in his grip to Wolf. When their eyes met Wolf quickly ducked her head, ashamed. She was obviously in the Uchiha Chieftain's house and had attacked his family.

"Is this what happened Rei-chan?" Wolf looked around when Fugaku said this, but he was obviously not addressing the woman who must be his wife and there were no other females in the room.

"Who is Rei?" Wolf asked or, at least, that was what she tried to ask. Instead of words a hoarse croak came out, startling both herself and the Uchihas.

"You poor thing, I'll get you a glass of water," the woman left the room, the small boy trailing along behind her until they reached his father and brother. The boy scurried behind his elder brother and clung to his legs. Wolf curled her shaking legs up to her chest and rested her chin on her knees. Fugaku let go of his son and stepped towards her. She tensed at his approach and curled up into a tighter ball. Fugaku held up his hands palm out as a sign that he meant her no harm and knelt beside her. Wolf watched him out of the corner of her eye, still trying to figure out what kind of game he was playing. The power figures of the village were _never_ just kind out of the goodness of their hearts. There was always something that they were after. She hadn't spent her entire life up to this point under Danzō without learning how to play the political game. Just then the woman came back with the promised glass of water. Wolf accepted it with a nod of thanks and a surreptitious sniff for drugs. She sipped at the water slowly until she was sure that her voice wouldn't fail her again.

"Who is Rei?" she repeated, looking between Fugaku and the still unnamed woman. The two Uchihas exchanged a look.

"That's your name Rei-chan, don't you remember it?" Wolf stared at Fugaku, not sure that she had heard him right.

"What do you mean it's my name? I don't have a name I just have a temporary identity. I'm Wolf not Rei."

"Wolf?" scoffed the elder boy who was leaning on the doorframe with his younger brother still clinging to his legs like a starfish. "What kind of name is that?" Wolf glared at him.

"It's a common practice in ANBU Itachi," Fugaku said quickly, trying to ease some of the tension in the air. "It helps to keep their identities a secret." Itachi just snorted and continued to glare at the girl curled up on the futon. He received an equally venomous glare from both the girl and his father. Fugaku made sure that his son wasn't going to interrupt again before turning back to Rei. "The Hokage told me that we should call you Rei. It's either your real name or a part of it. It's part of your recovery."

"Recovery?" Wolf looked up at Fugaku curiously, "What do you mean by recovery? Why am I here? Why was I not returned to the Foundation? What's going _on_!?" She found her voice rising uncontrollably, her breath coming in short gasps. Someone was gripping her shoulders and shaking her lightly, but she couldn't see them. Voices rang in her ears but she could no longer understand them. The darkness was reaching for her again with long claws. She couldn't fight, she was losing, she

_SMACK! _

Everyone in the room froze as the sound of a hand striking flesh reverberated through the room. Wolf pressed her hand to her stinging cheek while her startled eyes found the equally shocked eyes of the woman as she moved her hand back to her side. "Everything will be OK dear," she whispered, "We'll explain everything, please, just give us a chance." Wolf nodded her assent and tried to settle back against the wall, but found herself pulled against Fugaku instead. His warm arms wrapped around her and stilled her struggles. Wolf hissed slightly in distaste yet she didn't try to escape.

"So what do you mean by 'recovery'?" Rei asked, rubbing her stinging cheek and trying to get used to her new name.

"The Hokage has removed you from the Foundation and placed you in my care until you have recovered from any trauma or mental damage gained while you were in Danzō's 'care'," Fugaku grimaced when he said Danzō's name, as if the very word stung his tongue. "Apparently you were due to be removed from there soon anyway so there was nothing that Danzō could protest."

"Wait," Rei wriggled out of Fugaku's hold and stood in a corner so that she could face everyone in the room. "What do you mean that I was going to be removed from Root anyway? No one leaves Root! Where would I go? What would I do? I have no family! I have no one to go to!" The woman approached her again, making quiet shushing noises. Having nowhere to run, Rei allowed her fold her into her arms.

"You must have someone who wants you if there was a deal to release you dear," the woman murmured.

"Mikoto's right Rei-chan. The Hokage told me that you have family in the village."

"Then why haven't I been returned to them? Why did they give me to Danzō in the first place?" Rei whispered. She couldn't believe it, she had a family! _Danzō lied to me; he said that he had found me abandoned in the streets! _Rei slumped against Mikoto, her legs no longer able to support her weight. _I have a family…_

The Uchihas watched as the thin girl fainted in Mikoto's arms. Fugaku stood and took her from his wife before placing her back onto the futon. "Looks like she's accepted our help for now," he said, looking at how relaxed Rei looked now, compared to the wild animalistic face that she presented when conscious. Itachi scoffed from the doorway.

"She's still dangerous. She tried to attack Okaa-san! Just because she tried to help her."

"Itachi," Growled Fugaku warningly.

"I know we're supposed to be helping her but I just think that we should take some sort of security measures…for our safety as well as hers. She could have reopened her wounds spooking like that." For a second, just one small moment almost too tiny to notice, Itachi's glare gentled into a look of quiet concern before it once again hardened into a stoic mask.

"Very well then," said Fugaku, smirking at the plan in his head, "if you're so concerned about her Itachi, then _you_ can be in charge of watching over her." Itachi stared at his father in shock before nodding in assent. There was no way to argue with the clan head when he was smirking like that. The little boy looked up at his brother in confusion.

"Nii-san, what's Tou-san talking about?"

"I'm sorry Sasuke, but I'm going to be too busy to play with you for a while." Sasuke pouted at his brother before following his parents out of the room, leaving Itachi to his new vigil. Fugaku sighed and leaned against wall in the hallway. It was going to be hard but it looked like everyone was going to at least try to get along. Like a family should.


End file.

Naruto, Adventure, Romance