"Is it just the two of you?" the deep voice rumbled from the shadows.
"More or less," Kakashi answered glibly.
"What does that mean?" the hidden shinobi growled dangerously.
"It means we don't trust you," Tsunade said smugly, then she flashed the Ninjutsu scrolls they were carrying, "These are Reinforcement Talismans. If they are cut, torn, or get even a drop of our blood on them, a Ninja tied to the scroll will be summoned instantly. So while we came alone as we agreed, if this is a trap we can have you outnumbered in a heartbeat."
"I guess Itachi was right," Kisame Hoshigaki stepped into the moonlight, "You are smarter than Lor... Pein gives you credit for."
As per their agreement, he was not carrying his Samehada, but his arms were folded into the expansive sleeves of his coat, concealing them to the point where he could have held a short sword in each hand.
"But then, I should have known better than to doubt Uchiha., the Akatsuki agent added.
"So what is this all about," Hatake watched the Mist rogue carefully, but kept his tone firmly neutral.
"You know Itachi is dead, right?" the swordsman prompted, and both Leaf shinobi nodded slowly in response, "I am here to fulfill his will."
"Itachi's will?" Tsunade frowned, surprised and also annoyed because of the shock.
"Right," Kisame grinned at them, showing his pointed teeth, "Uchiha asked me to do two things in the event of his death. The first I already took care of. You found Itachi's sword with the old man, right?"
"Yes," Kakashi answered simply.
"Good," the shark responded, "I figured if I left it there, you guys would take it."
"Does that mean you were there during the fight?" Tsunade demanded sternly.
"No," Kisame said after a moment's consideration, "I found the old man after everything was done."
"Just Master Jiraiya?" Kakashi asked, more evenly then his leader, "Are you saying that Itachi's body wasn't there?"
"That's right. It was just the toad and Itachi's blade."
"Then how do you know for sure he's dead?" Tsunade prompted expectantly.
"Because Pein told us Uchiha was dead, and he had Uchiha's Akatsuki ring."
Tsunade deflated, her hopes dashed. And even Kakashi slumped slightly.
"Anyway, it took me a little while to retrieve the second item and slip away," Hoshigaki continued, then he chuckled and added, "They didn't trust me anymore, for some reason."
"Itachi's last request of me," the swordsman sobered, "was that if he died, I was to bring his daughter to the Hidden Leaf Village for Kakashi Hatake to raise."
And then he unfolded his arms, revealing an infant of no more than eight months of age. The girl had a short crop of dark green hair, and she yawned, looking around with eyes black as the night's sky. Kisame actually smiled gently at the child, then he stepped closer, extending her. The Hokage moved forward quickly and took the baby. She carefully set the girl down on a flat patch of grass, kneeling over her as she began to give the infant a medical examination. Then the renegade took out an envelope and tossed it to Kakashi. Hatake opened the letter and started to read out loud.
"Kakashi Hatake," the Copy Ninja read, "Cliché though it is to write, if you are reading this, I am dead. I have entrusted my partner Kisame with delivering my daughter to the Konohagakure. I humbly request that you become her father. There are only three people left in this world with the Sharingan, and you are the only one I can trust. Madara is out of the question, and my brother has gone to far down our ancestor's path for me to trust him with my child. Please raise her and teach her how to use this power for the good of our village. I am hoping you can lead her away from the arrogant and vengeful nature that so often gripped my clan. Thank you. Itachi Uchiha. P.S. My daughter's name is Rei Uchiha, and her birth date is September the fifteenth."
"Why did you do this?" Kakashi tucked the letter into his vest and addressed Kisame, "What's in it for you? Surely the Akatsuki would reward you...."
"I'm not with them anymore," the former Mist ninja growled angrily, "My loyalty was always to Itachi. He saved my life, and was the only one who treated me like a human."
"Just what does that mean?" the Hokage questioned, trying not to yell in front of the baby.
"He really didn't tell you, huh?" Kisame was amazed, "I thought for sure he would."
"Why do you think I looked like this?" the renegade demanded, though he too kept his voice under control, "Do you think I have gills and this sandpaper grey skin by choice? Of course not. I am the Jinchuriki of the Seven-Finned Shark."
Kakashi blinked in amazement, and Tsunade regarded the rogue with guarded curiosity.
"After our failed coup of the Hidden Mist Village, those of use who survived were forced to scatter," the demon carrying rogue explained, "And within a month, I was captured by the Akatsuki. This was early on, before Deidra, Kakuzu, or even Zetsu joined the group. They found me, and planned to extract the demon and seal it in an amulet until their statue was ready to hold the Seventh Bijuu."
"But Itachi saved me," Kisame was calmed by the memory, "He argued that killing me would be a waste, that someone with my skill and aggression could serve as a member of the Akatsuki, until they needed the Seven Fins to finish their plan. Pein agreed, but made Itachi responsible for me. Despite that, Uchiha never treated me like a monster or a prisoner. I was his partner and we were equals, more or less. And before long we became friends, after a fashion."
"That's why I'm doing this," Hoshigaki said pointedly, "I owe Itachi, and I'm done with the Akatsuki. With them getting so close to their goals, my usefulness is running out fast, especially without Itachi sponsoring me."
"She appears to be healthy," Tsunade stood, holding the infant gently, "Though I will need to give her a more complete examination when we get back to the village."
Then she glared at the demon container, snapping gently, "Not that I believe any of this. How could Itachi have a daughter without us knowing?"
"I was the only one who knew he was married," Kisame smiled smugly, "He never told anyone else, so Pein and Madara wouldn't find out about Erika. Not that it did him any good in the end."
"Itachi was married?" Kakashi goggled at the possibility.
"Explain," the Hokage demanded. Kisame faked a sigh, obviously amused by his superior knowledge.
"As I'm sure you both know, the Raikage has been obsessed with capturing the Kekkei Genkai of other shinobi villages," he began. Both nodded, familiar with the attempt to kidnap Hinata Hyuga.
"Well, about six years ago, he sent one of his agents to infiltrate the lower ranks of the Akatsuki for the express purpose of 'extracting' Itachi's genetic material and bringing it back to the Hidden Cloud Village," the memory pleased the shark Jinchuriki, "But Uchiha saw right through Erika's attempts to entice him. He knew what she was, and what her mission was, so he kept her at bay."
"That pretty much mystified Erika; no-one had ever resisted her considerable charms before," Hoshigaki continued after taken a drink from his canteen, "She started to fall for Itachi for real, and at the same she began to realize how much better she had it away from the Raikage. Meanwhile, despite knowing what she was, Itachi found himself in love with Erika too. He saw the lost, kindhearted woman under the seductress. He wanted to give her the chance to be her true self, like he could not. Finally, she came clean about her mission, and renounced the Hidden Cloud Village. Of course, it was pretty much impossible to lie to an Uchiha, so he knew she was sincere, and they started dating."
"May Eleventh would have been their fourth anniversary," Kisame seemed almost saddened to report, "They were married by in a simple, secret ceremony. It was just the two of them, the priest, and me. They faked Erika's death so she could be free of the Akatsuki and the Raikage. And for a time, it looked like it would work. About sixteen months ago, she got pregnant at last. Itachi was ecstatic... Well, for him, anyway."
"But in the middle of January, Madara killed Erika," the Mist traitor snarled, "He told Itachi he caught her sneaking into Itachi home, and assumed she was a spy or assassin. Itachi never really believed him, but played along. Fortunately, Madara left Rei alive. We weren't sure if he didn't know about her, or if he had some other reason to let her live. I suspected Madara knew killing both of them would push Itachi too far, but Itachi believed Madara wanted his bloodline continued."
"It was then that Itachi asked me to bring Rei here if anything happened to him. Given my life-debt to him, it was the least I could do."
"What will you do now?" Kakashi asked evenly.
"What difference does it make to you?" the shark grunted defensively.
"You'll be on the run from the Akatsuki," Tsunade followed Kakashi's thinking, "We could offer you sanctuary in the Hidden Leaf Village."
"Yeah, I'm sure you have a nice safe prison cell waiting for me," Kisame shook his head, "Thanks but no thanks."
"We could make you come back with us," Kakashi suggested.
"So this is your vaulted honor?" the Akatsuki renegade appeared to enjoy the threat, "Violating a seal of truce? Well, you can try it, but can you fight while taking care of Rei? This isn't some movie where you can juggle her around."
"Are you saying you would attack a baby? Itachi's daughter?" Tsunade was horrified, but Kisame simply shrugged.
"I've fulfilled my promise," he said viciously, "I'd rather not hurt the kid, but if you have no honor, then I see no reason to leave his daughter in your hands."
Kisame tensed, and Tsunade reached for the talismans, but then Hatake interrupted them.
"Let him go," Kakashi advised.
"Kakashi, what are you saying," the Hokage struggled between yelling at him and not upsetting Rei.
"He's an S-Rank criminal with a Tailed Beast inside him," the Copy Ninja explained, "So holding him will be next to impossible anyways."
"Besides," Hatake grinned under his mask, "It's better for us if he leaves anyway."
Kisame looked at the Leaf Ninja with a little more respect, and Tsunade nodded as she caught on to his reasoning.
"If both he and Naruto are in the Hidden Leaf Village," Kakashi clarified anyway, "Then that is twice the incentive for the Akatsuki to focus on us. But if this guy is out there, on the run, he might be a bigger priority than Naruto. Not only is his Bijuu easier to contain, he's also a traitor who took one of their precious rings."
"Fine, he may go," Tsunade waved her empty hand dismissively.
"You're not that dumb after all," Kisame grunted, "Maybe Itachi's decision wasn't all based on empty sentiment."
"Goodbye, Rei," Kisame added, almost fondly, "I don't think I'll probably see you again."
The two Leaf shinobi made no move to stop him as he vanished back into the night.
"We need to go back," Tsunade ordered, "The girl needs a full battery of tests to confirm what Kisame claimed."
"I'll catch up with you," Kakashi said, troubled, "There is something I need to do first."
Yugao was awakened. With her first thought she recognized the knock at her door. In the second she realized it was just after two in the morning. The shinobi slipped out of bed, pulling on her robe and slipping her hand into the secret pocket housing a single kunai. She doubted there was a need for the weapon, but was too well trained to be caught off guard.
She opened the door a crack, revealing her lover. Seeing the troubled expression he wore, she quickly opened the portal the rest of the way to allow him entry.
"Kakashi, what's going on?" she asked after relocking her apartment, "Shouldn't you be resting for the Trials today?"
"The Hokage and I received a special summons this afternoon," he explained, "I just returned from the meeting now."
She nodded, waiting for him to continue.
"I..." Kakashi struggled to speak, and this made Yugao more apprehensive.
"These past three years with you have been good for me," he said softly, "Our relationship has exactly been normal. More like casual exclusive. But we've both been hurt in the past, so it has worked for us. Still, we've been able to support each other, and I haven't been this happy since... well, for a long time."
"But I can't do this anymore," he turned away from her, "I'm sorry, Yugao."
"What's all this about?" she asked carefully, "I can't believe you would wake me up in the middle of the night to break up with me. What happened at this meeting?"
He did not answer immediately, and tried to get back to the door. She blocked his way, and he started to use Ninjutsu to escape, but her voice stopped him.
"I'm not going to let you run away from me, Kakashi Hatake," she told him directly, "I love you too much..."
She froze, having never told him before. He looked at her intently, his uncovered eye wide with shock.
"I love you," she said again, "And if you won't tell me what is going on, I'll find out on my own. And you know me, you know my skills. I will uncover the truth."
Exhaling in defeat, he walked over to her dining area and slumped into a chair.
"I thought this was the best way to handle things. I can't keep doing this anymore, and I didn't want to pressure you into something more."
"Something more?" her voice caught. She started to ask him what he meant, be he was already explaining.
"I'm going to be a father," he said, and her eyes turned angry. Realizing his mistake, he quickly continued, "I didn't mean it like that. I've been asked to raise the daughter of a fallen comrade, and unless it turns out to be a trap, I plan to accept. That's why I can't have this kind of fling anymore. Not if I'm going to be a parent."
"And so you assumed what?" she said angrily, "That I would want a serious relationship with you? That I'd flee from the mere mention of a child?"
"Kakashi," she said more gently, sitting beside him and taking his hand, "I do love you. You said our relationship has worked, but I've been think that we're just hiding, just taking the easy way. We've been together long than I was with Hayate and longer than you were with Rin. I think it's time to face the fact that this is more than just a fling or comfort sex."
Then she smiled wryly, and informed him, "And if you are going to raise this girl, you are definitely going to need a woman's touch."
"You don't know all of it, not yet," Kakashi took his hand back and faced her seriously, "The child's name is Rei Uchiha. She is Itachi's daughter."
Uzuki blinked twice, unsure what to do with his announcement. Hatake told her the rest of the story, the truth about Itachi's 'betrayal' and death, and the meeting with Kisame.
"... and I'm not sure how the Hokage intends to spin this," Kakashi concluded, "Will she release the truth about Itachi, or try to keep Rei's parentage a secret? Or most likely, she will let it be known who Rei is, without revealing the other secrets, leaving me to deal with the circus that follows."
"It would be Naruto all over again," Yugao said thoughtfully.
"Not quiet the same, but yeah," he agreed, "And that's why I wanted to keep you out of this."
"Too bad," she said, "I'm not going anywhere."
"Come," she instructed, standing, "Let's go see your daughter."
The elder Jonin did not move, and she looked at him warily, waiting for his next protest.
"Yugao?" he interrupted blandly, "You might want to get dressed first."
She colored slightly, and turned to her dresser. Before she could take a step, he caught her up in his arms, and kissed her deeply.
"It's a year or more too late," he divulged when they broke apart, "But I love you too."
The door finally opened. Shizune exited first, followed by a thinly built woman in her early fifties, with long hair, of a cyan so pale it was nearly white. Her eyes settled briefly on Kakashi and Yugao, appraising them with an unsettling whiteness. Then the Hokage emerged, and she stopped before the couple. She held the last Uchiha gently in her arms. The child was asleep and was wrapped in a fresh blanket.
"Hiroko Hyuga," Kakashi noted worriedly, "The Cursebreaker?"
"It was just a precaution," Tsunade reassured them.
"And?" Yugao prompted.
"She is a normal, healthy, adorable girl," the Sannin answered, "She is not under the effects of any jutsu. And we ran the genetic tests. She is Itachi's daughter, and she does possess the Sharingan."
"So what are you going to do?" their leader asked cannily.
"I'm going to be her father," he answered, taking the girl, "And with your permission, I..."
"We." Yugao interjected.
"We will move into the Uchiha estate to do so," he continued, "It is rightfully Rei's, and I think that's where she belongs. Besides, my current place doesn't exactly have the room"
"I'll have to confer with the clan leaders first," she nodded, "But I don't have any problem with that. In the mean time I suggest Rei stay here"
"Why?" Yugao whispered in concern.
"Because unlike the hospital," Tsunade smirked, "Neither of you has anything you'll need in your apartments. Like diapers, formula, clothes, a crib... So until you can get set up, Rei can stay here, and you two are welcome to stay with her."
"Speaking of that," Yugao's cheeks colored slightly, and she leaned in and whispered something in Tsunade's ear. The medic's eyes widened, and she looked to Kakashi. His eye sparkled mischievously and he nodded his head.
"If that's what you want," Tsunade shrugged, "I'll set something up for tomorrow. But in the mean time, you two should get some sleep. You both have tests to proctor in a few hours. And Kakashi might have a pretty tough day."
The Hokage grinned smugly at the Copy Ninja, who groaned in response.