Edited 08/06/2015

Ashley's POV

I look up at Kakashi's back appreciatively, though I am admittedly a little surprised that he'd move so quickly to shield me from Orochimaru. He must understand how scared I am of that man.

I mean, I usually try not to show any weakness around others, but I just can't seem to keep my cool when it comes to Orochimaru. I don't want to go back with him.

Even though he seems to be focusing on Sasuke now, I keep thinking that since he's discovered I'm here in the Leaf, he'll force me back to one of his hideouts and hold me prisoner as punishment for running away from him....

Smiling evilly, Orochimaru leans to the right a bit, peering around Kakashi. I can't help flinching as we lock eyes, something that causes the man to chuckle in dark amusement.

Kakashi growls under his breath at this and places his arms out to his sides, blocking me from Orochimaru's view.

"Don't even look at her" the silver haired Jonin warns seriously, to which Orochimaru laughs again, not at all feeling threatened.

"But Kakashi" the man croons, a strand of long, black hair falling across his face, "She's my dear, little protégé, and I haven't seen her in quite some time....."

I look up guiltily as Kakashi glances down at me over his shoulder, before flicking my eyes back over to my old Master.

"While I'm not at all surprised to see you flourishing in the Chunin Exams" Orochimaru continues, wide grin still in place, "I am curious as to why my dear student is all the way over here, in the Hidden Leaf Village to begin with."

Seeing that I am unable to speak, Kakashi turns back around, his eyes narrowed.

"That's none of your concern" the masked Ninja replies sharply. "A good question to ask would be why are you here?"

"Come now Ashley" Orochimaru presses, hooding his eyes and smiling sinisterly at me, "Why don't you want to speak to your Master? You'll hurt my feelings if you-"

"Y-You're not my Master" I growl quietly, baring my teeth and urging myself to hold Orochimaru's intimidating gaze.

The man says nothing, though I see his eyes shine, no doubt enjoying how uncomfortable he's making me. He's doing it on purpose, the bastard....

"I don't want to have to ask you again" Kakashi speaks up strongly."What are you doing here Orochimaru? The likes of you aren't welcome in the Village anymore."

"No offence Kakashi" Orochimaru drawls, "But my business here has nothing to do with you."

I subconsciously reach up and grab onto the back of Kakashi's green vest, as Orochimaru's gaze glides past me, a hungry glint in his eyes.

"No, my business is with the Uchiha behind you" Orochimaru explains, before pausing for a few seconds and narrowing his eyes, smiling slyly. "The male one."

"What?" Kakashi asks, sounding confused. I bite my lower lip and gently rest my forehead against the Jonin's back, hoping he didn't catch on to what Orochimaru just said. The last thing I need is for him to question me.....

"What do you want with Sasuke?" Kakashi demands to know, sounding fierce again.

".....It seems that good fortune smiled on you Kakashi" Orochimaru sneers, pushing some hair back from his pale face. "How I envy it...."

Kakashi's brows furrow at the former Sannin's words, unsure of their meaning. I on the other hand, know exactly what Orochimaru means, and it makes me so angry! Why can't he just leave me, and everyone around me, alone?!

"Leave Sasuke alone!" I can't help shouting, letting go of Kakashi and raising my head to glare at Orochimaru, though I feel my heart pounding against my chest. "You'll never get your filthy hands on his Sharingan! Not if I have anything to do with it....."

"Ahhh, so the trembling Mouse finally finds its voice" Orochimaru taunts me. "How you've changed since I last saw you........It's so sweet to see you caring for your new friends. Perhaps you are only protecting him for his name though?"

I grit my teeth and grind them side to side in my aggravation, though I find that I can't speak anymore. It's so frustrating, but Orochimaru just has this hold on me. I can't stand when people even mention his name, let alone having to confront him like this.

But I don't want him to hurt Sasuke........

"Not going to bite back for once?" my former Master hisses, grinning meanly. "How far you've fallen. This Village has made you weak and soft....."

Losing interest in me, Orochimaru turns his attention back to Kakashi as I hang my head, hands balled into tight fists. My knuckles have already turned white, and I think my legs are shaking now too.

"You have the power of the Sharingan in your left eye" Orochimaru states, raising a pale hand to point over at Sasuke. "It's only fair that I have it as well. The power of the Uchiha Clan.....I want it!"

Kakashi bends his knees as Orochimaru takes a step forwards, sending me a look that is a mixture of annoyance and distaste.

"Since I wasn't able to take it from her" the man spits, advancing even closer, "I'll just have to take it from Sasuke instead!"

As Orochimaru takes yet another step towards me, I am unable to resist the urge to take one backwards, really wanting nothing more than to flee from the room altogether. It's almost like my body is repelled by him or something.

I can hardly let Kakashi take on Orochimaru on his own though, and I can't bring myself to abandon Sasuke either....

"Stop!" Kakashi shouts, leaping back in front of me and throwing his right hand down towards the ground, left hand gripping his wrist. "Don't you dare come any closer!"

I stare at Kakashi through wide eyes, glancing down as a huge surge of chakra flows through his body, manifesting itself into his right palm.

Why.....Why is he protecting me from Orochimaru like this? I can tell that even Kakashi is shaken by the criminal's appearance, so why is he risking his life for me like this? I didn't even think he liked me very much!

Orochimaru's cruel smirk soon fades at the sight of the chakra fuelled lightning now sparking ferociously in Kakashi's hand, streaks of electricity zapping at the ground.

"I couldn't care less if you're one of the three Legendary Sannin" Kakashi proclaims coldly, "If you take so much as one more step towards either of my two students, one of us is going to die right here!"

I shake my head at that, thinking it incredibly stupid for Kakashi to risk his life for Sasuke and I like this. I get that the Jonin is one of the strongest in the Village, but Orochimaru is on a whole other level! I don't want Kakashi to die for me! How can you care for someone enough to willingly risk your life anyway?.....

I visibly wince as Orochimaru begins to laugh, the sound starting out softly and rapidly increasing in volume, making him sound like a complete psychopath. Which he is.

".....You find it funny do you?" Kakashi asks quietly, livid.

"Don't do this Kakashi" I advise in a hushed voice, eyes not straying from Orochimaru's laughing form. "I-It's not worth it....."

I won't let Kakashi lose his life for me. After all of the things I've done, I'm not worth someone else's life. I never would have thought like this before coming to the Leaf Village, but to have someone protect me from my worst fear like this.............

I feel so guilty, seeing as I've never been anything but a burden to Kakashi and the rest of Team Seven. They've all been nothing but kind to me, and I've acted so cold towards them. I don't understand how they've managed to deal with me for so long.

If I were them, I would've dumped me on another Team or something.......These Leaf Ninja are changing me, and I'm beginning to think it's not worth resisting anymore.....

"Don't worry Ashley" Kakashi reassures me softly, though he keeps his focus on Orochimaru. "I'll protect you and Sasuke with my life."

My eyes automatically begin tearing up at his heartfelt words, my lower lip trembling.

Why? Why would he do that for me?! He should just hand me over to Orochimaru and laugh as I am dragged away! That's what I'd deserve!

"Poor Kakashi" Orochimaru suddenly sneers, a dark look on his face, "All of your heroic efforts will go to waste."

"What?" Kakashi growls, narrowing his eyes. I turn my head away, casting my eyes on Sasuke's motionless body.

I told him it was useless......

"Do you truly believe that your little seal will hold?" Orochimaru questions. "Do you think that you can keep Sasuke from what he desires? A heart that hungers for revenge will not be denied of the power it seeks."

"You really think Sasuke will give in, just like that?" Kakashi shoots right back.

"You cannot stop it" Orochimaru states ominously, beginning to smile again. "After having a taste of the Curse's power, he will come in search of me......"

I glance at Kakashi from the corner of my eye as his Jutsu begins to fade, realisation seeming to dawn on him. Orochimaru smirks and closes his eyes, turning to leave, when he decides to pause.

"Of course" he murmurs darkly, "You could stop it by carrying out your little threat from earlier. Go on, take this chance to attack me while my back is turned.........If you dare....."

I hold my breathe as Kakashi stares at Orochimaru, silently urging him not to attack the older man. While I have faith that Kakashi could keep up for awhile, in the end, Orochimaru would overpower him. He has far too much experience and an alarming number of tricks up his sleeve.

As the chuckling Orochimaru disappears back into the shadows, Kakashi and I both let out shaky breaths, relieved that the ex Sannin is gone.

"One of us is going to die here....." Kakashi mutters, running a hand through his hair. "I must've been out of my mind to say that to him........"

I feel my eyes brimming with tears again as Kakashi makes his way over, a worried look on his face.

"Ashley?" the Jonin asks gently. "Are you okay? You seemed pretty scared back there."

"W-Weren't you?" I ask incredulously, trying to maintain my usual tone, but failing miserably.

"Of course I was" Kakashi laughs briefly, "But you were......Terrified by the looks of things."

"Yeah well...." I murmur, head hanging towards the floor. ".....You have no idea what he's done to me....You shouldn't have risked your life like that either. It was stupid."

"I wanted to protect you and Sasuke" Kakashi responds easily, shrugging a shoulder, as if it were nothing, "So I had to act, despite my fear."

I suddenly raise my head, glaring at Kakashi and scowling. I can't take it anymore! I can't take his kindness and selflessness anymore! He's making me feel so damn guilty!

"Why Kakashi?" I demand to know, a tear sliding down my cheek. "Why are you being so nice to me? You don't even know me! In fact, I didn't even think you liked me! I'm always giving you trouble, so I don't blame you for acting weird and hating me, but why are you protecting me like this?! It just.....It doesn't make any damn sense!"

Kakashi stares down at me in shock, brows furrowing deeply.

"What are you talking about Ashley?" he queries. "Why should I hate you? What have you done to me?"

"Don't play dumb with me Kakashi....." I sigh heavily, momentarily closing my eyes. "I see the way you look at me. You can't stand me!"

I see the shape of Kakashi's mouth curving up into a smile beneath his mask, the Jonin crouching down beside me. I pause as he runs the knuckle of one finger along my cheek, swiping away a tear.

I can't help jerking backward from the silver haired Jonin, still not entirely used to being so close to another person. He doesn't seem to take it personally though, waving his hand dismissively.

"I actually don't hate you Ashley" Kakashi informs me cheerfully, to which I blink a few times, unsure of how to process that honesty. "I've only been looking at you strangely because ever since you first joined Team Seven, you've seemed familiar to me."

"F-Familiar?" I ask curiously, raising one brow. I don't know why I'd be familiar to Kakashi. I've never seen him before in my life!

"Yeah" the Jonin confirms with a nod. "It only occurred to me why you were familiar during your fight with Rakeru. You used that Fire Style Jutsu, which I remember seeing a few years back."

"You couldn't have seen my Fire Wolf Explosion Jutsu before" I disagree, crossing my arms. "It's an original Jutsu."

"Well, that just confirms that it really was you then..." Kakashi sighs, piquing my interest further. What is he talking about?

"Kakashi, I've never seen you before in my life" I state flatly, "So I have no idea what you mean.....Is this really a good time to be trying to mess with me?"

"Of course you wouldn't recognise me" Kakashi laughs sadly, shaking his head, "I was wearing my ANBU Black Ops mask when I met you."

".......When and where did you meet me then?" I ask, choosing to take Kakashi's word for it. "Maybe it'll jog my memory."

"It was about five years ago" the silver haired Jonin informs me lowly, seemingly recalling something unpleasant, if his expression is anything to go by. "I was on a mission with my team, and we found you on a rock by a river near the Hidden Grass Village."

"The Grass Village?" I repeat, frowning in thought. "I haven't been in that area since I was about seven years old."

"Yeah, I didn't think you were any older than seven or eight" Kakashi states, visible eye hooded as he looks into my own eyes. "Do you remember sitting by a lake at all?"

"I spent most of my time inside Orochimaru's hideout when I was that young" I say slowly, searching through my memory, when something suddenly clicks in my brain. "Oh! I remember sneaking away from training one day and sitting by a huge lake!"

"Do you remember what happened?" Kakashi asks, almost sounding hesitant. I stare at the silver haired Jonin for a few moments in deep thought, when my eyes begin to widen.

"You.......You were the ANBU with the Dog mask" I whisper in disbelief, able to see him in my mind, walking over the water towards me with his face concealed by the red and white mask. "You and your team attacked me and then left me to die out in that field!"

"What?" Kakashi asks, the two of use frowning at each other. "We didn't leave you there to die. You attacked my team and killed two of them!"

"You're crazy!" I can't help shouting, tilting my head back as Kakashi rises to his feet. "I didn't kill anyone that day! I was only seven Kakashi, how could I kill ANBU Black Ops members?!"

"You don't remember using a strange Jutsu to kill them?" the masked man questions, staring at me sceptically.

"What strange Jutsu?!"

"Your body was cloaked in an unusual black chakra" Kakashi explains, eyes searching the room as he tries to recall the event, "And you were suddenly incredibly strong. You were speaking to us in a deep voice, and you had these tails behind yo-"

"Tails?" I interrupt, my body immediately seizing up. My heart suddenly seems to stop beating, as my eyes grow very wide and my legs begin to shake again. "Black chakra........No.....No, I can't have.........

"Ashley?" Kakashi asks worriedly, watching as my breathing speeds up, almost to the point that I am hyperventilating.

I turn away from Kakashi and place a hand to the side of my head, tears once again filling my eyes. I can't believe this......I can't.......I really did it. He actually met me when I was taken over......

And I killed his friends.

"K-Kakashi?" I address in a whisper, turning to the Jonin with tears streaming down my cheeks. His visible eye widens in alarm at the sight of me crying, clearly not used to seeing me like this.

"I....I'm so sorry..." I sob quietly, placing my hands over my eyes and sinking to my knees. "I'm so sorry!....I k-killed them......I d-don't remember doing it, b-but.....I know I did it a-and I'm sorry!"

I continue to cry into my hands, only raising my head when I feel Kakashi kneel down in front of me and place a hand on my shoulder. I struggle not break into a fresh round of tears, seeing the kind look in his visible eye.

"Y-You should hate me" I stammer, unable to hold his gaze. "I a-actually killed your friends......"

"I don't hate you" Kakashi reiterates, shaking his head. "I find it strange that you don't remember doing it, but I kind of assumed it was the result of experimentation by Orochimaru, so I guess it would make sense if you don't recall."

"Experimentation?" I repeat, brows kneading together in confusion. "N-No......He had nothing to do with that...."

"Regardless" Kakashi says, sending me a closed eye smile, "I don't hate you. In fact, when I saw how scared you were of Orochimaru, I felt this overwhelming need to protect you from him. Sasuke too. Don't ask me why I felt it, I mean, ever since I remembered who you were, I've only been able to see you as that monster that you became."

I dismiss Kakashi's apologetic tone, hardly offended by his words. Monster? He couldn't be more spot on with his word choice.....

"But seeing you like this" Kakashi continues softly, squeezing my shoulder a little, "I can see that you really are just a kid. You hide behind this tough facade, but only because you've clearly been hurt in the past.......I'm beginning to think the real Ashley is nothing like the one you put on. Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura can see through your mask as well you know."

I stare at Kakashi through wide, wavering eyes, feeling strangely helpless and defenceless all of the sudden. How had he managed to figure me out so easily? After six years of growing up around Orochimaru, I figured I'd become pretty good at masking my past pain and the struggles I've been through.

"As for killing my friends" Kakashi sighs, pulling his hand away from me and shoving it into his pocket, "Yes, you did it. It hurt then and it hurts now, but that's just the way of the Ninja. People you care about will die, and you just have to learn to accept that fact and move on."

I hood my eyes and stare at my hands, feeling another tear slide down my cheek. If only Kakashi knew. I've already had to accept this fact. Multiple times.

"It may seem cruel" Kakashi continues, looking at me knowingly, "But the Ninja world is a cruel place......I don't like that my friends have been killed, and not just the ones you killed, but the fact is that they're gone. I may be sad about it every now and then, but I've grown up and moved on....Just like every other time someone close to me has died."

I raise my head, a sad expression on my face as I recall the time Kakashi had told us that all of his friends are listed on the Memorial Stone in the Village.

"........I know I don't need to explain what I mean to you" Kakashi adds, meeting my questioning gaze with his serious expression. "While you feign indifference, I believe that you can actuallyunderstand how I feel......I'm aware of what happened to your Clan a few years ago Ashley."

I sit boltright up as the words leave Kakashi's mouth, staring at him without blinking for a few moments, before hooding my eyes and averting my gaze.

"......I don't want to discuss that" I state in a strained voice, biting my lower lip so hard, I won't be surprised if it bleeds.

How could Kakashi know about my Clan? I didn't think the Minami Clan was very well known in the outside world......I don't even want to think about them, much less discuss what happened.....It...It hurts too much....

"......You can ask me anything you want Kakashi" I decide after a few moments of tense silence, "Just.......Don't ask about that. I'm not ready. I don't even want to think about it...."

"I understand" the Jonin replies, though he probably already knows what happened to my Clan anyway by the sound of it. "So, will you actually answer me if I ask you anything?"

Here I turn to face Kakashi, my expression softening a little as I remember what he did for me earlier, and what he was willing to lose for me as well.

"I owe you a lot more than answers to questions about me" I laugh wryly. "But yeah, I'll tell you what you want to know."

"Well, the very first thing I'm curious about is your Kekkei Genkai" Kakashi informs me, to which I nod, having expected that. "What exactly can it do and how does it work?"

"Considering I heard you say its name earlier" I muse, wiping at my teary eyes, "I assumed you already knew about it."

"The Hokage was only able to tell its name and gave me a basic idea of what it can do" Kakashi explains, making me wonder how the Hokage even has information on my Kekkei Genkai. "I don't understand how it can work without the use of chakra."

"A unique power" I laugh half heartedly. "The Katsuryoku enables the user to control elements such as earth, wind, fire, water and so on. As a Minami becomes more experienced with their Katsuryoku, they're able to use more advanced techniques, like controlling sand and pulling water out of plants."

"I can't do any of that advanced stuff" I admit with a huff, "Only the basics, like you saw during my fight. I can only control elemental Jutsu, but sometimes the sheer amount of chakra in a Jutsu will make it impossible for me to take control of it. Depends on the Ninja I'm fighting."

"How does it work though?" Kakashi asks, intrigued. "Lord Third said it doesn't use up any chakra."

"Well, technically it doesn't" I confirm, pulling a face as I try to think of how to explain my Kekkei Genkai. "Our bodies gather Natural Energy, the same as every other living being. We just have the natural ability to harness that Natural Energy and express it in the form of controlling elements. Usually it takes years for a Ninja to learn to absorb and harness Natural Energy, with some people accidentally killing themselves in the process."

"You can generally only gather Natural Energy while remaining perfectly still and becoming one with nature itself" I continue, hoping I'm making sense. "Overuse can result in death, and absorbing too much Energy can solidify a person's body, so most Ninja just stick to chakra use."

"As for not using hand signs......Well, you've seen the way I have to move my arms and hands to use my Kekkei Genkai right? I suppose that's our way of channelling the Nature Energy, the same way I channel chakra by weaving hand signs.......Extremely experienced Minami didn't need to use their hands, but I'm nowhere near that good yet...."

"So if your arms were to be restrained......" Kakashi wonders, trailing off as he sees the suspicious look on my face.

"Yeah, I wouldn't be able to use my Kekkei Genkai" I confirm, frowning. "It's an annoying drawback, but it just means that you have to not let people get too close in a fight. I have Taijutsu and Ninjutsu to help me fight though, whereas Minami typically didn't use chakra."

"That's fascinating" Kakashi says sincerely, watching me with interest. It almost feels good, being able to share this small piece of information about my Clan with someone. I'm proud to say that I remember all of this, and besides, I rarely ever talk about the Minami Clan now days.

"Yeah, it's pretty great" I brag. "Takes a lot of concentration to use though, and overuse of the Katsuryoku can tire your body out. It requires a lot of training to master........"

This time I trail off, sighing when I see the uncertain look on Kakashi's face, almost like he wants to say something but is afraid to.

"Yes, you can ask me about what happened that day you met me...." I mutter begrudgingly, not overly wanting to have to explain it to someone. I'd never trusted anyone with that information before, so why should I now?

But then again.......Kakashi did just risk his life to protect me from Orochimaru, and he doesn't even hate me despite knowing that I murdered two of his friends......

"I have always wondered what that transformation was" Kakashi admits, rubbing the back of his neck, "I just don't want to make you feel uncomfortable."

"......I suppose I sort of owe you an explanation at least" I say sheepishly, closing my eyes momentarily and letting out a low breath. I've never told anyone about this before, and I don't know if I should be trusting Kakashi with this information, but.......Maybe I should just take a risk and place my faith in him? He seems trustworthy enough. Hopefully he won't make me regret this decision.....

"The day you found me" I begin, reopening my eyes and focusing them on the floor, "I had just run away from a training session. Orochimaru was going to be coming later to check on my progress, but I escaped from the guy supervising me in the meantime. I guess I was feeling rebellious that day....."

"My Katsuryoku allows me to sense vibrations through the ground if I concentrate hard enough" I continue, "So I was able to sense you and your teammates approaching me. I still remember seeing you walking over the lake towards me, but I got a little scared because I knew your teammates had me surrounded......What scared me more though, was the fact that you said you knew I had a strange chakra inside me."

"You remember me saying that?" Kakashi asks, sounding somewhat impressed.

"I remember most of what happened that day" I reply wryly, pulling a face. "It wasn't every day I met new people, let alone got confronted by ANBU Black Ops...........You're not wrong about the weird chakra, I suppose...."

"What do you mean?" Kakashi inquires, leaning a little closer to me in his interest. I stare back at the Jonin in silence for a few moments, gathering my courage to continue.

".......I wasn't sure how to react to you guys" I state, ignoring Kakashi's question for now. I'll get to that later. "I hadn't really been around other people for awhile at that point, and as you've probably noticed, I'm not exactly the most trusting person........So I listened to Hakuba when he began telling me to attack you guys before you attacked me."

"Hakuba?" Kakashi queries, looking confused. "Who is that? I thought you were by yourself?"

"Don't worry" I assure the silver haired man, an uncertain smile on my face, "I'll explain that in a second......To keep a long story short, when one of your teammates paralysed me and the red haired one ran towards me saying that she wanted to kill me, I got scared and I must have accidentally allowed Hakuba to take over my body......."

Here my hands curl into tight fists, my brows furrowing.

"I didn't mean for him to take over" I say lowly, "And it's not something that I usually let happen either.....But I suppose it must have happened. The only problem is, I don't remember anything after your red haired friend tried to kill me. I just remember waking up back inside Orochimaru's hideout. He thought I'd passed out from training too hard....."

"......I don't know if I missed something here or not" Kakashi speaks up, raising his brow at me, "But who exactly is Hakuba?"

I bite my lip and raise my head to meet Kakashi's eye, my heart beating a little faster now.

"Can I trust you to keep a secret Kakashi?" I ask, sounding almost pleading. "No matter the circumstances, you can't tell anyone! You have to promise to take this information to the grave with you, otherwise my life could be in danger.....Do you promise not to tell?"

"Of course" the Jonin replies immediately, though he looks quite concerned now. "If it could mean your life is at risk, I won't speak a word of it to anyone."

"......I'm not used to trusting anyone" I state with a short, dry laugh, "But I guess I have no choice.........Do you know how everyone thinks there are Nine Tailed Beasts?"

Kakashi nods, looking intrigued as I take a deep breath in and shake my head.

"Well, they're wrong" I inform the man flatly. "There are actually ten, and I know this because Hakuba just so happens to be the tenth beast."

"Wh-What?" Kakashi asks incredulously, his visible eye widening. "So you're........."

"Yep" I confirm, sending the Jonin a wolfish grin, "I'm the Jinchuuriki of the Ten Tailed Wolf."

Don't fret hardcore Naruto fans who think this can't happen, I've done all of my research on the Ten Tails and yes, Hakuba fits into the story just fine. I'm changing things a little, seeing as this is a fanfic. So chill! ;)

Also! For those of you struggling to say Katsuryoku, here is a break down of how to pronounce it!

Kah-Tsu-Ree-Oh-Koo. Hopefully that helps you out! ^-^