The sheer emptiness of her room in ANBU had finally gotten to her; Katsuko had hardly slept at all for the past few nights. When a glance in her mirror that morning revealed dark circles the color of used teabags under her eyes, she'd decided to get away from HQ for the day.

Hanging out at Nori's or Beni's apartments wouldn't work. They'd give her funny little glances and try to feed her, as if pork buns and sake would make everything all right. (Pork buns and sake? Typical. Her boys teammates were as uncivilized as always.)

Finally, in sheer desperation, she'd translocated over to the old training field that Sensei used to take them to. Her favorite tree was still there (complete with kunai and explosion note scars) and she still fit in the branches even though she was several inches taller and weighed a lot more.

She'd been having a nice dream this time. None of the stuff that made her doctors get that funny furrowed eyebrow look. There'd been a field of daisies, and she was pretty sure that Sensei and Beni and Nori had been there, and they were all happy and laughing and...

Something was nudging at her crotch.

Correction: Something was making snuffling noises and sniffing at her crotch.

Her eyes flew open at the same time the kunai in her hand flashed up and went for the jugular of the...

One-eyed dog?

One-eyed dog sitting in a tree?

She realized she'd lost her hold on the branches when she toppled off them, scrabbling and clutching at the leafy limbs like an Academy student on her first chakra training exercise. Focus, focus, siphon the chakra through the palms of your hands and the soles of your...

But-- One eyed dog!

The ground rushed up to meet her with a grassy thump.