OOEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAHHHHHHKKKKKKKR!!!!!!!!!!!

Crrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh---

T…sting…Te…ing

* Screen starts to come into focus. Fuzz still is traveling down the screen.*

Fuzzy Kaiyuga: Testing? Testing 1…2…3? Hello, can you guys see me? * Waves hand * Can you hear me? Good!

Lakohta's voice: You gotta keep that psycho of a Greebel down and LOCKED!!

Focusing Kaiyuga: Well, as you can see * Pulls away to reveal the room * Lilim has created a mini- apocalypse (love that word!).

* The lamp is limply hanging from the ceiling, the bulb cracked. Papers from books are torn and sprayed all over the floor, some still floating down to the torn up carpet. *

Kaiyuga: Oh whoops! * Straightens screen * There, that's better!

SQUEEEE!!!

Kaiyuga: God, not again! * Goes off screen for a moment. Crashing and thudding can be heard in the back. Kaiyuga comes back, huffing as she pulls up a strange creature with big round eyes, long ears and big bunny feet held by its ringed tail. Lilim is tied up in a straight jacket, chains wrapped around that. A dizzy swirl is around its head. * Good thing that nibblet was drugged, or else who knows what might've happened!

Lakohta: * disheveled * Are you sure he's out?

* Both look closer at the stupefied Greebel*

RVFN (Random Voice From Nowhere) : 3…2…1

Lilim: SQEEEEEEE!!!!!!!! HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Both: AHHHH!!!!! RUN AWAY!!!

Lilim: MWAHA!! * Blows raspberries at he screen then runs off. *

Kaiyuga's voice: Call the pest control! No, wait! Call the PS!! (Psychosis Squad)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A thin line of saliva ran down her bottom lip; one could say she was drugged so deep in sleep. A little too much chakra had been used, and had taken its toll on Aki. A hurricane couldn't nudge her awake, and at least Naruto would gather up the common sense in time to run.

Mrow?

Aki opened her eyes slightly to look into a pair of bright beryl yellow eyes encased in black fur.

"Uhh, Karma what is it?" Aki rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

Mrow?

"You wanna be fed, alright." Aki staggered from the blood rushing to her lower extremities, "Goddamn dizziness."

When it had subsided, she walked over to her digital clock to check the time.

6:35

Was it a school day? Aki moaned, but stopped. No wait, it was a Saturday. She could sleep a little longer. Joy, she thought, slipping back into the covers. It was when she touched Karma's head did she get the picture. She gasped, and shot out of her bed. She looked around, fear eclipsing her eyes. This couldn't be…

She touched her posters, and they sure felt real. She picked up her favorite blue silk kimono, and rubbed it in-between her fingers. Yeah, it was silk alright. She spun around getting a full view of her room. It looked untouched. She walked to her door, Karma slinking around her legs, mewing. Aki grasped the knob with trembling fingers, her strength waning away from panic.

(Don't panic, don't panic…) She swallowed hard.

Closing her eyes she counted to three, and flung the door open.

Instantly, her room dissolved into darkness, including Karma. Her mewing could still be heard, though.

"Karma?! Don't leave me!!" Aki frantically looked into the darkness, but saw nothing.

[Aki.]

She spun around, strands of tears flying into the blindness. Her brow furrowed as she tried to contemplate the sight. In front of her seemed to be a mirror image of herself. She warily approached the copy, confused at the image portrayed in front of her. Dark mist swirled around her and her double, bringing her closer. She stretched a hand out, hers touching the opposite.

[Aki.] She looked wiser than her, but not in an arrogant fashion.

"Who are you?" Aki's voice reverberated in the deep.

[You do not know me, but I do know you. Aki, you are letting your fear take advantage of you.] The copy did not speak, but Aki could hear her words loud and clear.

"Wh- what do you mean?" The copy's hand felt cold against hers.

[Loneliness. Day by day, I see it ebb away at you. It consumes you.] The copy's face started to change.

Aki gasped, but she could not move her legs nor divert her eyes from what stared back at her. Glowing red eyes, the gaunt dragon face.

[This is how you see yourself. Every fear that you have, every superstition has gone into his creation.]

"Are you saying it's my fault?"

[No.]

"Then, what are you trying to say?"

[He has been awakened by the boundaries of this world. The same applies to me as well.]

Aki hadn't thought of that before: Demons existed in Naruto's world, including inner demons. All of them were boundless except under certain circumstances, like the Seal of Kyubi. But in her case, it was sheer will that kept Sikuliah at bay. She was fighting herself all those years, and now being in the Naruto world, her demons could fight back. All too well.

[The reason for your self-torment is rather ironic.] Aki heard the copy's voice but still saw Sikuliah.

Both gave the answer; one feminine and sultry, the other cold and dark.

{[For you who fears not being accepted has not accepted.]}

"Huh?" She couldn't get it just yet.

{[You are rejected because you reject yourself.]}

"That ain't true. I'm rejected because no one likes me, or is too stupid to like me."

{[No one likes you because you don't like yourself as you are. You have been rejecting us for so long, and we had not the voice to cry out for help.]}

It all made sense to her like a clarifying wind. It was true. She had hated herself, abhorred, even. She had stitched up a mental image of herself from the insults she had harvested from her surrounding peers, much like how an anorexic sees themselves in the mirror and still think they're fat.

{[It is easy to fall, but with help,]} The two personas lifted up an offering hand, {[Standing up can be the greatest accomplishment to offer.]}

Aki looked down at the two hands, one smooth as velvet, the other clawed and scaly. Aki reached out, pulling her fingers back every time she drew near them like bug legs.

{[Do you accept us?]}

Aki closed her eyes, and took their hand(s). It felt strange. Her senses were confused between feeling silk and feeling leather, not deciding which one was true. The personas smiled, and everything just went black, but in a more comforting way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two menacing shadows crept up upon the wall of Mr. Tazuna's house. A goateed chin grinned as its thumb pushed the katana blade from its sheath. In a quick one- two, one wall had been destroyed, letting the two outside intrude. Tsunami heard this, and rushed to see what was going on. She screamed, backing away from the two bodyguards Gato had sent.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aki had not woken to the sound of crushing wood, nor the scream. It was the presence of familiar chakra that made her wake up in a snap.

(They're here! Shit!) She had remembered what was going on: Tsunami was going to be taken hostage.

She stood up quickly, but with the lack of chakra and sudden bloodflow, her vertigo returned. She pressed her hands to her head, stooping every few seconds to rid herself of it.

"What was that?" she heard a snaky voice demand.

Crap, the snowboarder hippie had heard her stumbling! Aki heard large footsteps, then suddenly the door to her room was slashed in half. Light blinded her, but she could tell who it was. It was the other bodyguard with all of the scars, his blade glistening in the light.

"Well, look who it is!" Aki crawled back into what little shadows were left, "The girl who kicked our asses back at Gato's place! Wonder if her skin is any good?" He brought his katana down in a diagonal line.

If Aki hadn't leapt back, she would've had her right breast hacked off. She tried to take a stance, but the drained state got to her. She fell to one knee. He swung his blade again, this time claiming flesh. Aki flew into the opposite wall, blood running down her arm.

"Aww, she's no fun!"

"C'mon, let's just kill the brat and take the mother."

(Mother? Oh no!) Aki pushed her foot against the wall to get up, but she just collapsed, gripping her upper arm.

Tying a piece of cloth tightly to her wound for pressure, she pulled herself up from the floor, and followed the voices talking sickly about Tsunami's skin. She fell off the step to the docks, groaning at the pain. She struggled to get up, but one step felt like it was taking all of her strength to do. She heard a suddenly thud of a fist meeting flesh, and realized Inari had just struck one of the bodyguards. Aki turned, and was suddenly met by the scarred guard ready to slice her in two. She replied, more automatic, with a roundhouse kick, sending him flying into his accomplice. They both flew back, landing hard on the docks.

"Why you--!" But before he could finish, and orange cannonball knocked him down.

"Naruto!"

He stood crouched alongside Aki, grinning smugly. The two guards shook their heads, and stood up, obviously pissed off as hell.

"Would you do the honors?" Aki bent an offering a hand forward.

"Don't mind if I do!" Naruto wiped out both guys point blank in less than two seconds.

After the words he gave Inari, he turned to face Aki. They both bowed heads, understanding without words.

"You better get going. I'll take care of here." Aki gripped her shoulder tightly.

Naruto nodded, and ran off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Inari couldn't ignore it. Not anymore.

"I'm goin'."

"What?! Inari, you can't!" Well, when you're threatened with you life not an hour ago, you tend to keep down. Tsunami was no exception.

"I have to." Inari was gathering his makeshift crossbow and helmet, heading to the door.

Tsunami wanted to argue against it, but something inside of her told her it was best not to interfere.

"Don't worry. I may not look tough, but I know how to fight." He winked, "And anyway, who would fight alongside me?" Inari sounded as though it was obvious he was alone.

"I would." Inari turned to face Aki, but she seemed different.

She stood upright, holding her staff at her side like a rifle. Her eyes didn't show fear, but courage and determination.

"You need all the help you can get. Our friends need it too." Inari nodded, and both left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Haku lay dead, a gaping hole in his chest where Kakashi's Chidori had punched out his heart. Sasuke's inert shape was full of senbon. Sakura's tears splattered against his bloody cheeks, but his eyes did not open.

Blood dripped down Kakashi's open chest wound, a kunai placed against Zabuza's jugular.

"This is good- bye." He spun two kunai between his fingers, "DEMON!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gato's men hoarded the end of the bridge against the fight. Gato stood in front, his black glasses gleaming in the midday sun. Soon they would be stained in his own blood.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zabuza bit off the bandages that covered his mouth, his jagged teeth clamped down on one of Naruto's kunai. He charged through the mass of fighters, all matter of sharp blades entering his body. He kept going, the image of a fog demon looming behind. He made it all the way to Gato, and in a scissors- like motion playing a centrifugal force on his body, he sliced off Gato's head with the kunai still implanted in his teeth. It bounced a couple of times before is rolled to a halt, blood trickling down the lenses. Zabuza turned to face Kakashi, his body full of katanas, kunai, scythes and daggers of many shapes and sizes. A steady waterfall of blood left his mouth as he fell to the ground.

The fighters turned to face a worn out Kakashi and a tired Naruto.

"Bastards! That was our lunch ticket!" Called one.

"Guess we'll have to kill them and pillage the town!!" suggested another.

"This…doesn't look good." Said Kakashi in a matter- of- fact one.

Naruto wanted to say, "No shit, Sherlock!", but now wasn't the time. Before they could charge, and small arrow plunged into the cement of the bridge.

"Inari?!" Naruto turned to see him supported by the entire town.

"Aki?!" Kakashi saw her standing beside Inari.

"The hero always comes in the nick of time, right?" He grinned like…well, a kid.

The fighters didn't care; they killed a hundred of people and they'd do more, that was for sure. They charged, bloodied weapons or not. (Terrible pun, eh?)

Naruto, thinking fast, performed the Kage Bushin no Jutsu, and many copies of himself lined up.

(I'm low on chakra, but they'll probably take a bluff.) Kakashi performed some hand seals fast, and dozens of shadow copies appeared, clogging the bridge of entering and leaving.

"Now's my part." Aki formed a hand seal, "Henge no Jutsu!"

In an instant, a giant red Japanese dragon appeared, flaming beryl eyes glaring at the halting fighters. She squalled at them, gnashing her sharp and powerful jaws at them. They chickened out, and ran away. The townspeople cheered, but Team 7 was not.

Aki turned back into herself, and watched as Kakashi placed a dying Zabuza next to the carcass of Haku. Frozen tears began to fall from the sky.

She started to walk towards the two, now departed shinobi, a silent tear streaking her face.

"It makes you wonder, doesn't it?" Her voice was dead and funeral- like.

Kakashi stayed silent, looking at her and the two water shinobi.

"Nobody is ever that heartless, even Gato is included in that. What was it like?" It was hard for her to contain herself.

"Living day to day, using someone as a tool whilst they admired you like a father, and you never gave that acknowledgment, just your silence." "How it must have felt to be betrayed by yourself to find everyone you've ever connected with is desecrated in front of your eyes. How it must have felt," Her voice grew softer, but sadder, "To be feared, and renowned for your childhood as a mass murderer who wasn't even considered a fighter at the time, and not being able to bond with anyone, only those who suffered as much as you did."

Her crystal- like tears mixed with the blood shed upon the stone, hardly able to hold anything in now. She put a hand to her face, her back jerking to every silent intake of breath between sobs.

"What made him think like he did?" She managed to whisper.

What was visible of Kakashi's face could dampen anyone's bright day. He came close to crying, too, at hearing Aki's philosophy. Inari and the others bowed their heads in condolence, but Sakura was crying for another reason.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Darkness…

Was he dead?

No, he could hear someone….

Sakura?

Light started to appear in the center of his vision. It focused on a pink blob that turned out to be Sakura.

"Sa…kura?" Sasuke had trouble talking.

"Sas...Sasuke?!"

He coughed.

"SASUKE!!" She grabbed him in a bear hug, sinking some of the needles deeper into his neck.

"GAK! Sakura, you're choking me!"

"Oh sorry!" Sakura let go.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Kakashi?" Aki saw his eye flutter.

He fell forward, from the loss of stamina, chakra and blood. He moaned weakly as Aki rushed over to him. He heard her say something like, "Goddamit, I can't lift him up!" before he gratefully took in the darkness.

Some time later, Kakashi's visible eye swiveled open, trying to take in what he could see too quickly.

"I see you're awake." Said the foggy silhouette looming above him.

"Aki?" He shivered slightly, "Hey, what the--?!"

His vest and shirt had been removed so that Aki could tend to his chest wound.

"Whoa, relax. You did yourself a number here." He felt a soaked rag wipe away at the excess blood.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aki was trying her damnest to keep her hand steady. Partly it was because of fear of doing something wrong, but the other was of the advantage she got healing him. Thankfully, she had mastered blushing, and was good at hiding it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kakashi heard the clink of ceramic on ceramic, and the next thing he felt was an explosion of pain. He jerked with gritted teeth, holding back a cry.

"It's gonna sting, I know. Just bear with me, please." Her hushed voice coaxed him to lie back down.

She placed the saturated cloth back on his wound. His fists curled sharply, but after a few seconds, they relaxed. She asked him to sit up so that she could dress the wound. He sat silently, hunched over as Aki's arms were constantly sticking out in front of him to catch the gauze that was being wrapped around his upper torso. She tied the knot and asked him to lie back down.

"Very forceful, doctor." He joked, smiling under his mask, which had been left untouched.

Aki chuckled as she pulled the blankets up on him.

"Try to get some rest now. I'll check on you later."

"What, you think I'm gonna run away? I should be telling you that!" He coughed from the pain.

"True. But I'm not the one who got slashed." Aki slid the door closed behind her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The completed bridge stood proud as a behemoth of connecting the two lands. Team 7 stood in front of Mr. Tazuna, their backpacks settled for the trip back home to Konoha. Naruto and Inari were giving their last words, ending with them saying that they weren't going to cry, but in the end, they did.

"Take care of Aki." Kakashi was a little unsure of the decision he had made, but he had made up his mind the previous night.

Tsunami nodded, holding Inari by the shoulder.

Kakashi waved good- bye as they left for the road.

"Kakashi- sensei, is anything the matter?" He looked up to Sakura.

"Hmm? Oh no, just thinking." His eye arched up cheerfully.

He was playing a façade; he was already going to miss Aki's face. Her tormented but cheerful persona was something he hadn't seen in his years as a Jounin.

(I'm gonna miss her.)

"Oy, scarecrow!" Kakashi's sight swerved up to the treetops.

Sitting in the boughs of the tree in a nonchalant manner was Aki.

"Thought you could sneak off without me, ey?" She jumped down, holding her staff at her side.

Kakashi sighed.

"The only way I'll keep you still is if I tied you up in chains and cuffed your feet to a block of cement."

Aki tilted her head.

"Oh, come on. You can think better than that! Anyways, seeing that you guys were leaving…"She weaved her fingers behind her back, balancing her staff against her shoulder, "I was thinking of…joining you guys!"

Naruto's face went nonplus, Sakura looked confused, Sasuke just stayed stone- faced and Kakashi was taken aback.

"Uh, come again?" Why did he say that?!

"You know, go back with you guys to Konoha! I'm from there, anyway." She shrugged her shoulders as if to say it was an obvious little tidbit of info.

Kakashi heaved another sigh.

"Well, there's not much I can do to prevent you from not coming along, I guess." Aki's face brightened.

"Come along!" He had a hand offered out to her.

She caught up with the four of them, and smiled a smile that had laid dormant inside of her for years.

But this was only the beginning….

END (?)