A/N: I am re-vamping this. I stared this story when I was 18, and I'm 22 now. I hope to revamp and repost the entire thing and finish it up ASAP! It's just hard when you're finishing an AA degree in TV broadcasting and starting another in nursing.

Chapter One: Meet Tsubaki

Everyone in the world has at least one friend.

Everyone has some semblance of a family.

Everyone has…A speck of humanity.

Right?

Partially.

The idea that we are 'all human in the end' isn't entirely true. For some of us, the phrase 'being human' is something to be taken literal. Because sometimes, you can't actually 'be' human…when you're not.

Centuries ago, when men were no more than simple farmers and rogue samurai and the world was unorganized chaos, there lived ten great demons. Many knew them as the Bijuu, the beasts with the tails.

There was the One-Tailed Shukaku, Ichibi no Shukaku. A monstrous, raccoon demon who had regular bouts of 'insanity.'

The Two-Tailed Monster Cat, Nibi no Nekomata, the two tailed cat of fire who lived for the hunt.

The Three-Tailed Giant Turtle, Sanbi no Kyodaigame, a bloodthirsty and relentless killer who had forgotten the meaning of the word 'kindness.'

The Four-Tailed Monkey, Yonbi no Saru, a proud leader among his kind, with a bit of a temper to boot.

The Five-Tailed Dolphin Horse, Gobi no Irukauma, a strange and unheard of creature, but not an oddity among his demon brethren.

The Six-Tailed Slug, Rokubi no Namekuji, serene and calm, with a strange love of human music.

The Seven-Tailed Horned Beetle, Nanabi no Kabutomushi, fleet of foot and a great lover of nature and all who inhabited it.

The Eight-Tailed Giant Ox, Hachibi no Kyogyu, a strange, humorous creature who's fascination with humans bordered on unnatural.

The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, Kyuubi no Yoko, who's hatred of humans could rival the Hachibi's love of them, and one of the most powerful of all the tailed beasts.

Then there was the final beast; this one bore no tails, and was therefore considered weak and powerless. A master of the water element, she was called, simply, 'Tsubaki,' a name given to her by her fellow Bijuu upon the day of her creation. Tsubaki was a dog demon, otherwise known as an Inu Youkai, and unlike many of her tailed counterparts, she did not harbor an intense hatred, or even a small amount of dislike, for the humans who inhabited the earth.

She seemed to be…fond of them, in fact.

Tsubaki spent many hundreds of years observing her brethren and their contempt for mankind. And after centuries of watching their hatred manifest and fester, she began to grow weary of her fellows.

It was only then that she decided that perhaps a change of pace was in order.

Tsubaki, in her love and fondness for the humans, had taken to watching voer village after village, observing the inhabitants and fawning over the simple and relatively carefree lives they'd been afforded. She longed to have such a life for herself, instead of the endless, unyielding centuries that lay behind and ahead of her.

So Tsubaki sealed herself away.

Never in the history of demon-kind had such a thing occurred, and her fellows were greatly angered by her decision to subject herself to the baser life-forms. What could she possibly gain from such an act?

But Tsubaki was unconcerned with the wallowing of the Bijuu hoard, and instead, focused on nurturing the life and spirit of the child whom she had sealed herself in.

Kimiko Mitsuko.

The girl's father had been a prominent member in a decade old ninja clan in one of the Hidden Villages. His wife had been a civilian. Tsubaki had, upon her decision, consulted with the human clan to request their permission to use one of their daughters as a vessel. Mitsuko was offered to her immediately, and the clan rejoiced at the idea of having a demon in their midst, one who could be utilized in their war against the other Hidden Villages.

However, no matter how the fortunate this may have seemed to the clan, it was anything but to the village.

Their leader, upon realizing what had transpired, immediately ordered the destruction of the child and the demon who was sealed inside of her. The girl was an abomination, a monster, and she could never be allowed to live, or hope to live, normally.

The clan immediately bent to the will of their kage, but Mitsuko's father was nothing if not a loyal and loving parent, and on the night when her execution was scheduled to be enacted, he stole her away from the village and into the wilderness.

By this time, the child was no more than four, and had grown accustomed to the strangeness her 'condition' afforded her. But when she was stolen by her father in the middle of the night and promptly left in the wilderness to fend for herself, her mind was not yet developed enough to understand that this act of betrayal was the act of a savior.

She was alone.

Almost.

Tsubaki had retained her consciousness within the child, and with her power, and her mind, she reached out to the child, and gently took the girl under her proverbial wing.

It was Tsubaki who became her mother and her father. And it was Tsubaki who taught her to live.

To fight.

To survive.

With the power inherited from the great demon sealed inside of her, Mitsuko lived a life alone, unknowingly secluding herself permanently away from other humans. The idea of meeting others like herself was there, but she had no drive to ever do so.

And thus, Mitsuko became a demon.

Kick.

A leg extended.

Block.

An arm shot up to block an shimmering opponent.

Punch.

A fist shot forward with lightning speed.

Spin.

A wide arc, a fluid circle.

Flip.

Strong arms flinging her end over end.

Good, very good. That's enough for today, my little one.

Mitsuko stared down at the dissipating water clone with a small smile. It was nice being able to summon clones. It gave her someone to spar with. Not that she was ever alone, and granted, fighting yourself was rather creepy, but still, it was better than nothiner.

You think so? Thanks. So, what is it about today? Why do you seem so happy? Is there something you aren't telling me?

Perhaps, the voice laughed. But you'll have to wait and see. Now, let us go and gather our belongings. It's time to go.

Go? She questioned back, unsure of where they would be headed. What do you mean 'go?' I like it fine right where I am. I don't see why we have to 'go' anywhere.

Mitsuko could've sworn the demon shook her head.

It doesn't matter. It's time you lived with your own kind, or at least, see how they live. There is a village 130 miles north of here. I believe it is called Konoha. We will set out for it shortly.

Mitsuko snorted, cresting the rise that led to her small cottage. I don't need anyone. Just me and you. That's all. How do you even know about that village? It's not like you or I have ever been there.

Tsubaki cursed under her breath, prompting a frown from Mitsuko. Because…There's something I must confirm…Something that has been nagging me for some time now. Please understand, child. I cannot quite…discern what it is from this distance, but I am confident that once we reach the village, I will be able to find my answers. And just because you're only fifteen doesn't mean I am too. You know I'm centuries old, right?

Che. I guess so, Mitsuko conceded. But I don't like this idea. Like, at all. It's stupid. How long will we be there?

Usually you'd put up more of a fight than that, girl. Glad to see you;'ve finally grown a brain in that head of yours.

Yeah, well, you're part of that 'head of mine' so what does that say about you?

Insolent pup.

Whatever. How long?

Not long, Tsubaki conceded as Mitsuko trudged towards the cabin to pack what sparse belongings she owned. I promise.