Naru: If you torment Mai anymore this chapter, we will have Problems.

Me: Now, Naru, I didn't know you cared that much! Besides, you'll be there for her soon.

Naru: …I don't care. But Mai does make the best tea and I need my daily caffeine intake.

Me: Why?

Sasuke: Because if he doesn't people suffer, of course.

Me: OMG! How in the world did you get here?

Sasuke: …I walked.

Me: Gah! You're so much like Naru it's not even funny!

Naru: Except he doesn't have a cat stalker.

Me: I could arrange that.

Sasuke: Do so at your own risk.

Me: Creepy sharingan eyes…

Sasuke: Hn.

Naru: What he means is, he's having an internal battle in which the side to maim you is winning.

Me: Okay…running away now. Take care of the disclaimers for me, will ya?

Sasuke: Hn. She definitely doesn't own me.

Naru: Or me. Or Mai. Because I own Mai. For tea purposes, of course.

Chapter Six: Sentiments

Mai's POV:

My heart thumped once. Twice. But it felt like everything else was moving so much faster. My breath caught in my throat and I almost gagged from the feeling in my stomach. It was more intense than I had ever imagined. The fear and pain hit me full force once Riku finished his story, filling me with a feeling of disdain and hate.

I realized, then, why Riku wanted so badly to get revenge. It was horrible…the time she saw in the animal shelter alone, not even counting the emotional anguish from beforehand. I snarled, not even realizing I had done so because it was so unlike me.

Riku watched me with quiet, dark eyes that slowly began brightening. When I looked up at him again, his eyes were gold. "You can feel it, can't you?"

I nodded, tears coming to my eyes.

"Don't be afraid. Help me get my revenge."

"No…revenge is wrong…"

"Perhaps. But this is my choice."

I couldn't feel anything else.

Naru's POV:

"If you're not going to help me, leave. I have enough to deal with without you constantly trying to trip me." I glared at the cat that was currently gnawing at my shoelaces as if they were actually edible, but it seemed to have no effect.

I sighed and took another look at the map before Lin called out to me.

"Naru! Blood!"

I rushed over to him and knelt down. Yes, there was indeed blood. Fresh, from the looks of it, if redness was anything to go by. Not that I put my face to the ground long enough to examine it.

Is she close? I wondered, straining my ears to pick up any sounds of moving foliage. I glanced down at my feet for a moment when I felt a tug on my pants. The strange cat now had a chunk of the fabric in his mouth and was tugging relentlessly. Sighing exasperatedly, I kneeled down and looked in the cat's coal eyes.

"Can you take me to her?" I asked quietly, staring into the dark orbs, looking for any signs of comprehension, however vague. Surprisingly, the cat gazed at me with understanding and took off into the underbrush.

"Lin! Follow me!" I called over my shoulder, not waiting for a response. I pushed through the thick bushes, able to spot traces of blood here and there as well as a few crushed twigs I would never have noticed unless I was looking specifically for anything out of place. Keeping pace with the shadowy feline, I soon found what I was looking for.

Normal POV:

Mai, or the creature that was once Mai, was lying quietly under a tree. There was a small pool of blood under her body, showing she had been there for a while. She wasn't moving except for a slight rise and fall of her back. She was curled up, her large claws in plain sight and her teeth hidden under a huge maw.

With her threatening features and coarse black fur, she almost looked beautiful. In a strange sort of way. Her tail was curled around her haunches, making her look almost at peace. But she was aware. He knew this for one simple reason; she attacked him.

Things suddenly moved very quickly for Naru. Lin rushed out of the brush and pierced the air with his whistle. His Shiki quickly targeted Mai and while some swarmed around her in her line of vision to distract her, others spun around her quickly, leaving behind a trail of white light that seemed to solidify.

Unfortunately, things never work out that easily. Mai swiped at the Shiki that were attempting to immobilize her, effectively dislodging the light rope and disabling one of the Shiki. Then somehow everything started slowing down when the irritating black cat came into Naru's view and jumped towards his chest.

Naru's POV:

My head was pounding as soon as I opened my eyes. Everything seemed brighter and I could see everything as sharply as if it were midday. I looked around more, ignoring the pain. I knew what I was searching for. That accursed black cat was surely the cause of this. Surely enough, I saw it. It was busy licking its paw while sitting on a high branch of a nearby tree.

"I am a she, you know."

I groaned, trying to stand up and didn't dignify her with a response. When I made it to my feet without regurgitating the contents of my stomach, I looked at her.

"Why are you up there?" I surprised myself with the lack of coldness in my voice, so I tried to follow it up with a glare. Unfortunately, it seems cats are immune to glares.

"Because from the way you're always acting, you might kick me if I get close enough." I rolled my eyes.

"I won't kick you. But looking up at you is making me ill."

If a cat could scoff…well this cat could. "That's what they all say. I'll be staying up here anyway, if you don't mind. And I'm sorry that my senses are completely superior to yours so much so that your feeble human mind can't handle the change."

I narrowed my eyes; hardly anyone has the gall to talk to me like that. But that's a cat for you. "I have no need to speak to you, then, if you are as superior as you say. You should be able to handle everything on your own."

"Unfortunately, my current body state requires that I borrow a physical form, seeing I have none."

"You're dead." It wasn't a question.

"Thank you, captain obvious."

Naru: Stupid cat…

Me: By the end of this, you be able to appreciate a feisty feline.

Naru: The only feisty individual I like is…

Me: We know!

Mai: Please, people! Review for god sakes so I can get out of this werewolf form!

Me: Bwahaha…I could do worse.

Mai: Try it. *wields a frying pan*

Me: *eep* But for the sake of this story…I won't.