Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Our Lives in the Hurricane Chronicles ❯ Chapter 22

"And I can’t fake it… the way I could before…" –Stacie Orrico (Stuck)
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The definition of a hangover is the sum of distasteful physiological effects following the heavy consumption of drugs and/or alcoholic beverages. An alcoholic hangover is associated with a variety of symptoms. These symptoms could include dehydration, tiredness, headaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, physical weakness, increase of body temperature, anxiety, irritability, sensitivity to light and noise. Many people could also be sickened by the thought or taste of alcohol during a hangover. In rare cases, symptoms may become so bad that the person may need to be treated at a hospital.

I know the consequences of drinking alcohol like I know the sky is blue and the sun is hot. Living with a constant drunk for over a year made it impossible not to know what happens after drinking. I believe that I am lucky. My hangover is not as bad as how my uncle had it. So far, I only had physical weakness, nausea, and sensitivity to light and noise. But then again, I did just wake up a moment ago. Now, I am trying to block out the stupid sun and the mindless chirping of seagulls. Goddamn seagulls... And just why were the birds so far from the shore? Aren't I in that one seer's home?

I groaned as I turned over. My body feels so depressed and depleted. My brain feels like it’s screaming, demanding that it be released from its skull prison. I've never felt this way... This feeling–these feelings are the worst. I could feel the heat from the sun, warming my already heated body. Sweat–it feels as if a bucket of warm water was splashed all over. I want to die...! Why, oh why did my other half have to drink alcohol?!

I heard the door open, but I am too tired to look to see who it was. That… and I'm afraid the sun will melt my fragile eyes. "Are you up yet, Yaya-chan?" a male voice asked. I grumbled angrily, hoping to scare the person. They were talking way too loud! I seriously wanted to kill that loud noise. I heard the person–probably Neji, judging from what he called me–slowly, and painfully loud, come closer to my weary body. "Ah, you are up. How are-"

"Shut up...!" I snapped, instantly silencing him. It was quiet after that. Ah... Peaceful, quiet moments like these is what hanged over people desire more than anything. A scoff nearly shattered my eardrum.

“So you are able to become like this, Yaya-chan?” he spoke with such smugness that I wanted to rip out his precious voice box. Haha… Hiei… that cute little demon. Anyway, Neji doesn’t seem to realize that I will kill him if he makes another noise. I voiced my threat–I mean, promise–yet he only scoffed again. “I’d like to see you try.”

He said this, and yet he still looked surprised that I tackled him to the floor.

Rule number three hundred and eighty-five: If you’re going to mock someone, be prepared for retaliation. I thought everyone knew that rule. Apparently, though, Hyuga Neji did not. He pushed me off him, causing me to bump my head against the floor. That didn’t feel good at all. I curled up and clutched my throbbing head. “Why must I be treated like I’m not having a hangover…?!” I groaned. That douche actually had the nerve to chuckle… CHUCKLE!

“I’m sure you can handle it,” he spoke in a much more quiet voice, but it was still slightly painful. He chuckled again as I tried to swipe at him with my nails. But because I’m in such a weak condition, Neji merely danced out of the way. Danced…? Nah, I have to be imagining that! “We are on the boat back to the mainland. You were still… incapacitated at the time, so you were carried here. We will arrive in Konoha tomorrow night.”

“That long…?!” I nearly cried, only because my head starting throbbing again. “W-Water…! Gimmie water…!”

“I’m afraid I don’t have any water with me,” Neji answered. My body seemed to go limp at that information. “But-” I almost perked up. “-You are welcome to all the water around us.” I gave him a half-hearted glare–since I was so weak–and tried to kick him, but he danced out of the way again.

“You know what…?” I told him. “That’s why people think you’re gay!” Despite not understanding what I had said, Neji still chuckled. Man, he needs to stop that chuckling. Maybe he is really gay…

A sharp pain in my head caused me to grab it and recoil. “Yaya-chan…?” Neji sounded concerned. I only groaned again, probably not succeeding in oppressing his wariness. I felt myself being lifted. “You need more rest,” he said as he laid me back on the bed. “Tenten and I do not want to return our client to Konoha ill.” Speaking of gay…

“Where is she? Where is Ten-chan?”

“She’s… outside on the deck. She usually paces when she’s worried about someone,” Neji told me. “Would you like me to… get her for you?” His question sounded almost hesitant.

“No, no...!” I hurriedly answered. Neji probably looked at me in confusion. Usually, I would jump at the chance to speak with the weapon’s mistress. Mistress… Why do people call her that? “But I do need water and food. This hangover won’t go anywhere if I don’t have some to quell the symptoms.” He nodded his head and left quickly, leaving me to my thoughts.

My eyes had still not adjusted to the light of the new day, so I hastily placed the pillow over my head again. It seems as if my mind has gone blank. This will probably last a few more seconds. I’m one of those types who think about important things slowly. So when it comes, it’s quite a–OMG! TENTEN’S GAY!

Mentally, I began hyperventilating. This was… not supposed to happen! I would have never suspected that she… swung that way! There was no indication that she was gay in any of the fanfics that I’ve read. How am I supposed to react to this?! Especially since I seem to be her one and only target… OMG! TENTEN’S GAY AND SHE’S AFTER ME AND MY BODY!!! If someone were to read my mind, they would find out that I am clinically insane.

Okay, it’s not like I’m a homophobe. Far from it, actually. I believe that I have a very open mind. With this mind, I’m surprised that certain things actually shock me anymore. But I digress… I am not a homophobe. It’s just… unexpected, that’s all. I breathed out slowly, trying to calm my thoughts before that spiraled out of control. They do that sometimes… “Tenten is not fully gay.” She likes both men and woman. She could reach down in someone’s pants and not care what’s down there, that all. That… sounded weird… And it’s not doing much to settle my mind down.

I took more steady breaths.

Really, the only reason I’m so worked up in the first place is because I’m disappointed. As a fan of the show, I was also a fan of the NejixTen pairing. To hear that they had already been together and one of them turned out to be gay–I mean… bisexual–is not pleasing to the ears. Disappointment… That is what I am feeling. Nothing more, nothing less. Poor Hyuga Neji–his destiny is not tied with Tenten after all. There would probably never be a person hailed as Hyuga Tenten. Oh, the horror…! Tenten will never have a last name!

I chewed my bottom lip nervously.

How would I react if and when she approaches me? Those grueling hours of Relationships class never prepared me for something like this. For someone who has never been in this type of predicament, this was all so… weird. I have no idea how to handle this. No one had ever approached me in this way, so I can’t pretend she’s just a random guy. It seems as though I am in a fanfiction, and yet I can’t use that to my advantage either. The only things I’ve read were humorous, romantic stories. There was never drama like this involved.

Groaning, I turned over so that I was facing the wall.

I don’t want to hurt Tenten. She is my friend. She is a very close friend of mine. In fact, I think of her as another sister, not related by blood. Maybe I should tell her that… Would she be less upset if I told her something like that? Tears are not something I usually see. If I see her cry, I’m not sure what I’d do. Then again, I don’t think Tenten is the type to cry because of rejection. Rejection…

I pulled the covers over my entire body.

That is something… that I’ve had to deal with most of my life. Different times and from different people, I have suffered rebuff. It is not a pleasant experience to have, and yet it is what has made me stronger. Yasume was help with it, but… it hurt so much each time. I wonder if Tenten has been refused before by anyone. She is very pretty, beautiful even. Thinking about it, I realize that Tenten is quite the catch. Any man–or woman in this case–would be a fool to deny her. But I’m different, aren’t I? First off, I am not attracted to a woman’s body. But then again… Am I even attracted to a man’s body? I’ve never really thought about neither man nor woman; not in that way, at least. I suppose that makes me a child still, doesn’t it?

I wrapped my arms around myself.

All this time, I’ve felt that I had to grow up fast… And yet I somewhat still have this child-like mentality. I have grown, but yet I haven’t. It suddenly dawned on me that I would never be more than friends with… anyone. I will not have a lover, a husband, or a ‘freak on the side,’ as Granny Theresa liked to say. It will not happen. I will not experience that type of love, will I?

I chuckled mirthlessly as I curled my legs.

I knew that I was messed up because of the things that happened to me, but… I didn’t realize that it was this bad. My past haunts me to this day. It won’t allow me to move on. I can’t move on… not even in a new world. A relationship–besides friendship–would never work out between Tenten, and anyone for that matter. The sad thing about it is that I am content with this. I’m not sure why. All I know is that love is not an option for me. I’ve never even thought about it before–not really–not for myself. Could I ever have true happiness caused by another?

I scoffed.

I sure could sound emo if I tried, couldn’t I?

There was a quiet knock at the door, yet I grumbled because it sounded as if someone was trying to kick the door in. The knock grew louder, causing me to growl. “FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! WHAT PART OF MASSIVE HANGOVER DO YOU PEOPLE NOT UNDERSTAND?!” I screamed, which is why I now have a massive headache along with my massive hangover. Clutching my head, I almost cried. It hurt so much…! The door opened–well, I’m assuming that that’s what I heard–and I peeked from behind the covers. Pale eyes stared back at me, causing me to reel back, thus hitting my head on the wall. “Jesus Christ, Neji…! Double my pain why don’t ya?!”

Neji merely rolled his eyes at my complaints and pain. “I did not know where your head was,” he muttered. Oh, okay…! That was some apology! And bull crap! This dude had the hackin’ Byakugan! ‘Did not know where your head was’, my ass…! “Anyway, I am sorry for-”

“It’s too late to apologize…!” I sang, and then frowned. Neji’s shoulders slumped and he sighed as if he were tired of my antics. I noticed that he held a tray of food and water. I forced my body not to pounce on the unsuspecting Hyuga. Instead, I scooted back so he could set the tray of food down on the bed. He did so immediately. He must’ve so the wild look at my eyes as I stared down at the food. Neji sighed again as I picked up a rice ball, which was shaped as a triangle. I never did understand why they called them rice balls.

“You are so weird…” he muttered, sitting next to me on my bed–assuming that it was my bed. He had succeeded in halting my chewing. That was rare. Usually, no one could even if they tried. I stared down at the bitten rice ball, which was in my hands, for a moment.

“Do you think…? I could ever be… un-weird?” I asked. I could feel his eyes on me, but I did not try to return his stare. That was a ridiculous question to ask. No wonder the guy is silent. “Well, I mean… do I act like a child would? I don’t act my age, do I?”

“… I agree that you do not act your age,” Neji replied, somewhat cautiously. “But not like a child. You know too much to behave like a child. You are not naïve about the world.” His words made me feel better, but I still had to question them. Perhaps it was to hear more consoling words.

“Just because someone is knowledgeable about some things, doesn’t make them an adult in mind,” I retorted.

“A child-like nature and naivety are one in the same. You are not naïve, so you are not child-like,” I could almost sense him shrug. “Eat.” I complied with a nod of my head. After I wolfed down two more rice balls, I drank some of the water. The water would carry the alcohol in my body until it is drained, so that’s why I needed a lot of water. It helped to clear the toxins from my body. Stupid Yasume… “Why did you ask?” I set the water bottle–I’m guessing that this wooden container is one, anyway–on the tray.

“I am… inexperienced when it comes to… certain things,” I told him. I don’t know why I felt suddenly nervous.

“Everyone is amateurish at some point in their lives. It’s natural,” Neji spoke as if he knew it all. He actually sounded quite wise at the moment.

“This is different,” I stated, shaking my head. “Someone my age should want it, or at least think about it every so often! But because I don’t, I feel as if I’m still a child in mind. Hell, I can barely understand the reasoning behind it other than the obvious!”

“What exactly are you inexperienced at?” I cringed at his blunt question. “What don’t you want or think about? What is it?” I pursed my lips together as I stared at my knees. I had pulled them up in a bent position as I ate the rice balls. “Yaya-chan… As I said before, you can tell me anything, anything at all.” I’m guessing that he feels it’s the least he can do after what happened when we were younger. I am so over that. But Neji is an okay guy to talk to when he’s guilt-stricken, so I won’t say anything for a while. Does that make me vicious? In my own twisted way, yes it did.

I turned to Neji to see that he was staring at me as well. “Tell me–I… want–oh, this is ridiculous! Why do I feel like my stomach is about to come outta my mouth?” Neji looked almost as disgusted as I felt.

“Yaya-chan, it’s okay. You’re fine,” he sighed. “Tell me what it is that is causing you to believe you are a child.”

I blinked at his apparent enthusiasm. Okay, so it wasn’t apparent, but I could see traces! Did Neji enjoy the talks we had or something. I, for one, find most of them to be quite silly. “Tell me about… sex,” I didn’t want it to sound like an order, but it ended up sounding like that, anyway. I studied Neji’s facial expression. He hadn’t changed to react to what I had said. So I took it upon myself to clarify what I meant. “I know what it’s for. I mean, duh–I learned it already. It’s for producing offspring! That’s the original idea behind it.” Neji had yet to speak, so I continued. “What I want to know is why people do it and think about. I heard that guys think about it at least eighty-five percent of the time. Is that true, Neji Meji? Why is that? What does sex feel like? Why does everyone want to do it all the time, but not want kids? I just don’t understand.” As I spoke, I noticed that Neji finally changed his expressions. The emotions that passed his features went from blank to embarrassment to calm, and to blank again. I tilted my head slightly. Neji sucked in air. It almost sounded as if he were wincing because he fell and scrapped his knee, like Peter Griffin did on Family Guy. Man… Now that was one funny show.

“Yaya-chan…” Neji finally spoke. He had snapped me out of my daydream of Peter Griffin. Oh, I remember when he did that parody of the MC Hammer song! Heehee…!

“Yes?” I asked, hoping that I wouldn’t get distracted again.

“Remember when I said that you could tell me anything? Anything at all?”

“Of course, you said it about a minute ago.”

“Well-” a pause, “-I lied.”

“Oh.”

I blinked again. It would seem as though a blanket of awkward silence had covered us. “But… could you tell me? How is it?” I asked. Neji looked away from me. I noticed that his neck, which was not hidden by his long hair–had turned pink. Was he… blushing? “I’ve never had experience with it, nor have I been intimate in that way with someone before.” I saw that Neji had covered his face with his hands.

“I guess you were always this way when it came to something like this,” he muttered. “You didn’t even know what a sign of affection was.” I frowned, wondering how the heck he found out that I didn’t know what it was back then. “What made you think of these questions, anyway? Something had to trigger them, right?”

“Um… Like I said before, I’ve never been in a touchy-feeling type of relationship. I’ve only had friendships,” I began. “Suddenly, out of nowhere, someone tells me that they like me as more than a friend! More…!” I rubbed my head as I stressed the word ‘more’. “The whole thing was unexpected and all so… new to me. I don’t know how to deal with something like this.”

“Tenten.”

“I did not even say her name…!” I stated, defensively. “You’re jumping to conclusions! I didn’t say it was her!” Neji merely snorted and told me that it was obvious that it was her. Damn Neji and his observation skills! He crossed his arms and closed his eyes.

“I knew that this would happen sooner or later… I knew she was after you for this from the beginning,” Neji muttered.

“Nani…?! And you didn’t tell me?!” I half-heartedly shoved his shoulder. Neji was not fazed by my ‘attack’ at all. “What… should I do, Neji?”

“Do you… like her?” he asked. I could feel myself gasp at the very notion that I wouldn’t like her.

“If I didn’t like her, we wouldn’t be friends! Why would you even ask that?!” I asked, slightly angered. Friendship is something I value a great deal, after all. Neji stared blankly at me, and then sighed. His hand clamped down on my head.

“Now I see why my teammates are sometimes annoyed by me,” he said with a small smile.

“Eh…?”

“Mine-chan, you up ye-” At the sound of the familiar voice, I turned towards the door. Neji most likely did the same. Standing there, with a hand still on the doorknob, Tenten stared at us with her mouth ajar. She looked similar to the way I look when I see a buffet of–free–food, which is akin to a deer caught in headlights. “Oh, I guess you’re feeling fine, then…” Tenten stood up straight. She looked relieved, but slightly upset, too. “Glad to see that Neji-kun is keeping you company, Mine-chan.” I felt Neji almost instantly take his hand away from my head. “And you also got food, too. That’s good.” Although she said this with a smile, I couldn’t help but notice the sudden tenseness in the air.

“Ah… yes…” I drawled out. I crawled off the bed and sat on the floor. “My head still hurts, though, so could you please keep your voice the way it is? That would really be great.”

“Oh, of course,” she lowered her voice, anyway. I mentally shrugged, and then grabbed another rice ball from behind me. Neji and Tenten did not speak. The entire room was in an uncomfortable silence.

“This trip is going to be so awkward…” I thought, looking up towards the ceiling. I sighed heavily before I took a bite out of the rice ball.
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I felt her slowly shifting on my back. She was finally waking up. A sharp intake of breath caught my ears. “Sasuke…?!” I felt her head lift from my shoulder. I smirked.

“If you weren’t so into cats, I’d call you a bloodhound,” I told her. She did not chuckle or laugh. I suppose that means she’s trying to remember what happened to her.

“Is something wrong with my eyes?” she finally asked.

“No, not really. There are just scars there that haven’t fully healed yet. Nakatsu said that you needed further treatment in here,” I answered. “Don’t worry, he promised that you wouldn’t have those scars on your eyes your entire life.”

Mayu had been struck in the face several times by her uncle. His ‘claws’ had managed to made contact. The technique that he used on her was similar to the Inuzuka’s jutsu with their dog partners. It seemed liked the only difference was Ishikari Mori had a cat partner. I wonder if Mayu could do the same technique. But then again, she didn’t use it in battle. That must be another thing she hasn’t mastered yet. I felt Mayu’s arms wrap around my neck. She chuckled lightly, which made me smile. “Yeah, I wouldn’t want Sai-chan calling me Scar from now on,” she said. “Where are Nakatsu-kun and Sai-chan, anyway?”

I glanced at the two in front of me. It was odd that the two hadn’t looked back yet. “They haven’t noticed that you’re up yet,” I said.

“Seriously…? That’s strange…” Mayu muttered. She took the words right out of my head. “Anyway, where’s my uncle?” That’s when I noticed that both Nakatsu and Sai flinched when her question was asked. So that’s it, huh? Thos cowards want me to be the one who explains to Mayu what happened to her uncle. Even though they couldn’t see, I bared my teeth at them. Like I really wanted to tell Mayu what’s going on with her messed up uncle…! I inwardly sighed.

“Your uncle… is not here now,” I replied in a whisper. Her grip on me tightened. “He could not be convinced to return with us. Gomennasai...” She was silent for a few moments.

“Oh, I see…” she spoke softly.

“MAYU-CHAN…!” that excited cry caused me to turn towards my other teammates. Nakatsu was running towards us with tears of joy in his eyes. He looked as if he were about to embrace me…! “YOU’RE FINALLY AWAKE!” I’m surprised that the nurse that was guiding us to a room didn’t tell him to shut up.

“Don’t you dare, Nakatsu!” I halted his frolicking by just my voice alone. Well, actually, Sai grabbed the back of his shirt, preventing him from moving. I’ll never admit this out loud, but I am very grateful to the quiet ninja of my team.

Nakatsu visibly pouted that he was held back. I felt my eyebrow twitch. “Those bastards really did wait until I told her!” I thought, glaring at them. They didn’t seem to care.

“I am glad that you have awakened, Jester,” Sai smiled although Mayu could not see.

“Thanks, you guys. I really appreciate your concern,” Mayu responded. “But how long have I been out? I’m guessing we’ve left Haku.”

“Yeah. In fact, we’re on our way to a hospital room. I don’t think you need to stay overnight, but just in case there’s still pain in your legs or torso, there’s a bed, so no worries,” Nakatsu answered. The three of us started following the nurse again. Luckily, she had stopped when Sai and Nakatsu came towards me.

Mayu huffed. I bet she felt embarrassed that it took her so long to wake up. She sighed heavily. “Did you guys go to the Hokage first?” she asked.

“No, we wanted to get you checked in first. After that, Nakatsu and Sai will go report to the Hokage, I’ll stay here with you,” I told her. I felt her nod her head.

We traveled in calmness for a few more moments before the nurse finally stopped at a door. She ushered us in and told me to lay Mayu down on the bed. I did it without complaint. She, the nurse, then told us that she would be back later with a doctor. She left the room, leaving us in silence. I took this time to survey the surroundings. Apparently, they stuck her in a double room. There was a curtain splitting up the room. Mayu got the side without the window. She wouldn’t be able to see, anyway. There was one stool next to the bed Mayu was currently on. Good, I’m a little tired from carrying her weights. Even though I was used to them by now, they were still heavy.

“Alright, now that you’re settled in, we’re going to go and give the report,” Nakatsu stated. A few hand signs later, Sai and Nakatsu had left, leaving behind ink and wind. I sighed as I sat down on the stool. Mayu had yet to start speaking to be me, so for about five minutes it was silent. I noticed that her breathing had become steady, but she wasn’t sleeping.

“You trying to sleep?” I asked. She groaned lightly and replied with a no. “Wanna talk about something?” Really, I did not feel like talking about anything right at this moment. But if Mayu felt more comfortable speaking, then I would do so for her sake. She shook her head in response. She must’ve not have felt like talking either. I stared at her form. Her hands were clutching the sheets of the bed for some reason. Why, I wonder. I looked up, towards her face and noticed the wetness of the bandages wrapped around her eyes. I felt my eyes go wide when I realized what was going on.

Mayu… was crying.

This reminded me of the first time she got hurt. I had told her that the Third had died and she just started blubbering like a child who had lost their favorite toy. She had been so upset that the village had lost their leader. Back then, she didn’t even know she came from this village. She thought she was from somewhere else, but she still cried. I narrowed my eyes as I continued to watch her. Thinking on the subject more I realize that maybe her tears were unconsciously falling. I mean, in reality, she really did come from Konoha and so somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew she was supposed to feel the sadness from the Third’s death. Mayu seems so complex to me sometimes.

Without another thought, I placed my hand on her wrist. Her head turned towards me, but I didn’t give her time to speak. With a quick yank, I successfully pulled her into my lap. She whimpered lightly, probably at the sudden change of position. She didn’t try to fight back, though. She, instead of hitting me, grabbed a handful of my shirt. She pressed her head against my chest. I imagine that she is still hurting. I wrapped one arm around her waist. My free hand had begun to unwrap the bandages from her eyes. As I thought, there were tears. Without the bandages holding them back, they flowed freely down her cheeks. I mentally sighed.

I truly hated it when she cries.

Mayu continued to silently cry as I absentmindedly stroked her hair. She doesn’t show these type of emotions much, so I sometimes forget that she’s sensitive. Mayu had never cried this much before. Her uncle is causing her so much pain. And now there’s a chance that they won’t ever see each other again. Will I ever see that look of pure happiness from Mayu again? I closed my eyes and tried to remember that look. She was so… beautiful. When it comes to her, I want nothing more than to cause that look on her face to happen. I pulled her body closer to mine. “More than anything…” I thought, pressing my lips against her forehead–her headband was safely hidden in her bag. She most likely is too absorbed with crying to notice.

“Sasuke…”

Or so I thought…

“My ribs… still hurt, so could you loosen up, please?” Mayu asked. I opened my eyes to see that she was now wiping the tears from her face. I pulled away from her.

“Anything for you, your majesty,” I replied, sarcastically. I placed her back on the bed as I said this.

“Damn straight,” she muttered as she turned her back to me. She still looked as if she was wiping at her face. Before I could ask if she was alright–even though I knew she wasn’t–the sound of the door opening caught my attention.

“Naruto…?” I thought as I turned towards the opening door.

Sure enough, my former teammate walks into the room along with his girlfriend, Hyuga Hinata. Naruto blinks as if he was surprised to see my face. But I guess he would be. I’ve been out of the village for a while. Actually, I don’t believe we’ve been around one another for long since that mission with Orochimaru. My eyes quickly scanned over Naruto. I’m not surprised that he had multiple bandages, band-aids, and other medical treatment items on him. He most likely was training too hard again. “SASUKE…!” he shouted, pointing a finger. And exactly when did I start calling this loudmouth my best friend?

“Naruto…?!” Mayu had sat up.

“Mayu-san…!” Hinata also pointed a finger. I’m guessing she’s hanging about her boyfriend too long. Coming from the Hyuga clan, she should know that it was rude to point. The girl blushed and put her arm down, becoming conscious of her mistake.

“HINATA-CHAN…!” Mayu squealed and jumped off the bed. I guess she forgot about her hurting ribs. She managed to take both Naruto and Hinata down even though her initial target was the girl.

As one could have guessed, Naruto started howling in pain. But as it turns out, he was ignored. Mayu and Hinata were now too busying talking and giggling with one another. Naruto finally gave up with a sigh. He moved over to me, grumbling something about ‘stealing his girl’. “When did you guys get back?” he asked.

“Just a few minutes ago,” I answered, turning to face him. “What happened to you?” He chuckled nervously while rubbing the back of his head.

“Training accident…”

“I knew it.”

“Sh-Shut up!”

“So this is your room?”

“Yeah, my bed’s on the other side.”

“I guess this is our side, then.”

“Oh, one of you got hurt?”

“Yeah, it was Mayu.”

“Doesn’t look hurt to me…!” he turned to glare at Mayu’s back.

“Yeah… She’s weird like that.”

“I can hear you!”

Mayu and Hinata had finally gotten off the floor. “So you’re feeling better?” I asked. Mayu’s frown turned into a thoughtful expression. She said that her body felt better, making my eye twitch, but her eyes stung a little. Hinata began to exam Mayu’s eyes with her Byakugan turned on. She commented on the scratches and the redness of her eyes. But the redness was most likely from her crying earlier.

“They seem to be healing quite nicely, Mayu-san, quickly, too,” Hinata remarked, turning her advanced bloodline off. “Do you have a medic on your team?”

“Yeah, I guess Nakatsu-kun started to heal them up,” Mayu shrugged.

“Actually, Nakatsu didn’t want to risk doing something wrong with your eyes, so Haku put some type of cream on them,” I corrected. Mayu shrugged again, realizing that I was probably right.

A thinking look crossed Mayu’s features. Her eyes looked from Naruto, Hinata, and me. They darted back and forth between the three of us. Hinata finally asked her if something was wrong, but Mayu didn’t answer. She, instead, closed her eyes and seemed to be thinking about something. It seemed like she was trying hard to remember something that happened between Naruto, Hinata, and I. Being around her so long, I could tell what’s going on in her head… sometimes, at least. “Ah…!” she suddenly hit her palm with her fist. Whatever it was, she finally remembered. She moved towards me and sat me down on the bed. I only blinked in surprise as she did the same to Hinata and Naruto. They looked equally surprised and confused. She sat down on the stool that I had been sitting on earlier. “You three know something and I want to know, too.”

“Right… what is it?” Naruto asked. Mayu breathed deeply, causing one of my eyebrows to rise. I had no idea what she could possible want to know that the three of us knew. I didn’t really know Hinata that well, so it’s not like we had a secret together.

“Okay, I’m going to say a name to see what your reactions are,” Mayu stated. She was beating around the bush like she was scared of it, or something.

“Just get on with it, already! You’re making me nervous!” Naruto voiced his irritation.

“Naruto-kun…!” Hinata lightly scolded her boyfriend. “Speak whenever you’re ready, Mayu-san.”

“Okay… The name is…” she began. “Takeshi-sama.”

I really tried to hold back my reaction. Really, I did, but when she said that, I couldn’t help but think ‘oh shit’. Judging from the smug look on Mayu’s face, Naruto and Hinata had not hidden their reactions well either. So the fox’s out of the bag now, huh? Get it? I said ‘fox’ instead of ‘cat’ because Takeshi is a–ok, I feel like an idiot now… “So you met him?” I asked.

“Yes, but what I want to know is how you,” her eyes focused on Hinata. “And you-” her eyes were now directed to me. “Know what the Kyuubi’s real name is.” She stared at us like she was actually expecting an answer. I sighed mentally. I might as well tell her, I guess. I’m guessing that she met Takeshi when she and Naruto switched bodies on that earlier mission.

Her demand was met with silence. I suppose it wouldn’t be fair if Hinata started. As it turns out, Naruto and I were the first to find out the demon’s actual name. “While I was with Jiraiya and Naruto on our training journey, something happened to Naruto,” I began. It wasn’t really my place to tell, so the dope better speak up soon. He had already told Hinata about the Kyuubi. That’s the reason he was all upset when we returned to Konoha after almost three years. Hinata had somehow been summoned to his cage while she was sleeping beside Naruto. The reason I know this is because I’m his best friend. Naruto tells me nearly everything.

“During our trip with Ero-sennin, Sasuke and I were talking about the Kyuubi’s chakra…” Naruto continued where I had left off. “When we first talked about it, I didn’t know that much. It was when Sasuke suggested that I start actually understanding the chakra that I got more information. That’s also when Ero-sennin started training me to control the demon chakra.” I looked over to Naruto. His eyes were on the floor and there was a frown on his face. I’m guessing he’s still upset over what happened. I turned my attention to Mayu, who was frowning lightly.

“One day, Jiraiya took his training a little too far,” I said. My teammate gave me an inquisitive look, wanting me to go on. “Up until this day, Naruto had semi-control over the chakra. The first stage of using the demon’s chakra was fairly easy to control for Naruto. It was when he formed the demon fox’s cloak and starting gaining more than one tail that the training became harder and more intense. On this day, Naruto had succeeded in gaining the fourth tail…” I closed my eyes, remembering that horrid day where Naruto completely transformed. “Unlike the first three tails, he had absolutely no control over his body. I know now that when Naruto is in that form, his body is under the control of the Kyuubi and Naruto is in the cage.” Mayu gaped, but she did not speak. I opened my eyes and continued. “In this form, he attacked both me and Jiraiya. Although a Sanin, he could do little to control Naruto. The demon had caused major damage to Jiraiya and pretty soon, it was only me standing in between the two. By this time, I had gotten stronger and had learned a variety of genjutsu. I’m still not sure which I used, but I somehow ended up in a… sewer-like place. I eventually found Naruto. He was behind large metal bars. The dope actually looked surprised to see me.”

“I was surprised to see him. No one had ever been about to come to the cage, no one but me,” Naruto commented. “Anyway, Sasuke tried to get me outta the cage, but he was too weak to break through.” I sent a glare in his direction, but he ignored that and continued talking. “But he did accomplish bringing the Kyuubi there, and boy was he pissed. He told us that there was only supposed to be one gaki, not two. Sasuke was scared shitless, but he still tried to stand up to him.” I was about to whack him over the head for throwing his opinion in the story. I was not scared at all. “He said ‘Y-You thi-think I’m a-a-afr-afraid of you?!’ I almost laughed because it was funny to see that.” I did not stop myself from shoving him off the bed. He fell to the floor with a pained yelp.

“Naruto-kun…!”

“Baka… ! You did end up laughing and that’s what caused Takeshi to start laughing at me!” I exclaimed as Hinata helped up her idiotic boyfriend. He smiled shamefacedly as he stood and sat back down on the bed.

“Oh, yeah…” he muttered. I sighed heavily before turning back to Mayu. She had actually managed to keep a straight face, which was surprising. I wonder how long she could keep this up. “Takeshi also mocked Sasuke, so I thought that’s when I started laughing.” Mayu cracked a smile, causing me to sigh inwardly. That didn’t last long.

“Anyway, for some reason, he decided to tell us his actual name. I think it was because we kept calling him Kyuubi,” I told her. “Takeshi is what he wanted us to call him. Like Naruto said, he told us that only one gaki was supposed to be there. He told us that if we all wanted to live, I had to leave. Of course, if I left, Naruto would be trapped, so I tried to fight… him… Why are you laughing?”

“You actually tried to fight a demon…?!” Mayu asked, holding her stomach as she laughed. “You really are an Uchiha!” My eyebrow twitched. What the heck was that supposed to mean?

“His attacks failed, of course, but he somehow managed to suppress Takeshi’s chakra. This allowed me to escape that cage and us to switch places again,” Naruto said. “I don’t really know what happened next because I passed out soon after we hit reality.”

“Jiraiya was badly injured, I was exhausted, and Naruto’s skin was completely red. Like you already know, the fourth-tailed form causes more harm to Naruto than good,” I told her. She nodded her head. “It took a very long time for all three of us to regain full health. When the three of us finally recuperated, we all decided that I should go back. This time, Takeshi was still in its cage. Naruto and I asked questions like why he attacked the village in the first place. He only responded with malevolence. He told us that he despised Naruto because of who his father was and he hated me because of the Uchiha blood that flows through my veins, which leads me to believe that he has some sort of plan to getting out of his prison.”

“Did he tell you guys who Naruto’s dad was?” Mayu asked.

“No, he only laughed when I asked,” Naruto answered, looking slightly angered. “Because of his hatred for us, Sasuke thought that Takeshi will kill us if he ever were to get out. We decided that I shouldn’t use the chakra from him... but that’s easier said than done…”

“Especially with Naruto’s quick-to-anger attitude,” I commented. Naruto shouted a ‘HEY!’ in my direction, but I ignored his eyes. “All he told us was he’d gladly lend his chakra. So I’m guessing that his escape plan has something to do with that.” Mayu closed her eyes and crossed her arms.

“I see…” she said, nodding. “He seemed so cute when I met him…”

“Hai,” Hinata nodded. “That was my impression as well…”

“Hinata-chaaaaan…!” Naruto whined. Hinata quickly apologized. For what, I’m not sure.

“Takeshi-sama introduced himself to me as if he were a perfect gentleman,” Hinata continued. “I was stunned by his benevolent, somewhat sarcastic behavior. He was so small and cute that I couldn’t resist hugging him.” Why would Takeshi act that way towards Hinata? It seems strange that he would willingly put on an act, which I’m sure it was. This does not sit well with me. “I had fallen asleep with Naruto, after dusting, the first night he returned to the village.” A blush settled on her cheeks, leading me to believe that they did more than dust. “That’s why I thought it was only a dream at first. I woke up and Naruto-kun told me about how Takeshi-sama was sealed inside of him. Hearing this news, I was completely astounded. But it all made sense after I thought about it. Ano… Gomen… for walking out on you. I was just too surprised and needed time to think, Naruto-kun.” Hinata looked away as if she were ashamed. The idiot only grinned; he was blushing, too.

“It’s okay, Hinata-chan. I was just worried that you were mad at me,” he said. Hinata turned her head sharply as if she couldn’t believe the words Naruto had spoken.

“Oh, no, Naruto-kun…! I wouldn’t be angry with you over something like that!” she proclaimed. “I don’t think I could ever truly be angry with you.”

“Arigatou, Hinata-chan,” he kissed her cheek lightly, causing Hinata’s face to turn pink. I rolled my eyes as Mayu squealed. I really don’t see why she likes this relationship so much. I mean, it’s so… boring and… fluffy. There’s no challenge when it comes to those two. But I guess I’m the type to want something intense and heated like…

“Like a relationship with Mayu…” I thought, suddenly feeling disheartened.

Mayu cleared her throat. “So that’s the first time you’ve heard what really happened to the Kyuubi?” she questioned. Hinata nodded her head. “I see…” she said again. After a few moments in her ‘thinking pose,’ she spoke again. “Initially, I just wanted to know the reason why you two knew about Takeshi-sama being the Kyuubi’s name, but with this new info... I have to admit, it’s got me worried.”

“Huh…? What do you mean?” Naruto asked.

“Come on, Naruto, don’t you find it strange that Takeshi-sama appeared before Hinata-chan as a small, cute creature?” Mayu asked. A thoughtful expression became visible on Naruto’s face. “He hates you, but he doesn’t even seem like he’s thinking of hurting your girlfriend… why?”

“Good question,” I muttered. “You’d better keep an eye on Takeshi, Naruto. This has me worried, too.” Naruto nodded his head. Mayu was right. That seems too strange to ignore. Takeshi, also known as the Kyuubi…

What could he be planning…?
********************************

“Hey, look…! I remember that tree!” Yasmine exclaimed, pointing a finger. Her other hand was–twitch–occupied at the moment. Since the three of us returned to land, she and Tenten were holding hands, which was a sign of a happy couple. Yasmine had seemed to completely forget that my teammate wants her. Tenten is bisexual, and that fact seemed to fly over Yasmine’s head. Does she not fully understand Tenten has labeled her as a target? I believe she has made the connection, but is choosing to ignore it.

Because of past experiences, I know that this course of action is not a good choice. Her past lovers–females–had been the cute, smart, shy type. That’s what Tenten seemed to go for. She had even hit on Hinata a couple times. I should have expected this when I first suspected that Yasmine was my lost friend, Yaya-chan. She was that type, albeit a little… erroneous. Yasmine was the perfect target for my teammate based on her preferences. And I know Tenten always hits her mark, whether its bull's-eyes or potential partners.

Her past victims–I mean lovers–had also taken this course of action. As far as I was aware, that type usually danced around these types of situations. It was too bad that Tenten knew exactly where to strike as they skipped around. Ridiculously, I started imagining Yasmine dancing around Tenten. My teammate only smiled, and with lightning quick movement, she reached out and grabbed Yasmine by the wrist. The foreigner had been successfully caught.

I don’t know why this vision slightly irritated me.

I mentally sighed as I watched the two females conversing animatedly. Something was wrong with this, I decided. This isn’t the way Tenten usually behaves once her victim knows about her penchants. She usually charges head on and shamelessly flirts. Perhaps she notices the differences in Yasmine, so she’s being slightly more cautious in what she’s doing. If Yasmine’s lucky, Tenten will keep up this guarded demeanor–at least until I get the chance to speak with Yasmine again. The foreigner truly had no idea what she was up against. As Yasmine’s friend, it is up to me to at least warn her of her actions, right?

“Ne, Mine-chan…” Tenten’s voice caused me to once again look towards the two girls. I was, of course, walking behind them. I saw Yasmine turn her head to look at my teammate. There was a pleasant smile on her bronze-colored face. Now that Tenten had her attention–really, she had had Yasmine’s attention this entire time–she continued with her question. “You wanna sleep over my house when we return to the village?” she asked. I felt my eyes widen a fraction. She was going for it, after all. “I mean, I know you don’t really like staying alone in that hotel.” Luckily, Yasmine politely declined.

“Gomen, Ten-chan… By now, Mayu is back and I want to see her,” she told her. “It seems like forever since I’ve spoken with her.” Tenten smiled, but I could still see the disappointed, slightly envious look in her brown eyes.

“It’s okay, Mine-chan. Maybe another time…?”

“Of course, of course…!” Yasmine rapidly nodded her head. Inwardly, I shook my head. Yasmine could be too trusting at times. “Neji…!” I looked forward, hearing my name. My eyes had been scanning the area again. It’s really a force of habit. Yasmine was looking back at me with curious eyes. “Will I have to go with you two to turn in the mission report?” I blinked at her question. I was slightly surprised that she knew the procedure. Normal citizens wouldn’t know, but this is Yasmine. She seems to know everything about a ninja’s way of life, and yet she does not want it for herself.

“No,” I replied. “It is not necessary for you to be present.” She breathed a sigh of relief. “Doushite…?” I asked, mildly interested.

“Oh, since Mayu’s probably back, I wanted to fix her favorite meal,” Yasmine answered. Tenten visibly blanched at her words. “I need to get some supplies and ingredients.”

“No offense, Mine-chan, but… you can’t cook,” her voice was blunt.

I resisted the urge to laugh as Yasmine looked aghast. “I can cook!” she protested. An embarrassed flush streaked across her face. “Just… not… Japanese style…” she muttered as a late addition. “I wanted to cook spaghetti for her.”

“Spaghetti…? What’s that?” Tenten asked.

“It’s a type of food that Granny Theresa used to always cook for us–every Thursday, really,” Yasmine answered. “I don’t think anyone in Konoha has had it before since it’s foreign, even to where I’m from. I’ll cook it for you some time if you want.”

“How about tonight…? I am pretty hungry!”

Yasmine shook her head. “Not tonight, silly…! I still have to shop, after all. It’ll be much too late to cook a meal like that… Especially since I got to cook for Mayu… I bet she could eat more than an Akimichi…” she muttered.

“Then tomorrow night?” Tenten was persistent. Yasmine nodded lightly. “Maybe I could even sleep-” I could see the slightly tight look pass on the foreigner’s face even before my teammate finished. Apparently, she was more worried than I first thought.

“I would also like to try your foreign food,” I interrupted. Both girls turned to look at me, surprise evident in their eyes.

“Really…?” I could see the diminutive grateful smile on Yasmine’s face as she asked. I nodded once. “Alright, I’ll ask Sasuke if I can invite you two.” Her smile had become bigger. “This is going to be sweet…!” Her fingers had finally been un-tangled with Tenten’s. “Hopefully, Sasuke will agree to this. I’m sure Mayu could convince him.”

“Speaking of which,” I began. “Have you gotten enough money to move out?”

Yasmine shook her head. “Not yet,” she said. “A few more months and I’ll have a steady income and have enough to pay bills.” She shrugged, and then continued walking down the path. Tenten and I hurried after her. She had gotten pretty far away from us. She was shorter than me, and yet her legs took long strides. It was as if she was used to walking so fast. I guess I didn’t notice during the trip.

Instead of taking the rear again, I instead walked by Yasmine’s side. As did Tenten–on the other side of her. I could see the annoyed look quickly pass on her face. Perhaps Tenten felt threatened by my presence near her target. This theory should be tested. It didn’t take long for my little test to be. Tenten was about to speak, most likely to Yasmine. Her mouth opened. “Mine-cha-”

“Yaya-chan,” I interrupted, causing the foreigner’s brown eyes to look in my direction. Although my eyes were focused on Yasmine, I could feel the intense glare being thrown in my general direction. So she did feel threatened by me. I wonder if that’s why she kicked my ass during that sparring session. After that day, she did not use taijutsu again. That leads me to consider that she used that style of fighting solely on me. Why…? I did not know at the time, but now I do. Tenten had found out about something concerning Yasmine and I, and whatever it was, it made her angry. “Do you want help with your shopping?” Again, Yasmine and Tenten looked surprised by my words.

Yasmine grinned. “If it’s not too much trouble for you,” she agreed with a nod of her head. She stared straight ahead again, causing me to do the same. I inwardly chuckled. Judging from the way she stared angrily at the ground, Tenten was probably plotting my demise at the moment. “I have to go home as soon as we reach the village,” Yasmine’s voice caught my attention again. “So it’d probably be best if you reported in while I get ready. You can pick me up whenever you’re finished.” I nodded again in agreement. I imagine that Tenten’s hissing in fury by now.

Suddenly, I felt the familiar tingly feeling at the back of my neck. “An ambush…? So close to the village?” I thought as I activated my bloodline. While we were on a path, the forest surrounding us was still dense and could be used as cover. I had stopped; Tenten did the same. She must’ve sensed them as well. Yasmine had yet to pause. Not surprising; she shouldn’t be able to sense what we could sense. With my eyes, I could count six of them. “Bandits…” I almost scoffed.

“Matte, Mine-chan…! Don’t stray too far!” Tenten called out. My eyes widened. Their goal was Yasmine!

“Yaya-chan, come here, quickly!” I commanded. It looked like she was about to do it without hesitation, but it was too late. One of the bandits had jumped down behind her. He was big–much bigger than the other five who had landed behind us. He must be the leader.

“Mine-chan…!” Tenten exclaimed as the leader wrapped a muscular arm around Yasmine’s neck. His other hand had grabbed her wrist. My teammate practically growled as the leader of bandits chortled. I neutrally told her to calm down as the burly man pulled Yasmine’s body against his. “Yeah, that’s real good advice, Neji, since you’re acting the same way!” Tenten hissed at me. I immediately stopped my unconscious snarling. The five men behind us laughed along with their leader.

“Well, what do we have here…?” the man asked, rhetorically. He licked his lips, which caused me to bristle. His eyes have been on Yasmine as he did this action. The man laughed again. “I bet a cute foreigner like you would be worth a lot of money somewhere.” He leered down at Yasmine. She, to my utter surprise, did not look the least bit scared. But she did look really confused for someone in her situation. “What do you think, boys?” he directed his question towards his thugs, who whooped in glee and agreement. “Of course, we would need to sample the goods before we sell, right?” Another round of cheering occurred.

“What’d you say?!” Tenten was about to loose it.

“Are you stupid?” came Yasmine’s blunt question. Befuddled, the burly man looked down at his captive. She was looking up at him as if she had already figured out the answer to her question. Perplexed, I also looked towards Yasmine. The expression on her face read ‘This is truly a dumbass person’. Prisoners usually did not have this type of expression on their faces.

“Nani…?!” the man asked, genuinely puzzled.

“Are… you… stupid?” Yasmine repeated, slowly as if she were talking to a two-year-old. “I mean, do you know who those two are?” The man shook his head, dumbly, still surprised at the way his captive was talking. This must’ve been a first for him. “Those two are ninja of Konoha! Why would you willingly try to pick a fight with them?!”

“Uh…” the man suddenly shook his head and glared down at the girl. “We got a hostage! They won’t be able to do anything in fear of having our hostage hurt. Konoha ninja are nothing but a bunch of pansies!” Yasmine looked more offended than I felt.

“Excuse me…?!” she angrily asked. She wretched her arm free and grabbed the man by his shirt and wrist. I must say that I was surprised that she lifted him over her. She dropped down on one knee, bringing the man down with her. I could hear his back crack as it made contact with Yasmine’s other knee. I couldn’t help but wince when the man yelled out in obvious pain.

“Wow… Go, Mine-chan…” Tenten muttered, rushing over to the two. Yasmine pushed the man off her knee and stood up.

“Boss…!” five voices called in shock. I heard their footsteps come closer. I dropped down in the Hyuga stance.

“You’re in my range,” I warned. The five couldn’t even react. It was too late. By then, I was already performing the attack. “Eight Trigrams: One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms!” Not a moment later, the five men collapsed, not being able to move accurately. I scoffed again as I moved away from them and towards my teammate and client.

“How did you do that?!” Tenten asked. “I have no idea you had such… brute strength!” Yasmine nonchalantly shrugged as if it was not a big deal.

“Well, he did weigh less than the weights Granny Theresa had me and Mayu lugging around when she trained us,” she said. “I guess his weight didn’t matter.”

“But what was that move you did?” Tenten asked enthusiastically.

Yasmine grinned. “That’s something I picked up from a TV show–WWE, I think it was, or maybe it was WCW…” she trailed off. I had no idea what she was talking about, but I am amazed. This ‘Granny Theresa’ certainly trained her well if she could pick up a man three times her own size. “I know some more wrestling moves, too. Times like these, I’m glad I did watch those shows with Granny Theresa.” She smiled cheerfully as she spoke as if what just happened didn’t daunt her.

A cough reached my ears. It was the leader of the pathetic ambush. He rolled over onto his back with a grimace. “This wasn’t supposed to… happen…” he muttered. “We were only supposed to get the girl… with no problems… He said it would be easy… She wasn’t supposed to-” Tenten slammed her foot against the large man’s stomach, causing him to gurgle out pained nonsense.

“Who’s he…?” she asked, taking her foot away.

“And why does he want Yaya-chan?” I questioned.

“Screw you,” he retorted with a smirk.

Not liking his answer, Tenten was quick to give the man a bloody nose. I’m guessing that she is still irked about what he had said about Yasmine. Tenten pulled the man half-way off the ground. The look on her face was fierce. I have never seen that look before… except… when… she… kicked my ass that one time. I guess Yasmine is involved with Tenten’s anger. “You’ve got five seconds–exactly five seconds–before I painfully separate your pathetic penis from your body.” The smile on her face was eerie. I resisted the want to wince at her statement. The man visibly paled. “If you don’t want that to happen, I suggest you tell me what I want to know, ya got that?”

The man rapidly nodded his head, most likely scared out of his mind. I would be too if I knew that certain threat could be carried out. Yasmine whistled behind me. She sounded way too impressed with Tenten’s actions. It made my eyes narrow. “Who is this person you are referring to, and why does he specifically want this foreigner?” I asked. The man glared at me, coughed, and then opened his mouth to answer.

“I don’t know nothing about the reason!” he muttered. “And I don’t know who the guy is either! He hired us to abduct a foreign person with dark skin that resided in Konoha, that’s all he told me! He said that she would be in the village, alone in a hotel. But while I was there, I heard that she had went on some trip so we waited here for her to come back.”

“What did he look like?” Tenten asked.

“I don’t know, okay?! He hid in the shadows!”

“Did you see what he was wearing or any indication revealing what village he was from?” I asked. Something was wrong. This was too weird. What seemed like a random ambush wasn’t so random after all.

“I don’t know, okay?! I-” The man stopped, seeing my teammate take out a dagger. She repeated her threat with an emphasis on ‘painfully.’ “Wait–wait–wait–wait!” the man cried as the weapon inched towards him. “He–the guy was wearing… some sorta black coat…” I raised an eyebrow.

“That’s it?” I asked. The man eyed the dagger warily.

“Uh… There were… red circles–no, clouds on it, I think,” he answered.

Once again, my eyes grew wide. Tenten’s eyes had done the same. I suspect that we were both thinking along the same lines. We’ve only encountered one enemy with that distinguishing attribute. “Akatsuki…?” Yasmine muttered incredulously. I turned to her, surprised. How did she know about that organization? Perhaps Ishikari Mayu was the one to tell her. “What could Akatsuki want with me?” She smiled as she said this.

Tenten turned to her as well. “Why do you sound so excited about that?” she asked. She had noticed her sudden cheerfulness as well. Yasmine grinned sheepishly at us.

“No reason…” she whispered, averting her eyes.
***********************
Yasmine’s Mind

“Oh my God…! Akatsuki?! Yes…! I hope I get to meet Deidara or Tobi or Sasori–oh wait, he’s dead… Oooh, Kisame’s there, too!”

Yasume: HELL YEAH! I WANNA SEE THAT CRAZY ASS UCHIHA! SEEING HIDAN WOULDN’T BE SO BAD EITHER!

Most definitely two Narutards…
***********************

Yasmine was still looking away shamefacedly even as Tenten finished tying up the five men to a tree. The other man–the leader–would be coming with us to Konoha for further questioning. We’d send someone else to come get the rest later. They wouldn’t be able to escape the rope even when they do wake up. Besides being an excellent marksman, Tenten is also talented when it comes to tying knots. “Alright, we’re heading to the village quickly, which means that you have to be carried, Yaya-chan,” I told her. She nodded.

Tenten suddenly picked up Yasmine, bridal style. She smirked in my direction. “I will carry Mine-chan. You can carry the big guy,” she said. I felt my eyebrow twitch. My teammate had better not accidently rub Yasmine’s backside again… The foreigner wrapped her arms securely around Tenten’s neck. My teammate jumped to the trees without another word. I sighed heavily before following suit with the heavy man on my back.

“What does Yaya-chan have to do with Akatsuki…?” I thought, confounded.
***********************

-sigh- You have no idea how hard it was to write this chapter. I was seriously at a loss when I finished up the reunion arc of this story. This is basically the transition into the next arc. If you haven’t noticed yet, the story has been in arcs.

Prologue-Chapter 3: Mayu’s Return arc

Chapters 4-7: Savin’ Gaara arc

Chapters 8-12: New Bonds arc

Chapters 13-15: Blast to the Past arc

Chapters 16-20: Family arc

Chapters 21-??: Demon arc

Yes, you read that right, people. This is the first chapter to the demon arc. I’m not sure how many chapters will be in this one, but it will be about the two demons’ we all know and love, Kyuubi and Shukaku. It’s not necessarily about them, but it is about the effects that they cause–or have caused–on their containers and their containers’ friends and family. Don’t worry, Yasmine–for all those who like her–will be in this arc. No, she does not have a demon inside her, I’m gonna tell you that right now. That’d be weird and screw up the entire plot, so not gonna happen. Also, Naruto’s heritage will play a role, so expect the ‘Yellow Flash’ to come up. And the introduction of a new character will be in this arc, so look forward to that as well.

I will try my best to explain my philosophy about the demons and their containers. Although it might seem a little–what the hell?!–but please bear with it for awhile. It is vital to the future chapters–beyond the demon arc.

Well, now that I’m finished, please leave behind a review for my benefit and yours.

QOU:

“Sasuke was scared shitless, but he still tried to stand up to him.” –Uzumaki Naruto


--Beta’d by UKELICIOUS--

“Remember when I said that you could tell me anything? Anything at all? … Well… I lied." –Hyuga Neji