Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, blah blah blah.


Konoha

Two shadows hopped off a burning branch and onto another. "Namie, wake up!" said a woman. With her was a man, and on her back was a girl.

"We have to drop her off beyond the river." The man insisted. The woman looked at him worriedly.

"No! She might get hurt!" Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked straight ahead.

"She'd be even worst off with us! Whoever did this...is either part of a group or all by himself. Either way it's bad for us. Namie would be better off away from here!" The man looked at her self-assuring. The woman nodded after a bit of silence.

"You're right, besides. I'll summon a 'Contract' Yajuu (monster, wild animal) to protect her."

Chapter 1

The Blue of Darkness

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A woman and girl were running around in a burning home. Fire everywhere stopped them from escaping. Until the woman saw the backyard leading to the forest untouched by the blaze. She lifted the girl and tossed her through the fortunately thin fire. "Run, Mai!" The woman screamed behind the fire wall. Tears rolled down her cheeks and onto the floor where a small fire just started. Mai reflected her mother's tears, but ran into the forest. Later reaching the dark river. If it wasn't for the blazing fire, the night'd be pitch black.

After swimming through the river, Mai had found a girl standing in front of her. A girl she recognized very much, but not in a fond sort. The girl had long blue hair and yellow eyes. The style of her bangs are like Tenten and Temari's. She held her hair in a low ponytail.

"Mai?" said Namie in a worried tone. Mai had dark turqouise hair-long-with dark red eyes. Mai's petrified gaze turned into a powerful glare. Namie noticed and so diverted her glance to the ground. "I'm glad... that you're okay."

"Don't even try talk to me, because from now on I won't be listening." Mai said in a tone that showed so much hate that it made Namie look heartbroken.

"Namie!" A call was heard. The two girls easily identified the voice.

"Koan!" They both cried. A boy with black hair and blue eyes ran towards the girls along the river.

"Is it just you two? Mai, where's Tama?" He asked sternly.

"I-I couldn't find where she had gone after dinner. I-I don't know...know if-"

"NEEE-CHAAN!!" A girl cried. Mai's eyes grew wide in disbelief.

"Tama!" Mai could hear Tama cry even more. Mai ran and jumped into the river.

"Mai!" Koan and Namie followed after seeing her rise from the surface at the opposite side.

"TAAMAA!!" Mai screamed running back into the burning residence. Koan had come back up just fine while Namie was having trouble with the rushing water.

"Namie!" Koan was about to help, but Namie stopped him.

"Mai...Tama!" Namie said choking from water.

"Don't be stupid! You can't swim, Namie!" Koan reached for Namie.

"IIEE!! SAVE THEM!!" Namie struggled even more. Koan, surprised, hurriedly ran after Mai's shadow.

"I'll be back!" Namie heard Koan say. 'Save them...' Namie finally let go and sank to the bottom of the river. She tried to keep her eyes open. She couldn't breathe. 'Kaa-san...Tou-san...Where are you?' Namie choked her last air bubbles.'Help me!' And just before Namie could close her eyes she was carried out of the river and onto the safe side of the river.

"Breathe, human."Namie heard a deep voice say and then felt something heavy push on her chest. The pressure allowed the water to rush back out of Namie's lungs. She gasped for air as she bolted up from the ground. The four-legged beast watched Namie continue to cough. "That's the most stupidest thing I've ever seen any human do. Besides your mom and dad's actions."

Namie looked at the huge wolf-like creature. "My parents?"

"Yes, your parents. They summoned me here to help you escape to a friend, then return as soon as possible. So hop on, Baka." He sat in front of Namie.

"Matte! What about my friends?" asked Namie. "Can you help me get them?" Namie asked frantically, her eyes shaking.

"Do you know what I am? A 'Contract' Yajuu. You should know about that stuff. If your parents die, I go home." Namie tried to hold back her tears, but she couldn't. The demon sighed in complaint."We'll do one quick search. If we don't find them we get out of here. Kid, I can't protect you from the guys who did this. I'm not strong enough. Just know that." Namie jumped onto the demon's back. She smiled while blinking the tears out of her eyes.

"Arigatou, Yajuu!" Namie held on tight to Yajuu's fur as he leaped high into the air. 'I hope they're alright.'

"Why did you let yourself drown just to let that boy help those other girls?"Yajuu asked.

"Because they hate me. I don't want them to die hating me." Namie said searching below.

"In other words, you'd rather die trying to have them love you."

"Not love, but not hate, either." Namie said. Yajuu looked at Namie and then something caught his eye. There was chakra pulsating from a kid and two girls. Koan was protecting Mai and Tama from the fire.

"There they are."He waited for Koan to emit another burst of chakra. And when he did Yajuu took in a deep breath and blew water at the fire. The fire only turned black as Yajuu flew over it. "This isn't gonna work. There's no space for landing. We have to do some netting." He turned around. "Reach out, Kid!" It took a small while for Namie to understand. She put on a serious face and as Yajuu came closer to Koan and the others, she hung to Yajuu's right and reached out with her right hand.

"Koan!" Koan watched as Namie came closer.

'She came back?' "Tama, you first!" Koan picked Tama up and threw her as high as he could for Namie to reach. Namie caught Tama and put her up front. "Don't worry. You're safe." Tama looked at Namie with shock.

"Next one."Yajuu turned back around. Namie threw her hand out. Mai had come flying and Namie easily caught her, but had some trouble trying to pull her up. Tama had helped, and they succeeded. Mai refused to hold on to Namie and scooted back to hold on to Yajuu's fur. Namie looked back at her from the side of her eye.

"Please hang on tight." Namie cautioned.

"Last one."Yajuu turned around for the last time.

"Koan..." Namie heard Mai whisper to herself. 'I'll save him for you, Mai.' Namie held her hand out as Koan jumped and reached up to her elbow.

"Hold on, Namie." said Koan. Namie was already shaking.

"I can't!" Namie cried. Mai and Tama immediately held out their hands and helped pull Koan up.

"We're getting out of here." Yajuu said turning back around. "Who knows how long your parents are going to last without me." Yajuu reminded Namie. "'Meet the man whom helps build the bridge to the Wave's freedom.' They wanted me to take you to the Village of the Mist and tell him to take care of you, Kid."

"How are we going to get to him so fast?" Namie asked.

"Not 'we', Kid. You. He might try something with so much money hanging around him. Give me some chakra and I'll get you there in no time."

"What are you going to do with us?" Mai asked.

"Maybe eat you before I go back to my dimension." Yajuu said calmly. "I only listen to my only master. They didn't think about any other survivors so they didn't say I couldn't eat anyone." He smirked. Everyone was surprised. "Besides, Kid. You said these guys hated you, you don't need to take care of them. Ne?" Namie looked down and frowned.

"You're right." Tama and Koan were the most surprised at this.

"Don't do it, Namie!" exclaimed Koan. Mai started to cry. Tama's tears followed after.

"I knew it! You only think about yourself!! You're just going to let Tama die?!" Mai yelled.

"So how is this going to work?" Namie asked ignoring Mai and Koan.

"I have enough chakra to support half your body through the portal, I just need a little more from you once you go through the portal. It shouldn't be too much. You have even more chakra than I do originally. Right now I don't have so much." Yajuu grinned.

"Just hurry up." Yajuu 'hmph'd. He stopped in a clearing and started mumbling words.

"Whatever you say." He opened his mouth and shot a ball which distorted in front of him and created a portal. "But remember, the food is mine."

"Whatever you say..." Namie walked towards the portal. "What if they escape into the portal?" Namie asked with her back facing the four.

"Useless. I drained most of their chakra so that they'd just die by going in there without supporting themselves with chakra...Are you going yet?"Yajuu asked impatiently.

"Wait. Let me see their faces one last time. You know, sweet memories." Namie turned around with a grin on her face. Yajuu pushed them to Namie with his nose with a toothy grin. "So, Mai, Tama. Still hate me?" Namie asked. Mai was furious but crying at the same time.

"Of course I do, you bitch!!" Mai screamed.

"Watch your tongue in front of the little sis, Nee-chan." Namie smirked while Koan held Mai back from trying to kill her.

"Aren't you going to say anything, Koan?!" Mai screamed. Koan ignored Mai who continued to weep on the ground.

"I thought we were all brother and sisters. You have the promise, don't you? YOU'RE OUR BEST FRIEND, NAMIE-NEE-CHAN!"

"You only say that now." Namie grabbed Tama by the jaw. Namie whispered into Tama's ears something that made Tama look like she was about to cry. Mai saw this and grabbed Namie by the arm and Koan grabbed Mai by the hand.

"Don't do it." Koan said almost calmly. 'Now!'

"Yajuu, baka!! It's them!" Namie yelled with a frightened tone together with a terrified expression. Yajuu quickly fell for it.

"Nani?!" Namie quickly pulled Tama and Mai into the portal as well as Koan who was holding on to Mai. By the time Yajuu noticed he was too late. He cursed himself for his gullible and stupid mind. Then something changed his state of mind. He received a chilled feeling right before leaving and stopped in his steps."Dead already, huh?"

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Country of the Waves

Village of the Mist

The portal closed as soon as the last person fell out. "Namie-nee-chan! You did it!" Tama cried for joy over Namie who was still on the ground. "Namie-nee-chan was just acting! She was telling me so I wouldn't cry,...but I still did..." Namie smiled.

"Crybaby." said Namie breathing heavily. Tama scowled and walked away without anyone noticing. Koan walked over to Namie with a small smile, bent over and held out his hand.

"Get up, you little actress." Namie smiled and took his hand and pulled herself up. The minute she stood she almost fell over. "C'mon, get up." Koan signaled to his back. Namie blushed a very nice red then remembered about Mai.

"Where's Mai?" asked Namie. Then she noticed Tama was gone. "Where's Tama?!" Namie almost screamed panicking.

"Over here!" Tama called cheerfully behind a bush. "I found Nee-chan!" said Tama pulling her dreary sister into a clearing. Namie exhaled and groaned. (a/n Sorry!D I forgot to mention; Tama has blonde hair with streaks of black and light green eyes. She holds the upper section of her hair in a bun pulled together with a )

"Thank god!" Namie exclaimed.

"Geez, relax!" Koan laughed and slapped Namie's back. Namie hit the ground faster than anyone there thought someone could fall. "God, you're unstable!" Koan said with a sweatdrop.

"You teme...you did that on purpose." Namie said face in the ground.

"Iie, I didn't." Koan said walking over to Namie and picking her up. He put her arm over his head and helped her walk over to Tama who was trying to bring her sister back to life.

"She looks like she's dead!" Tama exclaimed jumping up and down on Mai's stomach. (a/n S.ugar H.oney I.ce T.ea! I forgot to mention something again! Mai and Namie are the same age as Team 7 when they went to Wave Country. I think they were already twelve, right? Koan is one year older. Tama is nine years old. There finished mentioning! D)

"She must be exhausted ever since that 'Contract' drained most of our chakra. You're tired, too, ne Tama?" Koan said smiling at Tama. Namie looked at Koan.'I forgot about that...'

"I really am tired, but Namie-nee-chan saved us so I'm really excited...! Unlike Nee-chan here..." Tama said with squinty eyes kicking Mai's head. Tama stopped as soon as a gloomy aura overcame her.

"Don't..step..on..me!!" Mai said grabbing Tama's foot and stood up leaving Tama dangling.

"Aah! Save me!" Tama shouted waving her arms like crazy with anime tears flowing down to the ground. Mai sighed.

"You must really be tired." She let Tama fall onto the ground head-first. "I'll carry you, Tama. Hurry up!" Tama stood up and immediately ran to Mai.

"Onbu! Onbu! (like a piggy-back ride)" Tama exclaimed and then yawned finally deciding to calm down and sleep. Mai smiled and started to walk, but almost fell over. Good thing Koan was there to hold her up.

"Lean on me."('When you're not strong, I'll be your friend!' I'm such a great singer...) Mai nodded with a light red blush seeing she was lighter (her skin color not weight) than Namie. Namie frowned.

"Koan! I bet you're going make us pay later!" Namie said loudly. 'As always when he does us a favor without us even asking.' Koan sweatdropped.

"You're lucky this time. It's free, you know?" Koan said smiling. "Because you already did me a favor." Namie smiled at that. 'He got that right!'

NEXT TIME

"The little refugees meet their savior. Or is it their seller? There's danger everywhere we go, lately!"-Namie

"All thanks to you..."-Mai

"-shrugs-"-Namie

"This should be fun!" -Tama

"These girls...they're the only people I know so I'm obligated to stay, I guess."-Koan.

"What're you saying, that 'women are troublesome'?!"-Tama and Mai. Namie comes from behind Koan with a huge bat and an evil glint in her eye. -pause- A little sushi cartoon jumps in front of the screen.

"NEXT TIME: TEAM SEVEN!" He looks back at the poor Koan and angry girls. He sweatdrops. "Women really are troublesome."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" -Namie, Mai, and Tama. The sushi cartoon looked back at the screen and saw missing bodies.

"How...did they get out of there?" -.-

"Come to think of it, we didn't eat much today, did we?"-Namie. The girls nodded and cornered the horrified sushi cartoon.

"Oh no!! What is that old thing? It's not possible!! Is it my...wife?! NOO!! I married a sushi!! How did-Augh! Ooh! Stop eating me!!" Koan watched from the screen with a huge sweatdrop.

"I said 'girls' and they changed it to 'women'. What a troublesome group."

(You should know, you're the one traveling with them!!)

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