"Akihiko . . ." the voice came from outside the door.

All I could do was stand there and look at the door in shock. If this was who I really thought it was, I must be out of my mind.

"Akihiko . . . Akihiko, please open up." There was sniffling, as if she had been crying. "Akihiko, please. Nanitozo!" The speaker was in distress now.

I stepped towards the door, and, even though five tails was no longer with her, I knew she still had that good sense of hearing. She could hear my footsteps.

"Akihiko, please, I don't want to stay out on the streets," she pleaded from the other side of the door. "He might be looking for me."

That was all the push I needed. I ripped open the door—faster than I thought I could—and pulled her inside. She was a total mess, that's for sure. Her black eyes were blood shot and her black hair was soaked with rain. Why had whatever had happened decided to happen now? When Sunagakure was getting the yearly rain?

I looked down at her, but not much, because it seemed she had grown more than I had thought since we were Genin. She was probably about six foot, which was strange, because she had always been much shorter than me. Now she was only about seven inches shorter, instead of the usual foot.

Looking at her now, it made me really miss our carefree Genin days. She was sniffling and sobbing horribly, but I could tell that she—for the sake of her Uchiha pride—was trying to stop.

Something bad had obviously gone down.

"Sasate," I said her name slowly, because I hadn't said it for months. "What . . . what happened?"

That had done it, because she broke down in tears, sobbing uncharacteristically into my chest. I swallowed the lump in my throat and set her down on the chair by the door. I ran as fast as I could, thanking the Goddess that I was the third fastest Jinchûriki living.

I grabbed the towels from the kitchen counter (I had never put them away, lazy me) and rushed back to her side. I towel dried her hair and tried drying off her clothes—a short black dress with a witch-type cut, with her clan's symbol in the corner on the borderline of the bottom—as well, but found that it wasn't much use. Her clothes were soaked to the core.

I took off my baggy shirt and handed it to her, hoping she'd get the hint. She actually managed to smile at me as I helped her stand.

It wasn't till then that I realized how much I missed her smile, her laugh, and her voice. How much I missed the way she'd scold Zoku and I when we bickered, how she'd stay up all night with me every time I was rejected by a girl. How she'd shift into Full form—which terrified her—just so she could get to Sunagakure fast enough to make sure she was by our side when we left the E.R. in Suna's hospital.

How much she cared about me and Zoku. It was then, at that moment, that my heart broke into more pieces. Sure, it broke every time I saw her with that yasha. I wouldn't take the wording back either. If he had done this to her, he was a yasha.

I stayed outside the door as I thought this over. When Sasate opened it, I took to light what might've happened. She was still sniffling and was standing there awkwardly, holding her arm. She was covered in a few violet or blue patches. Her arm seemed to be the most battered, but the patches got worse as they rose above her knees and under the shirt.

Oh, Kami, don't tell me that's what happened.

I smiled sadly at Sasate and made her sit down on the bed. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she laid her head on my chest. Even if she had become distant, she was still the best friend I had ever had.

Maybe even better than Zoku, I thought.

—————

She followed me around like a lost dog the rest of the week. I bought her clothes early in the morning, a blue long sleeved shirt and long black pants. I carefully stitched on her clan's symbol, but failed miserably and resorted to asking Kiyoko to do it.

She was persistent, but I wouldn't tell her what I thought had happened. After all, I didn't know exactly what had happened and Sasate broke down sobbing every time I tried to ask her about whatever had went down.

I did know two things.

1st — Sasate had been hurt. Warui.

2nd — It involved Gaara, in some way.

I smiled and talked to her. I thought back on the past the next night, remembering the good old days. It was then that I found the answer. I had had a vision two years before about last night.

Every Jinchûriki has a special ability. I didn't know what Gaara's was, but I knew what the other's were.

Yugito could bring people back to life, Sasate could tell when someone was lying or telling the truth, I could see disastrous future events, Zoku could read the minds of anyone, and Naruto could form a friendship with the most untrusting person with just a few words.

So, scratch what I said before.

2nd — Gaara had isshiki to do with that incident.

I.

Was.

Going.

To.

Kill.

that.

Bastard!

However, I couldn't do anything while Sasate was around, so I kept my cool for the next few days. It was all the same. I did what I always did and Sasate followed me around like a lost puppy (as I said before). She couldn't stand to be alone for more than a few seconds.

I felt for her though. It must be so painful for her, because I knew that she, truly, with all her heart, loved him—but not enough for this.

I got her to speak early the next week. Well, it was singing, which wasn't really speaking, but you catch my drift.

"You're the hope that moves me, To courage again, You're the love that rescues me, When the cold winds rage, And it's so amazing, 'Cause that's just how you are, And I can't turn back now, 'Cause you've brought me too far," she sang softly.

I smiled as I helped her dance. We were smiling like fools and trying to dance, much to my dismay. I wasn't real rhythmical and Sasate was a complete klutz, but, still, we were having fun.

She stopped singing and looked at me with her big black eyes. It made me think back to our revival. We had died together and ad been brought back together.

Issho.

I was thankful I couldn't blush as she looked at me. It felt like years before she moved. I figured she'd break away and run—but she didn't.

No, she did something I liked much better.

She leaned up ever so slowly and brushed her lips against mine.

"I always loved you," she whispered. "I just never realized it. Domo arigato, Akii-kun."

I was the happiest I'd ever been as I hugged her and swung her around. She was my dream come true. She'd always been my dream.

Forget Gaara, he didn't deserve someone as fantastic as her.

I had waited forever for this.

This one moment had mended my heart back together.

Nanitozo—Please

Yasha—Demon

Kami—"God"

Warui—Bad

Isshiki—Everything

Issho—Together

Domo Arigato—Thank You