The cry of a baby echoed through the room. The mother and father smiled at the two babies. The woman had her kids a few months before but was very sick, so she was unable to see them until now. Their mother had long brown hair, red eyes, and slightly tinted sunglasses. She wore a green and black dress that looked to be a cross between a yukata and tai-chi style shirt. It was sleeveless and the collar went around her neck. She had two green and black long armbands on her forearms. She had black tabis on and a long black leg sock that ended mid thigh. She had a black dragon tattoo on her back that was covered by her dress. Their father had semi long, spiky brown hair, dark blue eyes, slightly tinted sunglasses, and a scar like tattoo but on his left eye. He wore a black body suit and loose black pants with a white obi, a brass left chest plate held by two brass straps, a brass elbow plate on each arm with short spandex sleeves under them, black knee high boots, and a black tattoo-like dragon going up his arm. Both the scar and the red eyes being of similar bloodline traits.

"Twins, a boy and a girl," Their mother smiled, "Hiroshi, aren't they beautiful?"

"The certainly are Kuroku," Hiroshi smiled back.

The boy had brown hair and red eyes like his mother and father but had a scar like tattoo mark on his right eye like his father. The girl also had brown hair and red eyes like both of her parents but also had a scar like tattoo mark on her right eye like her father.

"Don't you think that's strange?" Kuroku asked, "Usually the girls have the mark on their left eye."

"Don't worry about it dear." Hiroshi said, "I'm sure it's because they're twins so the mark ended up on her right like her brother's."

"I guess you're right." She said, still unsure.

"Well…what will their names be?" He asked.

Kuroku looked down and smiled.

"Our son shall be called Diem and our daughter-"

Kuroku stopped when she suddenly noticed that there was something wrong with the girl. She had remembered she hadn't cried since she had been with her parents and she had been coughing every so often. So Kuroku felt the girl's forehead and it was burning up. The girl's coughing became worse.

"Hiroshi, Hiroshi! She's really warm, and she's coughing!"

Kuroku began to panic.

"Calm down Kuroku, just calm down. We can figure this out. I'll go get my mother. She'll know what to do."

Hiroshi ran off looking for his mother while Kuroku waited for him to come back still in a panic causing Ryoku to cry in distress.

Hiroshi came back minutes later with his mother. She was old, had snow white hair, red eyes, slightly tinted sunglasses, and a scar like tattoo on her right eye. She wore a common red kimono with golden threads woven into it making a dragon on the side of it. Kuroku looked at Hiroshi's mother, tears in her eyes.

"What's wrong with her Natsuki?" She asked, "She looked fine when you gave her back to me."

Natsuki looked at the child carefully. Frowning she said, "Kuroku we need to bring her to Ryu."

Terror struck Kuroku's eyes.

"Kuroku don't get upset." Natsuki said calmly, "You'll just make things worse."

Kuroku calmed down and nodded. Hiroshi took Ryoku and Kuroku held their baby girl in her arms who just kept her eyes tightly shut, still coughing.

The three adults ran as fast as they could up the mountain side, Kuroku frequently stopping to catch her breath. As she did she looked across the land she called home. The small village she lived in was quiet and peaceful, for the moment. She lived in the Village Hidden in the Shadows. She had lived in this village all her life, but it was no long the peaceful little village she once knew. The Tsukikage she grew up to love and know as the village's leader and protector had recently past away, and a new man had come and taken him place. But this man was not kind like the previous Tsukikage. He was a tyrant and had his own ambitions that had hurt the village gravely. The people suffered and she could no longer bear it. She wished she could just leave and start in a new place, but that wish could not be granted. Her family, Hiroshi's family, and another family were followers of the Great Dragon Ryu. He watched over them and protected them as long as they were willing to follow him and protect his place of rest.

Kuroku finally caught her breath and caught up with Hiroshi and Natsuki who where a little ways up. They continued to the cave. Natsuki quickly stopped by a rose bush and cut off a rose.

"Just in case," She mumbled.

Kuroku became very nervous again. Hiroshi looked at her to reassure her that everything will be fine. He knew it might not be because he knew more about rituals than Kuroku did, and, if his mother grabbed a piece of a ritual, it would possibly happen.

--

They reached the mouth of the cave where two guards where standing. One was a woman and the other was a man. The woman had short brown hair, wore a purple tank top that stopped halfway down the waist and long dark blue samurai pants. She carried a Wo Dao on her left side. The man had long blonde hair, wore a white wife beater and blue jeans. He carried a few shuriken and kunai in a small pouch on his side.

"What is your business here?" Asked the woman, "It's not your time to come back. You're just barely well again and you have children to take care of."

"You also have two six-month olds with you. You know the rules. Children must be at least a year old before they can come here and even then they can only come if they are summoned by Ryu for their first meeting." The man said.

"We have an urgent problem that Ryu needs to see," Natsuki said calmly, "It involves the children."

The two guards exchanged looks, nodded and moved aside. Kuroku, Hiroshi, and Natsuki walked inside and followed a poorly lit path down to an open area that was had much better lighting.

There were many people standing around, all looking at them as they walked in. A small boy, about two years of age came running up to Kuroku. Kuroku knelt down to look at him. He had Short blonde hair and had an eye patch over his left eye. He wore a bluish-purple vest, no shirt underneath, black jeans, had a red tattoo-like dragon on his body that wrapped around his chest up to his neck and wore no shoes. Kuroku watched as he wiggled his bare toes in the loose dirt.

"Hello Ryoma," Kuroku sweetly said.

"Hi Mrs. Tatsuya," He smiled, "What are you doing here?"

"My daughter is sick," She calmly said showing him the baby, "I was hoping Ryu could help her."

"She's pretty," He said, "I hope he can help. I'd be sad if he couldn't."

Kuroku was puzzled.

"Why is that?"

"Because then her and I couldn't be friends… that is, if something bad happened to her."

Ryoma seemed to know something was really wrong with her daughter. He had always been able to figure things like that out. He had some very special gifts that helped many people out. Sensing problems like this one was one of them.

"Kuroku," Hiroshi said coming over to her, "It's time to see him."

Kuroku nodded and got up.

"It was nice speaking with you Ryoma," She said.

"You too, Mrs. Tatsuya," He smiled.

Kuroku walked with Hiroshi to the front of the area they were in. A woman came over and asked if she could hold on to their son until things were done. Kuroku happily agreed. She wore a black and white top with a half-sleeve on the right arm and no sleeve on the left with a long black skirt with a white dragon coiled on the right side. She had long brown hair and purple eyes. This woman was Sasaki Rain, who was Ryoma's mother. Rain and Kuroku grew up together so she had no problem with her taking their son. She knew Rain would look after him well.

Rain walked away with Ryoku and sat down by a wall. Rain walked over to her and looked at Ryoku and smiled. He said something to his mother but Kuroku was to far away to hear it, but she assumed it was something good since nothing that came out of that boy's mouth was ever bad.

"Are you ready?" Hiroshi asked her.

Kuroku nodded. They walked to a small alter where a group of people had gathered. Hiroshi looked at each of them and then started to chant and make hand signs. Kuroku began to chant with him and soon enough the rest of the group did as well. The lights dimmed as they chanted. A bright light blasted and a large black and white dragon appeared. He was black on one side, and white on the other, was long and slender, and had a few markings on his snout, hands and feet, a few of those markings being a yin yang symbol.

Two giant wolves appeared out of the shadows and sat near him. One was a black male, a little bigger than the other, and the other was a white female who was a little smaller than the male. The male had a single scratched scar down his left eye and the female had tree scratched scars over her snout.

Ryu looked down at Hiroshi and Kuroku.

"What is it that you need?" Ryu asked.

Hiroshi stepped forward to speak but Kuroku impulsively ran up to Ryu and spoke, tears in her eyes.

"Ryu, there's something is wrong with my daughter. She's sick or something. We came to you because we knew you would know what to do."

"Let me see her." Ryu said.

Kuroku reluctantly set her daughter down.

"Meian," Ryu commanded, "Please bring the child closer to me."

The black male wolf got up and walked over to the child. He picked her up gently by the neck of the white shirt she was leaving. The little girl just hung there quietly, occasionally coughing. Meian placed her down in front of Ryu and sat back down in the same spot he was before.

Ryu put his giant head close to her and looked at her carefully. The child looked up at him in awe. She smiled at him and reached up to touch him on the tip of his snout. She then reached over and pulled one of his long whiskers. Ryu jerked back a little, snorted from surprise and shook his head. The little girl smiled and laughed. A few chuckles were heard throughout the cave. Ryu smiled at the girl. She was very adventurous and didn't seem to fear his presence. He smiled at the thought of her becoming a great shinobi. The girl started to cough again and curled up into a small ball, as if trying to stop it.

Ryu frowned and looked a Kuroku. Kuroku then knew something bad was about to be said.

"Kuroku, I'm sorry," Ryu began.

"What, what is it Ryu? What is wrong with her? Can you help her?" Kuroku begged.

"You're daughter is very sick and there is no medical cure for it. At this rate she will only live to see her sixth birthday," Ryu said.

Kuroku fell to her knees, crying. Hiroshi came up to her and held her.

"Ryu, is there anything you can do to save our daughter?" Hiroshi asked.

"There is only one ritual that can save her." Ryu began, "But it's not guaranteed that she'll make it."

"I knew it," Natsuki said quietly to herself.

"Is it the only way?" Kuroku asked.

Ryu nodded, "I'm very sorry."

Hiroshi and Kuroku looked at each other and nodded.

"We'll do it," Hiroshi said, "If it is the only way we'll have a chance to watch our daughter grow up, then we'll do it."

"I will need a rose to perform the ritual," Ryu said.

"I have it right here," Natsuki said, holding it up.

"Yumei please bring the rose to me," Ryu commanded.

The white wolf got up and walked over to Natsuki. Natsuki willingly gave it to her. Yumei walked back to Ryu and placed the rose on the ground between the girl and the dragon.

"This ritual will require me to give up my freedom and will seal me within the girl's body," Ryu began. "My life force will keep her alive and will suppress the disease. Only she will be able to release me and if she does she will die soon after."

Everyone who was watching nodded. They understood what this meant. They would no longer protect the dragon himself but the host who held his essence inside.

"I warn you all, "Ryu said. "I do not want you to treat her any different than you would if she was not my host. She is still the same person and you will treat her like that."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Kuroku stepped forward.

"Ryu may I hold my daughter just incase it's the last time I hold her alive?" She asked.

Ryu nodded, "Of course."

Kuroku picked the child up and held her closely to her. Hiroshi came up next to her and held them both. They both wept at the thought of never seeing their daughter alive again. Kuroku whipped away her tears and put the child down. She looked at Ryu, signaling that she was ready.

"Kuroku, Hiroshi," Ryu said, "I want you to do something for me since I am doing this favor for you."

"What is it?" Hiroshi asked.

"If this girl lives, I want you to give her a certain name," He said.

"What name would you like us to give her?" Kuroku asked.

"Her name shall be Keitha," Ryu said.

And with those words Ryu took what looked like a spirit form of the rose and pulled it out of the rose itself. The rose turned grey and a bright light flashed.

Yay suspense! Well I hope you like what I've come up with so far. Not that great, but I'll try to make it better as it goes along.