-Running Away-

I was running. Running away from my past, a past where all happiness had been shattered just nights ago. The image of the woman I had loved so dearly on the floor in a pool of her own blood haunted my mind. I was running away from the future, which I had not yet deciphered but I knew was filled with more hardships and sorrow. Maybe though, just maybe I was running towards it, I really had nothing else to live for. But most of all I was running form the present, where six sound jonins where chasing after me with the intent of killing. I guess you could say that was what I was running away from them at the moment. Why you ask? Now that's a story I would that I wish I understood...

I dodged another kunai as I flipped aver a fallen tree. I had almost no energy, no chakra and no last minute ideas to get myself out of this mess. Not that this was anything new. Running for my life was what I had done for the past, what, six years? The only thing that was new was the sharp pain inside my heart. What was new was that for once I had found someone who didn't care what I had inside of me, but loved me for who I was. What was new was that that person was viciously taken away from me when I least expected it and how I saw my whole fragile world that I had just started to rebuild shatter into a million pieces in front of my eyes.

A large shurikan flew by me and sliced through a tree, landing in the underbrush. I sighed with relief, only to feel excruciating pain explode in my back. 'Scratch this, this all has to end. Now," I reached up to grab hold a tree branch above me and swung up until I sat on it. The jonins stopped, wary of my sudden change of tactics. 'I'm sorry Ah-Mah, I will have to use it once more' I forced chakra through my hands into the tree, moaning under my breath. I looked up at them. Their faces were filled with fear and I knew why.

Every time I used this…'power' my eyes turned a bloody red with slitted pupils, reveling what I was inside. 'No' I shook my head. 'That's not me. Its because of…' I shook my head again, dispelling the thought. Right now I had to stay alive. Only when I finished these ninjas off could I think about how screwed up my life was.

I gritted my teeth as my plan unfolded. Thick, earthy vines shot out of the ground and wrapped around each jonin, binding them unmercifully. They then dragged them downward into the earth, getting rid of any evidence of the bodies. I shut of the chakra supply as the job was finished. Exhaustion seeped quickly through my muscles, paralyzing them with a power stronger than any poison. I tittered for a minute, then toppled off the branch to the ground below.

I found myself inside my mind looking at a large cage with a worn and battered looking seal plastered to the bars. Inside I saw a flash of colored tails and two blood-red eyes peered back at me.

What did you do now pup? The demon asked, using its nickname for me. I scowled.

"I almost got killed because of you, that's what" It heaved a great sigh.

Why am I always the one who gets blamed for everything? I am not the one in control of your body: you are. My frown deepened.

"I know that. But if you weren't the hell inside me, we wouldn't have so many problems, now would we?" Its flashed its five colorful tails angrily.

Do you think I enjoy being inside you? I was not I, human child, that wanted to be locked up inside a vessel as weak as you. I sighed, knowing there was no use talking any sense into it.

"I know I know…can you stop ranting and heal us already?" Its eyes narrowed even more.

We already went over this. I cannot heal you, that is not in my power.

"Aren't you supposed to be one of the high and mighty nine demon lords?" it lashed out its tails.

Do not underestimate my power human child for am I not Houkou, the five tailed dog of the five elements? True I cannot heal you, but that does not at all mean I am weak. A small growl escaped my throat.

"Fine…is there at least anything we can do?" I calmed down a little by now, its tails swishing back and forth slowly as it paced around the cave.

Unfortunately there is not. What I do know is that we are in the Fire Country, about two days away from Kohana, the village hidden the leaves. I suggest when you wake up you go there for supplies and then scram. Orochimaru won't give up that easily. It's eyes soften a bit.

But sleep now, Naomie-pup. You have done well. I smirked sleepily.

Did I just hear a compliment out of you?"

So that's the first chp! Please review!