Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Darkened Leaves
Crisp cool air blew through the forest. Trees billowing in the wind as the night sky bore a bright moon, stars glistening in all their splendor. The sound of crickets chirping would be heard, though the lone figure of which to hear them, could not. For this figure seemed too preoccupied in meditation, a scroll unfurled before them. This figure was a boy, dressed in day-glow orange jacket, slacks, blue sandals, and a pair of goggles. He had spiky blonde hair, and three whisker marks on each cheek of his face, eyes unnoticeable due to their closed state.
All was tranquil on the outside, all was calm. On the inside, however, would be another matter entirely. The scroll instructed him to meditate before attempting to try anything listed. Any other day and this would have been nothing but a task with which he would skip, but tonight was different. Tonight he needed to make sure he did things right. So here he was, in his mind, walking along its dark corridors to who knows where.
The walls looked of cobblestone, and the ankle deep liquid slowing his steps worried him. It all looked like a sewer. Still he pressed on, looking to find his way out of this labyrinth of tunnels and darkness. He had no inkling of his destination, though he felt as though he was being guided by some unknown force, pulling him, telling him to follow.
This little game of follow the invisible leader seemed to last for hours on end, and he was close to giving up, though as if on cue, he had reached an opening to a large room. Blue eyes widened in shock of the immenseness of the chamber before him, walls so high, the ceiling out of visible range.
"Ah…so my jailer comes to visit." came a booming and ethereal voice. A voice so menacing, it sent a shiver down the boy's spine.
Slowly taking his eyes off the empty blackness above, he came face to face with a horrifying sight. Staring at him hungrily through an enormous cage was a fox the size of the highest mountain. Its fur so red, it may as well have been made of magma, teeth the size of houses filled this beast's seemingly grinning maw. The piercing yellow slit gaze burned their way into the blue eye of the boy's soul.
He couldn't move, his frame frozen in fear. He could feel its breath cascading over him like a blazing inferno. This seemed to make the beast's grin grow wider, as if it enjoyed the feeling of having instilled fear in a child. "Don't be afraid little pup…I'm not going to hurt you." It bellowed, "Come closer child."
The boy inched his way closer to the cage, unsure what was to happen next. Closer and closer he got, he was mere inches from reaching out and touching one of the monstrous bars, before a giant red paw slammed against it, scaring the poor boy who jumped back on instinct, half to death. This was followed by a deep guttural laughter, which shook the very foundation of the lair.
Clutching at his heart and gasping for air, all the boy could do was let out a ragged "That wasn't funny!"
With a raised eyebrow, the beastly fox acknowledged bemusedly, "So…the pup actually has a voice." If it could smirk it would have. "And here I thought I had a mute in my presence…wouldn't be much fun then. Mute's aren't great…conversationalists, and I do so love hearing my prey scream." Its chuckle didn't go unnoticed.
Finally catching his breath, the boy questioned, "What…who…are you?"
"Oh dear pup…forgive my saying so, but what and who do you think I am?" It asked. Urging the boy to take a, somewhat, educated guess.
His face scrunched up in deep thought, he knew it would come to him eventually. The beast sat patiently for him to answer. Then it hit him, "You're…!" He paused not wanting to believe it.
"Go on." It urged.
"You're the Kyuubi! T-t-t-t-the Nine-Tailed Fox!"
It looked proud to be recognized. "I see we've figured it out."
Staring at it in disbelief, "B-b-b-but that's not possible! Y-y-y-y-you're supposed to be dead!"
"Bah!" It scoffed, "Do you really think a mere man can kill one as powerful as me? No my dear pup, such a deed is not possible, even if one were to give their life to do so." It shifted itself to a more comfortable position. "The most that…pest could accomplish was to seal me into a pathetic infant! Oh don't look so shocked! I and this cage you see before you are living proof of that fact!"
The weight of the Kyuubi's words weighed heavily on the boy's shoulders, head hung low, he slowly began to realize something. "So you're the reason everyone hates me…the reason everyone wants me dead."
"Guilty as charged." It said curtly.
"So many murder attempts, the glares, and all those hate-filled remarks…" his legs gave way, arm on one of the bars of the cage, "it was all because of you."
So lost in his brooding was he, that he never felt the shift in the room, nor did he care to take notice. It wasn't until he felt the pressure of a hand on his shoulder, did he finally look up. What caught him by surprise was the fact that no longer was there a huge cage, no longer was there a giant fox. There before him was a pole, of which he found himself leaning on. On that very pole was a chain, and on the end of that chain, was a collar, and attached to said collar, was a very attractive, very naked woman with bat-like wings coming out of her back; wings big enough to carry a human sized adult plus one or two. A head of deep red hair were framed by horns coming from the back of the head around to the front. She had a fang filled smirk that said "so what?" Her glowing red gaze entranced him. No matter how hard he tried he could not look away. "What in the…?" was all he could manage to say.
Her smirk grew. "Oh this?" she gestured to herself, making sure to show off her voluptuous curves. "This…is my true form. That hulking beast you humans come to know and fear? That is my…shall we say…unleashed form. As in, I shed my physical form and let my demonic essence run freely." Sliding her arms around his frame, she whispered lustfully into his ear, "Trust me…this form is more fun." He could feel her ample bust pressing against his back. He knew he'd lose himself soon. Suddenly she let go and sashayed away a bit, stopping to look over her slender shoulders to say, "Now that I've gotten your undivided attention Mr. Broodypants…what do you plan to do about it?"
Still reeling from the spectacle, he couldn't help but ask, "Do about what?"
"All those nasty things your so called village has done to you!" Her reply came fierce.
Leaning his back against the pole, the boy was deep in thought. He knew he wanted to prove all of them wrong, show them he wasn't a demon, but he also knew in his mind, that such an act would never change their perspective of him. Heaving a sigh of defeat, he muttered a silent, "I don't know." It seemed he finally gave in after all these years.
Hearing this, Kyuubi stalked her way toward him, bent down and lifted his head with a finger to look her in the eyes. "So you're just going to give up? Give them what they want most? Run away with your tail between your legs?"
Staring into her eyes again, he felt entranced a second time. "I-I-I-I-I…" he stammered.
"I know what you could do." Her sultry voice was like music to his ears. He urged her to continue, unable to speak. "Merge with me. Use my powers for your gain."
"But…wouldn't that make me a demon?" he asked, finally finding his voice. "Wouldn't that make everything they said true?"
Kyuubi stood up. "Oh most definitely…but look at it this way." She paused. "Wouldn't it be intriguing to know that you've become what they view you as, and still refuse to do what they think you'll do?" Pacing back and forth she continued, "Think of it…the demon who made the people out to be the true demons. Of course, the merging isn't without its price."
"W-w-what price is that?" He had a feeling he didn't want to know.
Taking a moment to stop in her pacing, she regarded him with a crazed look. "Oh…your body will change to accommodate my abilities. Something I'm sure will…have you go into a frenzy after it's over. But I'm confident you'll make it through." This worried the boy. "Make no mistake in thinking that you'll have complete control over all of my abilities upon gaining them. You'll have to work at them just like you would any other."
He wasn't sure what she meant when she said "frenzy," and decided to ask, "Will this…change hurt?"
This made her smirk mischievously. "Excruciatingly so."
This made him gulp, such a price seemed too big, then again he's lived through many tortures, how bad could it be? Plus having to work at perfecting abilities he's unfamiliar with, he was intrigued indeed, and he loved a good challenge. This all seemed too good to be true though, he had to ask, "Why are you helping me?"
Kyuubi's reply was a sadistic giggle and a short, "I'm not." She was damning this child for all eternity, but she wouldn't reveal that tidbit of information. "Let's just say, I'd rather be merged, than to stay trapped in someone's mind." Which was also true, the thought of living her remaining days here didn't appeal to her at all.
This he could believe. If he were in her situation he'd probably do the same. Besides, what did he have to lose? "Alright…I'll do it."
Her smirk widened to a grin. "Are you sure? Once it starts, there's no going back." The boy's eyes shined with determination, he nodded his head in the affirmative. "Excellent." Getting down on all fours, with her backside facing him, she looked over her shoulder with a seductive stare, her voice lustful and enticing, "Then let us consummate on this little deal." He found himself unable to resist. His body moved of its own accord. His mind blank, nothing but this moment mattered.
Though hours have gone by in his mind, things progressed much more slowly outside. Two ninja were in an interlocked battle, both unyielding; both determined to take each other down. One of them was wounded badly, close to collapsing. He had a scar across his nose, brunette hair tied in a pineapple-ish style. He wore the standard garb of a seasoned shinobi of the leaf.
His opponent had hair of a sickly white, and wore the same attire as him. He had a crazed look on his face, and he knew this betrayer would kill him and the boy too if this kept up. He was losing his strength. One final kick was all it took to send him flying back a few feet. Staggering to his feet, he hobbled over to the side of a shack wall, where he collapsed. Positioning himself to lean his back against it, he knew he was beaten.
The victor stalked his way toward him, intending to deliver the final blow. He raised his arm high, kunai in hand. Before he could finish his task, however, both men heard a yelp. Turning their attention in its direction, they saw something they will never forget. The boy was clutching his stomach in pain. His body began to burn from the inside out, he frantically tore off his jacket in an attempt to cool the fire that burn within him, yet it only excelled as time passed. Every muscle racked with unbridled agony.
Both men looked on in horror as the boy's skin began to bubble and melt, they both flinched as the ear piercing cries came. The boy could feel bones breaking, rearranging, twisting, his muscles being stripped, tendons and veins snapping and bursting. He started to empty his stomach contents due to the immense anguish. He began to slam his head against the earth in order to take his mind off the pain, but to no avail. Meat dissolving into a mush, and still he screamed, until his voice became ragged, or his vocal chords snapped.
This horrifying spectacle seemed to last for hours. Both men's faces white, blood drained from them. On and on it went until there was nothing left but a silently screaming skeleton kneeling on a gelatinous, bloody mess. They thought it was over, but no, it was just the beginning.
Not long after it ended, things began to slowly materialize around the skeletal frame, organs forming, sinewy muscles, tendons, veins, blood vessels, and then the screams picked back up, more high pitched than ever. It took all they had not to vomit themselves.
Eyes filled empty sockets, like balloons being inflated at a faire. Skin began to cover around the newly formed muscles and organs at a slow and agonizing pace. New lungs gasping for air; hair slowly emerging from the head, blonde in color, reaching the small of its back; horns sprouting from the back, wrapping around to the front. The screams slowly died down to whimpers.
Each man sat stock still, not believing the sight that took place. Suddenly the figure started to move, lifting itself off the ground where it lay, staggering to get a footing. What they saw was startling, what once was a boy, now stood a naked young woman, with wide hips, above average bust, full lips, and a cute nose. She was well toned, not overly muscular, but enough to warrant envy of any other woman. She had perfect curves, and the air around her seemed to radiate dominance. Her half lidded eyes still fixed to the sky, as if waiting for something.
The victor of the earlier battle decided it was time to take his prize and leave his opponent to this creature, trying to desperately yet silently take the scroll from him. Little did he know that said creature, noticed his movements, slowly taking its eyes off the sky and in their direction. This made the fallen ninja's breath catch in his throat, as it slowly made its way toward them. The white haired man was almost done strapping the scroll to his back when he felt the presence of another behind him. He slowly turned his head and came face to face with the feminine creature before him, eyes soulless, and uncaring.
In desperation, he took out a kunai and thrust it into the creatures chest, where it stood there, staring at the weapon, as if it were a mere flea. What happened next will scar the fallen ninja, haunting his dreams for the remainder of his days. The creature's lips curled into a sadistic smirk, eyes glowing bright neon blue, as it grabbed the offending arm. Bones shattering could be heard, as the man screamed in agony. The creature then silenced him with a kiss; a kiss that seemed to drain him of his life force, for his body started to shrivel up. It grabbed the quivering mass, and dragged it into the shadows, where blood curdling screams could be heard for miles.
The fallen ninja looked frantically around him, unsure of where the creature went, or when it will return. He jumped as the dried up corpse of his opponent fell from above him, eyes sunken, lifeless, face twisted in a silent scream. Then the creature followed; its back to him. Clutching its head, in pain, and what he saw was astounding. From its back there began to sprout tiny nubs. Those nubs grew bigger, and even bigger still, until it formed the structures of wings. Muscles, skin and tissue membrane stretched across them, taking on a bat-like appearance, and then it stopped.
Heavily breathing, knowing the pain has subsided, it turned to face him. Down on all fours it crawled its way toward him, when it was mere inches from his face, he closed his eyes waiting for death, which did not come. The creature stopped, recognizing the scent, and the scar on the ninja's nose, memories came flooding back.
Opening a weary eye, the fallen shinobi met a perplexing sight, instead of the soulless glowing orbs of a vicious predator; he was met with the soft eyes of a scared young woman. "I-I-I-Iruka-sensei?" It clutched its throat as if surprised to hear its own voice. Looking itself over, it became more and more distraught with every glance. "W-w-what…happened to me? Why am I a…how do I have…?" it stared at its palms as if the answers were written on them.
A sudden realization hit Iruka. The blonde hair, the blue eyes, given his state of mind as of late, and the scene that took place in front of him, he'd have been sure of the demise of his former pupil had it not stopped to recognize him. "Naruto…?" he asked cautiously, not sure if his voice would return the creature to its frenzied state. As if jolted out of a mental battle, the creature regarded him, confirming his suspicions. With a sigh of relief, he outstretched an arm, offering a comforting hug, which Naruto gladly took, wings draped over the both of them.
There they sat for and untold amount of minutes, until Iruka spoke. "You know…the Hokage will want to hear about this." Naruto flinched at that, and buried his, now her, face into Iruka's chest. "Plus we need to return that scroll." Naruto took her head off his chest enough to give him a puppy dog pout. "Don't you give me that look…you know very well it can't be avoided." His voice was stern like a father berating a child.
Naruto groaned, before giving a silent, "Okay." Still startled by the now feminine voice she has.
Iruka staggered to his feet, bringing Naruto with him. Slowly letting her go, they both tried to find their balance; Iruka, because he was wounded, and Naruto, because she wasn't used to a female body yet. After Iruka retrieved the scroll from the dried up husk, he noticed Naruto shivering. Shaking his head, he proceeded to remove the undershirt he wore. Before he handed it to her, he looked at her wings, the question needed to be said. "Are you…able to uh…conceal those?" Naruto shrugged, and concentrated. Slowly but surely the wings began to retreat into her back, an odd feeling but strangely felt right. Just like her wings, her horns withdrew themselves back into her head, and there stood a more human figure.
Well to say Iruka was struck dumb is an understatement, but he pulled himself together to hand her his shirt. Of which she slipped on, although it swallowed her frame. "Alright, let's take you to the tower."
The village seemed on edge as the two made their way to the tower. The people to take notice of them stopped their nightly endeavors to make quick observations of the pair ranging from "who is that?" to "was that poor girl raped?" among others. It came as a shock to Naruto that they didn't recognize her, no hateful glares, no dehumanizing remarks, no occasional thrown objects. It was a foreign sense of, to say the least, concern, empathy, compassion. Though given the new appearance, she couldn't blame them.
Inside the tower, things were quieter as everyone had left for their homes. Only two remained in the tower during after hours, the secretary, and the Hokage. Outside the double-doors of the Hokage's office, sat a row of chairs for those waiting to see the Hokage. Off to the side, the messy desk of the Secretary could be seen, where-in said secretary sat, putting in the last minute paperwork for the night. If one were to ask her about the state of her desk, she'd tell them that "there's a method to my madness."
It was in this room Naruto sat as Iruka sought audience with the Hokage, waiting for the inevitable shock her new appearance would bring to the aged village leader. Her long blonde hair hid her face from the world as she sat forward, staring intently at the floor, looking so lost and anxious. Seeing this, the secretary couldn't help but try and comfort her. So she set aside her work, and made her way over, where she promptly sat and pulled her into a caring hug. Naruto gasped, surprised by the sudden contact, but quickly relaxed when she knew there was no malicious intent.
Minutes passed by before the doors to the Hokage's office finally opened. Both the secretary and Naruto looked up to see Iruka motioning for her to enter. Sighing, she nodded, gave the secretary a thankful hug, then made her way inside, unsure what to expect.
It was time, the dreaded moment had arrived. She wanted to be anywhere but here. The room was moderately built, a couple chairs in front of an ornate desk filled with paperwork, a night lamp, a few personal trinkets here and there. There was a window overlooking the horizon, next to a shelf of books and scrolls. On the back wall behind the desk, there hung pictures of those who had been Hokage in their time. Sitting behind the desk was the gaping visage of the Hokage, eyes wide as dinner plates. "Naruto?" he asked, unsure if it was really the same person.
Iruka had informed him of everything that had transpired, but he never would have believed him had he not seen, with his own eyes, the figure that would walk through those doors. Naruto gave a nervous smile, and spoke those three words that the Hokage knew so well, "H-h-hey old man."
The voice may have been different but the Hokage knew it was the same person he came to love as a grandson. His face relaxed into a sad smile, relieved in knowing that the Naruto he knew still resided in this female form before him. "How are you feeling, Naruto?"
Naruto looked at him for a few seconds before finally giving her answer, "Sore, confused," she looked at herself, "embarrassed." She looked back at the Hokage, "How else would I feel?"
The Hokage nodded in understanding, even though he would never be able to fathom the pain such a transformation had on her, he knew it had to be excruciating. He was surprised Naruto hadn't degraded in a permanent mental shutdown, living on base animal instincts alone. "I heard you stopped Mizuki from stealing a very important scroll."
She reluctantly nodded in the affirmative, "I…wasn't really myself when it happened though."
The Hokage gave his own nod, "Given what Iruka has informed me of what he saw during that incident, I'd have to imagine so."
This prompted Iruka, who was lying down on a couch against the wall, to chime in, "I'm going to have nightmares about this, I just know it."
Giving a nervous laugh, Naruto regarded the comment with an apologetic smile, which Iruka waved it off as if to say it wasn't needed, he knew she wasn't in control of herself, and held no hard feelings over the matter.
Seeing this, the Hokage couldn't help but shake his head and smile, "Anyway, despite your state of mind at the time, you still managed to take down a Chunin ranked opponent, effectively stopping a traitor from making off with the scroll." He paused to light his pipe before continuing, making sure he had her attention. "Such a thing by a Genin is almost impossible."
Naruto nodded in agreement, giving a smirk, then after a few seconds, realization hit her. She stared at the Hokage, who gave a smirk of his own, with wide eyes, "G-g-g-genin?"
Both he and Iruka shared a look, as the Hokage opened a drawer in his desk, and pulled out a headband. "Yes, Naruto, what you have done tonight has been enough to reward you with the rank of Genin, and the right to wear this with pride." He held it out in offering to her.
Naruto, stunned to silence, cautiously made her way over, reaching out slowly as if the headband would vanish if she were to move too fast. Finally taking it from his hands, she held it, feeling the material of the cloth, and caressing the steel plate. Emotions ran rampant through her, thanks to her new body. She all but attacked the Hokage, as she leapt across the desk, giving him a crushing hug and a thousand kisses on his cheek. "Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank !" With each "thank you" as well as the increasing speed, her voice reached an octave that wasn't expected by either Iruka or the Hokage.
Naruto let him go and started hopping around the room in excitement and squeals of happiness. "I'm a ninja! I'm a ninja! Ohhhhh when I see everyone tomorrow I'm going to rub it in their faces!"
The Hokage tried to get her attention but she just kept going, "I bet you they'll be shocked to see me there!"
"Naruto!" The Hokage shouted, effectively stopping her from continuing her excited rant, while Iruka just looked on in a bemused state. "Naruto…you do know that they won't even recognize you, given the current situation."
This wiped the smile off her face, "Oh…yeah." She forgot about her current gender switch in the excitement. "I…what…"
The Hokage could see she was having trouble, and decided to throw out an idea, unsure whether she'd like it or not. "Well…what I suggest is this," he paused, making sure she was focused on him, "you could take on a new identity, new name, start fresh."
She thought about it, she didn't want to be someone else; she liked being Naruto, despite all she's been through. On the other hand, a girl with the name Naruto just wouldn't seem right, not to mention the idea of walking down the street without being sneered at sounded really appealing. The Hokage waited patiently for her answer as she weighed her options.
"What will happen if I stick with being me?" she asked, curious of such a thing.
The Hokage answered with a raised brow, "Well you'll live a life of the same day to day experiences of the things you are familiar with, although now that you are…female, there's the added fear of worse dangers such as rape, and not just in the field either."
That last part made her go pale, she hadn't thought of that. "Oh…okay…and about the new identity option?"
"That's just it; you'll have a new identity. Sure there's still the possibility of rape, but only in the line of duty, and only because of mistakes. You'll be able to live among the village as a normal young woman who's striving to be a great kunoichi. Granted you'll have to work harder to gain the respect of your friends and peers again, but it's a necessary evil." With every word, Naruto seemed to calm down, starting to like the idea more and more.
With a determined look, she made her decision. "I'll do it."
Smiling, the Hokage gave the official okay by saying, "Then as of now, Uzumaki Naruto, the boy who miraculously, stopped a traitor, despite not being ninja, is officially confirmed dead, killed in the line of duty, to protect the secrets of his village."
"Well…that explains how I won't be Naruto," She said, understanding that to truly be a different person, the old you would have to disappear for good, "but how will we explain how I…well…?"
The Hokage knew what she meant and was getting to that, "What will we do about who you will be now?" he asked for her, gaining a nod in response. "I'll pull up a blank document, fill out the details of how being an orphan and your early development has pushed you to be an up-in-coming kunoichi, who gained her rank through hard work, determination and skill; you barely passed, although you possess a potential to grow stronger as a kunoichi in time. There were some certain complications that came up in a different class though, which has swayed me to allow you to transfer into Iruka's class for team placements."
Both Iruka and Naruto were surprised at the brilliance of such a thing, causing the Hokage to chuckle at their reactions. "The only thing I need from you now, is your choice of name."
Shaking the surprise from her face, she fell into deep thought, trying to think of a name. So many raced through her mind, many she didn't like, while the others she considered and set them aside. Soon she narrowed it down to two names. Nobody said much, just waited patiently. When she asked for a coin, Iruka pulled one out and handed it to her, to which she flipped and let land on the floor. Both men raised a questioning brow at the spectacle.
She stared at the coin, and nodded at its deciding factor. "Well, I've decided to use the name…Yoko."
Both men nodded, liking the name. Curious, the Hokage asked her, "What was the other choice?"
No sooner did the words leave his mouth; she decided to pull out one last Naruto-ism. "John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt." This caused both men to face fault, followed by a hysterically laughing girl at their expense.
After picking themselves up, they both gave her a look and sighed. The Hokage took this time to disregard that little joke and asked her about a surname, seeing as Uzumaki is no longer an option. Thinking for a second, she pulled something out of the blue, "Uh…Tachibana."
"Alright, so Tachibana Yoko." He said as he wrote it down, along with the rest of her new background, taking care to include believable details with each pen stroke. From a father lost in the Kyuubi attack, a mother lost to a fatal illness in later years, to her days as an orphan struggling to make it in the academy, all the way up to now. "That should cover everything. Though…you'll have to move into a new apartment, and given your state of dress, new clothes."
It was at this point she felt embarrassed, realizing she was still relatively naked, and she couldn't wear Iruka's shit for the rest of her life. Plus a new apartment sounded great, seeing as how she couldn't move back into her old one. That would probably raise suspicion.
Seeing that she agreed, "I'll handle the expenses and have my secretary help you with the shopping, seeing as how Iruka here needs to get patched up and can't really fill that role." This gained a happy sigh from said man. "Now…is there anything else to be discussed?" When he received a response in the negative from both, "Good, you are dismissed, and welcome to your new life…Yoko."
The apartment was spacious, though quite standard for civilian use. There was a mini-kitchen with a fridge, a table and a couple chairs, a couch in the living room with a coffee table, and plain curtains over the windows. There was a standard bathroom with a sink and a shower. The bedroom was average; it had a nightstand next to a very soft bed, a closet, and a set of drawers. It was in here, Naruto, now known as Yoko, could be seen sitting on her new bed, after trying the shower, happy to know there was hot water.
She set her bags next to the drawers earlier, not ready to pack their contents into them yet, her thoughts still cycling through the day's events, trying to see if she had forgotten anything. When she was just about to take out that new nightgown that nice secretary helped her pick out, she suddenly remembered something, and then blurted out, "I forgot to tell them about the Kyuubi!"
She knew there was something nagging at the back of her head, but never knew what till now. Thinking about it for a minute, she decided it probably wasn't important. For now it can wait.
After getting ready to sleep, she laid down on her new soft, comfortable bed. Before she drifted off to sleep, she wondered what tomorrow had in store, hoping things would work out. Only tomorrow would have the answers.
Luc de'Lireon: Alright! Well...this was a loooooooooong chapter...i just kept adding and adding and adding, not sure if the ending seems rushed to anyone else, but at this point, i'm just glad to finish this thing. Gah! it took me a few days to do this, usually it takes me a day, but this particular one deserved all my labor and love. If you can't guess what creature Naruto/Yoko is, i'll give you a hint: IT'S NOT A VAMPIRE!
So...i can't promise updates to come flying in, cause at this point, i just write when i feel the inspiration. Anyway, this is Luc de'Lireon saying "Good write...good night."