Yeah, I know, I really shouldn't be starting a whole other fan-fic so soon... but whatever! I did it 'cuz I wanted to, so whatever! Anyway, the characters may be a little OOC for this one, cause I didn't watch too much of the anime, but I'll try really hard to keep them as in character as I can! Enjoy and review!

Hikari: The Seventh Sorrow

A Naruto fan-fic by XxTorturedHeartxX

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or any of its characters or storylines.

Claimer: I DO however own the OCs Hikari, etc. and this particular storyline.

Chapter One: The Begining of Revenge

HIKARI'S POV

I hate them. I hate them. I hate them. I'll kill them. I'll kill them. I'll kill them. I hate me. I hate me. It's my fault. It's my fault. It's my fault. It's my fault. It's my fault. MY FAULT.

God. How could I let this happen? I was supposed to protect them… always. I was their guardian… and I let them… I let them… oh, God… why? I clenched my eyes closed, tears escaping as I tried to shake the images that were forever burned within my mind. They won't go away! God, why won't they go away? AHHHHHHH! Throwing my head back, I let loose a cry of absolute agony. My chest hurt, like my heart was being torn out… it felt like I was dying now… I should have died with them… what purpose does my life have now? The forest is gone… my family, my friends… they are dead now. Why didn't I die too? I was the guardian of the forest and I failed to protect it when it was in danger! I should have died! It's all my fault; I was too weak… too weak to protect the ones I cared about, too weak to save them or my home… Why did I survive when they did not? As the forest's guardian, I should have burned with it.

I forced myself to stand, ignoring my wounds as they gave a gush of blood at the movement. It no longer mattered if I bled to death. I would let fate take its course and if bleeding out was my fate, I would go without a care. At the moment, I would be happy to die.

I took a step, my muscles quivering in pain, but I ignored it along with the blood. I took another and they gave out. Panting with the effort, I forced my body to get back up. I forced myself forward, trying to ignore the lingering scent of death and smoke that permeated my body and the once clean air. I wasn't far from the still-smoldering remains of my life-long home; if I were to turn around now, I would still be able to see it in the distance. But it was a place of the past and I would never look at it again; I had failed as its guardian, I no longer had any right to look at it… nor did I want to if it could not look the same as before, and it never again would. My feet made a soft, almost in-audible 'pat-pat-pat' as I strode forward, leaving it behind.

I had been so happy the day I was chosen… chosen to be the one who would protect our home and its creatures. I, who was still so young and inexperienced, had been chosen by the Elders and the denizens of the Great Forest as the Forest Guardian, the highest position of respect one could be given. My mother had been so proud of me, her only daughter, the only child she had ever had… that I had been chosen to be the Guardian of our home. And I was so happy and determined, so glad to be the one to protect something I loved so much. I was certain that I would never—no matter how young I was— let anything happen to the Forest and my people. Oh how wrong I had been. It was my foolish over-confidence that was the end of so many lives. I was just as at fault as the ones who had started the fire, as those murdering bastards who had set to killing every single one of my people… those who had managed to escape the blaze, that is. And I could do nothing. I was far from them, when the chaos started, tending to a decoy matter on the opposite side of the forest. By the time I realized what had happened and had made my way to them, it was already too late. The bastards had already come and gone, having found what they wanted, whatever it was. There were few still alive when I reached the sight of their massacre, left to suffer injuries that could not be healed. As my duty demanded, I had ended their lives myself to spare them the suffering of their wounds. Then I had tracked their murderers to this abandoned field. Most had already moved on, but there were still three or four of the lowest ranking of their group left behind in case any such as I had survived and came to take revenge. They, even as low rank as they were, had almost managed to kill me before I tore them to pieces. I could still taste their putrid blood in my mouth, still feel it coating my body like the dirty tar it was.

I stopped for a moment, glancing to the overcast, burnt sky as it began to weep, small, pure drops falling upon me as I gazed upwards. I closed my eyes, sighing a little at their comforting feel as they began to wash away the blood and grime. I turned my head back down and continued forward with renewed vigor. I loved the rain… it was so pure, so untainted, unlike the world it fell down upon. But, if there were any remaining trails left by the rest of the murdering creatures, the rain would wash them away. I doubted I would have been able to trace them, they had done such a good job of covering themselves, but now it would be impossible, and that fact broke the already shattered pieces of my heart even more. But I did not care. I would put those sharp, hurtful pieces back together again and then I would turn them to stone and iron, so that they could never be broken ever again. I would track down every last one of the filthy pieces of trash that dared kill MY people and destroy MY forest, even if it took the rest of my existence. They would pay for their crimes with blood.

I limped as I walked, a growl of hatred rising deep in my throat as I approached the rest of the burning remains of my forest, the forest that had once been the greatest, most enormous and dangerous forest in the entire world. How the stupid criminals had managed to set the entire thing ablaze was unknown to me… perhaps they had one with fire jutsu in their ranks? If so, I would have to be very careful. I myself had a bit of ability with fire, but my "fire" was very different than the "fire" a shinobi might use. My fire could be very harmful, if used properly, but for the most part, I could not use it to "burn". I had no sort of resistance to true fire. None the less, I would not cease my hunt until every last one of the disgusting creatures were in pieces. For now, I would make my way towards the river that once ran through what was my home. There I would cleanse myself, (the rain would not be enough and besides, it was already slowing down) and follow it towards civilization where I could begin my hunt; if I could find even the slightest trace of the bastards, it would be more than what I had started with and I would be pleased. I doubted their kind lived as separated from the rest of the world as I and my people had… thus, it was appropriate to believe I would have a better chance of finding them if I set off towards the nearest… village, I believed it was called.

I ignored the pain of my injuries, forcing myself to walk at my normal pace. I would not be weak ever again. I would avenge every life taken and bathe in the blood of the fools who dared cross me. My eyes narrowed in amusement and hate as I began to imagine every way I could kill them that would hurt as much as they made my people hurt, as much as they made me hurt. I would have them beg for their lives before I would be done with them. And when each and every one of them no longer had their heads on their shoulders, I would… I did not know. Perhaps I would find some powerful shinobi who would finally send me to meet my people, wherever they were now. Or... I did not know. I would think on it when I got to that. For now, I would think only of the task at hand.

When I reached the river I dove in without hesitation. I could not stand to have such disgusting filth covering me. I couldn't stand the stench and feel of the bastard blood upon me, nor could I smell the smell of smoke and my people's death any longer. I swam against the current to wash every bit of it away, ducking my head under again and again until I could no longer feel dirt or smell it anymore. I shook dry as I leapt out of the water, then allowed myself to check the worst of my wounds. As I had suspected, they were already healing. Part of my abilities involved quick healing and for that I was glad. I would be able to travel undaunted by injury at all soon. I stood and continued along the river, never once looking back.

!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!

"Aaaaaahhhh!" My eyes flew open and I bolted to my feet, ready for an attack. None came. Suddenly, the high-pitched noise came again, this time followed by the most horrible howling I had ever heard. I recognized this sound as the hunt call of a pack of wolves. The high-pitched noise came again and this time, I recognized it for what it was; a scream of terror. It was a sound I had never heard before, yet I knew without a doubt that that was what it was. And from the voice, I knew that it was a young creature—most likely human— that had given it. I tried to make myself lay back down and go back to sleep; it was none of my business what happened to another's young… that responsibility had only rested upon me when I was the Forest Guardian. Besides, I needed to sleep. It was morning now, but I needed all the strength I could get, as the "village" was near now… but as I heard the scream again, something in me took over. It was filled with such terror… I could not ignore something that sounded so afraid and so helpless. I had not been able to save my people, or their young. I would save any young that I could from now on. I dashed out of the cluster of trees I had chosen to sleep in that night and sped directly towards the sound. I was one of the fastest creatures ever to live on the earth, but even so, the howls of the hunters were already so close to the young one, it would be race against time to get there before they did. I made myself move faster. The young one gave another terrified scream just as I reached the tall grass that hid it from my view. As the howling closed in and the growling started, I let out a feral warning snarl and leapt into the clearing, right into my first battle since the massacre of my people two days before. This time, I would save what I had come for.

NORMAL POV

With Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura...

The team had been tracking the "demon-wolf" pack for days now and all had steadily become more on edge the closer it lead them to Konoha. When they had taken the mission as a relief from their search for Sasuke, they had never thought it would take so long to complete it; though the wolves had been called demons, they were, in fact, just extremely large regular wolves that had been causing problems lately. They had been killing live-stock, destroying fields, and, worst of all, killing anyone weak enough for them to overpower. The creatures were too dangerous to allow them to roam freely about the land. So Team 7 had been commissioned to exterminate them. Unfortunately, they couldn't kill something they couldn't find… their search for the Akatsuki was proof of that. And the dumb wolves had been avoiding them for days, always seeming to be a step ahead of the group, and it was starting to take its toll on the workings of the group. The longer Naruto went without completing the mission so they could get back to searching for his best friend, the more loud-mouthed and annoying he became. The longer Sakura went without a good night's sleep due to Naruto's growing loud-mouthery, the more irritable and violent she got. Even Kakashi was becoming twitchy after listening to the two fight constantly.

So when the group was awoken that morning by the sound of howling nearby, they practically leapt into action, closing up in record time and dashing towards the sound of the howling. This time they would catch those annoying pests and put an end to them for good! Unfortunately, their happiness at finally having a good chance of catching the wolves was immediately destroyed by the terror-filled scream that joined the howling soon after it started.

"Oh NO! They're hunting! This is so not good!" Sakura yelled in dismay, her pink locks flowing out behind her as she sped up. Kakashi and Naruto didn't answer except in that they also sped up, running just ahead of Sakura as they rushed to reach the victim in time. Their hearts faltered at the sound of a second scream, allowing each of them full knowledge of just who it was they were trying to save. The scream was undeniably the scream of a human child, maybe five or six years old, and it was followed by more howling, leaving no doubt in their minds that the pack was indeed hunting it. Naruto growled angrily, speeding up even faster. The howling was close, but even so, the fact that they might not make it in time was threatening all of them as they forced their limbs to move even faster. If they didn't reach the child soon, it would all be over. They shared a mutual internal shudder as they heard another scream, just as the howling turned into cringe-worthy snarling.

"DAMN IT!" Naruto yelled in dismay and anger, voicing what they all felt at that moment as they realized the truth of the situation; they would never make it in time. Still they ran, listening to the sound of snarling and the occasional screaming as it drew nearer and nearer. Suddenly, there came a chorus of whimpering and whines, blending in with the screams and snarls, and the sound of branches breaking and flesh ripping. What the hell was going on? Suddenly, just as they reached the tall grass clearing, the ruckus diminished, silencing with a loud outcry of pain and a blood-curdling "SNAP". They tensed as they ran into the field, preparing for the worst, but relaxing with a sigh of relief the moment they entered. The child, a young dark brown haired girl was sitting against a lone tree crying her eyes out and covered in blood, but still alive. Then they tensed again. The field was littered with the disemboweled, torn corpses of enormous wolves.

"What the—?" Naruto began, his voice barely more than a whisper.

"What could have done something like this, Kakashi sensei?" Sakura asked breathily, her emerald eyes wide in shock and amazement. He simply shook his head as an answer, his visible eye wide as well as he stared at the massacred pack of wolves. There had to be at least twenty of them and they were amazingly large in comparison to the normal variation of wolves; whatever had killed them had to have been extremely powerful. Even they would have had a little trouble dispatching such a group. Shaking his awe away momentarily, the copy ninja turned to Sakura, clearing his throat a bit when she failed to look at him. As soon as he had her attention he spoke.

"For now, we should check the child for injuries and find out where her parents are." Sakura closed her mouth and set her eyes in determination, nodding once fast before heading towards the child. Kakashi strode forward with Naruto, deciding to make sure all the wolves were dead, though by the look of them, he was pretty certain they would not be getting up again. Suddenly, the group tensed, all except Sakura, who was checking the young girl for injuries, taking a defensive stance as a feral snarl erupted around them. It was different from that of the wolves, of that Kakashi was already certain—where the wolves' had been fairly deep and much more guttural, this one was a much higher-pitch and very light though just as loud as the wolves'. It almost reminded him of a fox, but this was a sound that obviously belonged to a much larger animal. Kakashi and Naruto stiffened as the growl turned into a high-pitched bark of anger and the assailant suddenly leapt from the tall grass ahead of them… and right onto Naruto.

It was covered in pink fire, which licked at Naruto's skin as he cried out and struggled on the ground with it, desperately trying to keep it from getting a hold on his neck. The thing was huge, almost as big as the wolves, but the fire was too bright for Kakashi or Naruto to get a full view on what it was. Kakashi reacted immediately, throwing three shuriken somewhere towards the center of the pink fire-ball, unable to get a clear shot as it's true form was completely concealed. He was rewarded with a sharp whine of pain as the thing leapt back off of Naruto in shock. He threw three more shuriken, but this time the ball of fire was prepared, and it rolled to the side, allowing the shuriken to dig harmlessly into the ground instead. It wasted no time in dodging around Naruto as he threw a quick kick towards it and moving head on towards Kakashi, he leapt back as it struck out at him, a claw shaped formation of the fire stretching from the ball of flame as it charged him. It attacked again and again and each time he leapt away, just out of its reach. Naruto came up behind it and attempted to throw a hit in before it whirled on him and dodged, leaping into the air and doing a flip over his head then turning and slashing its fiery claws at him, to which he rolled forward out of danger. Suddenly, Sakura came out of nowhere, throwing a kick at the thing, but it rolled to the side then leapt to its feet and, to their surprise, immediately dashed around all of them towards the child. Sakura's eyes widened in horror as it advanced on the wailing child, unable to do anything as went to kill her.

But before it could reach her, Kakashi, as usual, appeared out of nowhere, throwing a sharp punch to the underside of the creature. There was a loud, sickening "crack" as his fist met bone inside the ball of flame and the creature cried out in agony and was thrown to the ground a few feet away, the fire dissipating almost instantly as it fell into the thick grass and was still hidden from view. Snarling, a white-gold form attempted to lift it's self from the grass only to fall back down again as six shuriken hit it and it gave another cry of pain, blood splattering out onto the grass as it fell. It whimpered as Kakashi and Naruto approached it cautiously, ready to attack if it got up again. Sakura rushed to try and comfort the now wailing child, giving soft cooing noises as she hugged her and stroked her hair. The girl tried to push her away, struggling in her grasp, obviously terrified. Sakura brushed it off as lingering fear from almost being killed by two different things in one day and continued to hold her. Kakashi prepaired to cut the grass away, Naruto standing by in case the creature decided to attack his sensei again.

He grinned though, filled with pride at having defeated such a strong creature. It thought it was so tough killing those wolves, then trying to kill the child right in front of them! Well they showed it! No one could defeat the future Hokage! The child cried loudly and struggled harder against Sakura, who, confused, tightened her grip, now struggling to keep ahold of the girl as she fought to get free. Slowly, Kakashi moved to cut the grass and Naruto raised his fist, ready to kill the creature for certain as soon as he could see it. With a sharp cry, the struggling child grabbed a hold of Sakura's arm and bit down hard. The kunoichi cried out in pain, immediately letting go of the child in shock. The girl dashed forward and, as the grass was suddenly cut away, threw herself in front of the creature lying on the ground, no longer hidden by the grass. Naruto's eyes widened in shock and he stopped his attack just in time, stumbling back at the sudden cease in movement. Kakashi stepped back as well, but for a whole different reason. It was impossible. That creature could not exist. It simply could not. There had only been one creature in existance that had been like it before and it had been sealed away long ago and remained so to that day.

"Please, please don't hurt her, Ninja-sama! She didn't mean to hurt anyone! She was just trying to protect me! Please, please, don't hurt her!" The girl cried, her large brown eyes filled with tears as she gazed up at Kakashi, her arms spread as she tried to protect the bloodied creature behind her. Naruto, who had just come to realize what had happened, turned his eyes to the creature as well and gasped in shock, taking a step back.

"Th-that c-can't be what I th-think it is… there's just… no way…" he whispered, his eyes wide as saucers as he gazed upon the injured animal.

Sakura gasped as well, having come up beside him when she had recovered from the shock of being bitten. "Is that—?" Naruto finished her question.

"A… nine-tailed fox?"

Oooh, cliffy! Shocker too, i hope! I was trying really hard during Hikari's point of view to keep from saying things like "fur" and "paws" and when talking about the little girl I almost wrote the word "pup" six different times. I didn't want to give away that she was actually an animal till right at the end! I hope I did a good job... anyway, until next time and REVIEW!XD