Crystal Clear

The Demoness and the Copy Ninja

By: June Gilbert

Chapter One: Argument

I walked down the streets of Konoha. They were unfamiliar, more winding and crowded then my original homeland's streets, but I knew I could find my way back to the apartment allotted to me by the Godaime Hokage. If I couldn't, Blaire probably could. Okay, this is a little hard to explain… I still hadn't managed to explain to Godaime-sama that I had my twin sister's soul sealed inside me thanks to a childhood accident that left my sister without a body and stuck in mine.

I was still trying to figure out an explanation that didn't leave me sounding like I'd lost my marbles. Some days, I really thought I had gone crazy years ago. That my sister had truly died when we were fourteen, and these twelve years all I had been hearing was an echo of someone long dead and gone. Or the proof of my own madness.

I sighed, shaking my head to free it of my troubles. Troubles that I had been dealing with since I was fourteen and got out of the fire that should have killed me. I had been traveling the world ever since, and Konohagakure was a place that I had decided I would like to stay a while.

Thus the search for an explanation that didn't have me sounding crazy. Tsunade-sama did actually know that I wasn't from any of the shinobi villages she knew of. From the way she looked at me when I had slipped and started to speak Northern in my interview, she had at least rudimentary knowledge of the words. I didn't know how much she knew though, and I didn't dare pry.

Something about this strong, capable woman spoke volumes about her desire for privacy. I respected that. After all, most kunoichi and shinobi preferred not to discuss their pasts- with newcomers especially. And I was as new as could be at the time, and feeling a bit awed by the reputation this woman had garnered in this land. Without a beast inside, no less.

Well, my kind of beast. The kind I was stuck with for the rest of my life, however long that was... I shook my head irritably. It never helped when you were trying to find a distraction to think of depressing things. Have you ever noticed that? Happy things tend to distract you longer and make you feel better in the long run. I wanted so badly to be done with misery and sadness.

Looking about the not so crowded street, my cheeks instinctively heated when I spotted HIM.

His silver hair was messy as usual, his forehead protector tilted to cover what I believe the people down here called a "Sharingan" eye. I still didn't know where he got it; I only knew of the reputation as the "Copy Ninja" it had earned him. I didn't know much more than that because I hadn't dared to approach him in the seven months I had been here. My throat choked with the all too familiar muddle of feelings, and I completely froze up.

Damn. No, no, no... This is the coward's way! Why do I keep getting tongue tied when I just see him from a distance...? Why am I not strong enough to talk to him, much less confess that I'm pretty curious to know him, I wondered bitterly. I wasn't bitter for long, though, because my eyes drifted onto him and focused. He was reading that orange book as usual, looking absent minded but dodging each pedestrian in his way rather easily.

Not a one bothered him, although a few stared at the title of his book. "Make Out Paradise." I had taken a peek in a copy of the book I had found at a bookshop, and got extremely flustered by its incredibly graphic content. Although I assumed it was well written, it was too hardcore for me. I could barely fantasize about Kakashi without nearly panicking. And usually a slight nosebleed.

Such a coward... This wasn't what I trained myself for so rigorously back home... I'm nothing but a coward who can't speak of her own attraction, but can kill without mercy... Does that say something about how damaged I am? That I can kill before admitting to myself and others that I'm getting attached? That I can't even read a few pages of a porno without tossing it across the room away from me in embarrassment half a dozen times and yet I can slit a throat without compunction, I thought unhappily. Blaire had courage. She was reading porno even before she died... Speaking of my sister, Blaire- or Blaire's ghost- had taken great glee in my embarrassment, laughing like the maniac I sometimes believed her to be.

And I still take "great glee" as you put it so succinctly Chrystal. And I'm not crazy.

Blaire… I don't need you nagging me to "hook up" with him now…

Hook up nothing. You like him. Maybe even love him. Why won't you take a chance for once?

YOU are the risk taker! I am NOT a person who risks life and love on the off chance that a man wants my body enough to lie to get him to sleep with me?

#Shut up both of you. You're irritating me.#

#And me. Chrystal, you do however need to take more chances. It's in your best interest sweetheart...#

#SHUT UP FROST!#

#No, YOU SHUT UP PYRA!#

With an effort, I tuned out the demon's bickering. Right. When I was emotional- like now- the demons tended to wake up from their slumber inside my body and start bickering with one another. They were complete opposites, much like my sister and I were polar opposites in personality. Blaire was a daring risk taker, while I liked to play it on the safe side.

Well, when I wasn't on a mission. I had been trained to do whatever it took to ensure mission success. Didn't mean I wasn't scared as hell while doing it though. Blaire and I had looked alike when younger, but as we grew certain anatomical differences made the normal switching parts twins pull impossible.

Blaire was tall and statuesque, while I was a bit shorter and a pale thing. She was also more busty than me- at least she had been in life- only worsening the growing inferiority complex I had nursed- before the fire, of course. Then, everything had changed.

I felt a little like I was a washed out version of Blaire herself- her vibrant sunshine yellow curls and summer-sky eyes completely outclassing my pale winter sunshine straight hair and my eyes the color of winter. I sighed unhappily, feeling quite a bit more run-down physically than normal while the demons squabbled and Blaire tried to get them back under control. I tended to get under these dark clouds when they argued; this often resulted in me not looking where I was going at all.

SMACK!

I tumbled backwards onto my ass, completely caught off guard by the realization that I was SOOO not paying attention to who the heck I was running into. I didn't even remember whether it felt like a guy or a woman. I looked over to see who I had bumped into- and promptly went neon pink.

I was looking into the eyes- or, rather, eye- of none other than Kakashi Hatake.

I stammered, "G-gomennasai- I didn't mean- I mean-..."

While I was thus babbling incoherently, I was also acutely aware of the fact that Kakashi was looking me over. Well, he was also standing back up while I remained on the ground... but you get my drift. He just reached down a gloved hand, the one that wasn't holding his neon orange book. With a bit of effort, I mentally commanded my mouth to close. I reached up to him and took it. He hauled me to my feet without ceremony, the one eye that showed looking a bit apologetic.

"Gomen. I didn't mean to bump into you," he said evenly, and I got the feeling he was gauging my reaction.

I nodded sheepishly, but said, "N-nah, that was my fault... I was spacing out and didn't look where I was going. "

"Maaa, relax. It's fine."

I nodded quickly, suddenly noticing his hand was still in mine. Crap. Stupid pale skin... I could feel my cheeks heating up and hear, in the background of my mind, complete silence. Uh oh... I'm going to have trouble on my hands the minute he leaves... Mouthy demons and a nosy older twin...

"Thanks. Um, I should probably be going now."

He absentmindedly tilted his forehead protector further with one hand and waved as I turned on my heel. Trotting off as fast as I could go without looking like I was running, I hid in an alley when I was sure he couldn't see me anymore.

So humiliating... So.. So me... I'll never have the courage to ask him out... He'd just turn me down anyway...He's too kind to do it cruelly, and I think I'd cry if he turned me down so kindly. I feel so many conflicting things for him, and yet I barely know him in reality, I thought miserably.

At this sign of real anguish from me, Blaire was strangely silent. All I could do was thank the stars that the demons had shut up, because I think I would have needed some serious stress relief if I had. Somewhat bitterly, I slunk through the alleys towards the direction of my home. Blaire, without words, directed me towards it. A silent wave of relief washed through me as I neared the apartment. However, it seemed that Fate was not in a kind mood this afternoon.

A familiar, teenaged kunoichi was walking up the street. Her pink hair swung a bit in the back, having grown longer since I knew her. She had a little, sad smile on her face as if she was thinking of someone who was gone. It so didn't help that this same kunoichi had trained under the man I felt so many conflicting feelings for. Uh oh…

In the back of my mind, the quarrel had started up again. It was rising in volume every moment I spent outside. Frost was advocating me dating Kakashi and Pyra was hotly refuting the idea. Blaire tried to shield me, but it wasn't doing much good.

I darted towards my apartment, not in the mood at all for managing two conversations at once. I could still hear them bickering in my head, Blaire being drawn in as well by now. I breathed a sigh of relief when Sakura seemed too lost in her own thoughts to notice me fumbling for my keys. I was starting to get dangerously dizzy as the argument in my head escalated to angry yells.

Finally, I managed to open the door.

#Pyra, control your damn host!#

#You know full well WE can't make them shut up-#

BE QUIET! This argument is giving Chryssy a headache! Leave each other alone and go back to your parts. Leave Chrystal ALONE.

I silently, in my own private half of my mind, thanked Kami for my sister. Despite the jealousies I had held towards her during life, she was the only one who had kept me from going completely batty during the twelve years I had carried her and our demons. However... She still had her own crazy moments that I'd had to suppress.

And just like anything, there were times I had failed at that.

Stumbling into the nicely appointed apartment that I had just begun to furnish properly about a week ago, I plopped onto the futon couch, exhausted. Mentally tuning out the quieter argument still going on in my head, despite Blaire's efforts, I stretched out on the couch. Today had been my off day, and it hadn't been so relaxing. Luckily for me, I would get back to work the next day. I could FINALLY manage to tune out the three other souls in my head. Sighing longingly, I fidgeted into a more comfy position and tugged a light blue throw blanket over me. Closing my eyes as I curled up, I fell into blackness almost instantly.

Hey :) This is a redo of an old fic of mine. I hope the romance isn't as obvious here, but Chrystal is quite attracted to everyone's favorite Copy Nin. The problems with their relationship are already stated in this fic above. So, I'm just putting this out as a feeler, see if I get some reviews. Or constructive criticism. Or even some "please continue"s, if you guys deign to give me those. So... Please leave a review? I'd really like it, as I'm posting this on the day of my birthday party. Bigtime present if you do :) So please, review!

-June

EDIT: To avoid any errors in future, here is the Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

TRIBUTE: Two very good friends helped me flesh out Chrystal's character during many many hours of rpging and putting up with a nube. As this is an online site, I can't call them by name, but I can thank them both very deeply. ^^ You helped me get interested in the Naruto fandom all over again, and without them, I probably wouldn't have written for this fandom. They know who they are.