Hey everyone! I know the summary sucks and all but like it says this fic involves my Naruto OC Kaori. But not to worry! There is going to be loads of NaruSaku in this fic as well. So please don't feel too discouraged by my OC, I promise she won't bite...much. O.O

Disclaimer: I do not own any Naruto characters. All I own are the characters I created for the story and my OC.

Then.

Tadashi Moto sat at his desk, staring intently down at the scroll before him. His personal messenger had been on recon near the outskirts of the Hidden Leaf Village and had urgently sent a messenger bird with said scroll attached. His tired eyes re-read the letter once more.

Lord Moto,

I have little time to spare so forgive me for this brief message. During my assigned reconnaissance mission outside the Village Hidden in the Leaves, I have witnessed a horrific and mystifying site. It seems as if the Nine Tailed Fox Demon has revealed itself and is currently attacking the Hidden Leaf. The sheer power of the beast is enough to incinerate any who come too close. However, the most interesting part was the fact that the Fourth Hokage of the Leaf Village personally confronted the beast. The battle did not last long, for the Fourth summoned a giant toad and began to perform a powerful sealing jutsu. I tried my best to get closer and watched as the Fourth somehow managed to seal the Nine Tails within a newborn. I do not know the consequences of that jutsu, but it appeared to be deadly. I apologize for my lack of information, but I shall make up for it by entering the Leaf Village and gathering more specific intel.

The letter was not signed, for the lord's personal messengers were trained to only sign if their identity were in doubt. Besides, when you have only one personal messenger, you tend to memorize that person's handwriting.

'Oh Kami...' The middle-aged man ran his calloused hands through his brown, slightly greyed, hair. 'As if we didn't have enough trouble from the Leaf, now they've got a Jinchuriki too.'

Tadashi knew something had to be done, he'd worked too hard to keep the peace and also to keep his dream alive. 'This village has grown over the years, mostly thanks to me. However, it'll never grow into something bigger.' He paused as his gaze caught a certain painting hanging on the opposite wall. It was a well-done painting of the Two Tailed Cat Demon. It had been given to him as part of a peace offering by the lord of another land bordering theirs. The second part of the peace offering was the Two Tailed Monster Cat.

Thousands of thoughts and ideas flew through his mind, before he finally came to a decision. Our village will never grow any bigger at this rate. However, if we had a Jinchuriki of our own...'

Mina Sabaki sat on a swing in her backyard, humming softly to the little bundle in her arms. The woman looked down and smiled fondly at her newborn daughter's face, her dark blonde, almost brown, hair swaying in the breeze. A pair of soft aqua orbs gazed up at her in wonder, a small tuft of blonde hair sticking up off the girl's cranium. Mina chuckled and began to sing softly.

"My little sunshine, my only sunshine.

You make me happy when skies are grey.

You'll never know dear, how much I love you.

Please don't take my sunshine away."

Suddenly, two shinobi landed swiftly in front of Mina and her child. Their faces were unreadable, their emotions masked to near perfection.

"Mina Sabaki. Lord Moto has requested you presence immediately."

The second nin spoke up. "We are your personal escort. Be sure to bring your child with you."

Confusion lined Mina's features as she hesitantly followed the two shinobi to Lord Moto's office. Her mind raced with a million different scenarios, most involving her mission-busy husband.

'What could Lord Moto possibly want with me? What if Jiro's been...'

The trio quickly arrived at the lord's office and were met with a calm, yet slightly upset Tadashi Moto. He felt a bit guilty at what he was about to propose, but he'd quickly replaced it with sheer determination and reason.

"Mina Sabaki, I've called you here as a matter of great importance to our village." He held his chin on his folded hands, forehead wrinkled.

"L-Lord Moto, what do you mean? Has it something to do with my husband?"

The man shook his head, slightly frustrated. "No. It concerns your daughter."

Dead silence. The tension in the air felt suffocating.

"Y-You mean...Kaori? But...why her Lord Moto?"

Tadashi sighed deeply, the guilt slowly returning. "We need her body for a sealing jutsu..."

Mina cut him off. "A sealing jutsu! What the hell for? Can't you use a prisoner or someone else? Why her? She's just a child!"

The two nin looked at each other for a moment, but said nothing. They already knew what was planned for this newborn and, as much as they tried not to, they felt pity for the young mother.

"Word has reached me that the Village Hidden in the Leaves has acquired a Jinchuriki, the jailor of the Nine Tailed Fox Demon no less." Mina opened her mouth to interject, but a sharp glare from Tadashi silenced her.

"I plan on performing a sealing jutsu to seal the Two Tails inside your daughter."

Mina almost fainted from shock. Her daughter was to have a murderous demon sealed within her. It seemed as if she were in some kind of twisted nightmare. Unfortunately, she knew very well this was all real.

"...Lord Moto please. I beg you to reconsider!" Desperation laced the woman's tone as tears gathered in the corners of her eyes.

The lord shook his head. "I am sorry. My mind is already made up. Please hand over your daughter now. The sooner we get this over with the better."

After about 15 minutes of arguing and failing to change the man's mind, Mina finally let one of the shinobi take her daughter from her arms. Tears cascaded down her face and a sob racked her body.

"Lord Moto. One last request. Please tell no one in the village of her holding the demon, they would only try to hurt her."

Tadashi sighed and agreed, knowing fully well that the villagers would find out some way or other.

That night, Tadashi and the members of the council had gathered in a deserted clearing outside the village. The council was there to merely observe the sealing, while Tadashi was the only one strong enough to perform the jutsu. Once everything was ready, a nin entered the clearing with a small bundle in its arms. The nin placed the child gently on the ground and whispered a soft apology before returning to the shadows. Tadashi closed his eyes to focus his chakra and simultaneously began running through hand signs.

Now.

7 year-old Kaori Sabaki sat hidden in a small tree, her breathing quick and erratic. The young ninja-in-training gripped the branch she was standing on tightly, her knuckles turning white from the pressure.

'Why me? Why must they always hurt me?'

Kaori had shoulder-length blonde hair, one piece being held in a mini ponytail. Her soft aqua eyes scanned the ground for any sign of her tormentors. Her sharp hearing listened for the slightest sound of danger. And then she heard it; laughter. Evil laughter.

"Heeeyyy Kaoriiii! Come out come out where ever you are!" A small boy her age appeared over a hill, followed by two other boys and a girl.

"Aw come on Kaoriiii! Why don't you come play with us?" The children chanted, their voices sounding almost in sync.

Kaori bit her quivering lip, her body shaking uncontrollably. 'They can't find me. I can't let them find me. Who knows what they'll do this time...'

The girl's high-pitched voice rose up. "Heeerrree kitty kitty! Why not play with us?"

Shortly after Kaori's 1st birthday, word had gotten out that the girl held the Two Tails within her. All hell broke loose after that. Her parents had received threats, angry notes, you name it. Some drunk even tried to burn down their house once. It hadn't been so bad when her father was around; he was one of the strongest ninja in their village after all. But one day he didn't return from a mission...at least alive anyway. He came home a hero wrapped in a bloody blanket. Kaori's mom had been devastated and on several occasions had actually attempted suicide. She began drinking and would sometimes accuse and beat her daughter, drunk or not.

A shuriken whizzing past her ear snapped her out of her thoughts. She looked down and instantly regretted it.

"Hey Kaori, watcha doin up there?" It was the boy from before, except this time he held three other shuriken in his right hand.

The girl snickered, "maybe she's practicing her tree climbing skills. After all, they say cats aren't the best at climbing down trees." Kami that girl could be really dumb sometimes.

The young Jinchuriki couldn't resist the urge to bare her teeth at the children, her small canines visible.

"Ooh, the big bad kitty's gonna get me!" The second boy laughed as he pretended to cower in fear.

The first boy punched the other boy and raised his right hand. "You gonna come down or what?"

Kaori narrowed her eyes and jumped out of the tree, over the heads of the not-so-surprised kids, and took off. Due to the fact that she had the Two Tails sealed within her, Kaori had amazing speed and stamina. Although that didn't seem to help when a shuriken struck her back leg.

"Ah!" She cried out in surprise and pain as she crashed painfully into the ground. She slowly pulled out the shuriken and tossed it aside, holding the wound with her left hand.

"Well what have we got here? A stray cat?" The children had returned and were looking more impish than before.

The girl pointed. "I think I heard my dad say something about a lucky cat's foot."

Kaori's eyes widened. "Hmm...a lucky cat's foot huh? Sounds good, but first..." The first boy handed the other three his shuriken, before pulling out a kunai for himself.

"I think we should make the kitty sing for us."

The young blonde shrieked in pain as the kunai dug deep into her arm, followed by shuriken in other places. The smell of her own blood filled the girl's nose, the metallic scent stinging her nose. The girl yelled at the Jinchuriki and gave her a hard kick in the ribs. Kaori could do nothing more than shelter her head and face, all the while crying out in howls of pain. Then it stopped. A very bad sign.

"That was great Kaori, now it's time to play knives." Kaori's head shot up, half of her not wanting to believe what she'd heard.

"Now you remember the rules right?" Silence. The girl kicked the blonde in the head, moving the girl a good two feet away.

"Answer him freak!" Freak. One of her many nicknames throughout the village, and that wasn't even close to what the adults called her.

Kaori wiped her tear stained cheeks. "No. I won't...be afraid of you...any...more!"

The young blonde had always been determined, and a bit rebellious. If she'd had enough of someone or something she'd ignore or confront it. Unfortunately, this usually ended with her in the hospital, sometimes near death.

One of the other boys yanked her hair up and pulled her face close to his. "What did you say Demon.?" The girl didn't give her a chance to answer, instead she punched the blonde in the gut; blood and spit flying out of her mouth.

"I think she said no," started the third boy. "I think she needs to be taught a lesson, right guys?" Demonic grins reflected off the children's faces.

The girl and two other boys dropped the shuriken and pulled out kunai of their own. They chanted made-up songs about the demon cat girl and called her the many horrible names she'd been bestowed. Fifteen minutes. The merciless beating went on for fifteen minutes before a jonin finally arrived and drove them away.

The man said not a word as he picked up the unconscious body of Kaori and rushed to the hospital. Although his face didn't show it, the nin was quite worried about the young Jinchuriki. He was among the few who didn't hate the girl, after all it wasn't her decision to have the beast sealed within her. She hadn't asked to be handed such a cruel fate as becoming a Jinchuriki.

A few minutes later the girl was being grudgingly treated in the E.R. The male nin had to literally threaten the doctor's life in order for him to begin healing her. Her wounds were extensive, but he'd seen worse. Much worse. Her injuries were only caused by children after all, try to imagine what damage a mob of angry villagers could do.

Her left ankle was twisted at a weird angle, and her face was dirty, bloody and bruised. Miraculously she'd lost no teeth, but her nose was broken and one of her eyes was swollen shut. She had three broken ribs along with a fractured collarbone. Her right arm had been dislocated and two fingers on both hands were broken. Her hair was ratty and bloody, a small trickle of blood oozed out of her head. She had multiple bruises and scratches, and her entire body was covered in deep gashes that ran zig zags across it. God knows what her insides looked like.

After she was treated, she was given a room to rest in before she was hurriedly discharged. A pale-skinned nurse walked in and checked the girl's charts. Though the nurse did not care for the blonde Jinchuriki, it still pulled at her heartstrings to see a 7 year-old beaten up so badly. Hesitantly, the nurse approached the bed, as if the girl were going to leap up and attack her. Hey, you never know when there's a demon child around.

The nurse, whose nametag read Sayuri, gently brushed the matted hair from the girl's bruised face. She took in all the thick bandages that adorned the child's body, the purple bruises that dotted what little skin was visible. 'Sweet Kami, how were mere children able to cause so much damage?' A muffled groan startled the nurse as the young blonde slowly opened her eyes, one of them being partially closed due to the swelling. "W-where am I? Whatssgoinon?" Her speech slurred a little as her head began spinning.

"...You're in the hospital...dear..." It didn't hurt to say 'dear' as much as Sayuri thought it would.

The girl named Kaori swore under her breath, though loud enough for Sayuri to hear.

Kaori struggled to pull herself up, a sharp gasp of pain escaping her lips. The nurse rushed to the bed and stopped her before she reopened any wounds.

"Please Kaori-chan, try not to move so much. Otherwise you'll just make yourself bleed again."

Kaori looked at the woman in shock, no one had ever called her Kaori-chan before. The blonde began to search for any possible reasons as to why this woman was being so nice.

'Someone must have spiked her drink or something...yeah that's probably it. That or she's gone crazy.'

A low growl echoed in the girl's ears.

This woman is being sincere. I can smell her concern for you, and also something else. Fear perhaps?

'Buzz off, I hate when you interrupt my thoughts.'

Another growl, but louder this time.

Insolent brat! Why they chose you to seal me in will forever be a mystery to me.

Sayuri cleared her throat to get the girl's attention. 'Is she just spacing out or what? Her facial expressions keep changing slightly. Almost as if she's...having a conversation with someone...' The woman was broken out of her thoughts by the girl's voice.

"Um...sorry...I..I don't mean to be a bother or anything. I promise I won't take up your time, just let me-" By now Kaori had slowly dragged her legs over the side of the bed and was trying to touch the floor. Bad idea.

As soon as her feet hit the floor her world began spinning and she instantly collapsed onto the floor. Causing a few of her wounds to reopen and bleed furiously.

Sayuri rushed over. "Dammit! Nurse! Nurse!" Sayuri swore again as she rolled the unconscious Kaori onto her back. Blood slowly began to pool onto the cool tile floor, the sharp smell familiar to Sayuri's senses. She gritted her teeth as she added pressure to the open wounds to try and stem the bleeding, until another nurse came.

After what seemed like an eternity, a red haired nurse burst in, her eyes wide in fear. "What's going on? Why are you on th-" She suddenly froze in place, her clipboard clutched tightly to her chest.

"What the hell are you waiting for? Come and help me!" Sayuri demanded. The nurse simply stared at the blonde haired child bleeding on the floor.

"I-Is that t-the d-demon g-girl?" Her fearful stuttering only enraged Sayuri more.

"What does it matter? She's fallen and opened up her wounds! Now get your skinny ass over here and help me!" That finally snapped the redhead out of her shock and she quickly walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a large roll of bandages. 10 minutes later Kaori was placed in her bed with five new sets of wrappings.

Sayuri wiped the sweat off her brow and sighed in relief. "Phew. I'm glad that's over." The red haired nurse looked very frightened and nervous as she stood a little farther from the bed. "Uh...sure but..." A glare from Sayuri instantly silenced the nurse. The red haired nurse sweat dropped nervously, suddenly getting the feeling her life was in danger. "Ok weelll I think I'm gonna just...gocheckonmyotherpatientsokbye!" The door slammed shut loudly.

Same time-Hidden Leaf Village.

"Here Sakura-chan, it's...it's for you." Naruto Uzumaki held out a small bouquet of yellow and red wild flowers to a girl his age with pink hair and jade eyes. Sakura smiled. "Thanks Naruto-kun." She grabbed the flowers and smelled them, then looked at the blonde boy with a grin. "Oh and happy birthday Naruto-kun!"

Naruto was surprised, not only was Sakura accepting his gift, but now she was wishing him a happy birthday? What was going on?

"Um..thanks!" He rubbed the back of his head nervously. Sakura giggled. They were both 7 years-old and enrolled in the Ninja Academy. Although Naruto got on her nerves in the beginning, she began to soften towards him after he'd been the first to give her a gift for her birthday. It had been a simple flower clip that resembled a cherry blossom, but it had meant the world to her when he held it out to her, his fox grin spread across his whiskered face. True, she still chased after Sasuke a bit, but she had knocked herself down a few pegs by how much she actually tried to get his attention.

"Haha, your welcome Naruto-kun." She smiled the smile she reserved just for him. She'd been working on it for a couple days. She giggled again as Naruto blushed slightly. "Oh! Naruto-kun I have something for you." She rummaged around in her little backpack and held out a small brown box. It was decorated in little stickers of flowers, bugs, and other random childish things. If you looked close enough you'd notice a sticker of a little fox on the lid.

"I made this just for you!" He hesitated, last year he'd been given a box on his birthday only to find a bottle of juice that he'd found out later, (the hard way I might add) that the 'juice' was actually pee.

Slowly he took the box and just looked at it. Sakura lightly punched his arm, "C'mon open it." She flashed him another sweet smile, causing him to instantly melt. He nodded and removed the lid and gasped in surprise. Inside was a black headband with an orange colored leaf village symbol in the center. Next to it were a few cherry blossoms and some candy. Finally in the center was a photo of Sakura in a cute pink and white dress with her red ribbon in her hair, a cute smile on her face. The words on the bottom right corner of the photo read;

To my fox, Naruto-kun

~Sakura

The blue-eyed blonde's heart skipped a beat. Sakura Haruno. One of Sasuke's many fan girls, was being nice to him AND giving him a birthday present. Only one word seemed to be able to form in the boy's mind. 'Wow.'

Sakura squirmed a little, afraid that he didn't like his present, due to his silence. "N-Naruto-kun...it's ok if you don't like it. I-" The pinkette was cut off by the blonde's arms wrapping themselves around her body in a gentle embrace. A blush crept up her cheeks as she happily returned the hug. Naruto's breath tickled her ear. "I love it. Thank you, Sakura-chan."

Three years later.

Tadashi Moto watched silently as a young blonde girl sparred against another girl with long black hair. He paid close attention to the blonde and how she'd block an oncoming punch or kick. How she'd use her extraordinary speed and agility against her opponent. A few moments later the blonde girl landed a roundhouse kick to the other girl's side, knocking the girl away.

A tall man wearing the standard ninja attire stepped out from the shadows. "Alright that's enough for now. Kaori, you did quite well, but next time try to analyze your opponent a little more before throwing kicks and punches." Kaori bowed her head respectively, the nin then turned to the black-haired girl. "Eri, while you took the time to analyze your opponent to figure out her weak points, you forgot to keep your guard up at all times. Which resulted in your loss."

The two children faced the nin and bowed again, their response in unison. "Yes, Dai-sensei. Thank you."

After their teacher Dai-sensei disappeared in the woods once more, Eri spun towards Kaori with a look of pure annoyance. "You're such a loser ya know that?" Kaori gave the angry girl a sidelong glance. "Why do you say that Eri? Is it because I just kicked your butt?" Eri's eyebrow twitched, "Ugh! I hate you so much!" The girl's outburst didn't faze the blonde in the least. She let out a tired sigh and stretched her arms above her head. "Weell, as much fun as this has been I've got some more private training to do." She walked off, sending a small wave to her fuming spar-mate.

"I see you've gotten faster." A voice said, though the blonde didn't even bat an eye. "I see you've been spying on me again eh pops?" An older version of Lord Moto stepped out from behind a tree, his eyebrow twitching ever so slightly at the nickname. He chuckled. "You better watch that mouth of yours Kaori, wouldn't want you to..." The man's voice drifted off, guilt immediately consuming him. The aqua-eyed girl closed her eyes and forced a small smile. "Aw don't worry 'bout me." She lightly punched Tadashi's arm. "At least I can actually run faster than those dumb villagers. They'll never catch me."

Tadashi laughed a bit at the girl's over enthusiasm, even if it was about a very dark matter. "Sooo...how's the search for that classy woman of yours comin' along hm?" The older man began to sweat drop nervously as he rubbed the back of his head. "Er..well...it's going ok. I haven't find the one yet, but I'm sure I will soon." For some strange reason, the young Jinchuriki had been pestering Tadashi to find a woman for himself, so that when he retired he wouldn't be alone in his 'big ass house' as Kaori referred to it.

The blonde shook her head disapprovingly. "Pops, you're never gonna find the one if you don't actually try!" For the next 5 minutes, Tadashi was lectured by a ten year-old how to find a woman. How awkward.

"See ya later pops! I gotta go train before it gets too late." She waved to the older man before dashing onto the rooftops and disappearing in the distance. Tadashi shook his head, a small smile on his tired face. 'Oh Kaori, how you deal with almost the entire village giving you hell everyday is beyond me.'

Same time-Leaf Village.

Sakura Haruno sat on a bench with her head in her hands, a small pile of books lying forgotten next to her. She sighed deeply. 'Man, some of this ninja stuff is hard to learn. I mean I'm really smart and all but still...' Her thoughts were temporarily interrupted by a pair of birds flitting in the air, before disappearing into the horizon. 'I still haven't gotten Sasuke-kun to really notice me at all. It's like I'm invisible or something.'

Sometimes I wonder why you still chase after him.

Sakura groaned loudly, slamming her forehead onto her arms. It was her Inner again. What a pain.

Why shouldn't I keep trying? One of the most important rules in life is to not give up.

Inner Sakura snorted. Listen to yourself. He barely even notices us at the academy and the only words he's ever said to us so far is that we're annoying.

Yeah...so... She began. Once I'm a ninja I'll be able to show him how strong I am and-

And what? He'll fall madly in love with you and you'll live happily ever after? Inner Sakura shook her head, a muscle in her head pulsing. This is not a fairytale Sakura. Life doesn't work that way.

Ok, now her inner was really making her mad. Why was she suddenly against her affections for Sasuke-kun?

What's wrong with you? Before you fully supported all my attempts to get Sasuke-kun's attention.

Inner Sakura's eyebrow twitched in sheer annoyance. I've come to realize that Sasuke doesn't deserve our love and care. But I do know another boy who certainly deserves it.

Sakura swallowed nervously, a part of her already knowing who that certain boy was. Still, she asked whom.

Inner Sakura opened her eyes, which held a certain gleam in them. Naruto Uzumaki.

Sakura wasn't too surprised. Over the four years she'd been in the Academy she'd stitched together a friendship with the whiskered boy. Though sometimes it was hard to keep it hidden at the Academy, so they only talked to each other afterwards. A strange fluttering in her stomach suddenly struck Sakura as she looked back on the last couple years. She remembered all the funny pranks he pulled on the teachers, mainly Iruka-sensei. She smiled when she remembered her tenth birthday a month ago.

Flashback

Sakura sat underneath a small apple tree outside the Academy, a tiny frown adorning her face. 'I can't believe Sasuke-kun didn't get me anything...' Today was her tenth birthday, one of the most important birthdays in a person's life. 'He didn't even say happy birthday...' Sakura hadn't received a single present or even a simple 'happy birthday' all day. Ever since she had found out that Ino liked Sasuke, they'd become rivals in winning the Uchiha's affections.

Ino had been the only other friend she'd had at the Academy, so since they were now rivals she hadn't received a gift from the platinum blonde. She squeezed her eyes closed, tears threatening to escape. 'It's as if...no one cares about me.' Suddenly a shadow covered Sakura's body. She slowly opened her eyes, which instantly met with a pair of bright cerulean orbs.

"Hey Sakura-chan! Happy Birthday...hey why are you crying? Did that Sasuke guy say something mean to you?" His concerned eyes seemed to look right into Sakura's soul.

She laughed a little and quickly wiped her eyes. "Oh thanks Naruto-kun! No, Sasuke-kun didn't say anything mean to me...it's just..." She hesitated. She hated to burden him with her own problems. Suddenly she felt a soft hand brush her cheek, his hand brushing a stray lock of pink behind her ear. He smiled softly. "Sakura-chan please tell me what's wrong. I hate to see you sad." Kami, he may be an idiot sometimes, but whenever he was around her he almost always knew just what to say.

She sighed. "It's just...no one got me a present or even said happy birthday to me. I didn't even mention it to Sasuke-kun and he didn't even glance at me." The pinkette bowed her head sadly. "I...just feel as if no one cares about me. I feel like no one would even care if something happened to m-" She was immediately cut off by Naruto wrapping her into a tight embrace. His voice sounded so sad. "Sakura-chan...please stop talking. Y-you don't know what you're saying..." Sakura suddenly felt something wet on her shoulder and realized that the blonde was crying. 'Is he...crying for me?'

Naruto buried his face into Sakura's neck, muffling his sobs. "I-I care about you...I don't know what I'd do if-" He sobbed, his hold on Sakura's body tightening ever so slightly. "If something were to happen to you..." By now Sakura was returning the blonde's embrace, tears streaming down her cheeks, soaking his shoulder. But the boy's next words really got to the pinkette. "...If something happened to you I'd...I'd kill myself." Sakura gasped loudly and pulled herself from his embrace, her hands firmly gripping his shoulders, her jade eyes locking onto his sapphire orbs. "Listen to me Naruto-kun. Don't you ever say that again. You hear me?" Her voice cracked as tears poured down both children's faces. "I care about you Naruto-kun and I promise I won't let anything happen to you."

The blonde boy's eyes widened in shock, his eyes still lost in the sea of jade that were Sakura's eyes. 'Did she really just say that she cares about me? Or is this some crazy dream?' Naruto shook his head and held out his fist, pinkie extended. He grinned his fox-like grin, which he usually reserved for Sakura alone. "Pinkie promise?" Sakura laughed and lightly bopped his head. "Baka." Then she connected her pinkie with his. "Pinkie promise."

End Flashback

Sakura blushed at the memory, her heart racing. Her Inner smirked inside her mind.

See? You even told him you cared about him. Heck, you pinkie promised to protect him!

Sakura was quiet for a moment, before a big smile spread across her face. You know what? You're right.

Inner Sakura scoffed. Of course I'm right. I'm always-wait a second. Did you just...agree with me on something?

Sakura laughed. I guess so. Must be the end of the world. Her Inner laughed dryly.

Haha very funny. Now, what are you going to do about Naruto?

The pink-haired girl stood up and gathered her books in her arms, heading towards the bustling village. A big smile on her face, her eyes brighter than they'd been in a month.

'I'll keep my promise to you Naruto-kun. I'll protect you with my life.'

One week later

Kaori lay exhausted in the middle of the training ground, her chest heaving as she gulped in oxygen. For the past week she'd been coming to this training ground to practice her speed, strength, and skill. Even though she was already being trained in these same fields at the Academy, the blonde still felt the need to push herself. Because in reality, Kaori was running from something, something lodged deep within her mind. Failure.

Her aqua eyes narrowed and she growled at the night sky. 'I've got to keep training. It's the only way I'll be strong enough to help protect the village.' She glanced towards the lights of the village. 'Even if they don't want me to.' Slowly, the girl pulled herself into a sitting position and gazed up at the stars. She thought back three years ago when she made her first ever true friend. Her name was Sayuri Namine; she was a nurse at the village hospital, the head nurse actually. Kaori's memory was a little fuzzy with how they first became friends, but she did remember waking up to see the woman placing a vase of flowers with a balloon next to her bed. She knew it had been after another run-in with the small group of children, or imps, as she liked to call them. They hadn't said much, Kaori was far too nervous and afraid she might verbally abuse her if she said anything. But somehow they became friends and whenever Kaori was administered into the hospital, Sayuri was the only one allowed to treat her.

The young Jinchuriki smirked as another memory popped up, this one from only a couple weeks ago. It had been Kaori's tenth birthday and Sayuri decided they should celebrate it together.

Flashback

Kaori strolled through the front doors of the hospital, ignoring the glares she got from the other doctors/nurses, patients, or basically everybody. She stopped at the front desk and politely requested to see Dr. Namine. The receptionist gave her a look, but nodded her head and forced a smile as she called for Dr. Namine to come to the front desk. Although the blonde girl hadn't completely won over the receptionist, she had at least gotten the woman used to her visits and would sometimes even receive an apple or, once in a blue moon, a cookie.

Sayuri speed-walked down the linoleum hallway, her heels clacking noisily on the smooth floor. 'Oh what does that woman want now? I bet she's gotten some drunk at the desk again.' However, her tight-lipped frown instantly grew into a soft smile as she saw a familiar blonde haired girl at the front desk. "Dr. Namine, Miss Sabaki has requested your presence." Sayuri nodded to the younger woman and bent and gave Kaori a hug. "Oi, Sayuri-san. Why did you want me to come all the way here to get you?" The girl pouted a little. "I could've been training right now." The older woman laughed heartily. "Well, as for the reason; it's a surprise."

Another pout. "Come on Miss Sabaki, we shouldn't waste our time standing here." Kaori just shook her head, confused, and followed the brown-haired woman through the exit."

Their first stop was Sayuri's house, which was a one story with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. She grew her own personal herb garden in the backyard, while growing a normal garden in the front. Kaori was amazed by how neat and organized the inside was. She waited patiently for Sayuri to change clothes and sat down on the felt couch. A few minutes later they were walking through the village, both receiving heated glares from the civilians. It unnerved Sayuri a bit, she'd never had those kinds of stares thrown her way. Kaori on the other hand was either completely oblivious or purposefully ignoring the angry glares.

"Ne Sayuri-san, can I ask you a question?" The older woman looked down at the blonde girl. "Of course." The girl put her arms behind her head. "What was your childhood like?"

It was an odd question to say the least. Usually you'd hear that question from older adults, but never a child. "Well...my childhood was pretty average really." Aqua eyes glanced her way. "I mean, I come from an average civilian family. So growing up was simply going to school, learning, trying to get along with your siblings and parents..." Kaori noticed the woman had a dreamy sort of look in her eyes.

"I always dreamed of becoming a princess when I was little. You know, the ones who get saved by a handsome shinobi." The blonde Jinchuriki couldn't help but giggle at the childish dream. "As I got older, I realized I wanted to help people, just not by becoming a ninja." Sayuri looked a bit downcast. "I'm not the kind of person who would give their life for someone else," she murmured.

The two were silent for most of the way. Then it finally hit Kaori. "What a sec! Where the heck are we going?" Sayuri smirked a devious smirk. "First, we're going to get some lunch. What would you like?" Kaori decided on barbeque. They entered the second best barbeque in the village and took a seat at a table. They received a few sneers, most directed at Kaori, and waited for their order to be taken. "I'll have the steak please with just a glass of water, lemon please." The waitress jotted the order down and turned to leave, not even bothering to take Kaori's order.

Sayuri called out. "Excuse me ma'am, I'm afraid you forgot to take the young ladies order." The waitress turned half her body towards their table and gave Sayuri a cold stare, her mouth pulled up in a snarl. "What young lady? I see only a blood-thirsty demon." Suddenly, it felt as if everyone's eyes were on the three, the majority looking at Kaori expectantly.

Sayuri stood up and looked the young woman dead in the eyes. "You listen to me, I will not tolerate you insulting this girl. She is the only one in the entire village who is able to keep that demon from completely destroying this village." The waitress scoffed. "We've got enough strong shinobi to take down that beast. It doesn't stand a ch-" "You're wrong."

Now everyone was staring at the Jinchuriki, including Sayuri. Kaori fixed her cool gaze on the waitress, her voice sounded very strained. "You have no idea what that demon can do. It could kill us all with one swoop of it's tails." Someone shouted from the back. "Traitor! How dare you defend the Monster Cat! Have you no loyalty?"

Kaori felt a wave of anger roll over her as she directed her stare in the direction of the voice. "I am not defending the Two Tails. I am merely warning you of what will happen if you remain stupid and arrogant." A slammed fist was heard and a glass flew at the blonde's head, which she easily dodged. "Stop it! All of you! She's just a child!" Sayuri held up her hands.

Kaori tugged on the older woman's sleeve and whispered for them to just leave. As Sayuri began to pull out money for the bill, Kaori stopped her. "They don't deserve your money." As they slowly made their way through the crowd, the blonde Jinchuriki gave the nurse a specific order. "If they try to hurt me, don't interfere. Please." Even though Sayuri knew she wouldn't be of much help if a fight did start, she still felt awful at being ordered to not help her. She nodded her head.

The two were not even halfway to the exit when a burly man jumped in front of Kaori and grabbed a fistful of her hair. She bit her lip to prevent herself from screaming; she'd learned that showing them they were hurting her was only fuel to the fire. "You're pretty bold for a girl." He motioned in Sayuri's direction. "Someone hold her back, don't want our little show interrupted." The woman barely put up a struggle, knowing full well that she wasn't going to be any good to Kaori beaten and bloody.

The waitress sauntered up and brought her serving tray down on the blonde's head, cheers rewarding her actions. "Scream you little brat. Scream like the freak you are!" The girl refused to scream, even though her head was pounding fiercely. Two teenagers crept up and ran their pocketknives across her arms, blood slowly dripping onto the floor. Kaori allowed a forbidden whimper to escape her lips. The teens grinned and one ran his knife slowly over her cheek and leaned close. He grinned maliciously as his tongue darted out and ran over the scratch, lapping up the blood. His breath tickled her ear and a shiver of fear crawled down her spine. "I know you want more..." His low husky voice made her tremble. "After all, that's all your body's good for. Demon whore."

The two teens disappeared into the throng of customers, leaving a horrified and shaking Kaori. "C'mon, you know you wanna scream. Just let it all out." The man yanked her up in the air until she was level with his eyes. She growled and spat in the man's face. "Never." The muscular man let out a roar of fury and flung her body into the wall behind the bar, her body crashing onto multiple glasses. Sayuri put a hand to her mouth to prevent herself from screaming. 'Dear Kami, please don't let her die.' The blonde was still for a moment, before she slowly began to push herself up. She struggled to get on her feet, collapsing onto more shattered glass a few times, before finally standing up. Sayuri almost fainted from shock. The girl's body was covered in blood, glass shards sticking out of almost every part of her body.

She had a cut over her left eye and her lip was busted, blood dribbling out of her mouth. Both arms were cut to shreds, completely covered in crimson blood. Her clothes looked better than her body, just a few rips and tears here and there, not excluding the multiple holes from the glass shards. Her hair was matted and bloody, and her knees were shaking terribly. Her breath came out ragged and strained. "...I...will not-ngh-fight...you..." The blonde took a shaky step forward, her fists clenched tightly against the pain. She headed straight for the exit, her steps becoming more and more solid. "...I won't let...you hurt...me..." The big man blocked her path, a stupid grin on his face. Kaori looked him dead in the eye and he could've sworn he saw her eyes flash yellow. "...And I will-ngh-not...let you...hurt Sayuri...-san..."

The young Jinchuriki pulled a kunai out from her hidden sheath and pointed it at the man, determination glittering in her aqua eyes. "Hahaha! You think that little toy is gonna hurt me?" He bellowed. "I'd like to see you try." In sudden burst of speed the girl had closed the distance between herself and the burly man. "What the-" His voice was cut off by a kunai sliding over his neck, blood gushing out and coating anyone too close. Everyone in the room was frozen in shock, which soon turned to fear, and then anger. The blonde Jinchuriki had just murdered an innocent civilian.

The three men holding Sayuri were suddenly knocked onto the floor, one falling unconscious. A small hand grabbed Sayuri's arm and dragged her to the exit, leaving the stunned customers behind. The waitress climbed on top of a table and yelled for attention. "The demon brat must pay for her crimes. For murdering an innocent civilian!" The restaurant was filled with angry roars. "We must put a stop to this menace before she strikes again!" More approving shouts. "To Lord Moto!" Everyone bustled out of the barbeque and headed straight for their lord's office, fire burning in their eyes.

End Flashback

Kaori punched the tree trunk hard, ignoring the throbbing pain in her now bleeding knuckles. 'I shouldn't be thinking of that! It will only make me angry!' She gritted her teeth in frustration.

Aw, but you know I love it when you get angry. A voice cooed.

The blonde shook her head. No! I can't get angry. I have to stay calm or else-

Or else I'll escape. Hahaha admit it! You want to use my power to show them who's strongest.

No! That's a lie! I couldn't hurt any of them!

The Two Tails laughed loudly. And yet you killed him! You killed the man who hurt you! Stop lying to yourself, I can see it, you're dying to take out your anger on them! Use my power! Unleash the power of the mighty Two Tailed Monster Cat!

Kaori grabbed her head and fell to her knees as she tried to block out the voice. It was true, she had killed that man. She had broken one of the most if not the most important shinobi rules. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she fought to control the blood-thirsty demon. Suddenly, memories of that night came flooding back, weakening her control on the beast.

Flashback

Kaori struggled to keep her focus as she ran with Sayuri, both their lives at serious risk. She knew the others would either chase after her or go straight to Lord Moto's office and report her, most likely asking for her immediate death. She stumbled as her vision began to blur, her body had lost too much blood. "Kaori, where are we going?"

"To the bunkers. You'll be safe there." The blonde gritted her teeth as the pain in her body began to increase once more. "But what about you?" Kaori was silent for a moment as her mind rushed to create an answer. "I'll just go hiding in the caves," she lied. "They won't be able to find me, even if they sent a group of ninjas after me." It was a horrible lie and she hoped Sayuri would buy it. "Well...alright. Just promise me you won't..." Kaori already knew what she was going to say and felt a knot of fear beginning to form in her stomach. She turned and gave the older woman a quick thumbs up and a grin. "Don't worry, I won't let it out. I'd rather die than hurt anybody else."

End Flashback

"Ahh!" She screamed as she fought to drive back the horrible memory.

Come on Kaori...give in. Let me help you gain power!

Another surge of chakra pumped through the Jinchuriki's body, causing the girl's canines to extend into inch-long fangs. "No! Stop it! I don't want this!" She tugged on her hair as she desperately fought for control.

Come on Kitten, let me make those bad people go away. The Two Tails purred, calling Kaori by her nickname. Forever...

Kaori felt her nails growing longer as they began to cut into her scalp. Suddenly, another memory of that night popped into her mind.

Flashback

"She...what?" Lord Moto sat at his desk, his personal messenger standing protectively near Tadashi, his hand gripping his katana's hilt. He eyed the large group of villagers warily, noticing that some were covered in blood.

"That demon bitch killed Gordo! She slit his throat with her kunai!"

Lord Moto sat stunned as the villagers went on describing the incident. 'Kaori...have you really lost yourself to that-that demon?' Fear began spreading through his mind. 'No! It can't be. This must be a mistake, she would never harm an innocent. Nor would she be bested by that beast so easily.'

"Lord Moto, I request you send out a squad of shinobi to find and destroy the demon brat."

The older man stopped himself from refusing. His job was to look after the welfare of the village and it's residents. He couldn't just keep protecting her.

"Very well, I shall dispatch a team immediately. In the meantime, I want all of you to go home, clean yourselves and calm yourselves. The issue should soon be dealt with."

The villagers all filed out, albeit some a little reluctantly, and his office was quiet once more. "Sir, I mean no disrespect but...you've looked after this child since the sealing. I doubt you truly intend to dispose of her. Besides, if we kill the girl we lose our chance at rising above the Leaf."

Lord Moto sighed, frustrated, as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "You know me too well Doku. However, I've got to come up with a way to make it look as if my men were simply overpowered, but not killed."

Silence, then the messenger called Doku spoke up. "Sir, I think I have a plan..."

End Flashback

Kaori sat on her knees in the training ground marked G6. Sweat trickled down the back of her neck as she fought to calm her rapidly beating heart. The moon had been hidden by a lone cloud, and was now casting a cool glow upon the field.

A shimmer in the dark revealed a kunai shove into the girl's thigh, blood trickling down her leg. She winced as she pulled out the kunai, her hands trembling slightly. She'd stabbed her leg in a desperate effort to cease the Two Tails escape. Luckily, it had worked. The blonde cleaned the blood off her weapon and replaced it with a roll of bandages, which she used to stop the bleeding.

"I did it. I stopped that stupid cat...this time anyway." She got up and headed back towards the village, her body exhausted beyond belief.

And that's that! I hope you all enjoyed chapter 1! If you guys see any missing words, dialogue, etc. please let me know. Also, if you guys have any questions feel free to ask me. :) Everyon who leaves a review (except flamers) with receive a virtual cupcake! :D

Naruto: Hey Sakura, what's that weird button thing at the bottom of the page?

Sakura: Baka. That's a review button.

Naruto: ...

Sakura: *sigh* Whoever reads this story can click that button and leave a comment or whatever about what they thought about the story.

Naruto: OHH! I get it now! So it's like a happy button for the author?

Sakura: Um...yeah sure let's go with that. Oh hey Naruto look! It says that anyone who leaves a review gets a cupcake!

Naruto: CUPCAKE? I WANT ONE!

Sakura: Well come on then!

Naruto: *jumps on Sakura's back* Carry me!

Sakura: *sweatdrop* Na-ru-toooo!