"She's a lot like you ya know." Genma said as he watched the wolf blooded ninja talk to her friends.
"You mean the silver hair?" Kakashi asked not looking up from his book.
Genma chuckled "No, you know what I mean."
Kakashi just shrugged.
"I wish I could have a real conversation with you some times."
"And I wish that you would choke on that senbon, but I think neither of us are going to get what we wish for eh?" He grinned, his visible eye now looking at his fellow jounin.
Genma could not help but laugh out loud "She threatened Kavor. He called you a bastard and she threw him down." He sighed.
"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow.
Naruto's voice rang out as he yelled at Sasuke, it seemed that the Uchiha was trying to get Okami to trade places with him.
"You know about the seal, right?" Kakashi's voice was hushed so only Genma could hear.
The brown haired jounin nodded. "Don't worry about it, I can handle her."
"It should not come to that."
To Genma's surprise the new team was able to work together quite well, even with the tension between Okami and Kavor. He was quietly confident that they would do well in the exam, and so, the day closed up on them.
The newly formed team made their way to the exam hall, when they reached the doors they could hear shouting. The voice was very familiar to Okami. When they entered they were greeted with the sight of Naruto in a heck lock from Sakura with the whole room glaring at him.
"Looks like we missed all the fun eh?" Imairal grinned whilst nudging Okami.
She just smirked and shook her head. "I think it best we save it for later." She wandered over to a corner of the room where it was less crowded. Due to Naruto's outburst they had managed to slip by mostly unnoticed, which was fine with her.
With a large cloud of smoke the examiners appeared, bringing some order into the room swiftly. Everyone for stored for the written exam. Okami knew that this was a test of ninja info gathering skills, to cheat off of someone in the room without anyone even knowing. She thanked Kakashi-sensei for teaching her a jutsu that may have once seemed useless, but now it was going to allow her and her team to get though this exam with ease. Hiding her hands under her desk she quickly made the necessary seals. Trying to drown out the thoughts of the people panicking, she found someone who was breezing though the questions, finding her target she got the answers to most of them, enough to pass, she did not want to let the jutsu run to long for fear of one of the examiners finding out.
Quickly writing down the answers she then recast the jutsu, only this time to relay the info to her team. Finally the 10th question came and they stood their ground. Pass the question and move onto the next part of the exam, fail and remain as this rank for all of their ninja lives. After Naruto's outburst everyone left in the room was granted a pass, now, onto the forest of death.
The team stood at their gate waiting for the signal to start this next test. Even though it could not have been longer than a minute they where getting restless. They found it almost unbearable sitting there in the heavy silence.
The forest in front of them seemed to have an air about it, even though the day was warm and pleasant. Looking through the chain link fence into the darkness created by the unnaturally large trees seemed to chill them to the bone - training area 44 - the forest of death. She could see where it got its name. The bark of the trees was like stone and the thick canopy of their dark leaves blocked the light from the forest floor. The tree roots seemed almost as thick as the trunks as they snaked out of the earth to disappear back into its dark embrace. The lower tree lines, devoid of any foliage, looked like clawed hands, preparing to tear at the souls of any who dare to enter its darkness.
Rising just above the towering trees she could see a roof of a tower, their destination. She slipped her scroll of the haven into her pouch, eyes of ice never leaving the distant building barely visible. The signal was given to begin snapping her out of her trance. Kavor kicked the gate open and they three moved headlong into the depths of the forest.
Channeling the chakra into their legs, the three leaped into the trees disappearing into the haze like ghosts.
Kavor and Okami were worried about their fiery friend. He was still wearing his bright red and yellow clothes, which made hiding in this terrain difficult, but they were even more worried about his fire jutsu. He held no concern for the terrain he used it in, so with him around a forest fire was possible.
To Okami, the forest really did smell dead, rotting foliage, corpses and shed snake skin was the only thing in the air, but lucky the only human scent around was that of Kavor and Imairal. And so it was the story for the next day or so. When they did cross paths with another team, nothing came of it as they happened to have the same scroll, time, and there patience was getting short.
"I knew we should have taken out that other team when we had a chance." Kavor growled as they dropped down to the forest floor for a rest.
"They had the same scroll as us, it would have been pointless." Okami snapped.
"Not totally, it would have been one less group after the earth scroll, heck for all we know they could have already got it and be well on their way to the tower by now."
"And risk being injured? No, we need to save all of our energy."
Imairal sighed and leaned up against one of the trees. They had been fighting like this a lot, and he had wisely decided to stay out of it the best he could.
"We will head to the tower instead of dancing around looking for a earth bearing team, all teams need to head there, so we will be bound to find one with the scroll." Okami sighed, wanting to get this test over with.
Imairal nodded and hummed in agreement.
"Hay! What the hell! Who put you in charge damn it!" Kavor had to restrain himself from yelling.
"No one," she snarled, "but you're not doing anything productive, other then wanting to fight anything that moves."
The green haired ninja sulked back, he had no love for Kakashi Hatake, or anyone he trained, but he knew better than fight someone who had been under his wing for as long as Okami had. Not here and now anyway, maybe luck would be on his side and he would find himself up against her in the upcoming matches, if they got though this test that is.
The three rested in an uncomfortable silence. Having only food pills to eat seemed to make Kavor even more unfriendly than normal. Okami wished they would find a hungry snake for him to work out his frustration on, but then again the monsters things could not take a hit as well as another ninja it would at least get him off her back for a bit, damn it, where's an ambush when you need one?
Truth was, that all three of them were wishing for a fight, they wanted to get the earth scroll and get this thing over with, their thoughts wandered to there original teams, Kavor's had failed the written exam, one of them was caught cheating. Imairal's and Okami's where still in, they prayed that they would not have to fight any of there friends.
The restless group set off once again, heading towards the tower instead of hunting around for another group. The sun had already sunk below the trees by the time they had got to a point you would call close, even so it would take the best part of a days travel to get to the building itself. Kavor dropped from the trees to a beaten path below them, followed by his other two team-mates. Okami sniffed the air like a trained bloodhound, the forest was less dense here and the air was fresher.
The sweat from her friends was overly strong. Being around Team 7 had made their scent dulled somewhat to her. Kavor and Imairal moved down wind to her so she could do the thing she did best, tracking and enemy detection. Okami took the lead as they made their way down the path. Raising her hand to stop her team she heard something, a rustle of leaves so subdued that it would of not been heard over there foot falls. The sound again, only louder this time, followed by a deep dragging noise, then rising out of the darkness came the origin of the sounds, one of the forest's giant snakes.
The beast hissed at its next would be meal, tongue flickering eagerly. Hissing again it opened its gaping mouth, unfolding its spear-like fangs dripping with venom. Kavor went to charge the creature but was stopped by Okami's grip on his arm.
"Damn it what?!" he yelled at her.
"That thing has no scent!"
"You mean it's-"
"Genjutsu."
Letting go of his arm, the three got into fighting stance with their backs to one another. Okami cursed herself, how could she miss the enemy's sent? She could smell it now, three rain ninjas appeared out of the undergrowth to surround the Konoha ninjas.
"Now lets cut out the chit-chat hmm?" the first said mockingly, "hand over the heaven scroll and we will let you be."
"I got a better idea," Okami grinned, showing off her enlarged canines, "how about you hand over your earth scroll and we won't gut you where you stand!"
One of the other rain ninjas laughed. "How amusing, do you really think you're in a position to make threats?"
"We don't think, we know." Kavor growled.
One of the rain ninjas touted "OK lets show them how much of a bunch of idiots they are!"
Each of the rain ninjas threw an umbrella into the air, their paper and bamboo canopy opened and begun a chakra induced spin, spraying needles. The projectiles hit the ground and the three leaf ninjas with such ferocity that it created a dust cloud. The umbrellas slowly returned to there owners as the dust started to settle, they expected to see three dead ninjas and a heaven scroll for the taking, but what they saw was three logs full of needles.
"Damn it where did they go?"
"Where'd who go?"
The startled rain ninja turned around to face the fire haired boy.
"It's been a blast" was the last thing he said when he jumped back into the darkness of the woods.
A hiss got the rain ninja's attention, as he looked down at his chest, Imairal had left him a parting gift, a explosive tag, his scream was cut short by the blast.
"What the hell?!"
The second rain ninja went to go to his friend's aid but found himself unable to move as he was violently pulled into the earth, Kavor was easily able to knock out the last opponent with a firm blow onto his head.
"These guys where hoping to pass the exams? You got to be kidding me, they are pathetic!" Kavor said as he wiped the sweat from his brow, only to smear more dirt over his forehead.
Imairal came out of the brush smiling whilst twirling the earth scroll on his hand "We got the scroll, now time to go."
"W-what about me?"
The three looked down at the rain ninja who was buried up to his neck by Okami's jutsu.
"What about you?" the silver haired ninja scowled.
"Y-you cant just leave me hear like this!!"
"I don't see why not." Kavor snorted.
Imairal stuffed a rock into the ninja's mouth "your team-mate should wake up at some point, I'm sure he will be more then happy to help you out."
Ignoring the muffled cries behind them, the team walked on towards the tower, both scrolls in hand.
Okami stood there in a line with the rest of her team in front of all the examiners, team sensei's and the Hokage. She saw Genma, and standing just behind him was the person she was unknowingly looking for, Kakashi-sensei. Her eyes snapped back to where they should be when Hayate started talking, she was not ignoring what was being said, it was she was eager to know where the friendly faces were.
A head of pink hair caught her eye, and she sighed inwardly when she saw that team 7 had got through. Sasuke was rubbing his shoulder, but Okami did not find herself to concerned about it, probably just some injury that he got out in the woods. They started to walk out of the arena area and onto the balcony that ran around the hall, the team greeted Genma and stood with him as the first fight started.
"I'm glad to see that you are not injured." Genma said whilst still chewing his senbon.
"The rain ninja's are a pushover, I'm so disappointed." Kavor snorted.
Genma just rolled his eyes at the green haired ninja, he knew what he was like, for Kavor, if the enemy could not last 4 hits it was not worth getting up for. Glancing over at Imairal he found the fiery ninja enjoying some water, and the wild blooded female, well he found that her attention was not on him or the fight happing below, but on Kakashi and his team.
"Okami." he sighed.
"Genma-sensei?"
"Go talk to them."
"Thank you sensei." She smiled and slipping past Gai's team made her way to her friends.
"Hay! Okami!" Naruto had his normal grin pasted across his face.
"I'm glad you three passed" the words seemed odd as she kept her voice and face plain.
"You don't sound like it." Sakura scowled.
Okami tilted her head to the side looking at her pink haired friend "What happened to your hair?"
"Well.. Umm" Sakura trailed off looking away from her.
The next names where called, Imairal was up next against a rain ninja, she could not help but sigh. They seemed to be everywhere. Imairal is a raging inferno, and at the moment his only concern was getting this over with, he planned to get this party started and finished with one jutsu.
"You all mind? Follow me over here for a bit?" She walked over to the wall behind them, away from the railing.
"What's wrong?" Naruto and Sakura followed her looking slightly concerned.
"Sasuke, Kakashi-sensei?"
Kakashi just replied with his normal humm, and wandered over followed by Sasuke.
"What's up Okami?" Naruto asked sounding very concerned.
She just leaned back onto the wall crossed her arms over her chest and closed her eyes.
Okami sighed. "5... 4...3...2...1"
On the count they felt heat wash up their backs and the fighting area was engulfed in flame, anyone that had not backed away from the railing was knocked back from the instant heat.
Smoke and steam raised from the arena, both combatants still standing, the rain ninja was singed and looked ready to collapse, but Imairal had used up all of his chakra and was completely exhausted. Hayate was completely unharmed, there was even a neat area around him that was un-burnt. Silence descended on the room, only broken by the heavy breathing of Imairal and his opponent, they both collapsed hitting the ground at the same time, the fight was a draw, both combatants fail.
"I'd better go and see if he has not killed himself." Okami started to wander back to Genma, she looked over her shoulder at her friends, "If I get drawn up against one of you, even though we are friends, I wont go easy."
Imairal was carried off by the medics as she got back to Genma and Kavor. Sitting down against the wall behind them she closed her eyes in order to try and regain some lost chakra. In a sleep like state but still aware of what was going on around her, she heard the next two combatants get ready to fight. Though she did not catch the names Kavor's scent had grown distant, she guessed it was him.
She rubbed a gloved hand around the back of her neck, tips of her fingers lightly brushing on the seal. Her heart skipped a beat in memory of when it was put there, she tried not to think of it now a days, out of sight out of mind, but for the past week she found her hand resting on it more and more.
The fight was over, Kavor won, his opponent lasting about 15 hits, in his books, that meant it was worth getting up for. Okami opened her eyes and looked up at the smug looking Taijutsu user. She could hear the blipping of the display board as it scrolled through names, looking up when the sound stopped she was sure that something must have been rigged, it was her turn, all of team Genma had been called one after the other.
With out a word to Genma or Kavor she placed a hand on the railing and effortlessly vaulted over, landing neatly below and inwardly sighed when she saw her opponent, another rain ninja. Wonderful, taking in her opponents appearance he did not look that much different from the other rain shinobi that she had seen, one umbrella slung over his back and two pouches on his belt.
Hayate gave them the signal to start. Okami jumped back and activated her beast mimicry jutsu crouching to all fours. She focused on the rain ninja who now had his umbrella in hand, he held it like he was expecting it to rain, she smirked at him.
"You know its bad luck to open a umbrella indoors." she snarled.
"It is, for you."
He threw it up into the air above him, after what happened in the woods she knew what was coming next as it began to rotate, she slid up agents the far wall and hunkered down. Still in her crouching position she used her forearms and hands to cover her chest and head, bringing her knees up to cover her torso. She was glad she had worn her shin guards and thick boots as she heard the senbon needles hit steel.
After spraying its dark rain the umbrella floated gently back down to its master's hand, with a quick jerk of his arm it folded back down, he pointed it at Okami, the end was like a kunai which made it double as a spear. Okami uncurled herself and shook her body like a dog coming out of the rain, the needles falling to the floor leaving her unharmed.
Swiping at the floor she sent some of the needles flying back at the rain shinobi. He reacted by unfolding the umbrella and using the canopy as a shield, but lifting it up to cover himself blocked his vision. The next thing he knew claws were tearing through the jutsu imbued fabric. He managed to side-step away form most of the attack but she still landed a wounding blow to the top of his right arm.
Cursing he jumped back using the umbrella to glide longer he landed a good distant from her, passing his tool to his left hand. His right grabbed a bottle out of his pouch along with two senbon. Okami turned and set her self up for another attack but then it hit her, a searing pain between her shoulder blades like someone had just poured boiling acid on her. She hissed and her shoulders flinched stopping her in her tracks.
The rain ninja took this as his chance, throwing the bottle and senbon at the silver haired kunoichi, who was hindered by the unnatural pain, unable to move in time as the glass shattered, spraying a sickly looking green liquid over Okami. It had an odd odour to it and stung when it got into her eyes. She tried to remain calm as she realised her vision had left her. Replaced by dark green, no discernable shapes could be seen, she was blinded. The smell of the foul liquid dominated her olfactory senses.
"What the hell is this stuff?!" she growled.
He let out a menacing giggle. "Like it? It's used to stop nin-dogs from tracking."
He walked up to Okami and pointed the kunai like tip of his umbrella only a few centimetres from her face, but she was completely oblivious to it.
"Now you can't follow me with your eyes or nose, you're at my mercy, which I have none of, give up now!"
Swinging his weapon like a club he landed a blow on the side of her head, laying her onto her side.
"I really do hate animals!" he spat as he kicked her in the stomach.
Using his foot to roll her onto her back, he stamped on her chest winding her.
"I said give up!"
Okami could hear her heart beating furiously in her head, she heard Naruto yelling, cheering her on even in her state, telling her to get up and kick his ass. She heard Hayate cough, and she felt him, his chakra. Instinct and training where one for Okami, if she could not find her opponent by sight or smell, then she will have to do it by sound and feel. Hearing the rustle of the rain ninja's clothes she rolled away from him standing back up.
"Give up? Why when I'm having so much fun?"
She dodged a kick and a blow from the weapon. Trying to counter attack but failing, she heard the whoosh as he used the umbrella to glide away from her again. She tilted her head to the side trying to pick up any tell-tale sound of where he may be. Her heart still boomed in her ears, the rain shinobi floated above her, he knew that she could not locate him, pulling his body up higher, he folded the umbrella up and angled it down, bearing down on the wild blooded ninja he speared down.
The tip buried itself deep into the arena floor. Okami had jumped up out of the way, leaving a vulnerable rain shinobi hunched over the shaft of his weapon. He did not have time to react as a blow was landed on his jaw sending him flying across the ground. Okami jumped up onto the end of the umbrella, using her chakra to balance on the tip. She crossed her arms over her chest and kept her face turned to where the cries of pain was coming from.
The rain ninja was holding his jaw and mewing in pain, Okami was not unnaturally strong, but the metal of her fists made her punch much more painful. He pushed himself against the wall, trying to get as much distance from the kunoichi as he could.
"You make to much noise, and your toy here is even louder then you."
He looked up at Okami standing atop his main weapon, the green liquid had dried darker on her skin, it matted up her hair and had made a mask over her eye, she felt it again, the feeling of acid between her shoulder blades.
"W-What are you?" he stuttered, fear rising in his voice.
The rain shinobi had gone from a cocky bastard to a cowering wreck in just a few turns. Okami did not know what brought on this sudden change but she was not going to let this opportunity go. The smell of fear was rolling off him in waves, eyes wide and body trembling.
"N-No!" he murmered to himself holding his head in his hands.
"Stand up a fight!" it was the rain ninja's sensei that shouted.
He used the wall to stand up, and hearing the movement Okami channeled her chakra into the weapon, shattering it with shear force. With a yelp he slid back down the wall, fear making his legs to weak to hold him.
"N-No! I-I don't want to fight anymore! I-I g-give up!"
Okami sighed when she heard those words pass his lips. Naruto was cheering, but the sound of hastily approaching footsteps along with unfamiliar chakra made her turn and resume a fighting stance. Not sure of who it could be she did not want to take any chances, in case it was a angry rain shinobi.
"Easy we are here to tend to your eyes." a medic-nin said.
She replied with a low growl and strengthened her stance.
"It's no good, she is still wound up to much from the fight."
The medic turned to face the silver haired jounin.
"She knows my voice and chakra well, let me treat her eyes."
Kakashi took the bottle of blue liquid from the medic, and slowly approached his student letting her feel his chakra. To Okami his energy felt like a captured thunder storm, before she realised it he was tipping her head back and drizzled the solution on to her eyes. Blinking against the new sensation on her face and specks of white dancing across her vision as it was slowly returned to her, all be it somewhat blurred and tinted green.
"Go with the medics, let them take care of that stuff on you." he held her chin so she had to look him in the face as he talked.
She replied with a small nod, and followed the medic-nins out not bothering to look at anything other than the nin's back. The bleeping of the score board was the last thing she heard as she left the room.
Okami woke up on the couch in Kakashi's apartment, not even remembering falling asleep. She rolled onto her back with a sigh staring up at the ceiling in the darkness. She had one month to the finals and her first fight would be up against Kavor. She could feel no other chakra about her, so she knew she was alone but there was fresh scent in the room, meaning that Kakashi had come in and left when she was asleep, closing her eyes she let sleep overtake her as she tried to think of how to best Kavor in a months time.
"I'm sorry I can't." Kakashi said to the wolf-blooded kunoichi walking along side him.
"But I have no-one to train me, Genma is busy with Kavor." Okami tried to stay stoic but was growing more and more frustrated.
"He did not set anyone to oversee your training in the time being?"
"No, when I asked about it he said to go to you."
"I'm sorry Okami but-"
"It's ok sensei, I understand," she cut him off, "I will find something to work on my own." With ut another word between them she turned and leaped onto the roof of the nearest building and out of sight.
Kakashi just sighed to him self and went back to his book.
Okami went from roof to roof, not really having any idea as to where she was going, just letting her legs carry her where they will, but in truth she did not care, she was frustrated and a bit stressed. No one wanted to help her with her training for the exams, everyone else had a sensei to oversee their training damn it! She told her self not to care, she told her self that she will do fine on her own, but she did care, she had been on a team all her life, and now, she seemed to have no one, coming to a stop on the roof of one of the tall buildings she gazed out across Konoha. Looking over the walls and onto the surrounding forest, the sight captured her, dispelling her frustration. A smirk coming across here lips, to anyone who would have looked over her past and present lives would say they are the same but with different faces, she knew it was not true, being a Konoha shinobi was a far cry from being a test subject.
She made up her own training regime and kept to her self, she did not see anything of Naruto, Sasuke or Kakashi during that time. Sakura would come and keep her company from time to time, but she would only sit back and watch but Okami was grateful for the company at least.
Okami looked up, it was night, she sighed as the cool air whipped around her. She had lost track of time again, she always wanted to be back before dark so she had time to read though some jutsu scrolls. She had been trying to come up with her own new jutsu, but inspiration had yet to hit her, and with less than a week to the finals it was really a bit to late to come up with a fully working jutsu. Sighing again she decided that there was really no reason to rush and started to walk back at a slow pace.
The sky was overcast, making the night seem darker, Okami let her right hand travel to the back of her neck rubbing it gently, fingers brushing over the seal again. She stopped walking as deep thought overrode her leg movement. One question gnawed at her, why? Why had the seal started to hurt? There was only one man who could help her with it, and she had no idea where he was, she just hoped it would fade with time.
The seal flared up, earning a hiss of pain from her, it seemed worse this time, like an acid soaked knife had been plunged in and was slowly being twisted, she dropped to one knee grasping at her back in some vain hope of finding the phantom dagger and pulling it free.
The pain stopped as soon as it started leaving every inch of her body feeling tender, her breath coming in ragged pants. She turned her eyes upward, the clouds had parted leaving a bright full moon visible. She snarled at it, regarding the heavenly orb with such hate it scared her, the dagger returned to her back, she closed her eyes in pain.
When she opened them again her eyes laid on a pair of very familiar blood smeared doors, but they where different. This time they where locked with heavy chains and there was black paint on them. Like before she could not see through the windows, but from the shifting of light that leaked from under the doors told her, something was pacing back and forth just the other side.
It rammed the doors causing them to strain against the chains, and a few gave way. Just when Okami thought the door was going to give, it stopped, and all was quite save for the sound of her heavy breathing.
"Okami," a voice from the other side called trying to sound warm and caring, "let me out Okami."
Okami just knelt there eyes wide.
"Please Okami, it's so lonely here let me out so we can keep each other company, please just open the doors."
"Why?" the voice was then filled with sadness and hurt. "Why do you let him do this to me? To us? It hurts so bad for him to separate us pup, it hurts so bad."
Again the dagger assaulted Okami's flesh. "It's for the good of Konoha." She bit through the pain.
"W-what did you say?" the voice was calm but had a slight hint of anger behind it.
"I-I don't care how much it hurts," again she closed her eyes due to the almost unbearable pain, "if it's for the good of Konoha, I don't care how much it hurts."
Her eyes snapped open the pain had again left her, leaving her body feeling weak and ready to vomit. She saw a silhouette of a man agents the moonlight, the wind carrying his scent to her.
"G-Genma-sensei?"
He knelt down in front of her, the small smile of lips his hidden in the night.
"You know, the greatest monsters we can face are those we make ourself."
She replayed those words over in her head, they helped her a bit, but she could not shake the feeling that she would have been comforted more if Kakashi had said them. She looked out onto the arena for the upcoming matches, she could hear people filling the stands up above her. The talking just drowned into one incoherent sound. The other combatants were there in the small box room, all except Sasuke. She thought over who was fighting who and what match it was, her and Kavor were going to be the 5th fight.
Sasuke was late, really late, but they gave him more time by moving his fight back a bit, so that meant Naruto and Neji were up. She watched intensely as the battle unfolded, taking down mental notes, but part of her could not believe Naruto, how strong he had become, he was like a totally diffrent person. She knew he would win this. He had faith in her when she was lying blind in the pre-matches, she would repay the favour now, even as Neji landed a blow.
"Common Naruto! Kick his ass! Show him what the future Hokage is made out of!" she yelled leaning heavily on the railing.
"For the love of… Okami shut the hell up!" Kavor shouted angrily.
Okami turned to him and shot him a venomous glare. "What's wrong Kavor? Jealous that no one will cheer you on?"
"Shut up, silver haired bitch!" His expression turned from hate to shock as he felt a kunai press up against his neck.
Looking over his shoulder he saw a white and blue ANUB mask of a wolf, two red gleaming lights shone in the darkness of the mask's eye slits, its mouth opened running a pale blue tongue over needle like teeth. Seemingly satisfied with the fear it produced from the green haired ninja it lowered its blade and wandered over to where Okami was standing.
He could now get a good look at it, the mask was fused to the face with unevenly short cut hair, the body seemed lean and genderless but it was hard to tell with the baggy black top and trousers it was wearing. It was the same height as Okami, and just as it reached her it disappeared into a cloud of smoke. She looked out onto the battle field to see a happy Naruto running and jumping everywhere and Neji on his back.
"Looks like Naruto won."
Still no Sasuke. It was Shino and his opponent next, the sand ninja puppet master, she could not remember his name, but he gave up, even before they had gotten to the arena, so it was Shikamaru and Temari. The Nara boy seemed a little reluctant to go, but he did with a push from Naruto. Okami sat down against a back wall and closed her eyes.
The sound of birds chirping disturbed her. She looked out onto the arena to see Sasuke facing off against a globe of sand, who she guessed was Gaara, but it was what Sasuke was doing that caught her gaze, he rushed at Gaara with a Chidori in full force, he screamed when it broke through his shell of sand.
Something dangerous was on the wind, she could smell it, something was not right, a rumble from over the walls confirmed her suspicions. An attack on Konoha had begun.
She leapt onto the railing, then onto the wall. Using chakra to climb it she pulled herself onto the stands. Everyone who was not a shinobi was asleep, sand and sound ninjas facing off against leaf. Grabbing a kunai from her pouch she threw it at the nearest enemy ninja, killing him as it embedded itself into the side of his head. Turning swiftly she headed towards Kakashi and Gai.
"Sakura, wake up Naruto and Shikamaru." Kakashi ordered as he summoned his fevered pug.
Sakura woke up Naruto and Pakkun woke up Shikamaru with a bite on the leg.
"I need you to follow Sasuke and bring him back."
"What about me Kakashi-sensei?"
He turned to look at Okami, he was about to tell her to hide somewhere when she through a kunai at him, the aim was bad as it flew over his shoulder, he thought it was aimed at him, until he heard a grunt behind him as the weapon hit a sand ninja in the neck, killing him.
"Stay here, but keep in sight and don't try and take on the jounin's by your self."
She smiled and gave him a small nod, making a seal with her hands.
"Gijyuu ninpou: Shikyaku no jutsu!"
The three battled on, Okami did as she was told to and took down any chunnins that would come close, but she had to disobey her sensei's orders when a jounin using some jutsu that covered his sound and body, but not his scent. With a swift blow she was able to reveal him for Gai to take him down, he gave her a thumbs up with one hand whilst braking another enemy ninja's neck with the other.
Kakashi glanced over at his student for a second as he drove his kunai into a sound ninja's back, she was bloody and a bit cut up, but she was still going strong, and she empathised this by striking down another sand nin. Kakashi turned and jumped down into the arena followed by Gai, and a few moments later Okami followed to see two enemy nins disappear.
"I told you to keep in sight" he said to her as she landed by him.
"I did not see you jump down here." She was very short of breath.
Suddenly she fell onto her hands and knees as it felt like someone had stabbed her in the back. She gasped for breath as it felt like someone was strangling her. She went to cry out, but all that past her lips was blood, she felt a hand on her back and heard Kakashi's voice, but what he said would not sink in. Her shadow grew darker under her and started to bubble as it turned into a tar like substance. A pair of arms wrapped around her waste and pulled her up and back, away from the dark pool.
"Are you ok?" Kakashi asked as he pulled her tighter against his body.
"I-I'm sorry sensei," her voice was rough and sounded weak like she would pass out at any moment, "I was too weak to keep it sealed, I have failed."
The tar bubbled up forming the shape of a large dog, which then started to harden making its shape become clear. A wolf with leaf like scales covering the top of its head, back and flanks, with two horns jutting from behind its ears. The tar dried leaving it a greyish brown colour, with eyes like orbs of cold brass, long claws of ebony, and fangs an unhealthy yellow.
An evil laughter filled the air. "IM FREE!!" the demon howled, "I'm finally free after all these long years!"
It wandered into the middle of the arena and seemed to relish the feeling of the sun on its scales and fur, all of the Konoha shinobi kept there distance from it. Okami pushed away from Kakashi and walked over to the demon. The beast turned to her and seemed overjoyed to see her.
"Good pup, I thank you for finally seeing and letting me out." The voice was harsh and genderless. That made Okami shiver.
The monster looked past Okami to Kakashi with a smirk on its lips and a gleam in its brass eyes.
"Come Kakashi Hatake," it growled, "I have a score to settle with you!"
Kakashi's mismatched eyes narrowed on the wolf, he knew what this hell hound was. Okami had, as she said, failed, and the seal had weakened to let her di-demon out. He looked at her, and could tell from the look in her eyes, on her face, that she was ashamed. Curiously he moved forward. He locked eyes with Okami who mentally pleaded with him to stay back.
Then it happened so fast, as soon as he was close the demon summoned a barrier caging the three. Gai punched the barrier but it did more damage to his fist then the cell.
"It's no good, this cell wont be broken so easily. It will only drop if I will it to, or with my death!"
He sensed it before it happened, spikes made of earth erupted from the ground trying to encircle Kakashi. They were fast, and he was starting to tire, dodging one he bumped into another. The small break in his movements is all that was needed as the spikes wrapped around him and pulled him down.
"Leave him alone!" Okami yelled at the hell hound as it made its way to the trapped jounin.
"Poor pup," it said back at her mockingly, "you have always needed someone, for all your skill, you needed someone."
Okami placed herself between the demon and Kakashi. With a jerk of her arm a kunai slipped into her hand from a hidden holster. "You said yourself, I'm a wolf and wolves belong in packs."
Its eyes narrowed on her. "Move pup!"
"I can't do that, I may have been a lot of things in my life time, but I'm not trash who will sit by and let her team-mates, her pack die… anyway," she glanced behind her at Kakashi, "I love him."
Kakashi's eyes opened wide, did she just say that she loved him? He was not surprised though with all the time they spent together over the past year and so, truth be told, he had grown quite attached to her as well, but you would not catch him admitting it to anyone…. Well almost anyone.
The monster let out a low growl. "Move, or I'll make you move!"
"If I die, you die!" She lunged at the monster, her kunai scraping across the scales of its head, leaving a trail of sparks. Unphased the beast just snapped her arms in its jaws and with a twist of its neck, sent her flying behind it, her body coming to rest against the barrier.
"But I can beat you to within an inch of your life!"
Okami used the jutsu summoned wall to help herself stand still, holding her kunai pointing at the hell hound in front of her.
"You're no match for me pup! A weapon like that wont work on me!"
"Maybe not," she turned the blade in her hand so the tip faced her, "but it will work just fine on me!"
The hell hound turned to face her fully. "You would not dare!" it snarled.
"I'm a shinobi of Konoha, I'm not afraid to die to protect it!" Her grip on the weapon tightened.
"You don't have the guts." It turned away making a move towards Kakashi.
"Don't under estimate me!"
Pulling her arm fast towards her she buried the kunai deep into her chest, piercing her heart. The jounins outside the barrier started to yell something. Unsure whether it was the wall or death that was slowly draining her senses, she could not tell what was being said. She fell onto her hands and knees, a small trail of blood dripped down the handle of the kunai in her chest. The demon stopped in its tracks, breath becoming ragged like Okami's. It lowered its head and threw up tar like blood before falling to its side.
Kakashi was able to see now that the hell hound was not blocking his vision. He strained against the earth trapping him when he saw the state Okami was in. The barrier flickered for a few moments then it remained steady, as to everyones horror the demon wolf got back up.
Okami had collapsed onto her side, everything seemed to surreal. Her body went numb, her hearing had left her, along with her voice. Her mouth felt dry even though she was sure it was filling with her own blood by now. The last thing to leave was her vision, but even that slowly darkened. The last thing she saw was the demon wolf staggering to its feet.
Footsteps echoed all around her, making it hard to pinpoint where they were coming from. They stopped and Okami opened her eyes to find she was lying on a lush green field, a far cry from the dusty battle scared arena grounds. There was a man crouching next to her. She could not see him properly due to the sunshine in her eyes.
"Well well, this was a bit unexpected, you must have really screwed up somewhere." The man chuckled to himself, his voice was known to Okami but she was almost afraid to say it.
"N-Nightshade?!" she asked hesitantly.
"The one and only." There was a brief silence between them. "You need to go back and kill that demon that they sealed inside of you. Only you can do it. You can't let that friend of yours with the odd eyes down right?"
"I-I can't."
"Yes you can," Nightshade said in a stern voice, "you have the power too, I already know what you can do."
He pulled the kunai out of her chest causing her to gasp like it was her very first breath of air.
"Now go and show it to that man you said only a few moments ago you love."
The demon looked over its shoulder at Okami's body and smirked. "The fool can't even die right."
It padded over to Kakashi, licking the exposed part of his face with its pale green serpent like tongue. "I'm going to enjoy this, as I said she always needs someone, so if your not around she has no choice but me."
Just then a snarl echoed from behind the demon.