It's out! Yatta!

I wanted it out earlier, but my internet was down cause someone didn't pay the bills...

Ah, well. I got my own anyway, and so will pay my own bills. Hm. Not that you all needed to know.

Dozo.


Be My Friend?

07

Even in a rather large hidden village in Konoha, it wasn't exactly hard to find one Hatake Kakashi. Most of the time he would be found hidden in his favourite roost at the highest point of the Hokage tower – or any of the higher places in Konoha, really – or sitting atop one of the trees in the training grounds. He would rarely be seen without his usual green (1) book of eroticism that he calls entertainment. At the moment though, neither one of the shinobi looking for him, nor most of the civilians looking out for him, had any luck of finding the masked jounin.

Hatake Kakashi was too deep inside the hidden vaults of the village's libraries to be found. And at the moment, he had come across another informative scroll about the unknown and mysterious Bayangan. The scroll was buried deep under numerous other scrolls, and heaped with dozens of decayed seals that was supposed to prevent its location. It was intriguing to Kakashi.

"'The Night Terror: Bayangan'. Hm. An aptly named scroll," Kakashi was prone to talking aloud to himself during those times. It created for a good distraction to his being alone under tons of gravel and rock, under a bustling village teeming with life; to put it simply, it chased away feelings of a hauntingly depressing loneliness in the dark tunnels. He coughed as he shook away the gathered dirt and dust around the scroll. As the haze of choked air cleared, Kakashi was surprised to be holding a yellowish metal container. It seemed that the title on the side of the cylindrical container hadn't been painted on like he had thought, but engraved deeply inside instead. Out of naturally childish curiosity, Kakashi shook it.

Of course, he hadn't expected the cylinder to click open. He didn't expect the scroll to suddenly come unrolling from the metal thing either. It left Kakashi staring quite dumbly at the dozen feet long or so scroll. It seemed that the cylinder was the scroll itself wrapped with a clever mechanical contraption. And it seemed that the whole scroll was of the yellow metal as well, with the words and drawings engraved in.

"Interesting…"

Now, there was just the tiny problem of rolling the scroll back up and into the tiny slit of the container.


Naruto was having a good time that day. Sasuke had seemed to want to apologize for his strange tantrum the week before with a grand home-made breakfast – which Naruto graciously inhaled – and after, they had gone out to shop for their groceries. The best thing was that they were actually back on proper talking terms – this meant that Naruto no longer needed to do all the talking with Sasuke simply ignoring him unless necessary; and this unfortunately included his demands for the raven to cook – with them going out for the usual late lunch date with Sakura and a strangely dirty Kakashi.

"Maa…I guess it's time for me get back to work," Kakashi drawled and scratched absently at his chin with his usual green book. Naruto and Sakura looked up at their old teacher – not that Kakashi was old at all; he was actually one of the younger elite jounin that had already gone through ANBU training – in nothing short of avid interest. The past few weeks, Kakashi had been hideously busy and hard to find. Of course, being the former members of Team Seven – and Kakashi's first and only group of genin – they had a knack of being outrageously wanting to always know what was going on and be the center – else, close to the center – of things.

"So, what've you been up to, Kakashi-sensei?"

It was thus expected for Sakura to ask such a question. Kakashi sighed. Ah, the nosy wonders of teenagers. Looking carelessly at the pink-haired chuunin, he gave her his usual smile – with his eyes, of course – and shrugged. "Oh, just this and that…"

And before Naruto could add on to the typical nosiness with another question, Kakashi had teleported away with a puff of smoke. Naruto pouted and turned to the shyly smiling Sasuke. "Don't worry, Naruto. What Kakashi's doing will benefit us all."

Sakura and Naruto were once again left with wondering what Sasuke meant with the cryptic phrase. They walked in comfortable silence for a while to meet the rest of their usual clique as per the norm for that week.

"Oi, you're late," was the greeting by a rather pre-occupied Shikamaru before he was pulled down towards Ino's lips for another round of public make-out. Sakura twisted her features in mock disgust.

"Ugh, get a room, you two," she teased before turning incredulously to a snacking Chouji. "How can you still eat?"

Chouji shrugged in return. "I take it as 'training cum entertainment'."

Naruto guffawed loudly beside the sighing Sakura as Lee approached. They exchanged a sweet chaste kiss on the lips – to which Ino somehow found the time to break off from her make-out session to retort to Sakura to "Get a room, Forehead!"

Tenten thankfully prevented any bickering between the two girls with her cheerful greeting as she ran up to them. "Sorry for fetching you guys late. It took quite a while to get the visitation passes ready. You got the cake?"

Lee lifted the small box in his hand. Of course, his other was grasped tightly with Sakura's. That day was a special day for the small group of young shinobi. It was to be the first time that they would be allowed visitation rights to Kiba – the brunet had finally been deemed 'well enough' to have more than just the standard four visitors each – and though it was only for a short half hour, it was still a happy enough time for them. Besides, they were content enough to be able to finally celebrate Kiba's birthday together with the real person.

Happy chatter and much good humor bubbled from the group as they made their way to the hospital. They were excited to be going to the rather oppressing white building while looking forward to something positive. They hurried their pace at the sign of dark skies. It wasn't long, though, before they reached their destination. The building, as were most architectures meant for those of the institute's, was situated near the outskirts of the village and had a high fence that acted more like an enclosure to the patients inside.

Naruto turned to find Sasuke looking rather terrified of entering the smallish white building. It looked too much like the Mental Institute it was, and Naruto understood that it held unpleasant memories for the raven. "It's alright, Sasuke. I'll be there with you all the way."

Sasuke, however, still stubbornly stood where he was, and Naruto was growing anxious at the sight of the raven's fiercely twinkling eyes. Naruto approached his friend and was startled when a pale hand grabbed at the sleeve of his jacket. "D- Don't go."

Naruto blinked. He sighed and held the hand clutched tightly on his jacket calmly. "Sasuke, nothing's going to happen. We are just going to visit Kiba. You want to visit Kiba, right?"

After a long moment of silence that had Naruto getting rather antsy – the rest had already gone in and other visitors, not that there were many, were starting to stare – Sasuke nodded. Naruto smiled in relief and tugged the hand into his own. He started again when Sasuke suddenly stepped forward to wrap slim arms around him. "I really, really don't want to go in, but we have no choice."

Naruto looked down at the raven head in confusion – what had Sasuke meant by 'no choice'? "Um, Sasuke, if you don't want to go, we could always—"

At that moment, the skies decided to pour and Naruto, swearing rather prettily, instinctively dragged the raven with him into the closest shelter there was around them. This shelter happened to be the hospital that Sasuke had told Naruto he had 'no choice' in going in.

"Oh. Wow."

Sasuke's smile was small as he flicked stray droplets off Naruto's jacket. Naruto flushed at the bashful attention and leant over to help Sasuke dry as well. Naruto got so deeply determined he was in his task – he didn't want to seem awkward in such close presence to the raven – that when he finally looked up, he was less than an inch away from pale, pink lips. Now, all Naruto had to do—

"Um, am I interrupting something?"

Naruto stuttered a negative while flushing a deep red. Beside him, Sasuke blinked and slowly came back to his senses. A moment later he was as red as the tomatoes he favourited so much. He covered his face in an attempt to hide from their friends' amusement. He wanted to melt on the spot; disappear; or simply squeal and run away – heavy rain or no.

At the same time, Naruto struggled to look as nonchalant as possible. "Um, we were just uh, drying ourselves from the rain."

Sakura smirked at her adorably flustered best friends. "Sure you are…"

Yeah, sure you are…

And Naruto wanted to shrivel up in a hole and die quietly of embarrassment at the last comment. Shut it, Kyuubi!


"The text is surprisingly easy to interpret. The words are the ancient hieroglyphic of the first shinobi of the lands. It seems that this 'Bayangan' is apparently as old as, or maybe even older than the tailed-beasts. It's totally fascinating!" Ran, the current village researcher that Tsunade had pulled in, gushed as she read the metal scroll that was currently sprawled all about the large office that had been provided to her. "Just look at how old the engravings are! And this yellow metal you keep referring this cylinder as! This- This is the one of the purest form of gold there is! And the contraption! Ingenious, I tell you!"

On and on the woman rambled until Tsunade had to politely call for her attention with a small cough. Looking instead irritated at being interrupted, Ran turned her large, bespectacled eyes to the Hokage. Her irritation cleared as she remembered her real task to what she was being paid for.

"Oh. Oh, yes. You wanted to know what the Bayangan's effect has with its victims…" Ran dug under a pile of papers to pull out a smallish folder of some sort. "I compiled most of what I could get inside here, as well as the strange abilities these effects bring out. With the amount of materials I had, I could only get very little. Still, it is truly fascinating…"

Tsunade took the file and opened it with a touch of excitement. She would finally know what this being was that took out two of her most potential shinobi while leaving two others mentally unsuited to return to work. As she scanned the neatly written information in the file, she frowned.

"The 'Bayangan' is a shadowed being that seems to feed on a person's darkest feelings. It usually does so by putting its victims through the greatest fear, pain, or sorrow just before their deaths. Most deaths are decidedly gruesome and have been known to be used as the visual source of fear for its other victims. The 'Bayangan' has been said to prefer full massacres and massive killing sprees while it feeds."

Tsunade shuddered at the viciousness of the creature and skipped a few page describing the Bayangan in as full detail as Ran was able to. She resumed her reading at one particular page.

"Though they are rare, there are also the few cases of victims surviving its killings. The 'Bayangan', however, always leaves its imprint on the victims.

"These victims are usually mentally unstable or severely suicidal. They usually die within the few months and years they are alive. The 'Bayangan' always return to devour its victims."

Tsunade started at the sentence. That meant Kiba and Sasuke were in danger! She bent lower into the file in her anxiousness.

"There have been multiple recorded cases of these victims showing strange abilities that had nothing to with (chakra, or, in the ancient form) magic. These abilities seemed to stem from their natural abilities and only enhanced to become something of a gift to the victims. The different recorded abilities are written below."

Tsunade wasn't surprised to find in the list 'Clairvoyance' – as what Sasuke seemed to have; it was the ability to look into the future – and the more common 'Telekinesis'. What was surprising was that Sasuke was showing two of the abilities. It was possible that Kiba had that ability as well. Perhaps he had not shown it yet? Tsunade had to read more.

"The abilities of the victims to the 'Bayangan' are usually seen for the first time in a dangerously explosive manner. Most abilities are awakened more commonly, when the 'Bayangan' feels their presence and is tracking them down (here their abilities act as a shield) or when another victim has eye contact with another victim. The latter awakening is a mystery. There has only been one incident of it and even so, this awakening has never been officially recorded."

Sasuke's unexplained outburst during his 'Return Party' suddenly made a lot more sense. It caused Tsunade to pause her thoughts, though. After all, it was stated in the file that such outbursts seemed necessary for the victim to protect themselves from the Bayangan. That meant the monster – Tsunade couldn't think of anything else to describe the…being – was already on to Sasuke's trail. Kiba had yet to 'awaken', but if he did—

"The trail would be twice as noticeable…"

"What trail would be noticeable, Tsunade-sama?" Kakashi's already familiar voice quipped from behind her. Tsunade would have been suspicious at the unexpectedly upbeat tone – the Copy-nin was rarely that happy without some annoyingly suspicious reason – but was currently too immersed in her swirl of thoughts. Instead, she turned urgently to the gray-haired man and demanded the whereabouts of the only genin he had taken under his wing.

Kakashi blinked at his Village Head's harsh tone. Tsunade only used such a tone on him if she was panicked or if the village was in danger. Kakashi's instincts went into sharp alert. He frowned as he answered to the demand. "They are currently visiting Kiba at the Institution..."

Kakashi's frown deepened as Tsunade's face went a little ashen. "Hokage-sama, what's wrong?"

"Where is Sasuke?"

"He's with Naruto, of course. What's going on?"

Kakashi watched in slight trepidation when Tsunade handed him the file in her hands. Kakashi's eyes widened considerably at the words neatly penned down on the white paper. "We have to stop them."

Outside, the sky mirrored their dread and finally opened to pour endlessly.


"Happy birthday to you.

"Happy birthday to you.

"Happy birthday dear Kiba, happy birthday to you…!"

The otherwise silent room erupted into bright smiles and laughter as the dozen or so occupants cheered for their friend. The few nurses that had decided to join in the small party passed the plates and utensils they had managed to smuggle from the staff kitchen. Sakura and Ino bickered again about cutting the cake until Tenten got impatient and cut the cake herself – much to the girls' dismay. Chouji chortled his way through the cacophony – with his ever-faithful bag of chips – while Shikamaru incessantly muttered about troublesome friends. Naruto was attempting to create small but polite conversation with a stunned Hinata – the blond barely spoke more than a few necessary words to her; their relationship had gotten rather strained and awkward after Shino and Neji's death – in an attempt to have as little contact with a particular raven that made him blush like an academy schoolgirl.

It was bruising to his 'manly' ANBU Captain ego.

Of course, being so caught up in their own interactions and musings, no one really noticed the rather strained conversation – if we can call it a conversation – taking place at a quiet corner of the tiny, overcrowded ward.

"H- How are you doing, Kiba?"

The Inuzuka, as he seemed to have a habit of doing in this conversation, stared silently at Sasuke for a moment – he seemed to be looking for something, though Sasuke wasn't sure what it was – before replying curtly. "Fine. You."

Sasuke fiddled nervously with the hem of his black shorts. Naruto had dressed him up in a simple long-sleeved cream shirt collared high around his neck, and plain black shorts. A pair of dark sneakers – it seemed that Naruto was fond of them; he had Sasuke wearing them every time they went out; and Sasuke hadn't really noticed – completed the strangely innocent yet stylish look. Again, Sasuke had not noticed. He was one who had never – and will never – bother to think twice about his appearance. At the moment, though, it made him look adorably nervous before Kiba. "Um, ah, I'm fine too..."

Another round of silence followed. Sasuke was acutely aware of the pair of deep brown eyes looking his way and continued to fidget in his seat. Sasuke anxiously wondered what to say next. He had never really had such attention placed on him and even then, it was usually the other party that continued the conversation. He never noticed how Kiba's pupils grew ever wider until his recently blank brown gaze seemed to create a pair of bottomless pits in his face.

"I've found you..."

Sasuke finally looked up to meet the darker than night gaze. His eyes widened and he froze when two pinpricks of milky white bled into the black to form pupils. Kiba - or what was supposed to be Kiba - grinned emptily back at him.

"Sweet, sweet Sasuke."

And as Sasuke's own eyes bled into the strange mix of purple and crimson, he screamed.

To Be Continued.


(1) Naruto gave him the newest green book by Jiraiya at the start of 'Shippuden'. The newer book is green in colour.

I am, and was, too lazy to edit this story properly, so please excuse any silly mistakes. If you do spot those confusing wriggly wormy plot para-worms that twist the whole story weirdly - by this, I mean any phrase that you think confuses you - please tell me and comment on them.

It would be good practice, anyway.

Jaa. 'Til next time.

-Asukann