Hello again people I won't bug you long just have a few things to say…

First off Woohoo! I have five reviews. I know most authors celebrate when they have like 100 reviews but five is good enough for me. Where's the wine…

Runelesca: Thank you so much for the review!!!!

Vincent Nuramashi: Not very talkative but thank you any way!

Oh and one last thing thoughts in flashbacks will be in Bold (likes this for example)

Thank you!

Chapter 7

Telling of Tales and Kidnapped

"Try again Shena."

"But Lady Kikyo I've tried. I just can't do it."

"Try again."

Pulling in a big breath of air Shena pulled another arrow onto her bowstring and shot an arrow dead center into a tree she was facing. Her aim was flawless and position prefect, as was to be expected from two years of training under Kikyo's eye, but her aim wasn't the problem.

Her arrow was a normal arrow.

"See lady Kikyo I just can't do it no matter how hard I try. I just can't do a spirit arrow. Maybe I'm not a Miko after all." Shena looked at her feet ashamed at he failure.

For two years Shena had been training under Kikyo learning all there was on basic level. She was happy again and she smiled more. She wasn't skin and bones anymore because of Kikyo's generous amount of food she got for her. And Shena no longer feared walking out in the open. If she was by lady Kikyo's side she was safe from everything.

Finally after hard training of drawing shooting and aiming a bow and arrow Kikyo had began on spirit arrows. According to Kikyo Shena could do spirit arrows. It was in her blood she would say. The problem was no mater how hard she tried she couldn't do a simple spirit arrow.

"Stop saying you can't." Kikyo snapped. In a more gentle voice Kikyo got on one knee and stared Shena at eye level. "Try harder. Remember what I said. You need to build up your energy. Try thinking of something that builds up emotion. Emotions are the surest way to invoke inner energy. That should help."

Full of courage Shena looked up at Kikyo and beamed. She could do this! Drawing another arrow she pulled it onto her bow and aimed it for the tree.

Think emotion Shena…think emotion. Closing her eyes hard Shenadug into her mind looking. The crackle of fire curled in her ear. Peals of cold laugher fad through her mind. Anger built up in her gut. Her shards grew hot against her chest.

Letting her eyes fly open with fury burning deep in her pupils Shena let go of the arrow.

In a burst of pink sparks Shena first spirit arrow hit dead center shattering the tree in a shower of splitters before it and imbedded itself into a near by tree trunk. With a thunderous crack the tree came crashing down to the grass leaving only a ragged stump connected to the ground.

Shena's face went to shock to shear joy breaking out into wide grin of victory. Jumping up and down at her triumph she yelled loudly to the forest. "I did it! I did it! Lady Kikyo does this mean I'm a Miko. I did it!" Suddenly she cringed at a sharp ping of pain make her smile evaporate from her face. It only lasted a second as her vision blurred on the edges. Then it was gone like it was never there.

Turning to Kikyo, expecting praise for her triumph, Shena stopped seeing the frown on Kikyo that demanded seriousness her blood running cold.

Had she done something wrong?

"Lady Kikyo-" Shena began.

"Give them to me." Kikyo said pushing out her open hand palm up at Shena. "Give me your shards."

Shena's mouth hug open as though she had lost the ability to speak. "Lady Kikyo…why?" Shena gasped not comprehending what was happening clutching her bow closer to her chest.

"You're young and you don't understand. Those who carry the shard have great misfortune fall on their heals no matter where they go . Even though the shards have great purify ability there is always a dark evil between the corners of light. This is the soul of the demon that was sealed into the jewel along with the miko Midoriko 500 years ago. The day you fell off the cliff when Naraku cornered you your own hearts call to sorrow, pain, hurt, and anger made a small string between you and those corners of darkness." Kikyo said.

"But-" Shena gasped.

"Through that string the darkness has a path to your heart and your soul. When you think upon some of your memoirs that makes your heart and soul bleed from sorrow the darkness jumps out and gives you energy. But we are humans this darkness is not made for us. It will kill you Shena if you ever let your guard down or depend on the shards too much. If you even come near corrupted shards the darkness will reach out and snuff your soul out like a flame." Kikyo put flatly. "But if you give me the shards that string will be broken and you will not be part of this battle anymore."

"But lady Kikyo you can't!" Shena shouted. "I can control it I swear!"

"What did you remember after you shot that arrow?" Kikyo said coolly.

Shena didn't answer but clutch her shards on their sliver chain and stared at the ground.

"What ever you saw caused your heart so much anger and pain that for a moment your shards turned darker. You were lucky your natural innocence is so strong or you wouldn't have been able to hold back the darkness." Kikyo said not letting her voice stray a single note. "Give me your shards before you get yourself killed. This isn't your fight."

Shena took a step back scared of what she was hearing. Kikyo knew how much these shards meant to her. She couldn't just take them because she thought she couldn't handle them. She had been handling them for 4 years. So what if Kikyo said she would die. She would die protecting what her family had given their lives for!

"I won't let you take them. Never." Shena whispered to the ground. Wiping around Shena tried to make a run for it but Kikyo jumped forward and grabbed her shoulder spinning her around forcing Shena to face her.

"You can't run away Shena. No matter where you go you will always carry your memoirs and the darkness." Kikyo said trying to pull the sliver chain from Shena's neck intending to break it free.

"No you can't!" Shena yelled. An image at that moment flooded her mind. It was the same image she had seen the first time she had shot her first spirit arrow causing her anger to burn bright. In a zap of pink light rimmed with darkness Kikyo broke away from Shena and took a few steps back.

Falling the world swam into blackness as Shena fainted into the grass her mother bloody dying face still fresh in her mind.

"…The next thing I knew I was waking up to find Kagome leaning over me asking me if I was alright. A demon sword smith named Totosai had found me unconscious in the grass on a hill and took me to the only person he knew that could help me. And that was Kagome. And Kikyo hadn't taken my shards."

"A demon just found and took you away to get help." Naruto asked still a little shock at Shena's story.

"Just because someone has demon blood in them doesn't make them heartless. And in fact Totosai told Kagome that when he found me I woke up a little and told him to piss off. He said he just had to help me just to smite me after that. Totosai isn't really a bad person. He can be hard headed as hell and one major pain in the butt sometimes but he isn't a bad person. So are Inuyasha and Shippo and Inuyasha is only half demon."

Naruto shift uneasily on the dirt ground where he and Shena had collapsed near a crystal clear stream in the shade of a tree after them had magically detangled themselves from the forest. For the last past two hours Shena had been filling him in on her past.

"Umm…I have a few questions." Naruto said raising his hand. "One how can a jewel kill you? Two what is natural innocence? And three who the hell are Inuyasha, Shippo, and Totosai?"

Sighing Shena let her shoulder slump. "Natural innocence is easy to understand really. I'm surprised you don't know about it. When a baby is born it is given the gift of natural innocence…you know like childhood innocence. It protects the child till he or she is older from evil outside forces. Some children have stronger innocence then others but when one grows up the natural innocence fads because it is no longer needed. After I shot my first spirit arrow I could shoot any spirit arrow with out trouble if I just didn't think of something that invoked the shards darkness. So I don't need to use any innocence. Did you get that?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "Umm I guess but I still don't know how a jewel can kill you."

"For the last time it is called the Shikon no Tama or Shikon jewels shards." Shena snapped. "And I'm getting to that part." Sighing Shena stretch and looked at Naruto. "You better make yourself comfortable this is going to be a long story."

"…Then I just had to go out and get some air and got attacked by Orchumour's sound ninja. And I guess you know the rest." Naruto finished up.

It had been several hours since Shena and Naruto began exchanging tales. The sun was low making their shadows long on the grass. After Shena had finished her long, long, long tale of Inuyasha, Kikyo, Kagome, and the Shikon no Tama Naruto had been very confused. Shena had to go or a large portion of the details twice before he could comprehend it all.

I think I over loaded his brain. Shena thought after ask for the fifth time how Kikyo could be dead and still teaching her at the same time and again she would have to recall the part of Kikyo's reincarnation.

After Naruto had finally grasped Shena's tale he in turn turned Shena's mind upside down as he lunged into his own tale. He started with his demonized birth then went all the way to Sasuke betrayal.

"If I hadn't still been weak form that fight I could have taken those Sound ninja with a hand tied behind my back." Naruto stated as he warped up his story.

Shena had listen soaking up ever detail noticing the hurt in Naruto tone when he spoke of Sasuke and his childhood. It was the same tone she used when she talked about her past.

The same type of hurt.

"But you still haven't told me how you now about he Nine Tailed Fox." Naruto said erupting her thoughts.

"It…it was a legend Kikyo had told me when she was still teaching me. You remember that I talk about Inuyasha's father right?"

"Yay. Great powerful demon that died a long time ago…but what does that have to do with the Nine Tailed Fox?"

"A lot you pea brain. When Inuyasha father was still alive he had a whole group of nine different separate clans of demons fallowing under him. The Nine Tailed Fox was one of those demons. I fact he was the leader of the Fox demon clan. Each clan had a leader making nine leaders that all looked up to Inuyasha's father. When he died the clans broke up from one another and spread out but the nine clan leaders still held power over their own clan. A little over fifty years ago all of the nine clan leaders disappeared leaving their clans to fend for themselves for no apparent reason. And they were never seen or heard from again. The End" Shena finished.

"You mean they just got up and left?" Naruto asked.

"Yep and never heard from again. That is how I know about the Nine Tailed Fox."

After Shena had finished Naruto sat there in silence for a long time staring at the grass. It was not till both Shena's and Naruto's stomach growl loudly at the same time did they dislodge themselves from there thoughts.

"Oh and one more thing." Shena said placing a hand over her stomach. "You still own me supper as your new sensei."

"What! No way! You should be treating me to dinner. You almost got me killed" Naruto yelled.

Shena laughed and got to her feet. "How can I buy dinner if I don't have and money?" Shena said as she turned to walk to Kohona.

With a grumble Naruto followed.

Sakura turned the corner of the stairs she was walking up and opened the door that led to a hallway of apartment rooms. Turning right she walk slowly down the hallway till she came to a door she was looking for. Raising her hand Sakura rapped her knuckles on the door.

Inside there was a rustle of feet as someone got up and walked casually to the door. There was a click as the lock was pushed away and the door swung silently inward enough for a human head to be seen.

Kakashi stuck his head out and around the door with his usual mask get up on and stared down at Sakura with his usual normal one eye.

"Oh hello Sakura." Kakashi said friendly. "Need something?"

"Umm…well…I was wondering if you've seen Naruto Kakashi sensei . I haven't seen him since he came back from fighting…"Sakura trailed off as her eyes dimmed visibly as she stared at the ground refusing to make eye contact. "And that was days ago." Sakura continued lifting her head slightly. "The nurses at the hospital said he's been gone for five days now. He just got out of his bed and left."

Kakashi frowned as he stared at Sakura who still wouldn't make eye contact. "I'm sorry Sakura I haven't seen Naruto around lately." Sakura eyes dimmed more. "But I'm sure he is around somewhere. How about I go find him and give him a good talking to for making you worry." Kakashi gave Sakura a happy smile making the dimness slip from her eyes.

Looking up Sakura closed her eyes and gave him a small smile. "Thank you Kakashi sensei that would great." Turning Sakura began to make her way back to the stairs.

Opening the door all the way Kakashi stepped out silently into he hallway. "Sakura?" He called.

"Yes?" Sakura said stopping and turning around to face her sensei.

"Are you all right?" he asked simply.

Sakura gave him one of her most flawless perfect fake smiles. "Of course I'm okay." She said trying to make her voice sound cheerful. "Why do you ask?"

"Nothing. Never mind."

Kakashi watched Sakura till she turned the corner and out of sight. Sighing Kakashi pulled himself inside to door and closed it. After a bit of fumbling around his dirty apartment Kakashi found his shoes and slipped them on and after more searching found his keys and made his way to the door.

Guess I better find out what Naruto is up to. Kakashi thought. Hope he hasn't gotten himself into trouble.

"Yep I've seen Naruto. He was in here just yesterday buying some food for a young lady." Ichiraku said pouring a steaming bowl of ramen and passing it over the counter to Kakashi.

"A young lady?"

"Yay they sat here for over three hours talking. Something about a giant black bird that the girl was looking for. Naruto seemed to now what she was talking about. Weird girl though." Ichiraku said.

"Weird?" Kakashi asked grabbing himself some chopsticks.

"Yay one minute the girl was whispering to him. The next she was yelling at him. In the end they seemed to make some sort of agreement and Naruto ran off and the girl headed that way." Ichiraku pointed to his right while her stirred something in a big pot. "It was a bit odd. Never seen the girl before but she could pack it away with the food."

Kakashi lay the tip of his chopsticks on the edge of his bowl. "Never seen the girl before huh? Was she wearing any type of identification like a head band or something?"

Ichiraku frowned and stared up at the ceiling pulling up the girl's face in his mind. "Nope none that I could see." He said after a minute. "Just a travelers cloak and quiver and bow over her shoulder."

"Hmmm." Kakashi looked down into his ramen bowl in thought. "You know I think I will have this to go." He said finally.

Even thought sometimes Shena instincts were wrong she never went against them. So when something in the back of her mind began to send up flares that it was time to make a quick get away as Naruto rummaged frantically around his pocket trying to find his keys to his apartment door that they stood outside of Shena decided it was time to leave.

Giving a fake yawn Shena stretched her arms. "You know what Naruto I'm beat so I'm just going to head back. At least I now where you live now."

"But I still need you to explain a few things. Like what kind of training I'm going to be doing…Ah Ha! Found them!" Naruto yelled triumphantly as he finally pulled his apartment keys from this pockets on a frog keychain and dangled it under Shena's nose.

"Listen just meet me by the gates tomorrow morning and we will go from there. And I've already been through one jungle today I think I'll pass on trying to get through another one." Shena said turning to leave. "She you latter shrimp."

"Hey!" Naruto yelled after her.

Hiding her smile Shena made her way around the nearest corner into an alley and flattened her back against the wall.

Peering around the corner Shena watched Naruto mumble something under his breath and push his key into the door. At that moment a sliver haired man with a headband like Naruto's pulled over one eye and the rest of his face covered except one eye with a mask wearing a green vest came around the corner in the alley over from Shena. Hailing Naruto the man caught the boy's attention who looked over and gave the man a huge friendly wave.

That must be Kakashi. Shena thought.

Stopping the man looked down at Naruto and apparently started a conversation. Naruto whipped out one of his smiles rubbing the back of his head as Shena watched unable to hear a word either were saying.

Suddenly Kakashi pulled out a box of some sort from behind his back and presented it to Naruto who grabbed it and waved it over his head. Shena could see it was ramen.

As Kakashi watched Naruto do his little dance waving around his ramen he suddenly looked up and stared straight at Shena.

Without even thinking Shena whipped her head around the corner and out of sight and made her way at a run down the alley and into the busy main lantern lit street.

Taking in one big breath of air Shena made her mind up quick and head as fast as she could in one direction. Then turning in an alley Shena headed in the opposite direction and made her way as fast as she could to the gate.

"You owe me for this Kakashi. Not only did I have to pick up someone's scent from the middle of an in use alley, but then had to fallow it into busy street only to turn around in another alley and go the opposite direction. And then out the gate, through some dark woods. Do you even now how many thorns I have in my fur…are you even listening to me?" Pakkun snapped as he rustled in the brush as he and Kakashi crouched hidden outside a slim cave entrance hidden in the hillside.

"Shhh!" Kakashi hissed as a small persons silhouette formed inside the cave entrance. Coming into the moonlight and out of the caves darkness a young girl stretched her arms to the sky and then down to her toes giving a huge yawn.

After a minute of rubbing the numbness out of her shoulders the girl walked up to a cold fire pit and after adding some twigs and poking around for hot cider had a roaring fire going in a couple of moments.

Sitting down the girl pulled her knees to her chest and laid her chin on her knee caps. Silently she stared into the fire the flames reflecting in her pale green eyes. Black long hair ran all the way to her hips pulled back in a braid. She wasn't very short but her extreme slimness made her seem much smaller then she looked. She didn't have a cloak on but only a short brown dress with and white ribbon tied around her waist. A bow and quiver lay at her side.

She can't be older the thirteen. Kakashi thought frowning as he watched the girl stare also frowning into the fire deep in thought. Suddenly the girls frown turned to a scowl and the girl rose to her feet and loaded an arrow onto her bow.

Taking aim at a near by tree the girl's eyes reflected fury as she drew the bow back with one hand and let it go. In a splay of pink sparks the arrow hit the tree dead on and burst through cracking the tree into two.

Shocked Kakashi watched as the girl just stood there and watched the tree crash to the ground. Reaching up she placed and hand in the middle of her chest and winced in pain then as the pain faded her face was replaced with a lost look. Hissing something under her breath that Kakashi couldn't hear the girl spat onto the dirt. Hitching up her quiver the girl turned ruthlessly kicked dirt into the fire to make it die down. Then she stormed into the cave's entrance and disappeared into the shadows.

"What in the world was that?" Pakkun asked moving away form the clearing.

"I don't know but I think I'm going to have a talk with the Hokage."

"Fox fire?"

"Yep it is the most simple basic fox demon attack and all fox demons can do it, even babies. I've seen Shippo do it a hundred times. It's easy, build up you energy in you hand aim at your target, think fire and let loose.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Positive."

"Then why are you up in that tree?" Naruto asked looking up at Shena who sat with her legs dangling over the edge of a thick tree limb.

"Well Naruto the Nine Tailed Fox isn't what you would call a average power demon. If you try fox fire you might burn down half the forest I'm merely being precautious."

"Then shouldn't we try to learn some control first? I think Hokage Tsunade would notice if half a forest went up in smoke."

"You need to do it first for us to begin trying to master it Baka. Just aim for that tree." Shena said pointing at a small tree opposite where she was sitting. "Once you unlock the ability we can start on control."

"Yay yay fine." Naruto mumbled aiming his hand at the tree. "Muster up you energy…think fire…FOX FIRE!!!" Naruto's yell ringed off the tree.

But nothing happened.

"Ok I can do this…FOX FIRE!!!"

Nothing.

"Maybe you're not using enough energy." Shena chimed in from her spot in the tree.

"Oh shut up!" Naruto yelled over his shoulder. "FOX FIRE!!! FOX FIRE!!! FOX FIRE!!!!!"

Yep you guessed it nothing.

"Stop, stop, stop." Shena said. "Stop, all you're doing is scaring away the little animals and braking my ear drums." Jumping down Shena landed on the ground and walked up to Naruto. "You must be doing something wrong."

"If you're such and expert why not you do it." Naruto snapped.

"Hello! Not demon or have any demon powers. How in the hell do you expect me to do it." Shena said grabbing Naruto's wrist and examined his hand that he was using. "Anyways" She said letting his wrist drop. "I think I know what the problem is."

"And what would that be?" Naruto asked.

"You're not building up any demon energy." Shena said triumphantly. "Trying to do Fox Fire without any demon energy is like trying to shot a arrow without a bow. You might be building up energy but it isn't your demon energy. It's your human energy. Understand?"

"Ummm…yay I guess I do." Naruto said rubbing the back of his head.

Sighing Shena grabbed Naruto shoulder and made him face the tree the again. "Here the best way to build up or invoke energy of any kind is through emotions. Think of something that make you angry, channel that, and fire. It's that simple."

"Easy for you to say." Naruto mumbled as Shena took quite a few steps back.

Ok Naruto. He thought. Think of something that makes you angry. Channel it. And… "FOX FIRE!!!"

This time red glowing fire erupted form the seal on Naruto stomach and moved up his chest down his arm and out of the palm of his hand in a ball of red flame. Instead of being blue like Shena had expected the fire was blood red. Catching the tree in front of him in a blaze of fire she watch as the tree burned down to an ashy stump.

But something was wrong.

As soon as the fire died out in a few seconds Naruto breathing was hard and he was clutching his head in his hands.

"Naruto are you alright?" Shena asked laying a hand on his shoulder.

Naruto turned and took a long swing at Shena's head. Ducking Shena dodged his blow as she got a glimpse of his eyes.

They were red with a diamond shaped pupil. Thinking quickly Shena lunged at Naruto missing his second swing and slammed her knuckles into a presser point in his neck. With a gasp Naruto's eyes rolled up and his eye lids rolled down as he fell unconscious to the ground.

This was a move Sango had taught her when she was still traveling with the group.

After a moment of shock that her attack had work Shena bent down and looked over Naruto.

"I guess it isn't as simple as I thought." She mumbled.

Taking a sip of her water Shena pulled the glass form her lips and sat it down on the table. Sighing Shena looked around Naruto's small apartment for the fifth time.

She sat at the table located in the middle of the kitchen. Form the kitchen there were three doors. On led to Naruto's room where he was snoring blissfully in his bed. Another one led to a bathroom while the third led outside into the warm air. Shena boots lay next to the outside door while her cloak hung over one of the kitchen table's chairs.

I still can't believe I got all the way here with out anyone stopping me. Shena thought.

After she had knocked Naruto out she had somehow gotten him on her back and miraculously dragged him back to his house where after a bit of fumbling around in his pockets found his keys and dragged him inside and dropped him onto his bed where she left him. And all the way here she didn't get stopped once to ask why she had a orange unconscious ninja over on her back.

And the shrimp is a lot heavier then he looks. Shena thought rubbing her shoulder. Sighing Shena leaned back into her chair and looked over at Naruto's closed door.

Better go see if he's awake yet. Shena thought getting up from her chair. As an after thought Shena reach up her sleeve and pulled free a kunai. Just in case she thought.

Walking up to the door Shena held the kunai ready and placed her hand on the door knob. Suddenly the door that led outside swung outward and Kakashi came walking in.

"Naruto I-" Looking up the man stopped seeing Shena kunai in one hand and other on the door knob leading to Naruto's room. For a second they stared at each other in shock.

Oh shit…

Ripping her hand off the door knob Shena dropped the Kunai and grabbed one of the kitchen table's chairs and hurled it over the table at Kakashi.

Zipping side ways the man dodged it as she used the opportunity to dive into Naruto's room slamming the door shut behind her.

Naruto still sat sleeping like a log where Shena had piled him up on the bed his snores filling the room. Quickly Shena looked for a way to escape.

Over Naruto's bed were two windows. They were about two stories up and the window looked just big enough to jump through.

Running over the room Shena jumped onto the bed not even waking up Naruto slide the window open and stared out. With a crash the bedroom door flew open and Kakashi came charging in with a kunai in hand.

"Stop!" He yelled.

Not listening to him Shena closed her eye and jumped out the window.

Reaching up Shena hand caught a clothes line that ran form a window to a pulley that was imbedded in the opposite wall. Because the rope wasn't made to take Shena's weight held for a moment then snapped a candy cane letting Shena swing to the ground.

Catching the earth with her feet Shena bent her knees and dived into a frontward roll to diffuse the impact.

Standing quite uneasily on her feet Shena wobbled around as her legs screamed in pain and protest at such death defying activity.

After she finally got her legs underneath her Shena looked up and stared at Kakashi who was looking down and her from Naruto's window. Giving him a wicked smile Shena flipped him the bird and turned to make her get away.

A small gasp escaped her lips as she felt a sharp poke at the base of her neck

Before she went unconscious she was able to look over her shoulder at a second Kakashi identical to the first who held up blue chakra glowing fingers looking at her with a bored expression on his face or at least the part of his face she could see.

Oh crap…

Then she silently fell out cold onto the dirt ground.