The next morning I woke up with a brown and black stripped cat curled up in my arms. He breathed softly with the peacful look on his face.

I'm guessing how I felt would be similar to that of a hangover. My head hurt with the images of last night, my body ached with the sudden workout, and I absolutly didn't want to get up and face the other members. I didn't want them to see how destroyed I felt... Especially Mai. She's the most important to not see my pain.

The cat opened his eyes and stared straight into mine. He could tell I was hurting, but didn't comment on it. He leaned closer and licked my cheek. I pulled him close and held him tight for a moment. The comfort it gave me was more than he'd ever know.

Once the sun was at a high point I could guess it was about noon. As much as I didn't want to get up, my bladder had other ideas.

I released the cat and opened the trapdoor. Hesitantly I decended the steps and made and 'i' line to the bathroom. (Okay it's not a beeline, because that would make you walk weaving around nothing. It's an 'i' line because you're going straight forward and hopping to the point).

I shut the door and locked it, did my buisness, unlocked and opened the door. Mai was there to meet me.

"Hey baby. You hungry? Do you want me to make you anything?" She asked tentivley.

I nodded once and politly pushed past her back to my room. I didn't have an appitite, plus if I'd even uttered a word I would've bursted to tears. I won't let that happen. I will not cry. I will not.

I walked back up the steps, pulled the trapdoor shut, and curled backup under the covers. LimberTheift curled himself against my chest. I absently stroked his surprisingly soft fur.

I'd drifted in & out of sleep the entire day. Eventually I had to let LimberTheift out the window so he could go about doing... what ever he does.

Mai had com in & out asking if I needed anything. Somtimes I merley nodded, other times I stared into space. Eventually she gave up and stayed down stairs.

It was night. My moments of consiousness were prolonged so I had time to think. I so happen to start thinking about my mother and brother.

Both of them were pretty much ash, but the thing is, is that teeth don't turn to ash. Why haven't the Akatsuki done anything yet? Well technically no one touched the bodies, but still. They deserve a final resting place.

The room became costerphobic so I climbed out on the tree and climbed onto the roof.

I sat down and hugged my knees to my chest. The air chilled me to the bone, but I didn't move. I stared at the distant night sky.

I'm so envious of the stars. They're so free of all restrictions. They don't have to worry about losing anyone, because there's always someone in the distance. They can move where ever they want. They have nothing to worry about. Nothing to fear. No reason to feel pain.

I felt hot tears trickle down my cold cheeks. I didn't make a sound, but my shoulders trembled. I layed my head on my knees and let my tears fall.

I didn't know anyone was up there with me, but after a while I felt someone drape a blanket over my shoulders. I wrapped the blanket more tightly around me and did a better job of hiding my tears.

"Here." I heard Itachi say.

I managed to stop my tears enough to look up. He held a ring to me. It was black with the japaneze sign for 'Innocent' in red.

I took it from him with shakey fingers. "What is it?" I asked quietly.

"It's the official sign that you are an Akatsuki member. If you look every member has it on their right hand. It couldn't be handed to you last night, because it wasn't finished."

He took it from me and made the inside of the ring shine in the moonlight. In cursive it read 'Kitsune Sula Hashimata'.

"How did you know my middle name?"

I saw him slightly smirk in the moonlight. "We looked through your files when you first made the big note about wearing our colors.

"Oh." Well duh. How else would he know your middle name. No one else here knows except for Mai. Stupid think first!

I raised a brow. "Why innocent?"

He chuckled slightly. "It was more of a joke made. Leader decided that it fit so the innocent became your sign."

"Joke?"

"We were all in the living room, and the conversation somehow changed to you. The comment was made 'She's the most innocent out of all of us.' Leader must have over heard from his study. You really are the innocent one in the orginization. Even your looks could throw off your enemy. I'd advise that when in battle use that to your atvantage."

"Innocent huh? I thought the innocent didn't kill."

"Not nesesarily. Innocent in my mind is just another word for pure. Killing doesn't make you impure. It's things done to the innocent that make them impure."

I stared at him, head slightly cocked.

He sighed. "Do you get it?"

"Yeah, but how am I pure? I don't understand how I'm still pure. How do you know anyways?"

"Because I can see it."

That caught me off guard.

"Even in the dark night only lit by the dim moonlight. I can see your purity coming off of you like light from the sun."

My heart skipped a beat. I could almost swear he blushed. Itachi Uchiha. Blushing!? Oh my gummy bears it's the end of the world!

As fast and sudden as it came it was gone. "You should go back to bed. It's getting cooler by the minute."

I haddn't noticed, but I could see my breath. I nodded and got up. I started walking back to the tree, but stopped before I decended. I turned my head to look at him. He was gone.

I climbed down the tree, through my window, and colapsed on my bed. Though his words made no sense, somehow it still helped me feel better. I snuggled down under the warm covers and I was out within minutes.

"Kit." I heard Mai say gently. "Kit sweety, it's time to get up."

I groaned and pulled the covers over my head. "Noooo." I groaned sleepily.

"Kit. Do you really think you can't go to school today? Honestly?"

I stayed quiet. No. There's no way I'll be able to do anything at school. Besides. I'm already a month ahead in all of my classes. A few days aren't going to do anything to my grade.

I felt Mai plop down on my bed. She started crying. "God I wish I could help. I wish I could do something, anything to make everything back to normal." She sobbed.

I sat up and looked at her. She had her head in her hands balling. I crawled closer to her and hugged her. I rocked her slightly.

"That's the thing. There's nothing anyone can do. What happened is just taking it's toll. Soon I'll be able to function again, but right now my mental state is still reparing itself. I'm overly caught up in in all of my classes, so missing a few more days won't do me any harm. Do I really have to go to school?"

She wrapped me in the dominant postion of the hug and stroked my short hair. "No baby. You don't have to if you don't want to." She laughed slightly. "You could speed through and graduate now if you truly wanted to."

She pulled back and cupped my face. "Hey. How 'bout an all day pirates of the caribbean marathon? Just you, me, the couch, and a big bowl of buttered popcorn?"

I smiled slightly. "Yeah. That sounds good. I could use a good Jonny Depp movie."

We both walked down the trap door to the living room. Mai got all of her Jonny Depp movies out. (Yeah we're both big Jonny fans).

She got popcorn ready and put the movie in. We sat down and watched all of the movies. Sometime around the third movie I layed down and put my head in Mai's lap. I never really slept, but I was comfortable.

Everyone else came home from school. Some of them stopped to stare at me, then went about their business. Deidara's the one who decided to pester me.

"Aw. How cute. You gonna cry on mama later then, un?"

I snapped up right grabbed him by the throat and tackled him to the ground. I growled. "Don't you ever mention her."

"I wasn't talking about your step mom, un." He said smirking.

I squeezed tighter, and his smirk fell. "Don't. Ever. Mention that bitch. Ever."

I released him and sat back down on the couch.

"What the hell is your problem, hm?"

Mai turned to him sharply, anger taking it's toll on her as well. "Stop. Just stop. She's not worth the convversation. Not even worth talking to." she said bitterly.

She got up and changed the movie to "Benny and Joon". We fast forwarded through the comercials to the main menu. Soon we were laughing and grinning again. Some of the other members sat in the two spare chairs, or on the floor.

We finished watching that Mai left to make dinner. I changed the movie to "Jack and Jill" (I love that movie too).

The night went on. We had sandwiches (that's all she could make in a short time) and I went up stairs after the movie was over.

I pulled out a text book and began reading. I heard a faint scratching at my window. I turned to see LimberTheift. I leaned over and opened it. He hopped onto the still and sat down.

"Hello Kitsune." he said.

"You can just call me Kit you know."

He chuckled. "Kit is the word used for infant in our kind. You're as innocent as a kitten anyhow."

I fell back on my bed. "Oh no. Not you too."

"What?"

"First Itachi, now you. That makes 2 people whom've called me 'innocent'." I kind of thought about what I'd just said. "Well you're a cat rather than human, but I still count you as a someone."

He looked rather taken back by that. "I didn't know I could mean so much to a human."

I drug him into my lap and stroked his fur. "Humans have compasion too you know. Some are ruthless and have no heart, but others..." I smiled. "Others are as sweet at new born Kits."

He purred. "Like you. Just as innocent and pure. I've only met 1 other ca- uh someone like you. She was so pure. So wise beyond her years. She was... perfect. Even her flaws. Just so perfect. You. In your... Cat form. You look just like her. Even in death, in killing another cat she was still pure. Her fur as black as night, her eyes so vibrantly green like a summer medow."

He sighed and closed his eyes. As if envisioning it all. "She was my mate, and she died protecting me." he looked down with a sad expresion. "I was knocked against a rock, so I was half unconsious. She battled the bager, but only at the cost of her life. For the longest time I couldn't forgive myself. Then that day. I felt the same light that always came off of her, but... it was you."

He looked up at me affectionatly. "I see now. Apart of her lives in you, but you still have a warm light all your own. A warm loving light. Something I've missed."

I wrapped him in a hug. A single tear slipped down his cheek. "She didn't even have time to bear our kits."

I kissed the top of his head and cradled him. "Shh." I began humming to him, and somehow that ended up putting me to sleep too.


I woke up that morning. Mai was still asleep. I went about my business and went trough my usual school morning routine.

Today I dug out a black longsleeved shirt, black jeans, and converses. I didn't bother with make up or my hair. I brushed it through, but nothing more. It hung in my face in a way that if I needed to I could hide my face behind my hair.

I grabbed my school bag and thumped down stairs. The members went about their business as well, after passing a glance at me. I went to the bathroom and did my business there, then plopped myself down on the couch and waited for Itachi and Kisame.

Of course I cannot enjoy a morning in silence.

"Quit hogging the bathroom, un!"

"Fuck you fucking blonde!"

"Fuck you, un!"

"Fuck you more asshole!"

My temper slowly rose.

"I have to do my hair sometime and it takes a lot of time to get it how I put it."

"So do I dick, un."

I camly got up and walked to the only and small bathroom we had. I stopped at the open door and stared at them with my arms crossed.

They both started yelling at once at each other. I snapped.

"BOTH OF YOU WHINNY BITCHES SHUT THE FUCK UP! I'M NOT IN THE MOOD TO DEAL WITH IMMATURE GIRLS. IT'S STUPID TO FIGHT OVER A FUCKING MIRROR. SHARE IT YOU DUMB FUCKS!" I screamed.

They both stopped their argument and stared at me. They looked at each other, then back at me. I felt myself growl loudly at them. Hidan scooted his hair suplies down and side stepped so Deidara could get a good view of the mirror.

"Good little girls." I said mockingly.

I turned sharply and walked back to the living room where Kisame stared at me. "What?" I snapped.

He held his hands up in surrender. "Nothing. Just good job at handling them. The only once who can get them to listen that quickly is leader sama."

"Well it's about time they stopped acting like pussys and grow a fucking pair. Are we ready to leave or what?"

"Uh yeah... We're just waiting for everyone else."

Mai came down in a electric blue robe. "What's with all the yelling?" she yawned.

"Whatever. I'll be in the car. I'm not in the mood to deal with idiots."

I grabbed Itachi's keys from the coffee table and walked out the door. I started the truck up and climbed into the back seat. I went ahead and turned the radio on to earblasting volume. I layed down in the back and listened to the words and the beat of the drums and guitar.

Itachi and Kisame finally got in and we drove to school. Once we were there we sat at our usual table. Instead of getting anything to eat I layed my head down. All the buzzing noises. I could hear just about everybreath in the large room.

From all the way across the room I could hear a girl talking about throwing up to maintain a slim figure for cheerleading. Sick. I could hear a conversation in the halls. Two boys talking about a hot girl. Describing it would make you lose your lunch if I repeated their words. Then on the other side of the cafeateria I could hear a hushed conversation between a large group of people.

"I'm telling you that girl's not normal. She's taken down at least three people at once twice now." a girl said.

"Yeah. That girl killed Nari!"

"The other members of akatsuki caught Nari. It was probably initiation for her." a male said.

"Has anyone heard what Lord Orochimaru's going to do?"

"No. He said he'd take care of it. He said it wasn't something that we needed to worry about and that he'd give us orders when he needed us."

I haddn't realized it but I was staring straight at them now. I memorized every aspect of their features. As a girl with light brown hair started to talk she glanced my way and we locked eyes. Her own eyes widened and she whispered to the others. "Guys. She's staring at us... I think she can hear us!"

They all turned to look at me. I stared blankly at them. We all just stared at each other. I'm not sure I was even breathing.

Some one suddenly wrapped me in a death hug. "Kit-chan!" Naruto cried. "IWasSoWorried!IThoughtYouDied!" he said in one quick breath.

I pried him off of me. I forced my temper back under control and fought to glare at him. "Hey Naruto. I'm not feeling so well. In fact I'm not in a good mood either. So I'd like the day to myself, because I really don't want to lose my temper and snap at you. Bye!"

I quickly escaped the cafeteria and made a beeline to the bathroom. (beeline because I had to take a lot of turns to find the stupid thing)

I slipped through the door and stood there with my back against the wall. I froze when I heard sobbing. I slowly crept to the stalls. The handicaped stall was locked and all the balling was coming from there.

I knocked quietly. "Hey. You okay in there?"

The sobs quieted and the door was suddenly jerked open. A girl with blonde hair, icy blue eyes, a perfect figure, and a pick bandana wrapped around her left arm. I automatically recognized her. She was the crazy girl who kept cutting me when my brother burned.

Her eyes went wide when she saw me. Shock went to crazy/anger. Before I could react she had me up against the wall with a knife in her hand. I had to take a second look to figure out she was cutting herself.

"You." She said bitterly. "You killed her. You're the one who killed my best friend!"

She glared at me hard with tear filled eyes. "You killed her. Do you know how badly I'm hurting right now?" She asked.

I glanced down at her bleeding arms and looked straight into her eyes. "You all brought that upon yourselves. You killed my family first. I'm just getting even. Besides I'm not the one making you cut yourself out of depression now am I?"

"Oh yeah?" She slammed the knife down on the bottom of my arm. I yelped in pain, but held back tears.

"You won't get away with this." she whispered. "Lord Orochimaru has plans for you. He will make you pay. He'll make you all pay." She stepped away and left the bathroom.

I was too shocked to move. What the hell had just happened!? Plans? Though I was curious I had to concentrait on the problem at hand. My arm was now gushing blood all over me and the floor. I held my wrist under cold water. I didn't have any bandages to patch it up with. I'll have to pack some for now on incase something like this were to happen again.

I could run home and come back. I glanced at the door. I really don't want them to know about my freezing up. I looked around for an escape route. Luckily there was a window big enough for me to squeeze out of.

After cleaning up the blood off of the ground I hoisted myself up on the window still and jumped out. I jogged back to the house which took me about 20 to 30 minutes. Yup I was definatley going to be late.

I was about to walk into the front door, but stopped short. If Pein or Konan, espesially Mai were to see my bloodied self I would be in questioning and a talk with the princeple. I reeeeeally don't want that.

I ran to the tree and climbed to my room. I kept bandages up here. Just incase. I grabbed a roll of bandages, a freash T-shirt and jeans, and climbed back out of the window. Just in time too, because Mai had just walked in from a freash shower.

I jumped off of the tree and ran away from the house. I slipped back into the school and went straight for the bathroom. I wrapped my arm up and changed into the not bloody clothes. I stashed the bloody clothes away in a corner that was hard to get to.

I came out of the bathroom and went straight to the office to sign in late. After the annoyances of signing in I went to class. I walked in absently handing a note to the teacher on my way to my seat. I sat down without a word.

I dug out my history spiral and began taking notes. The arm the girl had hacked was my right arm, so I had difficulties writing with it. The challenge was just writing in pain and keeping a straight face and not crying.

History ended in a flash (probably because I got there 5 minutes before the bell rang). I packed up everything and hurried off to art.

I never thought I'd hate art class, but this situation proved me very wrong. We were sculpting today! With really hard clay! ;_;

I couldn't even flex my arm without shooting searing pain throughout it. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Deidara and Sasori staring at me. I held my breath each time I tried to mold the stubborn clay to keep from screaming. Oh I'm so going to get that bitch!

I ended up making a very poor figure of a pinecone. The teacher glared at me disapprovingly. I glared back. I'm in pain deal with what I have bitch.

The hours went on, and then it was martial arts. I worried about that hour the most. That was the hour, where I was physically touching my sempai. I had no doubt that he'd figure it out... Well I can still try anyways.

"Now class to day we're learning-" Kakashi started. I successfully tuned him out and became aware of every move I made.

We began copying the move (of which I don't know the name of because I didn't listen). Itachi practiced on me first, I basicaly copied his movements.

Kisame walked into the room. Though he strode in confidently I could see he was worried. "Um . Please excuse Itachi and Kitsune. There has been a crisis in the family, we need to leave now."

Kakashi nodded towards the door. Itachi and I calmly walked after Kisame. Once we were outside I asked "So what really happened?"

Kisame cast a worried glance my way. "It-... It's Mai."

I felt my whole body tense. "What happened?"

"Leader said she left for work. 30 minutes later she called from her cell phone."

My heart lept to my throat. He continued. "She was beaten and raped. They dumped her in the alley behind her work. The owner found her and took her to the hospital."

Fear began to freeze my lungs. I fought the urge to drop to the ground and cry. I swallowed the lump in my throat and we all jumped into the truck.

Once at the hospital I just couldn't remaine in the calm stride we'd been walking. I sped up to a small jog. It was only my group and Konan.

As soon as I walked in I could tell they weren't going to let us in. I could hear Konan trying to sweet talk our way in. The dinosaur behind the desk had a look upon her face like she'd been sucking on a lemon.

"I'm sorry miss. The patient is still unresponsive. unless you're family-"

I strode up to the desk and slammed my hand on it causing the old bag to jump. "We are family. I don't give a damn about your dumbass rules. You're going to let me see my aunt right this very second or else things aren't going to be pretty."

"And you're going to do something to me? I'll call security on you and have you put in jail."

I felt every sence in my body sharpen. I lashed out at her and gripped her throat. "Guess what bitch I'm not old enough for jail. I am old enough to jump this counter and rip your throat out. Now what room is Mai Irama in?"

"R-room 1-125"

I released her and gave her a fake smile. "Thank you. Was that really that hard?"

My smile faded as I quickly walked upstairs to room 125. Nurses looked at me funny when I walked past, but I payed them no mind. I was souly focused on Mai.

All I had to do was walk into the hall and I could smell her blood. Her sent. I stopped in front of her door. The smell... It was over whelming. I also smelt burnt skin. What the hell had happened to her!?

I pushed the door open. I'll never be able to erase what I saw from my mind. My beautiful, wonderful aunt Mai, now bloodied, beaten, and with her back bare and showing, I could see she'd been branded with an 'A'.

My jaw clenched. I forced all feelings of anger down. It was obvious who did this to her. I walked to her and sat down. She must have heard, because she turned her head to me. Her eyes fell on me, and tears filled her eyes. "Shhh." I said stroking her hair.

"Kit... I-"

"Shhh. I know... I know." I layed my head down beside hers, still stroking her matted hair. I hummed the lullaby she always hummed to me when something bad happened.

Eventually she fell back asleep, now peacefully in her wonderland. The others had left saying to call when I was done... Well. I'm still not done. I walked out of that hospital my path not heading home. Not to Naruto's. But to a murder I didn't think myself capable of.

I guess it's all apart of the aftermath of my initiation.


Hey Guys! Hiaru here. Okay so I really hope you all like the story so far, because there will be much more twists and turns in the near/far future.

Okay first matter at hand. Fucking review! I don't get reviews, you don't get anymore chapters. Lol. I love all of you chocolate bunnies, and 'till you

read again!

~Hiaru out