Chapter 9

Return of the Demon: Mysterious Message

Now the story will get interesting. Please enjoy! This is the longest chapter yet!

DISCLAIMER: I own Naruto...I own Naruto...-sleeping-...-wakes up- Damn it. Just a dream.


"Atsuiiki-san?!" Watarishita gasped as her former comrade looked down at her. "W-why are you here?"

Atsuiiki chuckled. "Tell me, Watarishita-san," she said, folding her arms across her chest. "…do you really want to be an Akatsuki member?"

The question startled Watarishita. It was unexpected, especially coming from Atsuiiki. "Why do you ask?"

"You sure are demanding today, aren't you?" Atsuiiki teased. "Seriously. Are you loyal to Konoha or those low-lives over there."

I've never really given it much thought, Watarishita thought in her head. If I'm loyal to Akatsuki or Konoha. All of the reasons came into her head. First was Konoha. She was born there, and grew up to be a wonderful Jounin. People said that she had talent that only the Uchiha Clan possessed, yet she belonged to a different clan. But even so, her own cousin, Raiboti, had murdered her family. Was he still alive and living in Konoha? "Atsuiiki-san," she muttered. Atsuiiki looked at her with a steady, sapphire gaze. "Is…Raiboti nii-chan still in Konoha?"

Being asked the question that Atsuiiki had prepared for, she sighed. "Well…when the Kyuubi attacked the village…"

"Kyuubi attacked the village?" the Akatsuki member said, surprised.

"Hai, and in the battle your cousin was killed."

Silence swept over Watarishita as the news of Kyuubi's attack reached her. "Did Minato defeat him?" she asked, curious.

Now this was a question that Atsuiiki didn't want to answer. Watarishita had been very close with Minato, much like herself, and the news would probably make her want to go after Naruto even more. "In a sense…" she said, looking for the correct words to choose. "Minato didn't kill the demon, sadly, and lost his life."

A tear escaped Watarishita's left eye. "Then where is Kyuubi?"

Oh perfect! That's just the question I wanted! DAMN YOU! Atsuiiki growled sarcastically in her head. What the hell am I supposed to say? As her mind wandered for a way to tell her way Kyuubi was without giving him away, she suddenly remembered something. …Akatsuki is solely after Kyuubi and Naruto. Wouldn't she know what's going on with their mission to capture the demon? Then it hit her. Akatsuki didn't trust her. "…shouldn't you know? Being in Akatsuki and all?" she asked, hoping her hunch was correct.

"…" The other blonde looked at the ground. "Sokitou-san doesn't tell me everything…" she admitted. "All I know is we're after Kyuubi. But I have no idea where he is." Atsuiiki nodded her head, knowing fully well now that the leader of Akatsuki didn't trust her one bit. "But he means well, Sokitou-san…" Her brown gaze glimmered as she thought about the day that she joined Akatsuki. "He knows what's best for me. In return, I will agree with everything he says."

"Watarishita-san…" Atsuiiki muttered, her voice low. "Do you honestly think it's for the better? Being with Akatsuki and betraying Konoha?"

The last set of words caught Watarishita's attention. Betray…Konoha? She echoed in her mind. …Would I really betray everyone? "I…" she said, trying to answer the question. "I don't want to betray Konohagakure…"

A smirk flashed on Atsuiiki's face, but it wasn't satisfied yet. "Then would you like to help Konoha?" she asked, hoping for a yes. The other blonde nodded her head, and stared at her hands. Have I already betrayed Konoha? She thought, and gripped her hands. …I don't want to betray everyone. I'll do anything to help my village… "Then become a Konoha spy. We need to take out Akatsuki. Our Hokage is in danger as long at Akatsuki exists."

"What?" Watarishita gasped. "Take out Akatsuki? What exactly are you going to do?"

"We need to kill them."

"…and the Hokage is in danger?" Watarishita clenched her fists. "What? Are you on the Godaime?"

Atsuiiki shook her head. "Rokudaime." She put bluntly.

"What does Akatsuki want with the Hokage anyways?"

Now I have to tell her, damn it…Atsuiiki slapped her head. "I didn't want to tell you, but because you want to help Konoha, you deserve to know." She said, rubbing her forehead. "The Rokudaime Hokage's name is Uzumaki Naruto. And he is the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki."

Watarishita unclenched her fists. "The Hokage…is a jinchuuriki?" she echoed, letting her hands drop. "So…Akatsuki needs to…kill him…" No! I won't let that happen. "Deal then. I will become a Konoha spy to keep the Rokudaime safe!"

Atsuiiki smiled, and embraced the Akatsuki member in a friendly way. "Arigatou, Watarishita-san." She said, and pulled away. We need the Hanicha Clan's last loyal member's kekkai genkai. Now Naruto, you will be saved. "Listen to my plan,"

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Sokitou looked over at the cave opening, growing worried that Watarishita hadn't returned yet. His red eyes flickered around outside, looking for the blonde. He whipped out a sword from his side, noticing another ninja with his comrade. "Who are you?" he demanded, cautiously stepping out. "Step away from Watarishita-chan."

Atsuiiki's sapphire gaze stared at the leader of Akatsuki, studying him. Red eyes…red hair…I think I know him from somewhere… All of his attributes…they seemed vaguely familiar, like a long lost memory. Her eyes followed down to the sword he held in his right hand. The sight of the seal on the handle frightened her. That…seal…Hanta-Akki…

"Excuse me, who are you?" Sokitou asked once again, and snapped the sword in its sheath.

Watarishita stepped out, noticing Atsuiiki's paralyzed state. "Her name is Shi-" she was cut off as her friend jabbed her in the arm. "What?" she muttered, so that Sokitou wouldn't hear her.

"Don't tell him my name…" she warned, not sure about who he is. "He might know me…"

"Don't be ridiculous!" the Akatsuki member told her. "There is no way that Sokitou-san knows you!"

Even so, Atsuiiki couldn't take the chance. "My name is Kyoki Fumiko." She stated, quickly thinking up a fake name. "I would like to join Akatsuki."

Tobi looked up at the newcomer, and shouted, "A new member?! Don't we have enough?"

Sokitou glanced back and glared at Tobi. "Kuroki-san might not make it back here. So in his place-" he pointed to Atsuiiki. "Fumiko-chan."

Watarishita grinned at Atsuiiki. That's a great name! And both of them describe her perfectly! Fumiko for Captive Medium(A/N: Medium: Like What Gaara Is: Spiritual Medium), and Kyoki for Great Spirit(A/N: Spirit: Mood, Attitude) Watarishita cheered in her head. Who would of thought she'd come up with that so fast! "Oi, Tagikura-san! Wake up and smell the rice balls!" she shouted, pointing at the pink-haired Akatsuki member asleep.

"AH!" Tagikura screamed, and banged her head on Shouji next to her.

Shouji bolted up and slammed his fist into his comrade's head. "ITAI!" he shouted, and rubbed his bleeding forehead. "What is wrong with you?"

Atsuiiki couldn't help but snicker at the scene, and Watarishita fell on the floor laughing. Sokitou just stared at them with a smirk, and turned away before he could do anything. That didn't last long before Tagikura's body rammed into the leader's back, both of them falling to the ground. "WHAT THE CRAP?" he shouted, trapped. "GET OFF ME!"

Green eyes glared at Sokitou. "How about you get out of my wa-"

"TOBI WANTS TO JOIN!" Tobi shouted and jumped on the two Akatsuki members lying on the ground.

That brought Atsuiiki and Watarishita to nearly die laughing at the three fighting comrades, waking up the others. Shouji stood up, still bleeding. "Oi, new girl." He said, pointing to Atsuiiki. "Can you heal this?"

"Sure!" Atsuiiki said, and rushed over to the bleeding Akatsuki member. "Move your hair before it turns purple." Shouji chuckled, and moved his light blue hair. Carefully, the new Akatsuki member made her hand signs, creating a green aura around her hands. "This might sting a little,"

While Atsuiiki was healing Shouji, the other remaining members, Zebutiou, Deidara, and Sasori, stared in amusement at Tobi, Sokitou, and Tagikura. Tobi noticed them, and shouted "Deidara-san! Why don't join us?"

Deidara started laughing, and was about to say something until Tobi dragged him into the maul. "Deidara-kun!" Zebutiou shouted, and jumped in to save him. "I'll get you o-OW!"

Sasori just watched silently, and took out a bag of popcorn he had in his cloak. Trying not to spill it, he sat down on the ground next to Watarishita, who stole some of his food.

Atsuiiki smiled, and stood up. "All better," she said, placing a bandage around his head covering up the wound. "Just keep it covered for about a day."

"She has one hard head…" Shouji muttered, glaring at the dust cloud now beginning to form around the fighting comrades. "Damn you Tagikura."

Atsuiiki chuckled. "I better go call them off," she grunted as she walked over to the fighters. Swiftly, she made her hand signs and held her right hand up to the cloud of dust. "Fuuton: Yasha Nemuri no Jutsu." In an instant, all of the fighting Akatsuki members fell unconscious.

Shouji's mouth hung wide open, in shock of the name of the jutsu. Wind Element: Demonic Sleep Jutsu…what a jutsu… "Fumiko-chan!" he shouted, and ran up to Atsuiiki. "Where did you learn that jutsu?"

"I created it." She said bluntly. "Come on you four, help me get these crack-heads over inside before they really go crazy."

Gently, they picked up the unconscious criminals, setting them down on the various sleeping bags situated around the cave floor. Resting, Atsuiiki continued glaring at the unconscious Sokitou, still not feeling comfortable. "Nani?" Shouji asked, noticing her hostility. "What is it you have against Sokitou-sama?"

Atsuiiki shook her head. Watarishita exchanged glanced from her friend to Shouji, noticing a calm, nice expression coming from the light blue haired one. "Fumiko-san…" Sasori said, a little shakiness in his emotionless tone. "What is it that made you want to join Akatsuki?"

Trying to think of an excuse, her childhood memories came back. "My village shunned me," she said, remembering how the villagers treated her. "They only thought of me as a monster."

"What village did you come from?"

"…Konohagakure…" she answered sourly. "Sometimes I wish things would've been different, but pain has made me strong."

"A-Fumiko…" Watarishita stuttered, almost giving away her friend's identity. Since Sasori brought up the subject, she might as well ask a few questions about her as well. "Why are you so…tense around Sokitou-san?"

Atsuiiki looked at the ground, allowing her bangs to hide her sapphire expression. "He looks like…this one person I came in contact with when I was little…" she admitted, allowing the memory to flood into her, telling her new friends every detail.

"Wake up…" the familiar cold voice ordered. "Hey. Brat. Wake up."

Atsuiiki's eyes fluttered, and she scooted back when she noticed the man in front of her. "St-stay away!" she warned, holding up her hands, palms forward. "Don't touch me, you murderer!"

The murderer laughed evilly, and glared at the blonde with his piercing red eyes. "What can you do to me? You have the Akki Shikyo Bachi Natsuin seal activated." He teased, showing her the prong he had used to curse her with the demonic seal. Atsuiiki growled, and her palms glowed at shocking white. "No use using your powers, pathetic demon."

"Why did you kill Okaa-san and Tou-chan?" she choked, remembering their soft faces. "Wh-what possessed you to do such an awful thing?"

"It wasn't of my choice." He said, some sadness spiking his tone. "Your Okaa-san and Tou-chan were close friends of mine. I was ordered to kill you by the Nidaime. Your parents guarded you, and I had to take their life." He ran his fingers through his red hair. "I wanted to have some fun killing you, but…the spirit of your parents kept me back. All I could do was place that seal on you."

Tears crept down Atsuiiki's face, "W-why?" she choked. "Why is it always me? Why?"

"I don't know, brat." The murderer spat, hissing. "Just shut up before I find a way to kill you."

Watarishita gaped as Atsuiiki finished. "But wasn't the Nidaime concluded killed, and the one that held his position for three months was a fake?" she pointed out, recalling that the Nidaime had issued the blonde's execution.

"Hai." Atsuiiki answered. "But what the murderer told me later, when he allowed me to speak again, was freaky, and I still cannot understand what it fully means." Her sapphire expression grew cold, and she bit her lip. "He said…"

Two kitsune will walk the same path, a path of sorrow, a path of regret. Losing the raven, gaining the snake, comes arising the fearful threat. Losses are forgotten, tied with the sturdy rope, all remaining a simple destiny. One of sadness, one of hope, the journey begins. Only ending with the power of the three sparkling jewels, can one ever regain the peace that resides in the war-torn worlds.


Do you think you can crack the prophecy that the murderer passed down to Atsuiiki when she was a child? What does it mean? And Atsuiiki joined Akatsuki?! What will come of it all? I'll see you in a week! PLEASE REVIEW GOOD!

Yamahato Yokimoko-san