A/N: OKAY!

The surprise is at the bottom of this chapter, it's not that great so don't get too excited, it's just a POV change from Akira to third person. But it was necessary!

That's all I'll say for now… Enjoy : ) x

xXx Five years later xXx

'Akira…'

I was sobbing uncontrollably into a warm shoulder, strong arms wrapped tightly around my waist, pulling me closer. I sniffled feebly and tilted my head to stare up into deep black eyes. I watched as the colour began to bleed into red.

'Don't go…'

The crimson swirled again, this time changing to a deep chocolate brown. I frowned slightly. I shifted my gaze up to see dark, coffee-coloured shaggy hair, drooping low over his irises.

'Don't leave me, Emiko…'

My vision blurred momentarily. The protective embrace loosened and two hands rested gently on my shoulders. As I slowly began to refocus, I gasped in horror. A thin line of scarlet dribbled from the man's mouth, a small, wry smile playing on his lips. The hands released me as he began to fall backwards, the smile never leaving his face. As he hit the ground with a dull thud, recognition dawned on me.

'Father…' I murmured. I backed away slowly, freezing on the spot when my bare heel landed in an icy, pool of crystal water. I knelt down beside it, to gaze at the woman staring back at me.

My hand moved to skim my fingers gently across the surface, creating a shimmering whirlpool of ripples. I gawped as my reflection began to change. Short, sapphire locks curled around a heart-shaped face, and her bright, emerald green eyes widened slightly as I watched. This woman was not me.

'Akira…'

I blinked furiously, and started to shake my head. 'No…'

'Akira, you did this…'

My voice grows more desperate. 'No… I'm not you…'

'It's your fault… Your father's dead. And I…'

'No!'

'I'm dead, Akira. It's your fault. You weren't there for me… It's your fault.'

'NO!' I bolted upright, a thick sheen of sweat coating my skin as I panted hard. The grey wolf beside me stirred but, thankfully, remained asleep. I shuddered as a chilled breeze rustled through the trees above me and, unable to shake the constant reoccurring nightmare, I rose to my feet silently.

I walked quietly to a small stream that was trickling through the grassy forest, and leaned over to cup my hands in the cleansing liquid. Bringing it up to my forehead, I disposed of the only evidence of my night terror, rubbing my sweating face furiously until it stung.

Returning to my lupus companion and settling back down against her soft, grey fur, I listened to the sound of her steady heartbeat and felt the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest.

She was Akuma's sister, Kirai, and Tsuchi's other pup. She often liked to accompany me on cold nights such as this one, especially when I was alone. But then, I was always alone. It was best this way. I had run from my mother, the night she had killed herself, from Konaha and the Uchiha clan. That haunting day when I had left them five years ago, when I had left him, but I had never looked back.

Something in my heart had hardened that night. Did I regret it? Sometimes, yes. But if given the chance, I would make the same decision over and over, because I knew deep down that it was just something I'd had to do.

I remembered when I had run far enough away, I had called for Kirai to come and whisk me away to the safety of the wolf realm – the closest thing to a home I had ever really known. But to be honest, I didn't even belong there. No matter how hard I wished, I was no wolf, and so after a few long nights of repairing my broken state, I had returned to the land of man and continued my wandering alone.

That's when the nightmares had started. Vicious, relentless memories that were forever haunting my brain, circling like vultures just waiting for me to fall. I never did.

The dream always began as a memory, but the faces soon twisted and contorted into that of my parents, my subconscious subliminally trying to convince me that what I had done was no different to my mother's actions. But I refused to believe that, and no matter how things turned out, I was not my mother. And he was most certainly not my father…

xXx

'You know, for a wolf, you don't half walk slow.'

'Give me a break, I'm not used to this foreign terrain. The rocks cut my paws and the wind is constantly against us. And what's with this hail?' The female wolf growled, picking up her pace into a jagged trot beside me.

I laughed, giving her a playful scratch behind her white-tipped ears. 'Sorry, Kirai, but you were the one who insisted on travelling with me!'

'It wouldn't even be that bad if this crazy weather would just give it a rest.' I frowned up at the dull sky as the hailstones suddenly began to cease, as though someone up there had heard Kirai's grumbling.

I glanced at her, and smirked at her surprised expression. 'See, even the Gods are tired of your moaning!'

Rolling her eyes, my companion ignored my comment and changed the subject. 'Where are you headed this time, anyway?'

'Next on the road should be the Hidden Waterfall village according to my map. I'll stop there and gather some supplies, but I don't want to stay there too long. I've heard it's quite small and claustrophobic.'

'Taki, huh? Well, beggars can't be choosers, as the saying goes… What supplies do you need so desperately that it can't wait for somewhere better?'

As if in response to her question, my stomach chose this moment to rumble angrily and I clamped my arms around my waist in an attempt to drown out the sound. I frowned at my failed efforts. 'I'm hungry, okay?'

The wolf dipped her head slightly to my level. 'When did you last eat?'

'Don't worry it was only last night. But that was the last of my food, hence the trip to Taki.'

She seemed comforted by this, and moved her analysing gaze to the horizon, where the Hidden village was beginning to come into sight. 'Something's not right…' She growled suddenly.

I flicked my eyes around our location, my chakra reaching out through the atmosphere trying to sense for any danger. 'I don't feel anything?'

I had stopped walking to concentrate on my surroundings, but Kirai nudged me forward softly with her muzzle. 'Call it animal instinct. The atmosphere, it's almost tense. I think you should be wary when you reach the village, Akira. You never know what's out there…'

'Right.'

After a few more steps, I sighed. 'Thanks for the company, but you might want to think about heading back now, Kirai. Walking straight into a new village with a giant wolf beside me in an already tense atmosphere might look a little suspicious.' I grinned at the female lupus, who mirrored the expression, albeit a little more feral than my own.

'Good luck, Akira. Do you have enough savings?'

I patted my ninja pouch until it made a light jingle sound. 'Should do. My job in that Ramen store in Iwa paid pretty well.'

The great wolf bowed her dark head, before returning to her homeland and leaving a small cloud of smoke in her place.

The night had rolled around quickly and, taking a breath, I hastily made my way to the looming gates of the Hidden Waterfall village. As I approached, two ninja stood blocking my path, demanding my name and reason for coming.

'My name is Akira Haiyuka. I am a traveller of no particular background. I have been staying in Iwa for the past few months and need some supplies for my journey.' I replied honestly.

'How long do you intend to stay?' The first spoke, a short, stocky man with a deep scar ripping across his left cheek.

'I never usually plan that far ahead, but if you would like an estimate, I would say two weeks maximum.'

The woman beside him relaxed her posture slightly, her violet eyes shifting to glance at her comrade. He was rubbing his thumb and forefinger against his chin, apparently weighing me up.

'A traveller, you say?'

'Yes, sir.' I thought a moment before adding, 'My parents died when I was young, and I've been on the move ever since.'

The woman tilted her head slightly, a glint of compassion flickering across her face. 'How old are you?'

'18, ma'am.'

She flipped a few purple locks over her shoulder and turned to the male beside her. 'I do not detect any hints of false information, Harika.'

He regarded me carefully, before finally sighing. 'Very well. Two weeks maximum. You are to report to the village hall at precisely 3:00pm tomorrow afternoon for registration.'

I had to resist standing to attention and saluting. He clearly took his job very seriously, so I settled with a grateful smile and proceeded into the village. There seemed to be a lot more security on guard around here, but I couldn't imagine why anyone would want to invade such a small piece of land. It was practically worthless.

Finding the most hygienic looking hotel, I checked in at the reception and paid for my first night in Takigakure.

My room was surprisingly quaint, with a large, driftwood fire pre-lit and burning in the main room. A thin, single bed was shoved tightly in the far corner, making way for the large and seemingly unnecessary rug. I wandered into the bathroom to take a shower before bed, briefly wondering if there would be any hot water available.

xXx Elsewhere xXx

The full moon glistened, standing out in the darkness as the faint, wispy clouds crawled lazily across the sky to shelter the glowing orb. Two figures wandered the lonely road that lead to the entrance of the Hidden Waterfall village, one that neither was entirely familiar with. Black cloaks sporting strange red cloud patterns wafted in the air as the wind howled, as though trying to pull them forward.

Two other silhouettes joined them, their ninja attire illuminated by the pale moonbeams and Taki headbands glinting in the dark. They spoke for only a moment, before disappearing once more into the shadows in an almost zombie like fashion, allowing the strangers access to their hometown without interrogation.

The taller of the two spoke quietly to his companion as they entered, gesturing vaguely in the direction of a small inn. The shorter male grunted a curt response, before the pair ambled their way into the old-fashioned building, checking in for the night.

Tomorrow their search would begin. Their search for the Jinchuuriki of the Waterfall village.

A/N: So you've probably guessed where this is leading...

You also may have noticed I changed the title again. Yeah it's not exactly cryptic but it's better than the last one.

Hope everything is to your liking so far!

See you soon :) x