Chapter 10: Death and Dragons
He honestly didn't know what to do or say. He was terrified and he felt his heart being torn in two. They would most likely never have a future together. "When do you go back to the grave?" he asked in shaky voice. She replied with a smile. "Whenever the hell I feel like it." His eyes widened in happiness. They could be together. She could live with him until he died and then she would die, while letting the dragon free.
He felt strangely torn and happy at the same time. He pulled back and looked Akimara in the eye. He traced the scales on her eye. "I would love to see this eye someday." She grinned. "You will tomorrow." He was astonished. She leaned in and kissed him softly. His eye drifted shut and he put one arm around her waist and the other behind her head. When they both broke apart for air, she buried her face in his shoulder. Listening to his steady heartbeat. Kakashi walked backward toward the bed and collapsed on it, bringing her with him. He laid calmly on the bed, one arm underneath his head and the other around Akimara's waist. She was laying on him, her head and shoulders on his muscular, but lean, chest. They both closed their one eye and drifted into sleep.
The next morning Kakashi woke up to find a serene Akimara on his chest. She was awake, still listening to his heartbeat. He yawned and her eye opened. "Oh, you're awake." She sat up stiffly. He sat up as well and watched her. She stretched and opened the curtains to the window, breathing in deeply the fresh air. She turned back to him and blushed deeply. He was shirtless and gazing at her. She ran to her bag, grabbed her clothes, and ran into the bathroom. 'Get a grip Akimara. It's not like he is naked and dancing to I'm Sexy and I know it.' She shook her head and got dressed. She finished buckling on her belts and weapons and she got an idea. She reached into a pouch on her belt and got an extra hair tie.
She then braided her hair back in a silver battle braid, it was actually a dutch braid, but where she came from, it was a battle braid. She went back out to Kakashi and zipped up her bag after repacking it. They left through the window, Kakashi had gone down and paid the bill while she was changing. They ran into a forest and kept running toward Konoha. When they were a good ways away from any human villages or towns, Akimara landed in a forest clearing. He landed beside her, but she waved him away. He jumped up into a tree, lazily sitting on a branch. Then she struck a submissive pose, while untying her hair.
She shook the last strands away and closed her human eye. He saw, with his sharingan, her glowing blue chakras surrounded by the dragon shift. They dragon guarding her chakras came to life roaring within her and growing in size. She threw her head up and he saw her dragon scales start to grow and spread. They grew massive in size, to armor plates. Her mouth opened baring her fangs, her hands curled up baring her now ivory serrated claws. Then the next step happened.
She flicked open her dragon eye. He felt his jaw go slack, his eyes widened. The eye was unlike anything he had ever seen. The eye had a piercing green iris and catlike pupil. He watched as they eye came into focus, settling to being open again.
She collapsed to her knees and convulsed, the dragon breaking through. Her body began to transform. She grew massively, her head now that of a great, black wind dragon. Her neck enlengthened, growing to that of her now dragon body. Her limbs were that of a dragons, and she had a dragons tail. Then he saw that she was done transforming. The dragon Akimara rose to her feet, and stood there before him. The massive, sheening, coal black armor plates, piercing emerald green dragon eyes, curved serrated ivory claws, the sharp spines along her back. The most Akimara like thing about her was the long bluish-silver mane along her neck. He jumped down from the tree and stared at the massive dragon towering above him.
He reached up with one hand and the dragon Akimara laid down with her head at his level. He touched her face gently and she allowed him to, knowing that he was just curious. He ran his hand along the bones of her face, along the spikes, scales, and armored plates. Then he ran his hands through her mane. She closed her eyes and he felt a warm presence touch his mind. He jumped slightly and then he heard Akimara's voice. 'Kakashi?' the voice asked in his mind. 'Akimara?' he thought back. She had opened her eyes and was looking at him. 'Okay. So now I have a telepathic link with you. I can speak to you now. In your head.' He nodded. 'Good. I feel very intimidated right now.' He thought back to her.
She let out a rumble that sounded like laughter. She said calmly back, 'I'm glad you like it. Are you afraid of flight?' she asked. He glanced briefly at her just to make sure she wasn't kidding. She wasn't. 'No I'm not.' He thought to her as a reply. 'Alright then. Let's go.' She said. She rose up on her feet once he had stepped back. He saw the space where he could sit, the small dip between her neck and back. He chakra infused his feet briefly and jumped up to land in the small space. He found he could sit comfortably with both his and Akimara's bags tied securely on behind him. Her clothes and weapons were mysteriously in her bag and he thought that was more than a little weird. Then he watched as Akimara spread her hidden wings and he raised his eyebrows.
Her wings were huge, and he could see the obvious muscle in her arms where the wing attached to her shoulder. He gazed at her wings for a few seconds. Where the wing bones attached at the main joints of the wing, there was a huge ivory claw like the ones on her feet. Then where the fingers of bone ran along her wing, there was a slender claw at each end. The leathery skin between the fingers of the wing was warm and you could see the slender veins running among it. She glanced back at him, her head turned slightly to the side, wings outstretched. 'Ready?' her voice sounded in his head. 'As I'll ever be.' He replied and she took off. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before.
The feeling of energy and power she used to get into the air was incredible. The ultimate feeling of weightlessness. They were flying up in the clouds and he found it was extremely easy to ride on her back. 'This is easy and fun.' He thought through their link. 'I'm glad you think so. We could be a formidable against any real opponent. Such as the oncoming war. Just as soon as we find pain, we'll practice on him.' Kakashi had to admit the idea was attractive and efficient. He could fight from dragon back. He could imagine that very well. But first he needed to practice and potentially get a hold of a saddle. 'Hold on.' Her voice sounded in his head. He held on with his knees and to the spine in front of him on her neck. She dipped one wing down and made a sharp rounding turn in a circle. He held on, leaning into the turn with her, the packs still firmly tied down. She snorted approval, then rocketed upward.
He leaned forward, and the she seemed to hover for a second and then she dove down and he leaned back, holding on for dear life. Her wings were folded in toward her body and his eyes widened and he thought they were going to lose control. Then she opened her wings, catching the air. They shot upward and he let out a heavy breath. 'Ow.' Came her voice in his head. 'Remind me not to do that again.' He chuckled. 'Okay.' He thought to her. They flew on for a long while and when he looked down he saw Konoha. 'Shall we stop here for a while?' she asked. 'Sure. Stop on that cliff. I'll bring Tsunade here. Keep out of sight.' They landed smoothly on the sleek cliff and Akimara crouched down, letting him jump off. He patted her neck swiftly and disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Kakashi appeared outside the hokage's door and knocked. "Come in." came Tsunade's grumpy voice. He entered, she looked up and forgot everything on her desk. "He is toward the south. We found that he had been taking both young men and women alike for his own pleasures." He said answering her unspoken question. She looked worried. "Where is Akimara?" she asked him, looking extremely concerned. He smiled his crinkle eyed smile at that. "Follow me. I have a surprise for you." Tsunade stood and followed him, running across the rooftops.
Akimara laid down, wings folded in along her sides, her back pressed against the cliff. She was on the widest ledge and was nearly invisible unless you were actually looking for her. She saw two jumping figures coming toward her and recognized Kakashi and Tsunade. They landed on the ledge before her and Tsunade fell to her knees in shock. "This is Akimara." Kakashi said striding over to her. Tsunade stood up slowly. She walked over to Akimara. She reached out and asked, "May I?". Akimara nodded her head. Tsunade rested her hand on Akimara's face and a look of awe came over her. She stroked the shimmering armor plates on her and then she noticed the eye. "It's green!" she freaked out.
Kakashi let out a snort of laughter and Akimara let out a rumble of laughter. Tsunade asked, "What abilities do you have?" she waited while Kakashi went still. Then he spoke. "She says to tell you, that she had a telepathic link with me. She also has healing abilities, sunlight, moonlight, mirror and lightning jutsu's while in human form. While she is in dragon like form she has ultimate wind power." Tsunade nodded. "Can we see it?" she asked. Akimara stood in response. She took off into the air, soaring above them. She then went into the air vertically forming huge wind rasengans. Ending those they watched as she sent wind storms, wind blades, and then conjured the most amazing thing ever.
She conjured a cloud, a deep red one, the same color as her dragon chakras. A voice said in Kakashi's head, 'If I release this wind chidori, it has the power to kill the whole village of Konoha.' Then it vanished and she swooped down to them. 'Oh and Kakashi, tell Tsunade we are going to need a saddle for me while I am in this form.' Kakashi relayed the message and Tsunade replied. "Okay. Come on down to the courtyard in the front of the village and we'll tell the village not to fear you. But not who you are okay, Akimara?" the dragon nodded and crouched down for the two of them to get on.
Tsunade copied Kakashi and leapt on behind him. Akimara took off and both Kakashi and Tsunade leaned forward to help her. She flew easily down to Konoha and landed in the courtyard, surrounded by curious and frightened people. Tsunade leapt down and told them that the dragon would not harm them, but would help protect them. Tsunade waved to Kakashi and Akimara, beckoning them to follow her. She walked through the village, Akimara flying above her. When she got to an open training field near her office she waved for Akimara to land. She did smoothly and Kakashi leapt off.
Tsunade pulled out a measuring tape and measured Akimara's back, chest, and neck. She recorded the measurements and ran back to her office to make the saddle. Kakashi sat down to read Icha-Icha, leaning against a now relaxing Akimara. A sudden thought occurred to him and he thought to Akimara, 'How will you be able to go into the village?' she replied, 'Good question. Like this.' And with that, his back rest shrunk down to a dragon he could fit on his shoulder, and that is what she did. He turned his head and smiled a crinkle eyed smile at her. "Great. Let's go to Tsunade." He said out loud, running to the Hokage's office.
He got there, and upon entering he saw a now relieved Tsunade. "Oh great, Kakashi. I need your help. What material? For the saddle." Kakashi looked to Akimara on his shoulder and had a quick telepathic conversation with her. "Akimara would prefer the black leather." He stated simply to her. Tsunade nodded and got to work on cutting the pieces out. She got them stitched together and attached the stirrups and buckles to fasten it securely on Akimara. Lastly she attached on extra straps and buckles for extra weapons and carrying packs. And as a bonus she gave Kakashi a katana and a sheath attached to the saddle. She put it into Kakashi's arms and jumped out the window saying, "Let's go try it on her!"
They ran back to the training field and Tsunade was confused, "Where did she go?" she asked. In response, Akimara flew off of Kakashi's shoulder and shimmered into her larger form. Tsunade raised an eyebrow and then said, "Let's get this saddle on you." Akimara crouched down and they got the saddle on her easily enough, fastening the harness buckles around her to hold it on. They stepped back admiring their work. It fit her perfectly. Akimara flexed her neck and found that she could still move with ease. 'It fits well, and sits comfortably. I thank you Tsuande.' Kakashi relayed the message and Tsunade nodded and ran back to her office.
Kakashi jumped on Akimara's back much easier this time, helped by the stirrups. He hooked and tied their packs on the saddle and thought to Akimara, 'Lets go hunt pain down.' She responded with a roar of anticipation and took into the air, over the village with clapping inhabitants. Akimara felt like showing off, so she dove slightly and then rolled in a complete circle. She did a complete flip and then took off to the delighted screams of impressed townsfolk.