Chapter 10 already huh? And I'm at 16 reviews already? Wows! OK, although some of my favorite stories get 16 reviews per half a chapter, I'm still enjoying it. So, because I'm so easily pleased, just leaving ONE review will leave me full of happies. Thank you Mintshadow22 and Night Dae for continuing to be amazing and reviewing. Night - DON'T GO EMO ON US! DON'T DO IT! And yes, Katzenjammer and Evanescence are amazing. For this chapter though, I'm using Three Days Grace for inspiration! Ha! No, my readers, I wasn't always addicted to Metal and "emo music" that isn't remotely emo. But then one day someone named Mintshadow22 started spamming my inbox with lots of e-mails telling me to listen to them, and then I got addicted to them, so…. yeah. Which brings me to your review.

Zulaan: You're right, she's being mean and not letting me have any happies.

Me: It's all part of the story! We swears!

Zulaan: Hn.

Me: OK, Hyuuga. If you be nice, I promise to bring you to school with me?

Zulaan: And that's good…. why?

Me: Because. You can kill people.

Zulaan: Booyeah!

Me: ….Yeah. So here's chapter 10. REVIEW!

"Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me. I am a now 13, with a monster in me," I sang to myself in a broke voice. Today was my 13th birthday, and the I had been a missing-nin for exactly 2 weeks. I clung to my pendant that Kiba had given me, holding onto it like it was my only lifeline. I knew that I could no longer make it in the world without It, and so I decided to make the best of it. Every time I tried to fight It, he would take my vision away. The day before my birthday, it had rained, and now I had a cough. Neither it nor I really knew where we were.

There's a teahouse right there, It said. I nodded slightly, and walked inside. I discovered that It could hypnotize people for a short amount of time.

"Excuse me, waiter-san, could I please have some onigiri?" I asked.

"Do you have the money for that?" she asked.

"I don't need it, do I?" I asked. Confused, she made eye contact. Bad mistake for her. It transferred a tiny bit of itself into her, which felt like a stabbing sensation, but I didn't say anything, save for wince slightly.

"...of course…. onigiri coming right up," the hypnotized woman said. I sat down at an empty table. I thought it was empty, at least. That is, until I heard a voice saying, "Do I know you?" it was a young voice, full of mistrust.

"Gomennasai! I didn't realize you were sitting here!" I started to get up, but a hand on my shoulder caused me to sit down again.

"No, it's quite alright. It would be nice to have some company. My sensei isn't close to my age, and I don't think he would mind if I conversed with someone." I smiled slightly, then realized I didn't want to make eye contact with a nice person. I fished the hitaie-ate out of my bag, and tied it around my eyes.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm blind."

"Gomen, I didn't realize. My name's Haku."

"Zulaan. It's nice to meet you. So, are you a shinobi?"

"Yes. Are you?"

"Sort of, not really though."

"Ah. Missing ninja?"

"Um…"

"It's okay if you are. I kind of am too."

"Really? Yes, I am then."

Haku and I talked for a little while. He was very nice, and I managed to ignore all of It's derogatory comments about him looking like a girl. Eventually, his sensei who was named Zabuza, showed up, and I got up to leave.

"You don't have to leave. Zabuza-sensei, this is Zulaan-san. Do you mind if she stays to eat with us?"

"I don't mind, Haku." I stayed with the two. Somehow or rather, they figured out that it was my birthday, and Haku wished me a happy birthday.

"Arigatou."

As I ate my rice balls, I wondered if leaving Konoha really was the end of happiness. Even if I had lost the things most precious to me, that didn't mean I had to stop smiling, right? I told myself that as I said goodbye to the duo, but I really wasn't sure myself.

Kiba was at a bloody heap, his limbs twisted in directions that they weren't supposed to go in. Akamaru's fur was matted with crimson, and so was Kiba's hair. He was glaring at me. "Zula-chan, you never loved me did you? Leaving meant nothing? Now you can keep grinning, while we're dying?"

"No! Kiba, I-I loved you more th-than anything!" I choked out.

"I'll see you in hell, Zulaan, because that's definitely where you're going."

I bolted upright on the hard bench I was sleeping on, breathing ragged. I hate nightmares, I really do.

Sweet dreams, Zula-chan?

"Hardly."

You know, maybe you should make power from those night horrors you dream of?

"How?"

Do you really want to know?

"Would it make them go away?"

If you trust in me, your nightmares will become your friends, and all those things in you which you fear can become your strengths. Otherwise, you'll stay just a homeless person trying to fight themselves off. Face it, I'm a part of you. If you want to cut me off, that works about as well as cutting your own head off. Nothing is gained but a dead person.

I was silent for a while. I really didn't want to believe what It was telling me, but I knew it was true. I stood up, moonlight flickering on my black hair, and started walking. I can't say how long passed before I answered. It could have been a minute, it could have been several hours. However, when I finally answered, I was outside of the village.

"Teach me how to be strong."

Ok, yes, it was a pretty short chapter. But it was over 1,000 words, and that's all I REALLY require from a chapter. And I DID update! And I have writing inspiration. So I can write more chapters. ESPECIALLY if I get reviews! *hint, hint*