Dragon Kiss

by Paradise.Masquerade

You'd do anything to save the people you love right? I did my best to save them, I really did, but it's not enough. Now I have to fight to show Kakashi the truth about me and my past. What if what I really am honestly scares him and all the others I love?

11. Chapter 10

naruto characters belong to masashi kishimoto while the rest are mine

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Chapter X: The Truth

Chapter X: The Truth

(Next morning)

White Fang and I were much younger as we ran through the forest of cherry blossom trees. We came upon a small house and entered.

"Mom, Dad?" I called out.

We walked into the living room and there two bodies lay, drenched in blood.

"Mom, Dad!" they did not stir as something sounded behind me.

I whirled around to see five figures standing in the doorway; their faces hidden in shadows. The tinnier of the figures approached me with his sword pointed directly at my heart. The boy I loved was going to kill me. I roared in anger as he lunged and I transformed into my evil dragon...

I sat upright in bed and let loose a blood curdling scream. I covered my face with my hands and realized that I was sweating. I had to get a hold of myself… I always relived my past after transforming into a dragon; I should be used to it by now.

No, there was no way that I could ever get over what had happened… I could do my best to push the memories out of my mind but they always returned… And now I would have to show Kakashi the truth and that meant that I had to go into every single painful little detail; something that I was not at all pleased to do.

"Well at least I know you're awake. You've been out of it for a little over a day," White Fang's slightly sarcastic voice came from my carpet.

I lifted my head out of my hands to stare down at the wise yellow eyes. It was light inside my room and I felt well rested but still a little sore from my fight. My ANBU uniform was completely ruined because of the hits I'd taken from Midori but at least I had multiple ANBU shirts to replace the one I wore.

"Where's Kakashi?" I asked, realizing that he was nowhere in sight.

"He went to get you a new window," White Fang nodded his head in the direction from which the sunlight flooded my room.

"That was considerate of him."

"Yeah but he left Pakkun here and I'm pretty sure that the Hokage heard you scream."

"He'll probably tell Kakashi when he comes back," I winced at the thought.

"Yeah, but it doesn't matter since you'll have to explain everything to him which are the source of your nightmares," White Fang shrugged indifferently.

"I don't want to tell him…" I muttered.

"It's too late, you already promised. Besides, Midori's attack really pricked his interest. Do you honestly think that you'll be able to have a relationship with him if you don't tell him the truth?" White Fang growled at my cowardice.

I sighed and tore my eyes away from the wolf's intense gaze; I knew he was right. I looked back at the wolf when his ears swivelled in order to listen to something far away.

"Kakashi's back and Pakkun met him out front," White Fang informed me and then lay his head on the carpet.

I waited patiently and a few minutes later Kakashi cautiously opened my bedroom door. He stuck his head in so he could just see me with his right eye. Kakashi realized that I was awake and entered the room, holding up the window pane for me to see.

"Thanks," I said and Kakashi smiled under his mask.

He walked around my bed and started installing the window. I was startled when Pakkun leapt onto my bed. I stared at the big brown eyes that didn't give a single hint as to what he may be thinking.

"Pakkun says you screamed," Kakashi said, matter-of-factly as he fiddled with the window.

"I'm fine," I lied and Kakashi raised a silvery eyebrow at me when he detected the note of falseness in my voice.

Kakashi wasn't wearing his headband at the moment but he'd screwed his scarred eye shut so that he didn't waste any chakra.

"I'll explain once you're done," I sighed in defeat and played with my hands nervously.

White Fang gave me a reassuring look from the floor while Pakkun just stared at me with his giant sad eyes. It was a little unnerving to have the small animal stare at me in such a way. I couldn't figure out if he was glad that I was finally telling Kakashi the truth or if he was trying to figure out if I would chicken out and come up with some sort of half ass lie. I sighed and pet the top of his head to which I received no reaction.

A few minutes later Kakashi had finished the little chore and he turned towards my bed. I motioned for him to come closer and he sat down beside me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled myself closer to him; forcing Pakkun to jump off my bed. Kakashi chuckled and ran one of his hands through my straight hair before kissing my forehead. I was amazed at how much I hated that cursed mask that concealed his features. I began to kiss his face and ever so sneakily tucked my fingers under the folds of his mask but he pried my hands free and pushed me away.

"Stop trying to distract me. You promised to fill me in on what that guy was talking about in the clearing yesterday," Kakashi's eye twinkled excitedly as he chuckled.

"Fine… I'm going to show you what really happened when I went on the mission with my squad four years ago," I said and brushed my bangs behind my ear.

Kakashi was taken aback; that wasn't what he'd expected.

"What does that have to do with-" I cut him off by pressing a finger to his hidden lips.

"Everything will be explained… Including what I'm about to show you now," I whispered as I removed my hand from his face and made one quick hand sign.

I looked down at my hands as I made the hand seal.

"Mangekyou Sharingan, Tsukoyomi," I whispered and I felt Kakashi tense as I looked back up at him.

I watched Kakashi's expression change from confusion to shock as he looked into my Sharingan eye.

"How did you get the Mangekyou Sharingan? Don't you have to-" I cut him off once again.

"I said that I would explain everything; just be patient."

The three tomoes in my eye twirled and grew until they looked like black fire dancing around my pupil. I motioned for Kakashi to open his other eye. He did so reluctantly and the second our eyes met I pulled him into my illusionary technique. I had a little struggle but was able to replay my memories…

We landed safely on a giant tree branch; Kakashi fell to his knees. He was a little disoriented from the journey. I scanned the forest as I waited for Kakashi to regain his balance. They would be here any moment…

"What was that?!" Kakashi asked from beside me.

"Everything you are about to see actually happened. The people you are going to see can't hear, smell, touch, feel or see you. We are non-existent to them," I said absentmindedly, not answering Kakashi's question.

The slight rustling of branches pulled our attention deeper into the forest. Kakashi's eyes widened as a younger me, followed by Yuki, Shinsetsu and Yoko-sensei leapt onto a tree branch a little ways away. We watched as the younger me stopped on the same branch that we were on, facing the clearing. Kakashi gaped at the younger me as she raised her hand and motioned for the others to be silent.

"The camp is just on the other side of this clearing," she said, scanning the area before her.

I cringed and took a step back; knowing what was coming. Kakashi stood and walked towards my old self. Trying to prove what I'd said earlier, he reached out and touched her arm. He was shocked to see his hand go through the figure like it was going through water.

"You can't touch a memory," I said simply and Kakashi nodded and returned to my side. "Watch carefully," I said pointing at a very frustrated looking Yuki.

"Come on! Let's go! There's nothing dangerous!" Yuki exclaimed and I relived the terror that I'd felt the first time as I watched him leap over my younger self.

"No Yuki! There's a trap!" I heard myself screech at the same time as my former self.

Kakashi watched the scene before him with wide eyes. I watched helplessly as the kunai knife flew from its hiding spot and embedded itself in Yuki's chest. I sunk to my knees as my former team cried out in horror and then leapt after my fallen comrade. Kakashi put his hand on my shoulder, understanding the pain that I was reliving. He kept his eyes glued to the clearing and gasped when some Rock ninja appeared on the same branch as us and as even more of them encircled the clearing. The lead ninja's voice was as horrible as ever and I squeezed my eyes shut, awaiting the all too familiar sound…

My dragon roar made the trees shudder and I felt Kakashi jump back in surprise as he watched me transform. Then I heard the clash of metal and the screams of ninja I was tearing to shreds. I waited for it to end but it seemed to drag on for eternity.

I think the most painful of all the sounds was hearing Shinsetsu's cry, warning me of the lead ninja's surprise attack. I squeezed my eyes shut even tighter and waited until I was sure that I'd said my last words to my dead comrades.

I opened my eyes and looked up to analyze Kakashi's expression. He was terrified of the hideous monster he'd seen seconds ago but there was a hint of sympathy as well. We watched my former self leap onto a branch and cremate all of the bodies. I stood slowly as Yoko-sensei and her leapt away from the mess she had created. I wanted to cry so badly at that moment but I knew that I couldn't fall apart in front of Kakashi.

Kakashi turned to look at me and I saw an enlightened look overcome his eyes.

"After you told me about this incident, so many years ago, I'd sensed that you were holding something back, but I never pressed. I can't believe that I never thought about you turning into a dragon here after I first learned that you could become one," Kakashi was somewhat cross with me and I sighed and grabbed his hand.

"Come, there is still more to show you," I muttered and closed my blue eye and made a hand sign with my free hand.

A spinning vortex enveloped us and we spun through the multicoloured clouds on our way to a new memory...

"Do you still have Yuki and Shinsetsu's headbands?" Kakashi asked, somewhat nauseated from the swirling.

"Of course, they're in a box under my bed," I smiled sadly as we continued through the tornado of colors.

A minute later we wobbled to a stop in another tree.

"Do you think we could travel without the spinning from now on?" Kakashi's eyes were spinning in two different directions.

"That was the last time we had to do that. The rest I can just fast forward because the memories are close together," I chuckled half heartedly.

I examined the area ahead of us. The tree we were on marked the end of the forest and a few miles away lay a village surrounded by a great stone wall. There were only two entrances to the village and each was guarded by two ferocious looking dragons. The reptiles stood on majestically carved podiums and scanned the forest frequently for any signs of danger.

"Where are we?" Kakashi asked once he'd regained his bearings.

"We're near the border between the Land of Grass and the Land of Fire. This village is called Tatsuha Village; it had great connections with Konoha," I informed him.

"I've never heard of this place," Kakashi responded in awe as he set eyes on the dragons.

"That's not surprising since it was a highly guarded secret that hardly any of villagers from Konoha knew about. Plus it was destroyed the year before we were born."

"Then how is it a memory?" Kakashi was terribly confused.

"My mother transferred her memories to me," I said simply, shrugging as if Kakashi should already know that such a thing was possible.

"How is that even possible?" Kakashi stared; slightly disturbed and I smirked as he'd seemed to read my thoughts.

"Jutsu," I shrugged again, I would explain everything through my memories later on. "Come on, we need to get inside the village before everything starts."

Kakashi stared at me, puzzled but I ignored him as I leapt to the ground a few stories below. He was right at my heels as we raced towards the village.

We slowed our pace as we reached the entrance guarded by the menacing dragons. I walked straight on through without giving them a second glance. Kakashi however, hesitated and even though the dragons never looked at him, he walked past them with extreme caution. I heard him heave a giant sigh of relief as soon as we stood on the main road into town.

The village was a little nicer than Konoha but it had a different feel to it too. The atmosphere in this village was more uptight and stressed whereas the one in the Village Hidden in the Leaves was slightly more laid-back. All the Tatsuha clan members wore serious looks on their faces; even while doing simple things like grocery shopping.

"Why is everyone so on edge here?" Kakashi asked and I almost laughed.

"This, coming from the boy who never used to smile?" Kakashi glared at me and I cleared my throat. "Right now they're in the middle of a war and since they are the warriors that are called on for most battles, they're awaiting a summons," I explained and Kakashi nodded in understanding.

We continued on our stroll through the village without much more conversation. I felt Kakashi grow agitated as the day wore on and nothing else of consequence happened.

"What are we waiting for?" Kakashi's tone was overly frustrated.

"Sorry… I just wanted to feel what it was like to live in this village since I never had the chance," I answered him quietly, wondering if it seemed stupid.

"That makes sense," he tried to comfort me and slid his hand into mine.

"I can speed up memories if you want." I offered and smiled weakly; I didn't want to see the destruction of this place just yet.

"No, it's okay, just as long as I'm not old and grey by the time you finish explaining," Kakashi smiled at me from beneath his mask.

"Thank you," I whispered and snuggled into his side as we turned onto a side road.

The residential area in Tatsuha Village was fairly small compared to Konoha's, but the houses were much grander. A coat of arms hung on the entrance to every home that housed a direct descendant of the Tatsuha clan. The coat of arms displayed the dragon kanji symbol at its centre and then other symbols around it, depicting various acts that the member or members, had done. Kakashi stared at each one for over ten minutes, trying to decipher them.

"What does the kunai mean?" he asked after realizing that each coat of arms we passed contained one.

"The kunai means that they played an important role in a battle," I couldn't help but smile as I explained.

The look on Kakashi's face was priceless as he absorbed everything that I told him; he was like an overgrown four year old. We approached the last house on the block and Kakashi's attention was drawn to one particular symbol that was there.

"What does the little drawing of the tooth mean?" Kakashi pointed up at the coat of arms above the door.

"Our last name means 'dragon's tooth' and that is the symbol we see before us. You know my Jutsu that allows me to form dragon teeth and add them to any other Jutsu I want?" Kakashi nodded. "Well, there was only one other member of my clan, other than the founders, who were able to think of it and use it. The tooth on the coat of arms means that the person has lived up to the family name. However, each clan member has to create the Jutsu themselves, without any help and it uses a lot of chakra," I watched, amused, as Kakashi's eyes widened.

"Who was the other clan member?" Kakashi was determined to get an answer.

"My grandfather," I grimaced as I looked at the house where my immediate family had lived.

"Wow, no wonder you're so powerful; it's in your blood," Kakashi let go of my hand and ran towards the door. "Come on, I want to see your family," I was shocked that Kakashi actually wanted to enter the house.

I glanced up at the sky; we had a little time to visit before we had to be back out here so we could see the 'show'. I sighed; part of me wanted to see my grandparents and the other half knew it was going to be a painful experience. I looked back at Kakashi who was watching me worriedly.

"Alright, but we can't stay too long," I agreed reluctantly and trotted towards Kakashi.

We walked through the door and stumbled into the foyer. The house was traditional Japanese style and completely white. The furniture was quite elegant and looked fairly expensive. I knew that since the Tatsuhas were called on frequently for the more dangerous missions, the pay was that much higher. I wasn't that surprised to see that my grandfather's house was a higher end home.

I walked into the living room and ran my fingers over the dragon statues that supported the cherry wood coffee table.

"This house is beautiful," was all Kakashi managed to say.

"I would've loved to live here," I scanned the room in awe, taking in every detail.

I'd never dared to venture into the house in my memories before. I'd just focused on the important events…

"Bara-chan!" a deep voice thundered from upstairs that startled both Kakashi and I.

I stood closer to Kakashi as we waited for the owner of the voice to appear. Angry footsteps rumbled down the stairs and ended in a dark haired man in his early fifties, huffing angrily in the living room.

"Bara!" the man was quite frightening when he was mad.

"So that's your grandpa…" Kakashi trailed off as the man looked in our direction.

"Yup, I'm sure glad that he can't see us at the moment," I found myself whispering even though I knew we were invisible.

"Why is he angry?" Kakashi asked, taking a small step back.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Kakashi gaped at me.

"I thought that you knew everything that's happened here since thistechnically is your memory," I glowered at the silver haired ninja.

"I've had better things to do then memorize every single thing that happened during my mother's life," I crossed my arms in front of my chest to show my frustration with him.

"Yes, chichi?" a woman asked as she opened a sliding door that led out to the backyard.

"What are you doing?" my grandfather demanded, his face getting redder by the second.

"I was just gardening," Bara, who appeared to be in her mid-twenties, was confused and taken aback by her father's tone.

"Aren't you supposed to be training?! We're in the middle of a war and being a Tatsuha, your Jutsus should be absolutely perfect!" Bara walked deeper into the room, fists clenched by her sides as she listened to her father's speech.

Bara wore a baggy, lime green shirt with pink roses whose color matched that of her pink trousers. Her sandals were black and they matched the nail polish on both her hands and feet. I watched Kakashi's expression turn to astonishment as he analyzed my mother's physical features. Her long hair was coffee brown like mine and her eyes an even more brilliant blue. She looked exactly like me, just an older version. The only significant difference was that her bangs stopped mid-forehead and she had no Sharingan eye.

"She must be your mother," I heard Kakashi whisper as he stared.

"Yeah, pretty isn't she?" Kakashi rolled his eyes as I jabbed him playfully in the ribs.

"You're prettier in my opinion," Kakashi wrapped his arms around my waist as we continued to watch the family drama.

Bara approached her father, placing her hands on her hips.

"My Jutsus are just fine!" she retorted and I realized that she had not a speck of dirt on her, which she would have if she'd been out gardening.

"You liar, you weren't gardening, you were practicing Medical Jutsu again! How many times have I told you that that's not going to get you anywhere? Men in this village want a girl who is tough and who can fight. Don't you ever want to get married?" my grandfather's eyes were almost pleading with my mother's now.

"That's enough Tsuyosa! The neighbours can hear your squabbling; it's quite embarrassing," an older woman walked in through the back door and placed a protective arm around Bara's shoulders.

The woman was obviously a little younger than my grandfather, but her hair had almost turned completely grey as it sat in a giant bun on top of her head. She wore a simple white and navy blue kimono that ended just above her feet.

"But Akina…" Tsuyosa started to whine but obviously my grandmother had the final say in this household.

"Bara's right, she has perfected her Jutsus enough that she can win most battles. So what if she wants to learn some Medical Jutsu? It will help her just as much as fighting skills. Look at me for example; I'm not lucky enough to have the Dragon Transformation Kekkei Genkai but with my Medical Techniques and a few Fire Jutsus, I've done fine. Besides, men aren't just attracted to women who can fight, they have to be beautiful too and Bara's already got that covered. Now go take a walk or something until you've cooled off," my grandmother pointed to the front door and gave my grandfather a stern look.

The older man turned on his heel and grumbled to himself as he left the house, but not before he slammed the door shut to show his displeasure.

"Thank you haha!" Bara exclaimed as she flung her arms around Akina's neck.

"You're welcome dear. Your father just needs to be reminded that fighting isn't everything," she took a step back and looked at her daughter proudly.

"He is right about the marriage thing though," Bara sighed and gracefully plopped herself onto a cushion in the living room. "Toshiro is already married and has a kid!"

"Your brother is four years older than you and left this house before that. Since he's a male they have the urge to leave the nest sooner; you're only twenty-six dear, you still have time to find the right man," Akina patted her daughter on the shoulder before heading towards the kitchen.

She came back a few minutes later with a tray of cookies which she placed on the coffee table.

"By the way, do you know where Kunai, Karyuudo and Karasu went? They were here this morning but I haven't seen them since," the old woman asked her daughter and Kakashi's eyes questioned mine.

"They're wolves." I explained. "Remember I told you that all Tatsuha members have a wolf."

"Well if you say you told me then you must have," Kakashi said sarcastically and I elbowed him in the ribs, causing him to cry out in pain.

"Kunai said that all the wolves were going out on some giant hunting trip or something in order to be prepared for upcoming battles," Bara answered her mother's question before stuffing a cookie in her mouth.

"That's a lot of wolves on one hunting trip…" Akina seemed to drift off into her own thoughts as she munched on her own cookie.

I looked out the window and realized that the sun was starting to set.

"Come on, nothing more exciting is going to happen here," I pulled on Kakashi's arm and led him through the door.

"I feel like a ghost come back to haunt people," Kakashi shuddered as we passed through the wood and I laughed.

"We have to find a spot near the second entrance by nightfall," I leapt on top of the house and scanned the village.

I found the entrance that opened up towards the Grass Country's border. I took off and kept a relatively slow pace since we still had time to kill before the battle started. The building just beside the entrance was a Teahouse so we settled ourselves on its roof to wait. Kakashi's eyes questioned me and I waited until he decided to voice them.

"So what are we waiting for now?" I looked at him with sad eyes.

"The destruction of the village," I said frankly and looked out towards where the border lay.

Kakashi was silent for a minute as we watched the dragons on duty.

"What would've happened if we walked into any other houses back in the residential area? Since this is a memory wouldn't places your mother hadn't seen been invisible or something?" Kakashi had pondered his question for awhile.

"Yeah, we wouldn't be able to see it if my mother hadn't during her life time. Then again, I am using the Mangekyou Sharingan so I could conjure up a place and you wouldn't be able to tell the difference," I smirked as Kakashi glared at me.

"That's just cruel. You could be making this whole thing up!" he snapped at me.

"Do you honestly think that I could come up with a story like this?" I waved my arms at the whole city. "Telling you the truth is easier then coming up with a lie. If I was lying I definitely would've put less work into it," I scowled at him; did he honestly think that I would lie to him after all this time and after all that had happened?

Kakashi put his arm around me apologetically and held me close as we watched the sun set. After awhile Kakashi laid his head on my shoulder and began to snore. I smiled to myself; he was still tired from our fight with Midori a few days ago. I could let him catch up on his sleep; that way he'd be able to take in more of my explanation and not forget it… Though I did doubt that anyone would be able to forget my history if I told them…

"Wake up!" I shook Kakashi violently and he finally opened his eyes.

"What's happening?" Kakashi jumped to his feet, fully awake.

"The Rock and Grass ninja are here! Look!" I pointed through the Entrance Gates where the dragons stood quietly.

"I don't see anything," Kakashi's eyes questioned my sanity.

"You can't sense anything since this is a memory… Sorry, I forgot about that part," I mentally slapped myself for being stupid of course I knew the exact time they would arrive so I was prepared.

"Why are there Rock and Grass ninja here?" I'd forgotten to tell Kakashi why the village was being attacked in the first place.

I quickly retold the history of the Tatsuha Village and Kakashi listened intently.

"So basically, they're coming here to kill off all of your family because they don't want the Land of Fire to become more powerful," Kakashi pieced the main ideas together to make sure he'd gotten the point of my story.

I nodded, "Right now they've surrounded the village and are waiting for a signal," I shuddered. "I'm not sure how much of this I want to watch," Kakashi pulled me into his embrace as we waited.

"How do you know what's happening; your mother isn't around?"

"Actually she's sitting on her roof right now so she can see the whole village from there. After the battle though she came up with explanations about what had happened and then her wolf confirmed them when she caught scents from around the village later on," I hoped that I was making sense; this was something extremely difficult to explain.

Kakashi nodded and then fell silent. A few minutes later we were startled by four explosions that went off at different sections of the giant stone wall that surrounded the village. Parts of the wall began to crumble and the smoke and dust clouded our view. The dragons at the entrances roared an alarm and the whole village started to swarm.

As the smoke near the walls cleared, giant holes became visible and tiny figures bounded through them and infiltrated the village. That's when the screams started… I couldn't tell which side they belonged to but the curious Tatsuhas who had ventured out of their homes now found themselves surrounded by ninja.

I watched as twenty-six dragons burst into the sky and began to blow fire at the enemy. A brilliant pink and lime green dragon caught my attention as it swerved above our heads before dive-bombing a group of Rock ninja. I knew my mother would be alright but I found it hard to pull my eyes away from her.

However, the scream of another dragon seemed to be enough of a distraction to divert my attention back to the village entrance. Kakashi and I watched as the purple dragon, who had somehow been scraped by an arrow on her arm, was now writhing in pain in the dirt.

"Murasaki, get up! It's just a stupid scratch! Ninja are coming this way and you're just lying there!" the other dragon yelled as he kept one eye on his partner and the other on the advancing ninja.

I watched in horror as the purple dragon seemed to shrivel up slightly. Her wings, limbs and tail turned black like they were being burned, yet there was no fire. The dragon's black eyes popped out of their sockets before they rolled up until all I could see was the white of them. She gave a last, violent shudder before she suddenly stopped moving.

Her partner watched the poor dragon die before turning to the ninja coming at him. The dragon killed at least a hundred before one lucky ninja was able to graze him on the stomach with a kunai. I couldn't tear my eyes away as he met the same fate as his friend had.

I began to shiver uncontrollably and Kakashi wrapped his arms around my body in an effort to soothe me. I heard a man cry from inside the Teahouse and then someone setting something on fire.

"They're going to blow up the Teahouse!" I screamed and Kakashi's eyes grew wide.

He pulled me up into his arms and quickly dashed across a few roof tops until we were at least ten buildings away from the Teahouse. The explosion was huge and wiped out everything within a twenty foot radius. Kakashi covered my head as bits of wood and glass flew around and through us. We both knew that there was no need to worry about getting hurt but it was hard not to react when your instincts told you there was danger.

Kakashi looked down at me and his eyes smiled sweetly as he placed me on the roof. I was still somewhat traumatized by the sight of the effect that the Tatsushi poison had on my clan members.

"What happened to those dragons?" Kakashi nodded back in the direction of the entrance.

"That's what Tatsushi poison does to Tatsuha clan members with the Kekkei Genkai. All the ninja drenched their weapons in it before this battle. It's lethal and my clan had no idea that they were using such a dangerous poison. Remember the needle that you protected me from back in the clearing with Midori? That was drenched in the same poison, and if it had hit me…"I shuddered as I remembered the dragon that had died at the entrance. "My mother told me to avoid it at all costs," I squeezed my eyes shut trying to get the terrifying image out of my head.

"I think I get the point of what's happening here. Do you want to fast forward your memory until we get to something that you need to show me?" Kakashi asked as he wrapped his arms around me.

I smiled gratefully up at him. I hated seeing the downfall of my family in such a bloody and terrifying manner. Of course I'd seen it many times in my head but actually living the experience was a hundred times more terrifying. I focused my chakra and made a hand sign and my Mangekyou started to whirl, causing the village around us to become a blur. I respected Kakashi's wishes and we did not spin, the world whizzed past us instead.

I stopped once I'd advance us to the morning after the destruction of the village. Kakashi and I scanned the area; the whole village had been trampled to the ground. Not a single building or wall was left intact. The whole place was littered with the bloody bodies of my clan members and enemy ninja; most of them mutilated beyond recognition. I was careful not to study them too closely; I already felt like I was going to puke. I'd avoided looking into too many details in my mother's memory for this exact reason.

"This is revolting; nothing is left and everyone's dead," Kakashi clucked his tongue in disgust.

"Not everyone…" I said quietly and began to make my way through the rubble towards the village entrance we'd first come through.

A mournful howl reached our ears from somewhere in the forest beyond. I picked up our pace as something pink and green caught my eye. My mother's clothes were torn and bloody but the blood came from wounds inflicted by the flying debris of explosions. Bara lay very still and it didn't look like she was breathing and I felt Kakashi's tension as he stood behind me.

Suddenly, a silver wolf appeared and cautiously slunk into the remnants of the village. The she-wolf spotted Bara and leapt to her side and began to lick and nudge her franticly in hopes of waking her. Finally, after a few minutes, my mother groaned and sat up extremely slowly. Her eyes took a moment to focus on the wolf before her but eventually they shone with recognition.

"Oh Kunai, it's you!" Bara exclaimed and flung her arms around the wolf's neck.

"Of course it's me, who'd you think it was? What happened here? I leave you to go hunting and when I return the whole village is in ruins!" the wolf stared at my mother, awaiting her answer.

"It was awful! There were thousands of enemy ninja and our sentries didn't detect them until it was too late! They used the poison from the Tatsushi flower and how they found out about it I'll never know!" Bara paused and looked at her dirty, blood stained hands. "Everyone's gone… They made sure of that…" my mother's eyes filled with tears and I desperately wished that I could hug her and tell her that everything was going to be alright.

She was alone, the only survivor. No one understood how she felt more than I… Then again, it was her fault that I was alone now too…

"Come one, we can't stay here. We should go to Konoha; it's safer there. We can keep your identity a secret and maybe we can start a new life," Kunai suggested quietly.

Bara nodded and wiped away the tears that had spilled from her eyes. She stood and stared at where the residential area had been.

"You wait here; there's a few things I want to get from the house," Bara took a step in her house's direction.

"There's probably nothing left…" the wolf stated but my mother ran off anyway.

We waited for a half hour for my mother to return and in that time the three of us wandered aimlessly through the wreckage. Both Kakashi and I were interested in seeing the extent of the damage and I took the time to mourn for the family I had lost. Bara finally came back and the wolf was surprised to see her carrying a full backpack.

"You were actually able to find stuff?!" Kunai exclaimed as she sniffed the bag.

"Luckily, mother's Healing Jutsu books and our Wolf Summoning Scroll were left untouched," Bara explained sadly.

"That's it? Well, I guess I'm not surprised. Do you have enough chakra to heal yourself now? You can't enter Konoha looking like that," the wolf shook her head as she assessed the girl.

Bara sighed, "I'll clean myself up just before we get there. It takes about a day to get there from here anyway," the kunoichi lifted the bag onto her shoulder and the two companions bounded away from the village and into the trees.

Kakashi and I took off after them and I caught him looking back at the once grand village. When he glanced back at me, his eyes were full of pity. I didn't want pity, I already pitied myself enough.

After running for about an hour Bara needed a rest. They stopped in a tiny clearing and Kakashi and I watched them from the trees.

"You said that all Tatsuha members had a wolf, so what happened to the rest of them? Kunai was the only one that came back," Kakashi asked while keeping his gaze on the beautiful silver wolf below him.

"As soon as a wolf is bonded with a human, the wolf can live as long as its human does. A wolf is only loyal to its master until one of them dies though. If the wolf is killed, a human can choose another one but it doesn't work the other way around. Once a wolf's human is killed, that bond is severed and the wolf can go back to living in the wild. They completely forget about their human partner which is the case with the other wolves that belonged to the Tatsuhas back in the village. Their bonds were broken so they resumed normal wolf behaviour, but since Bara wasn't dead, Kunai knew that she was alive so she returned to the village," I sighed and thought of White Fang.

Kakashi nodded and was silent again as we watched Bara as she began to heal her wounds. A few minutes later she looked completely healthy again but her torn and blood stained clothes made her efforts almost pointless. She picked up her things and was dashing through the forest before Kakashi and I could sit up.

I sped the time along as we ran next to Bara and soon after, we reached the forest that surrounded Konoha. It was about noon the next day in my memories and Bara and Kunai slowed their pace and Kakashi and I followed suite. We hopped down from the trees and walked just behind the two companions as the entrance to the village came into view but we remained obscured by the trees' trunks. My mother took a deep breath and then stepped into the sunlight.

There was a thin stream of people entering and leaving the village and Bara joined their ranks, unnoticed. In normal circumstances, Kakashi and I would've had trouble following her but since we could just walk through the people, our path went uninterrupted.

My mother meandered through the village, avoiding as many people as possible. However, the one's she did meet gave Kunai and her odd looks. A low rumbling caught my attention and I glanced at Bara. She put her hands on her stomach and we all realized that she was starving.

"There's a delicious aroma coming from over there," Kunai nodded her head in the direction of the scent.

Bara nodded and Kunai led the way around a couple of corners until we arrived at a restaurant that everyone in Konoha loved.

"Itchiraku?" Bara stared puzzled at the sign.

Bara entered the shop with Kunai at her heels; Kakashi and I followed and stood behind her.

"Hey lady, no dogs allowed," the chef behind the counter said sternly.

Kunai growled, "I'll stay close," she whispered before disappearing.

Bara took a seat and analyzed the other two customers in the store. An elderly woman sat on her left and beside her was a younger man. It was the man that attracted my mother's attention the most. He seemed to be about the same age as her, maybe a few years older. He was fairly handsome, had a muscular build, dark eyes and short black hair. Bara leaned back a little to focus on the symbol on the back of his black jacket; a red and white fan. Kakashi and I watched as she snapped her attention back to the chef. She'd just realized that he was a member of the Uchiha clan. Kakashi's questioning gaze was all I needed in order to answer his question.

"The Uchihas aren't very fond of the Tatsuhas since we're better with Fire Jutsu then they are," I explained quietly keeping my attention on my mother.

The Uchiha had caught Bara looking at him and she blushed in embarrassment.

A flicker of movement caught our attention; a tiny hand was digging into the old woman's purse.

"Hey!" Bara exclaimed, standing abruptly.

Startled, the boy took off with a few dollars in his hand. Bara didn't seem to think twice as she chased after the youth. I pulled Kakashi along with me as we followed my mother through the streets of Konoha. The boy took a sharp left turn but Bara kept up with him. However, she seemed to be slowing down ever so slightly; her strength still hadn't returned.

"Earth Style, Inner Decapitation Jutsu!" she cried and made a few hand signs.

Bara disappeared into the ground and Kakashi realized where he'd seen the technique before. Kakashi and I watched as the youth looked over his shoulder to see if he was still being pursued.

"Lost her," he muttered to himself.

BAM

A fist emerged from the earth right in front of the boy, hitting him square in the jaw and sending him backwards. I saw the realization hit the boy's eyes as he saw Bara crawl out of the ground. He landed with a thud on his back that knocked the wind out of him.

"Fire Style, Fire Cell Jutsu!" Bara yelled as she placed her fingers to her lips and blew streams of fire at the youth.

The streams encircled the boy, forming a cage as I heard Kakashi gasp beside me.

"My mother created the Jutsu," I informed him and he gave me an odd look.

I kept my eyes on the boy as he floated amidst the flames. He looked like he was about to cry; definitely not ninja material.

"Alright you little thief, why don't you hand over the money you stole from that nice old lady?" Bara stood tall, hands on her hips, in front of the fire cage.

"I'm sorry, I'll give it back! Just don't hurt me!" the boy whimpered.

"I won't but doesn't this village have some sort of punishment for rule breakers like you?" Bara asked, a wicked smile playing across her lips.

The boy's eyes widened in fright and he began to tremble violently.

"Rope Binding Jutsu!" Bara said as she extended her hands towards the boy.

Chakra slithered from her fingertips and formed real rope as they secured the boys limbs.

"Fire Cell Release," Bara said making the simple hand sign and the boy fell to the ground.

"That was amazing…" a voice sounded behind us that even startled Kakashi.

He scowled at me; he didn't like not having any senses. We both looked back at the Uchiha who had been in the restaurant earlier. Bara recognized him at the same time we did and blushed.

"Oh, uh, thanks," she avoided eye contact as she muttered to the handsome man.

"My name is Honoo Uchiha," Honoo walked forward and bowed to Bara. "I was just about to grab this boy when you startled him out of the shop," he explained.

"I have fast reflexes… I'm Bara by the way," she rubbed the back of her neck self-consciously.

"I'll take this little runt off of your hands and turn him in to the Hokage for you," Honoo offered and as he did so he pointed his thumb at his chest and flexed his muscles.

"Show off," Kakashi muttered beside me and I poked him in the bicep which in return received a glare.

"Sure, thanks," Bara accepted timidly.

"Here, you can return that old lady's money," Honoo said as he yanked the bills out of the boy's grip. "Stay at the restaurant though; I want to talk to you after I'm done with him," Honoo smiled and ignored Bara's protest as he flung the boy over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

Bara sighed and walked back the way we'd come, money in hand. Kakashi and I kept a few paces away from her as we walked back to the shop.

"Your mother sure gets nervous around handsome men… Something you sure didn't inherit," Kakashi smirked.

"Don't be so conceited," I rolled my eyes and he chuckled.

We arrived at the ramen shop a few minutes later and the old lady was ecstatic to have her money back.

"Oh thank you dear for going through all the trouble of getting it back for me! That little rascal only stole a small amount so you can keep it; consider it as a reward," the lady eyed Bara's torn and slightly bloody clothes but kept a kind smile on her face.

Bara thanked the old woman as she shuffled out of the shop. Counting the money my mother realized that there was enough to buy a bowl of ramen, which she did. Kakashi and I sat next to her as she ate in silence.

"She and my father brought me here a couple of times when I was little," Kakashi had to strain to hear my words and he gave me a sad smile.

"By the way, when do we get to meet your dad?" Kakashi's tone brightened with excitement.

"You just did, baka," I sighed and I saw Kakashi wince, which I figured was him mentally slapping himself.

"So, Honoo's your dad? Well he seems a little too self absorbed to be a good father," Kakashi noted, crossing his arms.

"Mom said he got better after they were married," I shrugged; I didn't really care how my father had acted.

"You done yet?" Honoo's voice startled Kakashi.

"Kuso, I hate this!" I giggled as Kakashi swore and jumped away from his stool as Honoo sat on it.

"Um, almost," Bara said, being slightly cautious as she did not yet know what the man wanted to talk to her about.

Bara paid shortly after and Honoo motioned for her to follow him. She raised a suspicious eyebrow but followed him out of the shop anyways. Kakashi and I were close behind as Honoo led us to a small, secluded park close to the Uchiha District. Bara was notably on edge now, being so close to an enemy clan and Honoo seemed to notice but didn't say anything.

"So where are you from?" Honoo's suddenly serious tone caught Bara off guard and she stuttered.

"Uh oh," Kakashi said beside me.

"Why does it matter where I'm from?" Bara finally managed to rebound the question.

"Well, first of all because I've never seen you around here before and secondly, even Uchiha members haven't been able to duplicate the Jutsu you did a little while ago. Having said that, it must mean you created the Jutsu yourself, meaning that you are way more powerful than you look," Honoo's intense gaze made Bara take a few steps back. "Please answer my questions or I may be forced to take you to the Hokage," Bara glared as Honoo advanced.

"Oh, the Hokage wouldn't dare do anything to me! My clan's more respected than yours anyway!" Bara froze as she realized she'd let a little too much information slip.

"The only other clan that it more revered than us is…" Honoo's eyes grew wide as he put two and two together.

My mother's hand signs were so quick that I even had a hard time deciphering them. A thick rope quickly gagged and tied Honoo and he coughed in surprise as he fell down. Bara quickly made another string of hand signs and this time a barely visible cone of chakra surrounded them.

"What's that?" Kakashi asked, reaching out to touch the barrier in front of him.

"It's a Chakra Sound Barrier, so no one can hear their conversation. Come on," I yanked on his arm and pulled him inside the chakra cone.

Bara's eyes pleaded with Honoo's as he tried to speak around the gag.

"It's true, I am from the Tatsuha clan but I need your help. Please listen to me and promise that you won't breathe a word of what I'm about to say to you to anyone else."

Kakashi and I watched my father's expression change from surprise, to curiosity, to pity as my mother relayed the destruction of Tatsuha Village. Bara's eyes filled with tears near the middle of her story and slowly, they made their way down her cheeks. She was silent as soon as she'd finished and she didn't look Honoo in the eyes. Bara released the Rope Binding Jutsu and kept her gaze on the grass once she'd finished. Honoo stared at her silently, watching her tears fall to the ground.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Honoo whispered and Bara snapped her head up to look at him.

Those words had never been traded between the two clans before.

"You obviously have been through a lot… You need a place to stay and at the same time keep your secret, which I promise to keep by the way… Why don't you stay with me? Actually, I could talk to my father and we could have you adopt the Uchiha name. You'd fit right in with such expertise with Fire Jutsu and no one would ever know!" Honoo grew excited at the idea.

"I don't know… How can I trust you?" Bara's tear filled eyes regained a suspicious look.

"You trusted me enough to tell me your story," Honoo pointed out.

Bara sighed, "I don't know…"

"Don't worry, I'll protect you," Honoo flashed a heart warming smile, stood and put his arm around her shoulders protectively.

Bara nodded, released her Chakra Sound Barrier Jutsu and Honoo steered her in the direction of the Uchiha District entrance. Kakashi started to walk after them but I grabbed the back of his shirt.

"What? We're going to miss something!" he protested.

"No we aren't. We need to fast forward a couple of months and I'll fill you in on the way," Kakashi started to pout as I used my Mangekyou again.

The world started to zoom past us and Kakashi gazed at it hungrily.

"So what exactly are we missing?" he asked.

"Well, my mother was adopted into the Uchiha clan without a problem. She lived in a small apartment by herself for a couple of months and no one ever figure out that she was a Tatsuha. Then a couple weeks later, Honoo proposed to her and they got married. She gave up her Kekkei Genkai and a few months after that she found out that she was pregnant with me, which is where we're heading now," I rushed through my explanation.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What was that part about your mother giving up her Dragon Transformation Jutsu?" I winced as he asked me the question I had been hoping to avoid.

"Well, my mother decided to give up her dragon form so that she would be less likely to be discovered. You see, when we get really angry, there's a part of our brain that is completely dragon and therefore, run purely on dragon anger and instinct. It's that part that's activated when we're enraged and makes us transform unwillingly and doesn't allow us to have much control over our bodies. You saw me like that in the clearing with Midori and then when I replayed the mission with my squad…" I paused and watched the memories whiz past us.

"So how was your mother able to give up her dragon from?" Kakashi pressed.

"I don't know too many details but all I know is that the Un-Binding Jutsu was created a long time ago by a few members of our clan. My mother apparently had to go back to what was left of the village and find a secret scroll hidden underground that contained the hand seals or whatever you need to perform it. It's very dangerous though, performing the Jutsu means that you have to cut off part of your brain from the rest of your body so it won't send any signals. If the person performing it isn't careful they could easily kill themselves or cause some permanent damage to their chakra flow or brain. It's a miracle that my mother survived; she was the only one to ever survive the ordeal… My father had thought that it would be a good idea to have her completely human but when she returned and told him about what she'd gone through, he was furious with himself for having made her suffer so," Kakashi just stared at me as I finished.

I made the memories stop at that same moment and Kakashi scanned the area. We were by the same pond by the Uchiha District that we'd been at moments earlier.

"I don't see any-" I cut Kakashi off and pointed in the direction from which my parents were approaching.

"I can't believe we're going to have a baby! I wonder what it'll be, a boy or a girl… I don't really care just as long as it's healthy! It'll be so much fun! I can teach it all the Uchiha Jutsus and then-" my mother pressed a finger to stop the avalanche of overexcited words from escaping Honoo's mouth.

"You know you won't be able to do that right away," Bara teased.

"Maybe I will! Perhaps our baby will be super strong and smart… It does have superior genetics," Honoo lowered his voice slightly at the last sentence.

The small park was deserted but Bara cast a nervous glance around the area anyway.

"Speaking of genetics there's something I want to talk to you about. Since I'm a direct descendant of the main Tatsuha branch, our baby will probably be able to transform into a dragon even though I can't anymore," my mother whispered and Kakashi and I had to creep closer to hear her words.

"Can't we just teach it not to use the Jutsu?" my father's frown showed that he was thinking about what my mother had gone through in order to lose her powers.

"We can, but we won't be able to tell if the baby can use the Jutsu until it's older. Finding out you can transform into a dragon happens in the same way that you Uchihas figure out if you have Sharingan; you have to be faced with a life threatening situation," Bara shivered and Honoo wrapped his arms around her.

"So then we'll keep a close watch on the baby and wait and see what happens. Maybe we'll just have to home school the child," my father suggested and he was silent for a moment before a giant, silly grin washed over his face. "Maybe we'll get lucky and our baby will have Sharingan and be able to transform into a dragon!" Honoo's voice got a little too loud and Bara slapped him on the arm.

Honoo chuckled and Bara couldn't keep from smiling back. They continued their stroll through the park and Kakashi looked at me, questioning if we were supposed to follow them. I shook my head and used my Mangekyou to speed us through the memories once more. I watched the colors of the park speed past us as I made a few years pass. I scrutinized Kakashi's face and he seemed to be in his own little world for the time being. Finally, the blurred world came to a halt and Kakashi snapped back to attention as everything regained its proper position.

The sky was dark but a small glow in the east announced the arrival of sunrise. We were still in the park so I started walking towards the entrance of the Uchiha District. Kakashi followed behind me as we travelled down the dirt roads surrounded by lovely houses. I stopped in front of a house that had two levels and was painted a clean white with red trimmings. An archway covered with ivy bordered the path that led the way to the front door and Kakashi and I followed it up to the porch.

I walked through the front door and Kakashi followed behind me. The house was pitch black but I'd committed the layout of my house to memory before I could walk. There was a short wall that separated the entryway from the living room whose furniture matched the color of the house. A door to the left of the living room led to the kitchen and a small dinner table. The backyard was visible from here but a staircase at the far right hand corner obscured a bit of our view.

I walked around the divider, through the living room and started to mount the stairs. Kakashi followed me silently as we rounded a bend in the steps and arrived at the second floor. A door directly in front of me led to my parents' bedroom and a hallway to my left led to a second and third door.

It was the last door that I headed for. I stepped through the wood door and stood in a dark room, dimly lit by the sunlight that was barely beginning to creep through the window that overlooked the front yard. The room was littered with stuffed animals, books (which should've gone on the conveniently placed book shelves), a chair and a small bed in the far right hand corner.

The bed's sheets were white and red as well and underneath them was a tiny girl. I crept towards the bed on the left side and gazed down at my three year old self. My hair was just at my chin and my bangs were evenly cut so that when I was awake, you could see both of my eyes.

"Whoa, you must be what, three?" Kakashi asked, looking down at my sleeping form.

I nodded and crossed over to the other side of the room to gaze out the window. Kakashi was silent as he left me to my reminiscing. He crept around the room, stopping occasionally to study a stuffed animal or book.

"I would think that a child's room would be filled with fairytale story books but all of these are basic Jutsus and hand signs," Kakashi noted as he picked up one with a worn deep green cover.

"I started practicing Jutsu when I was two," I said turning to look back at my younger self who had begun to stir.

"I think I started around the same age too," Kakashi put the book back in its place on the floor.

I was silent and made a few more hours pass by quickly without Kakashi really noticing. I figured that it was about six in the morning once I was done, judging by the sun's newly acquired position.

My younger self woke suddenly and made her bed, which startled Kakashi who had been reading one of her other books. Luckily, anything we touched or moved appeared to be in the same place it had been or my younger self would've seen a floating book in the middle of her room.

The three year old walked over to her closet and chose a blue and green outfit before running out the door.

"Where's she going?" Kakashi asked, taking a hesitant step towards the door.

"She's going to the bathroom to get dressed, baka," I sighed; it felt weird talking about myself in the third person.

Kakashi blushed and refocused his attention on the book he'd been reading. A few minutes later my younger self tip-toed back into her room. I realized that she'd put a blue head band in her hair to keep some of it out of her face. I'd forgotten that I'd liked headbands when I was little.

The younger me trotted to her chair and dragged it over to the window where I was standing. She climbed up on it and gazed out the window intently.

"Who's she looking for?" Kakashi asked, dropping the book and taking a few steps closer.

"Daddy," both of us whispered at the same time.

I took a step back as my younger self quickly jumped off the chair and leapt under the covers in her bed, pretending to be asleep. Kakashi gave me a questioning glance and I pointed to the door in response. A few minutes later it slowly creaked open and a black haired man poked his head through the crack.

"Reicheru, are you awake?" Honoo whispered as he opened the door wider and slowly approached the bed.

My younger self continued to sleep and Honoo placed a hand on her shoulder. She disappeared in a cloud of smoke and my father gasped, whirling around to try and find the real me. She leapt from the opposite corner of the room; landing on my father's back and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Got you!" she cried happily and Honoo chuckled.

"Keep your voice down, your mother's still sleeping," the little girl put her fingers to her lips and nodded. "That was a pretty good Clone Jutsu and Camouflage Jutsu. You've been practising while I was on my mission," Honoo complimented his daughter who giggled and nodded in reply.

She slid down from Honoo's back, who bent down so that his eyes were almost level with his daughter's.

"How about we start some training now?" Honoo smiled as he asked, predicting her answer.

"Yes!" my younger self cheered loudly, punching her fist upwards.

She turned on her heel and dashed out of the room.

"Quiet, your mother's still sleeping!" my father whispered franticly, but there was not a sound to be heard as the girl raced down the stairs.

"By the way, how are we seeing this if your mother isn't here?" Kakashi asked quickly.

"I'm supplying my own memory right now but when we go outside my mother will be watching us from the window," I shrugged it off and ran after my father who had rushed downstairs after the younger me.

I could easily switch between my mother's memories and my own without any problem. It was when we got to the harder parts of my life that my Jutsu started to affect me in a negative way and I either felt like I was in pain or relived my past or even both. With the memory of my old squad it had been the pain; that memory wasn't as old or as painful as some of the other stuff I'd been through.

Kakashi was at my heels and we arrived at the foot of the stairs just as my younger self was opening the sliding door to the backyard. My father caught it before it slammed shut and he forced it open to allow himself enough space to step out onto the lawn. He put his hands on his hips and glared jokingly at his kid as she ran towards a stand of cherry trees in the middle of the yard.

"I win! I beat you out here daddy!" she called swinging her legs from one of the sakura's branches after she'd clambered up.

"You're going to get me in trouble with your mother if you aren't quiet," Honoo scolded gently and the girl's eyes were apologetic.

"No wonder you spent so much time in the cherry tree back at the Academy," Kakashi said, catching up to me as I followed Honoo.

"Yeah, they remind me of this lifetime… My mother designed this whole garden," I said, scanning the beautifully landscaped yard.

"She definitely had a talent for it," Kakashi agreed.

"Daddy, you promised to teach me the Grand Fireball Jutsu, remember?" the younger me in the trees whined hopefully.

"Yes I did, but if you want to learn it then we need to go to the lake," Honoo laughed and walked around the stand of cherry trees.

I followed behind the young me and I heard Kakashi gasp as he realized how big the yard really was and that it backed onto the lake. The look he gave me was one of jealousy that I was not intended to see. Kakashi had lived in a fairly nice house back in town when he was younger, but it hadn't been nearly as big or as beautiful as mine.

We stopped at the edge of the lake whose waves produced a calming sound as they beat against the small bank of sand they hand washed up over time.

"Alright, pay attention and I'll show you the hand signs," Honoo made them slow enough for the younger me to see them clearly.

He then took a deep breath and blew a stream of flame over the lake that collected and formed a giant sphere. He was able to hold if for three full minutes before he let the Jutsu go. I looked down at my younger self whose eyes were wide with awe. She stared back up at my father, full of pride.

"Alright, so you know the hand signs and I'll explain how to control your chakra. You focus a bit of it into the pit of your stomach and then you force it up and out of your mouth where it'll turn into flames thanks to the hand signs you'll make. Don't forget to take a deep breath before. Okay, now let's see you try," my father smiled encouragingly.

My younger self took an exaggeratedly huge breath, puffed out her chest and made the hand signs slightly quicker than my father had. She closed her eyes and I knew that she was focusing her chakra. Her eye lids flew open suddenly and she blew the chakra from her body. A fairly large stream of flame burst forth and formed a fire ball over the lake but it was only about half the size of what my father's had been. However, she was able to hold it for five minutes and Kakashi's eyes were full of amazement.

"Excellent! I can't believe you did so well on the first try! Try again, but this time, focus more chakra into the pit of your stomach so that the fireball will be bigger," my father suggested and my younger self nodded.

Kakashi and I watched the two practice Jutsu for two more hours. In the end, the younger me had completely mastered the Grand Fireball Jutsu which was a great surprise to everyone.

"Well, I don't believe anyone has ever mastered that Jutsu as quickly as you have. I also believe that you are now a full-fledged Uchiha," my father smiled.

"Yeah! Do I get a cool jacket now?" the three year old clapped her hands in delight.

"Of course, everyone in the family gets one once they've mastered the Jutsu. If I'm not careful, you might be able to beat me in a fair fight when you're six," Honoo ruffled his daughter's hair, much to her dislike as she was forced to replace her headband.

"Yeah, but you'll probably run out of things to teach her by the time she's six," a female voice said from behind us.

"Mom, did you see me?" the younger me ran up to my mother and hugged her leg.

"Yeah, I did! You did great sweetie!" my mother praised the little cling-on and gave a meaningful glare to my father.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"Do you really have to train her so hard? She's only three," my mother shook her head.

"She wanted to learn it, besides it's not my fault that she's such a quick learner and masters everything within a few hours," my father defended himself and my mother sighed.

"Hi Kunai!" my younger self detached herself from my mother's leg and pet the silver wolf who had just trotted up to the small family.

The grey she-wolf wagged her bushy tail and licked the girl's cheek. The wolf looked slightly worn out.

"That reminds me," Bara looked down at her daughter. "Kunai had cubs a couple of weeks ago," the younger me gasped in surprise at the news.

"That's so cool!" she exclaimed.

"No, they're a handful," Kunai muttered and Honoo stifled a laugh.

"Anyway, so I came out here to ask you, Reicheru, if you wanted to learn the Summoning Jutsu," my mother asked her tiny child.

"Now look who's training their kid too hard," my father pouted and my mother just rolled her eyes.

"What am I summoning?" the younger me asked.

"Well, you'd have to sign a contract in your own blood with the wolves and then you could summon one whenever you wanted," Bara explained.

"So I'd get a wolf like Kunai?!" the three year old exclaimed.

"One of her cubs to be exact," Bara nodded and smiled; glad to have such a positive reaction from her daughter.

"Alright, I want to learn the Summoning Jutsu," the younger me said decidedly and she looked expectantly at Bara.

"I've got the Contract Scroll right here," Bara extracted a scroll of parchment from a small pouch attached to her waist and unrolled it on the ground. "Now just prick your thumb and sign your name," Bara pointed to an empty box next to her own name.

Honoo handed his daughter a kunai knife and she pricked her thumb enough so that blood gushed out. The younger me wrote her name expertly in kanji symbols and then Bara folded up the scroll once it had dried. Her daughter sucked on her thumb until the blood stopped flowing out of the wound and looked up at her mother expectantly.

"I'll show you the hand signs, then all you have to do is bite the thumb you used to sign the contract and touch it to the ground and the summons should work. The puppy you get will be with you for the rest of your life. You need to train together and protect each other at all costs," Bara looked at her daughter seriously and she nodded in understanding.

Bara showed her the two hand signs that were essential for the Jutsu and my younger self practiced them for a minute to make sure she had them right.

"Wolf Summoning Jutsu!" the younger me said, biting her thumb until it bled and proceeded to make the hand signs.

Kakashi and I watched intently as she touched her thumb to the ground and kanji symbols appeared on the ground. They were visible for an instant and then disappeared in a poof of smoke.

"Did it work?" both Honoo and Kakashi asked.

The smoke cleared and at the centre of where the smoke had been, was a small, fuzzy, white wolf cub. The cub whimpered and locked eyes with his mother for a second, as if asking what had just happened to him. Kunai gave an encouraging bark and the pup turned his attention on the young girl before him.

"Hello," the cub said timidly and his small voice announced that he was male.

"Hello," my younger self replied, smiling.

"You're going to have to name him," Bara said, turning to Kunai who nodded.

The younger me analyzed the cub for a minute, pondering ideas.

"I like White Fang," she finally announced.

"I guess that makes sense. His fur and teeth are very white," Honoo said, trying to understand how a three year old's mind worked.

"I didn't name him that just because he's white. White Fang and I are going to train hard and become legendary, just like the White Fang of Konoha," my younger self explained and I glanced out the corner of my eye to watch Kakashi's reaction.

His jaw had tightened and his face was expressionless. I sighed; maybe I should've skipped this part…

"That's actually a very good name. Why don't you go take a break from training today and play with White Fang?" my mother smiled as she gave her suggestion.

The younger me giggled and ran back towards the stand of cherry trees, White Fang at her heels. Bara and Honoo stood together, watching her go.

"Are you sure teaching her that Jutsu was a good idea? Your clan is known for having a bond with wolves," Honoo asked worriedly.

"Nobody figured it out all these years that I've been here, so we should be safe. Besides I wanted to at least keep one of our customs alive since I might not get the chance to teach her how to use the Dragon Transformation Jutsu," Bara whispered back and my father nodded. "Do we still have to go to that picnic tomorrow?" Bara asked, somewhat bitterly.

"Yes, arranging marriages is one of the Uchiha customs, so if you get one I get one. Besides Reicheru already likes Fushichou so I don't see the problem," Honoo said ignorantly and Bara sighed.

"It's just the idea of them together and she's only three, she could change her mind about who she likes," Bara countered.

"That's why we do activities together so that they stay in love; this picnic is a good example," Bara sighed heavier this time as Honoo defended his reasoning.

"Fine, who's all going to be there tomorrow?" my mother gave in.

"Us three, Fushichou and his parents, Hiroshi and Ai," Honoo counted off on his fingers.

"Why did you have to be best friends with Hiroshi? Then we wouldn't have to have an arranged marriage for Reicheru," Bara complained.

"If I weren't friends with him then I'd just find another Uchiha family who has a boy we could arrange our daughter with," Honoo chuckled and he and his wife walked back to the house.

I stood there silently, waiting for Kakashi to ask me a question. None came. I turned to look at him and he was staring at me with wide eyes.

"What?!" he startled me with his exclamation; was something seriously wrong?

"You were engaged when you were three?!" Kakashi's voice was enraged, confused and alarmed all at the same time.

"Um, yeah…" I rubbed the back of my neck, embarrassed.

"Are you still engaged? The Uchiha clan is still strong and powerful and if you're supposed to be married and someone sees you with me then-" Kakashi stopped talking as he watched my expression turn deadly and miserable at the same time.

"You don't have to worry, the engagement was broken off long ago," I said acidly and I broke eye contact with him so that he wouldn't think I was angry with him.

"That's good," Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief but his tone told me that he thought my behaviour was strange.

"You'll see why in a bit. I'm going to fast forward my mother's memories to tomorrow," I explained and made the couple of hand signs to activate my Mangekyou Sharingan.

The world around us didn't rush by fast enough so that the image was distorted but it was quick enough that the sun set and moon rose within a couple seconds of each other. The sun rose again until it was almost at the highest point in the sky.

I trotted back to the house since we were still in the backyard. Kakashi followed in silence and I sensed that it was starting to become an uncomfortable one. I walked through the back door and finally we could hear voices. My family was standing in the entryway and Bara was double checking that they had everything.

"So we have the lunch and the blanket… Is that everything?" my mother asked and my father nodded.

"We're going to see Fushichou now," my father smiled sweetly at the younger me.

"Yeah!" she blushed.

The family made their way out the front door and Kakashi and I trailed behind them. We walked out of the Uchiha District, past the pond and out into the forests beyond the walls of Konoha.

"Where are we going?" Kakashi asked.

"There's a cliff around here that looks over the river that my family always went to for picnics," I explained, keeping my eyes on the three people ahead of us.

I saw Kakashi frown at my behaviour out of the corner of my eye. I couldn't help it, I was getting nervous. We were at the point that I hated and feared the most of my past. Did I really want Kakashi to see me in such a terrible state? I knew he would react strongly to what he was going to see and I hoped that he wouldn't leave me as a result.

The trees broke ahead of us and we walked out into the afternoon light. There was loads of space to run around before the drop off to the water below which gurgled happily. Three people already stood in the grassy area, talking animatedly as they awaited the arrival of their fellow Uchihas.

"Ah, Honoo, you finally came," greeted the long, black haired man as he approached.

"You guys are actually very early," Honoo chuckled in reply, shaking the man's hand.

"Hello Bara, Reicheru," the man looked down at the younger me and smiled.

"Nice to see you again Hiroshi," Bara smiled sweetly but it didn't reach her eyes. "And you, Ai and Fushichou," Bara said to the woman and young boy who followed behind Hiroshi.

The little me blushed as the small boy, who had to be about six, stared at her.

"Wanna see this new Jutsu I learned?" Fushichou asked holding his hand out to his future wife.

"Sure!" the younger me squealed happily and grabbed the small hand.

The two kids ran further away from the adults and they began to talk excitedly.

"Keep away from the edge of the cliff!" my mother warned them.

"They'll be fine. Let's set up the picnic," Ai suggested.

The parents unfolded the blanket and unpacked the food and plates Honoo and Bara had brought with them. Kakashi and I left the adults and approached the little kids.

"Okay, my dad taught me the Clone Jutsu the other day. It's really cool," Fushichou bragged.

"Oh yeah? My dad taught me that one awhile ago," the younger me said innocently.

"Alright, let's see who has the best clone," the boy challenged smugly.

"Okay," she nodded and brought her hands together.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" the two of them cried in unison.

A poof of smoke clouded our view for a moment but when it cleared, four figures stood before us. My younger self's clone was an exact replica. If it hadn't been for my Sharingan, I would never have been able to tell the difference between the two. The boy's, however, were easy to differentiate between. The clone was slightly hunched over and one ear was bigger than the other. Everything considered; it was remarkable for a six year old.

"I win Fushichou-san!" the younger me said proudly.

"Humph, fine I admit defeat. Hey, do you wanna spar?" the little boy's hopes were not completely dashed yet.

"Of course!" the younger me prepared her stance and raised her tiny fists.

I visibly tensed and Kakashi noticed. He caught my eye questioningly and I just nodded towards the children. Their fight began and she was obviously less skilled in the Taijutsu department than Fushichou. They slowly walked in a circle trading pathetic punches. However, the older boy was not taking it easy on the little girl. Kakashi grabbed my arm when he noticed something off with the boy's hands.

"He's focusing his chakra in his fists to make a more powerful strike. You're going to fall off the edge of the cliff if he keeps forcing you back like that!" Kakashi was startled by the brutality of the boy and his obliviousness to the danger.

I just waited for the last step that would send my younger self over the edge and commence the disastrous turn my life had taken.

"Reicheru, look out!" my mother screeched from the picnic blanket.

Too late, my younger self took the last step backwards and she slowly tipped over the edge. Kakashi and I rushed to the lip of the cliff to get a better view. The fear that I saw reflected in my younger face was enough to make me relive the whole thing.

My small body tumbled towards the water and I cried out for my mother. I thought I was going to die and I closed my eyes in fear. My body felt strange for a second and then there was a searing pain in my right eye. I realized that the wind had ceased, as if I had stopped falling. I opened my eyes and I looked down; the water wasn't rushing up to meet me anymore and there was a rhythmic motion that seemed to move me up and down. I looked at my body and realized that the color had changed from creamy skin to a clean white, blood red and sunshine yellow. I had scales and my feet and hands had claws. I realized that the rhythmic motion came from me as I was beating wings that had magically grown out of my back, just in time to save me.

I started to panic; what had I become? Was I some sort of monster? My wings faltered as I thought and I began to plummet towards the river once more. I franticly beat them to regain altitude but they pounded the air at different intervals which caused me to move in a crooked line. At least I was heading towards the top of the cliff; safe, sturdy ground.

With a last pump of my newly acquired wings I was propelled above the cliff and I pushed myself forward. I realized too late that I had no idea how to land so I just tucked my wings next to my body and crashed to the earth.

It hurt badly but at least I was safe. A few horrified gasps made me look up. My parents' jaws were open but it was the other family's reaction that scared me the most. They slowly backed away and Fushichou was hiding behind his mother. Hiroshi had even started to pull out a kunai knife from his holster. He regained his composure and rounded on my father.

"How on earth is your child a Tatsuha?! Wait, unless-" he looked at mother menacingly and father stepped in front of her in a protective manner.

"So what if they are Tatsuhas?" my father demanded angrily.

"You have dishonoured the clan Honoo. Your whole family shall pay," Hiroshi threatened and then he, Ai and Fushichou fled into the forest.

My eyes filled with tears as I could not comprehend what had just happened.

"Take care of Reicheru. I'll meet you at the hideout," father said quietly.

Mother nodded and then father bounded into the trees. I watched him go with blurred vision. Why was he abandoning us?

I shook my head and gasped, trying desperately to regain composure. It worked and my consciousness returned to my real body. Kakashi had his hand on my shoulder and he stared at me worriedly as I trembled.

In order for Kakashi to be able to see my younger form fall off the cliff I'd had to use my memory instead of my mother's which caused me to relive it.

"Are you alright?" Kakashi's eyes searched mine.

I looked up at him but was unable to answer. The trembling worsened and I fell to my knees. I gasped for air as Kakashi started to panic from my reaction. I sat still for a minute, trying to control the shaking. A few seconds passed and I finally succeeded. I wobbled to my feet and Kakashi lent me a hand. I rested on his shoulder, unable to hold myself up completely.

"Sorry, that's what happens when I have to use my own memories that are too painful. The Mangekyou is also using a lot of chakra and making the pain worse," I admitted and Kakashi nodded, making sure that I had enough support.

We refocused our attention back on the white, red and yellow dragon that lay crumpled on the ground. Bara had approached her daughter with a pitying expression.

"Can you transform back into your human form?" Bara asked calmly, looking her daughter in her giant left eye.

"I-I don't know how," the dragon spluttered.

"Just picture yourself as a human and distribute your chakra evenly throughout your body," Bara gently placed her hand on the dragon's snout.

The dragon closed her eyes and tried to follow her mother's instructions. It took a few minutes, in which Bara glanced around nervously, but the younger me was finally able to shift back to her three year old, human body. I watched myself sit there in a crumpled ball, face against the grass so that my mother couldn't see her terrified expression.

"Reicheru, are you alright?" my mother asked anxiously.

"No," the small voice was muffled by the grass.

"Reicheru, look at me please," Bara requested but her daughter did not raise her head.

Slightly frustrated, Bara tucked her forefinger under her daughter's chin and forced her to look up.

"What's wrong with your right eye?!" Bara gasped and her daughter clamped her hand over it.

"I felt a pain in it earlier," the younger me admitted.

Bara peeled the small hand away from her daughter's face and peered at her eye.

"You have Sharingan too! Why is it in only one eye though?" the little girl stared confusedly at her mother. "Try and get rid of it too. Just think about what your normal eye looked like," Bara explained.

My past self closed her eyes and obviously strained to picture her eye and make it return to normal. She opened them once again, thinking that it had worked.

"Why isn't your eye back to normal? Are you sure you pictured your normal blue eyes?" Bara asked franticly and her child nodded. "I don't understand why it isn't working… We'll figure it out later. Right now we need to get you to safety before the mob comes after us," Bara said quickly and scooping her child up into her arms, she dashed into the forest.

Kakashi and I took off after them, awkwardly since I still needed assistance. Desperate to catch up, Kakashi swept my legs out from under me and tucked me into his chest. We caught up in an instant once Kakashi was able to run full speed.

There was complete silence in the forest as Bara ran deeper and deeper into it. The younger me was petrified and couldn't find any voice to speak with for a little while.

"Am I a monster?" she finally asked her mother.

"No honey, you're a dragon, just like me," Bara's smile was sad as she looked down upon her frightened child.

"Did I scare daddy away?" she asked.

"Of course not! What made you think you had?" Bara was shocked; her husband would never abandon his precious loved ones.

"He left right after he saw me change into a monster," Bara winced when her daughter said 'monster'.

"No honey, he just went home to get some of our belonging so he could bring them to our new house," Bara explained quietly.

"Why are we moving?" my former self asked quietly.

"Well, because the other Uchihas don't really like dragons like you and me. In order to keep us safe, we need to move," Bara gave the vaguest answer she possibly could. "It'll also be safer for us if you don't transform again. Promise me that you won't transform again," my mother's eyes pleaded with her daughter's.

"I promise."

My younger self was silent for a long time, replaying my mother's words through her head over and over again. After awhile she fell into a restless sleep and Bara let a sigh escape her lips as she continued to race towards the safe house.

"When did your parents make a hideout? It's miles away from Konoha," Kakashi asked me as we fled behind my mother.

"My father would spend a little time working on it when he came back from missions. He made it in case something like this happened," I gestured towards the sleeping body my mother carried.

We kept on running for such a long time that Kakashi began to pant heavily. Finally, the trees cleared and Bara came to a sudden halt. Standing before us, was a small, rectangular house. It wasn't nearly as spectacular as the Uchiha house but it looked sturdy enough to withstand the elements.

The sudden stop had woken the younger me and she raised her tiny head and her eyes widened when they saw the house.

"What is that mama?" she asked quietly, gazing up at Bara.

"That's our new home," Bara whispered back as she approached the door.

She held her child in one hand while making half hand signs with her free hand and tapped them against the door at different intervals. Bara tried the handle and the door swung open, making a slight creaking sound as it did so. She hesitantly stepped into the dark house and Kakashi and I did the same. I heard Bara fumbling against the wall in search of the light switch, which she eventually found.

The house was basically one open room which consisted of a living room and a tiny kitchen in the front right hand corner. The living room was furnished with a simple coffee table and enough cushions for it to be comfy for a small family. The kitchen however was so tiny that only Bara would be able to fit in it and the appliances looked fairly old fashioned but at least functional.

Bara placed the younger me on the floor and locked the door behind her. The younger me wandered around the room and then turned to face her mother with a questioning gaze.

"Where are the bedrooms?" she cocked her head slightly as she asked the question.

"I don't know; you'll have to ask your father when he arrives. We may have to sleep on these pillows," Bara said as she plopped herself on one.

Her daughter pouted as this was not her idea of a house and Bara was not any happier. The younger me walked over to my mother and cuddled beside her. Bara sighed and ran her fingers through her daughter's hair in a soothing manner. The two soon fell asleep and were snoring contentedly on the cushions.

I fast forwarded the memory a couple of hours as the two slept and my father had not yet arrived. I stopped just before a knock came at the door. Bara leapt to her feet and, shielding my younger self from view, she pulled a kunai knife from her thigh holster.

"Who's there?" she called towards the door and her child clung to her skirt.

"It's me Bara! Open the door, this stuff is heavy," Honoo complained and something scratched at the door.

"Are you being followed?" Bara asked, approaching the door.

"No, and I hid any traces of the path me made. We should be safe," Honoo assured her.

My mother closed her eyes and reaching out with her senses, she made sure that it was really Honoo outside. She heaved a sigh of relief and unlocked the door. Bara pulled it open to reveal my father, laden with a backpack and a few large duffle bags. Kunai and White Fang raced into the living room and began sniffing their new surroundings.

"How much stuff did you grab?" Bara asked, securing the door behind her husband.

"Enough to let us live comfortably and continue our daughter's education," Honoo said as he set down the bags; Bara rolled her eyes.

"Don't you think we should focus on getting out of Fire Country?" Bara eyed the bags that told her they were going to stay for a long time.

"Exactly where do you propose we go? It's still a long way to the border and obviously we can't go to Grass Country or the Earth Country. That leaves Wind Country which at the present we are not on good terms because of the war. There is absolutely no place to flee to!" Bara winced at her husband's harsh tone.

"Why don't we escape to a lesser country or Water Country or even Lightning Country?" Bara asked, desperate to find some alternative to the shack they were now to call home.

"The lesser countries are too easy for the Uchihas to infiltrate and find us. Plus they are all too close to the border. For Water Country we'd have to go east from here for a long time before we hit water which would take even longer to get across; giving ninja plenty of time to find us. By heading towards Lightning Country we'd have to head back towards Konoha and then up through smaller countries until we got there. Even if we were able to get inside a new country, don't you think they'd inquire as to why we went there? I don't think they'd be pleased to learn that the surviving Tatsuha clan was hiding in their land. You'd have ninja from all over trying to capture you or worse starting a war with each other in order to capture and kill you because they're afraid that whatever country has you will become almighty!" Honoo explained, slightly frustrated.

"You're over thinking this," Bara retorted, crossing her arms.

"You're not thinking enough!" Honoo exclaimed and Bara put her finger to her lips as she realized that their daughter was listening to every word they said.

The younger me cowered on the cushion, obviously thinking that this was all her fault. White Fang trotted up to her and licked her cheek in an effort to comfort her. The three year old smiled weakly and patted the pup's head.

"What happened to your brothers and sisters?" she exclaimed worriedly.

"They had to learn to live on their own," Kunai responded from Bara's feet and White Fang nodded.

"They'll be fine; they're wild and strong," White Fang wagged his tail reassuringly.

Kakashi disguised a laugh with a cough at the sound of White Fang's tiny voice. He'd heard it once before and hadn't reacted but the young wolf's voice had taken on a higher pitch after all the running he had done. I ignored him and kept my gaze on the family before me.

Honoo reached in the bags and pulled out some non-perishable food items, blankets, pillows, clothes, everyone's toiletries, extra weapons, some of my younger self's stuffed animals and all the books from her room. Honoo handed all of the items to their owners and the younger me squealed as she flipped through her books to make sure they were all there.

"Now we can train White Fang!" she cried and Bara sighed and looked at Honoo who pretended not to see her gaze.

"Right now we should focus on getting you to sleep. You've had a trying day," Bara said as she piled a bunch of cushions together and then handed her daughter a blanket.

"What are you doing?" Honoo asked, trying to cover the smile that was creeping across his features.

"Making a bed, what does it look like?" Bara sniffed and straightened as her husband chuckled.

Honoo walked behind the living room area to where a rug was sitting in the middle of an empty space. My father kicked it out of the way and pulled on a small handle tucked into the floorboards. A trap door lifted and Honoo smirked and stood beside the hole in the floor.

"Our beds are down here. Did you honestly think that I would make you sleep on a cushion?" Honoo scowled jokingly at Bara who walked up to him and kissed him.

"Yes, but I guess you're still going to make us pee in the bushes?" Bara smirked at my father.

"Um, yeah, I didn't have time to make a bathroom, sorry," Honoo rubbed the back of his neck.

The younger me ran past them, blanket in hand and entered the underground room. Kakashi and I followed her down the stairs into the cool air. The room was smaller than the whole house and consisted of two beds, one for her and a bigger one for her parents. There was a light attached to the top of the ceiling that lit the room.

"Hop into bed, little one," Bara said as she descended the stairs and the younger me complied.

White Fang leapt onto the foot of the tiny bed and twirled until he found a comfortable spot. The younger me snuggled down under the sheets and Bara sat herself on the edge as she looked at her daughter lovingly. Honoo was moving about upstairs, putting stuff away and Bara closed her eyes in thought.

Honoo and Kunai came down the steps and Honoo's slightly shocked expression showed that he'd just realized that his daughter had the Sharingan. He was silent about it however as he stood behind his wife and placed his hands on her shoulders. Bara sighed and placed a hand over top of his. Bara made some quick hand signs and music began to play.

"Goodnight Reicheru, you're safe now," my mother whispered as her Genjutsu music continued and her daughters eyes slowly closed to the soothing rhythm.

My parents waited until the music had finished playing and then Bara rose from the bed, the movement of the mattress did not wake the sleeping girl.

"When did she get the Sharingan?" Honoo asked quietly as he slid his arms around my mother's waist.

"At the same time that she transformed into a dragon," Bara replied, burying her head in Honoo's chest.

"I can't believe I didn't notice it when I first walked in…"

"You had other things on your mind," Bara's arms tightened around Honoo's waist.

I made a couple of quick hand signs and sped up my mother's memories. This next one was going to be the last and the most upsetting. I'd have to use my own memories for most of it which would make it excruciatingly painful.

"How far forward are we going this time?" Kakashi asked cautiously.

"One year. In that time no one found us and we lived off the resources in the forest. My mother taught me all about the history of our people and helped me understand how to fly without making me transform. My father trained with me everyday and helped me learn new Jutsus and taught me how to use my Sharingan," I explained and I moved ourselves outside of the house and stopped the memory.

"Then how did you get your Mangekyou all the way out here?" Kakashi asked, scanning the forest around the house.

"You'll see," I said solemnly and Kakashi heaved a sigh.

It was getting late and the sky was threatening to open up and rain. Bara was outside cleaning up the yard with Kunai. A rustling in the trees frightened them but they settled as they heard the laughter and happy barks of White Fang and the younger me.

The two pals emerged from the forest and raced towards the house; the first part of my nightmares I realized. I cringed as I remembered the dreams that haunted me after every transformation. They weren't exactly accurate but they terrified me all the same.

Kakashi stared at me strangely as I cringed at this happy sight. I didn't look at him as I got a hold of myself and I could see he was growing frustrated with my lack of acknowledgement. We followed my younger self as she approached Bara and Kunai.

"I thought your father was with you," Bara was both enraged and alarmed by the fact that her daughter had been left alone.

"He was but then he said we should go home because he had to check on something," the younger me shrugged her shoulders and White Fang stared at his mother who was eyeing him with a stern gaze.

"Maybe we should go inside then," Bara glanced around them quickly and ushered her child and the two canines inside.

Kakashi and I followed and ended up having to walk through the door. The house hadn't changed much in the past year; a few extra furnishings made by hand had been added. Bara and the younger me had already crossed to the opposite side of the room and were attempting to remove the rug when an anxious knock sounded at the door.

Bara froze and reached out with her senses and gasped when she realized it was Honoo. She rushed towards the door and pulled it open quickly. Her husband rushed inside and slammed the door shut, putting all the locks on it. Honoo panted and turned to his wife with frightened Sharingan eyes.

"What's wrong?!" Bara exclaimed, taking a step back.

"There are some ninja in the forest and the only explanation I can think of is that they're searching for us!" Honoo glanced around the room quickly and his eyes rested on his frightened daughter's. "Get downstairs, I think they might've seen me," Honoo said quickly, pushing his wife towards the back of the house.

Kakashi and I stood in the living room and watched as Honoo heaved the trap door open. The wolves and my younger self rushed down. Bara stopped halfway and stared up at her husband. There was a loud banging at the door that startled them. They glanced at each other and then the knocking at the door became louder. Honoo took a step towards the door and then froze, assuming a protective position in front of the trap door.

"Who is it?" Bara whispered.

"Uchihas," Honoo spat. "Stay down there with Reicheru. I'll take care of them while you escape through the passageway," my father ordered, pulling a kunai from his thigh holster.

"I'm not leaving you!" Bara's desperate cry was followed by a loud crack as the door began to buckle.

My mother climbed out of the stairwell and slammed the trap door shut just as the front door flew off its hinges. The trap door lifted slightly so that the younger me could see what was going on. Honoo stepped forward and watched as four tall figures and one smaller one, shifted uncomfortably at the entrance to the house.

"It's been awhile otouto," a sly voice came from the dark figure at the head of the group.

"Taro, what do you want?!" Honoo demanded.

"Don't play dumb little brother! We haven't been searching for you for over a year for nothing! You know the Tatsuha clan is our enemy and on top of that you married one! Plus, if other countries find out about this they'll start a war just so they can kill them so that our military forces aren't uneven!" my father's brother advanced a step further into the house.

"So you've assembled an army because you're to chicken to face me yourself?" Honoo spat at his older brother who winced, proving Honoo's statement.

"Hmm, you've probably met everyone here. Toshiro, Akio, Hiroshi, his son Fushichou and of course myself," Taro smirked.

"How romantic, you're going to have Fushichou kill Reicheru. What irony!" Honoo glowered at him.

"We thought it only fitting," Hiroshi piped up from the back but immediately regretted it as Honoo glowered at him.

"Cowards! If you want to kill them then you'll have to kill me first!" Honoo raised his kunai knife and Bara pulled out one of her own.

"Come now brother, I have no desire to shed your blood. You can step outside while we finish off your wife and child or you can join us," as Taro spoke, Honoo's whole body began to shake with rage.

"I would never do that you bas-" Bara placed a hand on Honoo's shoulder to silence him.

"Fine, then you will die with them," Taro said, unsheathing a Ninjaken.

The other Uchihas behind him unsheathed their own weapons. Honoo ground his teeth together and a small whimper escaped the muzzle of White Fang who was watching the scene next to my younger self. Kakashi and I took a step back so that we weren't in the way. Honoo crouched and waited for his clan members to make the first move.

All four grown men leapt at once; two went for Honoo and the other two went for Bara and the younger me. Suddenly, Kunai pushed the trap door open and leapt at Hiroshi who was coming for the little girl. Bara attacked Akio and was able to leave a long gash on his right arm. Honoo was doing well with defending himself against Taro and Toshiro but he was unable to send any blows back.

There was a terrible cut off scream as Kunai ripped out Hiroshi's throat. His body fell to the floor right in front of my younger self, giving her an excellent view of the blood that seeped out of the gaping hole. She let out a scream and buried her face in White Fang's fur.

Bara got distracted by her daughter's scream and received a small cut on her upper arm. She grimaced and then kicked Akio's legs out from under him and delivered a punch, strengthened by chakra, into his chest. He wheezed, trying to regain some oxygen but his broken ribs were a painful hindrance. Since Akio couldn't move, Bara took a minute to catch her breath and watched with fear as Honoo continued his dance of death with Taro and Toshiro.

They kept jabbing at him with their blades but thanks to his Sharingan, Honoo could avoid them easily. However, he seemed to be growing tired since he'd wasted energy running here in the first place. Bara had finally got her wind and rushed at Toshiro's back when suddenly Honoo let out a cry.

Taro had somehow managed to stab a kunai through Honoo's right arm, rendering it useless. This injury gave Toshiro enough time to run his sword through Honoo's back, on the left so that it pierced his heart as well. Bara and her husband let out a terrifying scream as Honoo crumpled to the floor, clutching at the blade that protruded from his chest.

I began to tremble as I watched my father fall. Bara was clutching at her own heart and she too fell to the floor as if it had been she who had been stabbed. The younger me cried out as she saw her parents fall. She leapt out of her hiding place and glared at the men, White Fang by her side.

"How dare you!" she pointed at Taro and Toshiro as she quivered with rage.

"How cute… Are you going to avenge your parents' deaths now?" Akio taunted as he managed to raise himself from the floor but gasped in pain.

Bara let out a faint cry as she tried to stand but was unsuccessful. She fought to keep her eyelids open but was obviously losing out on that fight.

I fell to my knees as the shaking became unbearable. I had to use my own memories now for the one before us was beginning to fade. Kakashi looked at me worriedly but before he could say anything I was reliving the worst part of my past.

I glared at the men who had murdered my parents, although, I could not understand why my mother had fallen when she was barely injured. I felt the anger boil in me as the man taunted me and I turned towards him.

"You will die first," I threatened Akio acidly and I couldn't control the transformation that was coming.

My anger made me grow so huge that the walls around us burst into a million fragments. I glared with slits for eyes at the Uchihas who stared at me in wonder and fear.

"Kill, don't deserve to live," the angry dragon in my head hissed.

I lunged at Akio and grasped him in my claws but avoided hitting my mother. He screamed as my talons dug into his sides and I dropped him hastily back to the ground. Before he could scream again I blew a giant stream of flame that enveloped him and scorched the floor. The shriek he produced from being burnt alive made the other two men shiver.

I turned my attention to them and they started to back away. I wrapped my tail around Toshiro and began to hit him against the hard ground. When he was unconscious I flung him into the air. The blade emerged from my tail on its own accord and as his body came back to earth, I skewered it like a shish kabob. He did not let out a scream to my joy and I flicked my tail to remove the corpse.

Taro watched as Toshiro's body flew into the trees but was rooted to the spot when I started to approach him.

"The Tatsuha clan is not something you take lightly," I hissed, showing my razor sharp teeth.

"His death will be slow and painful," the instinct driven monster inside of me whispered.

Taro finally found that he could move and whirled around and tried to make it into the trees. I leapt up high and crashed down on top of him, my claws digging into his back. The sound of bones crushing was music to my ears as Taro screamed. I pulled away from him and flipped him over with my tail, which cut his side deeply.

"Mercy!" he called up to me.

I sniggered and severed his neck; not so much that he died instantly but that he would within a few minutes of agonizing torture. I watched as he bled and my eyes lost their angry slits and the angry monster inside of me disappeared into the recesses of my brain.

I shied away from the body as I realized what I'd done. I was a monster! I let go of the transformation as I walked back to my mother. My Sharingan told me that she wasn't dead yet but it was too late for my father. I approached my mother's body and the tears began to fall.

"Mom? Get up! You're not hurt…" I whispered, tugging at her hand.

She opened her eyes slightly but her pupils barely focused on me.

"Behind you," she croaked but it was too late.

I yelled in pain as a kunai knife embedded itself in my upper left arm. I yanked it out, and holding it in my right hand, I whirled around to face Fushichou who was just appearing out of thin air.

"I learned a new Jutsu… thought you'd like to see it," Fushichou lowered his gaze as he pulled out another kunai knife.

"I've already learned that one," I stated and the boy glared.

"I don't believe we got to finish our mock fight the last time we met," he implied raising his weapon.

"Nope," I smirked sadly; I had to kill the boy I loved.

We rushed at each other and our kunai rang upon impact. He was strong but I had become stronger since the last time we'd met. I forced him back a step but he tripped me. I fell and landed on my butt as he towered above me, kunai pointed at my heart.

"Goodbye, my friend and love," he whispered and thrust his knife towards me.

I avoided it just in time and shoved my own knife into his heart. His eyes glazed over as he stared at me; blood pouring from his mouth.

"It hurts…" he croaked.

"Not nearly as much as it hurts to kill the one you love," I whispered as fresh tears started to pour down my own cheeks.

I withdrew the kunai knife and Fushichou's body fell heavily to the ground. I shivered, stood and backed up slowly but ended up tripping over my own feet instead. I landed on my butt and dropped the knife. There was a sudden pang in my right eye and I touched it with my hand and kept it covered. It was almost identical to the same pain I'd felt in it a year earlier and I wondered what had happened to it now.

"Reicheru…" my mother croaked and I crawled to her side.

"I'm here mother," the tears continued to fall as she reached up to brush them from my face.

"I'm sorry… I could've protected you better…" she whispered heavily.

"You can't die! You're not even hurt!" I exclaimed as my mother's words hinted towards the end.

"I know but…"

"But what?!" I demanded, frustrated with her for being so weak.

"I never told you about a Dragon Kiss…" she murmured. "It's a special kiss that only our clan can give. When you give it to someone it is a sign of pure love… The kiss involves giving a part of your soul to the person you love. By doing so you ensure that when the one you love dies you will die too; it will ensure that you'll always be together. It doesn't work the other way around if your partner isn't from the Tatsuha clan though… I gave one to your father and now I realize that that was a mistake because it leaves you all alone…" my mother coughed and she grasped my hand.

"But…I…" I stammered; I was losing her.

"Don't be afraid to love someone just because you're afraid of losing them," Bara choked out as I turned my head to look at Fushichou's body.

How could I ever love anyone after I'd seen what they would do to me when they realized what I really was?

I removed my hand from my eye now that the pain had subsided and gazed down at my mother.

"Oh my… your eye…it's changed… I believe your father would call it the Mangekyou Sharingan…" she rasped.

"What?!" I exclaimed, wishing that my eye was just a normal eye and I felt a weird movement in.

"There, it's back to normal Sharingan… Same as what you did before when we tried to get your blue eye back," my mother began to cough. "Move a little closer… I have something I want to give you," I leaned forward and she pressed a cold finger to my forehead.

I felt her chakra leak into my head and suddenly I saw things that I'd never seen before. Dragons, stone walls and the park outside the Uchiha District were the most recurring images that I saw and I realized that my mother was giving me her memories. She dropped her hand and gave me a faint smile.

"I'm so sorry honey… Take care of White Fang and watch out for yourself…" my mother squeezed my hand as her eyes closed.

Eventually her breathing ceased and her hand went limp. Kunai approached us and let out a long mournful howl before disappearing into the forest. White Fang watched his mother go but stayed by my side. The tears became a river as they fell to the ground. Suddenly, the sky crackled and rain began to fall, soaking through my clothes and leaving me feeling cold and empty.

I sat in the ruined house, surrounded by gory bodies and stared at the hands that had done it all. I tried to calm myself by humming the tune that my mother had played for me our first night here but it didn't work. I stood shakily and as I stared at my mother's corpse, something inside me snapped. I hated her!

"What a stupid idea, giving your soul away! What point is there in living if I don't even have parents to love?! You've left me all alone just to show dad that you love him more than me!" I cried and yanked on my hair as I stormed around the remnants of the house.

White Fang lowered his ears and tucked his tail under his belly in fear at my sudden outburst at the body. I seemed to be going crazy and indeed I was.

"Come Reicheru, it'll be okay," White Fang tried to reassure me but his smile was fake.

"No! Your mom is gone too because of my mother!" I shouted at him and he whimpered.

I looked around madly for the kunai knife I'd dropped earlier and found it. I picked it up and resolved what I was going to do; a painful death, just like my parents had had. I brought the knife to the top of my left wrist and started tracing thin lines on top of it. I yelped as it stung and blood started to seep out of the lines. I flipped my hand over to reveal the side with the veins. I knew that a deep enough gash would sever the vein enough to allow me to bleed to death. I gulped and started making deeper cuts but I was too scared to actually cut the vein that would end my life. I pulled the knife away and hesitated, my whole lower arm stung and hurt to move.

"NO!" a gruff voice exclaimed from behind me.

I turned quickly and another kunai whizzed through the air and knocked the one I held out of my grip. I stared in horror as the Third Hokage approached me, wearing his battle gear.

"Stay back!" I warned as I took a step away from him and White Fang growled beside me.

"I'm not going to hurt you child. I wanted to stop this attack when news of your family reached me…but it seems I'm too late," the Hokage looked at me with sad and wary eyes. "Here, let me stop the bleeding," he took another step towards me and pulled a role of bandage tape out of his thigh holster.

I froze as he approached but allowed him to wrap my arm. He had to envelop my arm with a second layer since I was bleeding so profusely. I realized that he really wasn't going to hurt me so I relaxed a bit.

"Come with me child, I think I have a place for you back in the village."

"…Okay," I accepted cautiously. "Hold on a second though," I said bowing to him; tears still trickling down my face.

I rushed into the underground room and grabbed the couple of books my mother had on Healing Jutsu and my favourite stuffed animal. I brought my few belongings upstairs and into the rain. The Hokage led me into the forest, White Fang by my side. I looked back over my shoulder at the destruction and family I had left behind. I wept as I trailed the Hokage through the forest.

I returned to my normal age and body, shivering and whimpering. I looked down at my hands and realized that the ground underneath them was grey. I stood slowly and the world around me was the same colour grey; my memory was over.

I turned to look at Kakashi who stood beside me, staring at me with emotionless eyes. His gaze shifted towards the bandages on my left arm and I sighed and removed them slowly to reveal the thick, pinkish white scars. Kakashi took a harsh intake of breath but I didn't pay any attention to the sound as the grey world started to spin and lose focus before my eyes.

"Kai," I whispered, making the hand sign that released us from the Jutsu.