A/N: Here it is. Can you believe I've done this many chapters so far. I'm like so proud of myself. Good news for my readers and reviewers.

Thank you my reviewers.

It's like the lottery. Pick a number 10-50 and you may win many cookies.

And pick a gender: boy or girl.

So far

Girl:2

Boy:1

19

26

This is important so review.

The fate of the story is in your hands.

Reluctantly crawling into the lukewarm water she began to scrub the blood of his fur until it was once again white with dark black rings. Standing up Akame took that as a sign to get out, jumping out sopping wet he shook his fur free of excess water. Stalking out of the small bathroom he paced back and forth, nervous about Sakura and her reaction. He finally stopped when she fell to her knees in front of him.

"Oh Kami. You scared me so much." She threw her arms around him ignoring the fact he was still wet. "When we couldn't find you I thought the Suna-nin had used you for target practice but then a little girl had said that she saw you going up the wall and leaving."

The leopard made a low keening sound in the back of his throat.

She continued, "But when I found that out it was so much worse. I thought you left me and didn't want to stay anymore. I was so sad I just wanted to break down."

Akame –– no Kakashi –– felt horrible knowing he caused this. This pain seemed to follow him around everywhere. No matter what he did, no matter who he was it was inescapable and cruel.

Leaning into her Kakashi comforted her the only way he knew how in that form. Purring deep in his chest the sobs of his pink-haired kunoichi quieted down before she backed away wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"Thank you." She whispered then got up and going to clean up the mess in the bathroom.

Thank you for what? Comforting you Sakura or coming back. Akame inwardly frowned at her behavior.

Remembering his 'gift' for her he trotted towards his hiding spot and took out the slightly smelly hare. With the dead animal in his mouth he stood several feet away from the bathroom door waiting patiently for her to come out.

When she did Kakashi inwardly laughed at her expression of disgust before masking it over and placing a fake smile on her face. Standing up and moving towards her he gestured for the Leaf-nin to take it.

"No you can keep it Akame. It's your catch." She inched away from him trying to get on his left –– her right.

Moving his head in her direction, ignoring her words like a dumb animal he saw as she sighed and grabbed the hare disgust clearly written on her face and it was even more amusing because she made no attempt to hide. Disguising his laughter as happiness of her acceptance he noticed the disgust dim a little. Turning around he heard her check it in the corner but ignored that in favor of going over to the kitchen, she was a smart girl she would get the hint.

"Okay fat ass. Let's get something to it."

Leaving Suna with hugs and farewells they headed off towards Konoha. Home.

But when they reached the line where grass and trees turned to sand and vice versa Akame stopped and began inching to the north. Towards Sound and their poisoner, but he was an animal so it's much harder to communicate.

The group turned back confused. "What's wrong?"

Glad they were paying attention to him he looked north hoping they would at least entertain him for a little while.

Naruto spoke first, "Maybe he thinks something is up there. We should check it out."

Dia, Sasuke and Sakura shrugged their shoulders, thinking it was harmless. "Sure."

So they followed the leopard for not one or two not even three but six hours and there was nothing at all. Not a peep. Not a rogue or enemy ninja. Not even a cry for help.

"What the hell?" Dia grumbled.

"Excuse me young lady?" Sasuke said in such a fatherly voice it was still slightly disturbing for his teammates.

"I said 'What the hell!' We've been moving for six hours daddy. Six. Hours. We should be eating or finding a hot spring not traipsing around following a dumb animal." Dia was suddenly stopped and nearly fell of her branch she was hopping on when that 'dumb animal' landed right in front of her and growled.

Glad to see her shocked into silence he landed on the ground and promptly got hit upside his head with a fallen branch, "In all my years Akame and you want to scare a poor, young girl." That 'poor, young girl' didn't seem to happy with her title but slightly enjoyed the fact that the older woman hit him.

Grumbling at Avalon he lowered himself to the ground and looked away, irritated and annoyed. The group of four looked down at the older woman, who seemed about Tsunade's real age, warily. Though the fact that Akame seemed to respect her, if that was the correct word, did make them feel better but also the fact that she knew his name put them on edge, but then again for the fact that Akame did have a red eye made the name kinda obvious.

"Hello children," Three eyes simultaneously twitched and one of them was not Naruto's. "Now I have an answer to where you've been silly old leopard." And Kakashi had the gall to be insulted at the proper term. As a human he was middle-aged, she'd give him that but as a leopard boy was older than ancient. Boy, man, ninja he was male at that was what really mattered.

"We can talk in my tent and eat some good food." The old woman walked over to her campsite where the teepee stood erect and alone with only a small fire for company.

Walking over and opening up a flap the five people and leopard entered the deceptively spacious area. Sakura and Dia sat right next to each other with Akame at their feet and Sasuke and Naruto on either side, tense and guarded.

"What do you know about Akame?" Sakura asked politely.

"I raised him for the first few years of his life." Semi-truth was always the best way to go by when you couldn't tell the full truth. "He left six or seven months ago and found his way to you."

"Hey Baa-chan, what's your name?" Naruto asked rudely but she smiled sweetly anyways.

"Avaron." And the group seemed to think that fit her with her ya know apple-ish scent that permeated the air of the teepee.

A/N:DUN DUN DUUUUN. Sorry for the lame chapter but I was grasping at straws here people. Next chapter will hopefully come quicker than this one did and have more substance. Slight writer's block so I figured if I could get out something it will send the sparks flying to ma brain. And I thinks its working and it's probably not but oh well.