Chapter Eleven

We ran quickly through the town and left it behind as an explosion sounded and created a mushroom cloud. Knowing the aftershock was on its way, I grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him into me and crouched as my wings formed a barrier. And we were hit with the aftershock. I stood up and helped him up and put my wings and blades away and noticed he stood taller than me now.

"Sonea?" He said with confusion.

"What's up?" I smiled and we began to run through the trees.

"Are you… I mean…" He started.

"I though we got you over your stuttering?" I teased slightly, looking at him from the corner of my eye. It was quiet until we agreed to set up a camp. We sat watching the fire after eating. Kakashi still hadn't looked at me the entire time.

"What is bothering you Hatake?" I asked with a sigh as I poked at the fire and I saw the way his aura changed, it was an ANBU tactic so that we could complete our missions.

"Nothing, I just didn't expect to see you so intimate with that girl or for you to have been gone for so long after our last chat." He said, poking at the fire and whipping out a familiar orange book that I could see was pretty worn already

"I thought that I said I would castrate you." I said coolly.

"So I'm old enough to be assassin but not to read porn. What a stupid thing to say." He said, ignoring me.

"Yeah, that's true, you're probably not even a virgin anymore." I said and quickly shoved my earphones in. I watched as his ears turned red with a blush.

"How would you know?" He mumbled thinking I couldn't hear him.

"Because I know all about the heat of the moment and mission sex, ANBU places that kind of stress on you." I blurted out and covered my mouth when he looked at me with shock in his visible eye and I slid my earphones out again and knew I wouldn't get to use them anytime soon.

"So, that girl… You really did…" He started and I nodded.

"Seducing her was part of the mission, nothing more." I said.

"It didn't look like that when you kissed her that last time." He said defensively and putting his book away.

"It was a thank you kiss, she helped me to regain my emotions after… You know…" I started before he cut me off.

"If you stayed I could have helped you, we could have helped each other after that loss but you just went on like nothing even happened and left me to deal on my own…" He said before I cut him off we were both standing now, the fire was separating us.

"That is how I cope dammit!" I nearly shouted and registered the shock in his eye again. I sighed and sat down again.

"Never mind, I'm going to sleep. Good night Shadow." He said getting into his sleeping bag and turning his back to me.

"Good night Hatake." I said quietly and put my earphones back in and played it so loud that I couldn't think as I kept watch in my meditative sleep. I didn't bother to wake Kakashi up for a watch, as I knew he was awake and asleep the whole night until sunrise came. I could hear Kakashi about to wake up soon below me as I worked out the kinks in my old bloodied body from being chained up in one position for a while and rubbed at my eyes tiredly as I remembered the last words Kakashi said to me before I took off on this mission, 'I'll make you mine one day, you can count on that Shadow.'

We arrived back in Konoha later the next day. We hadn't said a word to each other since that night and we silently went our separate ways when we reached Konoha and I continued straight to Hiruzens office for a report.

"How did it go?" He asked as he linked his fingers together and placed them on the desk.

"As planned sir, I don't know why you sent back-up, it was just a pain in the ass." I complained and he chuckled.

"He has been like that since Minato died. He is always late and is always reading Jiraiya's book even though I have no idea how an under age teen got that. He has been going on ANBU missions, one after another unless he is hurt or to exhausted. He has become a shell of his old self, it is actually a bit sad." Hiruzen said with a slight frown.

"He blames everything on me and don't worry about it. As long as his anger is focused on a point he will be fine. He is still himself but he uses his actions as a guard after what I saw last night. I think we should leave him be for now but send him on easier missions from time to time." I suggested and Hiruzen nodded with agreement.

"I will think this over, thank you Sonea, you are dismissed until further notice." Hiruzen said and I walked out and went up to the roof. I lay in the sun and watched the Hokage's on the mountain.

"Oh Minato, why did you both have to die. I haven't even kept my promise to you and now I don't know how I would go about trying to fix that. Kakashi has changed the most as I'm sure you know as you have been watching over him I'm sure. My soul shattered when you died and my ties to emotion disappeared for a while. Even now I'm still not the same but life goes on while I stand still." I said up to the forth head.

"Do you always talk to yourself like that miss?" A voice called to my right and I saw Sarutobi Asuma, Hiruzen's son.

"Sorry, I didn't know this spot was taken." I apologised as I rolled back onto my shoulders and flipped up to standing again.

"It's not, I just come up here to smoke when my old man isn't watching." He said with a shrug and lit his cigarette. I smiled.

"I see well then I shall leave you in peace." I said jumping off the side of the tower and landing gracefully on the ground. I landed up walking through the market and decided I needed a change in my clothing as I walked into a shinobi clothing store.

The old man helped me with the choice. I ended up with a top that went around my neck and stuck to just past my breasts on the sides with that special chakra tape and came to where my waist is the smallest, just above my belly ring that I got recently from my mission as well as a few ear piercing and got an ear ring that linked the top and bottom with a chain on my right ear in silver. Next was my pants, I was tired of close fitting pants as I went for a skirt that was attached to shorts underneath and the skirt, slit up on both sides to the waistband, and they both ended on my mid thigh. And of coarse completed the new black look with my precious dragon skin half skirt.

I thanked the man for his help and paid and left in my new outfit. I walked with attitude and slight hop, one foot in front of the other. People were tripping left, right and centre as I walked gracefully into the weapons store next.

I had my katanas taken care of while I looked around. For my belt I got a scrolls pouch that carried five at a time and placed it on my right hip. I got two pouches that sat on each butt cheek and a knuckle buster and knife holder for in between. I also got a new arm holster for my silhouette knife. And new clips for my katanas on my left hip. I paid and thanked the couple with my black new holsters. This time, people not only stared in awe but moved out of my way, as I had a kunai holster on each leg.

I continued until I heard shouting and I ran and transformed into my demon mode on the way, minus the wings and tail. Three men had cornered a boy in an alleyway. This made my blood boil as I jumped down between the boy and the men.

"What do you think you are doing?" I asked them with a cold tone with one hand on my hip.

"That kid is a demon, why are you protecting it." One man snarled. My jaw clenched.

"This boy is no such thing but since you came here to see a demon I'll give one to you." I said as I pulled on the Jyuubi chakra and let my iron wings out and snarled. The men crawled over each other to leave the alleyway. I calmed down to my normal demon state and turned to the boy in the shadows.

"Are you okay?" I asked and held out a hand to the shaking boy and he took it after a lot of hesitation and shaking. Panic struck me as sunshine locks and bright blue eyes came into my view with three distinct whiskered scars on each cheek.

"Thank you nee-chan." He said in a small voice that made me want to kill those men now.

"What is your name?" I asked with a smile, already knowing the answer.

"Uzumaki Naruto and you dattebayo?" He said with the little quirk that reminded me of Kushina.

"I'm Sonea Storm Shadow. I'll walk you home." I offered and left my hand in his as he lead me through the streets. I noticed all of the looks and glares and mutterings of 'demon child' as he continued, ignoring the comments. I let my eyes flash and the people all ignored us afterwards and wrapped my tail around his back protectively.

We arrived at a run down building as he climbed up the stairs and to a door that had seen better days as I thought about the date… October tenth… His birthday, and what a sad day it still is. He had turned three today. He went through his door and offered me to come in even though he didn't have much because he was a demon. Hearing him say that about himself made my heart hurt. I got down on one knee and pulled him into a hug.

"Happy birthday Naruto." I whispered to him and pulled out of the hug and left after he locked up at my advice. My blood boiled afterwards at what I had just witnessed. The Yondaime Hokage's living legacy treated worse than what was lower than scum and his living conditions.

I was determined as I returned to the Hokage's office, and Kakashi was there in his ANBU attire and his wolf mask on. I didn't care about what he was saying until I slammed my hands down on his desk and leaned forward.

"Let me guess, the council let it slip about Naruto being the jinchuuriki for the Kyuubi to, huh?" I growled through clenched teeth. Hiruzen closed his eyes in sadness and let his head fall.

I growled and spun away from him and ran a hand through my hair as I forced myself to calm down.

"Sonea-san." Kakashi said carefully.

"I'm sorry Ookami-san for interrupting your meeting but do you know how your sensei's son is being treated… Worse than scum, lower than that. Hiruzen, how could you?" I asked as I turned back to face him again.

"What do you mean?" Kakashi asked, registering what I just said.

"He was ganged up on by three men, in an alleyway while people just passed on by. And the looks… How do you expect a now three year-old to stand that?" I said sadly as realisation passed over Kakashi in a wave.

"October tenth." He said, nearly in a whisper and I nodded.

"Sonea, Kakashi, listen please." Hiruzen drew our attention back to him when he spoke in a strained voice.

"What?" I asked harshly, making him flinch for the first time in years.

"You are forbidden to go near him, council orders as suspicion will be raised if either one of you are seen with him, he is Uzumaki for a reason." He pleaded.

"And you think that this is a good enough reason to let him live like that? Not on my watch." I said with force.

"To protect him from his family's enemies yes." Hiruzen said back with determination. I slumped, as I knew he was right. Everyone knew about Sharingan no Hatake Kakashi being the Yondaime's student as well as the teaming up with Minato on some major missions, all of Minato's enemies would figure out that Naruto was related to him and try to kill him out of fear that he would become the next Yellow Flash.

"Then at least, let me help him from the shadows." I begged. Hiruzens face softened with a small smile.

"I will take her place to allow her to rest a few days and I'm sure her team of ANBU would help out to Hokage-sama." Kakashi spoke up which surprised me. He obviously didn't know about this either.

"Very well. Raven, I will be giving this mission to you, your team and Ookami here. Good luck." Hiruzen said with a smile that made him seem younger some how. I nodded my respects to him and then to Kakashi as I left. There was still half a day left and I decided to see a young Uchiha friend of mine I hadn't seen for a while.

I first stopped by the academy and found out he had graduated a year ago at the age of seven. I hopped through the Uchiha compound but didn't find him so I went to the shadows of the mission desk area and waited.

Finally, his team came in and they went their separate ways and I caught him outside.

"Yo, Itachi-kun." I said sweetly with a smile. His face instantly lit up and he hugged me tight and I picked him up in the hug and spun him around once and set him back onto the floor.

"Sonea-san, where have you been?" He asked, still grinning as we started to walk back to the complex.

"I was in the hospital after the Kyuubi attack and sent on a long term mission afterwards and just got back today. Congratulations on becoming a genin a year ago." I said happily and ruffled his hair, much to his dismay.

We chatted all the way back to his house and caught my attention when he started talking about how everyone suspects the Uchiha of the Kyuubi attack.

"It was definitely an Uchiha but as far as I could tell, they did not belong to the village by their presence." I said sadly, looking down at his concentrated frown.

"How do you know for sure?" He asked curiously.

"The Kyuubi's eye had the sharingan spinning in it. I should know saying I went head to head with it until the end. Don't worry to much about it, I'll keep an eye out for you." I said as I waved good-bye and left for home.