A/N: Forgot to say this ealier Akika Yui was created with help by Shadows of Archonia.

Chapter eleven: Failure

The two stared at each other for several minutes. Then both looked down at the kimonos.

"He wasn't serious right?" Naruto said. Akika blinked.

"You've known him longer than I have." She said. Naruto shook his head.

"No not really…where do you think the others went off to?" he asked glancing in the direction that his three sensei's had walked off in. Akika followed his gaze.

"Well we could always go after them and find out." She said softly. Naruto turned and gave her a mile wide grin.

"Sounds like a good idea to me." He said.

"Expect you are both forgetting one thing." Kyuubi's voice called out. They both turned to look at him. He stood there leaning on one of the support beams his arms crossed.

"Kyuubi!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Naruto I told you to stop calling me that, it's 'Ky'. And the thing you are both forgetting is that I am not going to allow you to follow them. So you better get used to that idea. Now go get ready, we leave in an hour." He said walking away.

"Why do we have to go to some stupid festival! I know that they are hiding something!" Naruto said glaring at Kyuubi's back. Akika looked down.

"He's right I know that they are hiding something, and even if I knew what it was girly I wouldn't tell you. For once that fox is right. It isn't safe for the two of you. Let the adults deal with it." Sylph said to Akika.

"Sylph argees with them." Akika said anger in her voice. Naruto screamed and threw the kimono on the ground.

"I am not going to a festival when I know there is something more important going on!" he shouted. Akika knelt and picked up the kimono dusting it off. She handed it back to him, he stared at her.

"Can you take on 'Ky' and win?" she asked bluntly. Naruto opened and closed his mouth then growled.

"No." he said grumpily already knowing what she was going to say next.

"Well then. We don't have a choice do we? Just because we are going doesn't mean that we actually have to enjoy it." She said as she walked past him to the bath house. Naruto grumbled as he walked to their room and slid the door open. Sliding it shut he growled.

"Stop grumbling kit and just get ready." A voice said into to his mind. Naruto screamed and stared wide eyed around. The door slid open again and a hand touched his shoulder.

"I told you that I was still within you as well." Kyuubi said shaking his head, Naruto turned to face him glaring.

"I don't want to go!" he said in a tone that was quite close to whining. Kyuubi smirked and ruffled Naruto's hair.

"To bad. Get ready." He commanded.

Akika pouted as she pulled her shirt off.

"I'm not speaking to you Sylph." She stated. She heard the woman laugh in her head.

"You just did girly. Besides what's the harm, you might actually have some fun, and goodness knows that will be good for you. Would it kill you to just let yourself relax. You do around that boy, at least some. Well this festival will give you the excuse to relax the rest of the way. Besides do you really think he has had an easy life? Maybe he needs to relax more than you, he hasn't told you much about himself now has he. So why don't you try and take his mind off whatever is worrying him." Sylph said. Akika frowned as she pulled her pants off staring at the kimono, it was a emerald green one with gold thread embroidered in fancy designs. She made a face as she slowly put the thing on.

"Yes I guess you have a point." She said shaking her head. She heard Sylph huff.

"You guess! Of course I have a point even tails for brains would agree with me on this one! Fun isn't deadly!" Sylph snapped. Akika rolled her eyes.

"Do you think for just tonight you could shut up and leave me alone to my thoughts?" Akika said aggravated as she looked around finding a hair brush, she found one and slowly began brushing her hair out.

"Of course I'll leave you. You can't very well relax with me in your head now can you? Finish getting read girly."

Akika sighed and continued to get ready.

Naruto knew he was being childish as he leaned on the beam pouting. He was stuck wearing a dark navy blue kimono and Kyuubi had grabbed him before he could flee and fixed his hair to a way he liked, it looked the same but it was less wild somehow. He thought his hand fiddling with the earring. What did it matter if he and Akika had run off after Arashi, Kakashi and Jiraiya. They could take care of themselves.

"Still pouting?" he heard an amused male voice say, he turned and glared at the demon fox as he walked up to him.

"I don't see why we actually have to go!" he snapped at him. Kyuubi shook his head, he wore a red kimono with the symbol of 'fox' embroidered every where in it with orange thread.

"Because, the dumb blonde and his friends do not want you running off after them and I agree with them. you'd be asking for trouble if you went and did that, so why don't you just stop pouting." Kyuubi said and turned as Akika walked out, she had managed to get her hair twisted up into a bun and let a good part of it flow freely. She looked at Naruto and she shrugged.

"Ready?" she asked. Naruto sighed and nodded. Kyuubi rubbed his hands together.

"You two act like this is some sort of horrible punishment! Come on, it's a festival you know, a place where people go to have fun!" he said watching the two, both gave him looks that told him exactly what they thought of having fun. Rolling his eyes he grabbed an arm on each and began to lead them away from the house. He was smiling as he dragged the two reluctant children, for once he knew exactly what he had to do!

"Come on they have more candy at this stall!" Akika said with glee and she and Naruto ran towards a stall that indeed contained more candy. Kyuubi muttered underneath his breath, how was it possible that the two could eat more, he had already treated them to ramen, ice cream, pie, as well as candy. But somehow they wanted more. Not that they needed the sugar. He thought as he watched Naruto hop from one foot to the other as the two debated over their choices. Funny, they didn't seem to mind being there any longer, you wouldn't have known that he had to drag them both their and for the first hour keep them there.

"Ky!" he heard Naruto shout over to him, now the kit was hopping up and down on both feet. Kyuubi sighed as he walked over prepared to buy whatever it was that the boy had seen. Akika was grinning at him, this was not a good sign.

"Here you go sir!" the man at the stall said handing Kyuubi a bag, curious he looked down into the bag and snarled inside was a fox stuffed animal. He looked up ready to snap at the children but they were already off and running, he snarled at the booth man and chased after them.

"Get back here you trouble makers!" he shouted after them as the two dashed into another stall. He growled and charged in it and froze. Inside were all different kinds of animals in cages. He noticed the two children were staring frozen in shock as a man grabbed on of the animals harshly, he didn't need to see what the man was planning on doing, even if it was just for sale. He grabbed the back of Naruto's collar and Akika's arm and dragged to two away from the stall.
"But…" Naruto managed.

"How could they!" Akika said. Kyuubi rolled his eyes and shoved the children towards a stall he knew held more sugar. Best to distract them. he thought, as he handed each more money. The two nodded dumbly and looked around the stall. Kyuubi folded his arms and narrowed his eyes, there was someone around…he thought he had a very bad feeling and when he had one of those it meant trouble.

"Aww it's so cute! Here you can have my money Naruto you have to get it!" he heard from behind and he turned just in time to see Naruto hand over money to the owner of the stall.

"Are ye' sure you want it boy?" the man asked and Naruto nodded holding out his hands. The man placed something very small into his hands and Kyuubi had to groan as Naruto walked over to him to show it. Inside his palm curled up fast asleep was a tiny kitten.

"Kit, did you really need that? How are you going to take care of it, I thought you were supposed to be training?" he commented. Naruto's shoulders fell and Kyuubi rolled his eyes.

"Fine, but we should head back now, because that little thing looks like it could use some food." Kyuubi said. He was too soft; he decided when both children grinned at him more than willing to leave the festival. Kyuubi shook his head and froze as he caught something out of the corner of his eyes, he had just enough time to grab Naruto out of harms way and throw him to the ground, Naruto yelped in surprise protecting the kitten. Kyuubi snarled as Akika ran towards him in surprise, but a hand snaked out and grabbed her throat pulling her away, people in the streets screamed as three men in all to familiar uniforms appeared standing near Akika one holding her neck.

"We found you." One said smiling at her as she squirmed in the man's grip.

"Akika!" Naruto shouted and yelped as the kitten mewed biting his hand and ran off to the man in the stall he had bought it from. Naruto leapt to his feet charging the men without a single thought he was already forming the ball of charka on his hand. He didn't even say a word as he pushed it into the man who held Akika's stomach. The man flew backwards and Akika was flung back towards Kyuubi who quickly caught her. Naruto charged further blood in his eyes as he quickly summoned shadow replications, Kyuubi snarled setting Akika down and charged into the battle Naruto had just created. The Naruto's attacked only to be destroyed with a single blow by each man. Soon only the real Naruto was left, again Naruto was desperate he formed his charka again and once more charged but a swift blow to his neck sent him flying backwards crashing into one of the stalls. Kyuubi snarled slashing with his hands now clawed at the man who had just hit Naruto, he dodged the man's attack and leapt to stand in front of the now barely conscious child. His eyes widened a moment and he turned to where he had left Akika, the girl was in one of the men's arms.

"Retreat for now." The man said smiling as he took off running. The other two quickly took off after him. Kyuubi started to chase them but froze, remembering Naruto turning he knelt in front of the boy, who was rapidly waking up, Naruto hacked up blood and stared in shock at him.

"They took her didn't they?" he asked, the pain and guilt was in the boy's eyes now. Kyuubi nodded and dragged Naruto to his feet. Then he glanced around people were staring at them, with an arm around Naruto's waist he quickly took off heading back for the house.

"We have to go after them!" Naruto snapped understanding where Kyuubi was leading him. Kyuubi shook his head as he continued his journey.

"No, I will go after them once I know your back safely. Okay? Promise me you wont try and follow me." Kyuubi said staring into Naruto's eyes as he stopped in front of the home. Naruto stared back, fighting to control his emotions.

"Naruto." He said quietly. Naruto closed his eyes and nodded. That was all Kyuubi needed, he took off swiftly into the night. Opening his eyes Naruto stared blankly at the back of him until he could no longer see him. His shoulders slumped and he limped into the house pulling the kimono off throwing it to the ground as he did so and pulled on a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt, he hurt, he thought but shrugged it off and walked back outside. He would wait for someone to come back…ignoring the fact that no one could come back at all. His eyes grew heavy his breath becoming slightly irregular. He fought to stay awake but it was fighting a loosing battle. He was tired, just from a small fight he was tired. How was he supposed to rescue Sasuke and bring him back if he couldn't even handle a small fight such as he had just been in. his head rolled back and his body slumped back as he finally gave into sleep.