Bold = Demon

Italic = thoughts

Bold Italic = Inner

After a little self calming, I had come back and in the morning we had set on our way. Besides that it was unusually quiet since even Naruto was thinking hard on something. He even ran into a tree trunk . . .

Sakura had yelled at him to pay more attention to where he was going and bonked him on the head through she did take care of gash on his cheek he had gotten. I had noticed when we had started off, that there was an underlying respect towards me that had appeared to when I talked/yelled at Sakura. I knew that the boys had heard then and had learned a few things. The atmosphere wasn't exactly awkward, but it wasn't the same as before.

The rest of the trip was the same except when I kind of daydreamed in my plans to set people up . . . Kuku . . . Temari and Shikamaru . . . Ten Ten and Neji . . . Naruto and Hinata . . . Tsunade and Jirayiya . . . I snapped out of my thoughts when we neared the bridge where we were supposed to meet Sasori's spy. I sniffed the air for any recognized scents and sent out some chakra to search out the other people's chakra. I stiffened when I smelt two scents I recognized and the chakra confirmed it. Four eyes . . . Snake Bastard! I WILL kill you . . .I looked at my team and remembered the secret S-rank missions Tsunade assigned me . . .

* * * FLASHBACK * * *

"Ookami-Neko, I'm about to give you two S-rank missions that I thought that you were most likely to complete. Do you want them?" Tsunade told me. I nodded and she went on, "The first mission, you are to kill Orochimaru if the oppurtunity presents itself-" I hissed at Orochimaru and growled, ". . . Snake bastard . . .", Tsunade narrowed her eyes at me and said, "I know you have some . . . history . . . with Orochimaru, but don't take too long killing him. Anyway, the second misson you are to do is bring back Uchiha Sasuke . . . Preferably alive.". I hissed out, ". . . Chicken ass . . ." and Tsunade just raised an eyebrow and shrugged, "True . . . His hair does look like a chicken's ass.".

* * * END FLASHBACK * * *

Tsunade had given me the missions and I had been on the look out since then and an opportunity had just presented itself. Orochimaru was in my sights and I was about to take the chance. After I had gotten back to Konoha, Tsunade had decided that protecting Naruto should become a mission . . . a S-rank mission. She said that this way, Naruto could go out of the village and I could get paid for putting myself in harm's way. Hey, it was a way to pay the hospital bills! I was in there at least once every one to two months . . . *shudder* Orochimaru still had his Akatsuki ring and if it had a communication jutsu like I thought it had . . . I could reverse it and track Akatsuki members and further protect Naruto. All I had to do was get the damn ring . . .

With one last look at my team, I separated and went after Orochimaru.

* * * Meanwhile * * *

After I had left, the team noticed my absence.

Naruto looked behind him and noticed that someone was gone, "Where is Ookami-Neko?". At that, everyone stopped and looked behind. Sakura, Naruto and Yamato was confused until Sai spoke up, "She left a few minutes ago, muttering something about Snake Bastard and Four Eyes.". Naruto looked confused until it dawned on him, "Damn it! Snake Bastard is Orochimaru and Four Eyes is Kabuto. They must not be too far away if she went after them.". When Naruto and Sakura looked at Yamato as if to ask, What do we do?, Yamato shrugged and said, "She probably doesn't want anyone to interfere and would want us to continue the mission.". Naruto didn't look too happy about that, but they all continued on the way, but before they left Naruto looked at Sai and asked, "How did you know she left and why didn't you say anything?". Sai just looked at him and said, "She stopped and went off in a different direction. I didn't say anything because the killing intent she sent my way through her eyes when I opened my mouth was overwhelming.". Naruto looked slightly panicked, "What color were her eyes?" and at Sai's answer, "Gold, why?", his eyes looked the size of saucers. "Shit . . . She's severely pissed . . . We got to hurry and finish this mission before there is nothing left of what is near her if she doesn't kill Orochimaru!". Sakura shivered remembering what had happened when Orochimaru had gotten away last time . . .

* * * Back to Ookami-Neko * * *

I was almost to Orochimaru when I saw Four Eyes walk up to Yamato in a henge of Sasori in his puppet. Four Eyes is Sasori's spy? There is no way Snake Bastard would have kept him if he was a spy . . . Shit! Four Eyes must have had a memory block and Snake Bastard got rid off it! Four Eyes means to kill Yamato! I almost hiss, but don't, not willing to lose the advantage I have over Snake Bastard.

I watch as the events unfold. Yamato dodges Four Eyes, Sakura and Naruto enter the fight with Sai. Sakura go after Four eyes while Naruto is just behind her. Then Snake Bastard jumps out, grabbing Naruto's attention. I curse a string of profanities that would make any solider blush. Snake Bastard taunts Naruto with saying how Chicken Ass will be his new body soon. Naruto quickly gains one tail, then two and three. When the fourth tail appears, Naruto is no longer in control, I step in.

Yamato was backing up Naruto and Sai, Sakura. Four Eyes distracts Sakura and disappears to reappear behind her. My eye twitches as I hiss out, "Four Eyes . . . Foolish mistake.". Both battles pause for a moment when everyone feels my aura and killing intent is released and they all shudder. I grin feral and lick my chops as I get in a stance similar to Naruto's.

Neko. Ookami. Now would be a good time to let you have some control.

Neko: YES!

Ookami: YES!

What about me?

You've gone, its their turn. No arguing, or you're not coming out anytime soon.

. . . Fine.

Ice blue and fire red chakra begin to swirl and twist faster and faster to form a dorm as I arch my back and roar. Soon the chakra settles around me with pointed ears, a snout and clawed paws with two tails in a violet hue. Soon I take on a few fox like features as my tails get bushy and my ears grow and growl out, "Foolish, foolish mistake. Now you pay Four Eyes.".

I lunged at him and got a bite in his shoulder. He tried to shake me off, but I held on, scratching up his back with my claws. While no one was paying particular attention, I started to shove my chakra into his system. He took out a kunai and was trying to stab me in the back while hitting me on my snout and trying to force my chakra out. I yelped when he hit a particular tender part of my snout and caused my nose to bleed heavily. I growled through his shoulder and after digging my claws into his shoulder, made him look into my eyes. I had activated my kekkai genkai then the Sharingan. The three tomoes span as I put a heavy genjutsu on him, making him to all appearances, dead. He was trapped in his own mind with a genjutsu I liked to call, Death's bell. Ghosts of past victims would appear to come and surround him while a bell tolled a particularly awful note. I didn't kill him because he was SO more useful if he was alive and I was prepping him for Ibiki. By the time I got back to Konoha, Four eyes would be ripe for the picking.

The last thing to do before going after Snake Bastard is to make sure I grab Four Eyes. I pull out on of my sealed scrolls from my legwarmer. I open it and unseal it, it has a large capacity, and place Four Eyes next to it while I do the had signs to reseal it. Once he is sealed inside, its time to join the fight.

During my 'fight' with Four eyes, Sakura and Sai had gone to back up Naruto. Snake Bastard had been taking Naruto farther and farther from the bridge. I smirked and ran to the edge of the bridge and jumped the bridge, coming up behind Snake Bastard. I gripped his shoulders and whispered in his ear, "This is my only warning Snake Bastard, I have been given the green light to kill you if the opportunity is there and lookie here. I have the chance, but for now, I'll just take your Akatsuki ring. I'm watching and if there is any funny business towards Suna or Konoha, you won't live to see it through. It will be painful and excruciating and long so be warned. And just for your information, I killed Four Eyes.". I stole his ring and kicked his sorry ass away, hoping I broke at least a few bones. Snake Bastard takes this chance and runs, Naruto attempts to go after him, but to prevent him, I reach around his back and hold him in a hug. Sakura had already attempted to calm him down, but had got whipped with one of Naruto's tails in the process. I had calmed down already so Neko's and Ookami's chakra had already disappeared. Kyuubi's chakra was burning my skin, but I just held on to Naruto as Yamato formed a wood cage to hold Naruto in and stuck his hand through to place a tag on Naruto's forehead. I was singing a lullaby under my breath to him to help him calm down. As the tag took effect, Naruto relaxed. I looked at Sakura and I caught her eyes, whispering to her a message, "Don't attempt that again! Naruto could have seriously hurt you and not even realized it. Then he would have felt guilty and I don't want that. Naruto knows that I'm a law on myself and there is nothing that can stop me when I want. He won't feel guilty because of that.". Naruto looks up at me, to see me with my eyes closed and singing that lullaby under my breath.

My sweet child,

please don't cry~

I'll sing you a lullaby~

I'll be there,

no matter what~

I'll be there every time,

I'm needed~

You don't need to call,

I'll be by your side~

So my sweet child,

smile,

smile like the sun~

Have your eyes,

twinkle like the stars~

Let you be happy~

I'll fight the shadows away~

My sweet child . . .~ [These italics to the left are her singing, not her thinking. I won't bother putting something in for her singing since she doesn't do it often.]

Naruto looked at me with tears in his eyes as I finished the lullaby I had sung to my pack when they were young and had been sung to be my mother when my father wasn't home. I had sung this to myself a few times when I felt I needed the comfort. Now I had sung it to calm Naruto. Naruto smiled hesitantly at me then saw the chakra burns I had gotten while holding Naruto back. He looked at me with wide eyes and I smiled sadly and said, "You should know better then think that someone could have stopped me. I'm unstoppable when I'm focused on something.". Sakura had quickly hid her chakra burn and had come closer after Yamato had gotten rid off the wooden cage. She started to heal some of the burns on Naruto and after seeing that they were already healing, turned to me. My burns were likewise healing quickly, but not as quick. I shook my head to clear it, regretting it as soon as my nose throbbed. I groaned, "Damn Four Eyes . . . He broke my nose." and did my best to realign it then started to heal it. Unfortunately for me, the bone had started knitting back together rather quickly and had started to heal slightly crooked. Now my nose looked slightly crooked towards the ground, it had a slightly squashed look. Not overly much or really noticeable, but there. This was the downside of healing rather quickly after I used Neko's and Ookami's chakra. Normally, I just healed in a third to half the time it usually took, but ever since my seals had been fixed it was a quarter to half. When my Bijou's chakra was involved, it started to heal immediately and if it wasn't aligned correctly . . . It was stuck that way. THAT was why after I had almost . . . Well, technically . . .died, I had stayed moving so long. I was being healed from the inside out, but too much damage had been done so I had died. Well, until Chiyou had done something about that . . .

I looked around me and counted heads, Naruto, Sakura, Yamato . . . "Where's Sai?". Everyone looked around and I cursed, knowing what he had done. I knew Sai's scent having learned it not long after he had joined my team, so followed it.

Once I was in range of Sai, the overwhelming stench that was only Snake Bastard, clogged my nose. I had to shake my head to clear it a bit before running into the compound. I found Sai fighting Chicken Ass and entered the fight by running between them and stopping both of their attacks. I glared at Sai, using my hands to form the silent communication ANBU used. I told him, YOU . . . I NEED . . . TALK, roughly then turned to Chicken Ass and disappeared for a moment. I reappeared behind him and whispered in his ear, "I know of your deal with Snake Bastard and know some info that you might want to be privy of. When the fight ends, send a clone after me and I'll tell your clone.". When he turned to catch me, he nodded and I jumped away.

Naruto and Sakura appeared now and I saw something flash in Chicken Ass's eyes before it disappeared. If there was a deal between Sasuke and Snake Bastard, then he didn't want to hurt them. Naruto tried to get him to come back with them and I saw the sadness in his eyes when he shook his head no. Sakura got pissed off that he simply refused to come with him and punched the ground. I saw as we dodged, that there was pride in his eyes. I smirked at this, he DEFINITELY had something that he was hiding that was involved Naruto and Sakura. I knew by the way he held himself that he was holding back.

I froze when I smelt Snake Bastard and sure enough, he was there within moments. As I glared at Snake Bastard and he glared back, I saw Sasuke make a few signs within moments and the clone was never seen. Nobody looked at Sasuke when he made the signs or when he was done. Orochimaru called Sasuke to his side and after one last look in my direction, he left. When he was gone, Naruto tried to go after him and I confronted Naruto, "Naruto, we can't go after him, right now. We completed our mission and its time to report back to Konoha. You need to go on your way. I'll follow in a second, I need to check to see if I sealed one of my scrolls correctly. I don't want in to open at a bad time.". Naruto seemed to accept this and Naruto and Sakura ran back towards Yamato. Sai stayed behind for a moment when he narrowed his eyes, "You know ANBU code." he stated it, not asked. I nodded and went ahead and talked, "You had a separate agenda. I'm not team captain, but I won't accept this. You tell me if there is something that you have to do on this mission because if you don't I can very well tie you up and take you back to Konoha and have you interigated. I, myself, have a separate agenda so I can't tell you, you can't, per se. You just have to approve it with me. You DON'T interfere with my agenda or I'll still tie you up and ship you back to Konoha. What is on my agenda is approved by Tsunade . . . Well, most of it. So you CAN'T interfere.". He nodded and I narrowed my eyes at him, "You work for Danzo so I'll be keeping an eye on you. I want you to hand anything you get from him to me, understand?" at his reluctance, I continued, "I don't have much proof yet, but I have reason to believe that Danzo isn't trustworthy and I just want to keep an eye on him. If there is going to be a spy on my team, I'll use that spy to my advantage.". He nodded and waved him off.

Once he was on his way towards my team, I pulled the scroll containing Four Eyes out, checking if it was properly sealed. When I was satisfied, I put it back in my legwarmer went off to speak privately with Sasuke's clone then going to find other hideouts.