I got 9 reviews for the chapter before this one. I was so shocked and happy. The greedy part of me was like why not ten? That part also is sometimes known as the OCD part because it was like why 9, nine is not an even number. Most of me however was just happy to get so many reviews. Yay people who review!

This chapter brought to you by: My new shiny shoes. They are silver with black on them so they are literally shiny. I shall follow them.

Kimimaro's Death

So I was watching Gaara squish Kimimaro to death when Kimimaro emerged still alive! Sadly he emerged with nasty bones protruding from his body, but still alive. Needless to say I was impressed by his stay-alive-after-fatal-squishing-powers.

"He's not dead!" Lee exclaimed.

"Apparently not." I commented dryly.

"…" Gaara didn't say anything but made the sand once more surround Kimimaro to crush him to death.

"Don't you have any other jutsu?" I asked annoyingly. Once again Kimimaro emerged victorious. Well not victorious but alive, that's something.

"Won't he die?" Gaara asked growling at his failure.

"Eventually," I answered annoyingly until I saw the ultra scary glare Gaara was giving me, "He seems sick to me. I think he is pushing himself to his breaking point."

"I hope so." Lee pointed out, "Gaara seems to be almost out of chakra.

Kimimaro made one last attempt to kill Gaara, and Gaara being exhausted could not even move to stop it. I don't know how but I saw Kimimaro get ready to poke Gaara's eye out with his bone and I moved to stop him. Unfortunately I am not that good a ninja, since I am not one, so I pushed Gaara out of the way but somehow my right shoulder was pierced by his bone.

"Akira!" the three boys shouted at me in shock.

"Why?" Gaara asked staring confused at me since I had just saved me.

"I didn't mean, why were you there, did I hurt you?" Kimimaro asked shakily coughing some blood after each thought.

"Kimimaro..." I stated noticing the blood and trying to ignore Gaara because I had no suitible answer for him at the moment.

"Akira." Kimimaro said once more and I left the safety of Gaara's sand float to stand by Kimimaro's side.

"It's okay, I walked into it. It was like me holding my fist out and you walking into it." I joked with him like I used to.

"I missed you." Kimimaro admitted smiling until he had to cough once more. "Can you forgive me for hurting you?"

"Nothing to forgive. I wouldn't have held that against you, even if you weren't dieing."

"You know." He said shocked as he moved all the protrusions of bone back into his body so that he once more looked normal.

"It's not hard to figure out."

"Can I have one dieing wish?" Kimimaro asked me with such pleading eyes that I would not have been able to say no, even if I wanted to, which I don't.

"Depends on if I can."

"Stay."

"I was going to do that anyway." I said finally closing the distance between us and hugging him with my left hand. He immediately put both his arms around me and buried his face in my hair, since he is taller than me.

"I truly am sorry." he muttered right before he gave one last cough and died. I gently laid him down on the ground. Closing his eyes gently. I looked up at Gaara and Lee and told them, "He's dead you can come down now it's safe."

Gaara made his sand float connect with the ground and he sat there too weak to do anything but stare at me, still in shock. Well he's staring at me emotionlessly but I know he's shocked. Just like I knew that Itachi was smirking from behind his mask before. I had no answers for Gaara so I continued to sit next to Kimimaro's body holding my shoulder to keep the blood in. maybe I should get that looked at.

"Why." Gaara finally mustered the energy to ask.

"Because he was my friend." I answered talking about Kimimaro.

"No, why did you save me?"

"Did you expect me to let you die—in front of me, when I could do something to prevent it?"

"No one has ever tried to protect me."

"I suppose that's why it is such a shock." Lee stated reminding Gaara and I of his presence.

"Well I can't let important people to me die in front of me without doing anything." I said not looking at him because I was afraid of blushing. Stupid body, trying to blush. I wasn't even confessing anything, was I? Plus isn't blushing blood running to your face? I think I am loosing too much blood from my shoulder to do that right not, thank you very much.

"Akira, is your shoulder okay, I shall heal it with the power of youth." Lee announced noticing me still holding my shoulder and apparently just now noticing me flinch in pain every time I moved that arm. He's not the brightest crayon in the box, but he sure is one of the greenest. He tried to get up and use his youth to heal me, whatever that means, but was unable to due to the fact that his legs are still injured and he severely overused them in his fight.

"It's okay Lee, I think if youth was powerful enough to heal it then I would have already used my own youth to heal it myself." I pointed out trying to use Lee and Gai logic.

"Maybe you just do not have enough youth!"

"I don't think that's the problem."

"You got hurt because of me." Gaara said feeling guilty.

"No I am pretty sure that I got hurt because of my own stupidity and the pointy object that I threw myself in front of."

"If we weren't here you wouldn't have gotten hurt." Gaara continued.

"Well if you all weren't here I would either still be in that tree or hurt on the ground after falling out of said tree. Most likely the last once since Kimimaro caught me as I was falling. Although I wouldn't have fallen if I wasn't trying to see if I was hearing things or not. Since I was hearing you, Lee, then I suppose that I would have just sat there." I said thinking out loud.

"Why were you in the tree anyway?" Lee asked curiously.

"I was put there for safe keeping. I, apparently, have a tendency to find trouble when left alone." I responded noticing that Gaara was still feeling guilty and sulking.

"Why were those that kidnapped you here in the first place?" Lee asked causing Gaara to once more stare at me, instead of staring sadly at the ground.

"They were ordered to make sure that no one kills Naruto."

"Akira you really shouldn't just tell people about our mission." Kisame said as he made his presence known in the clearing.

"You really should not be an accomplice to someone that leaves someone else in a tree." I said pouting which turned into a grimace as I moved my hurt shoulder.

"You're injured." Kisame finally noticed.

"Really, I never would have known." I replied sarcastically.

"Itachi is going to kill me." Kisame whined completely ignoring the two other males in the clearing. He apparently fails at ninja-noticing-things.

"Why?" I pondered, "It's not like you poked me with Samehada or something."

"I know I will tell him it was them." Kisame mused gesturing at the fallen Lee and the guilt stricken Gaara. Which means that he ignored me completely. "Then I can tell Itachi that I left them alive so that he can finish them off. Then Itachi will kill them and feel better and everyone will be happy."

"I see a flaw in your wonderful plan that ends with happiness for all who are still alive at the end." I pointed out.

"What?"

"I will tell Itachi the truth."

"Why? Hold on what is the truth?"

"Kimimaro," I began but noticed Kisame looked confused, "The dead body on the ground stabbed me with his bone."

"But he's already dead, that won't satisfy Itachi." Kisame whined.

"Stop whining." Itachi said appearing behind Kisame. "Why have you not tended to her wound?" Itachi asked glaring at Kisame.

"I knew it would somehow be my fault." Kisame whined significantly quieter.

"Hi Itachi." I said since I couldn't do my usual wave. Itachi merely raised one eyebrow at me before kneeling down in front of me to see the damage.

"Why did he stab you?"

"Um, funny story..." I stated trying to fabricate some story.

"A funny story ends with you getting stabbed?" He said looking me in the eyes then looked over at Kisame, "Dispose of them."

"No!" I shouted in Itachi's face.

"Then tell me the truth." Itachi said signaling Kisame to halt. Kisame just stood there confused. Lee and Gaara sat there a bit scared since they both were in no condition to stop anyone.

"Kimimaro was going to make me his slave again, some fighting later Gaara came and got me away from Kimimaro. Gaara protected Lee and I from Kimimaro. Then as Kimimaro was about to stab Gaara in the eye I pushed him out of the way but stupidly got hit."

"So you got hurt instead of him." Itachi said stressing the hate he felt towards Gaara.

"No I believe my story was that I got hurt because I didn't move when Kimimaro had his sharp bone pointing in my general direction."

"Kisame kill the red head but leave the green one alone." Itachi ordered.

"No!" I shouted jumping up to stop him and hurting myself in the process. How did I hurt myself you ask? Well I jumped up, which caused my arm-shoulder-mass to hurt, then I made a step towards Kisame but tripped on the end of Itachi's cloak. So then I fell backwards onto Itachi which also made the right side of me hurt. Man how clumsy am I? So now I am sitting in Itachi's lap holding my shoulder in pain. He seems fine with that.

"Itachi some ninja are coming, so if we don't leave now we will have to fight." Kisame pointed out feeling their chakra coming.

"Fine let's go. Akira needs the help of a medic anyway." Itachi relented deciding to allow Lee and Gaara to live. Itachi then stood up holding me so that I would not fall down. Then the two of them, Itachi and Kisame, run out of the clearing leaving the exhausted Lee and Gaara alone.

"Does this mean that our mission is over and Naruto is safe?" I asked once we were away from all the other ninja.

"Akira it was over once I appeared in the clearing." Kisame pointed out, "Why would we have been looking for you unless the mission was already over?"

"That reminds me," Itachi started staring at me once more, while jumping through trees which I still think is dangerous, "How did you get out of the tree?"

"I fell."

"How?" Kisame asked since the branch I had been on seemed stable enough and wide enough.

"I was jumping to see if there were people."

"Why would there be people?" Kisame asked as the two of them stopped to stare at me.

"I heard people and wanted to make sure that I wasn't crazy."

"So you jumped while in a tree?"

"Yes."

"Was that the answer to your crazy question too?" Kisame asked for once making a good comeback. So the score is now 1 point for Kisame, 1 for Akira (b/c the girls bathroom was farther away) and eleventy billion for Itachi.

This week I just, and I mean just, finished this chapter and I haven't decided exactly what the next chapter is about so no preview. I do however have a nice consolation prize of Akira logic that amused me. Here's the ones I found in the first five chapters. One piece of logic from each:

From I followed the Shiney: One should always remain on trails—there might be ninja

So being the responsible person I am I ignored every bit of common sense I have and decided to walk into the woods (the denser part since I have been in the woods this entire time) and thus leave the trail which is supposed to be followed for several good reasons.

Reason one: not getting lost.

Reason two: not getting hurt on branches or tripping over roots (although I have done both while on the trail, but that's besides the point).

Reason three: animals (because apparently animals don't like trails).

And finally Reason four: because dangerous ninja people don't use trails

This one is also in several chapters I just felt like putting this quote in here: (From How I got into the Akatsuki)

"I thought you were a ninja."

"Why did you think that?" I mean who assumes that random girls without weapons with on them are ninja. No one smart anyway.

"Because you are in the woods." He stated like it is the most obvious answer in the world.

"People other than ninja go through woods."

"But most normal people stay on the trail, only ninja and animals leave the trail."

"Um, I saw a bunny?" I lie really badly.

"For some reason I don't believe you." He said right before Kimimaro appeared.

From How I got into the Akatsuki: Smirking=doom

"Yes." The leader answered smirking. Oh no smirking I'm doomed. He knows I will die.

"Well, when do I leave?" I ask hoping that maybe I can get myself lost in the woods and never have to return. Maybe I can leave and just never come back. Itachi will find me if I go home but if I go anywhere else he might not.

"As soon as we are done talking, but if you do not return in three weeks we will send out our members to retrieve you."

"What if you found me running away?" I ask more curious than smart. Here's a tip never reveal your escape plan to the one who has kidnapped you.

"Then you will die." The leader said still smirking. Death is imminent now.

From How I got into the Akatsuki 2: How to safely steel death germ infested things

As luck would have it the ring I am after is in the room I am currently cleaning. There is only one problem it's on the finger of a corpses hand, a nasty dead hand that is rotting and stuff. Gross. So to be able to get the ring, which assures me that I will not be on a team with Itachi, then I have to touch a dead rotting corpses hand. The nastiness is overwhelming. So instead of taking it I decided to follow orders and clean the room, then I will take it.

So I am done cleaning now and I'm hungry I have to get the ring now, but it's too nasty. Maybe I can get it off with a paper towel? Do paper towels protect you from death germs? I think so. So then I carefully removed the ring using paper towels and succeeded in getting it. I immediately dropped it into the cleaning solution. I don't know what that stuff is but it got everything else clean and sanitized why not the ring. I then use a cleaning tool to fish the ring out, I think the cleaning solution is great but I don't trust it. I wipe it off with the mighty paper towels and then deem that it is safe to put in my pocket. Mission accomplished, now to work on my escape plan.

From Why Deidara stole my Sammich: There is a hierarchy of creepy expressions

"Good." Itachi grinned. Oh no, Itachi grinned. Here I was thinking that smirking and creepy smiling was the worst expressions ever then I had to experience an Itachi grin. The dreaded shirtless Itachi grin of Dooom (capitalized for effect and loaded with an extra 'o' for obliteration). I guess he missed the sarcasm laced in my words. I can see inner Itachi grinning and rubbing his hands together in contemplation over some evil plan that involves me. I am so doomed.

From the First Night: Itachi can stare while doing anything

"No." Itachi answered finishing his soup while staring at me. Yes again with the eating and staring. But this time he took it up a level, now he is staring while eating soup. I mean I spill soup when I am looking and the bowl and it is inches from my face, how can he not spill it all over himself? Maybe it's a ninja thing.

…"Why are you staring at the couch?"

"Well you stare at me all the time and you don't see me asking about that." I say to him since I desire my death apparently. Note to self don't talk back to Itachi.

"Firstly don't talk back to me, and secondly you are not a couch." He said extremely angry.

"I'm not?" I said and Itachi glared at me it was scary so I decided to answer him because I fear for my life. "I was debating if this is a good couch to sleep on."