I... I have no excuse for my failure to update like I want. Just life... (mixed with a little bit of laziness.) And writer's block! (-_-) I digress. Anyway, I'm going to keep this short and sweet. I could really use some feedback on this chapter. So please leave a review. It could be about my writing style, what you guys think of this arc so far, or just predicting what my happen next. Have at it! :)

Thanks. Kazumi.

Tale of The Crimson Kitsune And The Silver Ookami

Chapter Thirty-Four: The Island Of Twilight! Welcome To Makibagakure!

Normal Point of View:

As Manami directed the group down the semi-crowded streets of Nakaumi Harbor, a sense of nostalgia suddenly strikes her hard as she took in her surroundings. Within the privacy of her own mind, she could easily recall an earlier time where she ran down these familiar roads and pathways with her friends and older sister, back in the days of her youth. With the exception of the newly paved roads, additional buildings and structures, and the increased population, everything looked almost the same as she remembered.

But as these thoughts rambled through her mind, the image of her older sister quickly emerged, and along with it, a feeling of sadness. This immediately took her back to the very night she lost her sister. It happened during the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon's rampage through the Hidden Leaf. However, unlike those that died trying to protect the village or those who were just innocent bystanders, Manami's sister, Ayame, was murdered. And the one responsible was none other than one of the Legendary Sannin, Orochimaru.

Although the bastard was dead now, Manami couldn't help but feel a pang in her heart. For one, she wanted to be the one to make the snake pay, but because the Uchiha kid got to him first, she lost her chance. And two, she currently found herself walking down the streets of her birthplace, but this time around, she didn't have her sister with her. Snapping herself out of her nostalgic reverie, Manami regained her composure and returned her attention to the task at hand.

"If we want to avoid the impending downpour, I suggest we hurry along." Manami told the group as she increased her walking pace.

"I agree. We better get moving." Captain Yamato replied as he and the others quickly increased their walking pace as well.

Before long, they all made their way out of the main district of the harbor and onto an unpaved road. The path ran through a small clearing before disappearing into a nearby forest. After walking through the woodland of oak and pine trees, the group emerged out the other side to find themselves standing on top of a tall hill. Looking down the steep slope before them, they spotted the village. It sat inside a large field and was surrounded by a towering concrete wall. The wall that surrounded the dwelling reminded them of the one that surrounded Konohagakure. It looked just as tall and just as strong.

As their eyes studied the wall, they soon spotted the entrance. The gates of the village were a pale white, decorated with a symbol that everyone assumed was the island's key emblem. The symbol was a circle with the top half shaded in a light gray, the bottom in black, and the center parted and shaded in hues that were in between.

"Welcome to Makibagakure, the Village Hidden Within a Meadow," Manami told them as they continued to stand on top of the hill. "The island resident's main home."

With that, Manami led the way as the others followed close behind. As Kazumi stepped forward to follow, she paused when she noticed that Naruto hadn't moved from his spot. He stood a few feet behind her and was staring blankly at the village that stood before them. Turning back, she walked over to her frazzled looking teammate.

"Hey. You okay there, Naruto? You look a bit out of it." She told him as she placed a hand on his shoulder, her voice sounding a bit concerned. Naruto noticed this; however, he ignored it. After all, he was sure that the Kazumi standing before him was nothing more than an imposter.

"I'm fine." He answered quietly. Shifting the strap of his backpack, he proceeded to move forward, allowing her hand to drop to her side. "We should go. We don't want to get left behind." He stated as he proceeded to move forward.

As he walked along the dirt path, Kazumi couldn't help but look at Naruto with a confused look. She could tell that he was upset, but about what, she wasn't sure. After standing there for a minute, Kazumi moved forward and hurried to catch up with him and the others. As she walked behind Naruto, she wondered if stress or exhaustion was the cause of his change in attitude. Or maybe it was the fact that he knew her secret. She shook the last thought from her mind. She was sure that wasn't the reason. After all, she was cautious in making sure that no one knew that she was just an impressionist.

However, unbeknownst to her, that was exactly the case. And ever since they arrived on the island, Naruto had been checking with Kurama on the situation, making sure nothing had changed. Fortunately for them, the situation was the same. Kurama could still sense both Kazumi's and Kiyiya's in the same location, meaning they haven't moved. But even so, Naruto couldn't help but worry. No, it was beyond that. He was scared. He didn't know what Kazumi was going through. What that crazed masked enemy was doing to her.

In fact, he was on the brink of just running off to search for her, not bothering to say a word to the others. And if it wasn't for Kurama, he probably would have. Kurama made him think about what his actions could cause. And as much as he hated to admit it, the Fox was right. They had to think about the situation carefully. For all they knew, the imposter with them could have some way to alert the mastermind behind the heinous act. So, with reluctance, Naruto decided to wait and act when the moment presented itself.

The walk to the village entrance was a quick and brisk one, and before they knew it, they were standing before the grand gates of the village.

"Identify yourself and state your business!" A voice called from above. The group looked up and spotted someone looking down at them from one of the built-in watchtowers. "Well…?" they asked.

"My name is Manami Tamostu of the Tamostu Clan. And these are our allies from the Hidden Leaf Village." She announced. "I'm here to speak to Lady Hakue."

"Manami Tamostu? I've never heard of you!" the guard replied. "And not only have I never heard of you, I wasn't told anything about your arrival. So how do I know you're not falsifying that name or that reason of yours?"

"Great. Just what I needed. A greenhorn with attitude." Manami mumbled mainly to herself. Releasing a frustrated sigh, she rubbed her temple gently. "And here I thought this day couldn't get any worse."

"Tadashi! Stand down and open the gates. That's an order!" A new voice stated, this one sounding more feminine but with a stern edge.

"Oh! Um, y-yes ma'am." The young teenager, Tadashi, stated nervously, and without hesitation, did as he was told.

Within seconds, the doors began to open slowly. As they did, a young woman could be seen standing on the other side. She had long, midnight, navy blue hair that was pulled out of her face and into a tight ponytail, slate-grey eyes, and fair colored skin. She was dressed in her village's standard shinobi uniform, which consisted of a long sleeve blue shirt (with mouth covering), matching pants and shoes. Her flak jacket looked identical to that of Konoha; however, instead of the standard green, hers was a dark teal. In addition to that, she wore the basic gear of a shinobi. A holster strapped around her right thigh, a pouch, and lastly, a Hitai-ate with a dark teal-colored cloth. She also had a tantō strapped to her right waist while a katana hung diagonally down her back.

Once the opening was wide enough, the young woman stepped forward to join Manami and the others. As soon as there was a foot or so separating her from them, she stopped in her tracks and studied the individuals that stood before her. After doing so, her eyes locked onto the one who was standing before everyone else, Manami.

"Well now… Manami Tamostu. It's been awhile." The woman stated in a calm, friendly tone. Manami was certain that the voice sounded familiar, but at the moment, she couldn't depict the face of the owner. "What? Don't tell me you've gone and forgotten about me. I know it's been a while, but geez, you'd think someone would remember the person who helped them train to be a Kunoichi."

Seeing the look of confusion slowly and faintly make its way onto Manami's face, the woman just chuckled lightheartedly and decided to help her out. Taking a hold of her mask, the woman pulled the cloth down to her neck. With her face uncovered, Manami's mind began to turn once more. And at this moment, she felt like slapping herself. She couldn't believe she couldn't visualize her face earlier. With an amused look, the woman released another chuckle.

"Oh, I see now. So only when the mask comes off do you remember me?" She stated lightly. The sound of laughter could easily be heard in between her words. "I should knock you upside the head for that. But seeing that it's been over ten years since we last seen each other, I'll forgive you this time around. But next time, be prepared to be hit. Quite hard, I might add."

"Duly noted," Manami replied with a nod. "And, uh, by the way…" She added, pausing for a second. "... It's great to see you too, Sorano Sensei. It's been far too long." With that, Sorano smiled and nodded in agreement. After greeting one another, Sorano turned her attention onto the small group behind her friend.

"So Manami, care to introduce me to the people of your little group here?" She asked as she gestured to the others.

"These are my teammates," Manami answered as she turned to the others. "Fellow Jounin, Maito Gai, and Yamato. Special Jounin, Aoba Yamashiro. And lastly, Kazumi Hatake, a Chῡnin, and Naruto Uzumaki, a very skillful Genin." She told her.

As Manami gestured to her allies, Sorano instinctively began to examine the group, one by one, with her observantly sharp slate-grey eyes once more. She studied their manner of standing, facial expressions, simple hand gestures and eye movements very closely. She wasn't doing this because she didn't trust them; instead, she had become so accustomed to performing such a task that it became more of a routine. If they were simple civilians, they too would be silently observed by her.

The one who immediately caught her attention was Kazumi. Although she didn't show it, Sorano was a little surprised. Of all the things that could happen, this event was the last one on her mind. After a few moments more, Sorano concluded her observation of the group of Hidden Leaf Shinobi and relaxed.

Sending them all a soft smile, Sorano nodded her head in approval, "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you all. Welcome to Makibagakure." She told them. "I'm Sorano Nonaka, Captain of the island's military force."

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Captain Sorano," Yamato replied, to which, everyone else nodded in agreement. As they stood there, the darkened sky above slowly began to sprinkle the ground with soft droplets.

"Well, with introductions out the way, may I suggest we head into the village?" Sorano asked as she gestured to the fully opened gate doors. "I'm sure neither one of us wants to end up soaking wet."

Turning on her heels, Sorano proceeded to head back into the village. Without another word, everyone began to follow her. Once everyone had walked through the large doors, they started to close. Before long, a solid slam, followed by a metallic click, echoed through the air as the doors locked back into place.

Once inside, the group immediately entered the downtown district of the village. They could tell that most, if not all, of the village's local shops, food stands, restaurants, and other businesses were located within this area. Paved roads stretched in every direction, including up and down small hills the village itself was built upon. They soon had to cross a large bridge, which separated the downtown in two. Within the second district, there were more residential homes, apartments, and parks than there were shops.

After leaving the sector, Sorano directed them to a more secluded region of the village. The dirt path they were walking along ran through a small forest for a short distance before exiting into an area that looked like a private residence. Just like the village, it too was surrounded by a concrete wall. The entrance into the residence was sealed by two solid wooden doors.

Just as they entered the residential grounds, the soft sprinkle began to transform into a steady shower. While moving farther into the area, Sorano took them straight to the large estate that could be seen as soon as they entered. As they stood on the engawa (veranda) of the estate, Sorano turned to face Manami.

"Lady Hakue is currently in a meeting right now, but I'll let her know of your arrival," Sorano told her. "In the meantime, I'll take you all to one of our waiting rooms until the guest rooms are ready."

"Guest rooms?" Manami questioned. "Sorano Sensei, that's not necessary. We were planning on staying in one of the local Inns during our stay here."

"Manami, tell me something. What would Lady Hakue say if I told her you were staying in a local Inn instead of the Estate?" Sorano asked. "You know, as well as I do, that you and your companions are welcomed to stay here." She added. "And besides, does it really make sense to travel to and from that Inn during a storm?"

"Alright, alright, you've made your point, okay." Manami told her, obviously surrendering to Sorano. "It does make more sense to stay here instead."

Nodding her head, Sorano sent Manami a small smirk, "Thank you for agreeing with me." With that, she turned on her heels to face in the opposite direction. "Follow me, please." She told them as she proceeded forward.

"Sorano Sensei, by any chance, is Lord Ryo busy?" Manami asked.

"I doubt it," Sorano answered. "He usually spends his free time in his study looking over the old seals while archiving any new ones that he finds useful. Do you need him for something?"

"Yeah," Manami said with a nod. "I was hoping he could figure out a certain seal. I managed to decipher the seal's markings, but I have no idea what the seal itself means."

"Once I get you guys settled in, I can take you right to him," Sorano assured her. "Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention this earlier," Sorano stated as she guided them through the narrowed hallways. "A couple of your allies are already here. They got here a few hours before you did. But seeing that neither of you told us about the other coming, I assumed you're not together." She finished as she came to a stop at one of the many fusuma doors that covered one side of the corridor.

"Other allies?" Manami, Gai, Yamato, and Aoba asked simultaneously.

"What do you mean?" Yamato asked.

Without saying another word, Sorano knocked on the wooden frame of the fusuma door, apparently alerting whoever's inside that she was about to enter. Sliding the door open, Sorano allowed everyone to enter into what looked to be a waiting/guest room. Upon walking inside, they found the room was lightly furnished and decorated in cool, calming colors. As they walked further into the room, they looked into the small dining area off to their right to find two familiar faces. They were both sitting on cushions that were neatly placed around a low standing table.

"Huh? Sai…? Kakashi Sensei…?" Naruto stated as he stood in the small foyer with the others.

"Yo." Kakashi greeted casually as he raised a hand to acknowledge them. Sai just smiled and raised his hand as well.

"What are you two doing out here?" The young ninja asked in a very curious tone. "I thought you were back in the village getting ready for the upcoming war."

"Technically speaking, we are," Kakashi told him. "We're currently on a mission that will help Konoha and our allies once we're out on the battlefield."

"And you decided to tag along, Sai?" Naruto asked.

"Not exactly," Sai answered. "You see, Kakashi Sensei asked me to join him. Because we're on a tight schedule, he asked me to fly him to his destination. He figured it would be quicker than taking a boat."

"Well, you're not wrong there," Yamato replied. "A boat does take a while to get to its destination, even if that destination isn't far."

"Yeah, but I will admit that sailing is faster than walking," Aoba added.

"Honestly, I rather travel on foot the entire way than sail on a boat or fly on the back of a bird," Gai told them in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Manami…" Sorano stated, catching her attention. "If you're ready, I can take you to Lord Ryo now, if you're ready."

"Yeah, I'm ready," Manami told him. She soon turned to Kazumi. "We should head on over now. The sooner we get there, the sooner we'll decipher that seal."

"Uh, yeah, O-of course," Kazumi mumbled as she followed Manami out of the room.

"We'll be back soon," Manami told them. "Yamato, if you don't mind, please inform them of the situation." With that, she quietly left the room with Kazumi as Sorano stood beside the opened fusuma door. Once they were out, Sorano followed suit, closing the door quietly behind her.

Once the trio was gone, Kakashi turned toward Yamato, "Yamato. What's going on? And what are you doing here?" Kakashi asked. "I find it quite strange that you guys ended up here the same time we did."

"I don't blame you. I find it strange myself." Yamato told him as he and the others took a seat over at the table. "I will admit that stopping here wasn't a part of our initial plan. However, after hearing about a storm heading right towards us, we figured it would be best to take shelter instead of attempting to sail through it."

"Okay, I can understand your reason for stopping here," Kakashi told him. "However, I want to address what Manami said before she left with Kazumi. What do you have to inform us of?"

"It's a long story, so I'm going to try to give you the shortest version of it," Yamato told him. "We also came here to find someone who could decipher this strange seal that's on Kazumi."

"Alright, stop right there. That's the second time I heard someone say something about this strange seal." Kakashi pointed out. "Are you referring to the seal that's already on Kazumi? Did it change?"

"No, this is a different one," Yamato explained. "I honestly don't know the full details, but according to Naruto, he and Kazumi were attacked by a mysterious, masked figure hours before we arrived here."

"A mysterious masked figure?" Kakashi questioned.

"Yeah," Naruto said with a nod. "We were out on deck talking, then out of nowhere; this guy appears and starts attacking us."

"Is there anything you can you remember, anything at all, about the guy?" Kakashi asked. "The type of clothing he was wearing? His fighting style?"

"I remember him being cloaked in black. He also wore a white mask with green markings. It kind of looked like the masks the Anbu back in Konoha wore." Naruto explained.

"Can you recall what the markings looked like?" Kakashi asked next.

"Huh…? Well, I…. Sorry, but no." Naruto answered.

"From what I can remember, the eye-holes were bordered in green. Also, the forehead was decorated with three green diamonds while three claw marks ran across the left eye socket of the mask. On the left cheek, there are two sharp whisker markings." Aoba explained.

"Green markings... Eye-holes bordered… Three diamonds on the forehead, three claw marks over the left eye, and two sharp whisker marks on the left cheek." Kakashi thought to himself. "The only markings that match are the bordered eye-holes and the two sharp whisker markings. Even so, is it possible that it could be the same individual from before?"

"Any idea as to who it could be, Kakashi?" Gai asked.

"Can't say for sure. Not yet at least." Kakashi told him. "All we have to go by is a strange looking mask. Not really enough to determine anything. Was there anything else?"

"Well…" Naruto spoke up, catching Kakashi's attention.

"What is it, Naruto?" Kakashi asked.

"He used this large, two-handed broadsword and water Jutsu," Naruto explained. "Also, throughout the entire fight, he kept aiming for Kazumi."

"I see," Kakashi stated quietly.

"It couldn't have been the Akatsuki, could it?" Naruto asked.

"Unless Madara was able to assemble a few new members we know nothing about, I don't think so," Yamato told him. "Besides, if it was the Akatsuki, they would be after you as well, Naruto."

"Yeah, that's right," Naruto said quietly. "He's right. They couldn't be Akatsuki. If they were, they would not only try to take Kazumi away, but they'll be after me as well." Naruto thought. "So the question remains. Who the hell was that guy?"

"Since we don't have much to go on, we'll leave it alone for now," Kakashi told them. "After all, we can't really do anything at the moment. Not to mention that this storm will hinder our search if we tried."

"Damn it…" Naruto growled under his breath. While sitting at the table, he began to ball his hands tightly into fists, his nails sinking into the palms of his hands.

"Hmm? Naruto, what is it?" Kakashi asked.

"I-I didn't say anything earlier, but…" Naruto stated as he lifts his head. "There's another problem."

"What do you mean?" Aoba asked.

"What I mean is that Kazumi isn't the Kazumi we know. They're a fake. I know they are!" Naruto continued.

"Naruto, what you're saying isn't making much sense," Yamato told him. "You're just tired. I mean, it's been a long night and you haven't had much sleep."

"No, I'm not talking out my head! I know what I'm saying is the truth!" Naruto interrupted in a strong tone. "She may look like Kazumi and she may have a similar chakra signature, but I know for a fact that she isn't the real one. Heck, this imposter doesn't have a single ounce of Kiyiya's chakra within her."

"I noticed that as well, Naruto," Kakashi told him. "I also noticed that Kazumi wasn't acting like herself either. Normally whenever something happens, she would be the first speak up about it. Especially if it's something as serious as this."

"Naruto, why didn't you tell us about this sooner?" Aoba asked.

"One, I thought it was obvious to you guys and you were just playing along like I was," Naruto answered. "And two, I didn't want them to know that I knew that they were a fake. Even Kurama said that it would be better to wait for a chance to do so. It's possible that they could alert whoever has Kazumi and who knows what they'll do to her."

"But I don't get it. When could they have switched Kazumi with an imposter?" Gai asked. "Weren't you and Yamato with Kazumi, Aoba?" At that moment, a look of realization appeared on Yamato face.

"Of course. It had to have happened then." He muttered quietly.

"You remembered something there, Yamato?" Kakashi asked.

"Yeah." He answered with a nod. "When Kazumi was dragged underwater. The enemy had a small window to switch her with an imposter. And by the time I had grabbed her, it's possible that they'd already switched places."

"Damn it," Gai yelled as he slammed his hand down onto the table. "There has to be a way to find out where they went. There has to be."

"I think there is," Naruto spoke up, capturing everyone's attention. "Kurama told me that he could sense Kazumi's and Kiyiya's chakra signatures. Also, he said that they were somewhere nearby. So, with his help, we may be about to find them."

Once Naruto was finished, Kakashi sat that for a moment as he thought over the information he received from everyone. In order to get to Kazumi and rescue her, he needed to come up with a plan. One that will not only allow them to get to her undetected, but it will also keep the imposter in the dark. He knew he and Sai could probably get away with it since they had their own objective, but they had to consider the fact that the enemy may know they would help out in some way.

"Okay. I think I may have a solution to this." Kakashi said after a minute. "The way I see it, we'll need to split up into two teams. One will go after Kazumi while the other stays behind to make sure the imposter doesn't escape or alert whoever they're working for."

"Sounds good." Yamato agreed. "So? Who's going to be a part of which team?"

"I'll explain the plan first and then I'll get to the teams towards the end. Once I do, we'll move out immediately." Kakashi told him. "So here's what I think we should do…"

Kazumi's Point of View: Subconscious…..

"I must say… Your persistence to keep fight back is quite remarkable, and yet, I can't help but find it exceedingly infuriating, to say the least." The woman states casually as she creates another set of water needles in between her fingers. "And with that said, what I can't figure out is whether or not this is your own drive or if this is the strength that manifests from that beast inside you."

"First and foremost, don't call my partner a beast. You clearly don't know a damn thing about her, and don't assume you do." I snap back in a defending tone. "And second, your opinion on where you think my power originates from is invalid. In fact, how about you worry about yourself and the situation you're currently in. That's my advice for you!"

"Apparently that newly found strength of will has given you quite a tongue as well." She says as she forms another cluster of water needles inside her other hand.

"Sorry, wrong again," I tell her. "Anyone who ridicules my family and friends, my comrades, or my partners will feel my wrath. And you are no exception. To put it as simply as I possibly can, disparaging them is the same as disparaging me. So be sure to remember that!"

"Hmm… I see. It appears that Kakashi, may have succeeded in shaping you into a talented shinobi, but sadly, he certainly failed in teaching you proper etiquette." She says as she shakes her head appallingly. "It's a real shame that your mother didn't survive that tragic night." She adds, which causes me to narrow my eyes sharply. "Maybe she would've raised you better."

Lowering my head, I allow my bangs to cast a shadow over my face, hiding my eyes, "You obviously didn't hear a word I just said." I tell her, a feral growl escaping through my words. As I clenched my teeth and balled my hands tightly into fists, a surge of electricity begins to spark to life around my body. "Very well then. Since you believe I should learn proper etiquette…" Pausing, I lift my head and glowered at her. "…. Maybe you should learn them first!"

Acting quickly, I lunge forward, running straight towards my opponent. While charging at her, she readies the needles that were in between her fingers, aiming to strike at the right moment. Before long, she fires both sets my way. Seeing the incoming attack, I force my body to move, ignoring the signals that were telling me to stop at once. And thanks to the new rush of adrenaline flowing through my veins, I was able to dodge each one with ease.

After dodging the first barrage, she immediately fires the second. But just like before, I was able to dodge them as well. As the gap between us grew smaller, I readied my next move by pulling my arm back, covering my fist with a current of lightning. Throwing my fist forward, I aimed to hit my opponent directly in her chest. But when my fist was about to land, I find my attack phasing through her body instead.

"Huh?! What the…?" I thought to myself as I continued to move forward.

Her body begins to dissolve into a thin black mist, but as it extends outward, it starts to thicken, darken and increase in size. Leaping back, I attempt to escape the strange haze, but the movement of the vapor was too quick to escape by foot. As it continues to races towards me, I close my eyes and cross my arms in front of my face, bracing myself for the imminent impact. But nothing happened. Lowering my arms, I warily open my eyes to find myself floating in a dark, empty void.

I could feel myself descend through the void until my feet touched what felt like solid ground. But when I looked down, all I could see was darkness. Just to make sure I wasn't going crazy, I tested the invisible ground by tapping my foot against it. After stomping and jumping on it a few times, I came to the conclusion that the surface was solid and secured, but I was still wary. With that in mind, I begin to move, even though I had no idea where I was heading. Anything was better than just standing there doing nothing.

After walking for about five minutes or so, a strange dim lightly appears in the distance before me. It was just hovering in the air. Having no other choice, I start to approach the light. The closer I got, the brighter the light became. In no time at all, I was standing before it. It was a strange sight to behold. There was nothing around that could create the light, but there it was, shining as if it was its own supply. Allowing curiosity to get the better of me, I raised my hand and reached out to touch it. Just as my fingertips were about to brush against it, the light intensifies, blinding me in the process.

"Ugh! What is with this strange light?" I ask out loud as I use my arm to block the blinding glow. "And how is it even glowing this bright?" A few seconds later, the light slowly dims, allowing me to lower my arm once more.

As the bizarre looking orb continues to float in midair, it starts to shift, looking as if it was about to burst open. But it did no such thing. Instead, the orb forms itself into a humanoid shape. First two arms, then two legs and finally a head. But the orb didn't stop there. Once the outline of the body was completed, I could slowly make out long hair cascading down its back and shoulders and the outline of the clothing it was donning. Then, with no warning in sight, the light the humanoid figure was made of explodes, engulfing everything it could touch in blinding white light. Seconds later, the light dims, allowing me to open my eyes.

Upon doing so, I could only stare wide-eyed at what was standing a few feet away from me. Without the white light to shroud its form, their appearance was revealed. The figure was that of a young, teenage girl. Her skin was fair, her figure was slim with an athletic built, and her height was one that matched my own. Her hair, a silver-grayish color, cascaded freely down her back and shoulders while her slate-grey eyes, with black scleroses, stared viciously into my own.

To anyone who didn't know the type of person I was, I probably looked oblivious to what was happening, but that wasn't true. I was fully cognizant of the fact that the person standing before me was nothing more than a mirror image of myself. A mere product of the Genjutsu I was placed under. A cheap tactic used by my opponent in order to break me either physically or mentally. Heck, they could be aiming for both. But I wasn't going to let that happen. I had to prove to them that I wasn't an easy target. That it was going to take more than a clone of myself to make me surrender.

As I continue to ponder my thoughts privately, I noticed a sinister smirk appearing on my clone's unmasked face. And as soon as she noticed that she had acquired my attention, the smirk grew into a full on smile, and not a friendly one. Narrowing her eyes, she shifts her weight onto one foot and crosses her arms against her chest.

"Heh. So we finally meet, face to face." She mutters in a vindictive tone. But that wasn't all. I could hear a threatening edge in her voice as she spoke.

"And what does that suppose to mean?" I ask in a direct tone.

"Hmpf. You can play dim-witted all you want, but you know damn well what I meant." She snaps. "So tell me. Are you surprised to see me?"

"Why would I be surprised?" I ask with a raised eyebrow. "You're nothing but a clone created by this Genjutsu I'm under. To be honest, I kind of expected something else to happen. I guess I gave my opponent a little too much credit. After all, I was able to get one over her twice."

"It appears that you're not seeing the whole picture here. So allow me to shed some light on the situation." She replies back. "The Jutsu you were placed under is called Ninja Art of Demonic Illusion: Internal Torment. Its main purpose is in the name, to torment you internally."

"Which explains why you're here, correct?" I ask, to which she nods her head. "Alright, so let me guess. I just have to defeat you in order to break out of the Jutsu. Is that it?"

The sinister smile from earlier returns and its followed by a laughter that matches perfectly with it. The scene causes a shiver to run down my spine, but I didn't let it show. Keeping my composure, I continue to look at her with a focused look. After a minute, she finally calms down and stops, however, that smile remained on her face.

"That would be right down your alley, wouldn't it?" She asks. Instead of waiting for an answer, she continues. "Sorry, but it won't be that easy. Besides, it's far more complex than that."

"I'm getting the feeling that you're hiding something," I tell her.

"And you're correct." She tells me. "Look, since you're still walking around in the dark without a flashlight, I'll help you out. It's true that the Jutsu gave me form, however, it didn't create me."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Like I said, it didn't produce me." She repeats. Narrowing her eyes, she stares me down with an enraged glare. "No, for you see, that little feat belongs to you."

"Just what the hell are you blabbing on about?" I ask, irritation beginning to form in my chest. "You're not making a damn bit of sense."

"Damn it! Do I have to fucking spell it out for you?!" She yells in anger. "You created me! That Jutsu gave me form! Think about it! Why the hell do I look like you? There's a reason for that!" I just looked at her with confusion.

"What is she talking about? I created her?" I thought to myself.

"Internal Torment." She says, putting emphasis on both words. "From the time you started to think for yourself till now, every emotion you decided to harbor deep within you became a piece of me. I'm not just your hatred; I'm also your sadness, your fear, your hesitation. That's who I am."

"So in other words, you're my dark half. That's what you're saying?" I ask.

"I suppose you can call me that, but frankly, I don't prefer that title." She replies back in a casual tone. "After all, I'll do things you yourself would hesitate to carry out. I'll speak my mind. And unlike you, I won't second-guess or regret any decisions I make."

"I don't believe anything you're saying," I tell her.

"Of course, but I'm not surprised that you don't," she tells me. "So let me just say this. If I was the one in control when you were fighting Pein, I wouldn't have hesitated. I would have saved the village. And most importantly… I would have saved my brother."

Without thinking, I lunged forward, aiming a punch at my clone. But before my fist could connect with the side of her face, she was able to catch my hand into her own. And even with the amount of force I put into my attack, she remained firmly in place, not budging an inch. Tightening her grip around my hand, she moves it off to the side to look me dead in the eye.

"Oh. It appears I've hit a nerve there. But don't get mad at me for speaking the truth." She states in a mocking tone. Twisting my arm down, she pulls me in close enough for her to whisper in my ear. "And don't blame me for your shortcomings."

"Shut up!" I exclaim as I pull my free hand back to strike her. Just like before, she was able to catch my fist before contact.

"This is quite a surprise. It's so unlike you to initiate a fight. I must've really struck a cord there." She tells me as a smirk crawls onto her face. "But I wonder. How long will you keep this act up until your true persona starts to slip through the cracks? Because we both know the type of person you really are."

"Shut your mouth!" I yell once more as I pull away. Surprisingly she releases her grip, allowing me to jump away from her. "You're not a part of me. You're just an illusion created by this damn Genjutsu!"

"Keep telling yourself that. Whatever makes you feel better," She replies back as she shifts herself into a fighting stance. "But I should warn you one last time. You'll find out very quickly that I'm no illusion."