I want to believe that memories, even sad and painful ones, should not be forgotten ever.
Sohma Momiji (Fruits Basket)


The Hokage was dead. Me becoming Chunin didn't cover that up. Frankly, I would have rather stayed a Genin so I knew that the kind, loving old man who let me in approved of my promotion. Back then, I was a silent, quiet, utterly broken child who could've been an assassin, or just a sociopath. But, he let me in. Not just for me, though, but for his old comrade Hikari. Who also was dead. I knew for a long time she was dead. Died all those years ago protecting me. It seemed people I cared about, that I saw as family, had a knack for dying. The Hokage not only died for me, but the entire village.

The clouds above were even crying. And here I was, not letting myself shed a tear. Because I thought that crying and being sad for a man's brave sacrifice would be an insult. I just let my self mourn and just silently lean on my older brother's shoulder who was crying, for he formed a bond with the Hokage. And would often spend time with him as a bodyguard, or just as a friend.

After the funeral, I silently went home. Along with others in the Rookie Nine. And I stayed there.

Day after day, I let myself mourn for the loss of the Hokage. And him dying, ripped off old scabs, that were Hikari that I failed to mourn for a long time.

All these years, it was Haku this, and Haku that. Then I found him, and I made friends, many friends. But though I loved Hikari to death, I never truly mourned her. I cried as a child for my own family and myself. Selfish was what I was. It was myself, not who died for me.

I got it through my thick head that I didn't only have one life on my shoulders. I had two, Hikari and her legacy, and I had my own. I told myself that I would be a master of Water, now I knew I had to not just for myself, or my friends or family. But also for Hikari who died for me.

As I was contemplating my life on our couch, I heard a loud banging on my door.

"AKI-KUN! AKI-KUN! GET OUT OF YOUR APARTMENT! ITS BEEN FOREVER SINCE WE'VE HUNG OUT!" Naruto's voice rang.

I ran to the door.

"Naruto-kun, please... I live in an apartment you know, and I don't want my neighbors getting mad at me..." I said hushing him.

"But, Aki-kun! I'm going to get ramen, and its been forever since we've gotten ramen together!" Naruto whined.

I sighed.

"Fine, wait in the living room then, and I'll get prepared to leave the house." I whispered letting him in.

"YES!" Naruto exclaimed before plopping down on my couch.

I walked in the bedroom grabbing my casual white dress with a blue bow, bandages, and my blue slippers.

I went in the bathroom quickly showering with my cherry blossom shower gel, and getting dressed.

I was out of the bathroom in 5 minutes flat.

"I'm ready, Naruto-kun." I whispered.

"Don't think your leaving me, ya jerk!" Ryota exclaimed in his bed.

I picked up Ryota and put him at his usual on my shoulder.

"Okay, Ryota, we're going to get ramen!" I said cheerfully.

"As long as I get those carrots I was promised, I'll be good." Ryota said.

"Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!" Naruto said practically dragging me and Ryota to Ichiraku Ramen.

"I'd like 6 pots of miso ramen, believe it!" Naruto said to Teuchi.

"One bowl of beef ramen, and a bowl of carrots, please." I said.

"Coming right up!" Teuchi said happily.

As we were eating, someone rubbed the top of Naruto's head.

"It's just as I had heard. You really do eat nothing but ramen. You're even taking a girl to eat ramen! That's a sad excuse for a date." Jiraiya said.

"THIS WAS A DATE?!" Ryota yelled, but was ignored.

"Vwo! Pferfy Pfage! (Whoa! Pervy Sage!)" Naruto exclaimed.

"Thats not nice, Naruto-kun! And, good afternoon, Jiraiya-sama." I said.

"Well, well you two... I was planning on taking Naruto somewhere to help me with research! But, I can always just take you instead little Akiko-chan." Jiraiya said.

"NO WAY! YOUR TAKING AKI-KUN TO HELP YOU GET RESEARCH FOR SOME PERVY BOOK! HAKU WILL KILL ME IF HE FINDS OUT!" Naruto yelled.

"Oh, it'll be fine.. Plus, this is no ordinary research jaunt, you know. There's a particular woman I want to cover, so we need to find her." Jiraiya said.

"I don't have time for this! I've got to train! Kakashi-sensei is gonna teach me all sorts of new jutsu, like the Chidori!" Naruto said.

"Um, Naruto-kun, I have a feeling that's more Sasuke's signature move..." I said.

"Yeah, and its your duty as a ninja not to steal another man's signature move! Plus, I know this real cool jutsu that's so much mightier than the chidori... Oh well, I guess it'll just be the cute little Akiko and me..." Jiraiya said.

"Don't forget me, ya jerk! And if your plannin' on exposing her to anything perverted, your gonna get I'll kick your ass and move up in the Pecking Order!" Ryota exclaimed.

"I'll go! I'll go!" Naruto exclaimed before running off to go pack.

Jiraiya looked down at me who was still standing there.

"Don't you have to pack?" he asked.

"I always take emergency supplies like basic rations and a lot of senbon. I have it all sealed away in my storage seals. I also have my katana in there in case something goes horribly horrific. With Naruto there, there's no doubt that something is going to hit the fan. And I doubt it will be cake and gum drops." I said.

"Heh heh... You're a weird kid." Jiraiya said rubbing the back of his head.

"I get that a lot." I replied.

Soon, Naruto was back with a huge bag.

"Um, you're a little too enthusiastic kid... It's not like we're holing up in some mountain for a few months." Jiraiya said.

"You orange nincompoop! Grow a brain cell, will ya?!" Ryota said.

"Hey, bunny! How about you just eat your carrot and shut up!" Naruto retorted.

"Um, guys how about we all talk about something that we can all not fight about... Like how beautiful a day it is today, or how according to physicians-"

"PERVY SAGE! PERVYSAGEPERVYSAGE PERVY SAGE! WHAT JUTSU ARE YOU GONNA TEACH ME NOW?! Since you chose me to be your travel companion, it means I'm something, right! It means I've got some incredible talent hidden inside me right? Right?! HEY HEY! Why did you choose me anyway? Maybe its because you have get to get as good as me in order to be initiated into sage-level super jutsu?" Naruto said, not even breathing.

"You know, a long time ago, the Fourth Hokage was my student. And you see, it's almost funny how much you remind me of him... I suppose that's why." Jiraiya said.

I thought about what I knew of the Fourth Hokage. He was a great ninja, said to be the fastest and the deadliest. He had died killing the Nine Tailed Fox.

We had finally made it after awhile, to this town that seemed to be filled with casinos.

I carefully watched our surrounding, with ninja senses slightly tingling.

"Ryota... Am I the only one getting the feeling something is gonna happen soon?" I whispered.

"Nope. I think something seriously dangerous is gonna happen." Ryota whispered back.

I saw that NAruto and Jiraiya had walked ahead.

I ran to catch up with them.

They seemed to be staring at a really pretty girl.

"Here, here's our room key! Go up to the room and practice manipulating chakra, both of you!" Jiraiya exclaimed putting the key in Naruto's hand.

"WHAT? You can't drag me here and then just leave me!" Naruto said.

"Hey, at least you won't be alone. I'll practice too... Well... More like weaving hand signs for a new jutsu Onii-san wants me to learn. But... Ryota will help you, right?" I said.

"LIKE HELL I WILL!"

"See... He'll do it!" I answered giving a warning look to the rabbit.

When we got up to the room, he took the bed, and was meditating but grumbling about Pervy Sage.

"STOP YOUR DAMN GRUMBLIN' AND CONCENTRATE, YA JERK!" Ryota yelled anytime he got bored of the blond's grumbling.

"Hm... Absolute Zero... Maybe it would help me deflect moves like Lightning Armor... I wonder if I'll be able to use it with the one handed seals weaving that Haku taught me... Man..." I kept mumbling trying to figure this scroll out.

Then I heard a knock on the door.

Naruto got up and was about to open the door.

"Naruto-kun, don't." I commanded.

He froze where he was.

I quickly unsealed my sword.

I slowly opened the door to see a man taller than me with the Sharingan.

"Who are you?" I asked, my hands clenching the katana even tighter.

He easily slung the door open and saw Naruto.

"Hard to believe that such a child carriers the Nine-Tailed fox." the man said.

"I asked who are you?" I asked.

"You gonna give an answer or not?" Ryota added.

"I don't need you. I would like Naruto to come with us." the red eyed man said.

My katana was instantly at a defensive position. Ryota had eaten a food pill and was now transformed to look like me, now in his own taijutsu position.

"I don't know you, but I know that Naruto-kun isn't going with you!" I growled.

"Hm... Why don't you all step out of the room so we could all talk more comfortably." the red eyed man said.

Naruto walked forward, but I blocked his way with my shoulder.

"I doubt Jiraiya-sama truly left us unguarded. My bet is that he put up some seal to make sure that no one he doesn't trust can get in." I said.

"Hn. I should have known it wouldn't be that easy." the man said.

"Yeah, ya jerk! If you want him so badly, why don't cha come in and pass me and Commoner over here! We'll give you the beatin' of your life!" Ryota exclaimed.

The red eyed man didn't even blink, but he simply said, "Long time no see... Sasuke."

"Itachi Uchiha..." Sasuke's voice said.

My eyes widened with worry. Sasuke was alone out there, up against two obviously powerful ninjas. One even had one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist's swords, Samehada, Sharkskin.

"I will kill you!" Sasuke said.

Suddenly I remembered back to our introductions when Team 7 was first made.

"What I have is not a dream, because I will make it a reality. I'm going to restore my clan. And destroy a certain somebody."

'This has to be that certain somebody!' I thought.

"Well... Sharingan. And he looks an awful lot like you... Who is that kid, Itachi?" the Sharkman asked.

"He's my brother." Itachi said with no emotion at all.

"That's funny, cause the whole Uchiha Clan was wiped out the way I heard it, by you." Shark man said.

"Just as you told me to... I've resented and hated you... And lived solely TO KILL YOU!" Sasuke yelled, whipping out his Chidori.

He yelled as he ran towards him, suddenly his hand was caught by the Shark man, making a hole through a wall.

"THATS IT!" I yelled.

"Water Release: DOUBLE GUNSHOT!" Ryota and I yelled, hurling a fast water ball towards the Shark man.

He easily cut it in half and smirked at me.

I stepped outside of the room, and behind me Naruto was doing a handsign.

I began to slash towards the Sharkman.

He easily dodged.

"Prepare to die, girlie." the Sharkman said, holding his sword in the air.

Suddenly I was on the head of a frog.

"Where the hell did you come from, ya jerk?" Ryota exclaimed.

"You don't know me at all. You should have done your homework. The Toad Sage, Jiraiya falls victim to no woman's charm. Beauties drop for me like blossoms in a storm! A man like me isn't so wired to just blindly follow a woman like a dog! When you get to my level, the women are the ones who writhe at my charm!" Jiraiya exclaimed.

"Jiraiya-sama! Your here!" I exclaimed.

"Thank god, we were about to get creamed. Uh... I mean... I coulda taken them ya jerk!" Ryota said.

"Aah... Jiraiya-sama touted as one of the legendary Sannin. No matter how much of an unrivaled woman-chaser you are, I didn't think our delaying tactic would succeed that easily, but..." the Shark man started before being interrupted by Naruto.

"What, you even know Pervy Sage's true identity?!"

"I really wish you'd stop calling me that infront of people. It's demeaning." Jiraiya said.

"It seems you've undone the genjutsu we placed on that woman." Itachi said.

"Placing a genjutsu on a woman to separate me from Naruto.. What kind of coward would do something like that? Plus, I know he's the one you're really after." Jiraiya said seriously.

'These two...' I thought.

"Now I know how Kakashi knew. I see that you were his information source." Itachi said.

"To take Naruto with us is the supreme order given unto us by the Akatsuki."

"Well... I have something you can tell the Akatsuki. Them jerks can go to hell or their gonna get hung personally by me BY THEIR ENTRAILS!" I said sadistically letting the anger in my heart come out.

"Calm down, Akiko, let me handle these two right here." Jiraiya said patting my head.

"Stay out of this." Sasuke said standing up.

"Go away... I have absolutely no interest in you." Itachi said bluntly before kicking Sasuke into a wall.

"Calm down, Commoner... You're a leaf in a calm stream..." Ryota said.

I was getting madder and madder watching Naruto about to help him, but was told to butt out by Sasuke. I thought I had to help him. But he was getting beaten down by his brother.

"Leaf in a calm stream... Leaf in a calm stream..." Ryota still whispering.

"FUCK THE STREAM!" I yelled running forward, careful not to look in Itachi's eyes. And I began to freeze him up to his ankles.

"Relive that day." I heard Itachi whispered.

I slammed myself in between him and Sasuke, briefly looking into his eyes.

And then suddenly, the world changed around there was death, blood all around me.

"Akiko... Akiko..." I heard a voice.

I saw Hikari, and the villagers.

"No..." I whispered. I began trying and trying to get out of this genjutsu. But it was no use.

I was forced to relive that day over and over again. With blood on my hands, ice spikes coming out of my back in defense. My mother, slapping Haku. My father, a bastard of a man causing the death of my mother.

The day, the normal snowy day that changed my life.


Okay, done. I rage quit. Alright, here I am just typing away, minding my own business trying to make a nice long chapter. Then BOOM an Internet Failure Appears and uses Self-FREAKING-Destruct and refreshes while I'm typing.

That just happened.

And its not cool.

Okay, on a better note, Anime Song of the Day is... CHA LA, HEAD, CHA LA from Dragon Ball Z. Now, I'm currently watching Dragon Ball the original series, and liking it. But I only watched it, not because Naruto was based on it, but because the Abridged Series is so awesome. So I felt like I had to...

With that said, I hope this was to your liking.

Now, Don't be Ghost Readers. And if you are a ghost reader, be like Abridged Nappa, he would hopefully review.

Kay, bored now.

BYEEEEEE, and obey the Pecking Order.