Naruto and Gaara walked into the office leaving us in the hallway. I was exhausted from the journey. Getting my job back felt different now that Naruto and I were dating.

I pushed my back against the wall and closed my eyes. They felt sore from using my new dojutsu.

"Come on, are you tired or what?!" It was Itsuki. He took his mask off and smiled at me. He fluffed his flashy red hair and came closer to stand next to me. I took my mask off.

"Can you blame me? We've been walking for three days." I said smiling back.

"We've been through a lot worse but I'm glad that you're back." He leaned to the wall next to me. "So Why did you quit anyway?" He was honestly concerned.

I scratched my stupid head remembering all the things that went wrong because of my decisions. People of the leaf didn't know that the villan who attacked the village was actually my father. Shikamaru suggested to keep it a secret.

"I had to leave Konoha for some time and I asked Naruto.. I mean lord seventh to let me.." I blushed.

"Oh come on, you don't have to pretend!" He smirked. "I caught you in his clothes, didn't I?"

"Oh, shut up, Itsuki!" I pushed him a little. He chuckled.

"Isn't it weird?"

"What?"

"That you're working for him now?" He was right. It felt weird standing as a guard in the hallway, waiting for him to discuss business with the Kazekage. Itsuki hit me right where it hurt, even if he didn't mean to. I softly smiled at him.

"Well, looks like lord seventh isn't able to bring his toy to the serious stuff." Someone mumbled across the hallway. It was Fumi. Another anbu member. Her words made my body burn with rage.

"What's that suppose to mean?!"

"Hey, Fumi, stop saying mean things like that.." Itsuki grabbed my arm and pulled me back. She smiled and looked away. At that moment I was ready to murder her.

Naruto and Gaara walked out of the office. We put our masks back.

"You must rest now. My people will escort you to your rooms." Said Gaara.

"Thanks, Gaara! See you in two hours.. also there's somebody I want you to meet."

"I'll be waiting."

Right after we followed Naruto down the hallway I caught Fumis eyes looking at me like I had murdered her cat or something.

I was always proud to follow and serve Naruto but now... now I wanted to stand next to him, I wanted to be seen with him. Fuckin Fumi! She messed my head up!

I was soaking in the hot water when Naruto joined me. For the first time, I didn't feel too happy about it. He hugged me from behind and placed soft kisses on my neck.

"You look tasty, Akari! You know what would make you look even tastier?"

I knew he was about to say something stupid.

"What?" I asked anyway cuz he wanted to say it out loud.

"You, bathing in a huge bowl of ramen!" I laughed.

"I'll do that for you someday."

"You're the woman of my dreams!" He kissed me on the cheek. "You seem kinda off tonight. What's wrong?"

"Everything's fine"

"I know when you're lying, Akari." I didn't answer. He wasn't my boss right now and I was still mad about Fumis words, calling me a toy. I just pushed my back against his chest and closed my eyes, relaxing my body, feeling the hot water surrounding me. "I want you to meet Gaara tonight."

"And why" I asked like I didn't care at all. I was taking it all out on Naruto.

"Because he's my friend... and we'll have some hot sake."

"Now we're talking!"

He chuckled and ran his fingers on the red, curvy lines on my shoulder.

"Akari, are you mad ar me or something?" He asked. "You know I'm not good at that kind of stuff so if I did something to upset you, just tell me."

"I should get ready to meet with the Kazekage."

I got out of the tub, put on my robe and went outside. The full moon was shining upon the village hidden in the sand. I could hear the people buzzing down the streets, talking, laughing, drinking together.

I took a deep breath. This view reminded me of the night Naruto and I met. We were in the desert, cathing our breath after the battle. I remembered how I called him stupid and reckless. I chuckled. Back then everything was different and now.. now I'm in his room wearing nothing but a bath robe.

I couldn't let myself feel this bad about Fumis words. I wasn't just his toy, we loved each other and I needed to remember that. I was so stupid for acting so cold around Naruto.

I heard the balcony door open.

It was him.

"Hey I wanted to..." I didn't let him finish the sentence. I felt like I needed to hold him. I pushed my face on his chest and closed my arms around his muscular body. He gasped.

"I love you." I mumbled. He was confused for a second, then he just wrapped his arms around me, almost squeezing me to death.

"And I love you."

"But you love Sasuke more, right?" I asked smiling.

"Are you serious right now?!"

I laughed and pushed my lips against his. For a moment we were lost in the kiss.

"Come on, let's meet Gaara and get drunk!" I slapped his ass and went to get dressed.

"What's up with you tonight?"

"Girls are weird, Naruto! You have to deal with it!"

"There are some things we wanted to discuss." Said Naruto putting his glass down. I looked at both of them. I wasn't expecting they'd be discussing business with me in the room.

"Naruto, should I leave?" I whispered.

"Of course not!"

"Um, okay." I took a sip.

"Gaara, you told me that someone was after Shukaku aswell?" He nodded.

"The enemy is after the tailed beasts." Said Gaara in his usual monotonous voice.

"I figured they wouldn't be after my beautiful eyes or something. The enemy was trying to pull Kurama out of me."

"But who would want that?! Isn't the Akatsuki defeated?" I joined the conversation.

"Akatsuki was just a kid's play." Gaara got up and walked to the window. "They were being controlled by Madara Uchiha and Madara himself was controlled by.."

"Kaguya!" I said. And it hurt me a little realizing the next thing I was about to say out loud. "The enemy... it's my clan."

"All these attacks over the past months, they're all connected and what they're after is the most valuable thing on the earth." Gaara looked at Naruto. He let his head down.

"The chakra fruit." Naruto hissed. "I never thought I'd ever become a fruit!" Then he smiled. "There's nothing to worry about guys! We defeated them once, we can do it again! And plus, we're stronger now!" He put his hand on my knee. I was too busy drowning the hatred of my clan in sake.

"Naruto, take care of the beasts!" Said the Kazekage. Naruto grabbed the clothes on his chest, softly smiling.

"I'll keep them safe, I promise!"

My mind was traveling back and forth. I tried to put it all together.

"Wait!" I said. "Ogen said our father absorbed all the other members of our clan to become stronger. But during the last battle in the leaf, Ogen and I locked him up in the new dimension we created!" Words were flowing endlessly from my mouth. "And after that incident there hasn't been any attacks, right?" Gaara nodded. "So, if my father was the last member of the Otsutsuki he's locked up for good!"

What was I trying to prove? I think I was just trying to make myself feel better, like I had saved the world from its doom.

"You're right, Akari! We may even have absolutely nothing to worry about." Naruto smiled at me.

"Possible... but we still have to be ready." Gaara got back to his seat.

"Okay guys, enough for today. Let's drink!"

"Thought you'd never ask!" I grabbed my drink relieved. Gaara smiled at me.

"I like you."

"Are you hitting on my girl, Gaara?!" The red-haired man blushed.

"Um, I meant that.."

"Come on! I'm just messin with ya!" Naruto tapped on his shoulder and laughed. God, he's so loud. "What about you?! Don't you have a special someone?"

"Those kind of things aren't for me, you know that."

"Come on, there must be someone you like, Gaara!"

As much as I was enjoying their conversation, something set my bones on fire. My body couldn't rest. Something was coming and it was dark. It was closer by every second. I felt restless.

"Get down!" I screamed and the windows in the room smashed. Gaaras sand covered us just in time. Naruto grabbed my hand.

"Are you hurt?"

"I'm okay."

"What was that?!" He asked.

Gaaras sand wall collapsed and something fell out of it.

"A puppet?" Suddenly I recognized the symbol carved on its chest. Symbol of the clan Otsutsuki.

"Naruto, it's them."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

Someone kicked the door open.

"Gaara! The village is under attack!" It was Kankuro. "Wait, is that a puppet?"

"Yes. Get ready to fight." Gaara answered.

"Oh, Hell yes!"

I looked down the window, the building was collapsed. I activated jougan and looked carefully. I could see little chakra dots in the ruins, like little blue flames.

"There are children under those walls!" I rushed to the edge before I could even think.

"Take my clones with you! And Akari..."

"Yeah?" I asked before jumping.

"Be careful."

"You too." That was all I could say to him. I took a deep breath and let my body fall from the window.

Time passed.

I felt pain in my knees. I fell on the ground, coughing blood.

"Damn it !" I looked around. This was an odd place. There was no sky nor the ground, just plain grey emptiness.

"Ah, I have to get back..." I mumbled to myself and got up, holding my right arm, which I had burned in the previous dimension.

"Jougan! Ah !!!" I covered my eyes. "Damn it, damn it!" They started to bleed. "Come on, you can't do that to me now !"

I forced myself to stand up and opened my eyes. Everything looked blurry.

"I made a promise!"

I tried to open the rift despite the pain in my eyes, but it was really hard to hold. My eyes felt like they were on fire. I failed.

"Fuck! Again!" I tried again. This time it worked. I went through but it wasn't the hidden sand village I was aiming for. This was just another emptiness.

My exhaustion made me fall to the ground. I couldn't help myself but close my eyes.

"I'll try again soon... I promised.. I'd... I'd come back... Naruto."

My mind wondered back as soon as the sleep consumed my body.

Flashback:

"Okay, this is the last one!" I said as i helped the little boy out of the ruins. Narutos clone took him from me.

"I'll take him to safety."

The village was being destroyed. I could see fire and explosions everywhere. The sky had become red from the smoke. We were standing on the roof of the 2 storey building. I looked around.

"They're so many..." I whispered to myself.

Gaaras sand was fighting off the puppets in the sky.

So they're safe.

I saw people down the street, being chased by the puppets. I didn't think, I ran along them on the roof. When the moment was right, I jumped and used fire style on them.

"You're safe! Get out of the village! Find a safe place and take as many people with you as possible!" The man nodded and lead the others to safety.

Narutos clone put his hand on my shoulder.

"Akari.." the others were fighting off the enemy. I looked at his flaming eyes. "It'll take thousands of us to defeat them. I don't want you to get harmed."

"What are you saying?!"

"Please, leave and let me do it." His eyes were begging.

"No! How can you say that?!" He grabbed my shoulders.

"I know you vowed to fight for people but..." he shook his head. " but please! Let me be selfish for once this time! I can't watch you get hurt!"

"Naruto... what would you do..." I looked into his bright eyes. "What would you do if I asked you to abandon the people in need ?! Huh?!"

"Akari..." he let his head down.

"I know..." I pulled him closer and kissed him like it was the last time.

I woke up and I wished it all was a dream, but it wasn't. My arm was hurting badly. I couldn't waste any chakra on healing it.

I needed my strength to open the rift and go back, but I knew if I used my eyes now I'd lose them forever.

Naruto must be worried sick.

But I'll try again soon.

Flashback:

"Flaming hurricane!" I spun in the air and watched the puppets being consumed by the flames around me. Naruto caught me right before I hit the ground. He smiled.

"You looked hot, like literally! I've never seen that before."

"That's my special move!" I smirked.

"I like it! Look, more of them are coming."

"This could never end like this." I tried to think of something.

"I can't use anything massive against them. It may destroy the village, which makes it harder. One thing is for sure, we have to geather them in one place and fight together. I'll send a clone to Gaara. Let him know." He looked at me. "So you're being stubborn right?"

I smiled as my hair and body started to glow white.

"Let's get crazy!"

"Alright! Hey, you want the chakra fruit?!" He yelled to get attention. "Come and bite me!" Kuramas chakra covered his body and took a form of the fox. He looked magnificent.

This is the first time I saw it. I felt so small next to it. Kurama winked at me.

"Jump on my back little one!" He said.

I've lost track of time in this dimension but I never stopped trying.

"Come on!" I encouraged myself. This was the 27th time I got my eyes to the point where they gave up. "Why can't I get this right?!" I slapped myself, got up and tried again.

And again...

I managed to open another rift..

I stepped in it..

And it wasn't the village hidden in the sand.

And I did the same thing endlessly.

I felt like I couldn't do this anymore, my whole body was shaking. Not because of the exhaustion... It was disappointment and anger.

And I screamed.

I screamed until my voice disappeared.

My bloody tears soaked the ground of an unknown dimension.

"Why... why can't I return to him?! WHY!!!

I promised... I promised he wouldn't lose me..."

I was lonely... but the scariest part was that my faith was starting to leave me.

I was about to give up..

At that moment I realized...

I was in hell.

Flashback:

The fight dragged on the entire night. The number of the puppets was endless and so was their chakra. And it hit me.

"Naruto! There's something that might work!"

"Well say it what are you waiting for?!" He hissed and stopped punching the enemy.

"I might be able to take them away, all at once!"

"What do you mean?!" He was too busy at the moment.

"I'll open the rift!" He kicked the puppet away and walked to me.

"Absolutely not!"

"But why?!" As we were arguing the anbus found us. They were standing around us.

"Seriously Akari?! We've fought enemies stronger than these brainless trees, you don't have to risk like that. We can win this!"

"But Naruto, look around. The village is being destroyed in the process. Even if we win these people will have nowhere to go."

"No..." Naruto's voice got shaky.

"It'll take 20 seconds and I'm not asking you for the permission. I have to try."

"Fine!" He turned his back on me.

"Hey," I put my hand on his shoulder. "20 seconds and I'll be back. I promise."

That was the last thing I said to him that night.

I sat by the fire. It was always dark in this dimension.

Opening rifts had become my daily routine, but I had lost the hope of ever succeeding.

I had no idea what had happened to the people I've left behind. I hoped they were safe and happy.

I didn't care anymore.

I didn't care if I lived or not so I decided to try this one last time.

"That's it..." I smiled sarcastically. "If it doesn't work... you win! I'll give up forever!"

And I did the same thing.

A small crack appeared in the air.

I stepped into it carelessly.

It felt like it was getting warmer.

"Perfect, another dimension with lava. At least my mysery will be over in seconds." I smiled with the thought of dying and took a step forward.

I felt the ground under my feet. "What?" I opened my eyes, but the brightness of the fire hurt them. I blinked a few times.

"Itsuki?" I mumbled as I saw red haired man in front of me on the battlefield.

"She's here!" He screamed with joy. I didn't understand any of it.

"Where?!" I saw him. Naruto. Just like I left him. He was looking for me. Then his eyes met mine. "Akari! You dumb fool! You said 20 seconds!"

"What?" I mumbled. I thought my mind was playing tricks on me.

"It took 26! You're late, you know? You had me worried sick!"

It was really him.

My feet moved on their own.

I wrapped my arms around his neck. How I've missed the smell of his skin, his soft, blonde hair, his touch..

"Akari?" He chuckled. I couldn't find the right words to speak. I hugged him tighter like I was trying to become one with him. "Akari what's wrong?" He whispered. Running his fingers through my hair he noticed. "Why is your hair so long?" I pushed my face in his neck and sobbed quietly. "Akari, where were you?"