Kaiyuga: * Keeping a close eye on a snoozing Kakashi* Thanks again for your
support, reviewers!
* Kaiyuga's demonic kitten, Karma, jumps onto the bed where Kakashi is, and starts walking all over him (including his face). *
Kaiyuga: Uh, Karma? Karma, don't do that. Karma? Karma! N- no! Don't do that!"
* Karma is kneading on his arms with her EXTREMLY sharp claws. *
Kakashi: YEEOOOW!! @(!#@#$!!*!$^%!^$&#*#! (Need I say anymore?)
* Red light flares. Intruder, intruder, blah blah blah... *
Kakashi: AHH! * Hides under the covers, trembling. *
Kaiyuga: * Now picking up her handy- dandy staff (wink, wink) * Come out, KakashiLvr!
* No reply *
* Kaiyuga looks around warily. *
?????: Fell for it...
* Kaiyuga spins around to find out that she's been shot with a good dosage of tranquilizer. Her world goes topsy- turvey. *
?????: Oh well. My bounty is collected.
* Through hazy vision, Kaiyuga sees a limp Kakashi slung over the shoulder of a too blurred figure. *
Kaiyuga: Ka......ka....shi.....
* Collapses on the floor, unconscious. Lights and siren still flaring overhead. *
Is this where our demi- hero will meet her tragic end!?! Find out-----
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aki slammed into a nearby tree, her head aching. Her body slumped down the trunk, blood smeared on the bark.
She yanked out the kunai that had been impaled in her shoulder, and wiped off the splattered blood from her face.
"I'll admit, you have exceptional skill with a kunai," Aki stood up shakily, "But that isn't enough to defeat me!"
She suddenly hurled her spinning staff towards Naruto's head. As it flew, its altitude lowered, and now was aiming for his chest. Uh oh!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What? What she deliberately letting him catch her only weapon?!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aki's staff flew cleanly in his grip.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Naruto grinned at seeing Aki's shocked face, but his soon changed...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Fell for it...again."
She grinned with lowered and determined eyebrows.
"CHAKRA KYUUSHUU!!!"
Instantly, Naruto keeled over, weakly dropping Aki's staff to the ground.
"You see, anyone who tries to command my staff, or just catches it, it will automatically absorbs their chakra and their strength."
Aki motioned her hand, and the flaming white staff flew back into her hands.
"Oh, did I mention that all of the chakra it gets transfers to me?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Naruto hated this! A girl who wasn't even a ninja was beating him! He couldn't feel his hands or his legs, but he was tenacious and willing to go to the end!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aki sensed his will to continue. Closing her eyes with her opposite hands, runes lit up on her staff.
"Scan!"
"SCAN?!"
"Another of my moves, my dear Naruto." Aki didn't open her eyes, but inside looked through her eyelids.
She could see Naruto's outline, but more off, she could see his current chakra/ stamina situation. Not exactly the Byakugan, but it worked well enough.
(He's only got 25% stamina left. If he tries anything, he'll be close to dead.)
"Naruto?" Aki showed a hint of worry in her voice.
All he could do was hoarsely pant in reply.
"I...I think you should quit." Aki looked more insulted than Naruto!
"Quit?" he muttered, "What does that mean?"
(Oh no..!)
"I will do no such thing!!" he said, charging, as clumsily as he may be.
"Don't make me." Said Aki, lying most of her staff on her back in surrender.
Naruto didn't listen; he kept on charging like a crazed bull.
(Forgive me.) Aki closed her eyes while holding two fingers in front of her face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Almost there! He was going to win! He was going to--!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"SOMNI!"
Instantly, Naruto fell dead in his tracks, out colder than a man in a coma. Seeing that he was down for the count, Aki relaxed, and suddenly realized that her shoulder really hurt.
Carefully sinking to Naruto's side, Aki turned him over. Yup, he was down at out, judging from his upturned eyeball underneath his checked eyelid. Aki looked around, the hidden sun making it more difficult.
"Hang on, Naruto." Aki raised her hand up.
Instead of a white flame, a blue flame now encased her raised hand. Closing her eyes, she concentrated hard, her eyebrows furrowed. A few minutes passed, and the flame around her hand had grown to the size of a baseball glove.
"Now, the Initial Gate is where again.?.oh yeah!"
She placed her flaming blue head on Naruto's forehead, watching him with a stern face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Huh? What the heck was going on here? First, he felt so bent out of shape that he would collapse from fighting with Aki, and now he felt as though he hadn't even gotten out a bed yet!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"That's enough. He should rest for the night."
Sliding her staff into a sheath she made by herself, she lifted Naruto off of the ground, but fell to her knees. Why was it so hard to lift a person up?! Naruto was shorter AND younger than her, so why was he so HEAVY?!
Gritting her teeth, she strained to lift Naruto, and started back to Mr. Tazuna's house.
(Ow. Shoulder hurts. Ow. Ow ow ow ow ow. Ow ow ow ow ow! Hurties! OW!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Aki! Where have you be- What's up with Naruto?"
Aki gingerly slid Naruto off her back, and propped him up against the wall.
"Oh my goodness!" exclaimed Tsunami, rushing over to check on him, "What happened to him."
"Too much training. All he needs is sleep. Tomorrow morning, I hate to break it to you Sakura, but he will be as energetic and hyper as he usually is." Aki gave a good-natured grin to her quip.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sakura didn't understand what Aki was trying to shoot for, so she just kept silent. She was more preoccupied with what Aki had told her yesterday. What did she mean by that?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Ugh."
Naruto woke up some time later, rubbing his forehead.
"Hey, Naruto!" called Kakashi, "Didn't think you'd be up for dinner."
Everyone was sitting at the table, except for Aki.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She was sitting up in her futon, her bandages rewoven. Once again, she had started spitting up blood because of her reopened internal wound. Her shoulder was also wrapped up from the kunai wound, dried blood soaked the linen.
"Hey, Naruto. Sorry for me taking advantage of your disadvantage."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Naruto stared at Aki with a confused eyebrow, but then a sudden reel of images from the fight he and her had flashed in his mind. Realizing he had lost, he bowed his head down in shame, and in frustration.
(I...lost?)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hey, Naruto. Don't be so down. We win some, we lose some. Otherwise, we're either arrogant or timid and lose both ways."
"Well said." Kakashi pulled back a stool for Naruto to sit on.
"Well, now that we're all here." Mr. Tazuna picked up his chopsticks, "Dig in!"
As Naruto and Sasuke had their consumption challenge and gagging all the time, Aki contently sat in her futon, drawing in her art binder and writing notes in her journal, a bowl of ramen next to her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What was that undeniable scent that wafted underneath his nose? Yes, it had to be! It was, it was...
A BOWL OF RAMEN?!?!
Naruto spat out his food in shock...and annoyance.
"Why does she get RAMEN?!" Naruto jabbed his chopsticks in Aki's direction.
"Two reasons." Kakashi held up two fingers, "One, she made it."
"What?! That isn't a reason!"
"Let me finish." Kakashi ticked off the second finger, "and two, it's medicated, something she did for herself, unless, you too have internal wounds."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"And three," Aki overheard Kakashi telling Naruto her reasons, "It's tastes ab- so- lute- ly horrible!"
"That too." Kakashi chuckled.
Aki smiled, her eyes lowered. Wonder if you can tell your body not to blush in this realm.
She turned back to her art binder with headphones equipped to Underworld once again. Every few minutes, she paused to slurp down some medicated noodles, which basically was a combination of non- addictive pain killers and extracts of healing plants that weren't poisonous to eat. She had searched for these plants in the nearby forest after checking her now morphed herb book. Now the plant's names and pictures were changed to the Naruto world, but still held the same properties as the ones back home.
Home...
Where was that..?
Was it really hers..?
Did she really belong there..?
Was she even ALLOWED to come back..?
"Aki?" Kakashi looked at her with a curious eye.
"Whu?" She looked up.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"You're crying."
"I am?!"
Aki turned to hide her face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kakashi just couldn't understand the workings of this child's mind. She was so cheerful at times, and then...she just would sink into a depression. Her eyes would go blank, and she'd just stare. And then she would be back to being chipper.
What did she write in that journal of hers? And why did she look like she was hiding something?
Kakashi made up his mind to speak to her privately again in the dead of night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Night, Kakashi- sensei." Sakura rose from the table and was off to bed.
"Yeah, g'night, sensei." Naruto yawned, and followed after Sakura.
Sasuke just nodded, and was off. Kakashi scratched behind his neck, and made himself comfortable in his futon. Aki was already asleep, her blanket rising and falling gently to her slow breathing.
When everyone was sound asleep, Kakashi, looking around to see no one was there, except Aki, carefully slipped out of his futon, and crept over to her.
"Aki?" he whispered, but it barely got past his facial mask.
"Aki."
She didn't stir. Kakashi placed a hand on her shoulder, lightly shaking her. Still she did not arouse. Gently pulling back the covers, he eyes shot open in shock. Aki suddenly poofed in a puff of black smoke, a note left behind. Kakashi hesitated to pick up the note, but he unfolded it. It read:
~ Kakashi,
If you wish to know where I am, follow the quasar ring of notes.
"Quasar ring of notes? What does she mean by that?" He was about to wake everyone up to help find Aki when he heard it.
Faint musical and lyrical notes lingered from beyond the shoreline.
"She must be in the forest. Did she know I wanted to talk to her?"
Forgetting to put his sandals on, he slipped out of Mr. Tazuna's house, and making sure he didn't step on a squeaky plank, he followed the notes from the shade of the trees. On his way there, he stopped in awe.
Surrounding the forest was a wide halo of stardust and stars, glimmering like diamonds encased in misty water. Staring at it for a few minutes, he suddenly came to a realization:
That ring...
Was being created...
By Aki's chakra!
He had to see this!
As he walked deeper into the forest, he saw a bluish white light emitting from the heart of the woods. He started to hear the vocal notes more clearly.
"O tha m'ulaidh air tha m'ulaidh air cha bhith e ris an òl
Tha maighear air tha maighear air cha bhi e ris an òl
Meudail air an t-sùil 's air a mhala--"
What tongue was she singing in? Her voice...he had never heard it like this before. Even the waves had stopped crying against the low cliffs to hear her song. Music softly bounced off of the trees, supporting her soothing words. Even Kakashi was lured into its lullable hymn.
Soon, he came upon a majestic sight.
Aki was sitting on a fallen tree, her eyes gently closed. As she sang her song, blue spires of chakra swirled and spiraled up and in-between the canopy of the trees. Stars seemed to have inhabited the trees, making them looked crystallized. An oval- shaped half halo of blue chakra hovered above Aki, outlined her shoulders.
Kakashi could only stare in wonder and was completely mesmerized.
"Tighinn air a'mhuir tha fear a phòsas mi
Tighinn air a'mhuir tha fear a phòsas mi
Tighinn air a'mhuir tha gille buidhe bòidheach
Bucail' air a'bhrògan le ordugh an Rìgh
O tha m'ulaidh air tha m'ulaidh air cha bhith e ris an òl
Tha maighear air tha maighear air cha bhi e ris an òl
Meudail air an t-sùil 's air a mhala th'os a cionn
Gaòl mo chridhe air a ghille gràdhan air
O tha m'ulaidh air tha m'ulaidh air cha bhith e ris an òl
Tha maighear air tha maighear air cha bhi e ris an òl
Meudail air an t-sùil 's air a mhala th'os a cionn
Gaòl mo chridhe air a ghille gràdhan air."
On her last note, the halo wavered, then slowly vanished, but the ring of stars above the trees and the glowing of the trunks still stayed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Good evening, Kakashi." Aki opened her glowing hazel eyes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kakashi was tongue- tied. He couldn't believe what he just saw!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Chakra isn't just used for fighting, you know."
She sat up on her log, waiting for Kakashi's reply. He just stared, sitting on the grass with his arms wrapped around his folded up knees.
"Impressed?"
He could just only nod.
"How did you--?"
Aki shrugged her shoulders.
"Don't really know, actually."
Aki sat placidly as Kakashi looked around the surroundings to get his tongue back.
"Aki?" He cleared his throat.
"Hmm?" Her eyes captured within the light made Kakashi first seize up then relax.
"Can I talk to you?"
"Of course." Her eyes flashed softly against his soul.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"-- in the next chapter!!"
Author's Note: Really emotional chapter (in a good way), huh? PLZ REVIEW!!! Purty please?
P.S. I know, I'm making dual stories: One for comic relief, one for seriousness. But hey, it's fun!
* Kaiyuga's demonic kitten, Karma, jumps onto the bed where Kakashi is, and starts walking all over him (including his face). *
Kaiyuga: Uh, Karma? Karma, don't do that. Karma? Karma! N- no! Don't do that!"
* Karma is kneading on his arms with her EXTREMLY sharp claws. *
Kakashi: YEEOOOW!! @(!#@#$!!*!$^%!^$&#*#! (Need I say anymore?)
* Red light flares. Intruder, intruder, blah blah blah... *
Kakashi: AHH! * Hides under the covers, trembling. *
Kaiyuga: * Now picking up her handy- dandy staff (wink, wink) * Come out, KakashiLvr!
* No reply *
* Kaiyuga looks around warily. *
?????: Fell for it...
* Kaiyuga spins around to find out that she's been shot with a good dosage of tranquilizer. Her world goes topsy- turvey. *
?????: Oh well. My bounty is collected.
* Through hazy vision, Kaiyuga sees a limp Kakashi slung over the shoulder of a too blurred figure. *
Kaiyuga: Ka......ka....shi.....
* Collapses on the floor, unconscious. Lights and siren still flaring overhead. *
Is this where our demi- hero will meet her tragic end!?! Find out-----
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aki slammed into a nearby tree, her head aching. Her body slumped down the trunk, blood smeared on the bark.
She yanked out the kunai that had been impaled in her shoulder, and wiped off the splattered blood from her face.
"I'll admit, you have exceptional skill with a kunai," Aki stood up shakily, "But that isn't enough to defeat me!"
She suddenly hurled her spinning staff towards Naruto's head. As it flew, its altitude lowered, and now was aiming for his chest. Uh oh!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What? What she deliberately letting him catch her only weapon?!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aki's staff flew cleanly in his grip.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Naruto grinned at seeing Aki's shocked face, but his soon changed...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Fell for it...again."
She grinned with lowered and determined eyebrows.
"CHAKRA KYUUSHUU!!!"
Instantly, Naruto keeled over, weakly dropping Aki's staff to the ground.
"You see, anyone who tries to command my staff, or just catches it, it will automatically absorbs their chakra and their strength."
Aki motioned her hand, and the flaming white staff flew back into her hands.
"Oh, did I mention that all of the chakra it gets transfers to me?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Naruto hated this! A girl who wasn't even a ninja was beating him! He couldn't feel his hands or his legs, but he was tenacious and willing to go to the end!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aki sensed his will to continue. Closing her eyes with her opposite hands, runes lit up on her staff.
"Scan!"
"SCAN?!"
"Another of my moves, my dear Naruto." Aki didn't open her eyes, but inside looked through her eyelids.
She could see Naruto's outline, but more off, she could see his current chakra/ stamina situation. Not exactly the Byakugan, but it worked well enough.
(He's only got 25% stamina left. If he tries anything, he'll be close to dead.)
"Naruto?" Aki showed a hint of worry in her voice.
All he could do was hoarsely pant in reply.
"I...I think you should quit." Aki looked more insulted than Naruto!
"Quit?" he muttered, "What does that mean?"
(Oh no..!)
"I will do no such thing!!" he said, charging, as clumsily as he may be.
"Don't make me." Said Aki, lying most of her staff on her back in surrender.
Naruto didn't listen; he kept on charging like a crazed bull.
(Forgive me.) Aki closed her eyes while holding two fingers in front of her face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Almost there! He was going to win! He was going to--!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"SOMNI!"
Instantly, Naruto fell dead in his tracks, out colder than a man in a coma. Seeing that he was down for the count, Aki relaxed, and suddenly realized that her shoulder really hurt.
Carefully sinking to Naruto's side, Aki turned him over. Yup, he was down at out, judging from his upturned eyeball underneath his checked eyelid. Aki looked around, the hidden sun making it more difficult.
"Hang on, Naruto." Aki raised her hand up.
Instead of a white flame, a blue flame now encased her raised hand. Closing her eyes, she concentrated hard, her eyebrows furrowed. A few minutes passed, and the flame around her hand had grown to the size of a baseball glove.
"Now, the Initial Gate is where again.?.oh yeah!"
She placed her flaming blue head on Naruto's forehead, watching him with a stern face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Huh? What the heck was going on here? First, he felt so bent out of shape that he would collapse from fighting with Aki, and now he felt as though he hadn't even gotten out a bed yet!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"That's enough. He should rest for the night."
Sliding her staff into a sheath she made by herself, she lifted Naruto off of the ground, but fell to her knees. Why was it so hard to lift a person up?! Naruto was shorter AND younger than her, so why was he so HEAVY?!
Gritting her teeth, she strained to lift Naruto, and started back to Mr. Tazuna's house.
(Ow. Shoulder hurts. Ow. Ow ow ow ow ow. Ow ow ow ow ow! Hurties! OW!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Aki! Where have you be- What's up with Naruto?"
Aki gingerly slid Naruto off her back, and propped him up against the wall.
"Oh my goodness!" exclaimed Tsunami, rushing over to check on him, "What happened to him."
"Too much training. All he needs is sleep. Tomorrow morning, I hate to break it to you Sakura, but he will be as energetic and hyper as he usually is." Aki gave a good-natured grin to her quip.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sakura didn't understand what Aki was trying to shoot for, so she just kept silent. She was more preoccupied with what Aki had told her yesterday. What did she mean by that?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Ugh."
Naruto woke up some time later, rubbing his forehead.
"Hey, Naruto!" called Kakashi, "Didn't think you'd be up for dinner."
Everyone was sitting at the table, except for Aki.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She was sitting up in her futon, her bandages rewoven. Once again, she had started spitting up blood because of her reopened internal wound. Her shoulder was also wrapped up from the kunai wound, dried blood soaked the linen.
"Hey, Naruto. Sorry for me taking advantage of your disadvantage."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Naruto stared at Aki with a confused eyebrow, but then a sudden reel of images from the fight he and her had flashed in his mind. Realizing he had lost, he bowed his head down in shame, and in frustration.
(I...lost?)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hey, Naruto. Don't be so down. We win some, we lose some. Otherwise, we're either arrogant or timid and lose both ways."
"Well said." Kakashi pulled back a stool for Naruto to sit on.
"Well, now that we're all here." Mr. Tazuna picked up his chopsticks, "Dig in!"
As Naruto and Sasuke had their consumption challenge and gagging all the time, Aki contently sat in her futon, drawing in her art binder and writing notes in her journal, a bowl of ramen next to her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What was that undeniable scent that wafted underneath his nose? Yes, it had to be! It was, it was...
A BOWL OF RAMEN?!?!
Naruto spat out his food in shock...and annoyance.
"Why does she get RAMEN?!" Naruto jabbed his chopsticks in Aki's direction.
"Two reasons." Kakashi held up two fingers, "One, she made it."
"What?! That isn't a reason!"
"Let me finish." Kakashi ticked off the second finger, "and two, it's medicated, something she did for herself, unless, you too have internal wounds."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"And three," Aki overheard Kakashi telling Naruto her reasons, "It's tastes ab- so- lute- ly horrible!"
"That too." Kakashi chuckled.
Aki smiled, her eyes lowered. Wonder if you can tell your body not to blush in this realm.
She turned back to her art binder with headphones equipped to Underworld once again. Every few minutes, she paused to slurp down some medicated noodles, which basically was a combination of non- addictive pain killers and extracts of healing plants that weren't poisonous to eat. She had searched for these plants in the nearby forest after checking her now morphed herb book. Now the plant's names and pictures were changed to the Naruto world, but still held the same properties as the ones back home.
Home...
Where was that..?
Was it really hers..?
Did she really belong there..?
Was she even ALLOWED to come back..?
"Aki?" Kakashi looked at her with a curious eye.
"Whu?" She looked up.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"You're crying."
"I am?!"
Aki turned to hide her face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kakashi just couldn't understand the workings of this child's mind. She was so cheerful at times, and then...she just would sink into a depression. Her eyes would go blank, and she'd just stare. And then she would be back to being chipper.
What did she write in that journal of hers? And why did she look like she was hiding something?
Kakashi made up his mind to speak to her privately again in the dead of night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Night, Kakashi- sensei." Sakura rose from the table and was off to bed.
"Yeah, g'night, sensei." Naruto yawned, and followed after Sakura.
Sasuke just nodded, and was off. Kakashi scratched behind his neck, and made himself comfortable in his futon. Aki was already asleep, her blanket rising and falling gently to her slow breathing.
When everyone was sound asleep, Kakashi, looking around to see no one was there, except Aki, carefully slipped out of his futon, and crept over to her.
"Aki?" he whispered, but it barely got past his facial mask.
"Aki."
She didn't stir. Kakashi placed a hand on her shoulder, lightly shaking her. Still she did not arouse. Gently pulling back the covers, he eyes shot open in shock. Aki suddenly poofed in a puff of black smoke, a note left behind. Kakashi hesitated to pick up the note, but he unfolded it. It read:
~ Kakashi,
If you wish to know where I am, follow the quasar ring of notes.
"Quasar ring of notes? What does she mean by that?" He was about to wake everyone up to help find Aki when he heard it.
Faint musical and lyrical notes lingered from beyond the shoreline.
"She must be in the forest. Did she know I wanted to talk to her?"
Forgetting to put his sandals on, he slipped out of Mr. Tazuna's house, and making sure he didn't step on a squeaky plank, he followed the notes from the shade of the trees. On his way there, he stopped in awe.
Surrounding the forest was a wide halo of stardust and stars, glimmering like diamonds encased in misty water. Staring at it for a few minutes, he suddenly came to a realization:
That ring...
Was being created...
By Aki's chakra!
He had to see this!
As he walked deeper into the forest, he saw a bluish white light emitting from the heart of the woods. He started to hear the vocal notes more clearly.
"O tha m'ulaidh air tha m'ulaidh air cha bhith e ris an òl
Tha maighear air tha maighear air cha bhi e ris an òl
Meudail air an t-sùil 's air a mhala--"
What tongue was she singing in? Her voice...he had never heard it like this before. Even the waves had stopped crying against the low cliffs to hear her song. Music softly bounced off of the trees, supporting her soothing words. Even Kakashi was lured into its lullable hymn.
Soon, he came upon a majestic sight.
Aki was sitting on a fallen tree, her eyes gently closed. As she sang her song, blue spires of chakra swirled and spiraled up and in-between the canopy of the trees. Stars seemed to have inhabited the trees, making them looked crystallized. An oval- shaped half halo of blue chakra hovered above Aki, outlined her shoulders.
Kakashi could only stare in wonder and was completely mesmerized.
"Tighinn air a'mhuir tha fear a phòsas mi
Tighinn air a'mhuir tha fear a phòsas mi
Tighinn air a'mhuir tha gille buidhe bòidheach
Bucail' air a'bhrògan le ordugh an Rìgh
O tha m'ulaidh air tha m'ulaidh air cha bhith e ris an òl
Tha maighear air tha maighear air cha bhi e ris an òl
Meudail air an t-sùil 's air a mhala th'os a cionn
Gaòl mo chridhe air a ghille gràdhan air
O tha m'ulaidh air tha m'ulaidh air cha bhith e ris an òl
Tha maighear air tha maighear air cha bhi e ris an òl
Meudail air an t-sùil 's air a mhala th'os a cionn
Gaòl mo chridhe air a ghille gràdhan air."
On her last note, the halo wavered, then slowly vanished, but the ring of stars above the trees and the glowing of the trunks still stayed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Good evening, Kakashi." Aki opened her glowing hazel eyes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kakashi was tongue- tied. He couldn't believe what he just saw!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Chakra isn't just used for fighting, you know."
She sat up on her log, waiting for Kakashi's reply. He just stared, sitting on the grass with his arms wrapped around his folded up knees.
"Impressed?"
He could just only nod.
"How did you--?"
Aki shrugged her shoulders.
"Don't really know, actually."
Aki sat placidly as Kakashi looked around the surroundings to get his tongue back.
"Aki?" He cleared his throat.
"Hmm?" Her eyes captured within the light made Kakashi first seize up then relax.
"Can I talk to you?"
"Of course." Her eyes flashed softly against his soul.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"-- in the next chapter!!"
Author's Note: Really emotional chapter (in a good way), huh? PLZ REVIEW!!! Purty please?
P.S. I know, I'm making dual stories: One for comic relief, one for seriousness. But hey, it's fun!