I wish to take a moment to give my praise and thank- yous to a few of you
out there!
Ranma Bushiko- If it wasn't for you, my fanfiction would've probably never have gotten this far. I thank you so much I don't even know how I can make it up to you! THANK YOU!!!!!! You're the greatest!!!! ^_^
KakashiLvr- A close and hysterically funny friend whose given me perspective in ways that she probably doesn't know, but is happy anyway (Kakashi is still mine). She has helped me give comedy to my fanfiction, and has changed me outlook on a couple of things. Kudos and two thumbs up, buddy!!! O.O
Kuroi Kistune- My Pocky obsessive friend who was the first to review my fanfiction, and has given me confidence in continuing (well, so has everyone else!) Thank you so much, and I didn't mind that your first review was so long! I actually liked it! XD
SailorPenguinz- The second person to review my new version of Visitor From Reality. Thank you! Oodles of kudos for you for being so kind! _O
Anything- I give you two thumbs up and a years supply of huggles for your reviews and help!
And for the newcomers such as: Death Phoenix, Mai- Ly, Dimensional Traveler, Karasu Sage, HokugenShadowWolf and Sakura Ryou:
THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!
Please continue to guide me and in return I guide you through our fanfictions. Speaking of which, where's chapter 15?! Well, turn the page, and let's continue!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"What were you singing?" Kakashi ran his fingers through the soft grass around him.
"A Gaelic song. The title, Tighinn air a'mhuir tha fear a phòsas mi, means 'The one who will marry me will come over the sea'." Aki tried not to blush at the title.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Gaelic? Sounds like garlic.) thought Kakashi.
"What country does that language come from?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Uh- oh. Aki couldn't come up with a convincible lie for this one in time.
"It comes from..."
She sighed.
"You know, I haven't been truthfully honest with you." Her head was bowed down.
Kakashi tilted his head, curious and confused.
"Oh, boy." She sighed, "You see...uh..." she exhaled, slowly shaking her head.
"What? What are you trying to say?"
Aki was trying so hard not to cry, but the tears were coming whether she liked it or not. She combed her bangs with her fingers as she tried to get the words out, but confessions were never her thing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kakashi didn't know what to do. For the first time in his Jounin years, he hesitated to move. His natural instincts started to take over his rational ones, and in the next moment, he was wondered so hard why he was sitting next to Aki with an arm around her shoulder.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aki was too busy trying to cover up her tears to notice that Kakashi had gotten a little personal.
"Shhhh. What's wrong?" Kakashi now had both arms around her, but not too tightly or compacted.
Aki suddenly realized this was the perfect opportunity. She still played the crying charade (Drama WAS her number one skill in school), and started her "explanation".
"You see, I really don't know...where I came from."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kakashi was taken aback.
"What do you mean?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I was... young when I was an orphan."
(Okay. It's starting to work...)
He was listening, now taking his arms off as those Aki was on fire.
"I...I don't know why, but...they hated me. They hated me since the day I was born."
The chakra -infested trees glowed a reminiscent blue, wanting to learn of Aki's memories. Now she was telling the truth from her heart, not a lie from her mind.
"They just...didn't like me. I always felt..."
Now the true tears were coming back.
"That they...were hiding something from me. My brother--"
"You have a brother?"
"Had. He would always 'tease' me, and sometimes...what he did..."
Aki's bottom lip trembled as her widened eyes relived the horror of her being smothered by her older brother with a pillow, how her parents had jus stood their like watchguards, and never did anything until she was close to death, but didn't need to go to the hospital either. She remembered trying to call social services, but when they asked her family questions, they said it never happened. Then the horror would repeat itself again and again. She had thought of running away, but that would just make matters worse for her. That hell carried on for eight years of Aki's short life. So...
"That's why I'm paranoid and claustrophobic to the head. And I admit it, too."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kakashi still stayed silent as she continued.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"And my social life was a brilliant failure!"
"I was rejected everywhere I went!" She started imitating scenes from attempts to make friendships, "Hi! How ya doin'? 'Piss off!' Hey, how's it goin'? 'Fuck off, crusty!' It never ended! Only one or two saw past the chains of hatred that I put up in defense, and actually saw me for who I was. But, then again, they also had extreme problems. One lost half of her family to a chronic disease, while the other WAS a walking disease."
"I was living on my own since I was eight. I tried to live, but the poison of my world just kept devouring me, turning me weak and fearful. That's why...."
Aki suddenly realized it. She never wanted to commit suicide because of a shitty life.
She wanted to commit it...
...out of fear...
(I... wanted...to...prove myself?! To show I wasn't...afraid?!)
"Why what?"
"That's why...I decided to take my life one day."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kakashi's eyes flashed in horrified shock.
(She wanted to KILL herself?! But why?!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"My wounds will never heal...not in six thousand centuries. People don't know how lethal words can be compared to swords or knives."
"As long as my heart still beats, I will never be rid of this sorrow. I have always been aloof, stone cold to any that wished to befriend me, but...it just didn't feel to be in my nature. Outside, it was "Piss off!", but inside...it was "Don't leave me. Please stay."
"I've ...never...really... known what loyalty meant. Or trust, honor, bravery, even love. But now, seeing that I have been given a second chance, you could say I have been...uncaged." Aki tried to smile, but she only ended up burying her face in her hands.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kakashi kneeled in front of her, his hands resting on her shoulders.
"Aki. Look at me."
She lifted her face from her moist hands, trying to not burst into more tears when she made eye contact with him.
"I cannot say it is going to be all right, but I will say this: You are not alone. We all have time of desperation, but we must look for the moving on point. That's how we learn from the past to prepare for the future."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When Aki heard those words, it was like she was the snake to the charmer. She nodded, half of her face still covered up by her hands.
"Come on. It's late." Kakashi stood up, offering a hand.
Aki's heart fluttered at his offer. Wiping away the last of her tears, she gingerly took his hand and stood up.
"Thanks." She said in a weak voice.
Kakashi still heard it.
~~*~~ The Next Day...~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
"KYA!"
Naruto plunged his kunai into the bark. Landing back on the ground like a cat, he looked up to see how far he had made it. ARGH! Sasuke was STILL ahead of him! Oh sure! Sakura gets a break because she did it on her first try, but he get to do the fun stuff? NO! Was he pissed off? YES!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aki was sitting in a small glen hidden deep within the forest. She sat there, her chin resting on her fist, thinking hard.
(I'm too powerful. Something's up here. I can't be like this at this time and place. But...there is that one secret. Tit for Tat, I guess. Reveal it, and I'm as weak as a slug.)
She stood up, exhaling deeply as she straightened up.
(There's got to be some weakness on me. Stamina is OK, strength is 'eh', but chakra control is WOWZER!!! So, what does this mean? I haven't even been a Gennin, and I can do these things! Maybe...it's something mental about me? Weak will, perhaps..?)
"Aki!" She turned her head to see Kakashi, who was now walking on his own.
"Oh, hey! Wazzup?"
Kakashi blinked in confusion, but then shook his head.
"Naruto has told me of your fighting skills. Where did you learn to fight like that?"
"Whaddaya mean?"
"He said you could summon demon water dragon heads, and make them charge from a spinning maelstrom, bringing an oblivion in its wake, at your chosen target, so--"
"I see Naruto has exaggerated some parts, but the basis is right; I can summon water heads."
"That's an unknown technique, even to me!" He pointed at himself, "What's it called?"
"Well, I call it "Mizu Ryu Kaiten no Jutsu." " She shrugged.
"Can you show me?"
"There IS a drawback on this move: It leaves the user momentarily disoriented, and if the opponent can recover from its blast, they're pretty much screwed."
"Well, I'm not gonna jump you; I just want to see it." Aki saw his right hand twitch.
"Sorry, my moves can't be copied either. So don't even think of trying the Sharingan, even if you aren't fully healed yet."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Damn!) He cursed to himself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aki's target was a fairly large sized rock sitting on the ground. Picking up her staff, she let it gently fall to her mid- line, her hands forming the strange and untranslatable seals.
"MIZU RYU KAITEN!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kakashi was amazed as Aki's body spun around vertically while her staff spun horizontally, water cloaking them both.
The dragon heads rushed out of the staff and whirlpool, and charged for the rock.
The impact was incredible. Kakashi could feel the very droplets of excess water pummel into his face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aki was stumbling around in circles, Kenshin- swirly eyes plaster to her upper face.
"That's...another thing...I've got to...add to the...rules..." She said in a dazed voice.
She shook her and, and looked at Kakashi. She tilted her head, baffled by his expression.
"What's wrong?"
Kakashi could only lift up a numb finger pointing to where the target was. Aki turned, and her eyes literally popped out of her head.
The rock had gone through two thick trees, and was buried deep within a third. She let out a low whistle in amazement.
"Guess I don't know my own strength, heh heh." She scratched her head sheepishly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(This...this is...impossible!) Kakashi started to turn blue in shock.
(Here stands before me a teenage girl,) He paused in his kind for a moment with a thoughtful expression on his face (Who could very well be an amnesiac, seeing that she can't remember where she came from, but she DOES know her name, so maybe she's a con artist. What?! What am I thinking?! Why would an imposter injure herself so badly? AND be helping us?)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Kakashi?"
Aki saw him look up.
"Oh, nothing. Nothing." He cleared his throat, "So what else do you know on fighting?"
"Oh..." she gave a crafty grin, "A few others..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Evening came by quicker than a glance, and once more, Aki's mind was in turmoil. Had she truly confessed? On an emotional level, yes, she had, but on a mental level, loooooooong way away.
She sat on the docks again, listening to 'Concrete Angel'. Sitting on her lap was her opened journal and Vol. 2 and 3 of Naruto. Picking up her ballpoint pen, she turned to a new page.
"Day 3: Oh boy...
I don't know how much I've steered this manga off course, but what's worse, I' becoming more cartoon than human, but is this really reality? What Is reality? Is it like beauty? 'In the eyes of the beholder'? I've gone so far into this place that I may just be living a lie. Well, that's partially true. I still can't bring myself to say to Kakashi, or anyone for that matter, that I'm not really from this realm. Am I an illusion....? Could it be...that I might be...dreaming this whole thing up in a desperate attempt of escapism..?"
She stopped her writing, and pinched her hurt side really deep with her nails. Ow! Nope, she's not dreaming this.
"Okay, scratch the dreaming bit. But how is it...that in two days, I'm almost as powerful as Kakashi, EVEN though I'm injured? Maybe, like I said to myself before, Tit for Tat. My skin condition for power. My skin is so fragile that if I get too many cuts, I'm dead. Literally."
Ranma Bushiko- If it wasn't for you, my fanfiction would've probably never have gotten this far. I thank you so much I don't even know how I can make it up to you! THANK YOU!!!!!! You're the greatest!!!! ^_^
KakashiLvr- A close and hysterically funny friend whose given me perspective in ways that she probably doesn't know, but is happy anyway (Kakashi is still mine). She has helped me give comedy to my fanfiction, and has changed me outlook on a couple of things. Kudos and two thumbs up, buddy!!! O.O
Kuroi Kistune- My Pocky obsessive friend who was the first to review my fanfiction, and has given me confidence in continuing (well, so has everyone else!) Thank you so much, and I didn't mind that your first review was so long! I actually liked it! XD
SailorPenguinz- The second person to review my new version of Visitor From Reality. Thank you! Oodles of kudos for you for being so kind! _O
Anything- I give you two thumbs up and a years supply of huggles for your reviews and help!
And for the newcomers such as: Death Phoenix, Mai- Ly, Dimensional Traveler, Karasu Sage, HokugenShadowWolf and Sakura Ryou:
THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!
Please continue to guide me and in return I guide you through our fanfictions. Speaking of which, where's chapter 15?! Well, turn the page, and let's continue!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"What were you singing?" Kakashi ran his fingers through the soft grass around him.
"A Gaelic song. The title, Tighinn air a'mhuir tha fear a phòsas mi, means 'The one who will marry me will come over the sea'." Aki tried not to blush at the title.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Gaelic? Sounds like garlic.) thought Kakashi.
"What country does that language come from?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Uh- oh. Aki couldn't come up with a convincible lie for this one in time.
"It comes from..."
She sighed.
"You know, I haven't been truthfully honest with you." Her head was bowed down.
Kakashi tilted his head, curious and confused.
"Oh, boy." She sighed, "You see...uh..." she exhaled, slowly shaking her head.
"What? What are you trying to say?"
Aki was trying so hard not to cry, but the tears were coming whether she liked it or not. She combed her bangs with her fingers as she tried to get the words out, but confessions were never her thing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kakashi didn't know what to do. For the first time in his Jounin years, he hesitated to move. His natural instincts started to take over his rational ones, and in the next moment, he was wondered so hard why he was sitting next to Aki with an arm around her shoulder.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aki was too busy trying to cover up her tears to notice that Kakashi had gotten a little personal.
"Shhhh. What's wrong?" Kakashi now had both arms around her, but not too tightly or compacted.
Aki suddenly realized this was the perfect opportunity. She still played the crying charade (Drama WAS her number one skill in school), and started her "explanation".
"You see, I really don't know...where I came from."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kakashi was taken aback.
"What do you mean?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I was... young when I was an orphan."
(Okay. It's starting to work...)
He was listening, now taking his arms off as those Aki was on fire.
"I...I don't know why, but...they hated me. They hated me since the day I was born."
The chakra -infested trees glowed a reminiscent blue, wanting to learn of Aki's memories. Now she was telling the truth from her heart, not a lie from her mind.
"They just...didn't like me. I always felt..."
Now the true tears were coming back.
"That they...were hiding something from me. My brother--"
"You have a brother?"
"Had. He would always 'tease' me, and sometimes...what he did..."
Aki's bottom lip trembled as her widened eyes relived the horror of her being smothered by her older brother with a pillow, how her parents had jus stood their like watchguards, and never did anything until she was close to death, but didn't need to go to the hospital either. She remembered trying to call social services, but when they asked her family questions, they said it never happened. Then the horror would repeat itself again and again. She had thought of running away, but that would just make matters worse for her. That hell carried on for eight years of Aki's short life. So...
"That's why I'm paranoid and claustrophobic to the head. And I admit it, too."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kakashi still stayed silent as she continued.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"And my social life was a brilliant failure!"
"I was rejected everywhere I went!" She started imitating scenes from attempts to make friendships, "Hi! How ya doin'? 'Piss off!' Hey, how's it goin'? 'Fuck off, crusty!' It never ended! Only one or two saw past the chains of hatred that I put up in defense, and actually saw me for who I was. But, then again, they also had extreme problems. One lost half of her family to a chronic disease, while the other WAS a walking disease."
"I was living on my own since I was eight. I tried to live, but the poison of my world just kept devouring me, turning me weak and fearful. That's why...."
Aki suddenly realized it. She never wanted to commit suicide because of a shitty life.
She wanted to commit it...
...out of fear...
(I... wanted...to...prove myself?! To show I wasn't...afraid?!)
"Why what?"
"That's why...I decided to take my life one day."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kakashi's eyes flashed in horrified shock.
(She wanted to KILL herself?! But why?!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"My wounds will never heal...not in six thousand centuries. People don't know how lethal words can be compared to swords or knives."
"As long as my heart still beats, I will never be rid of this sorrow. I have always been aloof, stone cold to any that wished to befriend me, but...it just didn't feel to be in my nature. Outside, it was "Piss off!", but inside...it was "Don't leave me. Please stay."
"I've ...never...really... known what loyalty meant. Or trust, honor, bravery, even love. But now, seeing that I have been given a second chance, you could say I have been...uncaged." Aki tried to smile, but she only ended up burying her face in her hands.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kakashi kneeled in front of her, his hands resting on her shoulders.
"Aki. Look at me."
She lifted her face from her moist hands, trying to not burst into more tears when she made eye contact with him.
"I cannot say it is going to be all right, but I will say this: You are not alone. We all have time of desperation, but we must look for the moving on point. That's how we learn from the past to prepare for the future."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When Aki heard those words, it was like she was the snake to the charmer. She nodded, half of her face still covered up by her hands.
"Come on. It's late." Kakashi stood up, offering a hand.
Aki's heart fluttered at his offer. Wiping away the last of her tears, she gingerly took his hand and stood up.
"Thanks." She said in a weak voice.
Kakashi still heard it.
~~*~~ The Next Day...~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
"KYA!"
Naruto plunged his kunai into the bark. Landing back on the ground like a cat, he looked up to see how far he had made it. ARGH! Sasuke was STILL ahead of him! Oh sure! Sakura gets a break because she did it on her first try, but he get to do the fun stuff? NO! Was he pissed off? YES!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aki was sitting in a small glen hidden deep within the forest. She sat there, her chin resting on her fist, thinking hard.
(I'm too powerful. Something's up here. I can't be like this at this time and place. But...there is that one secret. Tit for Tat, I guess. Reveal it, and I'm as weak as a slug.)
She stood up, exhaling deeply as she straightened up.
(There's got to be some weakness on me. Stamina is OK, strength is 'eh', but chakra control is WOWZER!!! So, what does this mean? I haven't even been a Gennin, and I can do these things! Maybe...it's something mental about me? Weak will, perhaps..?)
"Aki!" She turned her head to see Kakashi, who was now walking on his own.
"Oh, hey! Wazzup?"
Kakashi blinked in confusion, but then shook his head.
"Naruto has told me of your fighting skills. Where did you learn to fight like that?"
"Whaddaya mean?"
"He said you could summon demon water dragon heads, and make them charge from a spinning maelstrom, bringing an oblivion in its wake, at your chosen target, so--"
"I see Naruto has exaggerated some parts, but the basis is right; I can summon water heads."
"That's an unknown technique, even to me!" He pointed at himself, "What's it called?"
"Well, I call it "Mizu Ryu Kaiten no Jutsu." " She shrugged.
"Can you show me?"
"There IS a drawback on this move: It leaves the user momentarily disoriented, and if the opponent can recover from its blast, they're pretty much screwed."
"Well, I'm not gonna jump you; I just want to see it." Aki saw his right hand twitch.
"Sorry, my moves can't be copied either. So don't even think of trying the Sharingan, even if you aren't fully healed yet."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Damn!) He cursed to himself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aki's target was a fairly large sized rock sitting on the ground. Picking up her staff, she let it gently fall to her mid- line, her hands forming the strange and untranslatable seals.
"MIZU RYU KAITEN!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kakashi was amazed as Aki's body spun around vertically while her staff spun horizontally, water cloaking them both.
The dragon heads rushed out of the staff and whirlpool, and charged for the rock.
The impact was incredible. Kakashi could feel the very droplets of excess water pummel into his face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aki was stumbling around in circles, Kenshin- swirly eyes plaster to her upper face.
"That's...another thing...I've got to...add to the...rules..." She said in a dazed voice.
She shook her and, and looked at Kakashi. She tilted her head, baffled by his expression.
"What's wrong?"
Kakashi could only lift up a numb finger pointing to where the target was. Aki turned, and her eyes literally popped out of her head.
The rock had gone through two thick trees, and was buried deep within a third. She let out a low whistle in amazement.
"Guess I don't know my own strength, heh heh." She scratched her head sheepishly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(This...this is...impossible!) Kakashi started to turn blue in shock.
(Here stands before me a teenage girl,) He paused in his kind for a moment with a thoughtful expression on his face (Who could very well be an amnesiac, seeing that she can't remember where she came from, but she DOES know her name, so maybe she's a con artist. What?! What am I thinking?! Why would an imposter injure herself so badly? AND be helping us?)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Kakashi?"
Aki saw him look up.
"Oh, nothing. Nothing." He cleared his throat, "So what else do you know on fighting?"
"Oh..." she gave a crafty grin, "A few others..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Evening came by quicker than a glance, and once more, Aki's mind was in turmoil. Had she truly confessed? On an emotional level, yes, she had, but on a mental level, loooooooong way away.
She sat on the docks again, listening to 'Concrete Angel'. Sitting on her lap was her opened journal and Vol. 2 and 3 of Naruto. Picking up her ballpoint pen, she turned to a new page.
"Day 3: Oh boy...
I don't know how much I've steered this manga off course, but what's worse, I' becoming more cartoon than human, but is this really reality? What Is reality? Is it like beauty? 'In the eyes of the beholder'? I've gone so far into this place that I may just be living a lie. Well, that's partially true. I still can't bring myself to say to Kakashi, or anyone for that matter, that I'm not really from this realm. Am I an illusion....? Could it be...that I might be...dreaming this whole thing up in a desperate attempt of escapism..?"
She stopped her writing, and pinched her hurt side really deep with her nails. Ow! Nope, she's not dreaming this.
"Okay, scratch the dreaming bit. But how is it...that in two days, I'm almost as powerful as Kakashi, EVEN though I'm injured? Maybe, like I said to myself before, Tit for Tat. My skin condition for power. My skin is so fragile that if I get too many cuts, I'm dead. Literally."