THANK U SO MUCH, HOKUGENSHADOWWOLF!! {To the audience} SHE SAVED ME!! SHE SAVED ME!!!
{Bear hugs Hoku} SHE SAVED ME FROM THE DEADLY, MERICLESS…
WRITER'S BLOOOOOOOCK!!!!
Kage knew this wasn't a mere fever anymore. She saw the blood that soaked Aki's bed every time she got up to go to the bathroom. She saw the look on Aki's face as she lay there, unable to sleep.
"Aki, listen to me." She tried to open one of her eyes.
"Aki, tell me the truth; this isn't a fever, is it?" Aki whimpered and nodded slightly.
"Aki, what's going on?" She tried to speak, but her voice refused to work.
"Is it…that demon?" Aki's eyes shot open, panic chiseled in them.
Kage swallowed hard, and took Aki's hand into her own.
"Aki, it's okay." Aki exhaled airily before heaving her chest to breathe.
"I'm going to help you." Even though Kage's voice was soft, a sense of command lay subtle underneath.
Aki's eyes widened and she shook her head rapidly. Kage placed a finger on Aki's lips to shush her.
"You can't do this on your own." She gripped Aki's hand firmly.
Aki's brows lowered in a glare.
{Of course WE can!} A painful shock of chakra spiraled up Aki's arm and into Kage.
She gritted her teeth and held tighter to Aki.
"I won't lose you, Aki." Red eyes flared in Aki's face.
"Worthlessss piece of flesh and blood! Release ussss!" He injected more of his black chakra into Kage.
"Do you…think I'm worthless, Aki?" A deep growl rumbled in her throat.
"RELEAS-" He choked on his words as a feeble voice broke through.
"Iie…Kage, don't do thi-"
"Go on; kill yoursssself. She doesssn't ca-"
"Kage, please! Don't sacrifi-"
"Ssssee if we care. You're scar-"
"PLEASE! DON'T!"
Kage clenched her jaws, focusing her chakra.
"I'm sorry, Aki." She looked down at her suffering friend.
"You mean too much to me." She focused her chakra into Aki, concentrating as she ignored the painful blots Sikuliah sent into her.
She opened her eyes to find herself in darkness. Black smoke circled her legs like serpents waiting to snatch their prey.
"Sssssssssssssssso…" A shadow in the darkness made itself present slowly, "You've decided to join ussssssss." A blue tongue slowly furled with his smooth words of pure poison.
Kage's eyes narrowed as the demon ryu stepped into the unknown light. He stood up on his hind legs, giving a disdainful look to Kage as he loomed five and a half feet above her head.
"Stop this, Sikuliah. This is suicide!" His red eyes narrowed.
"Thisssssssss isssssss none of your businessssss." He lowered his head to sneer into her eyes.
"You're ssssstill afraid of me. I can sssssssee it in those demon eyessssss of yoursssss." His tongue flicked out with each "s" he pronounced.
Kage swallowed; she never backed down before, and she was not about to any time soon. But what was this feeling prowling around inside of her.
"I know your true fear…" He purred through his closed fanged jaws.
Kage's eyes widened.
"You've been fearing it ever sssssinccce you were born…" A demonic grin spread across his dragonic lips.
"You were always afraid…that you would find her…" He slowly approached her, fanning out his deep swamp green wings.
"Wh- what do YOU know?!" He chuckled darkly.
"Everything."
He kept getting closer to her, and she was backing away.
"Sssscared?"
Her eyes narrowed.
"I'm not going to let you take control of her! She's your host…but more importantly, she's my friend."
"Awwwwwww," He sniffed, "So moving." He mockingly dragged a claw under his eye as if to wipe away a tear.
"You're just a stitched up quilt of Aki's fears; you know nothing of her kindness, her humor, her love-" His eyes flashed at the word.
"Let ussss assssk you thissss; would you love, even if it was never there to quench your thirssssst for life? Fill your hunger for purpossssse? Ease your pain of existancccce?"
Kage opened her mouth to protest, when she stopped herself, and thought about it.
"Didn't think sssssso." He clicked a pair of black claws thoughtfully.
"I'll give you a choiccccce; either leave thisssss alone or let your body and life be mine. Which shall it be?"
Kage scoffed, grinning.
"Just me?" She grinned.
Sikuliah's eyes widened as he sensed the pale jade green eyes. A canine growl was heard before the gargantuan black wolf pinned Sikuliah down, holding his head with his powerful jaws.
"Good job, Fen."
"YOU!! You perssssisssstant baka okami- teme!!! I should have killed you when I had the chanccccce!!!!"
His tail thrashed about, hitting the wolf in the side and head. Sikuliah jammed a claw into the wolf's back leg, a whine coming from the wolf before it was quickly replaced with a ferocious growl.
"RELEASSSSSE ME!!" Kage grinned.
"Oh, we're doing that." Something about her smile made Sikuliah uneasy.
Kage closed her eyes, focusing her chakra.
"Sikuliah. You are no longer able to fuse with Aki. You have been leashed." Suddenly, white chains sprouted from the black floor, and latched themselves to the dragon, glowing an immaculate white. He screamed in pain, the wolf holding tighter to the skin on the back of his neck at his front paws held his wings down.
"Y- You're hurting he-her asssss well- AUUUUUUUUUUGHHH!!!!!"
"No…that is where you are wrong." Kage looked into the darkness.
"AKI?" She called out to the darkness, ignoring Sikuliah's squalls of agony.
Her voice echoed, but nothing answered.
"Aki?!" Something stirred.
[Who are you?]
"Aki? Is that you?"
[Yes and no.]
"Can you show yourself?"
[…]
Kage wondered if the voice had walked off or was contemplating.
[Yes.]
A person slowly melted out from the shadows, staring at Kage with deep cobalt blue eyes.
[Ahhh, yes. I remember you. Though, I see you have changed as well as us.]
"Who…who are you?" The figure chuckled softly.
[You've rarely ever seen me.] The person stepped into the unknown light.
Kage jumped; she looked just like Aki!
[Well, I noticed Aki has fancied names for her sides, so I guess I'm called Lenza.] She narrowed her eyes at the sight of Sikuliah.
[It is not Aki who has lied to us, Sikuliah. It has been you. You lied to both of us as soon as Aki said she would accept us. How could you?]
{It's my job, Lenza.} He grinned before whimpering in pain.
[You're pathetic, Sikuliah. You'll kill until you swallow your own demise in one gullible bite!] He hissed before it was cut off.
[Using Aki as a pawn JUST so that you could get him as well!]
"Him?" Lenza turned her eyes at Kage, and she froze up at the blue bore into her tiger-eyes.
Lenza stared at Kage for what seemed like centuries until she looked back at Fen. He licked his muzzle, seeing that Sikuliah surrendered to the pain and lay limp on the floor.
[Quite a creature. He listens to you?] Kage was taken aback.
"Uh, it's more of a partnership." Fen trotted over to Kage, nuzzling her slightly in the side.
She held Fen's chin, looking into his green eyes. She whispered something into his pricked ears, and his eyes widened. He whined slightly, looking at Kage with worried eyes.
"It's okay; I'll be fine." She hugged him tightly before letting go.
He bowed his huge head before walking back to Sikuliah. He bowed his head, and began to lick away the blood from Sikuliah's wounds.
[Hmm? You told him to?]
Kage nodded.
[If it'll keep him down…You have no idea what it's like to hear him pratting on about death and how he loves blood so much…] Lenza shook her head, sighing.
"I can only imagine." Kage's vision blurred slightly.
[Rest now, Kage. You've used up a lot of your chakra for us. But I hope we can give some small exchange for what you have done…]
"Oh please, it was nothing." Kage sweatdropped before she suddenly became woozy.
[Kage…]
"Uh?"
[Let go.]
Her eyes flared open, light and shape demolishing her sight. The shapes swayed, but she saw Aki lying asleep. Kage fumbled over to her futon that lay next to Aki's bed, and flopped down on it, feeling the world spiral down the drain that had been pulled in her mind.
Something black and furry popped its head over the side of the bed and gracefully leapt onto Kage's futon. Her deep purring carried over to Kage's unconscious ears, where the little kitten licked Kage's earlobe. She snuggled under the covers and curled up next to Kage's beating heart.
…………
"99.7° , not bad." Kage held up the thermometer.
Aki yawned, her eyes groggy.
"Does that mean I can get up?" Kage chuckled, and shook her head.
"I just want to be safe. You're not going anywhere until it goes back to 98.6° ."
"I feel fine." Aki pulled down the blankets.
"Ah ah ah." Kage tickled Aki, making her lie back.
Kage drew up the blankets, grinning triumphantly. She tucked Aki in, opening the glass door for a bit of fresh air as the morning sunlight snuck in.
"You stay and rest while I make us some breakfast, okay?" Aki sighed, rolling her eyes.
Kage grinned and walked into the kitchen. Aki turned on her side, massaging her heart slightly. She sighed, looking around.
'Hello, Aki.' She jumped.
"Huh?"
'Why surprised, Aki?' The soft male voice spoke again, a glass edge to his words.
"Who's there?" she whispered.
'Aki, I'm right here.' She turned and stared into a pair of pale green eyes.
…………
"I must speak with Hokage-sama." Kakashi slightly panted for breath as she leaned against the door to the Hokage tower.
"Kakashi-san?!" The chuunin at the door rushed over to help him along.
"Iie," he hissed, tearing his arm away from the chuunin's grasp, "I'm fine." Liar.
He limped through the door and slowly trudged up the many steps to the Hokage's dwelling. He hadn't even bothered to tie his headband over his sharingan.
Sarutobi was busy doing paperwork when there came a bang from his entry door, and Kakashi sagged against the doorframe.
"Kakashi?!" He stood up and rushed over to Kakashi, who was slowly sliding down.
He gripped Kakashi's waist to hold him up and gently dragged him over to a couch nearby to lie him down.
"Kakashi, what happened to you?" His worried voice caused Kakashi to glare again, both his normal and sharingan eye blazing with rage.
"Nothing!" His eyes fluttered slightly before he realized where he was.
"Ho- Hokage-sama?!" He tried to get up, but Sarutobi held his arm out firmly to stop him.
"Kakashi, something is wrong. What is it?" He looked around wildly before his neck went limp.
Sarutobi placed his hand on Kakashi's forehead.
"You're feverish. Kakashi, what has happened?!" Kakashi tried to talk, but instead all he could do was pant.
"The ryu…" He cringed, biting his tongue to stop himself from screaming.
Sarutobi formed a few hand seals, casting a sleeping genjutsu over Kakashi. He checked his pulse and noticed something odd pulsed with his beat, as though two hearts coexisted in one body. He checked his eyes, seeing a slight red tinge in his otherwise dull eye. He swallowed hard.
(If only she were here…) He carefully undid Kakashi's vest and drew up his shirt.
He cut his finger, letting the blood drip forth.
"Usually, I would need a bigger area, but this'll have to do." He started to write kanjis over Kakashi's heart, drawing out lines of jutsu down his abdomen and arms.
He pressed his palm against Kakashi's heart, and the kanjis drew back into the one circular tattoo guarding his heart. He pulled down Kakashi's shirt and left the vest unzipped.
Kakashi slowly came to.
"Hokage…-sama?" Sarutobi smiled softly.
"It's okay, Kakashi." He moaned slightly as he sat up, feelings of embarrassment overwhelming him.
"It's good that you came to me for help. I can only hold him off with this seal. But you must be careful for ill feelings break it. Think of it as the Fuuja Houin." He patted Kakashi on the back gently.
Kakashi just stared at him blankly.
(…I am so confused...)
…………
"Okay, you can get out of bed now." Kage rolled her eyes, grinning.
Aki shakily stood up before inhaling deeply. She looked down at Karma, who stared up at her purring as she rubbed against Aki's hips from the bed. She walked into the bathroom, took her time in the shower, got dressed and slowly went for the door.
"Kage, I want you to come with me." She was slightly surprised at Aki's request, but she tagged along.
Aki led her to a wooded area in Konoha, and faced her.
"I only have two weeks left before I go into the third test. I need you to learn from me, and in turn, teach me." Kage, in her naïve personality, was totally stumped by what Aki had just said.
Aki chuckled and bit her thumb, causing it to bleed.
"I'm going to teach you a new move. Are you ready?" Kage nodded.
She smeared the blood against the dragon tattoo, swallowing. Would she be able to summon her chakra? Well, only one way to find out. She hastily formed a few hand seals.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" In a fiery explosion of phoenix red, sun yellow and sea blue smoke with blades of purple and green lightning, the creature loomed above her, seven pairs of eyes glaring at Aki.
"No way…" Aki gawked, her eyes wide with awe.
From the other side of Konoha, someone could hear Aki's triumphant and somewhat foreboding laughter.