Shiroi Hikari, {grins darkly} Finally, there is one such as I who worships the God of gore, blood and...stuff.........yeah......um...
Anywho, hope ya'll's like it!
XD
Making people go insane is fun! {nods}
"We must destroy that demon as soon as possible!" Others chimed in with the jounin.
"Look what he has done to Kakashi- san!" Some looked at Kakashi, who was hunched over in his Indian style.
"That isn't enough proof!" Iruka stood up.
"Who is to say that the demon did this? What harm is there to befall from one man's nightmares?!"
"Everything!" The jounin stood taller than Iruka.
"My wife told me when she got home one day with Junshi crying in her arms, that the ryu demon tried to hypnotize my son to his death!"
"How could you say that?! Akiosu, by all means, is NOT a threat to Konoha!"
"Or are you merely trying to protect the host, Iruka?"
"Why are you so keen on getting rid of an innocent teenager?" Kakashi didn't look up as he spoke softly and slowly.
"What kind of question is that, Kakashi?!" He chuckled airily.
"A question, Shiraku. Nothing more." He glared at the laid back jounin.
"Did you hit your head on Mt. Hokage?! Have you forgotten what had passed 11 years ago?!"
"Do you realize that he is still here?"
"That's beside the point!"
"No, it isn't."
"Akiosu has a rampant demon inside of her! And if the Yodaime were here-" Kakashi flinched at the mention of his tutor's name, "- HE could be able to stop this demon!"
"Even if it costs his life…AGAIN?" A cold shudder ran through his words.
"By whatever necessary means to get rid of Sikuliah, yes!" No one in the group had even seen Kakashi stand up so fast.
He slowly approached Shiraku, and glared into his eyes, both his normal and sharingan burning as the red one slowly began to turn.
"How dare you disrespect the one who sacrificed his LIFE to ensure the existence of the village would survive!" Shiraku gulped.
"Ka- Kakashi- san, I di- didn't mean it th- that way…" Red slowly flecked in Kakashi's normal and otherwise lifeless eye.
"You would flaunt your existence and mock the one who made sure it was possible? How selfish can you be?!" A small growl purred in his throat as he gripped the jounin's collar.
"Kakashi- san, let's be reasonable here..." A smirk creased the mask on his face.
"What a phrase, coming from you." Those were not his words.
It wasn't even his voice.
"Kakashi?" Iruka held one of his shoulders.
His eyes fluttered before he let go, his palms pressing against his temples. Iruka directed him to sit back down, patting him on the back gently to calm him down. He looked up again, a firm look in his eyes as he glared at Shiraku.
"He's right, Shiraku-san. She's just an innocent child. Nothing more."
"AND SO WAS NARUTO!!" Shiraku got back his fire, glaring harder at Iruka.
"Mizuki was right in saying that you hated the little brat!" Iruka never felt such a rage burn inside of him.
"Naruto is the best student I have ever had. I have never hated him in my life." His words were cold, rages flaming at the edges of them.
"See?! Even YOU lie to yourself, just as Kakashi has in his blind vision." Shiraku hurried to the door.
"Anyone who believes that this poison should be stopped at the heart, leave this room now." He swung open the door, and slammed it behind him.
A graveyard silence filled the room. Slowly, one by one, jounin and chuunin left the secret meeting.
"Sorry, Kakashi. He's right." He kept his head bowed as the jounin left the room.
Only Iruka, Anko, Asuma, and Gai were left in the room.
"We have to stop them." Kakashi said quietly, "Intimidation and anger brings out the demon, and we'd rather not spill blood tonight. Especially of our own." Iruka nodded.
"Stay here, Kakashi. We'll be back." Kakashi tried to get up.
"You cannot go in this condition. You need to rest." Gai stood up, nodding at Asuma.
"We'll take care of this." Anko grinned.
Kakashi nodded, and leaned against the wall as they left and his vision faded out.
…………
BANG BANG BANG BANG!!
"Muuuh, not yet…"
BANG BANG BANG BANG!!
"Uhhhhhhn, five more minutes…"
BANG BANG BANG BANG!!
"Alright, I'm up! Sheesh!" Aki sat on the edge of her bed, groggy-eyed and disoriented.
"Huh?" She looked at her clock.
She got out of bed slowly, loosely tying a robe around her. She slowly unlocked the door downstairs and stared at the mob of shinobi crowed by her door.
"Any particular reason why you are at my door at 2 in the morning?" She yawned.
Shiraku stood forward, a mask of a fox covering his face.
"Akiosu?" His voice was ominous.
"No, I'm the Sandaime." She lowered her eyes, leaning against the doorframe as she looked at them with disdain.
"Silence. You are to be evicted from Konoha. Will you come quietly?"
"Who gave you authority?"
"That is besides the point."
"Y'know what? Why don't you lovely folks go on home, curl up with a bottle or two of sake and shut up, okay?" Aki closed the door in their face.
She slowly walked back up the steps, yawning and scratching her head. Something smashed through the wood of the door and sunk into the wall beside Aki's head. She stared wide-eyed at the kunai that barely scratched her cheek before her brows and eyelids lowered in a scowl.
"Is there something I can help you with, boys?" Her scowl darkened at the sight of the weapons "hidden" on the nin that stood before her.
A rock fell from the darkness of the night and struck Aki in the shoulder, causing her to falter. Like a herd of horses being released from their pen, the nin rushed up to grab Aki.
"KONOHA SENPUU!!" Nin were blown back as Gai kicked them away.
Aki looked up, perplexed.
"Did I miss something here?!" Iruka helped her up.
"Hai, you did. In a way. Just stay back." Anko was rounding up chuunin as Asuma trapped a few with Kanashibari no Jutsu.
One managed to get through the barrier and charged straight for Aki. Everything seemed to have slowed down as her eyes caught the racing jounin. She turned to face him, building up her chakra. He brought a kunai to his hands, aiming straight for her heart.
"Iie…" She whispered.
Her pointer finger touched the jounin's forehead, and he fell forward on the dirt, out cold and motionless. Aki looked down at him before pulling the kunai out of her thigh. Something about this jounin struck her curiosity. A Konoha ninja…attacking his own kind?! She torn off the fox mask, and jumped, stifling a scream. Locks of sun blonde hair flowed up from where she had taken the mask off, a small line of blood dripping from his mouth.
"Tsu- Tsu…!!" Her world started to fade suddenly as she gripped her thigh wound tightly.
She started to fall, hearing Iruka cry out something. Strong hands caught her as she felt ground slide underneath her.
(Tsukaji…you bastard…)
Her vision suddenly exploded back into clarity, and she stared at the jounin that stood above her, Iruka checking her to see if she was still alive.
"Akiosu? Are you awake?" He smiled softly.
"Huh?! What the-?!" She tried to get up, but Iruka's grip on her told her otherwise.
"Iie, Asuma is taking out the poison."
"Poison?!"
"Apparently, the kunai that struck you was covered in poison, but thankfully, we're bleeding it out."
(No wonder my thigh hurts like hell right now…)
"What the hell happened?! Why was I woken up at 2 in the morning?!"
"Shiraku spoke out against you and wished you either evicted or dead. We few held against him." Aki noticed Anko tie up some of the jounin while Gai was eyeing a few others moaning from their wounds.
"Where's Kakashi? Shouldn't he have stopped them?" Iruka's face grew concerned.
"He isn't feeling so well. He's resting right now. Apparently, since it's 3 in the morning now." Aki moaned at the mention of time.
"I get woken up to get beaten down, great." She muttered to herself, a scowl taking over her face.
Iruka chuckled slightly before looking at Asuma.
"Finished yet, Asuma?"
"Almost." He opened Aki's wound up a little wider, making her wince in pain.
"Careful, Asuma." Iruka comforted her as the pain screamed up her leg.
"What…What happened to the jounin that struck me?" Iruka looked over his shoulder.
"What?!"
"What is it?"
"He's…vanished…" Aki sighed.
(That is to be expected from one of the failing Sound…)
Aki was about to speak when Asuma cut in a little deeper to cause blood to come forth. After a few more minutes, Asuma wrapped up her thigh and nodded. Iruka nodded back and gently lifted Aki up.
"I can walk on my own." She tried to get out of his arms.
"Iie, you've lost too much blood. Rest for now. Tomorrow you should be able to walk." Aki had a hard time staying focused.
"Thank you, Iruka…Tell Gai, Asuma, and Anko I say the same for them as well…" She passed out.
Iruka sighed softly and quietly entered Aki's apartment to lay her down in her bed, making sure not to wake up Kage. He took a double glance at Aki, wondering how such a child could be a target. He bowed his head, and poofed out of the room.
…………
She found herself standing in the reception area of the hospital, swallowing hard. She had been requested by Hayate, who was in ICU.
"S'cuse me?" the nurse looked up.
"Can you tell me where Hay-"
"Ah yes, he requested to see you. He's in room D45."
"Domo." Aki walked to the stairs that led up to the D floor, a slight limp in her step. She reached D45, inhaled deeply, and gently pushed open the door.
Hayate was asleep, wires and tubes woven over his body as though some rampant vine had taken him as its prey. He didn't look sick anymore, but a pale hue had taken over his body. His breathing was shallow and slow beneath the mask, the generic calm and rather irksome beeping coming from the cardiac monitor.
Aki swallowed; why did she hesitate that night? Was she acting of free will…or was she possessed by the creator to halt…? Did she fall into a trap?
A slight groan came from Hayate as he slowly opened his eyes. Aki squeaked, and stepped back as he turned his head to see a blurry image of a person.
"A…Aki…osu?" She bowed her head reluctantly.
Hayate gulped and slightly sat up in bed.
"Why, Aki?" His voice was quiet, almost fearful.
"What what?"
"Why did you stop me?"
"You would've been killed if I hadn't."
"How do you know?"
"Hayate…He's more powerful than you. And in your heart, you knew you were dead as soon as the Sand nin grabbed your blade."
"But when you kicked me aside, why didn't you kill me as well?"
"What on earth are you talking about?"
"The ryu…I saw him…"
"No surprise."
"But why didn't he kill me?"
"We were trying to save you, Hayate. And we have."
He coughed slightly before clearing his throat.
"How…how can I be sure you won't try to kill me now?"
"Hayate…" she sighed; how many times did she have to repeat this?
"You don't have to fear me. And anyway, did you WANT to be killed?"
"No."
"Then why summon me with that expectation?"
"Because he's a demon!"
"Then why ask for me?"
"I…"
"To thank me or curse me, which is it?"
Hayate paused.
"…Thank you…for saving my life…" He bowed his head.
She smiled softly.
"When you feel well enough to leave this place, bring that information to the Hokage as fast as you can, hai?" He looked up, confused.
She smiled, a soft giggle in her throat before she left without another word. He stared at the door, his mind reeling with thoughts before a light- headedness took over.
…………
"This is odd…" The Hokage stood in front of Gai, Iruka, Asuma and Anko, perplexed by their queer report.
"They ALL don't remember being at her house?!" Iruka nodded.
"Maybe they all got their sense kicked outta them." Gai looked at Asuma, a small sweatdrop running down the side of his head.
"They say that they left the room, and then lost consciousness? For no apparent reason?" They nodded.
"And of Shiraku?"
"His alibi was that he was at home all night. His wife vouches for the same." His brow furrowed.
"We've never had this much trouble before…and so soon, too."
"There's something else I think you should know, Hokage- sama…" Iruka shuffled his feet.
"What is it?"
"Kakashi has gone missing."
…………
He tried finding a way out, but it was like a mouse caught in a labyrinth. He went around in circles, his vision swirling around him. Pain and screams filled his body and soul, red consuming his sight. He screamed, grabbing his head. Blood leaked out of his mouth as he tried to catch his breath. Red consumed his eyes before he blacked out.
"Heh heh heh…she didn't see this outlet, did she?" He stood up in a deranged manner, red eyes glaring at his clawed hands.