Hi there. Sorry for such a late update, school assignments are killers. This is probably gonna be the last update for another week or so since I'm going on vacation soon. Sorry 'bout that sweat drop Ingnore any OOC-ness and little mistakes. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Naruto characters, I own Aiko, Kantaro, Kuri, Koto, Hiroshi, Makoto, Yuki and Yoko. I have a lot of chars don't I?

Kakashi was stunned into silence. Though now some things made sense, like her sudden display of affection a little while ago… though it didn't explain why she had suddenly given up on being a shinobi.

"Aiko… I- "Kakashi began but stopped as he saw Sasuke and Sakura coming up the beach.

When they had reached Aiko and Kakashi they let the boards fall to the ground and dropped down onto the sand, panting.

"What? Tired already?" Aiko asked, putting on a smile, as though nothing were wrong.

"The waves were strong," was all Sasuke said. A wind blew among the rocks making a whistling noise as it cloaked the sky in grey storm clouds.

"Where's Naruto?" Kakashi asked.

"He's still out there," Sakura answered. Kakashi and Aiko looked out into the roaring surf. They both knew how dangerous it could be going past the sand bar when the waves started getting rough.

"Come back!" Kakashi shouted out to Naruto. For a moment it didn't look like the speck of peach and yellow, Naruto, had heard. Then, very faintly, his voice drifted back to them.

"I can't!"

Aiko looked from the waves licking hungrily at the shore back to Naruto, her eyes widening and color draining from her face as realization dawned on her. Why the hell didn't I see it sooner? She though to herself.

"Rip tide!" she breathed as she sprang to her feet. "Get help!"

"Where?" cried Sakura, getting to her feet along with Sasuke.

"Go back along the trail to the beach, once you hit the beach keep going until you find a lifeguard station," Kakashi said and Sakura and Sasuke dashed off.

Aiko ran to where the waves were lapping at the sand. The wind had now picked up to a dull roar and the ocean was a raging mass of iron grey death for someone inexperienced, like Naruto.

"Swim left!" She screamed at Naruto, but the wind threw her words back at her. She gritted her teeth and paced back and forth on the shore like a caged animal.

Kantaro…

My reason for becoming a ninja was so I could protect dreams

That's corny, you'll be destroying someone else's dream in the process.

But who's to say it wasn't a bad dream? Bad dreams don't do good for anyone but the dreamer… I want to protect the good dreams, so the world might be better.

That does make a little sense, but it's still silly, though I suppose that's why I…

Kantaro…

Aiko had made up her mind; she ran out into the surf and dove under an on coming wave. When she surfaced some yards away from the beach and Kakashi, she drew in a great gasp of air and then began swimming towards Naruto.

"Aiko? Aiko! What are you doing?" he shouted after her, but he go no response.

Sasuke and Sakura dashed down the sandy trail, the wind whistling and screaming in the cliffs above. I know he's really annoying, Sakura thought as they reached the beach and began to run as best as they could on the soft sand in the direction Kakashi had told them to go, but I can't bear the thought of Naruto dying.

Aiko finally reached Naruto, who was just managing to keep his head above the water. She grabbed him under the arms and began to swim parallel to the shore.

"Come on kid," she grunted, "kick your legs, move your arms. If you don't help out then neither of us will make it back."

Naruto groaned and feebly tried to help Aiko swim out of the rip tide.

This kid is a dead weight, Aiko thought, he probably used up almost all of his strength trying to swim to shore.

Back on the beach Kakashi shifted his weight nervously. He wanted to help, but it wouldn't serve any purpose to go dashing out into the surf like Aiko had. He finally released the breath he had been holding once he saw Aiko reach Naruto. Then Aiko began to swim to the left, trying to escape the rip tide. When she and Naruto left Kakashi's field of vision, he quickly moved to the beach.

Aiko had not idea how long she had been swimming. It felt like forever and the chill in the water and the cold whipping wind were beginning to make her shiver. C'mon, she thought, this rip tide has to end somewhere. Almost at the exact moment she thought that, she felt the pull of the water lessen; they had left the rip tide and now they could begin to swim to shore.

"Hang in there Naruto," Aiko whispered, "we're almost there." I just hope I have enough strength to make it, she added in her mind. Her arms and legs felt like lead, her breath burned in her chest and Naruto was like a dead body in her arms. Suddenly Aiko's body gave out on her and they both sank below the surface of the water.

Kakashi felt a cry ripped from his throat when he saw Naruto and Aiko sink below the wave, but the next moment he breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Aiko's head bob above the surface of the water, pulling Naruto after her.

Aiko coughed as she came back up, hauling an unconscious Naruto after her.

"Stay focused," she said to herself in a horse voice. She looked at Kakashi on the beach. They're all there, standing right next to Kakashi, she lied to herself. Kuri, Koto, Hiroshi, Makoto, Yuki, Yoko, and Kantaro... just imagine them all there waiting for you. Yet even as she thought that tears pricked the corners of her eyes, for she knew that her dear friends could wait for anyone anymore.

Finally she felt her feet scrape against the sandy floor of the ocean. Aiko forced her protesting legs to move forward as she dragged herself and Naruto out of the surf. Kakashi ran out to meet them and carefully took Naruto from the weary Aiko. Kakashi walked up the beach, out of the reach of the waves, and laid Naruto on the sand. Aiko staggered after him and collapsed on all fours not too far away, panting. There was a lull in the wind, just long enough for Kakashi to say something that made Aiko's head snap up in fear and shock.

"Aiko! He's not breathing!"

dun dun DUN! Cliffhanger, plz don't kill me hides Please review. Critizem is accepted if it can be put nicely.