Akanishi-san: Uh...so much HW...sorry for the delat of update.

Ch4

Minami instinctively jumped in front of Gaara, going into battle stance, ready. Orochimaru chuckled. "Well, well, what do we have here?" He eyed the girl carefully, and his eyes looked at where her burn mark was which was hidden underneath her clothes. "Red hair, green eyes…you must be Minami…Your brother was very useless, I must say."

Minami tensed, glaring at him. She hated him, from bottom of her heart. She remembered her brother, he was always caring, so nice, but…soon as he met Orochimaru, he changed. "What did you do to my brother?" She snarled, bringing her weapon up.

Orochimaru chuckled. "Why, nothing. I had just told him some facts that would have helped his family." He jumped backwards swiftly as Minami threw the kunai at him, glaring. "The one who actually did something to him was…" He paused, looking at her with a smile. "You. You had killed him."

Minami froze, horrified. How did he know? And…it was as if he enjoyed this. She narrowed her eyes, growl escaping her lips. She knew that, she knew that fact, that she had killed her family. But…he started it…Didn't he? Or did it start as soon as she was born? How did her parents react to see the mark on her? Horrified maybe? Scared? Even hatred?

"My dear," Orochimaru started again, which gave Minami goose bumps. "You are still welcome to come to my side, and work under me. You are very special, with that power of yours, and you could be a good use to me." He looked over her. "And I like people who kill their own loved ones." He ended with a smirk.

Those words hurt her greatly, anger was surfacing so much that she was about to lose control. Ninjas were not supposed to lose control, but the words he said to her was bothering her so much, she wanted to fight him now, and end his life, painfully.

However, when she turned around to tell Gaara and Sasuke to leave, she was hit with another shock and anger. "What did you do to them!" She yelled, turning back to Orochimaru. Behind her, where Gaara and Sasuke were, no one was there. She remembered that she had jumped in front of Gaara soon as he approached, but…did she remember what they did after wards? Surely, if Gaara was here, he would have interfered with his conversation soon as he started to talk about her family.

"They weren't here from the first place." Orochimaru said, rather amused. "I'm surprised you fell for it. And well, the other 2 as well. They are traveling with fake you, over to the Hidden Snow fight against Sand."

Minami growled, taking out more kunai, and placing them on her fingers, adjusting them so they formed a claw on her hand. "Then I suggest you release me from this jutsu, and them as well. I am on a mission, to protect the Kazekage, and that will not happen as long as I am not with him."

"No, I think I won't." He replied casually. "Unless you vow to work under me, I will not release you, and I will not release the fake you fighting with them at this moment." He paused. "Of course, the fake you is not totally you, so if I command to her to kill Gaara this instant, he can be killed, thinking that you have betrayed him."

Horror struck her, her mind racing. She had no intention on going to work under him, and she had no intention of his ordering her other self to kill Gaara, who also understood the same pain. There was only one thing for her to do, to fight to escape.

Without a warning, she had leaped from where she was, her hand with the kunai claw jabbing at him as he jumped backwards from it. "Feisty, aren't you?" She heard him say, but she didn't care, the only thing she needed to concentrate was to get out of here, by either damaging Orochimaru enough to release the jutsu, or ending his life to get out.

Minami spun on her position, bringing to a kick, which Orochimaru guarded, and slamming her hand on the ground, she kicked at him from there, but again, he leaped backwards and it had missed. Leaping onto her feet quickly, she threw the kunais in her hand. The kunais were again dodged, but one successfully nipped at him on one shoulder, but he didn't even flinch.

But she didn't wait to see if it had an effect, for she had started to make symbols. "Katon: Yama no Orochi!" She yelled, and from around her, 7 snake heads of fire leaped at Orochimaru, all trying to devour him. Orochimaru however, calmly made seals and in a flash, he was gone with kawarimi, now his real self standing on a tree branch.

"As I heard, great fire techniques. Was that one original, though?" He asked, amusement in his voice.

Minami didn't even look at him, but was making another seal. On her last symbol, she looked at him in his eyes, anger clearly written on her face. "Katon: Honou no Mai!" Balls of fire now appeared, all zigzagging towards him, so fast and crazily, that it was hard to follow even one of them.

Orochimaru, however had a smirk on his face. The fire hit him squarely, or so in Minami's eyes they looked so, but soon as the smoke cleared, Orochimaru was not there, but a burnt log was there in place of him.

Minami cursed as she looked around. Her emotions had started to show, and it wasn't good. Anger. That was about to show, and losing control of her emotions would lead to death. "COME OUT!" She yelled, anger boiling with in her, but keeping her cool still.

Again, from all directions around her, the voice echoed through the forest. "My, my, temper, temper, temper." He chuckled. "Your brother was like that at first too. He was angry with me, but…he changed as I told him my side of the story about you."

Minami growled, trying to find out where he was. She was going to burn the forest 360 degrees, but thought better of it. She needed to save all chakra to help Gaara soon as she gets out. Besides, burning forests was something she didn't like to do. Wild life has been something she always wants to protect.

…Wild life…Taka! How could she have forgotten? Of course! Because he was acting as a spy from the sky, he probably could not have been affected by what ever jutsu Orochimaru did to him! Minami found herself grinning, and placing her fingers on her lip, she made a high pitched whistle, so loud that it echoed through the forest.

"What was that for?" Amused Orochimaru's voice asked alertness in it now as well.

Minami smirked. "TAKA!" She yelled, and making a seal, she sent out a fire bird up in the sky, and the fire bird spread its wings, and after making a war cry, it disappeared. But answering to its call was a high pitched cry, from her hawk friend, Taka. He had heard, and was now probably informing Sasuke and Gaara.

Minami before they left she had made sure both Gaara and Sasuke knew the signals Taka makes. She showed them how Taka will inform them if enemy was near by, how he would inform them if friends were near by. She also showed them his own encoding with tree branches, leaves, and things, all meaning different things. For example, if enemy was near by, he would fly in small tight circles, and soon as they understood, he would gather leaves to equal the numbers of enemies. Pebbles, for multiples of 10, and branches for more than 50, or in danger of too many against what they have now. She also showed them his own way of talking, with his screeches and hums. And that last call had been "Confirmed" And she had also taught him and told the others, the meaning and the signal for "Trap."

"Looks like they are now not in danger of your clone." Minami said, now with amusement in her voice. "Taka will inform them."

Orochimaru frowned, from the tree he stood in. Who the heck was Taka? But no matter, he can take Minami here, and get it over with, just incase if the 2 ninjas did find out about the clone, and the fact that they might come back scared him a little. 3 well trained ninjas was not something he wanted to fight at this moment.

"Oh, don't worry, my Snow ninjas will at least slow them a bit if they do come back to get you." He heard himself saying as he thought quickly on what to do.

Minami tensed. "Your…snow ninjas?" She asked, suspicious.

Orochimaru chuckled. "Yes, I had manipulated them a bit, so hey would have to seek and battle the Sand in order to gain power. I have also threatened some families there to fight for me."

"You did WHAT!" She yelled, now anger boiling again. "Do you know how many lives are dying out there? It's all because of you?" She found herself yelling at a tree, where she sensed him. "You manipulated them, threatened them, just for your case?"

"Yes." Was the simple answer. "They are my game pieces, don't you see? Pawns. But don't worry, you will not be a pawn to me, you will be a more powerful piece."

"You are…heartless…" Was the answer he got.

"I know, and I take that as a compliment."

"All those lives…" She muttered, her head was facing the ground. "When I killed my family, I vowed, never to let anyone innocent die…" Fire now circled her dangerously, wind picking the fire up high as well, circling her. "I will put a stop to this war this instant!"

Fire now completely engulfed her, and Orochimaru was sincerely afraid. Chakra was dangerously surrounding her, more than what he had as well! Just like Naruto…she was showing anger, and that had triggered maybe some of the Fire Bird's powers. Or was it lending a hand again, to kill? This time not her family, but him.

The fire now was swirling behind her, and as it slowly stopped circling around her, he felt shivers run down his spine as he saw the green emerald eyes gleaming at him dangerously. The fire behind her now had formed a large wing, with a tail as well. A burning red fire wing and tail was now in place, her eyes now in shade of darker green.

"I will…kill you…" Those words escaped her mouth, and in an instant, she was behind Orochimaru, kicking him on the back that sent him flying into a tree. She took a step forward, but her knees buckled at that time, sending her to the floor. She winced, and clutched her head. "NO!" She yelled, shaking her head. "Don't use my body!" The wing around her flapped viciously, as if trying to make her get up and fight. "NO!" She yelled again, and the wing stopped, and before it could do even more damage, sand suddenly covered her whole body, wing, tail and all.

"Calm down…" Gaara's cool voice said as he walked next to a big round sand dome he had created. "I will finish this."

"No! I will!" Someone else's voice said, someone Minami could not understand inside the dome, her wings slowly shrinking in size, her emotions leveling again.

"Oh…the Snow village's leader…" Orochimaru's amused voice said, chuckling. "Did you happen to over hear what I said earlier?"

"I heard it all right! Kill him!" The man yelled, and in an instant, Minami heard foot steps landing into the clearing, and crashes.

Silence followed for a while, until the man cursed loudly. "He got away!" He yelled, him and his men looking around for Orochimaru. "He got away!" He yelled again frustrated.

"Yes, I know." Gaara's even voice answered him, and slowly, the sand around her started to fall. "Minami?" His voice asked.

Minami looked up, to see light too bright, and many men and women, ninjas around her. Her fire wings and tail had disappeared, and her eyes turned lighter, to her usual color. "I'm fine." She muttered. She was exhausted, and she had almost let her power get her control again!

Gaara slowly approached her, and saw that she was shaking. From the cold? No. Shaking in fear. He frowned. "Uchiha." He said, turning to the Uchiha who was looking quite angry.

Why didn't he notice? That thought had been spinning in his head soon as Taka had said it was fake, and he was thinking of that when Minami was in danger too! He couldn't help her! What ever Orochimaru did to her, he couldn't stop it! And those dark green eyes and that red wings and tail…they had made him pause and calculate them in, while Gaara had taken action without hesitation. He had failed to protect her, as he said he would.

"Uchiha." Gaara's voice cut through his thoughts.

Sasuke looked up at him sharply. "Yeah?" He asked, still angered.

"You are dismissed. Snow and Sand will sign a peace treaty, especially since it was really not their fault." He paused, and looked over to Minami who was staring into open space. "And I will take care of her as well. I will send her back soon as I find her fit to go back."

"But—" Sasuke was cut off by Gaara's sharp look. He dropped his gaze. Like Minami had said earlier, maybe Gaara did understand something more about her and him, and it was angering him as well…but, for now, he had to accept it. She needed rest, he knew that. And Tsunade had asked for him to return soon as it's over, for there was another problem arousing. "Understood." He muttered.

Gaara nodded and turned to Minami. "Can you stand?" He asked her.

Minami nodded slowly, and she tried to get up, but she found that she couldn't. Her knees were buckled, and she had no energy to do so. Taka peered at her worriedly from Gaara's shoulder. He made a soft noise, to which Minami smiled to him. "I'm fine, Taka. Just tired." She said.

Gaara said nothing, but his sand slowly and gently picked her up to her feet. "Need the crutches?" He asked.

Minami laughed softly and nodded. "Sorry for the trouble."

With a motion with his hand, the leader of Snow, his personal guards, and most of the Sand ninjas followed him. Most snow ninjas had gone the other way, to their homes, while some sand ninjas leaped away to tell the others that the war is over.

"I'll see you later, Sasuke-san." Were the last words Sasuke heard from her as she and the others walked away.

What surprised him the most was how empty her eyes were, and how empty she looked. Like she was drained from everything. And He couldn't help. He couldn't' say a word as she walked away. He did nothing. And he knew it.

Akanishi-San: OMFG…I'm tired of typing! I'm gonna collapse soon…please review….I'm gonna die…

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