Disclaimers: A, I don't own Naruto. B, I don't own Grease (Amoeba on fleas on rats comment).

Bleeding Martini
By Areku1993
Chapter nine: The Aftermath

Kiba sprang over the bed and held out a hand to Martini. When he realized she couldn't take it...

And his fingers just barely brushed hers...

There was an explosion...

The house around them burst in a shower of fire, fire from the depths of Hell. And Kiba just let his house burn around him, holding Martini as she cried into his shoulder... Just... Holding her...

The house was nothing but ashes when the fire stopped. Martini and Kiba were untouched. People were just beginning to gather around the hot remains, just beginning to stare. Didn't anybody try to put the fire out?

Kiba muttered soft words to Martini as she cried the pain away. She was reduced to a scared little girl in his arms. Tsunade arrived soon later, picking her way across broken wood and ashes, muttering a quick "Dammit!" Whenever she stepped on a jagged piece of glass and it cut through her sandals. "What happened?" She asked when she stepped up next to them. She reached out and touched Martini's shoulder. "Why're you crying, Martini-san?"

Martini instantly recoiled from Tsunade's touch. She said something in choked sobs.

"What?"

"They want to take me away...They want to take us all away... They want to take us to the other side of the gate and steal our bodies... Our names... The very essence of our being..."

Tsunade blinked. "What are you talking about? Who's they? What gate?"

"She had a dream," Kiba answered. "That she was standing in front of an enormous gate. When she woke up, she asked me if I knew anything about it. I didn't, and Akamaru brought her in a glass of water, and the water... Er, reared up and attacked her and tried to take her away into another dimension."

"The underworld," Martini added, her voice muffled by Kiba's shoulder.

Tsunade sighed. "I think I know what happened."

"I cast genjutsu on Kiba and me?"

Martini brushed away the last tears with her free hand. "How'd I do that? I'm not a ninja. I don't know genjutsu."

"Martini-san, if you'll pardon me saying..." Tsunade leaned back in her chair. "The residents of Sunagakure are idiots, to say the least. And it wasn't really genjutsu."

Martini opened her mouth to protest, but Tsunade dropped a thick, leather-bound volume on her desk. "None of them have the common sense to look in a Sunagakure-history book. Legends and families." She opened to a page and pointed. "The Tahata family. See? Anyone who wants to know about you could just look up your legacy right here."

Kiba almost leaned forward to look, but stopped himself out of respect. Martini hadn't let go of his hand since his house burned down, so he couldn't move without alerting her. Best wait until she felt it was time to spill all secrets.

"It's also in here that you moved to Sunagakure after your father was executed. Your mother claimed it was your father's wishes. Now, Martini-san, let's not leave Kiba in the dust. Is there something you want to tell him?"

Martini glared at her feet, kicking the air. "No."

"But Martini-san, you need help right now, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Kiba can supply that help."

Martini sighed and leaned back, looking at the ceiling then closing her eyes. "Telekinesis."

"What?"

"Telekinesis! That's the legacy! Not so much a legacy as a bloodline! It's really more clairvoyance and being able to project images. I can't move things with my mind or anything."

Kiba blinked slowly. Martini sighed. "Because I was in such a state of shock and fear, my powers got out of hand and projected images."

"...Oh."

"Now Martini-san, the images were probably projected because of your state of fear, as you said before. It happened because your brain was sent waves from--"

Tsunade and Martini looked at Kiba. Tsunade moved a hand in a shooing gesture and said, "Do you mind, Kiba-kun...?"

Kiba looked at her, then stood up, blushing. "Oh... Yeah..." He walked around the chairs and paused to look at Martini. Then he continued to the door, his fingers slipping away from Martini as she reluctantly let go.

Naruto was walking down the streets of Konoha, wondering who to take on the mission to the bridge. When...

"It's been a while... Naruto-san."

Naruto turned, muttering, "Who...?"

"It's me." Shino leaned against a tree, angry that he was so unremembered.

"That's why I'm asking, who are you?"

"Even thought we met long ago, you should always remember the face of your comrades. Because it can hurt the person you talk to if you forget."

"This annoying way of speaking... Could it be..." Naruto pointed accusingly. "SHINO-SAN?"

"You finally remembered." Shino replied.

"I can't recognize your face because you show so little of it! Idiot!"

"Oh, if it ain't Shino back from his 'family business.'"

Naruto looked up to see Kiba on Akamaru, looking at him.

"AND IF IT AIN'T NARUTO-SAN!" Kiba slid off Akamaru and sniffed. "I can regocnize your smell..."

"Is that how you recognized me?"

"Idiot!" Akamaru barked, though only Kiba knew what he was saying. To Naruto, is was simply "WOOF!"

"That dog... Would it be... Akamaru?"

"What do you mean? Of course it's Akamaru."

"Is it usual for a dog to become so big in such a short time?"

Kiba looked back at his dog. "I guess I never realled noticed, 'cause we're together all the time."

"No... I mean... He used to sit on your head..."

"Dammit."

Naruto turned. "What the..."

Martini walked around the corner, blinking against the light. "Kiba-kun, is Tsunade really the Hokage? If so, she's a real moron... She tried to explain why I cast the images--"

Martini blinked slowly. "Oh. I'll leave..."

"NO! MARTINI-SAMA!"

Kiba pounced on Martini and dragged her over, a firm hand around her wrist. "I WANT YOU TO MEET SOMEONE!"

Martini's eyes widened. "All right... Who?"

"Martini-sama, meet Uzumaki Naruto!"

Naruto blinked and looked at Kiba. "Eh?"

"Martini is a girl Hinata, Neji and I have to protect from Sunagakure."

"Isn't Neji a jounin?"

"He was demoted. Tsunade said he didn't finish the required number of missions. After Martini is safe and our mission is over he'll be a jounin again."

Martini and Naruto shook hands, Martini with a cheerful smile. "Yep, Tahata Martini. Nice to meet you."

"Uzumaki Naruto. Are you a ninja?"

"No."

"Then why were you talking about images...? Do you mean genjutsu?"

"No... It's a bloodline, don't think about it."

"CRAP!"

Martini looked at Kiba, who was pacing nervously. "What?"

"What are my parents gonna say when they hear your images burned my house down! I'll be DEAD! Dead, I tell you!"

"Actually, just image, because it was only one."

"I THOUGHT IT WAS AN IMAGE!"

"WELL MAYBE IT MATERIALIZED AND BECAME REAL!"

"WELL MAYBE THAT'S... IMPOSSIBLE!"

"Oh, be a man, Kiba-kun. Face your parents."

"Be a man? I'M A MAN!"

"No you're not, your just a little boy who can't face his parents."

"Nuh uh!" Kiba stamped his foot. "Men are amoeba on fleas on rats, and I'm one of them!"

"Is that why you don't have a girlfriend?" Naruto snickered.

"How would you know if I did?"

"It doesn't look like Martini's your girlfriend, and Hinata's probably not..."

Kiba sighed. "You're right..."

"KIBA-KUN!"

Hinata burst around the corner, breathing heavily. "Kiba-kun, it's horrible, and terrible, it wasn't my fault he just lay down and..."

"What happened?"

"AUFER!"

"Aufer?"

"AUFER! He hid in one of Martini's boxes and came over with us and then I found him and took him to my house and he told me this story and now I know about Martini and the Tahatas and then Aufer was cursed and Aufer sat down just now in the forest after I told Neji and now he's dead!" She cried in one breath.

"Aufer's dead?"

"YES, YOU TWIT, AUFER'S DEAD!"

Kiba's eyes instinictivly shot to Martini, who was standing there dumbly. Then, he paused. "...Did you just call me a twit?"

"IS THAT SO WRONG?"

To tell the truth, Aufer's death didn't really make an impact on Kiba. He had always thought that polite weirdo would die some time soon... Nevertheless, he looked at Martini and smiled wryly. "Martini-sama? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Martini said firmly. "I've cried out all the tears I have." She turned around and walked away. "I just don't care anymore..."