Chapter 24
Today's Christmas and tension is still high among the jounin. Half on my side with Sasuke and half with Naruto on this. Kakashi among my side along with Gai, Kurenai and Asuma on the opposing side. It was full out Shinobi war between us. We had made an agreement about no weapons only hand to hand and throwing water balloons and other soft stuff. Tsunade tried to stop it only to have Jiraiya drop a water balloon on her head. Konoha was in chaos from a simple argument. It lasted all day and halfway into the night. I got word from Sasuke he asked for me and the others on his side to be there at 12 for his release. That night I didn't sleep well, worrying about what Naruto will do. Captain Yamato can only keep him still for so long. Shino ended up sleeping in my room and was currently suffocating me in a hug and sleeping soundly by me. I closed my eyes and tried to free my mind of tomorrow's events.
In the morning Shino shook me awake telling me to get changed. I nodded and started. I finally realised Shino was still half asleep watching me. I turned and looked at him only then did I realise my shirt was off. I turned bright red but was glued to the spot. He seemed to be staring as well.
"Like what you see?" I asked trying to hide my own embarrassment,
"Hai and to think in a few months it'll be mine," he said smirking, I sighed and started changing again, not bothering to care that he was watching.
"Are you going to get changed?" I asked he stood up and revealed that he was already in his clothes, just jacket and glassesless. "Should have known," I muttered "Lets go eat," I cheered
"No can do wait until after Sasuke's out it's already 11:45," he said
"Shit, okay lets go," I said running out the door and grabbing my Shinobi pouch and the set of clothes for Sasuke to wear. We arrived at the cell 5 minutes before his release after getting through the crowds behind me.
"Hey Sasuke here's some clothes, or at least trousers," I said handing him them, he nodded and we turned as he changed.
"Uchiha Sasuke, you're free to go now after the announcement," said Ibiki seriously, Sasuke nodded and we walked out. I followed him with Shino, Shikamaru, Neji, Tenten, Kakashi, Gai and Ino with her babies behind me. We were there to help Sasuke. To help him get through it and part of his bodyguard force. We walked out and Tsunade was standing there and the crowds went silent.
"Uchiha Sasuke is being set free but is being punished. He must spend until the group he is helping become jounin. He will be helping and assisting Aburame Shino, Nidaime Aiko and Hatake Kakashi train the five element genin. His crimes were not serious and he has been in solitary confinement for the past 6 months. I am hereby declaring Uchiha Sasuke a free citizen of Konoha and a Shinobi of our Village as well." She announced, there were a few boos and cheers as well.
"That's shit punishment Tsunade baa-chan!" one person from the crowd. Naruto.
"Shut it Naruto!" I shouted back at him. He growled and the crowd moved.
"Stop this at once Uzumaki Naruto," said Tsunade, Naruto ignored her, now blinded by his hatred and the kyuubi's unsettled energy.
"Everyone gets out the way!" shouted Yamato running over "I cannot control him anymore!" he added,
"Shit," I muttered "Ino get Sasuke out of here and same for Shikamaru get your family out," I shouted. Neji, Tenten and Shino set up to attack he dangerous demon possessed young man. I growled and stepped forward.
"All of you get out of here!" I shouted at them, they looked shocked." I said get out!" I screamed, they backed off and I stood in front of him.
"How dare you betray us!" shouted Naruto
"What do you mean?" I shouted back, there was a pulse in my wrist and I dropped forward. I can't let it take control, but I need the power……..I can't give in…..but it can help…..I sighed and relaxed as the curse seal exploded and burst up my arm. The mark coming over my face and body. The power felt good, I felt alive but it was a dark power I had. Not to be tempered with. I stared at Naruto as he came forward. I ran and sprinted away from Konoha with him in Kyuubi form following me. I ducked into the forest and the deeper I went the further Konoha seemed. Naruto was coming and fast. I faced him and waited for his attack. He came charging and punched me. It hit and so did the next and the next. He was sitting on top of me while I was lying on the ground.
"Why are you with him, why betray us after he did everything to destroy us!" he shouted, I smirked up at him and got another punch.
"Because to me he was more then a friend. Family," I said angrily, I kicked my leg up and hit him across the face and knocked him down. He skidded away and I laughed viciously at him. He stood up slowly and started attacking. We carried on like that for an hour until we noticed someone watching. Sasuke. He was staring. At me. My Curse Mark. I pushed Naruto and we stood apart gasping.
"This last punch-" I started
"Will end it!" he shouted back, I gained my chakra again and forced chakra to my hand and gathered the water using it to create a swirling chakra vortex in my hand and ran at Naruto throwing my fist at him. He did the same and there was a blast of light. I felt a burning in my chest, my lungs and my right eye. A ripping feeling in my stomach and a shredding feeling in my leg. I screamed and thrust my fist harder at him. I heard him cry out as well and slowly we came apart. I fell like a rag doll to the ground. The last thing I remember seeing was a blurry figure and the intense pain.
The pain was the worst feeling I have ever felt. I blinked and opened my left eye. I looked and saw everyone asleep or looking deathly.
"Ohayo," I said weakly to them, they all jolted and looked up, and Yuki was crying Akane was holding her hand tightly to keep from running and hurting me. I smiled weakly and everyone crowded around crying and being generally happy. Afterwards they sat down and I noticed Chouji disappear.
"What's the matter everyone you look as if it's the end of the world," I said
"It almost was, we all felt the chakra pulse in Konoha and Sasuke told us about the fight. You were messed up," said Kiba,
"Bit of an understatement," cried Sakura
"Why? what happened?" I asked,
"The kyuubi's chakra was to hot and burned the skin across your leg, the heat caused you to trigger the swelling in your lungs from the War, Naruto's punch almost hit an artery in your stomach and finally you have a long scar from your eyebrow down until your jaw bone, now you just like me!" explained Kakashi grinning. I grimaced at the pain and wondered what damage I inflicted on Naruto.
"What happened to Naruto?" I asked
"He had skin burns and a few broken bones but nothing Tsunade couldn't fix." Said Shikamaru. I sighed and rolled over and swung my legs over the edge.
"You have to stay in bed," said Shino,
"No get away I'm going to go see him," I shouted
"Get into bed," shouted Shino again angrily, everyone backed away, Shino was scary when he shouted
"I said get away from me!" I screamed at him, the pain in my eye was making my left side of my face ache and unwanted watering making me look like I was crying. The burn stung in my leg and the stomach cut was bleeding again. I stumbled forward and someone reached out to help but I snapped at them. I ignored them and vanished re appearing in Naruto's room, only to see Chouji helping him up. He noticed and gaped.
"Aiko what are you doing out of bed," asked Chouji
"I came to visit Naruto!" I said as cheerfully as possible. He nodded and sat Naruto back down. I sat down next to him on the chair.
"I wanted to say sorry for breaking your bones," I said smiling.
"I should be apologising, I lost control of Kyuubi and for it you almost died," he said
"Nah don't worry the thing is you didn't kill me and you had a right to get angry, I don't blame you," I said smiling "But that was one powerful punch," I added thoughtfully,
"Yours is quite tough too," he replied smiling. But for once it wasn't the goofy smile of the idiot he tried to be, it was a heart felt one of care. I sighed and lay back in the chair.
"I should be going now, get well soon," I said standing up wearily and waving bye and went out into the corridor. I walked through the halls with my leg stinging. I passed and mirror and the curiosity of the bandage got to me. I tenderly reached up and unravelled the bandage and saw and gasped. Kakashi was right the long thin scar extended from my eyebrow to my jaw line. I looked down and reached for the leg bandage. I unravelled that band the fresh air stung it as I saw the burns had distorted the leg tissue and was now a lighter shade of my skin colour. I gritted my teeth and shook my head. I looked up again and stared at my reflection. I looked different….yes different. As I stared harder I noticed something wrong with the eye. The black colour was replaced with a dark shade of crimson. I gasped and closed it. I had mismatched eyes. I started crying and freaked out when they came out red.
"Aiko there you are," called someone, I turned and saw Ino standing there. I smiled weakly at her.
"Ino I don't know what to do anymore," I said sadly and shook my head.
"What do you mean?" she asked
"My eyes," I replied and opened my eye and she gasped.
"They mismatched but how?" asked Ino
"I don't know but I'm so ugly right now, just look at my leg," I cried and bent down. There were other footsteps and more people.
"Aiko what's the matter?" asked Shino looking at me,
"No don't look at me," I said quietly
"Why?" he asked
"Because I'm ugly now," I said
"No you aren't," he said
"Just look at my leg and eyes!" I said glaring at him, he widened his eyes and stared into my eyes taking in the fact the look very different.
"Aiko what are you doing out of bed!" yelled Tsunade from the other end of the hall. I stood up slowly and looked at her.
"Why the hell didn't you tell me my eyes were going to change after that battle," I cried at her "Look at them now, what happened?" I screamed, Tsunade sighed and walked over slowly
"The operation was long and the wound was deep, we barely managed to save your eyesight but as a consequence your eye was bleeding internally. We tried but it wouldn't stop. Now when you cry it is in fact blood coming out from the eye. I concluded it's nothing serious but I should keep an eye on it incase anything new develops." She explained I stared at her.
"I'm a freak!" I cried and ran off down the hall vanishing while running.
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They watched as Aiko vanished and Ino trying to catch up. She missed and fell. She stood shakily glaring at Tsunade.
"What's going to happen!" asked Sakura
"I do not know, she will have to learn with the disability," said Tsunade
"What disability?" asked Sasuke
"She will not be permitted to go on any missions and at certain times a month she will be blind in that eye, due to the amount of blood in it," explained Tsunade
"Shit, she ain't gonna like that," said Kiba
"Hai, what do you think of the matter Shino?" asked Neji
"I will still marry her, she isn't ugly or different, just changed her appearance, I will help her through this," he said sternly to the others walking away toward the only place she could be. Hokage's monument.