Chapter 5: Failed Seal

Airas bowed to the woman named Ayaka and headed down into the basement. "I hope this will be enough."

"Who's there?" asked a young man with glasses.

"It's me, it's Airas," Airas answered.

"Oh! Airas! It's good to see you again." The man pushed up his glasses and smiled.

"Nice to see you too Satomi."

"Aah, I know why you're here." He reached down behind the counter he was standing at and pulled out a small chest. "I have your mythril right here."

"That's wonderful…" She walked over to the counter and put the chest in her pouch. "I can't thank you enough Satomi. You're always coming through for me when I need mystic items."

Satomi blushed. "A-Aah, Airas, anything for you."

"I know you must have gone through a lot of trouble getting that mythril."

"It wasn't too hard. And I'm fine, aren't I?"

She smiled. "Yes, and I'm glad."

"Say, that was quite an order for mythril. What're you gonna use it for?"

"…I need it to strengthen a certain spell of mine."

"Really?"

"Yes." She kissed him on the forehead. "Thank you Satomi." She turned on her heel and headed back up the stairs. "…I won't fail this time…" She walked out of the inn and left the town. "…I'm gonna do this right! Yes! For both their sakes…"

"Hold it!" Kakashi and Kurenai appeared in front of Airas.

Airas jumped back. "You two!" She looked around. "That must mean the Aburame is here too!" She pulled out her staff. "Why are you in such a hurry to die!"

"Airas, wait!" Hinata and the rest of the young ninjas emerged from the shadows. "Put the staff down, please."

Sakura cleared her throat. "Airas, right? Listen, we're not here to fight you."

"Oh yeah? Then what do you want!"

"We need your help!" Naruto explained.

"My help? You need help from me?" She laughed. "What makes you think I'll help a ragtag bunch like you!"

"We're not ragtag!" Kiba yelled. Akamaru poked his head out from Kiba's coat and started barking.

"Airas," Kakashi said, "please hear us out first-"

"No! I don't have time for your stupid ninja games!" She pushed herself through Kakashi and Kurenai. "I've got my own problems to worry about right now!"

They followed her. "Please Airas! You have to listen to us first!"

"Get lost!"

"Airas!"

She whipped around. "Do you want me to kill all of you!" They stopped. "Good." She came to a small abandoned shack and closed the door. "Leave me alone! I will not help you!" She sank to her knees and ran her hands over her hair. "…Baby sis, I told you that I wouldn't take so long." She walked over to the bed and there was Airi's lifeless body. "I…I got the mythril, so don't worry. I'm gonna get help." She picked up the body. "Let's return home." She opened the door and stepped out. The ninjas were still there. "You stubborn people! Get away!"

"A-Airi!" Hinata exclaimed.

Shino quickly looked forward. What did she just say! He looked at the body in Airas's arms and ran to her. "Airas, what have you done to Airi!"

"So that's Airi," Kakashi said.

"Wow, she's pretty…" Sakura whispered.

"I haven't done anything to her!"

"I do we know that!" Kiba shouted. "You tried to kill her!"

"This time it's different!" She pointed to Shino. "You want to blame someone? Blame him! Him and his clan stole my sister's soul!" Everyone gasped and looked at Shino. "Yes, I'm talking about you, Aburame Shino!" Her lower lip quivered. "You…You Aburame bastards…Y-You…" Tears started to form in her eyes. "…You betrayed my sister's trust…You ruined her goal in life." She rubbed her eyes. "Dammit…"

"Airas," Kurenai said and she touched Airas's shoulder. "Why don't you enlighten us on your sister's 'life goal'? That's the only thing none of us know about."

"You want to know about my baby sis?" She looked down at Airi. "…Okay, fine. I'm sure she would want you all to know." She sighed. "Airi…She and myself, along with a guy named Aurion, are the Holy Guides of our clan. We have a protector spirit in our clan named Inochi. Inochi is also like our goddess and we pray to her. The job of a Holy Guide is to make a charm to offer to Inochi when the turn seven. Nine years ago, my sister had to do the same thing. Unfortunately, something happened that none of us expected…"

XXXX

"I'm done! I'm done!" Airi cheered happily as she looked at her finished charm.

"That's wonderful Airi!" Airi's mother said with a smile.

"This charm looks worthy of Inochi," Airi's father said.

"What's all the shouting for?" Airas walked into the room.

"Airas, Airas look!" The seven year old girl held up the charm so the ten year old girl could see. "I finished my charm for Inochi!"

"Alright Airi!" Airas exclaimed as she pumped a fist into the air. "That looks better than my charm from three years ago."

"No way! I loved yours! I just hope mine can be as good as yours!" They all laughed.

A thirteen year old boy came into the room. "Hey Airi, you ready for your ceremony?"

Airi and Airas spun around. "Aurion!" They tackled the older boy to the floor.

"Hey, it's nice to see you guys too!" Aurion smiled. He stood up and dusted off his pants. "Hey Airi, we better get going. It looks like it's about to rain, so we gotta go."

"Okay Aurion!" Airi picked up her diamond shaped charm and followed Aurion out.

"We'll be there soon Airi!" Airas shouted.

The girl nodded and walked side-by-side with Aurion. "Wow, I can't believe it's time for me to give power to Inochi so she can strengthen the protection of our village."

"Did you use the same spells and metals that Airas used?" he asked.

"Nope. I wanted to try something different!"

"Different?"

"Yep! But it'll work, trust me!"

"Alright Airi." They walked into the Temple of Life and it seemed the entire village was there. "Well, Airi, this it! Good luck!"

"Thank you!" She walked up to a statue of a beautiful woman. "Okay, here goes…" She removed a stone in the chest of the statue and set it on the altar beside her. "The protector of the Nozomi clan! The Goddess of Life! I call upon thee!" She held up her hands. "Gatherest before me and awaken!"

The statue began to glow, and a woman stepped out of it. "Who has called upon me, the mother of the Nozomi Clan?"

"I-I have! Inochi, I offer this charm to you! I pray that you will strengthen the barrier around my village." She placed the charm in the hollow of the statue.

"Young one, I accept your offer-" She clutched her chest. "Ughn!"

Airi gasped. "I-Inochi, what's wrong!"

"Th-That charm! It…uh…It burns!"

Everyone gasped. "Hurry! Remove the charm! Save Inochi!"

"A-Airi! Please!" Inochi screamed out in pain. "AAHH!"

"Inochi!" Airi reached for the charm, but something deflected her. "OW!"

Airas and Aurion ran up to help. "Airi, get out of the way!" They held up their hands to the charm. "Dark forces that posses this charm, we command you, be-"

"AAAHHH!" Inochi screamed and a white light was pulled from her body. The white light traveled back into the statue and her body fell to the ground.

"Inochi!" Airi yelled. "Inochi! Inochi, wake up!" The body slowly turned into small orbs of light, then disappeared. "I-Inochi?"

Airas and Aurion pulled out the charm. "Dammit!"

A man came running into the temple. "It's gone! The barrier around our village disappeared!" Everyone began to scream and panic.

"What will we do!"

"We'll die!"

"With that barrier gone, the Aburames will surely attack!"

Airi's parents run up before the people. "Everyone! Calm down!" They began to talk to the people.

Airas grabbed Airi. "Airi, what have you done!"

"I-I didn't do anything!"

"How did you make that charm!"

"I used ether, ore, d-dark matter-"

"Dark matter!" Airas threw Airi down. "You fool! What the hell is wrong with you! What possessed you to use dark matter?"

"Airas, stop it!" Aurion said. He knelt down. "Airi, why did you use dark matter?"

"Wh-When I went out for a walk, a man gave me some a told me that it was powerful! I thought that if I used it in my charm, Inochi would get really strong!" She began to cry. "I'm so sorry!"

Aurion hugged her and Airas watched in disgust. "Airi, it's okay. We'll find a way to fix this!"

"But Aurion, what if the Aburames attack? What will we do?"

"Don't worry, we'll be ready if that every happened."

"Airi," Airas began, "you stupid fool, look what you've done. You've damned our entire village and us. You make me sick."

Aurion whipped around. "Airas, stop it!" he hissed.

"You failed to make the Protection Seal," Airas continued. "You're a disgrace Airi."

Aurion got up and pushed her down. "Airas, hold your tongue! What the hell is wrong with you! You're not making Airi feel any better!"

"I'm so sorry everyone!" Airi cried. "It was an accident!"

XXXX

Airas hugged Airi's body. "…That's what happened. Looking back, now, I can't help but feel responsible for Airi's suffering. Those things I said to her…"

"Airas," Kakashi whispered.

"What kind of sister am I!" She started to cry. "Airi, I'm so sorry about everything! I will find a way to get your soul back!"

"Airas…is crying?" Kiba asked. "And over her sister?"

"I thought they hated each other," Naruto said.

Shino stood up from the stump he was sitting on. "Airas, we need your help to get to the Nozomi village. Will you help us?"

Airas stared at him. …I have to change… "…Alright, yes, I'll help."

"Thank you Airas," Sakura said.

She rubbed her tears away. "B-Besides, I need to go there now." She sighed. "Please, follow me."