Chapter 36: Hell Hound

Silly little idiots. Do you honestly think you can stop this war? It will continue forever. I shall strike hatred into the hearts of the Nozomis and the Aburames. I've got Nozomis and Aburames working for me, so I've already begun the process. Now I just need more followers…more antipathy. I've come back to the quiet Konohagakure to fulfill my intentions. Oh yes, I shall bring a wonderful night of hell. And of course, hell needs fire. I'll be nice to you Airi. I'll let you see how your most cherished friend is doing…

X-X-X-X

"I finally did it!" Airi said as she held up her two cards. "I got the Universes on my cards." The blue, red, and green circles gave off a faint glow.

"But can you use it?" Aurion asked.

"I'm sure I'll be able to!" Airi responded.

"Okay guys, we should go to bed in two hours so we can get up early tomorrow," Airas said. "We've got a big day ahead of us."

"Yes mother," Aurion said.

"Aurion, you know what…oh forget it." She smiled.

"Hmm, Airi isn't the only one changing I see," he said.

"I think these ninja have changed us all," Airi informed. Her big brother looked at her. "Yes Aurion, I've noticed that you're beginning to change too. You're not much of a flirt anymore." She beamed. "You're a former ladies' man then, huh?"

"Whatever," he said with a small blush.

"Look at us. We're supposed to be important people with wisdom beyond our years. Aurion's a dirty priest, I'm a spiteful priestess, and Airi is a hopeless priestess," Airas said with a sigh.

"Hey! Who you callin' dirty?"

"And just what do you mean by hopeless!"

"Nothing, it's just that we're a sorry bunch," she explained. "We're not living up to our names. I'm supposed to be the Tengoku Kitsune, the Heavenly Fox."

Airi stopped her shouting. "…You're right. I'm a horrible Tengoku Taiga…such a hopeless Heavenly Tiger."

"And I'm a failure as the Tengoku Saru, the Heavenly Monkey," Aurion said. "Man, I feel like such a loser…"

"Well duh!" his sisters sang out. "You're a monkey!" They began to laugh.

"You guys are so mean to me! You always used to make fun of me like that when we were little. I come back from the dead and this is how you treat me?" They all stopped and looked down. "…He-Hey, you know what we haven't done in a while?"

Airas looked up. "Mm? What?"

"We haven't had a regular conversation or told any stories about our day."

"I remember when we used to do that," Airi whispered. "Those were the days when I was the happiest. When mom and dad actually loved me…" She looked down again. Strange, I don't feel like crying…Maybe I'm over that…

"Why don't you tell us about your days in this village Airi?" Airas asked.

"Yeah! What was it like when you were here by yourself?" Aurion asked.

Airi raised her head. "Me? Um, okay!" She smiled warmly. "Well, when I first came here, I ran into some trouble, first thing in the morning. Then Shino came to my rescue. That was the first time I met him. Anyway…"

XXXX

Airi…

"…Wha…?"

Why Airi?

"…Who…?"

I thought you said that you would protect me…

"…Ka…Kaji?"

You…let me down Airi…

"No I didn't!" Airi shot up in her bed, full of sweat. "Wh-What! K-Kaji! But how?"

"Airi, what's wrong?" Airas asked sleepily as she rolled over in her bed.

"…Shut uuuuuuuuuuup," came Aurion's muffled complaint. He was lying face down on his pillow.

"It was Kaji! He was talking to me!" Airi shouted.

"What!" Airas asked, fully alert.

Aurion flipped over in his bed and stared at the ceiling. "Fine, fine. I'm up! I can't sleep with you two shouting!"

Airi ran her fingers through her hair. "I…I let him down…No…It wasn't my fault…Shinji, he's responsible for this!" She pounded on the bed. "Dammit! Kaji, I'm so sorry. I wish I could hold you in my arms one more time. I still love you."

Airas sat with Airi and hugged her. "We know that Kaji was very important to you, but there's no use in beating yourself up about it."

"I'm not…I just…" CRASH! "What was that!" A huge tremor knocked the siblings out of their beds. Screams pierced the night air and moonlit sky erupted in light.

"What the hell's goin' on!" Aurion asked as threw on his clothes.

"I don't know," Airas said as she slipped her skirt over her shorts.

"But we better find out what it is!" Airi finished as she pulled on her shoes. They ran out of their inn and found the village in total chaos. Fire was everywhere and people were running around. "Wh-What is this!"

Airas grabbed a nearby person. "Hey! Can you tell us what's happening!" The terrified man squirmed out of her grasp and kept running. "H-Hey, wait?"

Aurion found another person. "You! Frightened Konohagakure citizen--" The person turned around and it turned out that it was a woman. "--can you…!" He froze. "…Hey baby, I know this might seem weird but-" She slapped him and ran off.

"You're a mess, you know that?" Airas said. She helped him up.

…I won't let this village end up like mine! Airi ran up the street.

"Airi?"

She didn't look back. "C'mon!" She kept running, turning corners and using her magic to put out the fires in her way. When she finally reached her destination, her siblings caught up with her.

"Th-The academy?" Airas panted.

"Wh-Why here?" Aurion asked. A battalion of ninja ran by them. "Whoa…"

"Airi?"

Airi spun around and found Hinata putting out a fire. "Hinata!" She ran over to her. "Hinata, what's going on!"

"I don't know! One moment everything was peaceful and the next, everything was on fire!"

"Airi! Airas! Aurion!" Kurenai and the rest of her squad, along with Kakashi and his squad, ran up to them. Kitari slowly followed them.

"I'm glad we found you!" Kakashi said.

"Yes! We need your help!" Kurenai added. "The fires are out of control! Your magic would come in handy."

"Of course, we'll help!" Aurion and Airas said.

Kakashi turned to Airi. "And Airi, we need you to help evacuate the people!"

"Sure thing," Airi said.

"Let's spilt into two-man teams," Kurenai said. "Aurion and Airas, you're in charge of putting out fires along with Kakashi, Sasuke, Kitari, and myself. Airi, you and Shino are in charge of evacuating people along with Hinata, Naruto, Sakura, and Kiba. Does everyone understand?" They all nodded. "Then let's go!"

XXXX

"Alright Shino, we can do this!" Airi shouted over the roar of the fires. He nodded. "I won't let your village end up like mine!" The two of them ran through the village putting out fires and helping people. They came to a burning house. "I wonder if anyone's inside…"

"HELP!" came a scream.

"Airi, let's go," Shino said. As they came near the house, two men jumped in front of them.

"What! Nozomis!" Airi shouted.

"Tengoku Taiga, your life is ours!"

"We don't have time for this!" Shino shouted. He turned to Airi. "Airi, go save whoever is in that house!"

"But Shino-"

"Go! I got this!"

She nodded and charged into the house. She held up her cards and chanted a spell. Water came flowing out of her cards and doused the flames. She ran up the stairs and avoided the flames. "Hey! Where are ya!"

"Over here!" Two little girls sat terrified behind a fire.

"I got ya!" Airi created another water spell and extinguished the fire. She ran over to the girls. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," they replied.

"Okay, I'll get you out of here." She picked them both up.

"You're a Nozomi, aren't you?' one of the girls asked.

"…Yes, I am."

"…I knew Nozomis were good people."

Airi smiled. "Aburames and Nozomis just need to get along. We're all good." The Aburame girls smiled. Fire suddenly came crashing down from the ceiling. "Crap!"

"What's gonna happen to us!" the girls asked. "There's no way out!"

"Yes there is!" Airi kicked the door down to another room and looked around. "…Ah! A window! Hang on tight girls and close your eyes. They did as they were told. "Good! Here goes!" She got a running start and jumped out of the window. They came crashing out and fell on a person.

Shino looked at them. "Uh, thanks I suppose…"

Airi looked down and there was one of the Nozomi attackers. "Oh, oops!" She put the girls down. "Head to the village gates, okay?"

They nodded. "Thank you so much...oneechan…" They bowed and ran off.

She smiled. "Big…sis?"

"Airi, let's go."

"Okay, sorry." Unexpectedly, another tremor shook the ground. "Ah!" Airi tripped over debris and fell.

Shino turned back. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." He helped her up. "Shino…"

He looked at her. "Yeah?"

"…Nothing. Forget it…"

A man ran up to them. "You gotta get out of here!"

"What's wrong?" they asked.

"A-A huge monster dog! I-It's spewing fire and everything! RUN!" He ran off.

Airi froze. "…Wh-What?"

"Airi?"

"…No…" With a loud howl, her former Summon Spirit stood before them. "…Kaji…"