Finale: For the Ones I Love

"You guys, stay calm!" Airas shouted.

"We're gonna die! We're gonna die! We're gonna die!" Naruto screamed. "I don't wanna die!"

"Shut the hell up Naruto!" Aurion yelled.

"Getting all stressed out won't help us now!" Sasuke said. "We have to think! How are we gonna get out of here?"

Naruto stared at him. "Oh! I got it!" He put his finger up and took a deep breath. "…We're gonna die! We're gonna die! We're gonna-"

"That's enough!" Airas shouted as she smacked him. "You guys! C'mon!"

"Naruto's right," Kitari said calmly. "Let's just embrace our fate. There's nothing we can do."

"How can you say that!" Sakura asked.

"Please!" Hinata begged. "We all need to think."

"This shit sucks," Kiba said. "Akamaru, I don't want you to die…"

"Can you all stop talking about dying!" a stressed out Kurenai shouted.

"Let's see, our only exit is blocked and there's no where to go from here…" Kakashi thought aloud. "We've all used up too much chakra so…" He didn't want to continue.

Shino sighed. "You guys…I…I'm sorry…"

Airi moved away from the group and walked over to the chamber Inochi was in. "Inochi, I have to get you out of there! If I can, then maybe you can help us!" She put her hands up to the glass. "Inochi-"

"UGHN!" Airas fell to the ground.

"Airas?"

"How…How could I have forgotten?" Airas asked. Blood began to slip from her mouth. "I…was so caught u-up in everything else that I…"

"Airas, what's going on?" Aurion asked.

"Remember when I told you that I had finally gotten Akurei to be my Summon Spirit?" He nodded. "Well, she told me that she would be my Summon Spirit as long as I promised to give her my life once my purpose was been fulfilled."

"What're you saying!"

"Aurion, I told myself that my purpose was to end this war…to stop the source…" She smiled. "Well…it's been fun guys…"

"Airas!" Kurenai shouted.

"Don't mourn over me you guys. For a little while, I was your enemy." She coughed up blood. "Airi?"

"Sister!" Airi ran over to her. "Don't worry sister! I could-"

"Airi, there's nothing that you can do to help." She blinked, tears falling down her cheeks. "I am sorry my sister. I was a horrible big sister."

"Airas…I forgive you."

"And Aurion, thank you for everything. I am…sorry as well. Please take…care of…our…little…sister…" She shut her eyes.

"AIRAS?"

Airi jumped to her feet. "That's it! I have to get Inochi so she can help! She could bring Airas back to life!" She ran back over to the crystal chamber. "Inochi, please wake up! You have to get out of there!" The tower shook even more. "Please!" She was in tears as she pounded against the glass. "I want to protect them! I want to protect the ones I love! Please help me do this Inochi! I'll do whatever you need me to do in order to save them! INOCHI!" Inochi's eyes shot open and she looked at Airi. "I-Inochi! Please, tell me what I should do!" Her mouth formed one word and Airi stood in doubt. "…That…is what I must…do?" The spirit nodded. "…Then…please help me…" Inochi's hands reached through the glass and grabbed Airi's hands. "…You guys…" Light began to emit from under Airi.

"Airi, what're you doing!" Everyone asked. More rumbling and shaking.

"…This is for…the ones I love…" She closed her eyes. "…I summon the power of the third gate of Gaia. Please help me save the lives of my friends…my family…the people…that I love the most…Please…lend me your strength…" Both Inochi and Airi closed their eyes. "…Ikenie…Sacrifice…"

"AIRI?" Wings shot from her back and covered them all.

XXXX

"…Aah…Ugh…" Shino opened his eyes and sat up. "Where…?" He was outside along with everyone else. "How'd we get out here?" Everyone else came to.

"What happened?" Kiba asked.

Aurion held Airas close, then looked over at Airi who was a few feet away from him. "Airi?" he called out.

"…Nnh…"

He quickly looked down. "A-Airas?"

"…Hey…I was with mom and dad…" She looked around. "Why am I here?"

"You're alive!" Naruto asked.

"I'm…glad…that…she's…alive…" Everyone looked at Airi. She weakly turned around and stumbled. "…I'm glad that…you're all alive…"

"Airi! You're…You're…" Sakura and Hinata couldn't even finish.

Airi held her stomach. "It's okay…" Blood escaped through the cracks of her fingers.

"What did you do Airi!" Airas cried.

"I…saved you…" She smiled, then fell to her knees. "Ha ha, now it was my…m-my turn to…look out for my b-big brother…a-and big s-sister…"

"Why did you do that Airi!" Hinata asked. "We could've found a way!"

"…I…d-don't want our efforts to…go…t-to waste…" Shino ran over to her. "Shino…we did i-it…"

"I…I know…" He was trying his best not to cry.

"You didn't have to do that," Sasuke said, looking away. "Y-You…didn't…"

Kitari wiped tears from her eyes. "You little t-twerp! B-Being selfish a-are we?"

"Thank you…e-everyone…thank you f-for…helping me…for…believing…in me…" She coughed up blood. "You guys…are the best…" She looked at them. "Kakashi sensei…S-Sakura…Sasuke…Naruto…Kiba and A-Akamaru…Hinata…Aurion…Kurenai sensei…Airas…you guys are so…very i-important to me…" She looked up at Shino. "And y-you Sh-Shino…You're…th-the best…I…I love you…more th-than anyone…in the world…"

He nodded, the tears coming out little by little. "I-I know…And…I love y-you too..."

"You guys…pl-please don't c-cry…" She smiled. "I w-will live on…forever in your…hearts and memories…and I…shall never…for…get…you…all…You…all…are the…ones…the ones that…I…lo…ve…Th…ank…you…good…bye…" Her body fell limp in Shino's arms and blood spilled from her.

Shino's eyes twitched. "…DAMMIT!" He started to cry harder. "I promised that I would protect you with my life! Why did you have to sacrifice your life! I should've been me!" Everyone started to cry with him. The pain of losing someone dear to them was unbearable. "You…You fool!"

"Please do not grieve…"

They all looked up at Inochi. "You!"

She nodded. "Aburame Shino, please let me have Airi's body…"

"Wh-What? Why?"

"Please trust me…This is what she wanted…"

"…Okay…" He handed Airi body to the spirit.

"Yes Airi, I can hear you calling to me…You want me to watch over your clan…But to do that…I need a body…" She nodded. "As you wish…Mistress Airi…" She hugged the body closely, then melted into it. With a huge flash of light, the merging was complete. Inochi now stood in her new body…Airi's body. "…Airi…You say this is for the best…I trust you…"

"I-Inochi?" Aurion called out.

"Yes, it is me. Airi told me that wanted me to use her body to continue to protect her clan."

"But…what about her soul?" Hinata asked.

"Airi's soul is within me. It is there that she will be safe." She smiled warmly. "She wishes to speak with you." They all stood up. "Airi…"

Light faded in next to Inochi. "You guys?"

"Airi!"

She smiled. "So this really is working! I'm glad. Look, please don't be sad, okay? I will live on within Inochi, so everything will be okay!"

"But Airi-"

"No but's Shino!" Her grin widened. "I'll always watch over you guys. Just think of me as a little guardian angel!" They all nodded. "Inochi will watch over me though." She looked around. "Don't you guys have something important to do?"

"Like what?" Shino asked.

"You guys have to restore Konoha! And big brother and big sister! You have to take our people back to our village and help them build it back up!"

"Okay Airi!"

"Good! Hee hee! You guys be good okay?" She looked at Shino. "I'll always love you Shino."

He nodded. "And I you."

"Good luck you guys!" And with that, Airi and Inochi disappeared.

Shino dropped to his knees. "…I'll never forget you…Nozomi Airi…"