Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, just my Ocs.

After tossing the tanto to the woman I chased after the boy that she threw over the cliff. Why did that woman have to break the kids' wing!? Pushing chakra onto my feet I jumped to grab him and when I did I focused my attention on my landing. It was a long drop down, and I would need to get the timing right. I didn't have anything to stop our descend into the water. It was the only option I could think of.

As we got closer to the water I applied chakra under my feet. There would be a backlash from the height we fell from, and physics still works even if this is the naruto-verse. In physics for the forces to be cancelled out they have to be equal, but they weren't.

I gritted my teeth as I landed on top of the water, as I felt pressure onto my ankles. The crash of the waves sounded as I kept my balance and slowly stood. The kid I had in my arms was crying aloud, and I hummed to him as I walked in the direction I assumed would take me to a shore and back.

When his cries slowly died away, he raised his unruly, orange head and I met his shiny brown eyes.

I smiled down at him and said. "Can you show me which way that would get us back? I don't know if I'm going in the right direction or not."

When we got to the shore, I placed him down on his feet on the wet sand. It was a bit of relief, gravity was doing its job and the pain I felt in my ankles was almost unbearable that I landed on all fours.

I stayed like that for some seconds before I looked up to see the kid running off. I didn't know what to think of the kid running all of a sudden and leaving me there. I wondered to myself if I was expecting anything from him in return, then again…I think it was me that owed him.

With a sigh, I crawled away from the wet shore and lied down on the dry sand to look up at the cloud covered sky. The sound of the waves was my companion that moment. The sound was calming, like it was lulling me to sleep. Along with the waves there was a sudden roar in the sky, I looked up just as water started to fall.

Water had a cycle. When it rains, water goes down on the ground, and when it shines, water goes back up absorbed by the clouds. If I think about it…I'm like the ground or the clouds. I open my channels so nature chakra would enter, but not to the point that I won't be able to handle it. Eventually, I would have to release the chakra for it to go back.

Ha, but what do I need to know that I didn't already know?

"Over here!" I heard from a distance followed by another roar in the clouds.

ooo

I was brought to their hospital near the center and the healer that would take a look at my injury was currently drying my hair with a towel then combing it so it wouldn't be tangled.

"There" He said. "Better"

"Shouldn't you be looking at my injury not grooming me?" I said after he did those two.

"You still have to take care of your looks." He answered. "Now then…let us start. I am Tohru, resident healer and an albino peacock."

That explains his silver hair and pale skin, but his eyes were red and he was wearing white clothes.

"You're too white." I told him bluntly.

"I know. I would almost blend in with the wall." Tohru said chuckling. That was almost true with the white walls they had. "But before we get started on stories, let us patch you up first."

He cleaned the cut on my arm and wrapped a bandage around it. He also checked my ankles using chakra like a medic-nin.

I guess it shouldn't be surprising, but in a way it was. It was the first I saw anyone in this place use chakra, or I just wasn't present to see how or when they use chakra here. Four months, I've been here and I was only focused on learning about nature chakra. I wasn't even curious about how they live here. I only know that sometimes they take signs from nature or circumstances if they're troubled with two choices.

Was that the reason Nabi postponed my lessons with him? I was so focused on one thing I didn't see the entire picture? Was that it?

"You are Iruna, correct?" Tohru said then getting my attention.

"Yes." I answered.

"Would you like to wait for Mirus or not?"

"It's fine. I can tell her what happened when I get back to her house."

"You have a fracture." He said.

Well, I didn't expect not to go unscatched.

"Is it bad?"

"Fortunately, it is not. It would have been worse if not for the kyuubi chakra in your body. It has healed a bit of the fracture, but not completely hence the pain you felt when I pressed down on your ankle earlier."

"Can you heal it?"

"I am afraid not." He shook his head. "You will have to allow your fracture to heal naturally. Meaning you cannot do any extraneous activities."

"But you can use chakra." I said confused.

"Yes, I can, but the best for you right now is to allow the Kyuubi chakra to hasten your healing with enough rest and food. You will have to stay here for a while, so we can make sure that you're healing properly. I do wonder, how did you incur an injury to your ankles?"

Past the bridge and the trees, I entered the area they called the cliffs. There was a woman there with a dagger in each hand and she appeared to be dancing with them, a deadly dance at that. While watching her one of the daggers flew past my cheek surprising me.

The woman there had the same patterns on her wings like Mirus. She had long brown hair and sharp yellow eyes, and there was a tattoo on her neck that Mirus warned me about before.

"Oh, the little summoner." The woman said. "Shouldn't you be in the middle of your training?"

"I was given a break."

"You're not busy at the moment, how about a spar with me?"

The look in her eyes was scary, I was about to refuse, and before I could she was already in front of me slicing through air if I hadn't jumped away.

"You have at least quick reflexes." She said her eyes shining with mirth.

I pulled out the tanto I had hidden in my armband.

"Who gave that to you?" She asked looking at the tanto in my hands.

"My sensei gave it to me." I answered cautiously.

"Uzumaki Kura gave that to you?"

"No." I answered. I never heard of that name before. "Uzumaki Kushina gave it to me."

"Ah, you don't deserve to have that." She said then taking a step towards me with her eyes was cold and had malice in them. "If I win in this spar, I'm taking that from you. Do your best to keep it, little summoner."

I flinched and took a step back, scared, but I couldn't let her take my tanto. The glint in her eyes made me swallow. It wasn't any of those I've seen before during my missions then. She was dead serious, and her killing intent had me pinned there.

She chuckled darkly. "You can leave, but that includes the tanto you have. If you're frightened of me."

"I-I'm not giving this to you." I said, my mind going on overdrive on how to get away from her.

I never felt so scared in my life. There was deep hatred in her eyes when I said it was handed down to me. She takes the win compared the the glares I had received in Konoha.

"Then, shall we?" She said lightly, like she had already won. "You can use that tanto if you want."

I gripped the handle of the tanto and stood there ready to spar with her as she pulled out two knives from under her sleeves. My hands trembled while I held the tanto.

For someone with large wings on their back, she moved swiftly like she didn't have them. I parried and avoided most of the time. I continued to avoid, and my speed was enough to leave me unscatched for the moment, but she had a trick up her sleeve.

Using the side of her dagger she reflected the light of the sun into my eyes making me use my left arm to cover my eyes and giving her an opening. I hissed and backed up from her. I glared at her and annoyed at myself. I could have used a substitute clone for that!

"You're going to lose." She said.

I used both hands to parry her strikes, and when I tried to activate my sharingan to at least get a better read on her movements I felt a kick in my gut.

In reality though, I had already placed a genjutsu on her. I was relieved that the genjutsu worked, but when I turned to leave. There she was blocking the path to the bridge grinning and holding a kid by the neck.

"Did you think that party trick would work on me?" She said. "You need to use stronger tricks with me. Now, I don't feel like playing around anymore. For a kid, you're speed is decent enough, but your strategies are easy to read."

The dagger she held was close to the kid's neck. The orange haired kid was close to tears with what was happening. Where did he come from and how did she…

"Let him go." I said. "He's not part of this."

"I know, but I don't really care. Lesson one, little summoner, in a fight there is no playing fair. In fact, there are no rules in a fight. It's either winning or losing. If you think there's fairness in everything, you need more lessons to learn from life."

I was thinking on using another genjutsu to get the kid from her, but that idea was useless as she placed the sharp edge of the dagger close to the boys' neck making him whimper.

"Ah, ah, ah, don't even try to use another trick or this boys' blood will drip. Toss me your tanto and I'll release this boy unharmed."

I looked at the boy in front of me, he already had tears in his eyes and I was lost on what to do. This tanto was from Kushina sensei. There had to be something I can do! Why did I leave my pouch at—there was a crack from in front of me and the boy shrieked. I stared at the boy after his small wing was snapped by the woman.

"Another lesson, when someone's demanding they don't wait. Give me your tanto or his other wing might be removed."

I had no other choice.

"Here!" I shouted tossing her the tanto in its sheath and when I did that she tossed the boy towards the cliff.

"This tanto was the blade like glass?" Tohru asked after I told him what happened.

"Yes."

How did he know that?

"I'll be seeing you again tomorrow, Iruna. An assistant will come here and bring you to the room you will be using."

"What about—"

"Not to worry Mirus will be making her way here. We will inform her on what we found." He answered leaving the room.

That was strange. Shouldn't he have said he would tell Mirus about my injury?

"Hello there, my name is Koushi." The male crow in a light gray yukata and a white haori above it came in. The color gray of his yukata reflected the same color of his hair. He didn't have wings, nor any feathers in his hair making me wonder if he is an avian or not.

"I'm Iruna." I answered.

"It's nice to meet you, Iruna. I'll be bringing you to your room."

When he said that I thought I would have to follow him out of the room, not to be carried in his arms like a princess.

"Erhm…" I never liked being carried this way even in my previous life.

"Yes?" He said a gentle smile forming on his lips as he looked at me with kind eyes.

"N-nothing." I stammered before I looked away feeling my cheeks warming up.

I just shook my head. He just has a nice smile, that's all there is.

For the following days, Mirus would visit me to bring me food, but that was only for breakfast and lunch. Dinner was brought to me by Koushi. He sometimes stays in the room to eat with me, when his shift was in the afternoon until in the early morning. It made me think of Minato when he would show up while I was doing my chakra training and invite me to eat lunch.

Koushi and I didn't talk while eating, but I guess after three days of silence he decided to break the ice.

"Do you not like me, Iruna-san?" He asked me all of a sudden surprising me. "You would sometimes turn away when I smile at you."

That's because I didn't want him to see me blushing!

"N—No. It's not…that I don't like you. I just...I…"

What am I doing? If I avoid him, this is going to get worst! Before this gets out of hand I should just tell him. I don't want or need to have an infatuation right now!

"It's just…" I felt my cheeks blushing I lowered my head. "I like you."

"Thank you." He said and I felt his hand on my head.

I snapped my head up to look at him, he was smiling, but there was sorrow in his eyes. Before I could ask why he looksed sad, he told me he still had to check on other patients and left the room.

Tohru like Mirus came to my room, to see my progress on healing, but it was around in the afternoon. Koushi didn't show up anymore after I told him I liked him, I wondered if that had something to do with their culture here that I didn't know. Did I do something I shouldn't have?

To pass the time in the room, Mirus brought me books to read. One was about chakra, almost everything about chakra that I didn't learn in the academy or from Kushina-sensei.

Another book of them talked about their ages, their growth and their ways too. It even included the range of the age of those that can be part of a summoners' flock. There was the process of how to gain a flock.

"How are you doing, Iruna-san?" I heard, and I looked up from the book I was reading to find Koushi there.

I blinked. I haven't seen him for a while. It was a bit surprising to see him there.

"Is something wrong?" He asked confusion on his face.

"I'm sorry for last time." I said. He was sad after I told him I liked him.

"Last time?"

"When I told you that I like you, you were sad and I didn't see you the following day. I thought I offended you or something." I replied honestly.

"I wasn't offended." He answered smiling his eyes closing a bit as he did. "I was going to come here the following day after you told me that to apologize for abruptly leaving, but I had to look after my younger brother. His wing was broken the other day and his balance is off with a broken wing. I also wanted to thank you for saving him, but you always looked away from me and I couldn't bring it up."

"Save?"

"You saved my brother from falling into the sea the other day. He told me that you even carried him while getting back to land and that was while you were injured."

"I don't deserve any thanks or apologies." I told him.

"You saved him from a fate worse than a broken wing. He would have lost his wing without you there."

"He wouldn't have gotten hurt if I wasn't there!" I shouted.

"Maybe, but if you weren't there do you think that woman wouldn't have done something to him?"

Vagrants are avians that follow their own rules and do not follow the one's set by their governor. They are skilled and survive outside of the village. They are also aggressive and they have tattoos on their necks to show they live as they wish.

"I don't." I answered.

"Haven't you wondered why I don't have wings or feathers in my hair?"

"I did, but I didn't want to be rude."

"I used to have wings. I'm a crow." He replied. "I lost one of my wings while I tried to save my younger brother. When an avian loses one or two wings, they also lose their standing with everyone. No one would wish to speak a wingless avian if they can help it, either they had wings or feathers in their hair."

"You said you only lost one wing." I said.

"Yes." He nodded. "It was the same either way. I removed my other wing myself."

Silence. It was a heavy silence.

"I'm sorry that you lost your wings, but…I can't accept your apology or thanks either way." I replied.

"You're not guilty for his injury."

"I am."

I am responsible for it. I didn't hesitate to save Team Minato then it didn't bother me that I would get injured. I didn't hesitate when it came to those that are precious to me. I didn't stay with Obito-nii so he wouldn't get in trouble with the clan, leaving me roofless. When it came to a kid, a stranger, I faltered. Someone else's life should have weighed more in my mind over a tanto, but it didn't.

"Iruna-san" Koushi said by his tone, he was sad.

"I'm a bit tired. I'm going to sleep for a bit." I replied.

"I understand. I'll see you, tomorrow."

The door closed and I lied down on the bed pulling up the blanket before closing my eyes.

Koushi came back the next day like he said he would. He greeted me with a smile, but what I could think was that it was my fault his brother got hurt.

"Hello Koushi-san." I replied trying to sound cheerful.

"It sounds like you're bored from staying in here."

"I've had my own share of ending up in the hospital a number of times."

"Oh, how come?"

"I'm a shinobi. We get injured from missions every now and then."

"Do you have any siblings Iruna-san?"

"I have a twin brother and a younger brother."

"What are they like?"

"My twin is...well opposite of me. I'm a bit nosier than him and I guess I'm the trouble maker between the two of us. He used to call me Iruna-nee even though were twins."

"What does he call you now?"

"Iruna-neesama" I replied.

Koushi chuckled into his hand. "That's cute."

I felt a blush coming onto my cheeks then. I lowered my head so my hair would hide my face.

"Are you okay? Do you suddenly feel unwell?"

"I'm fine." I answered making sure my face wasn't warm before I raised my head. "I just feel sleepy right now."

"All right, I'll see you tomorrow, Iruna-san."

Can he not come or can't this crush be over already?!

"What about your younger brother what's he like?" He asked the next day.

"He's only months old. His name is Sasuke. He likes to play with Obito-nii when he comes to the house to visit."

"Oh, you have another sibling?"

I shook my head. "I just call him that because he has been looking after us when mother and father aren't in the village."

"You must have a lot of persons you want to protect."

I got used to having Koushi enter my room for small chats. He would tell me stories about his brother or the trouble he sometimes ended up in. I thought he would have entered my room with his younger brother by then.

I was sleeping when I felt someone poke my cheek. I was still half-awake then and I just ignored it. There was another poke.

"Five more minutes" I grumbled.

But the person kept poking me. I snapped my eyes open and turned glaring at the kid next to my bed. It was Koushi's younger brother, Shoyou.

I stared at him as he stared back.

"You're Iruna, right?"

"Yes."

"Stop making my brother worried."

"Er, why?"

"He keeps talking about you. He says he's worried."

"Why?"

"I don't know. He's often worried when he has a far off look on him."

"Talk to him not me. He doesn't have a reason to be worried for me. I'm only a patient."

"I can't."

"Why not? Is it because he doesn't have wings?" I asked a bit annoyed and grumpy. I was sleeping earlier.

"I don't care about that. I only care that because of you my brother has been silent at our nest."

"Like I said kid, talk to him not me. I don't know why he would even be worried for me."

"Shouyou?" Koushi was surprised to find his younger brother in my room. "What are you doing here?"

Tohru, Nabi and Mirus were behind him when he entered. Why is Nabi here?

"I..." Shouyou started and the way he bowed his head made him look small. It reminded me of Itachi when he was scolded by Father during our morning practice for our katas. "I...just."

"He came here to talk to me." I answered for him. "Because his brother was too preoccupied with their thoughts at home."

"Oh, I'm sorry if I made you worry Shou." Koushi said. "We'll talk later. You shouldn't be here right now. They have to talk with Iruna-san."

Shouyou glanced at me, before he nodded and left the room. Like a good kid following his older brothers' instructions.

"Iruna, you know that bijuus are beings made out only of chakra and cannot really die, correct?" Nabi asked.

I nodded. "They can only be dispersed, but after some time they will return to their original form."

That would mean the Kyuubis' yang part will form again somewhere after some time. Just like the three tails, this is bad. If Yang Kurama ever shows up in random, there will be chaos.

"Iruna, you have the yang kyuubi's chakra inside of you."

"What does that mean for me?"

"Nothing, apart from your increased healing, your chakra coils wouldn't have been able to handle the strain of the chakra if you were not descended from the sage of the six paths." Tohru answered.

"Okay, then why mention the kyuubi's chakra at all?"

"Since the kyuubi was not sealed in you, but some of its chakra entered your chakra coils. It is blocking the pathways where the nature chakra can be absorbed into."

"So, we just have to remove the kyuubi chakra in me." I said naively.

"Iruna, we can remove the kyuubi chakra, but doing that would mean your death." Mirus said.

Oh, right. I forgot that.

AN: Thank you for continuing to read my fanfic. It means a lot to me! It's a bit difficult to write now that I'm working, but I'll keep writing this. THANK YOU SO MUCH for your time! I love you guys! Until the next chapter. ;) Ja ne!