There was a time when Akaya could not control her anger in the midst of a heated battle. There once was a time when she immaturely destroyed an entire sewer system in a blind fury of emotions. Akaya looked at her opponent now, knowing that she couldn't risk these lives that were in cages just to win. She would have to be cunning and clever. And as a loud, booming sound shook above them, Akaya never lost her eye contact on Himeka.

Shin was taken back by Akaya's unwavering concentration. Nothing was going to stop her from reaching her goal, and he sighed, knowing he had to leave her to help Sesoni's forces above. It was the last option that Shin wanted to implore, but it was unavoidable. Shin gripped Akaya's shoulder tightly. "Just remember what lessons I taught you. You can do this on your own."

Akaya nodded but gave no response. Because although she was well-prepared, Akaya didn't know if she was mentally equipped to kill her own mother even when Himeka had become heartless and ruthless. Even with all of the commotion above, Akaya secretly wanted to be selfish; she wanted Shin to stay with her.

As Akira rose from her shadow, Himeka became infuriated, "You are joking with me, right?! Between the two of us, you chose the brat!" Her attitude went from pure rage to a calm tranquility. Himeka was erratic, and Akaya acknowledged the insanity that was being exhibited. "No matter. What's a shadow demon to a fire demon anyways?"

With a snap of her finger, Himeka had a tornado of flames surround her, and Shin couldn't believe what he was seeing. Himeka wasn't summoning a fire demon; she was becoming a fire demon.

Shin talked firmly and sternly to Himeka, "Why did you think that this was going to work? Every time you have summoned that demon's powers, it drained you of your humanity and human life."

Himeka welcomed his criticism; it only fueled her monstrous actions. "You told me that years ago when all I wanted was to be your equal. I wanted to see life through your power, and now, I can actually be alive. You had been holding me back."

Shin stood, shocked at Himeka's reasoning. She had always just wanted to relate to him and ultimately to understand him. This devotion to obtaining demon powers was only a product of her love for him. "Cast that demon aside, and come back to your senses. Emotion was what made you special to me to begin with. We were always equals."

Himeka hissed back at him, "I'm guessing that attack from above is a signal to you two. Aren't you gonna go save your friends already, Shin Ryu?"

The last time she called him Shin Ryu was in the Hokage's office so long ago, and that stung. It was a sign of how lost in her selfishness Himeka was, and how their romance had truly faded away into nothingness.

"Not before you know the truth." Shin retorted back, "You only ever saw things from your perspective, and because of that, everyone here has suffered."

Akaya chimed in, "You can stop this."

Himeka smirked as she continued to let the flames engulf her. Red embers were beginning to fuse with her skin. The demon she let occupy her body as a vessel was now trying to take her over fully. And of course, Himeka had no problem letting it.

Shin continued, logically knowing it wasn't going to stop this transformation. It was weird for him to talk from an emotional side of things. "When you walked confidently into my village the first time, I couldn't take my eyes off of you. You never truly needed me: you wanted me," Shin paused briefly. He draped his arm around Akaya, and Akaya held his weight up, "Which was fine until I realized I actually needed you. And when I found out about Akaya, you broke me, Him!"

Akaya never heard Shin so upset over anything. He could accurately use his anger in his attacks, and his self-confidence bled through in all of his sarcastic remarks. But, Himeka had taken the raw feeling of love and gave Shin hope of a worthwhile romance. And his words were that of a broken soul, too whisked away by the idea of love to see that it was no longer there.

Himeka gave one heated glance to Shin before staring at Akaya. The girl grew up to look just like him. It was uncanny how they even stood in the same way, "She was never what I wanted for me or for us. She's a halfling that never belonged in this world. And, ultimately, that's why you weren't supposed to see her."

Akaya shrugged, "By the looks of it, you'll never be satisfied with anything you do," Akaya turned to Shin, feeling the same anger festered in her, festering in him, "You need to help Sesoni. There's no telling if Tajek can get there quicker."

She smiled as slyly as she could towards him while removing his arm from her shoulder, "Besides, the best way to fight fire is with fire."

Shin begrudgingly nodded back, knowing he wouldn't be able to convince her to let him take her place instead. His daughter was too determined now. It was her fight and not his this time. He walked toward the caged villagers, and as he did, Himeka threw two blasts of intense fire in his direction. Akaya threw a fire-infused kunai to block them, which sge successfully executed. She then walked proudly to stand in front of the frightened onlookers, "To get to them, you'll have to get through me first."

Shin couldn't believe how much Akaya had progressed but also stayed exactly the same. As he popped each lock off with a sharpened kunai he already knew the safest place to keep the freed prisoners during the battle: the hidden passageway Tajek went after earlier. The safety of these bystanders was more important then immediately getting to the battlefield; Sesoni would understand. The survival and revival of Konoha relied on not only its Shinobi but the community surrounding them as well. A well-organized village always demanded an equal amount of responsibility.

Akaya needed a distraction to prevent Himeka from attacking the villagers while Shin was escorting them out. Without notice, Akira assumed her dog form and ran at Himeka. Akaya closed her eyes tightly and opened them, to reveal the gold specks that had taken over her eyes. Himeka's aura stayed at a bright blue: tranquil and peaceful. It suggested that either Himeka was truly at peace when she fought, or the demon overwhelming her exhibited little emotion at all.

Akira lunged for the tyrant, hoping to lock onto her shadow and stop her movements for even a couple of seconds. That would give enough time to Akaya to properly react to the situation. Shadow demons always set out to save themselves and attached to the ones they knew would survive the longest. And yet, Akira was determined to help Akaya win this battle, even if that meant sacrificing itself in the process. If Himeka and the demon that was taking over could be taken down, it would be worth the shadow demon's life. For once, the cause personally meant something to Akira.

Even though Akira knew the risks of being lit on fire as a shadow demon, Shin watched the being potentially sacrifice itself for someone else. As he hurriedly rushed Konoha's people into the tunnel, Akira latched onto Himeka's shadow. The sly demon had done it, if only for a few seconds, but that was all he needed. He turned as the last person ran past him and began a new mission on his own.

He desperately wanted to turn around and tell Akaya he never viewed her as a mistake. That being a halfling gave her a strength neither of her parents possessed. That she was something the calculating demon always wanted to have. But no words from him could fix the hurt inflicted by Himeka.

Several of the small children were being carried by adults to make sure they weren't left behind, but one little girl with her braid falling out of its twist had no one. "Little one, where are your parents?"

Softly the girl replied, "It's just me now."

Shin finally admitted to himself how soft he had become, and how years of wisdom and experience led him to better understand sympathy and compassion. Here was where he could make up for the lost time. "Would you like a piggyback ride?"

The little girl nodded and rapidly climbed onto his back. As they moved with the group, she spoke up bluntly. "Why is your hair so long? It itches my face when I rest my head down on your back."

Shin wondered if Akaya had always said what she felt and believed in herself like this girl did, or if she had developed that trait over time. "Demon hair grows at a quick rate. Cutting it too often will just make it grow longer a lot faster."

The child giggled, "I'm growing my hair out too. Soon I'll be able to style it like the lady back there."

Shin continued, "She might even be able to teach you. Believe it or not, I heard that her braid used to swoop just like yours."

Shin led the group to the same path Tajek had traveled earlier. He visualized how this place looked years ago when two young Shinobi crept around the sewers. He saw Akaya taking charge, and Tajek trying to analyze the smartest move. Suddenly, he hit the jagged rock that would unlock the hidden passageway. As formerly instructed, he walked two paces in and pushed the wall inward. It was pitch black, so he set the girl down on the ground again. He grabbed two nearby lanterns and handed them to villagers.

Shin spoke to them encouragingly, "I'll make sure everyone is in this passageway before closing it. This path is extremely long, and I have to leave you behind me to reach the ones I have to help now. When you no longer hear my footsteps, stop and sit quietly."

The little girl began to whimper, "Why do you have to leave us? It's scary!"

Shin smiled warmly at her, "Because you'll be safe here, and my friends need me more than brave little girls do." As he messed up her hair, he readdressed the group, "Remember: stay quiet and trust that we will come back for you when this night is over, and the battle has ended."

They all nodded, and Shin led them in one-by-one. He close the make-shift door behind them and sprinted forward past them. Shin kept a much quicker pace than Tajek did because he needed to keep these villagers safe in case of an ambush. When he reached the ladder, he looked back to see the two lantern lights suddenly go out. It was completely silent, and as Shin entered Tajek's bedroom, he made sure to cover the entrance back up with the rug that Tajek didn't bother to hide again.

Adrenaline coursed through Shin as he rushed down the familiar halls. Even though he had more compassion for others now, Shin still loved the idea of blood being shed by his own hands. It was an excitement he had only experienced during battle. And as he neared the front of the Hokage's building, he wondered if his daughter got the same surge of energy when she fought.

He hoped that she did.