A/N: Hello, everyone! Sorry for the extremely long wait; It's summer so I've been out and about! Anyways, here is the thirteenth chapter! Please, enjoy.
I do not own anything!
~.~
In my mind there's a war that I've designed
A battle I fight alone
To the heart of tears and bone
So cruel and yet so kind
My old skirmish held inside
Buried deep within my mind.
By Jemma
~.~
"What are you saying, Dai?!"
"Calm down, Mai. Please listen to me; you're not thinking clearly."
"I thought… I thought we were… Dai, why did you lie to me?! WHY?!"
"Maiko, please-!"
-:-
The disturbed teen awoke with a shout, her body drenched in sweat.
"Daisuke!" She gasped lightly.
She looked around cautiously, as though to make sure she had escaped from her dream, and collapsed back upon her pillows. It had been a long time since she had had a dream that involved… him.
Maiko sat up in her bed after tossing away her thoughts. Whatever she had been thinking about earlier was completely lost as she observed the cloak hanging nearby. She smiled crookedly at it.
"Ah," she said in a low whisper, "I love it."
Her bony, pale hand reached out to caress the cloth and was met with a painful stab in her brain: a memory being revealed.
-:-
"What? Why are we taking in a little brat?!"
"Leader-sama says that her capabilities will blossom in our care; you will train her during her time here."
"What?! Are you serious? Why am I the one stuck with babysitting?!"
"It is not optional; get to it."
She was small. She was trembling, watching the strangers around her converse loudly, as though she did not exist. Maiko did not like it.
"P-please," she said, her voice cracking, "Let me go back!"
The conversation around her diminished and suddenly, all attention was focused on her. She whimpered.
"What are you (curse.)ing talking about, (curse.)?!" one asked viciously, approaching the small teen, "We're taking you under our wing. Be grateful, (curse.)."
"No, please," Maiko begged, "you don't understand! My cousin Daisuke is waiting for…me..."
Her voice trailed off and she glanced down at her bloody hands. Her Dragon Eyes seemed to burn as they widened in shock. Those around Maiko watched as she collapsed to her knees and began to wail.
-:-
Maiko gripped her head in agony. Whatever was happening to her, she didn't like it; it was making her more and more unstable. It made her chest hurt.
She lost balance quickly and fell, grasping her hung cloak in hopes of stabilizing herself. As she collided with the ground, the sound of fabric tearing filled her ears. The girl with green hair stood hurriedly, checking her cloth.
The jacket was torn roughly in half, and Maiko released an agitated sigh.
"Of all times to act up like this, and you choose now?" She scolded herself, "Look what you've done to senpai's cloak…"
If the man was still alive, he would've been livid with her. If only he were still alive… If only.
Maiko pressed to the cloth to her eyes and sniveled.
-:-
The white-haired teen didn't know what to think when she awoke. She was tucked away in a modest bed, in a room of average size, with only a chair, a curtain, and a bedside table to keep her company.
Kotone sat up in bed and coughed roughly, taking note of how dry and coarse her throat was. She guessed that she should refrain from speaking, in hopes of preserving her dignity. Peering over at the nearby chair, she realized that her belongings sat in it neatly: her backpack and her kimono were carefully laid out, with her own geta sitting peacefully nearby.
Laying her head back down on the pillow, she let out a small sigh. The last thing she could conjure up was wandering aimlessly in the desert. Kotone wondered who might've retrieved her paraphernalia.
"You're awake."
The pale queen sat up hurriedly, noticing that the curtain had been gently pulled aside to reveal the Kazekage, who looked the same as he had when she had visited all those ages ago.
Before Kotone could open her mouth to respond, Gaara had turned his face away, his eyes closed and his expression calm. Confused, the ashen teen moved to rise out of the cot, but then her eyes met her kimono sitting peacefully on the chair and she realized that she wasn't dressed.
Her chest was wrapped appropriately in cloth, acting as underwear, but she still rushed to cover herself with the blanket, her face faintly warm.
"Forgive me," she said faintly, attempting not to strain her voice, "I had forgotten that my belongings had been removed from my person."
Gaara opened his eyes and glanced at her from the side, as though assuring himself that she was covered before turning towards her.
"Don't fret about it," he replied, "I am simply relieved that you have recovered."
"How long have I been unconscious here?" Kotone inquired.
The Kazekage responded, "No more than ten hours. Temari retrieved you from the sandstorm and brought you here to be treated."
"I see. Please send her my thanks," remembering the Hokage's orders, the kunoichi added, "May I ask a favor of you?"
"What is it?"
"Would you send a message to the Hokage, telling her of my safe arrival?"
Gaara nodded silently, leaving the pair in silence. The Kazekage had not approached, standing a good way away with his hand still gripping the curtain.
Though some may've found the quiet to be tense, Kotone found it soothing. She had always found that trait of her friend's to be quite enjoyable. The peace was something that she relished, perhaps a mannerism she had retained through her 'revival'.
"How strange…" Kotone abruptly murmured.
Gaara eyed his friend with slight curiosity, "What is it?"
"Usually, in order to sleep, there is some sort of sound that I must hear… A heart beating or my mother's lyre, but it seems that… your company will suffice."
With that, her white eyes closed gently, and her chest began to rise and fall slowly, indicating her slumber. The redheaded teen was slightly shocked at how easily she had fallen back asleep after resting for an extended period. Guessing in the back of his mind that she needed the slumber, he stepped towards the bed and crossed his arms.
Kotone's hair had been ruffled during her transportation from the desert into the hospital bed, and a lock stood up in a rebellious manner, due to her bedhead. Somehow, it made her white appearance seem less menacing.
The irony caused Gaara to let a small smile grace his expression. Once, he had been a terrifying killing machine, seen by all as a frightening monster. His hate knew no bounds; she reminded him of his youth. His emotions had been suppressed by his hatred, but he didn't know what it truly meant to have none. The girl before him had everything stripped away: hatred, sadness, jealousy, greed, pain, joy, peace, happiness and love.
The Kazekage turned to leave the room, knowing full well there was no reason to stay while the other teen slept, but stopped when he heard the young lady mumble quietly.
"Thank you, Gaara…"
-:-
Hiromi sighed pleasantly to herself as she took in a deep breath.
"Flowers always have the nicest smells," she commented tenderly, "Do you think so too, Ino?"
The fellow blonde nodded less enthusiastically. She was tired from lugging around a delivery for a customer, but put on a smile for the smaller teen.
"Would you like me to wrap them up for you?" Ino asked.
"Oh, no, I'm sorry," Hiromi explained, "I just happened to stop by and thought maybe I could ask you some questions."
"About Maiko, am I right?"
"Y-yes! How did you know?"
Ino rested her chin in her hand, "What else would you want to know about? I thought you had given this up long ago."
Hiromi opened her mouth to inform the girl of her meeting with Maiko, but said nothing. In the back of her mind, she figured that it wasn't right to just blab about something that may cause panic.
"Well, Kotone left recently and I thought that maybe if I knew a little bit more then I could bring us both closure."
It scared the smaller blonde how good she had become at lying.
"Alright, then," Ino lost her smile and took on a bored, serious expression, "Ask away."
"Did Maiko act… weird at all before she disappeared?"
"The day before she left, she acted a lot stranger than usual, yeah?"
-:-
"Oh, if it isn't Midori wa baka o hikii*!" Ino leered, "What are you doing here?"
She, Shikamaru and Choji all awaited a response from Maiko, whom they had found in the middle of town, staring off into space. She wore a pair of dark sunglasses, likely to the bright rays of the sun, but Ino released a snort regardless.
"Why, are those sunglasses? HA! You look kind of ridiculous."
"I don't see what's so weird about them," Choji commented, "It is pretty bright out."
Maiko stood suddenly and shoved her way past the three fellow genin. Her expression was completely hidden, and Ino made a surprised noise and staggered backwards. Has Maiko always been this strong? She asked herself.
"Hey," Shikamaru grabbed Maiko's wrist, "Midoriiro no atama*."
Choji frowned, "What's the matter, Maiko?"
"Stay away from us! Can't you see that we're busy?" The girl hissed venomously.
She yanked her hand out of Shikamaru's grip and ran off, dust kicking up behind her. The gang of three stood in shock at her behavior for a few moments until Ino spoke up harshly.
"God, what's wrong with her, huh?" She sighed, dusting herself off.
Under her breath, she added, "Must be on her period; geez, what a jerk!"
Choji and Ino began to continue their way through town; Shikamaru stood planted to the spot, with a worried expression.
"Hey, Shikamaru, you heard Ino; Maiko's probably not feeling well right now," Choji called back, "Let's go! We'll see her tomorrow or something."
The genius watched the small figure of Maiko in the distance and shrugged off the strange feeling.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. Let's go."
-:-
"First thing the next morning, we heard the news that she had disappeared."
"Huh, that's so strange…" Hiromi murmured.
Ino ran her fingers through her hair with a sigh.
"It was foolish of me," she admitted hesitantly, "To brush off her attitude like that. Maybe if I had pursued her then she wouldn't have gone missing."
"Thank you, Ino, for telling me that. Do you have time for more or…?"
The slender woman shook her head, "Sorry, but I promised my dad that I'd accompany him to the Intel Division for the investigation. You know, the dead guy and so on."
"Dead?" Hiromi frowned, "Who was killed?"
Ino raised a slender brow, "You haven't heard? I guess not, huh. It was an Akatsuki fellow that Jiraiya-sama managed to defeat before he … died."
The smaller blonde lowered her gaze and silently mourned for the sage. She had heard of his death a few days before, but never knew the terms.
"Is Naruto-kun doing alright?" She asked softly.
"He's been gone training for a long time now," Ino responded with a grin, "He was pretty rough at first, but I think he's going to be just fine."
Hiromi nodded, "I'm glad. I know that Jiraiya-sama was very close to Naruto. You and I don't have to imagine what he must be feeling right now."
Ino had a noise of agreement before sighing and shaking her head.
"Yeah, I suppose you're right. Anyways, I've got to get going. Are you headed anywhere?"
"Oh, I'm probably going to swing by Kakashi's place and visit Haru," Hiromi smiled, "I have to protect my sensei's legacy, right?"
-:-
Time in the Sunagakure occurred fleetingly. Kotone spent the first day resting silently in the hospital-type bed she was given. Every once in a while, she would retrieve the book by Mari and open up the cover, but she never made it past that point. Amaterasu felt as though she should keep the contents a secret until Akio, Aiko and herself were together.
On her second day, Kotone finally escaped from her bed and made her way outdoors. To her surprise, she was being housed directly inside of the main building of Sunagakure, equivalent to the Academy back in Konohagakure.
Tiptoeing across the halls, she decided to explore, never before having actually investigated the contents of the building. So far, everyone room had looked the same, except for two, both of them being offices of some sort, and occupied with busybody shinobi who paid the white-haired girl no mind.
Her reconnoitering halted when she stumbled upon the bathing facilities. In the back of her mind, she tried to remember the last time she had an actual washing or some sort, and decided that she might as well take advantage of the fact that she was alone.
She had bathed back in the Nishi no Sabaku, but due to the constant surveillance of Uchiha Sasuke, not much had been accomplished. Kotone had skittered away after wading in the water for a while, the unnerving idea of Sasuke observing her causing slight panic.
Luckily, she had remembered to dress properly before exiting her room, and stripped hurriedly out of the foreign clothes, bestowed upon her by Temari. Since her kimono was rather ordinary and 'tacky', she was given some of the Kazekage's sister's own wardrobe.
Never once before in her life had Amaterasu ever worn the type of clothing she was given. While her black shirt was rather simple, with a 'boat' neckline and semi-long sleeves, Kotone couldn't help but constantly scratch at the strange, foreign material.
Her slim, white legs were wrapped in 'capris' that made Amaterasu feel confined. She found herself periodically tugging on the articles of cloth.
Walking about the halls in her borrowed apparel, Kotone felt like a newborn foal, awkwardly clambering about with long limbs she couldn't control. She felt like a stranger in her own skin.
At first, she had refused Temari's offer of new attires, but the kunoichi insisted that she 'experience something new' and so here she was, struggling to take of the new undergarments that had accompanied her outfit.
When she had ultimately removed the alien materials, she eased herself into the steaming water, immediately getting to work on scrubbing off the dirt and sand that had plastered itself to her body and her white locks.
She dried herself properly when she finished, taking a whopping thirty minutes to wash, and used a nearby brush, set aside for one's convenience, to detangle the knots that accommodated her snowy mane. As she combed through the final strand, her hand instinctively reached up and caressed her earring.
The charm was rough and had little to none adornments; it was a simple shape, not unlike a bulb, with two, horizontal red stripes going across the middle. Though others would disagree, Kotone thought it to be the most beautiful earring in the world, due to the fact that it came from someone who never feared her during her life as a puppet, and respected her now, as a human.
Respect amongst the two friends was mutual, of course. Kotone found that she admired Gaara for his calm nature, and how he had achieved the title of Kazekage at such a young age.
Once she had finally found a way to stick her arms through the sleeves, Amaterasu went on with her meandering, silently hoping that she would collide with Gaara along the way.
-:-
The moment Hiromi arrived at Kakashi's apartment complex, Haru was passed onto her.
"I have some important errands I need to run," the toddler's father explained, "I'm sorry for always cornering you into doing me favors like this."
"No, no, Kakashi-san," Hiromi stated melodiously, "It's no problem at all. I love taking care of Haru-chan! She and I will be waiting for you when you return."
After thanking the teen multiple times, Kakashi departed to perform his errands and Haru whined at his leaving.
"Don't worry, Haru-chan," the petite blonde reassured the child, "Why don't you and I go inside?"
"Okay… Wet's pway, Hiwomi!"
"Alright!"
-:-
The hospital was eerily silent; Akio hated it with a passion. Silence was his enemy, and he wished he had his voice back, if only for the purpose of speaking to his unconscious sister.
Aiko was so dear to him, and all he wanted was her safety. Though he periodically attempted to communicate with her, her voice never responded. Akio was exceptionally lonely.
Every few hours, he would receive a visit from Sakura, or some other nurse who requested she be assigned to the handsome foreigner, only to be too embarrassed to actually speak with him, or too awkward to respond when he attempted to converse.
Though he was not fully recovered, he was well enough to be miserable and pity himself and his sister. All he really cared about currently was his sister's wellbeing. The nurses poked and prodded her unconscious body until they came up with an unsatisfactory result.
Despite all of these circumstances, Akio had made a single acquaintance. He had snuck out one evening to acquire some training equipment to keep himself occupied, but ending up running into Sakura, who scolded him properly.
"Akio-kun, you shouldn't have snuck out like this! If you really want something to keep you occupied, I'll get you some books or something! Honestly. What would you have done if you got hurt? You're not even recovered!"
I apologize for my foolish actions, Sakura-san, Akio wrote on the small notepad given to him by said kunoichi, but I simply wished to make myself useful.
The pink-haired adolescent sighed with a soft grin, "I forgive you. Trust me, I understand how you feel. But can you wait just a little longer? You still have some major injuries."
Akio nodded and began to scribble more things down until he was distracted by the arrival of another shinobi.
"Good afternoon, Sakura-san!" He greeted the kunoichi with a blinding flash of teeth, "Is this man bothering you perchance?"
"Oh, hi, Lee-kun. Wait a second, bothering me…? What, Akio-kun?" Sakura eyed the mute Akivi, who had a semi-amused expression on his face, "He's a patient of mine who snuck out so that he could train. I guess you could say he's kind of like you."
"Is that so?!" Rock Lee wrapped an arm around Akio's shoulder, causing the tan male to stiffen awkwardly, "Then that means the flame of youth burns brightly in us both! Perhaps one of these days you and I can battle together!"
He awaited a response eagerly only to find that Akio was doodling something in his notepad.
"What is this? Ignoring me?! Do you take me for a fool or something?!"
Akio shook his head hurriedly.
"Lee-kun, he's a mute!" Sakura scolded, "He has to write things down because he can't talk!"
Rock Lee blinked owlishly before looking over at the handsome stranger, who had written down the words, 'Forgive me' on the notepad.
"Oh, there is no need for you to apologize!" The flamboyant ninja exclaimed, "It is my own fault for not realizing you can't speak."
It's no problem at all, though I am afraid I can't train with you unless Sakura-san deems it safe.
"Definitely not," Sakura sighed, "Lee-kun, you'll just have to wait a little longer."
Ever since then, the dark-haired ninja had made it a point to visit every few days to see if Akio was still unfit for battle. The Akivi found the gesture to be considerate, though he eventually recognized that Rock Lee was the one who assisted Sakura in taking him and his sister to the hospital when they had arrived and promptly thanked the shinobi repeatedly.
Akio gently ran his fingers through Aiko's white mane. His little sister was going to be okay, but he prayed that Kotone arrived back soon.
And that was when the earth-shattering explosions began.
-:-
Hiromi sat in Haru's bedroom, the two of them holding two different stuffed animals. At the moment, the blonde had Twinkles, the doctor cat, in her hands, kindly attempting to untangle his tail. Snowflake, the giant bear, was currently being used as a chair by Haru, who was speaking fervently to Sai, a bunny that was named after the indifferent ninja who Haru had likely seen only once. For some reason, it reminded Hiromi of the real Sai.
"Sai," Haru explained, "You need to eat youw veggies!"
Using a higher tone of voice, she responded to herself, "But I don't want to, Hawu!"
"If you don't, I-"
The little girl suddenly stopped, her expression taking a confused turn as she looked around the room as though something was gone amiss.
"What's wrong, Haru-chan?" Hiromi asked, carefully setting Twinkles aside.
Her question was answered by the tremendous quake of a nearby explosion. The room shook violently and the petite blonde's first action was to leap towards Haru and wrap her up in her arms, so that any damage done would be lessened. Another explosion resounded nearby and this one reverberated roughly through the apartment complex.
Something's going on out there, Hiromi thought hurriedly, I've got to act quickly and get Haru out of immediate danger.
"Hold on tightly, Haru-chan," The kunoichi spoke with a slight shake in her voice, looking about the crumbling surroundings, "And don't look."
The toddler grasped Hiromi's pastel green jacket with her tiny fists and shoved her face into her babysitter's chest, crying out in confusion. Placing one arm firmly on Haru's back, Hiromi kicked open the little girl's door only to discover that the rest of the apartment complex had fallen apart and the other half was quickly falling to the ground. She was in that other half.
Strengthening her grip of Haru, Hiromi focused her chakra on the bottom of her feet before hastily propelling herself out of the collapsing building, shooting herself and the toddler out of the frying pan and into the fire.
All around there was chaos, and Hiromi was thankful that Haru couldn't see. Konohagakure was being attacked, and there was not a single clue of what to do in the blonde's mind.
I need to find some other shinobi and join them, she said to herself, but I can't fight with Haru and I don't think there's a safe place I can take her to.
As she soared through the air, using the tops of other crumbling buildings nearby to propel herself, a large centipede, larger than any other summoned creature she had encountered made a shrieking noise and slammed into a restaurant.
"Daddy!" Haru wailed, her tears moistening the blonde's jacket, "Mommy! Hiwomi!"
"Don't look," the kunoichi responded unevenly, "Just keep your face covered."
Tightening her grip, she added resolutely, "I'll protect you with my life."
Hiromi landed cautiously on a semi-solid structure, taking a moment to push her chakra to her legs before leaping up, with a spiraling noise following her.
I need to find a safe place for Haru, she thought, but nowhere seems safe! What in the world is happening?!
Using another arrangement to propel her forward, the agile kunoichi was in midair when a chunk of debris from a nearby explosion slammed into her from the side. She let out a pained grunt and didn't have the strength to stop her from falling.
"Haru," she groaned, "hold onto me!"
Like a missile, Hiromi turned herself in midair and forced chakra to her legs, landing precariously on her two feet, stumbling and faltering. She fell to her knees finally, peering down at Haru, who seemed safe for the most part, shivering and crying loudly.
The ninja looked around cautiously. She knew that the village was under attack, but by whom? Quietly, she gazed down an alley; five or six unfamiliar shinobi passed by it in a panic.
Following after them at a calm pace was a tall man, as tall as Choji's father. His face was decorated with many objects, not unlike piercings, two on his nose, two on his cheeks, and many on his bottom lip. Strangely enough, his hair was a bright orange, tied back in a ponytail.
Hiromi stiffened in fear, immobilized by her terror. His jacket was black, decorated with dangerous red clouds. Only one word came to mind, which she whispered inaudibly to herself.
"Akatsuki."
The fifteen year old teen clutched the toddler in her arms even closer to her chest, pressing herself against the wall.
If we're seen by an Akatsuki member, we're dead.
Stealthily, Hiromi noiselessly peeked back down the alley. The orange-haired man had disappeared, so she released Haru and let the girl sit on her knees. The child's blue eyes were wide and frightened, while her nose was running from her constant tears. She looked confused and lost, noisily observing her surroundings.
"Daddy?" Haru called.
"Haru," Hiromi spoke calmly, though she knew she was shaking, "You need to stay quiet… There are bad people out there, okay? Do you understand?"
"Whewe's daddy?"
"Shhhh, quiet, it'll be okay. Your dad is really strong and he'll get rid of the bad guys."
For now, the tot was silent, her lips quivering as she seemed to grasp a tiny sliver of the situation. Finding a comfortable position for Haru, Hiromi was able to hold the girl in front of her, wrapping the two together with medical tape she had in her pouch.
It took everything in the teen's body not to panic. She felt like doing just what Haru was and crying out for her parents, but she knew she had a responsibility as a shinobi to be brave.
I need to get to the hospital, she reasoned with herself, Tsunade-sama or maybe Sakura will be there; they can take care of Haru and I'll go out and fight!
"Up we go," Hiromi stood, cautiously keeping a hand on her sensei's babe, "we're going to go to Sakura-san, okay?"
The silver-haired infant bobbed her head in a slight nod, and the elder kunoichi, with the long hair going down her back, sped down the alley, her azure eyes fluttering about with precision.
A gasp escaped her lips as she stepped out into the open, realizing that that was exactly what it was. Open space. Bodies were buried underneath rubble from smashed buildings and the injured were remaining maimed, without assistance.
Where are all of the shinobi? Are they all fighting the Akatsuki?
The fair-haired juvenile crept past bodies of people she had once passed along the lively roads of Konoha. She prayed she wouldn't see her parents amongst them.
Hiking in the frightening open paths, Hiromi breathed heavily out of anxiety, yet no matter how much effort she put into quieting herself, it was to no avail. She begged herself to be silent, but the thunderous puffs of air that escaped her lips continued to resound throughout the devastated, demolished wreckage that was once homes and shops.
Terrific desolation had incapacitated Konohagakure; its villagers were dead, and its shinobi were slowly being overwhelmed by the Akatsuki, but Hiromi treaded on. If she gave up hope, then there was little to no chance that Haru would survive. She couldn't let despair overcome her.
Explosions and blasts roared in the sky, and all around. This battle was inclined to the enemy's favor; they had definitely caught many of the shinobi off guard, including Hiromi, and they had cornered many of the helpless villagers, who knew nothing of battle, having been protected from close-up danger for so long.
Hiromi took a deep breath, resting against the side of a capsized building. She needed to change the nature of her mind, or else she would end up dooming both herself and Haru. She had to protect Hanako-sensei's legacy! She had to.
Sliding down the wall until she came into a sitting position, the blonde decided that now would be a good time for another break. She had really no idea of where they were in the village, due to the usual landmarks being covered or wiped away. The hospital was out of reach at the moment.
Haru wiggled her way out of Hiromi's grip, and waddled a few feet away.
"Stay close to me, Haru-chan," the kunoichi spoke, "The bad guys aren't gone yet."
Nodding in response, the child bent down let her small hands flounder in a muddy puddle, created by a busted pipe. She made a sound of surprise and picked something up before toddling back to her guardian.
"Wook!" She commanded, shoving the grubby item in Hiromi's hands.
The kunoichi raised a brow, "What in the world is this? Let's wash it off, yeah?"
The two hiked to the broken pipe, using its spewing water to rinse off the object. Upon further investigation, Hiromi recognized it as a cup, small and round and chipped. She asked Haru to return it to where she found it and wondered if a person her age had been drinking from it before the attack began.
"Hiwomi, whewe is my daddy?" Haru asked, taking her sitter's hand.
Before she responded, she decided to check for his chakra.
If I pinpoint his location, Haru will calm down.
The teen closed her eyes in concentration, searching and searching and searching, until her azure orbs flew open with shock and despair. She paused for two minutes, before searching for the man's chakra once again, but to no avail.
Kakashi Hatake was dead and his daughter was now an orphan.
-:-
She was following the crying, yes she was. She was going there, going there: going, going, going. Her eyes were filled with wrath and hatred, revenge and anger! Yes, yes, yes, senpai, she would kill the ones she couldn't kill before, starting with the youngest, and finishing with the eldest.
Evil, evil, evil, that's what she was. Why, why, why? Senpai, why? She would be his avenger, his lover, his friend, and his keeper. She was all of those things, was she not? Lies, lies, lies, lies. All of those fakers only told her lies, lies, lies!
Yes, she was going to kill them all, to please her leader, her master, her mother, her family. Hikari said they weren't family, but Yami spoke truth; Yami spoke nothing but the kind, sweet as honey truth. Hikari was a demon. Hikari was WRONG!
She loved her family, yes, yes, yes, she did. She loved them all very much. She would search and search and search for her leader, even though he didn't want her to come. She broke his rules because she loved him, she loved, loved, loved him so very much.
Crying, crying, crying. She was following the crying, crying, crying, crying. Tears, tears, tears. Closer, and closer and closer she was getting closer and closer.
Her teeth are shining, sharpened and bloody.
"I've found you, Hiromi."
~.~
You can break a man with hope.
Kate Morgenroth, Jude
~.~
*:*
Midori wa baka o hikii = green headed idiot
Midoriiro no atama = green head
*:*
A/N: Everyone, I apologize for being so lazy and occupied! D: I truly am! I just hope that this chapter had made up for my absence in some way, shape or form! :O
Feel free to tell me any thoughts, suggestions. Also, don't be shy to point out mistakes on my part! I'm not perfect, nor shall I ever be and I appreciate people's honesty and boldness.
Thanks to...
Reviewers
Guest - (Chapter 3) - ;) Just keep reading. Thanks for the review!
Seika23 (Guest) - Apologizes for the long wait. I am very lazy and I was stuck in a jam with my creativity :O But thankfully, I was able to complete this chapter :) I hope you like it. I will definitely be updating faster now that it's summer, or at least, I will be trying to.
Thank you very much :) They are a cute couple, no? I'll go ahead and tell you that the reveal of who her leader is is coming up soon, so be sure to keep reading. Hmmmm, since Kakashi is 'dead' does this mean he can also see his beloved one last time? ;)
Thanks! I figured that since she's Kakashi's kid, I've got to make sure that she's friendly! :D
I'm afraid that is a secret ;)
Once again, thank you very much v.v You have really honored me with your compliments. I hope I can continue to earn your praise. I hope you continue to enjoy my writing. Thank you!
Lady Syndra - Thank you!
Please forgive me!
Please forgive me!
Please forgive me!
Please forgive me!
Please forgive me!
Please forgive me!
Please forgive me!
Please forgive me!
Please forgive me!
Please forgive me!
Please forgive me!
My tardiness is most unwelcome, I'm sure v.v Apologies once more! :(
Hidden Depths of the Mind - Thank you very much for your compliments! I completely understand what you're trying to say :) Thank you once again.
Oh, I'm so glad! :D I don't mean I'm glad you were sad, but I was just glad my writing was able to move you in such a way c: I think you know what I mean XD
She's the psychological kind of scary :D Or at least, that is how I am trying to portray her. Thank you!
OSDGHKLSHDKJHSG I'M SO SORRY. ADSKHGAKJDFGHAHAHAHA '
Okay, so those pictures were apparently a myth because when I uploaded them, my account literally disappeared! I couldn't reuse my username so I remade an account on Photobucket called fujioka45, but then again, I don't think I quite remember the password... I'm so sorry for being inexperienced with technology! XD Anyways, when I get them up and they STAY up, I will post it in a chapter!
You don't need to wait, love :) The pictures that I may post are not going to be exactly how I portray her at all because they are someone else's work, so go on ahead and draw what you think; I will be happy to look at it if you allow me to do so if you post it somewhere :)
Thank you very much for your kindness v.v I hope you are looking forward to the next chapter!
ShadowBloodNinja - That's alright :) Any type of review is an honor in itself!
Ohhhhh :O I really do enjoy Ib c:
It's okay v.v it's good to laugh off things like that :D You should always have a positive outlook; just remember that with every story you are improving!
Hahahahaha SDKLhgakjdhg XD That's cute!
Apologies once again ._. I really suck at updating.
3 lagkldfgohhhh you are so luckyyy! The anime store near me relocated and now I can't spend my money on things I don't need but I desperately want!
Anyways XD Thank you very much for reviewing :) I hope this chapter has met your expectations and you enjoyed it! Thank you!
KiyomiDogYoukai - Thank you very much :) That's quite kind of you!
I think I'll do a poll of some sorts and then see who she'll end up with ; either way, I will make a bonus chapter afterwards and allow Kotone to have an 'alternate ending' for lack of a better term :)
Sorry for my tardiness :D I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thank you for reading and reviewing!
Followers
heartlessangel124 - Thank you very much! :)
Hidden Depths of the Mind - Thanks c:
MusicToMyHeart - v.v Thanks so much, bro.
OdisIduna - Bro? :O Do guys even read romance stories?
simonisdovakiin - I guess I can't be the judge of that considering I am a genderless being O_o
VanCloude - Ahaha, just kidding. I'm a dog.
Froggychad - Thank you for your contribution! :)
KiyomiDogYoukai - MIYAAAHEE MIYAHOO MIYAHAHA
sockmonkies4ever - Holy cow :O So many followers! Thank you all so very much!
ishtonayo - Hi! I'm tour guide Barbie!
ANIME-NICA - Hi! I'm swimsuit Barbie!
enviious - AGHHHHHHHHHH ALL OF YOU SHUT UP
Favoritings
ANIME-NICA - When you fall like a statue
.Pearl - I'm gon' be there to catch you
Hidden Depths of the Mind - put you on your feet,
MusicToMyHeart - you on your feet
Lady Syndra - And if your heart is empty
VanCloude - Not a thing will prevent me
OdisIduna - Tell me what you need,
Miyuusen - what do you need
simonisdovakiin - I surrender honestly
cnaadirah - You've always done the same for me
read'it'but'dont'believe'it - So I would do it for youuuuuuuuuuuu
Kaoru Uzumaki - for youuuuuuuuuuu
KiyomiDogYoukai - Baby I'm not moving on
sockmonkies4ever - I love you long after you're gone
ishtonayo - For youuuuuuuuu, for youuuuuuuu
Please look forward to Chapter 14!