I'm baaaaaaaack *o* that's how awesome I am! :p Sorry it took a while btw ;x just been a little lazy... I mean, occupied! *o*

Thaanks MitsukiCHANandNarutoKUN for the review *-* ~ I love Yamato's face ;x I find him hilarious. He-cannot-die D:

Anyway, I don't think I have anything specific to say today so let's just get on with the chapter update \o Enjoy! ^^

Chapter Twelve

Ami cautiously made her way towards Naruto. She could see the strange chakra emerging from his body and there was something about it that made her feel the need to approach him. Her Sharingan slowly transformed without her really wanting to. This was definitely a strange and new sensation for her. She flinched when she accidently stepped on a twig, making Naruto turn towards her abruptly. She could hear Kakashi's urgent whispers within the trees but she couldn't stop. Naruto needed to come back. She stared at him and he stared back. His eyes slowly grew wider and wider. It was as if he was in a trance and she was the one controlling his every move.

Some time earlier...

Ami resisted the urge to jump up to where the blond Akatsuki was and punch him until he was dead. She only resisted because of her Sensei's command. She knew Kakashi was worried Naruto would go his own way, so she promised herself she'd try her very best to obey the orders she was given. At least for now. It wasn't long before they actually engaged in combat. Although she wouldn't say it out loud, she was very glad to get into action. Naruto was the first to move, launching himself towards Deidara.
"I'm not letting you take Gaara!"

Deidara chuckled in response, as if to mock the three shinobi standing below him. He held his hand in the air and Ami spotted what seemed to be a mouth. Of course she couldn't believe her eyes. That was no place for a mouth. With a loud and annoying laugh, Deidara's hand spat out two balls of clay. The three dodged it easily, realising the clay was explosive.
"Quite a talent you've got, but I highly doubt you're a match for an Uchiha." Ami smirked.
Her brain was telling her that being arrogant with a rogue ninja wasn't the best of ideas, however, her mouth worked on its own.
"Cocky for a child." Deidara grinned.

Things began to happen quite fast from that moment. She'd heard a very loud noise coming from inside the cavern, where Sakura and Chiyo still were. She had no doubts that a battle had already started. She just hoped the noise meant Sakura had punched the strange man into pieces. Naruto seemed too distraught to even remember anything else existed at that moment. All he could focus on was killing Deidara and saving Gaara. Ami wanted to check on Sakura but there was no way she was about to leave Naruto's side. He'd insisted that both her and Kakashi go help Sakura and Chiyo, but that would be like handing him over. That wasn't going to happen.

Next thing she knew, she was running after Naruto, who was chasing after Deidara. She glanced back slightly and saw Kakashi right behind her. She guessed he'd come to the same conclusion as her: Sakura could handle herself and the old woman seemed to have some hidden skill. Her mind was brought into full focus mode when Deidara sent more explosive clay their way. He'd deliberately sent it towards Ami and Kakashi.
"He's trying to separate us." Kakashi stated.
"We won't let him." Ami growled.
Moving faster than usual, she managed to get side by side Naruto. He was quite surprised when he realised she was right next to him.
"I thought you were going to help Sakura." He said, angrily. Ami wasn't sure if he was angry with her for being there or with the situation as a whole. "I can handle this."
"I have no doubt about that... But the Akatsuki is after you right now and there's no way I'd let them get their hands on you."
He was slightly taken aback by her answer, but this was no time to discuss such a matter. Quite frankly, he was glad he wouldn't have to rescue Gaara on his own. He was slightly scared he wouldn't get to Gaara in time, but he couldn't think on that now. He had to focus. One of Deidara's clay bombs managed to get them both slightly off track for a few seconds but they managed to dodge. Another made its way towards Kakashi. All they could see was smoke.
"You think he's okay?" Ami whispered.
"Of course he is. Let's go." Naruto growled.

Kakashi managed to dodge a few more bombs before finally getting close to his two students. He knew what he had to do to stop Deidara. He just hoped he was ready for it. He also hoped Ami wouldn't be too upset for doing exactly what he told her not to. But at this point, he had no other choice. He'd practiced it a few times before, so he knew what he was capable of. Unfortunately it wasn't perfect.

Naruto began dashing ahead once again. He was growing impatient by the minute. Ami was about to start moving faster when she suddenly found herself being thrown sideways. Kakashi tried his very best to be gentle with the situation, but Ami clearly hadn't noticed the small clay bombs making their way towards them. Deidara was a smart man and was now succeeding in separating Naruto from them. The small bombs followed their every move, making it much harder to dodge.
"Think you can go fast enough?" Kakashi asked.
"This is me we're talking about, remember?" Ami smirked.
Calmly waiting ahead of them were hundreds of bug-form clay bombs. They had big hind legs which allowed them to jump with ease. The two shinobi focused their chakra on their feet and made their way through. They had to stop a few times and allow the bombs to go off before continuing. At one point, Kakashi jumped into the air and avoided another explosion.
"Naruto!" Ami called out. It was no use.

"I think I've got an idea. Follow my lead." Kakashi ordered.
Ami noticed that the clay bombs only began to move once Ami decided to follow her Sensei. She wasn't entirely sure what he had in mind but he signalled for her to keep close. Once she was close enough, Kakashi gave her another signal. She nodded and allowed her body to jump to the log below. In perfect synchronization, Ami and Kakashi formed hand seals and created their clones. The small bombs didn't notice the difference and continued to chase the two clones, eventually exploding them both.

Naruto flinched slightly when he heard a terrified scream followed by an explosion. His anger only grew but he couldn't lose focus. He had to save Gaara. And if what he thought had just happened, actually happened, then there would be nothing he could do at the moment. Deidara grinned as he heard the scream and came to a halt. He stared down at Naruto.
"Finally." He sighed. Naruto simply growled back at him. "Now, now... Be nice. I was just about to let you see your friend again."
Naruto growled even louder when Deidara revealed Gaara's body.
"Give him back!" Naruto shouted.
"Why don't you come and get him? Un!" Deidara taunted.
Naruto was about to comply when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Deidara immediately frowned, realising the copy-cat ninja was still alive. Naruto looked around and then turned to face Kakashi, a pleading look in his eyes.
"She's fine. She's waiting for my signal."

Ami perfectly masked her chakra and hid in the shadows down below. She could feel Naruto's anger roaming off him. She rubbed her now irritated eyes and sighed. They would act up whenever she got close enough to Naruto. She figured it could be triggered by other people's pain... Though she'd have to ask Kakashi about it later. She leaned against the log and began her silent meditation, not allowing her guard to go down. Kakashi had ordered her to make sure her chakra was as full force and wait for his signal. He'd also asked her not to ask questions about his choice of method. She wasn't entirely sure what he meant but agreed nonetheless.

She soon noticed they began to move once again and followed them in the shadows. Her eyes had finally calmed down and so had Naruto. It became quite obvious that there was some sort of connection. After a good ten minutes of following she heard Kakashi's voice from above.
"My preparation is complete."
She was absolutely certain that wasn't the signal but she realised a sudden change in his chakra. More specifically in his Sharingan. She knew that feeling all too well.
"Kakashi, you bastard." She mumbled.

Ami startled when she found herself on her butt and Naruto hovering above her. She'd obviously been too caught up in her thoughts to even realize he was coming down too.
"Kakashi's got some new trick up his sleeve and told me to stay with you for a while." He said, holding out his hand to help her back up.
"Yeah... I'll admit I'm curious to know what he can do." Ami sighed.
"You know... I thought I'd lost you back there." Naruto said quietly, avoiding eye contact completely.
"I guess I made it a little too convincing." Ami replied.
"I'm happy you're ok... Just be careful. That guy's dangerous and-"
"And he's after you. So you're the one that needs to be careful. Besides, Kakashi isn't the only one with cool eye tricks." Ami smirked.

Their conversation was cut short when Kakashi's jutsu was finally in action. He seemed to be opening another dimension and attempting to suck Deidara in. However, his progress was slow. It was quite obvious Kakashi had no clue how to properly use his new eye.
"I should be the one using it." Ami mumbled, making Naruto chuckle in response.
Kakashi gave them the signal to start moving up and they obeyed. They soon found themselves in a forest and made sure to keep Deidara in sight. Once Kakashi was safely leaning against a tree he nodded towards his two students. Naruto quickly leaped into the air with a Rasengan in hand. Deidara startled and jumped backwards, allowing Naruto to easily cut off where Deidara had kept Gaara.

x.x

Ami quickly made her way towards the blond who was falling from the sky. She saw him swiftly flip over and land graciously on a tree a little further from Kakashi and Naruto. She only allowed him to sense her presence when she was right above him.
"Come to play little girl?" He smirked.
"I guess you could say that."
She didn't give him time to think of a response. As soon as he'd looked up, she'd had him right where she wanted him. She was excited to use genjutsu and to actually take this man down.

Deidara found himself in a very dark place, chained to a metal pole. He tried to break free but with every struggle, the chains grew tighter.
"Where am I?" He shouted angrily.
"You're in my world." Ami smirked.
Deidara spotted a figure sitting lazily on a high back chair. As the figure came closer, he flinched. The only thing visible on her were her blood red eyes. Everything else was black.
"I'm sure you've heard about Uchiha Itachi and his eye jutsu's." Ami's voice appeared behind him this time. "I can be just as bad... Sometimes worse."
"I'll explode this little world of yours! Un!"
"You're funny." Ami chuckled evilly. "I wonder how well you work with lightning."

Deidara watched as the figure slowly walked around him and stopped once they were face to face. Her blood red eyes narrowed and his body tensed, waiting for whatever she was going to put him through. He wasn't entirely sure why he was suddenly so terrified but he knew he wouldn't be able to hide it. It was something about those eyes of hers.

"Demonic Illusion: Lightning Goddess."

Her voice was barely a whisper but still audible. As soon as the last word had escaped her obscured lips, Deidara felt a very strong pain rushing through his entire body. It was as if his insides were suddenly burning. He groaned, growled and screamed in pain. Ami took her time with him, testing out different angles and strengths. She soon decided her favourite was aiming directly on the chest while allowing a few others to shock his body. This torture continued on for four very long days. She didn't allow him a short break to even catch a breath.

She would've continued on but something on the outside world caught her attention.
"Naruto." She whispered.
She looked towards Deidara and saw his was whimpering. With a smirk, she dropped her genjutsu and ran to where she could sense Naruto.

x.x

Naruto had almost knocked Kakashi dead with his Kyuubi enhanced punch. Luckily for them, Kakashi was a very fast shinobi. He sensed Ami coming closer and signalled for her to stand back. He had to quickly use the seal Jiraiya had handed him before it was too late. Ami ignored Kakashi's signal altogether. She wasn't sure what made her do it, but she cautiously made her way towards Naruto. Her Sharingan slowly transformed without her really wanting it to. She noticed her eyes weren't as irritated as they had been before. In fact, it felt quite empowering. This was definitely a strange and new sensation for her. She saw the Kyuubi's chakra grow a second tail and she started to move a little faster than before. She flinched when she accidently stepped on a twig, making Naruto turn towards her abruptly. She could hear Kakashi's urgent whispers within the trees but she couldn't stop. Naruto needed to come back. She stared at him and he stared back. His eyes slowly grew wider and wider. It was as if he was in a trance and she was the one controlling his every move.
"Naruto... I know you're in there somewhere. You have to come back okay? Don't let it control you. You're stronger than this." She said calmly. He simply growled.
She held a hand out when he attempted to make a move towards her. It was as if he were a soldier obeying her every command. His eyes would widen whenever they made contact with her flaring Mangekyou Sharingan.

Kakashi swiftly appeared behind Naruto and placed the seal on his forehead. The Kyuubi's chakra quickly faded, slowly followed by Ami's Mangekyou. She and Kakashi carefully placed Naruto on the ground. She lazily leaned against the tree behind her and closed her eyes, slowly drifting to sleep, too weak to acknowledge the voice calling her name.

x.x

"You're much stronger than I expected you to be, but there's still work to be done. I told you to cling on to life. Recklessly using your chakra isn't doing so. Feed those feelings of yours and be prepared. The time for us to meet is getting closer each day. Sasuke is almost ready. Are you?"

Ami felt as though she was floating on air. She would've actually believed the theory if she hadn't felt strong arms carrying her. Was she really exhausted to a point where she needed to be carried? She slowly opened her eyes and almost jumped when she saw pearly whites staring down at her.
"Finally. I was getting tired of carrying you. Even the lightest of people can be heavy you know." Neji mumbled. Ami frowned and wriggled in his arms. He sighed and carefully placed her on her feet.
"I can walk. See?" She muttered, adjusting her clothes. "Fill me in, Hyuuga."
"We showed up just as you fainted. That Deidara guy tried to get us but he seemed pretty worn out. You sure did a number on him." Neji smirked as he saw an evil grin crawl on the young Uchiha's face. "He literally exploded himself but Kakashi used his eye technique to save us. He's pretty worn out but Gai sensei is taking good care of him. Chiyo saved Gaara... But unfortunately she didn't make it."
"What?" Ami asked, dumbfounded. "What do you mean? How did she do it?"
"It's a forbidden jutsu and few people know how to do it. She exchanged her life for his. He's still pretty shaken by the whole thing. I guess he didn't expect anyone to care so much." Neji shrugged. "We're heading back to Suna with them, but Sakura mentioned something about not being able to stay for too long."
Ami nodded and looked towards Gaara. He was walking with Kankuro and Naruto on each side, giving him support.

The entire village was waiting for Gaara's arrival. They had started cheering as soon as the red haired teen had been spotted. Gaara's expression was priceless. They all became silent when Gaara told them to let Chiyo's body enter the village first. Ami frowned slightly. She regretted not having a proper conversation with the woman. She'd definitely proved to be a magnificent person with her final action.
"Rest in peace, Chiyo."

x.x

"You're leaving already? You can stay a little longer, you know? We won't mind." Kankuro grinned.

Every villager had been more than grateful to the Konoha shinobi who brought back their Kazekage. Gaara secretly admitted to Naruto that he felt surprised that his village cared so much about him. Naruto had assured him that he'd be around whenever he was needed and that the village respected Gaara because he risked his life to protect them. Kankuro and Temari were more than relieved to have their little brother alive, even though it came at a certain price. Chiyo had received a proper burial upon arriving in the village. But now Teams Kakashi and Gai had to head back. Sakura had valuable information she needed to deliver.
"Kankuro's right... At least a day or two. You all should take time and rest." Temari said worriedly.
"We'd love to but it's important we head back." Sakura stated. Temari knew she meant urgent business.
"Still... Kakashi, your condition..." Baki said, also in a worried tone.
"Don't worry, I've got comrades I can count on." He grinned behind his mask and allowed his weight to rest on Gai.
"Try not to get into so much trouble anytime soon, okay?" Ami smiled, staring directly at Gaara.
"The same goes for you." He nodded.
"We're all set to leave!" Tenten called out, as she entered the room.

Ami waited for Gaara to close his office door before she started walking again. She simply wanted to make sure he was okay enough to walk on his own two feet.
"I hope you understand what I meant about not getting yourself into any trouble." He said, his voice emotionless like always.
"No fighting rogue ninja without decent back up?" She looked up at him innocently. He rolled his pale green eyes.
"I know you're still searching for them. I know you and Sasuke still want to avenge your clan. Just promise yourself you'll think it all through so you don't end up doing something you'll regret." He suddenly stopped in front of her and made sure his dominating aura surrounded them. "You're not an avenger, Ami. You're a brilliant shinobi with a big heart. You're kind, generous and caring. If you kill your own blood, you become just like him. I don't want you to lose all that beautiful love you have in your heart."
Gaara half smiled at Ami's shocked and priceless reaction before he continued walking out of his tower. She knew Gaara wasn't one to joke around but she'd definitely never heard him say anything like this before. Her priceless expression still hadn't faded once she finally met up with the others. Sakura stared at her curiously.
"You look funny." She whispered.
"Still in shock I guess." Ami said, walking off.
"Gaara's been looking at her." Tenten whispered, approaching Sakura.
"You think he-" Tenten grinned and nodded vigorously before Sakura could even finished her question.

x.x

Gai had decided it would be a great idea if they raced back to Konoha. Naturally, Lee agreed instantly and began preparing himself. Gai soon became aware that the idea didn't have the same effect on the others and decided not to insist much. Gai carried Kakashi on his back the entire way, making Kakashi scowl. He tried to walk every now and then but had no luck. Tenten and Sakura couldn't stop giggling and whispering, especially when Ami was close to them. Ami began wondering if there was something wrong with her hair or clothes. She eventually gave up on trying to understand the two girls and figured it had something to do with their age. They were all at least a year older than her, after all.

Eventually they reached the gates of Konoha and Ami was very grateful to be home again. Both Ami and Naruto had reluctantly been dragged to the Hospital under Kakashi's orders. Once Kakashi was treated and resting, Tsunade proceeded to examine the two students. As always, Naruto had healed up whatever injuries he had by himself.
"Ami, I thought Kakashi talked to you about your eyes already." Tsunade frowned, after examining both her dark orbs.
"He might've mentioned something." Ami sheepishly grinned. Naruto raised an eyebrow.
"Ami, I know the power of your eyes intrigue you, but you must suppress the urge of using them. If you don't, you'll end up blind." Tsunade didn't mean to sound so cruel but she had to make sure she was clear. She handed Ami a large bottle of eye drops before gathering her things together. "Four drops, once a day. If your eyes are irritated you can always use two more drops or so. Use it until it's empty."

x.x

Ami threw her hands in the air and cheered gleefully. She'd managed to clean both her's and Naruto's apartment in under one hour. Of course, Naruto had offered to help so things would move faster, but he wasn't much of a perfectionist like she was.
"Have you always had this cleaning habit?" Naruto asked, resting his head on the back of his sofa.
"I guess... I remember my mother cleaning whenever she was upset." Ami half smiled at the memory.
"Are you upset?" Naruto asked curiously.
"No..." She shrugged.
"Are you happy?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No..." She frowned. She noticed Naruto looked slightly offended by her answer and she sighed. "But I'm not upset, so it's okay!"
"I wish you could be happy." He said quietly. Naruto picked his body up and grabbed his orange jacket. "I'll go get us something to eat while you put things away."

Sheesh, Tenten and Sakura jumping to conclusions... Whatever should I do with them? Oh those NaruAmi moments are just so adorable *-* Can't wait to write more and more and more and more...

As always, I'll have the next chapter done asap! ^^

xoxo!