Crystal Inferno: Well, I may not have reviews…yet! But I have hits (and another story to keep me happy!) I would like at least 5 reviews by the next chapter, or there may not be one…But I have two so far! Thank you GreatMarta and Harakiri-Penguin for reviewing! I heart you guys! And thanks GreatMarta for telling about the ryou; I'll certainly put that in my later chapters!

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Inari smiled to himself as he opened the door for Adaha. She was very pretty, a diamond in the ruff. She had silver eyes and long, wavy, brown hair. It went down a little below her forearm. It was amazing how shiny it seemed, perhaps from all the natural oils…her face and the rest of her body was dirty, and her clothes were tattered and worn out. They were overlarge, and he could almost see the petite, curvy figure that could be portrayed.

No, don't think that. Naruto may be that way, but I'm certainly not a pervert…Inari thought, shaking his vision aside. Although, the necklace he had bought did seem it could promise something more…but than again, he did that for all the street rats he found. He gave them stay and a gift. Once they could manage on their own two feet, they walked out of his life. Some came back, to give back in return and to visit. She would be the same, and he had to keep such emotions aside. He was a shinobi after all; he would await love later on.

"Inari! You're home!" a voice from inside exclaimed, and a figure came from the side and hugged him. His mother, Tsunami was extremely joyful as he had not been home for two months. "Inari, how did the mission go? Did the lord get there okay? Was it-" she was cut short as she stared at Inari's companion.

"Oh…" her voice trailed off, "Who's this? Another soul you found wandering the streets?"

"Yes, her name is Adaha. She'll be staying for a while. Until you know…she gets her life together." Inari answered.

"Oh, hello Adaha," his mother waved at the girl, "My name is Tsunami. I'm pleased to meet you. There are others here; I hope you make friends with them."

Adaha smiled at the woman, "Thank you, Tsunami. It is pleasure. I hope to be of service to you."

"Hmm?" Tsunami questioned, "Of service?"

"Yes, if you don't mind, Inari told me that one leaves when they are on their own two feet. But, I was hoping, to become a maid at this house. It is free board, and as long as I help, I see no point in me returning to the outside." Both Inari and his mother were surprised with her logic. Why…did she not want to return to the outside world? They were both confused but Tsunami was the first to respond, "Very well, as long as you work, you may stay as long as you like."

Adaha's eyes lit up, but Inari couldn't help but wonder. Why didn't she want to leave? Was she afraid of the consequences that lay in the outside world? Or…was there more to it than just the stereotypical reason.

Inari looked over to Adaha and spoke, "We should find you a room. Mom, what room is available?"

"Well, I believe the last one in the right hallway, the one right next to yours."

"Okay," and with one word, he took Adaha's hand and led her to the room. As he opened the door, he saw a mild blush on her cheeks. He smiled inwardly to himself. Rude, but innocent.

"Well, this will be yours for awhile," Inari, said brightly, and he examined the room along with her. It was a dark blue, and the window was on the opposite side, and she received a beautiful view of the ocean. Her curtains were of a light blue, and the room came with all the essentials: a queen-sized bed, a wooden dresser, a small closet, and a nightstand. Not much, but much better than sleep on the cold, dirty, ground of the streets.

"So, is it to your liking?" Inari asked, already knowing the answer.

"It's absolutely amazing!" she exclaimed, her eyes shining. Right on the button, Inari thought, remembering all those who had come before her. She was too innocent to say anything else.

"Now, let's meet the others," Inari said, but than he noticed her dirty face, shredded face…she needed to be cleaned first. "Uh…but you can take a shower first, if you want."

"That sounds very good…" she said, still in awe of the room, that was now in her possession. "May I ask where it is?"

"To your left, next hallway," he responded, "Towels will be in there and there are clothes in these drawers to your liking. At least, I hope." She giggled at his lighthearted statement and rushed out of the room, excited about her bath.

Inari watched her go, a grin landing on his face. He had to admit; her sudden actions and shift in moods only enhanced this attraction he had towards her.

He exited the room, and entered the room right next to it. His room.

He looked around the room that had been abandoned for four months. The walls were a sky blue with small clouds scattered throughout the walls. He noticed his mirror and looked at his reflection. Yep, there was Inari, short black hair, and black eyes. His headband around his neck for the time being, but he usually had it on his forehead. He wore a long, white sleeve shirt with a clear, long sleeve mesh top over it. He looked around his deserted room once more. The furniture was very childish, but he kept his room this way for two specific men. For his grandfather, was one.

He remembered when he received the information that his grandfather, Tazuna was ill. He couldn't abandon his mission, however, and it took over a month to finish it. When he came home, his grandfather was in bed, his strong figure brought down by not a sword or dagger, but a mere illness. Inari remembered his shinobi self, breaking down at the sight of his grandfather dying. He kept crying and sobbing as Tazuna tried to calm him down. Tazuna couldn't have been any happier, seeing his grandson before he died.

"Inari…be strong…I'm proud of what you have become. Keep following your dreams, and maybe one day, you will love and respect another just as Naruto did with you. I would have loved to see your wife. Never change and love and live, Inari…love and live…" and with those words, Tazuna closed his eyes and his breathing stopped. He had perished. For a week, Inari rejected every mission that was laid at him. He did not want to be with anyone. He was once again, was swallowed in grief. Yet, he remembered his grandfather's words and they gave him a certain level of confidence. That was when he decided to change the lives of those who were swallowed up by darkness, and guide them to a brighter light.

As Inari reminisced of the death of Tazuna, he remembered the man who had begun his depression, but showed him what true courage and protection was. His name was Kaiza, and he had been his father. For these two men, he would never change, at least the exterior of his life. Internally however, he was changing. He was becoming lonelier, as his missions were keeping him away from home, and as he had no teammates, he felt even more homesick and depressed. His emotions did not affect him during the missions, as his kill was more important than his own feelings. But as soon as the deed was done, he could not forget about the emotions that had been dwelling in his heart.

I am lonely…and it's only a matter of time until I'm sent on a mission. He thought rather dully, knowing that it was true. He was one of the best ninja the Wave country had to offer. Although only a chunnin, he had done several A-class missions, since they only acquired one ninja and many felt shaky if not another with them to reassure their safety (or their body, if the died.)

"Hey, you're back, big brother Inari!" a high-pitched voice exclaimed and Inari felt the weight of another on his back. He stumbled onto his bed and turned. He saw a small child, nine at the most (he never did get her exact age…) with short black hair that covered her face with elusive brown eyes. He had found this one in a village on one of his missions. She was the daughter of a wealthy merchant, but he and the rest of her family had perished from none other than the Demon Brothers. He had saved the child from death, and had managed to cut the arm off one. He survived the attack of course, with a diagonal scar on his abdomens as a memory of his near death experience.

"Hey yourself, Nokosu," Inari chuckled, hugging the little girl. He had missed her, and he knew she would be here forever, as his mother had rightfully adopted her. The child was his sister, and he had always wanted a sibling.

"So, who left while I was away?" Inari asked his sibling.

"Mikiri!" the girl pouted angrily, "She was the only girl besides Mommy here! It was just Nokosu, Rosuto, and Haiki the last two weeks! It wasn't very fun! Rosuto and Haiki are always working and they have no time to play with Nokosu! Brother Inari here, so Nokosu will have fun!"

Inari sighed. He was hoping she had come over the 'third person' stage, but it was not so. Mikiri was a young woman Inari had saved from suicide. She had been raped and abandoned from her lover and she was three months with child when she had attempted to fall off a bridge. After discussing her that the child inside, no matter how it was concocted, needed to find life as well, she had accepted and had been making money as a waitress when he made his way off to a new mission. He thought she would still be here, but she was too stubborn to accept help for to long…

"Well, I found you a friend to play with you, don't worry," Inari said calmly to his overzealous sister. "And…the person's a girl!"

"A girl!" Nokosu laughed, "Nokosu and her can play dress up! Nokosu is happy! Yeah! Where is Nokosu's new friend?"

"Taking a shower," Inari replied, "Hmm…where are the others?"

"Right here. What's all the racket?" a voice asked from the other side of the doorway. Inari looked up and noticed the speaker was Rosuto and behind him was Haiki. He had found Rosuto wandering the woods one-day. He was an arrogant, incomplete, but lost boy. He had no idea what he wanted in life and what type of life he wanted to lead. He was sixteen years old, that same as Inari. He had short, spiky, brown hair and some bangs covered his forehead. He had exuberant violet eyes, and he had a tall, dark complexioned frame. Haiki was quite the opposite of Rosuto. Being eleven, he was quiet and shy, with shoulder-length strawberry blonde hair. His eyes were a sky blue and his complexion was pale. He had found him in a town that was burning to the ground. He had been stunned, and was paralyzed, seeing his family and house, burning to ashes. He had been mute ever since.

"Oh, hi Rosuto, Haiki," he bowed his head in recognition to the two. "I was just about to tell you, we have a new boarder. She will be staying for quite some time."

"Oh, it's a she…" Rosuto said thoughtfully. Inari gave a scowl. Rosuto was cocky, but he was able to back his talk up, as he was quite the ladies' man. He had been trying to serenade Mikiri after all, before he found out she was twenty-one and with child.

"Yeah, her name is Adaha and she'll be serving as a maid here. That is how she wishes to live at the moment." Inari responded back to Rosuto, "C'mon, I smell dinner. Let's eat."

"Yeah! It's going to beef curd because big brother Inari's back! Nokosu knows it!" Nokosu yelled and ran off to the kitchen. The other three boys followed behind, awaiting dinner with patient but hungry stomachs.

Indeed, dinner was beef curd. Inari and the other three all dug in hungrily, while Tsunami watched them with a smile, slowly enjoying her meal. They all were just about to ask for seconds when a voice was heard from a behind.

"I thought you were suppose to wait for everyone at the table before you got seconds?" a knowing voice caused all five of them to look in the direction. Inari couldn't help but blush.

There stood Adaha, clean and gorgeous. Her skin was golden, from being out in the sun all the time, and her hair was tied into a braid delicately to her mid-back. She wore a yellow kimono that was loosely tied and match perfectly with the necklace that Inari had bought her. Her silver eyes shone even more brightly than before, and all in all, she just seemed to glow.

"Well, Adaha, let me get your dinner for you," Tsunami said while the others just stared. Adaha took this chance to take a seat next to Rosuto, the only one available. He growled inwardly as he noticed Rosuto's hungry stare, looking her up and down feverishly.

When dinner was finished, Inari announced, "If anyone is looking for me, I'll be out in the forest training. But, I suggest you don't." He added the last statement to secure their safety. They all looked at him as he quietly left.

Adaha gave a questioning look to the others and Rosuto responded, "When he's here, he trains every night. He tells us one-day, he'll become stronger than that of his idol, Naruto, but that's almost an impossible dream, since he's the Kage of his village and all."

Adaha continued eating, as the others exited, finished with their meals. She was worried for him, although he was a ninja…she still hadn't properly thanked him for…anything he had done for her.

I need to thank him…he's changed my life in half a day. I have to…she thought determined. With that, she quickly ate the scraps of her dinner, told Tsunami she would be taking a short walk, and instead, ran off to the forest.

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Crystal inferno: Yeah, I'm done with this chapter! Um…I'm going to ensure there is a plot to this story! It will involve some of the rookie nine (including Naruto!) and Sand and Lee's team. The plot starts next chapter! And drop a review if you liked it!