PNK: Here's my shout-out to BlueKat. You are my first (and only) reviewer! But I shall not be discouraged! This chapter is dedicated to you. Hope you like it.

Chapter 1
Nightmares and Dreamscapes

---- ---- ---- ---- ----

---- The hill looked the same as it always had: covered in grass and speckled with the occasional weed. She sat on the same rock she had frequented as a child with her legs crossed Indian-style beneath her, and stared up at the same blue sky.

"I thought I'd find you here." The voice of a young boy cut into her thoughts. She turned to face her childhood friend, and as she did so her view shifted so she was watching things transpire from above as her younger self greeted the boy.

"Tal, you scared me," her younger self spoke in the squeaky voice of her youth. "I told you not to sneak up on me like that," she scolded.

"Sorry, Aki, but obasan (1) was worried about you."

The boy was closer now, barely an arm's reach away.

His voice sobered. "I wanted to say that I'm sorry about...you know..."

Her younger self smiled sadly and turned away. "It's okay," she whispered softly.

Though it was apparent things were not okay in the slightest, a view aided by the pain in her words, the boy respected her silence. He sat down beside her, wrapped a skinny arm around her shoulder, and spoke only two words, "I'm here."

They sat like that for a long time, until the sun sank into the earth and the moon and stars filled the sky. Eventually they fell sleep, laid out on the rock as the stars twinkled above, holding onto one another for comfort and warmth.

"Here, birdie, birdie, birdie..."

She jerked awake, her normal age again, as lightning streaked across the sky. She was still sitting on the rock overlooking the hill, but the boy was gone. Rain beat down on her, swept almost horizontal by the force of the wind. Above her the sky had melted into sheer blackness; a mass void hovering over an unsuspecting world.

A pair of pellucid red eyes appeared over the stormy backdrop.

"Here, birdie, birdie, birdie..."

The words seemed to come from everywhere at once. She sat, petrified, her gaze locked on the sight before her.

"So," the voice spoke icily, "we meet again, Akiosu. You haven't changed much, I see."

Summoning every ounce of courage she could muster, she called back to him, "I'm nothing like the person I was before!"

The voice laughed mockingly. "Do you really believe you're fooling me? You can change your looks, your techniques, your location, but you will always be the same weak little girl from back then."

A cold burst of wind swept over her and she shivered, feverishly rubbing her frozen arms.

"You will always be that girl, and nothing you can do will change that."

The wind increased in intensity until it formed into a tornado circling around her, its winds numbingly cold and bitter.

A particularly strong gust ripped her right sleeve off rather suddenly, revealing a strange tattoo on her upper forearm. The tattoo could best be described as a fancily drawn Z with an intricately decorated circle framing each arc.

"Remember who you belong to. I am your Shukun (2) now, never forget that. I shall release you, but do not forget your promise. To insure you do not stray from your commitments, I'm going to leave you with a little reminder." The eyes snapped to meet her gaze and she felt a shiver run up her spine. "Enjoy."

Red lightning shot across the sky, straight down into her tattoo. Fiery hot pain laced through her body and she collapsed to her knees. She knew she was screaming, but the pain was so intense it drowned out every other noise.

"Aki..."

She writhed as the pain completely overwhelmed her senses.

"Aki."

She grabbed her forearm, squeezing so tight her entire arm went numb.

"Aki, snap out of it!"

Something solid connected with her cheek and her eyes snapped open. A sense of displacement fell upon her and she looked around, frantically searching for those nightmarish eyes.

"Aki, calm down," Kakashi spoke gently, placing a hand comfortingly on her shoulder. "It's over now, Aki. It's all over."

The words calmed her and she was able to sit up, albeit a bit shakily. Her breathing was erratic and her entire body was covered in a thin layer of sweat, but she was alive and that was all that mattered.

"You're gonna be okay." Kakashi's face swam into her vision and she almost laughed at the sight of him. He had rushed into her room so quickly he hadn't had time to pull on his headband or his mask or brush his hair. It stuck up worse than usual, tousled from a rough night's sleep. "Just relax and take a few deep breaths."

Aki tried to relax, but no amount of deep breathing was going to stop the bile rising up her throat. She jumped to her feet and rushed into the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet before she retched.

Kakashi appeared behind her as she vomited for the second time. He knelt beside her and rubbed circles on her back, brushing a few stray strands of hair out of her face when she leaned over the bowl a third time.

Finally, after about ten minutes, she stopped heaving and was able to lean back and rest. She had only thrown-up four times; the rest of the time had been spent dry heaving as her stomach continued to convulse even though there was nothing to dispose of.

She fell back weakly, leaning against Kakashi who stroked her hair gently as she caught her breath. Once her breathing leveled out and she could stand without assistance, Kakashi found himself being forced out of the bathroom so she could take a shower.

Kakashi closed the bathroom door but remained where he was. He could make out her faint sobs and he imagined her standing over the sink, head down, as tears streamed down her face. Lord knows what she saw during those dreams. She refused to tell him, but Kakashi understood the pain they brought to her. Finding there was nothing more for him to do, he exited her room and walked down the hall into his own room. Once inside he slipped on his mask and pulled his headband over his left eye. After attempting to comb through his gravity-defying hair, he headed for the stairs, pausing momentarily to listen on Aki's bedroom door. He could hear the shower running and, deciding she was okay for the moment, ambled down the stairs into the kitchen.

----

---- Aki stepped gingerly out of the bathtub, the water still dripping from the old showerhead. She dried off quickly and wrapped the towel around her body before she entered her bedroom. Opening her closet, she picked out her clothes for the day. She picked out a light blue top and matching skirt. The top was sleeveless with an inch-high collar that parted in the middle exposing her neck. A stretch of thin black fabric started at the part in the collar and ran down the top, curving to the side towards the bottom until it faded off on the side. (PNK: Imagine Sakura's shirt from when Naruto returns from his three year training, except without her clan symbol and the fabric is blue and black and not red and white.) The skirt, which was the same shade of blue as the top, was slit on the sides. The slit was large and ran all the way up to the upper hem. The two sides were connected by two inch-thick strips of matching fabric, one near the top and the closer to the bottom. It was also slit in the front and back so as not to restrict movement. (PNK: The skirt is also like Sakura's, though the sides are attached with fabric and not buckles.) The skirt was adorned in the bottom front corner with a single black feather resting upon water, as proved by the small ripple and faint reflection beneath it. Underneath the skirt she wore a pair of skin-tight black shorts cut off just above the knee. She encased her hands in a pair of fingerless black gloves and adorned her feet in a pair of black ninja sandals.

Aki brushed out her snow-coloured hair and tied it with a black ribbon at the nape of her neck. Just below her shoulder blades she tied another ribbon, using this one as a placement so she could begin braiding. She braided her hair down to slightly below her waist and tied another ribbon to hold it in place. Shaking her bangs out of her face, she strapped on her kunai and shuriken pouches. She tied her forehead protector around her waist and deemed herself ready to go.

Only when she stopped to check herself over in the bathroom mirror did she notice the blood beginning to seep through the bandages wrapped around her forearm. With a sigh she grabbed a new roll of white bandage, made sure her gear was secure, and then headed downstairs.

----

---- Kakashi's gaze wandered up to Aki as she silently descended the stairs. She held a roll of tape bandage in her right hand and was unwinding the bloody bandage on her forearm with her left hand. She deposited the used bandages in the trash can as she passed by it, pausing to pick up and dampen a cloth rag which had been hanging over the faucet, before taking a seat across from Kakashi at the small round table in the kitchen. She reached up with the rag to clean her arm, but Kakashi snatched it out of her hand. He bent over to inspect the peculiar tattoo. The entire outline was seeping blood at a steady rate. He held the cloth over it, putting as much pressure as he dared onto it. With his other and, Kakashi brushed a few stray hairs out of Aki's face and lifted her head up by the chin. He turned her head from side to side, staring into her gray eyes. He could see the thin red ring around her pupils all too clearly. Sighing, he dropped his hand.

"You're not going today." He spoke firmly, though he kept his gaze down as he rewrapped her forearm.

"What are you talking about? I'm supposed to meet you team, remember?" Aki asked, confused.

"I know," Kakashi said, still not making eye contact, "but I think you should stay home. Relax; eat something; read a book. Just take it easy for a while."

Aki stared at him disbelievingly. "You can't do that, Kakashi. I don't want to relax—I don't need to relax. I need to train. I have to get stronger, you know that."

"You're killing yourself, Aki. You can't keep going on like this." Kakashi ran a hand through his silver hair and sighed. "Alright, you can come, but only if you eat first. Understand?"
Aki grinned happily. "Sure thing, Kakashi-sensei." She hugged Kakashi briefly then wandered over to the fridge and pulled out an apple. There was a loud crunch as she bit into it.

"Oh, and Aki," Kakashi spoke, drawing her attention. "Don't forget..." He motioned to her forearm.

Aki nodded and performed a one-handed jutsu. The bandages disappeared along with the tattoo. "Arigatou (3), Kakashi," she mumbled through a partially chewed bite of apple. Sitting the half-eaten fruit on the counter, Aki turned to Kakashi. "I have to go meet Aito-sensei. I'll be there in about an hour." She flashed the copy ninja a strained smile as she headed for the door.

"You have an appointment at three," Kakashi called after her. "Don't be late and don't skip it, or you can count your days as a ninja as numbered."

"My days are already numbered," Aki muttered grimly as she closed the door behind her.

---- ---- ----

(1) obasan translates to 'aunt'
(2) Shukun translates to 'Master'
(3) Arigatou translates to 'Thank you'

---- ---- ---- ---- ----

//5.01.07//
PNKiyes

Edited 6.01.07