A/N: I don't believe it! Another update! These chapters just seem to flow out of my head, ne? Maybe this is a reflex ground into my system so I don't disappoint my readers a few months later when the second semester goes into full swing (projects and papers left and right; exams, etc.)...

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Once more, Hikari doesn't own Naruto and it's characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto-sensei (who, strangely, shares Hikari's birthday) and Shogakukan. She does own the OCs, however...

Chapter 11: Kan-aku na Yume

"So, Kakashi-san, what did you want to talk to me about?" Kai asked, his voice its usual monotone. He had changed into a more comfortable black tank - similar to the one he wore when he'd first met Takao - that hugged his figure and showed off the lean musculature of his frame.

He must have had some workout when he was younger... Kakashi thought, smiling inwardly. He stood up from examining the pond in Yuriko's back garden and turned to face the slate-haired teen.

"Well, Kai, Sakura noticed something...strange back up in the training grounds. I noticed it, too, so I'm going to describe it as best as I can..."

"And that would be...?" Kai was trying to be patient. He saw now how infuriating it was when someone spoke in riddles - something he did a lot with his blading team.

"You said yourself that Sasuke had injured you; according to you, the kunai had pierced your back, dangerously close to your lungs and aorta, I might add..." Kai nodded slowly to show he understood, and the silver-haired Jounin went on.

"Now, Sakura hasn't had a chance to heal you - one of her abilities due to her perfect chakra control. Given the location of injury, you should be passing out from loss of blood by now. So, why haven't you lost consciousness?"

Kai shrugged. How should he know? He wasn't a biology major; he wasn't even old enough to apply to universities! Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was about to learn something...shocking, to say the least, about himself. Maybe it would explain the strange sensation he had during his match with Sasuke.

Kakashi came closer, clapping a hand on Kai's shoulder and moving back into a semi-crouch, gently forcing the crimson-eyed teen to crouch as well.

"To put it simply, Kai, you healed yourself, something that requires precise chakra control. Healing a slight, non-fatal cut - just a cut! - would have been fine, but what you healed was a puncture wound, and could have involved the replacement of some lung tissue and blood vessel wall, in the worst-case scenario. Nevertheless, you were able to accomplish such a feat with no training in medical techniques -"

"Kakashi-san, why would you want to tell me this?" Kai interrupted, as politely as he could. He wanted to add his signature remark - "I couldn't care less," - but thought better of it. This was, after all, an elite ninja he was talking to. The 'system' had been explained to him and his friends quite recently, so it wasn't easy to forget.

The jounin smiled beneath his mask. "I just thought you'd like to know. I remember one among your group mentioned that the four of you owned beasts of some sort. Beasts that you could control. I think the four of you owning such creatures was not coincidental. Yours is a phoenix, I heard; this fact alone could have something to do with that healing stunt you just pulled.

"Kai, if, indeed it was the phoenix you control that has granted you healing abilities, I'd like for you to help your teammates find what it is their beasts have granted them. According to Sasuke, Konoha could have great need of your help very soon."

Kai just sat there, pondering what Kakashi had just told him. What if Kakashi's right? he thought, fumbling in his pants pocket and withdrawing his blade. He gazed at the picture of the majestic phoenix gleaming in the center. What if Suzaku... he glanced up, searching for the masked ninja; he was nowhere to be seen, and Kai realized that the silver-haired man had left already, probably gone back into the main house; he'd been alone in the back garden for quite a while now.

Stupid! he yelled in his mind, kicking himself mentally for forgetting to mention the strange sensation he'd felt earlier. It had something to do with his eyes, he knew; he just couldn't put his finger on it.

Was his beloved bit beast behind this, too?

"So, Kai, what did Kakashi-sensei want to talk to you about?" Hiromi asked, glancing up as the slate-haired teen came through the the shoji. "He's left already, in case you want to know," the auburn-haired teen added. Kai merely nodded, turning to go to his room. Hiromi shrugged let him go, despite his not having answered her question; he was like that sometimes, and it was usually better to leave him be. She turned to the rest of her friends.

"How'd the training go?"

"Not too bad," Max replied, taking a big gulp of water. "We learned something new, at least. And Takao was cooperative, for once."

"Hey!" the stormy-eyed teen protested, around a huge bite of grilled steak. At the table, only the dragon-wielder was still eating; the others - except for Kai, who finished earlier - had finished around five minutes ago.

"Too bad I wasn't there to see it," Hiromi commented. She stood up. "I'm going to go for a walk," she said, walking over to the door, which was slightly ajar. "There's still much of the city I haven't seen..."

"Wait! We'll come with you!" Takao said suddenly, chomping down the last of his meal and washing it down with a quick glassful of water. He stood up and hurried over to the door.

"What do you mean, 'we'?" Rei looked up.

"I mean you, me, and Max. And Chief, too, if he wants to come. Hiromi's right, you know; we still haven't seen much of this Konoha, though we've been staying here for quite some time now. Don't you think we should explore a bit more?" He put his fisted hands on his hips - his signature stance - as he waited for a reply.

"You do have a point..." the blonde said thoughtfully. After a few more minutes, he stood up, going over to the door. "C'mon, Rei, Kyouju. The more, the merrier!"

Rei shrugged, getting up as well. "Well...who knows?" he grinned. "We might run into some...shady guys; then we could put into practice what we've learned so far!"

"Just don't turn this outing into a training session..." Takao said, bending down to put on his shoes.

"Well, don't leave me alone here!" Kyouju said, scurrying over. He'd been standing in the threshold of the kitchen, debating whether to stay or to go out, too. But when he saw that everyone was going, the decision was made for him there and then: he was going.

"Um...hang on, guys." Hiromi said suddenly, in the middle of putting on her left shoe. "Shouldn't someone get Kai?"

"Ah, leave him alone, Hiromi..." Takao replied, stepping out onto the wraparound porch. "I know you saw him a few minutes ago; he's most likely to get irritated if we disturb him, no matter how long he's been given to cool off...Besides, he goes on plenty of walks on his own..."

"Well, if you say so..." the ruby-eyed teen looked uncertain, but followed her friends outside anyway.

"So, where to?" Max asked when they set foot outside the Uchihara compound.

"That's the fun in these walks, Max; you're not supposed to care!" Takao replied, grabbing his friend's hand and leading him down the road, not really caring if it was the right way or not.

"Hey! Wait up!"

Knock, knock!

Tsunade glanced up from the stacks of papers she had to wade through. "Come in," she called, a slight tinge of annoyance in her voice. She'd told Shizune not to let anyone up to her office; she had tons of paperwork to finish! "And make it quick," she added as an afterthought, just to give whoever had knocked a hint at her impatience.

The door creaked open, causing the amber-eyed woman to glance up again. To her surprise, it was Yuriko who stood in the doorway. Tsunade got up from her chair.

"Yuriko-san?"

The auburn-haired girl nodded solemnly. She was breathing hard, the Hokage noticed.

"You and your team weren't expected for three more days," the blonde continued, going around to the front of her desk. "What is the reason for your sudden return?"

Yuriko took a deep breath, mainly to steady herself.

"The mission..." - another breath - "terminated much earlier than we anticipated, Hokage-sama," she replied, pupils contracting. "My teammates and I thought there was no more need to monitor the opposition."

"And why is that so? Weren't you supposed to monitor the Shikino Inner Council until their plans were known to you? This was to help Konoha formulate a plan of action." Tsunade emphasized the last sentence to show her displeasure at the abrupt termination of what was probably one of the more important missions she'd given; it would have prevented complete annihilation if - and when - the Shikino decided to attack in their final bid for dominance.

Yuriko nodded. "I know, Tsunade-sama, however, we didn't need to stay very long; their plans were revealed almost immediately."

"And? What news?"

Another deep breath. "I'm afraid its grave - and shocking - news, Hokage-sama..."

"They're what?!" Kyouju spluttered when he heard the news. He and his friends had gotten back from their particularly long walk to find Yuriko waiting for them in the living room. Kai, who was sitting at right angles to her, had apparently left his room a few minutes before they arrived.

Takao coughed, unable to speak.

"Are you serious about this, Yuriko?" Max asked, setting his cup of tea on the table.

Yuriko nodded, eyebrows knitted in concern. "Dead serious, Max. I saw a part of the battle schematics myself."

"How did you manage that?"

"By disguising myself," the auburn-haired teen replied. "I knocked one of the underlings unconscious and donned her clothing, if only for a while, then hid her away. Then, posing as her, I brought my teammates in - their names are unimportant right now - tied up, and said that I'd found them sneaking around. Naturally they were locked up, but since I was the one who led them to their cell, I knew where they were being held. I freed them later, of course, but this time as me; that was sometime after seven o'clock last night; we've been travelling since then.

"Anyway, after I'd locked my teammates up - since I apparently had impersonated one of their key scouts - one council member took me aside and gave me a map, instructing me to check out the areas marked in red; they were, according to him, where divisions of the Shikino forces would wait and attack from.

"According to the map, when they choose to launch their offensive, Konoha will be bombarded on all sides." The amethyst-eyed teen sighed, crossed her arms. "Already they've moved out of their clan compound; they're heading towards this village, even as we speak.

Takao flopped down onto the tatami. "Man! Now we're caught in a war, of all things!" He sighed. "I never thought I'd miss training with Grandpa...I'd take his insane lessons over this any day!"

Yuriko smiled at him sadly. "We often wish that we had continued living our lives as they were, not getting involved in anything other than things that directly concern us. But sometimes, we are pushed in that direction where no action on our part would have negative effects on a lot of people, people who usually see us as the only solution, or at least a part of it. That's life, Takao; we can't fight it. And why would we want to? Sometimes its better to be involved than to miss out on a chance to learn something new about yourself and to grow from the experience..."

Then she stood up, straightening her robe. "Well, I guess I'll try to go to bed now. The rest of you should sleep, too; we're to be up early to continue your training. Now that the prospect of combat is not far off, we've plenty of ground to cover and not much time."

"I guess it was too much to hope for a break..." Takao half-whispered to Max, who chuckled.

"I guess so..." He didn't notice that to his left, Kai had gotten up as well, and was now following Yuriko down the hall.

"Are you sure about this, Yuriko?" Kai asked, his voice low, almost a whisper. He kept his stride in time with hers, their feet tapping out a silent rhythm as they strolled in tandem down the hall. He'd read the intention in her eyes when she left the dining room minutes ago, and he didn't like what he saw - an understatement, to be sure.

"I've no choice, Kai," the auburn-haired teen replied, slowing down a bit. Kai stopped, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. "It's...it's my duty. To you and our friends; you've learned barely enough to keep yourselves alive for only fifteen minutes in an all-out battle. And I've a duty to everyone in this village, because this is where I was born; in a sense, they're like family. The only family I have left..." She let out a sigh, her shoulders relaxing, but only a bit.

"There must have been a reason why I was spared, that night of the massacre, and I've come to believe that this may be it. To help Konoha survive this oncoming slaughter. To help Hiromi, Takao, Kyouju, Max, Rei...and you."

Kai blinked, stunned at how she'd placed so much emphasis on that last word. Could she...? Yuriko did not seem to notice his shock. She smiled up at him, but her eyes were sad.

"All I want, Kai, is for you to get out of this alive. For you and your friends to escape, unharmed."

"Yuriko-"

"I know, I know, it all sounds so...dramatic..." she sighed again, still smiling. "But it's the truth." She tucked a stray strand of dark brown hair behind her ear, and she looked down at her feet; a soft, but insistent breeze began to blow. "You were my first close friends, all of you. Did you know that? I don't think I'd ever gotten that close to anyone before the six of you came along. That's why...when I die in this fight, it'll be all right, I know-"

"Don't talk like that!" Kai hissed, careful to keep his voice low so the others wouldn't overhear their conversation. "No one's dying in this war, Yuriko, do you hear me? No one."

"But...how can you be so sure, Kai? There's no possible way-"

"How are you so sure that you're going to die, Yuriko?"

The amethyst-eyed teen glanced up sharply. Gazing into the crimson depths, she saw past the tough, rock-hard, infallible facade...

A sharp intake of breath, and deep purple orbs widened considerably. There, beneath his cold exterior...

Fear.

Of what?

"...Kai...?" Tentatively, one hand sought the other, touching lightly, then springing back to her side, where she thought she knew it belonged.

For long moments, there was only the sound of their breathing; still they gazed into each other's eyes, reading...understanding each other, for what seemed like the first time since they met.

Then, the silent connection broke as Yuriko turned away jerkily. She understood now, what the slate-haired teen was so afraid of...and she was afraid that she wouldn't be able to help him in any way.

"I...I have to go," she said suddenly. "I j-just remembered...I wanted to meet with Hokage-sama to…to discuss the counter-attack..."

Kai reached out instantly, catching hold of her slim wrist. Yuriko stopped, stared at him, shocked at the gentleness of his touch…the concern in the deep, crimson pools. He frowned slightly, stepped forward, closing the distance between them.

"Don't…" he began, voice lower than normal. "Don't do it, Yuriko. Not tonight."

"Kai…" But a breath.

A slight nod to reassure the slate-haired teen, and then she ran back up the hallway, feet pit-patting lightly over the polished wood. A moment's pause as she slid open the screen door and put on her shoes, and then the sound of footsteps hurrying out into the night, rubber soles pounding the soft earth.

And Kai just stood there, trapped in one of those rare moments where he was absolutely unsure of what to do. Staring at where she had stood, gazing at him, and he at her. No words, no thoughts, just each other, the two of them…being.

At length, he sighed, turned, and went to his room, on the pretense of turning in for the night. Of course, he knew perfectly well that he would have a hard time falling asleep that evening.

"Hmmm..."

A low murmur, a groan, as Sasuke's head writhed upon the pillow. His pale hands gripped the even paler sheets, his teeth clenched, a frown upon his face. Sweat trickled down with aggravating slowness, staining the bedspread.

Another groan, the dark-haired teen's brow furrowed even more.

"No..."

Black…a deep blackness…surrounding everything, a nothingness so intense it hurt…

Voices sounding all around…wait, not only that…

Screams…cries…yells so chilling it turned blood to ice. The wind seemed suddenly harsher, fiercer, more biting.

Fear…anguish…pain…sounding from all sides.

No...

Dark gray flames...fire so black it made the darkness seem white...leaping up, a macabre dance of joy...elation...

In death.

Who...?

Streaks of color...dark, watery blue tinged with cerulean...stark, blue-white flashes...flame orange, fiery red...flashes of brown, deep purple...

A sharp scream. A splatter of dark, deadly crimson against the black canvas. Deep-throated chuckles, sounding so pleased at the deep red wash staining the perfect black that it raised the sensitive hairs at his nape.

All around him now. Green, purple, blue, red...flashing...exploding outwards. More screams.

A blur to his right. Yellow and orange. Another to his left, pink this time. Shadows above. Silver and dull blonde. Again, shouts and cries of pain and frustration.

What is this...? Why...

A coarse whisper, steel against leather. The unmistakable silvery gleam, glinting faintly in the half-light. Far away…and then…moving now! So quick…!

Where is it?

Too fast…can't see it…think!

A sharp pain, the wind knocked out of him. Slumped forward, breathing hard, shuddering…

What...?

A sword. In his side.

No.

That deep-throated chuckle again, a shadow looming over him. Another sword, gleaming with unnatural inner light. Curving down, arcing towards him.

The initial sting, then the bite of steel against flesh. The smell of blood permeated the air…

His blood.

"Aaaaaaaah!"

Sasuke jerked up, bedclothes heavily rumpled, sweat running off him in beads. He reached up a shuddering hand to his face, wiping away most of the moisture as best as he could.

Another dream...no, nightmare... he thought, fighting to calm himself down.

Again, there was the question of its meaning. All those screams...the myriad of colors splashing everywhere...and the dark flame.

The Uchiha took a deep breath, swung his legs off the bed and got up. He walked over to the window of his room, took in the view of the sleeping village, a half moon gleaming palely over them all.

Peaceful, as it was meant to be.

Brow creased in concern, and he gripped the wooden windowsill.

But for how long?

A/N: Well, another chapter down, and probably quite a few more to go! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter...

Oh, by the way, I'm not sure if you guys have been checking these fics lately, but here goes:

Due to unforeseen circumstances, I might be taking down the stories 'Zutto Hitori Janai' and 'The First of Their Kind'. They've been neglected lately, and have less readership than anticipated. However, if even just one person states in his or her review that they don't want these fics to be taken down, then I shall, of course, continue. The same goes for PMs sent to me stating the same thing.

Well, that's all, minna! Peace out and God bless!