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You could say my chaotic spiral all started when I first saw the box. It was dirty, tattered, and of medium size, but altogether it didn't really have an air of foreboding or malice intent. After all- it's just a box, right? None the less, I eyed the thing with a sense of weariness, as I tried to scuttle past with my dog in tow. And of course, the box decided to meow, which sent my beloved dog into an excited lung for the nasty thing.

"Toby! Come on!" I said, tugging the stubborn mutt away from it. This proved futile- as 78 pounds of pure stubborn muscles buried his head between the partially closed flaps. A brief period of curious snuffling and tail wagging issued, which was closely followed by a startled yip as he pulled back, as what ever was inside decided it was not in the mood to say hello.

"Well what did you expect, dork?" I snorted, approaching the box with reluctance. I lived towards the edge of a city with my family, and it was not uncommon for people to leave unwanted pets on the sides of the road. In sympathy for the poor critters inside, I peered in to inspect what condition they're previous owners had left them in.

Now, I'm not an idiot. Any girl who's ever read any sort of Naruto fanfiction involving the Akatsuki has run into one of those "cat" fanfictions, and having read one of those fanfictions, I knew immediately who, and what they were.

I stared, at the two blue kittens, sole red haired cat, and a bulky brown tom, and they stared back.

"...shit." I mumbled, standing up abruptly, and glancing around. Only my dog and myself was on the lone street, but at that moment I could swear I was being watched. I glanced back down at the cats, Where are the others..? I bent down to pick up the box, only to drop it, and it's occupants, when a certain red-haired asshole decided to swat at me with his claws. Inspecting the offended hand to find long scratch marks, I frowned and glanced down at the scattered and dazed looking kittens. "Fine then, asshole." Tugging Toby along, I started for my house.

About halfway down the street, I realized that they were following me. I turned towards them, narrowing my eyes in suspicion. The largest blue one, Kisame, started twinning himself through my legs, the rest padded their way up, having the decency to at least look apologetic. I looked to the sky, taking a deep breath. I am not bringing four psychotic killers in the form of kittens home. I told myself firmly. Foolishly, I glanced down at the four, now adorable kittens, around me. Sighing, I crouched down to their level.

"Listen here," I said, giving my best glare to all four of them. "I'll take you home. On a few conditions," I pointed to all of them, "No killing. And I'm not guaranteeing that you'll be able to stay." I stood, not waiting for acknowledgment, and headed for the box they had been in, and placed them all inside.

The rest of the walk home was nerve wracking, but I kept a steady pace, allowing Toby to sniff and do other things as he pleased. Nervously, I glanced down at the criminals-turned-kittens in my care. They returned my glances with intense, suspicious stares. I picked up the pace as we turned down my street.

As we reached the porch steps to my home, I turned to Toby. "Sit." I said, and removed his leash as he did, then, fumbling with my set of keys, I pushed the door open, carrying both the box and the Akatsuki members in with me.

"Mom?" I called, pausing to listen after I set the cats in the foyer, when no response came, I sighed in relief. Glancing at the kittens now stumbling out of their box-home, I gestured to them to follow me. Turning the corner of foyer, I descended the stairs, listening as four sets of paws thumped after me. Shuffling across the living room, I opened my bedroom door, holding it open as the cats trotted in after me with caution. Closing it, I turned towards them.

"Okay," I announced, stepping towards the four of them as they sat in the center of my room, glancing around with both caution and curiosity."First things first- I'm Annie," I said, placing a hand on my own chest to emphasize the obvious,"And this is my room." I made a vague gesture to the neat little room I called mine, It was stacked shelf to shelf with books, odd trinkets, and glass bottles. Large crystals were placed on shelves and my dresser, and beside me, my altar was set atop a low laying table, hand crafted by my uncle. In front of it rested a circle within a circle, surrounded by latin symbols and filled with a pentagram, painted in white against the cement floor. I gestured to it, smiling nervously as the cats looked at the set up with great distress. "I'll- uh, I'll get to that."

Stepping forward slowly, as to not spook my guests, I gained their attention. " Can you guys talk? At all?" The smallest blue kitten, Konan- I presumed- shook her kitten head at me, mewling for emphasis. I scratched the back of my head, "And the others? Where are they?" This question earned me glares of suspicion. Sighing, I chuckled softly. "Ok, ok, I'll talk first." Stepping back, I opened my arms, and stood in the center of the symbol on the ground. "I know about you guys- about who you are. You're part of a criminal organization, called the Akatsuki. This organization is present here- in my world. You are part of a fictional series called Naruto- I'm afraid it's a bit risky to elaborate on that any further. Sorry." I sat in the center, leaning further, and meeting all of their eyes. "I'm presuming the ones present here are Konan, Kisame, Kakuzu and Sasori, and I'm afraid I have no idea how you got here- or how you turned into cats. But," I said with a smile, sitting up and gesturing to the altar behind me, "I may be able to help you with this situation." I paused, looking at the set of books resting in a box in the side of the room. "Key word there is 'may'. "

Glancing back at my cat-like guests, I added, "Until then I'm afraid you'll have to stay in here and answer my questions. We got a deal?" I asked with a smile.

The criminals bowed their kitty-heads together, muttering to each other in feline. Finally, Konan rose her head, stepped forward with a nod of her head and another mewl. I smiled.

"Good."

Later- much later- that evening, I lay sprawled out in the center of the pentagram painted on my floor, painting softly, with a slight sheen of sweat on my brow. Nothing I had tried work, the Akatsuki present were still very much kittens, and I was exhausted. I glanced over at the four cats that sat poised on the edge of the inner circle, like I had asked, looking at me with poorly masked disappointment.

"Sorry," I said, sitting up with a grunt. I shuffled over to extinguish the candles I had lit, "I gotta go to bed guys- really. We'll try again tomorrow." I began shrugging out of my clothes, pausing to realize that some of my guests we're indeed, human males. I glowered. "Turn." They did, though Sasori with an eye roll and Kisame with far too much exaggerated movements. Snorting, I changed into a pair of baggy pajamas and began shutting off my light, opening my door to let Toby join me later. "Try not to be seen, don't stay up too late scheming.," I said with a fingers wiggling in their direction. I crawled into bed. "Good night, guys."

The next morning, Saturday to be exact, I woke to the sound of my phone ringing. Blearily, I opened my eyes and started searching for my phone underneath my pillows. Grabbing it, I pressed it to my ear. "Hello?" I asked, rubbing sleep from my eyes.

"Annie dear! Are you all right?"

I blinked in surprise, sitting straighter and looking at my clock. 6:30am. "Oh hey Gran," I said, looking around and noticing the cats had woken up, and were now looking at me, and my phone, with great interest. "Yeah I'm fine, are you?" I asked, frowning with concern. My great-grandmother was quite a few years old, but not at all feeble. None the less, we we're very close and I worry about her often.

"Yes of course dear… there was such a large spike of energy though, I thought i'd better call and check." Her voice took on a knowing tone, "I've been looking through my old books, dear, and I think I found something that might help you with your new friends," It didn't surprise me that Gran knew, her and I shared a deep connection. Often enough, we had dreams of one another. Last winter, when Gramps was down in Florida with aunt Maryl, and Gran was left on her own at the farm, I knew when she slipped on ice and fractured her hip.

"Did you?" I asked, eyes brightening.

"Yes of course!" She said, there was crackling on the other end. "Look in the Grand Book of Shadows, dear, it should be there now." I grinded, my thanks just about out of my mouth, "And Annie, dear?" she said in a far more serious tone.

"Yes, Gran?" I asked, watching as the cats grew close enough to listen.

"Be careful." A click was heard on my end, and I ended the call as well, looking at the cats.

"Well, lets get started then." I said, rolling out of bed and heading towards the box of books beside my alter. Grabbing a large, old book, hand bound in leather and old parchment, I opened the cover to blank pages. Looking down, a muttered, "Dic, custodi me oportet doceatis." Ink sprang upon the pages, diagrams, spells and rune-charts appeared upon the pages as the cats looked with great interest, I smiled, used to the looks after what I attempted for them last night, and flicked to the back of the book, where Gran and her neat writing had drawn a diagram for me.

"Hm…" I muttered, instinctively sitting in the center of the circle to examine the contents, ignoring the sudden swarm of cats as they too, examined the strange book. Kakuzu, who sat perched on my shoulder, meowed, and prodded my cheek questionably, gazing at the book with a mixture of caution and fascination. "Not now," I said softly, frowning at the pages, "Let's save the questions until we can all speak english, eh?" I glanced at the cats, "This isn't as hard as it looks, seriously. But I need to draw a different circle, and when its cast, we need to form a contract." I looked back at the diagram, "From what I understand; you will all be in human form when the contract is formed for a brief time, and then will turn back into cats until the circle is broken. Since theres a group of you," I added looking at Konan, "Your leader, which I'm presuming is you for now, should be the one to agree to the contract." I stood suddenly, causing Kakuzu to dig his nails into me. I winced. "Got it?"

Konan, Kisame, and Sasori nodded, and I looked to Kakuzu, who shrugged indifferently. I grinned. "Alrighty! Lets get started."

The circle that needed to be drawn was four-tiered, unlike my own personal one, which was double-tiered. As I concentrated on doing them row by row, filling in the tiers with symbols both latin and gaelic, the Akatsuki watched me with growing interest. As each tier was completed, the power in the room grew, and my unease along with it. After the circle was partially completed, with lines of opening for the cats to enter, I directed them to the center, and they complied. I chalked the inner three circles closed, leaving the final one open as I lite a few candles, placed a few final crystals, and grabbed the Grand Book.

As I chalked my tier closed, the pressure in the room grew immense, the flames of my candles growing larger with the power. "Alright," I said, placing the Book at my feet so it was legible and glancing at my ceiling, "Let's hope we get this done before Mom get's home." Closing my eyes and lifting my hands, open palmed to my ceiling, I added a quick "Relax. Follow my lead." To the cats before I began.

"Omnes magni, salvet! Erigor, et fidem tuam petere!*" I called, feeling my own power rise. I brought my hand together, muttering to Konan; "The words I am about to say, you will repeat in your mind, followed by consentio, understand?" When I received a nod, from all of them, I continued. "Auxilium quaeritis adsum. Leges meas, accipiant legem*. In turn form my safety and wellbeing- and for that of my kin; I swear this. You will return to your true forms, your formam*, and will stay within my care, until you have returned to your rightful home, your domum*." I paused,nodding, eyes still closed, at Konan.

"Auxilium quaeritis adsum. Leges meas, accipiant legem*. I accept." Rather than one, four voices echoed in my mind. I open my eyes, seeing human forms in place of the cats I knew- not yet complete, but there. I smiled.

"Locatur formatum,potest terminos esse.*" The candles around us blazed as the four forms before me began to grow and materialize, and as they became clear, the candles extinguished.

"Shit." I muttered, blinking at the sudden darkness. "Did I blow the bulbs again?" I wondered out loud. Muttering a brief frio under my breath, I stepped out of the circle, fumbling for the door.

"Did it work?" I asked to either one of them, frowning when I didn't receive an answer. I turned, finding a glint of green-against red eyes as a sharp object was pressed against my throat. I swallowed nervously.

"So I- uh, guess you'd like that explanation now?" I said with a weak smile.

Hello there! Thank you for reading the first chapter of "Not Another One"! Please remember that all favs and follows are very much appreciated! Translations for the Latin used in this chapter:

-Dic, custodi me oportet doceatis.

-Omnes magni, salvet! Erigor, et fidem tuam petere;

-consentio

-Auxilium quaeritis adsum. Leges meas, accipiant legem.

-formam

-domum

-Locatur formatum,potest terminos esse

-frio.

-Show me, keeper, for I must learn. (Said to the grand book of shadows in order to see the contents. Followed by a showmanship of blood, in order to only see your clans spells.)

-All Mighty, All Hail! I raise myself up, and ask for your protection! (A matter of respect, said before casting a full circle and beginning magic within)

- I agree, I consent

-You seek aid, I am here. Hear my conditions, accept my contract.

-true form

-home

-The contract is formed, may the terms be true.

-break (said to close a circle)

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