disCLAIMER: While I do not own Naruto nor any affiliated subjects therein, Kishimoto-sama does and therefore he owns my soul.

Chapter 12: Damages

Team Kakashi rested for a few hours before Saris and Kaoru awoke, both sporting impressive bruises left by Sasuke's none-too-gentle prodding to their skulls. While Saris refused to talk, Kaoru couldn't think clearly with his pain-ridden brain and could only mutter. Kakashi decided it would be best to return to Port Lost, where they could establish a real interrogation room and delve into the secrets Saris kept to himself. If anything, it would provide an interesting insight into the mind of an insane, perverted man. Kakashi and Sasuke took charge of the two prisoners, while Kaori kept her distance and stayed near Sakura, who insisted that she was alright, although her face was pale and her expression exhausted. They took stopped several, but only for short breaks: the sooner they left the valley the safer they'd be. Plus it was difficult for one person to keep watch and make sure the two prisoners behaved. They arrived back in town only to discover a desolate waste filled with rotting corpses. The scene shocked even Kaoru, who apparently hadn't known he'd been living all this time in a genjutsu with cadavers. Saris would only grin wryly and shrug his shoulders. Sasuke didn't need to propose a search for survivors; the town was a discard pile for all of Saris' old experiments. He'd seen some pictures in the files of those he'd encountered during their stay, and most had been dead for a very long time.

The group moved on, intent on reaching Port Lost before the sky darkened. A menacing fog rolled in from the sea and the sun burned angrily through the clouds. Even the salty smell in the air didn't ease Kaori's heart as they approached the lantern-lit streets. A strange glow contrasted the setting sun, and screams and shouts could be heard. Sakura and Kaori looked at each other and then broke into a sprint. Sakura nearly collided with Kaori when she stopped suddenly to gape at the blaze. Fire engulfed their hotel and several buildings beside it, creating roiling smoke that they had initially taken to be fog. Sakura spied a soot-covered Tomi embracing a frighteningly still form: Temujin. Her heart raced as she ran towards them, startling Kaori, who hadn't yet seen the pair.

"What happened?" Sakura said, her voice high with panic. She knelt beside Temujin's body and checked for a pulse. Nothing.

"He's dead. He's dead. He's dead," Tomi cried hysterically. "I knew this would happen I knew it!" She gasped as Sakura's hand struck her cheek.

"Snap out of it, Tomi-san," she said through gritted teeth. "I need to know what happened."

"The fire...I was still inside and Temujin...he came for me." Her eyes welled up with fresh tears. "I hurt my ankle when he pushed me out the window but...he's dead!"

"It can't be." Kaori sank to her knees and gently touched his singed golden locks. "You can't die. You're my best friend. You're my first friend. You're my saviour. Saviours don't die!" She grabbed his collar and shook him. "Stop playing around, Temujin! It's not funny anymore!"

"Kaori-"

"Stop, you whore!" Tomi screamed, clawing at Kaori's arms and drawing blood. "It's because of you this happened! Who's curse made this happen?! Who swore that everything precious to me was doomed?! Who killed Temujin!" Tomi continued to babble as she stood and ran away.

Sakura turned back to Temujin. "There's still a chance to save him. His lungs stopped working to prevent further inhalation of the smoke, so I just need to..." She stopped when she saw that Kaori wasn't listening. Kaori wasn't even Kaori anymore. Her bared teeth showed through the grossly elongated mouth, her two eyes were on opposite sides of her head and bulged red and angry. Boiling yellow Chakra raged about her, and three full-length tails protruded from behind. The other tails remained stubs. Sakura recoiled, feeling the electrifying air burn her lungs. Before she could react further, a gargling sort of howl erupted from the pocket that had formed beneath Kaori's throat, and she took off after Tomi.

"Kaori-san wait!" Sakura allowed a few moments to watch her take off before returning her attentions to Temujin. Forgive me, Tomi, but I must treat those with the highest chance of survival. She immediately went about resuscitating Temujin.

"What happened?" Sasuke asked, flinching at the heat from the buildings.

"Kaori took off after Tomi. I think she means to kill her."

Sasuke stared at Sakura in disbelief for a moment. A tear dropped from her lowered head, landed on Temujin's cheek, and created a tiny trail as it ate up soot on its way down. Sasuke bolted, needing no effort to feel for the furious Chakra produced by Juubi. This was really bad. It got even worse when he saw Naruto chasing after Kaori too. If he came across her while she was out of control...Sasuke intercepted Naruto.

"You can't," he said seriously. The pained gaze in Naruto's eyes startled him.

"She needs someone to help her," Naruto responded. "We can't just leave her like this!"

"You know what happened last time she was out of control! You almost lost it yourself! We can't have you both becoming monsters and duking it out in the middle of this. People need our help."

Naruto opened his mouth to dismiss Sasuke, but another scream from a burning building drew both of their attention. Kaori would have to wait. The Shinobi fought the awe-inducing fire and saved as many lives as they could. They managed to prevent it from spreading to the docks and consequently the ships. Sakura managed to get Temujin breathing again, and as the smoked seeped out from what was left of the inferno, he awoke in her arms.

"I wasn't sure you'd make it," she sighed in relief. "Thank Kami-sama."

"You led me back." Temujin gazed up at her with intense green eyes.

"Sakura-chan!" Kankurou jogged up, his normally eager face very pale. "I looked for her like you asked...Sakura-chan..."

"What?"

"There's not much left."

"What do you mean 'there's not much left'?"

"I mean all that remains is," Kankurou swallowed hard, "a lot of blood and a few pieces of bone and flesh."

"Are you sure that it was her?" Sakura couldn't face up to the idea that she'd murdered Tomi.

"I caught the last act," he admitted grimly. "It must've been torturing her for a long time before it finally decided to...to..."

"What? What's going on?" Temujin asked, glancing in a panic between the two serious expressions. "Ah! Kaori!" He beamed at her as she approached, but when her face entered the light, her appearance chilled them all to the bone. Gore covered her body, face, and hair. Her eyes were half-lidded as if coming out of a deep sleep. And in her hand she carried an arm torn from a body. A silver ring graced the ring finger.

First, Kaori's sleepy look violently awoke upon seeing Temujin alive. Second, Temujin screamed when he realized that she had killed Tomi. She staggered back and dropped the arm, then fell to her hands and knees and gasped for air. She was aware of the state of her appearance and everything that happened, but she couldn't figure out...

"Why?" she said through shuddering gasps. "Why?"

"You have no right to ask that!" Temujin managed to moan before being wracked with sobs. He gripped the arm and held it close as tears streamed down his face. Kaori rocked back and forth and cried "no" over and over. The screams drew a crowd, and the rest of the Shinobi who had been tending to the damages and the wounded gathered close. They could immediately assess what had happened. Naruto reached out to touch Kaori, but she screamed again and cowered. When Kakashi tried to talk to her, she stood and looked at the weeping Temujin. Tears poured down her own cheeks, the first she'd ever shed.

"Don't ever forgive me," she croaked, then ran away as fast as she could. Sakura pried Temujin away from the bloody arm and motioned for Kankurou to help her move him to a place for better treatment. Whispering spread as quickly as the fire of how truly monstrous the Akumako was. Consequently, Naruto began yelling at them. Kakashi resisted his urge to pursue after Kaori. One, it would look bad to abandon this mess. Two, Sasuke had already bolted. Three, even if he did find her, he had no idea what he'd do.

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Sasuke heard the sobs and punches clearly. Kaori had found some small trees to take her frustration out on, and he couldn't help but think back to that day when he'd found her doing something similar during a rainstorm.

"You know, you'd do more damage if you focused Chakra into your fists," he said lamely. She turned as she threw a punch and scraped her arm along the tree, her wrist making a sickening pop. She yelped and cradled the arm, only adding to the tears of frustration and pain cascading down her cheeks. Sasuke mentally kicked himself for being a dipshit and knelt beside her trembling form.

"F-fuck you, Uchiha," she garbled.

"Yes please," he retorted, trying to sound normal. She only implored him with startling wet eyes.

"What are you doing?" she pleaded. "This is no time to joke."

"But the only way I know how to cheer you up is to make you mad. I'm good at that, remember?"

"Damn you, Uchiha. Just...damn..."

"You were gonna call me by my given name, weren't you?"

"I can't, I can't. No more friends. I'll just end up hurting them all. Or killing them. Why can't I just die?"

"Don't say that," Sasuke said seriously. "I need you...uh, on my team."

"What good is a Shinobi who wigs out every time something doesn't go her way?" Kaori sniffled loudly and wiped her nose on her sleeve.

"That's attractive," Sasuke said, rolling his eyes. Kaori offered up a glare before turning away to examine her wrist. It was swelling and purple. Definitely not good.

"I've killed people before, but never like this," she said morosely. "Never tortured them, never did it with so much hate. And every time it was in self defense, not just because I could. And every time I was in control of myself. Every time. Until now."

"And that's something you'll have to live with the rest of your life," Sasuke said direly. Kaori failed to retort, for he wasn't being sarcastic or teasing, just frank.

"They'll never forgive me." She buried her chin between her knees. "I'm not sure I want them to, 'cause I'll never forgive myself."

"You'd be surprised at how forgiving friends can be," Sasuke admitted, "whether you want them to or not. Whether you forgive yourself or not."

"But...I don't deserve it."

"Kaori..." He touched her face and turned it to look at him. As another single tear slid down, he kissed her salty lips. Already weak, vulnerable, she didn't deck him as he leaned back but only stared with wide-eyed wonder. He stared back, stroking away the running kohl beneath her eye with his thumb. She made a funny noise in the back of her throat.

"I just snotted all over myself, was that really such a good idea?"

Sasuke lifted a brow. Okay, gross. But he could see she was trying to make an intense, unfamiliar situation into something more comfortable. He was a royal ass, picking such a time to make a move. She probably wouldn't even remember it, since the horror from earlier was a much more powerful memory. Unless he was to make the kiss more memorable...

He practically fell over when she leaned in and planted an awkward kiss on his lip. She was more on his chin than his mouth. As they adjusted to each other, he kissed her back, tenderly and soothingly in order to reassure her. His gentle fingers dried the rest of her tears. She pulled away, scratching at her cursed seal.

"Does it hurt?" Sasuke asked huskily.

"It stings a little," she sniffed and leaned her forehead on his shoulder, the metal of her hitai-ate cold even through his shirt.

"How did I come to this?" she asked.

"Well, I kissed you and-"

"I mean, how did I come to this day? How can so many life-changing things happen in such a short time?"

"So the kiss was life-changing..."

"No!" She sat back, wary of her wrist. "I mean yes. I mean...I don't know what to think." She looked away. "I need some time to think."

Sasuke studied her for a moment before standing up. "Of course you do. You know where I'll be." As he left, he stopped and turned. "I'll be waiting for you."

When Kaori didn't respond, Sasuke continued back to the still-smoldering hotel. The only thing that hadn't turned out disastrous was that they'd managed to capture Kaoru and Saris. If anything they'd shed some light onto the rather ambiguous matter of the tailed beasts. He found Kakashi in Sakura's make-shift infirmary and helped him move patients who were already cared for to another location. Many people had been hurt in the accident, although they weren't yet sure if the fire really was an accident. It would have to wait until the steel and brick cooled down. Several hours may have passed in the time they tried to restructure their command center, but all sense of time was lost as the smoke clouded the night sky. When the Shinobi had a moment to rest, Sasuke practically collapsed as he sat next to Naruto on the grass. They'd been traveling for hours only to spend even more hours rescuing people. A Shinobi was trained to handle these strenuous situations, but the emotional strain from Kaori's (or more appropriately Juubi's) frenzy left everyone feeling more drained.

"Think she's okay?"

Sasuke didn't have to ask who Naruto was referring to. "No."

"Then why'd you leave her alone?"

"I don't know how to handle girls when they're like that," he admitted.

"Younever know how to handle girls. You just had to handle her like a friend." Naruto lay back and rested his head in his hands.

"What do you do when you've seen your friend cry for the first time?"

"Hmmm. Cry with them."

Sasuke shot him a look of you've got to be kidding me.

"Okay, okay," Naruto giggled, "I'm kidding. I just wanted to see your stern face. It's been awhile cause you've been smiling a lot more."

"Have not." Sasuke examined his scarred hands.

Naruto smiled knowingly, sat up and squatted next to Sasuke eagerly, like some school girl sharing a secret. Then he froze, sensing the intensity in the air that was immediately followed by an ear-piercing scream. Stepping as quickly as ninja could, Sasuke and Naruto charged right for the source of the scream: the holding cell they'd been keeping Saris and Kaoru in. Kakashi and Shikamaru were already inside, since they'd been the pair on patrol. Though it was dark, the reek of blood and the tell-tale leisurely drip filled their senses. Sasuke had to quell the gall that threatened to rise. Kaoru quaked in the middle, and with a simple torch Shikamaru lit up the entire gruesome scene. Blood and gore covered the walls, with the exception of one void where Kaoru's unconscious body had rested. His entire front was soaked with body fluids, and a nasty-looking wound at the base of his head oozed slowly. His had been the gut-wrenching cry when he'd awoken to the scene.

"Kaoru-san. Kaoru-san!" Kakashi tried to get his attention without touching him. "What exactly happened here?"

Kaoru tore at his lavender hair, as if he was trying to claw the memory out. "M-monster! Monster! Did things...unspeakable...thought it was comin' fo'...oh gawd..." He keeled over and vomited what little was still in his stomach after vomiting the first time.

"Juubi," Shikamaru said quietly, lifting a lazy brow at the mess. "How troublesome."

Temari entered the room with Sakura close behind, who immediately turned back for the fresh air. She'd been around to much blood that day, and that room would be the end of her sanity. Six quarts of a man's blood; no matter how perverted and sick the man was, no being deserved that kind of end. It seemed his murder was much more violent than Tomi's. Tomi had virtually been obliterated; Saris had been torn apart and slung against the walls.

"How could this happen?" Naruto seethed, his eyes narrowing and growing dangerously red. He could smell Juubi all over the room.

"Something must have set her off again," Shikamaru mused, wrinkling his nose as the stench of Kaoru's vomit wafted towards him.

"Set her off?" Sasuke wondered aloud, recalling very clearly their kiss. Could it be...?

"Kakashi-san! Over here!" Kankurou called from outside the building. He held a man by the scruff, a man who looked rather terrified. Shikamaru's torch revealed the face of one of the hands on board the Inazuma.

"What is it?"

"Uh. Um. Uh. Kaizoku wanted me to give you a message. She said, uh, she said uh..."

"You mean Kaori right? What did she say?" Sasuke drew close, his eyes flashing angrily.

"Right right. I mean to say..." he squeezed his eyes shut as if trying to remember her exact words, "'He didn't have any answers for me, so I'm going to someone else. Don't follow me, because this time I really have no intention of coming back. I'm sorry.'" He opened one eye to gauge the reactions of the powerful ninjas. The shadow-like creature that stood before him made his hair stand on end.

"She's going back to Orochimaru," Sasuke said in a low voice, feeling the control on his emotions slipping yet again.

"This time, I'll really kill him," Naruto agreed quietly, his own dark aura matching Sasuke's.

"Yes, yes. But who's going to be the one to kill Kaori?" Everyone turned to stare at Shikamaru. He had a serious look on his face. "If we can't capture her and bring her back to Konoha to face a trial for her crimes, someone must kill her. She's too dangerous to leave running wild, much less in the hands of a person like Orochimaru."

As cold-hearted as it sounded, each Shinobi knew very well that Shikamaru's words were very true. Even though he may not have the same attachment to her as some of the others, she was still his teammate, and she couldn't be left alone.

"Inazuma sailed a couple hours ago with her on board," the sailor quivered. "There's another ship. She's not as fast, but you should start out really soon if you don't want to lose anymore ground."

"He's right," Kankurou said eagerly.

"This doesn't involve the Sand," Kakashi said quietly.

"Huh? So we're just supposed to sit here and do nothing?"

"We're here on a mission of our own, Kankurou," Temari agreed. "The mission comes first."

"Shikamaru, you stay and continue what you were doing. Sakura-"

"I'm going," she said firmly. "Kaori-san is my friend, and if we're going against Orochimaru, someone's bound to need a medical ninja."

Kakashi smiled tiredly. "Of course."

"And I'm going," Sasuke growled.

"Me too." Naruto stepped forward, his body tense and ready for battle.

Kakashi glanced at the faces of his former students. No longer did they stare up at him with cute faces, but at eye-level with looks of savage determination to protect their friend. And they'd all surpassed him in one way or another. They had changed so much.

"Hm, looks like Team Kakashi is together again."

"One last mission before we all get too old," Naruto said pointedly. Kakashi coughed lightly. "Mission: save-Kaori-chan-from-the-clutches-of-Orochimaru-and-get-rid-of-Juubi-oh-yeah-and-that-cursed-seal."

Sasuke clocked him on the head. "Idiot. That's way too long of a title."

As they started arguing, Sakura and Kakashi grinned at each other. And some things just never changed.