Sora: Ahhh! NO! This is the sad part! Hold me, Shigure! (throws self into Shigure's arms)

Shigure: Ummm…o.O

Ok, guys calm down. I'm not one to stand for "lemon" yaoi fan-fics. XD

Shigure: (drops Sora) HEY!

Just kidding, Shigure .

Sora: ow…Shigure…:'(

Shigure: (look down at Sora) Oh, I'm sorry, Sora, I'm sorry! You aren't hurt are you? (quickly pick up Sora)

Sora: No, thanks though… (cuddles in Shigure's shoulder)

Yuri: You never said anything about normal yaoi fan-fics, now did you…?

Yuri! Shush!

After a few hours in the cave, the burning stopped and the screaming ceased. Everything…was gone. Everyone was dead. Their parents. Their families. Their classmates. Makoto, their teacher. Even their beloved sensei—Kisho.

"Well…I don't think we should sit around. We need to get out of here and check the damages." Shigure stood from being curled up on the ground with his friends. For all they knew (well, except Yuri) this could be their last night together. Sora and Yuri also got up.

"Yeah, let's get out of here. I don't think I can stand much more of this," said Sora. Yuri was silent and intended to stay that way. He had talked more than he probably had in his entire life.

They walked solemnly out of the cave and back to the village, leaving their fish in the cave. They gazed sadly upon their burnt houses and Academy.

"Maybe we should check for survivors, Shigure."

"Sora, everyone is dead. Look around you."

Sora looked down on the ground, but soon turned away. There were charred corpses everywhere. It was a gruesome sight, "Please, Shigure. I just thought it might be a kind gesture. At least one of us has some hope."

Shigure sighed, "Fine."

They all switched to their other forms and split up to sniff out survivors. They spread out far across the ruins of the village and for a while they didn't find anything. Then, Shigure smelled something. It was living, but it wasn't Sora or Yuri. It wasn't even part of their village. The outsiders. They were still there. Three of them. Sora and Yuri noticed it too. All three of them ran blindly looking for one another, but something was messing with their senses. Or someone.

Suddenly, Shigure heard a bloodcurdling scream. It was Yuri. Shigure ran in the direction of the scream and found the bear ninja. He was in human form hanging from a noose by the neck in a tree with shuruken of all kinds protruding from him.

"Yuri!" Shigure, who had changed into his human form, franticly climbed the tree and brought Yuri down to the ground, praying desperately that he wasn't too late. He untied the noose and gently began to pull the shuruken out of Yuri's body. Then, Yuri grabbed one of Shigure's hands, "N-no, Shigure…this is it for me…"

"No, Yuri, it's not! I will make sure that I bring you and Sora out of this alive!"

Yuri shook his head, "Shigure…it's over…my days of secrecy and lies are done…I no longer have to hide my predictions…I won't have any to hide."

Tears came to Shigure's eyes.

"This was intended to happen for a reason-- destiny…and now you, Sora, and I will carry it out…" Shigure almost saw a smile cross Yuri's lips, "Bring your feelings to light…remember them like we did years ago…then you must continue on…you must fulfill your Mission, Shigure…" That misty glaze came over Yuri's eyes again.

Shigure looked confused, "Feelings? Continue on? Mission? Yuri, you must tell me what's going to happen! What will happen in my future!"

"New friends…new enemies…that's all that I can tell you…" The glaze left Yuri's eyes and his black irises turned a light gray. He closed his eyes and his head fell to one side.

"Goodbye…Yuri…" Shigure laid his friend on the ground and stood up.

So, am I supposed to move on in life without them? No! This can't be happening!…but…what feelings"? Remember them?…Wait…Sora! Shigure ran in the direction of Sora's scent, but something was very wrong about it. He not only could smell Sora…he also smelled his blood. Shigure kept running, tripping over pieces of debris and cutting up his hands when he would catch himself. Then, he found Sora, but it looked as though someone else had found him first. Sora was pinned to a blackened concrete wall that was still standing…with kunai knives in his palms and stomach.

"Sora! NO!" Shigure ran up to him and gently grabbed Sora's pale face at the jaw and the blood from his wounded hands began to run down from the sides of Sora's cheeks. Shigure's face was damp with tears and sweat. He didn't want to lose everything in one distressing, horrific night. His town, his family, and now his friends?

Sora produced a weak smile at the sight of Shigure and his green eyes. Those soft eyes that revived him from the water long ago.

"I'm here, Sora…everything's going to be 'ok' now. I'll save you and we'll continue on together!" Shigure grabbed one of the kunai knives which made Sora wince.

"Shigure…out of all the lessons Sensei gave to us…there is a lesson you haven't quite learned yet. You are always so confident of yourself…'I can do this. I can do that'…well, there are things that you can't do…"

"Sora?"

"And that is…you cannot stop death…not every time…You may have done it once, but that doesn't mean that you will do it again…"

A small smile of remembrance came to Shigure, but as he noticed the life slowly draining from Sora, his smile left him, "But Sora, I can't just give up on you…Yuri said I needed to bring my feelings to light…to remember them like we did a long time ago…what was he talking about?"

Sora coughed harshly and a stream of almost black blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. Shigure looked down sadly.

"I-it's love, Shigure…a love for your shenobi brothers who have to leave you…a love that will never stop loving…It will continue through death…Through blood-- "

There was a pause, and then, Shigure realized what Yuri meant.

" --and sweat-- "

" --and tears."

" Always there for each other--"

" --to remember and protect…"

"Forever--"

"--and ever."

Tears were now streaming down Shigure's face as they both quoted their vow made years ago.

"Journey well…my friend…" Then, Sora gently closed his eyes, never to open them again. Rain began to pour over the village remains.

"I once made that promise…and now I am going to keep it…" Shigure made his way cautiously out of the village, leaving everything behind him. Leaving…his life behind him.

Then, Shigure smelled it again. The outsiders. They were very near. Shigure had a determination. He could not be caught by these assassins. He transformed into his wolf form and took a detour through the woods. He could hear them following him ever so quietly. They were from a sunlit land, where it was much warmer than the Land of Ice, which means they would be dressed lightly.

Shigure zigzagged through the trees for almost ten minutes before he couldn't hear them anymore. He sat down to rest, when suddenly, he heard their quick footsteps again. They were in front of him this time. Shigure began running again. He started to wonder if he was really being followed by enemy ninja, or if whatever had been toying with his senses earlier was at it again. It was a very scary feeling not to be sure of himself.

He ran for almost an hour, unknowingly in the direction of Uomaru, the sea village. Once he had stepped through the gate, the soft sound's stopped. Those ninja were gone for good. Or…so he thought…

End…Chapter Eight: "Through blood…"

I'm sorry to disappoint those who were somewhat miss-led by our conversation at the beginning. It was half true. I guess…well, you have to read the rest of the story to understand fully. Again, I'm sorry. Especially to the lemon yaoi fan-fictioners. I wasn't trying to dis your material.