Yay! Chapter two! I found this story while I was bored and was looking through my old laptop…and bam! Here was the story I abandoned! But I'm picking it back up! And I'm currently in love with it!

I currently have the first ten chapters planned out in detail for this story. I'm excited! I have a feeling this is going to be quite an epic journey, for me and Fū.

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My dreams were vague that night, and I woke breathing heavily. My arm raced to my wrist to get my pulse. I closed my eyes, my brain begging for more sleep. I groaned.

My dreams that night consisted of the noises I heard at my little sanctuary, along with vivid images of what I imagined my demon to look like. I didn't even take the time to connect the two statements. I doubted they had any significance in my life, only that I was still unnerved about last night's events. I sighed. Well, I digress.

My eyes shot to my clock on my bedside table and I took a double take. 9:15 a.m. My room was still bright from the light I left on all night, but it still felt as if it were one in the morning. I fought with myself, debating whether I should get up or go back to sleep.

Clank!

Mother was cooking.

Groggily, I stood up from my bed, my feet touching the cold, wooden floors of my bedroom. I stood up and stretched. I yawned and bent down to touch my toes. Waiting 15 seconds, I planned my days activities. Eat. Train. Eat. Train. Come home. Eat. Take a walk. Sleep. It was what I did every day.

Standing straight up once again, I slipped on some white socks and walked out into the hallway, swatting my bedroom light switch off. Mother's going to bitch about the electricity bill again, but I could care less.

The smell of oatmeal wafted from downstairs and up to the staircase. I hesitated at the top of the stairs. Turning to look at myself in the mirror of the bathroom whose door was wide open; I saw that I was a mess. My hair was sweaty and tangled and my eyes were bloodshot. I obviously didn't sleep well last night.

I combed my hand through my damp hair, trying to ease out the tangles. I continued this process until I reached the bottom of the stairs. I took in a deep breath through my nose to take in the warm smell of oatmeal. My mouth watered and I felt like I hadn't eaten in days.

"Fū! Come here and eat up. I let you sleep in this morning, so be grateful!" My mother ordered me. I nodded and walked toward the table.

"Thank you, mother. Can't wait to chow down," I say, sleepily. My mother rolls my eyes at my word phrasing. That was one thing my mother didn't have. With all of her good looks, her long, sweeping, green/gray hair, and light pink eyes, her perfectly chiseled body, even for a woman in her late thirties, my mother looked and was amazing. But she couldn't take a joke. Ever.

My mother sat down at the kitchen table, two bowls of oatmeal in her hands. She slid a bowl over to where I was sitting at the table. I eyed it carefully. A good, hearty bowl of hot oatmeal sat in front of me. It didn't look very appetizing. I sighed and picked up the spoon, shoving a big spoonful into my mouth.

My mother eyed me. "What are you huffing and puffing about?"

I retorted quickly. "Nothing, I didn't sleep very well last night."

My mother hummed a low sound in response. "And why is that?"

I shrugged, my shoulders tight from my awkward sleep last night. "I'm not quite sure. I had a nightmare."

She didn't even bother to ask what it was about. I had nightmares all the time. I didn't want to even hint at me sneaking out last night. I didn't even know if she knew that I snuck out almost every night. Being my mother and all, she'd probably be enraged and lock me in my room. She doesn't even like me going to the village for training.

After I finished my oatmeal, I stood up and rinsed it in the sink and stuck it in the dishwasher, along with my mother's bowl. She had gone up to her bedroom to get ready for work, for she was a receptionist at the village library. It was the job she had when she met my father and she refused to quit. I didn't quite understand her motives, but apparently people do crazy things for love.

I knew my mother missed my father greatly, as did I, but I suppose I wasn't as close to him as she was. I knew him for six years, and despite him being my father, I always thought he had some sort of resentment towards me for being a jinchūriki. The way he would look at me while we were training, the times his eyes would glare at my bellybutton, wondering what kind of power could be released.

My hands drifted towards my stomach.

I felt heat generating from my naval, my cold hands contradicting against the warm skin. I lifted my hands in front of my face. My nails were cut and not painted, unlike some of the girls my age. I didn't understand how one can battle for their lives while cosmetics cover their body. It didn't make sense to me.

I smirked. Thank god I was a Chunin.

My Genin days were hell. I was put with two boys named Akeno and Jomei.

Akeno was a short and freckly blonde boy who has a weird twitch and couldn't grasp a kunai knife correctly. His hands would always be moving and he was nervous every second of the day. Right before each mission he would list out everything possibly unfortunate that would happen to us. Thus, the rest of our nerves were shot.

Jomei was a boy with light blonde hair and terrible teeth. He would always be day dreaming and had a deep fascination with music. He had this little MP3 player he'd always keep in his pocket and would listen to it during practice and missions. Our Jonin leader, Maro, would yell and scold him constantly for it, but he never stopped.

Overall, I suppose we were a good team. We never really got in the "best friends" sort of thing a lot of the other genin teams did. We would cooperate on missions, do our work, and train together, but that was it. None of them seemed prejudice against me because of the demon, but I always knew they were slightly wary around me. I understood why and didn't really talk to them about it, for I had been used to being ignored by that time.

After I turned fourteen I enrolled in the Chunin exams, fighting with and past my fellow comrades. Akeno failed the first section of the exam, while Jomei and I made it out alive. We both were given Chunin ranks and went our separate ways.

After that I didn't really speak to anyone other than Shibuki, our leader, and my mother.

I straightened up from my position by the dishwasher and made my way towards the front door. I needed some fresh air.

"I'll be back in awhile," I told my mother, hearing her grunt in response.

I started walking on the short dirt path to the village but suddenly felt the need to move faster. My legs cramped up. I stopped and rubbed my sore muscles, stretching slightly, and then proceeded to run.

I tore through the dirt, bringing up a large mass of dirt into the air behind me. I smirked and picked up the pace.

By the time I reached the village I was sweating slightly, my green bangs sticking to my forehead. I stopped and took out the red clip in my hair, readjusting it. I made my way into the village.

No festivals were going on today, and for that I was thankful. People stared at me, for I didn't really come to the village that moment. I could deal without hatred from the place I lived.

I took a deep breath and stopped at a small farmers market in the village square. I walked to a fruit stand and pulled out some yen from my skirt pocket. The cashier glared at me, and when I asked for an apple he grunted. I grimaced and took my fruit, giving him the respectful amount of money.

Biting into the apple, I took a look at my surroundings.

The village was hustling and bustling, many stay-at-home wives out getting groceries. Many women stayed and talked at some of the markets, while others got down to business and shopped. Some brought their small children, holding their hands so they didn't wander off. I wondered if my mother ever did this to me.

When one of the mothers would pass by me, they'd turn their head, and continue walking.

They all knew who I was.

I was the village monster.

One time, when I was leaning against an electricity pole at the market, a little girl came up to me.

"You're hair is green! Can I touch it?" Shocked that someone would talk to me, I took advantage of the situation and leaned down, letting her touch my abnormally colored hair. When I was first born, I thought it was a defect from my demon. But once I learned about genetics in the academy, I made sense of my mother's green-grey hair. Mine was more of a bright, minty green, which made me stand out like a sore thumb in a crowd, along with my red eyes and tan skin. It was all brown hair and brown eyes here.

The little girl stretched out her hand to touch my hair when her mother came up and grabbed her outstretched wrist. The girl whined in protest but the mother did not let go. The mother looked at me with wide eyes, probably thinking that if her daughter touched me she would get some of my demon inside of her.

"Cho-Chan, let's go. You know not to talk to strangers," the mother said, dragging Cho away. I glared daggers into her back.

"Yeah, like I need to talk to a bitch like you," I said out loud, though I doubt anyone heard me. I ground my teeth together.

"Well, fuck you," I said to particularly no one. I had a temper, and almost everyone knew it, despite not knowing me at all. If you set me off, I would scream so many obscenities at you, you won't know how to talk anymore. My potty mouth wasn't approved of by my mother, but I could care less. I wasn't fourteen anymore.

I lifted my arms above my head, interlocking them and stretching. I had a thing for stretching and flexibility. I found it extremely relaxing and, along with training, a good outlet for my anger.

It was around noon, and I was bored. I wandered around the village, searching for some entertainment, but found nothing. I saw some teenagers my age hanging out, and I wondered what it would be like to hang out with them. To have friends. I was pretty sure I wouldn't be as bored as I was then.

After searching for awhile, I found a small little shop that didn't seem to have a name. I mind wandered and I thought about what harm could be done if I walked into it, and I deemed it to be none. The shop was covered in purple velvet and glitter, with a soft guitar song playing in the background. It could have used some piano.

When I opened the door a small old lady jumped up at the cash register. It seemed as if I was her first customer in ages. Her fingers were all wrinkly and old, and she wobbled when she walked.

"Oh! Hello there dearie!"

My eyes shot back and forth. Was I the only one hearing this?

"Hi…," I said, cautiously.

"What can I do for yah?" She said in a heavy accent, obviously not from Takigakure. That's why she wasn't being a complete asshole to me.

I pondered this situation for a moment. In front of me was a woman, slightly unnerving, who didn't know who I was and what was inside of me. For this one moment, I could actually have a civil situation and conversation with someone. I could actually see how people normally live their lives.

The woman picked up her long red skirt, walking towards me in a hurried passion. My eyes rolled around my head as I surveyed the room. Various desks were placed around the room, not matching in style or placement. Some were placed against the walls and windows that if you looked through you could see the farmers market. On these desks were trinkets, mainly jewelry, consisting of skulls and gems. Just then did I notice the heavy perfume like smell suffocating the store.

It was a nice place, if you were a fan of gothic accessories.

"Oh, I was just browsing…," I said, trying to act like I thought any normal person would act. I realized how bad my social skills were. Usually, I didn't have to talk to anybody.

The old woman gave me a look I didn't recognize. "Nobody goes browsin' in my store," she said lowly. Her voice was raspy and dark, giving off a vibe I didn't quite enjoy. I stood up straighter.

I didn't see the reason to reply, so I stayed silent and slowly wandered around the store. They had quite a lot of things to purchase, such as necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings, even a small piercing stand in one of the corners of the building. I walked to the table with a small sign that read "spiritual."

Smirking slightly, I picked up a necklace with a black chain and a red circle dangling off of it, the circle the size of the pad of my thumb. I eyed the thing carefully, wondering how a piece of obvious plastic was spiritual.

I set the red necklace down.

My eyes flew across the supposedly "spiritual" jewelry, my vision locking onto a particularly simple necklace of the bunch. While most of the pieces of jewelry had extravagant beads and sequins, this one had a simple black, woven neckpiece connected to a grayish black circular pendant. The pendant looked as if it were a compass, with symbols all along the sides like a clock. In the middle were two lines intersecting, making a lowercase t. I picked it up, running my thumb over the etched in t. The metal of the object was cold to the touch.

"That one's especially special," the storekeeper said.

I jumped slightly, turning my head around to face the old woman. I glanced down at the necklace and gave her a quizzical look. "What do you mean?"

She smirked. "These necklaces are very…different. They, unlike the others, do something mentally to your body, not physically. They come in many forms, such as strength, mentality, intelligence, protection, and mindfulness. I cannot tell you what that very necklace possesses, for that is for you to find out on your own."

I eyed the piece of jewelry that I could probably buy at the grocery store.

The necklace was pretty. I tied it around my neck, for there was no clasp at the back. I looked at my reflection in the glare of the window, as it was getting dark.

I looked no different, despite the fact it looked like I had a rock tied around my neck. For some reason, I smiled. I checked the price tag.

Deeming it reasonable, I proclaimed, "I'll buy it."

The woman smiled. "I promise you it will come in handy in the future."

I hummed in response, handing her my yen and exiting the shop.

The bright streetlamps of the village made me squint and shade my eyes with my hands. I suddenly remembered why I didn't go out to the village at night. I hated bright lights. I walked along the nearly deserted streets, my necklace thudding against my collarbone with every step.

When I reached the outskirts of the village I sped off into the forest, not bothering to take the dirt path to return to my house. Besides, I didn't feel like returning home just yet.

Launching down from the high trees, I landed on the small amount of grass there was surrounding my so called sanctuary. I landed in a roll, crouch, and then the upright position. I stood there for a moment, regaining my breath. I looked up to my dirt pile, dreading the climb up like I always do, but I began to climb anyway. I reached the peak in my normal amount of time, laying down with my legs outstretched in front of me and propping myself up on my shoulders. I let out a huge breath.

I supposed I was good at being alone. I never really had to choose otherwise. I guessed that if I were thrown into a room of teenagers my age who had no idea who I was, I would have no idea what to do. I'd be awkward and silent. So why the hell was I always so pissed off about being alone all the time?

I laid back onto the dirt all the way, closing my eyes. I knew I shouldn't nap, for mother would get worried. My eyelids grew heavy and I closed my eyes for only a moment.

I awoke screaming.

My hair was completely damp, sticking to the back of my neck and forehead. I lifted my hands in front of my face, watching them visibly shake. I shivered. My dreams were fucked up.

I saw myself falling into a huge pool of water, sinking to the bottom in an extremely slow process. I'd try to kick and pull myself up, but my efforts were futile. I let out a breath, my air bubbles floating to the surface, and I briefly begged to follow them. I flailed and sunk deeper into the water, taking in water in my attempts to breath. I coughed and blood came out of my mouth, turning the water in front of me red, and suddenly, the whole pool turned a violent red.

Giving up, I accepted death and let myself sink. Before I closed my eyes for the final time, a pair of red and black eyes flashed before me, piercing into me. I started screaming.

I was panting while I stood up, looking around me, and began running towards home. I sprinted. I didn't even take time to think about what could have possibly been going on. I just started running. Tree branches caught on and ripped my skin, but I didn't notice or care. I threw open the front door to the house, hurriedly slamming it closed and locking it. I turned to my side to see if my mother was in the living room. When I found the living room lights to be off, I quickly turned them on for more light. I sat on the couch, pulling my legs to my chest and hiding my face behind my knees. For the first time in awhile, I was scared.

My sanctuary didn't seem so safe anymore.

Breathing deeply, I calmed down, to the point where I could make myself some dinner. I checked the clock on our microwave, seeing it to be nine at night. I sighed. Mother was probably still out, thank god.

After consuming a small amount of noodles, I decided on going to be early. Stalking up the stairs, I changed to my usual sleeping attire, briefly using the bathroom to pee and brush my teeth. Later, I crawled under my covers, flipping off my light switch.

I stayed there for awhile, just looking at my ceiling. I was on guard for strange noises and images, but I came up empty. I was on edge, and I needed to calm down some more. I heard my mother come in while I was slowly drifting off to sleep. Comforted by the fact I wasn't alone anymore, I dozed off.

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Next chapter: Deidara!