A/N: Hey guys, just thought I'd change it a bit...dont worry not much...i just think it'd be a hell of a lot better if it was character pov. Let me know what you think!

Chapter 17

Enter: Yumi!

I felt like I was falling, falling into a deep place where there was no escape. Once again I was right where I was before, on the battle field. I growled lowly as the kyonshi surrounded me and then my family, friends and the man in the cloak. It was all too familiar. I fought the kyonshi and the man in the cloak, getting injured in the same places again, and then there was nothing...

I felt someone shaking me a moment later, and I opened my eyes, seeing Gaara above me. The look of worry in his eyes made my heart hurt.

"Are you okay?" He asked me. Truthfully I knew I wasn't but I didn't want to worry him.

"Just a nightmare." I said, sitting up. I looked at my trembling hand, the same one that was grabbed by my mother. It felt all too real.

"Gaara…I…we need to get ready and get a plan going." I said, grabbing my gear and walking out of the ten tot get some room to strap it in. When he walked out he grabbed me, pulling me into a hug I welcomed greatly and kissed my forehead. I felt at home right then and there.

But…I could feel it, they were getting close. Closer to my disciple of sorts and me. They wanted us and I had to find the kid before he did. No matter what. I touched the necklace from the old man I had met the day before, determination filling my being as his words flew through my mind.

I couldn't loose today, I had to fight at my best. Better than with Madara, better than with the Raikage…better than with myself.

"Akina." Gaara's voice brought me out of my thoughts. I looked over at my red head as he handed me a small bag of sand. I nodded, attaching it to my bag that hung on my hip. Wakana and Satoshi walked up to me now, giving me a hug.

We had already discussed the plan before hand, and I knew what I had to do as, for the first time ever, I proudly put my Kumogakure headband around my head. My small bangs hung on the side of it, I caught Gaara's eyes, the slight hurt at what I was wearing but he knew that I was proud to defend this village but I would never abandon Suna….my home.

"I'll see you once I find the kid." I said, walking over to the trees. For a moment I looked back, nodding to them as I said a silent prayer in my head for them to be alive when I returned. I did not want to loose them again.

"Akina…" Gaara ran next to me and I knew it was a sand clone. I stopped in the forest, waiting to hear the message he wanted to tell me. "You had better come back alive."

I smirked, that was his way of saying he loved me. Always was.

"I will always come back to you…you know that."

He said nothing, disappearing into sand.

I smiled at the grains that twirled around me, caressing my cheek.

I traveled fast, letting pure instinct take over as I tried to find the kid I was looking for. My search was over within a day as the village I found had complaints about a small girl who was the town freak. As I walked through the village I couldn't completely ignore the pain that coursed through my head.

"He's close." I whispered to myself as I squeezed my head in pain.

"So you feel him too." I nearly jumped at the small feeble voice that almost immediately made the pain disappear. I turned slowly, laying my eyes on a small girl who could be no more that seven. "The voice in my head says to trust you…my names Yumi."

"Hi Yumi, I'm-"

"Akina." She finished. "I know who you are, Kira-sama tells me about you, how you would find me.

"Kira-sama?"

Looks like my search was over. I smiled at the girl, holding out my hand.

"I will help you, but you have to completely trust-" The girl grabbed my hand, nodding.

"I've already knew to trust you, please take me away before I hurt my village."

My heart went out to the girl at the moment.

"Tell me…do you have a reason to go with me?" It was a random question but I wanted to know.

"I have no family, they were killed, but I do I have someone I hold precious to me. I want to protect her." The girl said, looking back at another older girl, who had to be at least three years older than Yumi. I nodded, understanding.

"He's coming you know…" She said quietly. My attention was brought back to her, looking at her as a sign to continue. She opened her mouth but a rock came flying at her, surprising her and myself as it her in the back, hard. She gasped, feeling the wind knocked out of her.

"FREAK!" I heard the familiar name being called, and my rage got the best of me as I stormed over to the older boys that had threw it at her. But someone beat me to it as the girl she looked at before attacked the boys, yelling at them. I could tell the girl was strong as she knocked them back against a wall, holding a piece of glass up against on of their throats.

"Say that again and I'll kill you." She whispered. Yumi ran over to her friend, grabbing the glass.

"Please stop." Yumi said, making her friend drop the glass. I saw myself in the girl, immediately understanding that I had to do something.

"Yumi-" Her friend began but I stepped in.

"Yumi…come with me." I said, bringing her into a deserted area of the town. "Yumi…I need to speak to Kira. Now please." The girl nodded, sitting on the ground. I felt the air in around us spike in power and a moment later I heard the voice I've been waiting for.

"It's been quite a while Akina…four years now."

I nodded.

"What do I do know that I found you?" I asked.

"Train this girl to fight like you-" I shook my head as a no. I saw the deadly glare through the girl's eyes.

"She will not grow up to be like me. I will not do such a thing."

"She has a strong soul, a strong mind and a resolution at such a young age to protect her friends, that's why I chose her."

I grinded my teeth in anger.

"You saw what they did to her, what they called her. No one deserves that!" I yelled, my anger coming back. "Why can't you just come back into me?" I yelled.

"I am still in you!"

I froze.

"What?"

I heard the screeches, familiar to me as I remembered what the kyonshi sounded like when Akina described them to me. I felt a chill go up my spine as I realized they were heading this way. I looked over to my brother and Gaara. They felt it too…the bloodlust. As the team medic I knew I couldn't be reckless but…with Akina…my…my little sister risking her life to save us again I knew I wouldn't be able to stand back. Especially not when I've lost everything once… I won't loose it all again.

"Wakana." Gaara said my name; I turned back to him, meeting his stare.

"I know…Satoshi stay on your toes."

"Don't worry sis…I won't loose."

And as if on cue the first wave broke through the trees. Anger boiled underneath my skin as the dead bodies, possessed by whatever evil we were facing, as I saw the mangled features of their faces and the emptiness in their eyes. How could someone do this?

Gaara's sand shot out in the seconds that they came through the trees, surrounded them as he turned the area into a mini desert. He wasn't going to play with his prey like he usually would…he wanted them dead. I felt my chakra sink to feet and hands, ready to use the strength Tsunade-shishou had taught me to use and I flew forward, attacking with everything I had.

My mind reeled in confusion when I heard those words.

"What?" I asked, unable to understand what Kira was saying. The small girl merely held up her hand, touching mine and I felt a bolt of energy go through me. I pulled back as if being burned.

"When you defeated Madara I was sure you had used all my energy but you only used three quarters of it…I am still inside of you."

"Then why? Why couldn't I block out the crazed guy in cloak who's after her and me?"

"Because…the man in the cloak in Ikkaku…he's become stronger than I imagined he would and broke apart form his chains in the hell I sent him to."

I gritted my teeth in anger.

"How in the hell could he have gotten loose?" I finally yelled. Passerby's in the village, poorer folk who lived in some of the shacks watched my outburst at the girl. I ignored their faces, knowing they would never understand.

"He did…somehow he did and now he's coming after you and Yumi."

"So can't you come back into me so he'd just be after me?" I asked, truthfully not wanting this small girl to have to go through this. I stared at the ground, not wanting to really come to terms with what she was saying. "Is there really no way you can let her go?" I whispered. "If she were older, not a child, then that would be different…"

There was a silence then, and I felt the need to look up at the sky. With I sigh I did so, watching the birds flying above me.

"There is a way…possibly…"

My ears perked up at this and I found myself staring intently at Yumi. Kira looked up at me, a shimmer in her purple eyes.

"You might succeed…or you will both die."

And just like that I felt like there was no hope. I shook my head.

"I will not endanger this girls life…she's too young-"

"So were you when you lost your parents."

I stared at Yumi, well Kira really, but still. Every bone in my body went on edge.

"This child has determination like you wouldn't believe…she is you, your friends and your enemies all in one. She would die for her friends if she had the chance."

And then I felt the chakra spike give way and I knew Yumi was back. The brown eyes of the girl looked up at mine.

"I…will do whatever it takes to protect my friends…I have no one left but them."

"Yumi…you know that you might die-"

"I don't care!" She yelled. "I want to protect them as much as you want to protect yours!"

I nodded.

"But…my mission is to bring you back to a safe place…so your friends will be protected as well…come back to Kumo with me and I'll train you, then we can figure out what we can do."

I saw Yumi look back at her village as we left it. Her friends stood there, waving. Once we were far enough in I summoned Kamina. The hawk screeched, looking down at us.

"Kamina…take her to the Raikage and tell him I found her."

"What about you?" The bird asked me.

"I'm going to find them, I will not leave them."

"Akina!" I heard Kira call as they lifted off the ground. "Fight with this!" Next thing I knew a unfamiliar weapon flew off of Kamina. I grabbed it, twirling it with ease. I felt power surge through me immediately and I recognized it.

It was Kira's staff. The one from legend. I saw them hover above me, and I shook my head, jumping up the trees to toss it back. Yumi caught it, looking down at me curiously.

"My scythe is more than enough."

I felt the sickening crack of decrepit bone beneath my hands as I punched everyone one in my way down. Looking behind me I saw Satoshi using his demon windmill shuriken technique on a group of them. As we fought on the sand Gaara created I felt my anger still simmering beneath my skin.

Another kyonshi attacked me and with perfect sync I moved out of its way, turned on my heels and used my katana to back slash it across the neck, severing its spinal cord with perfect accuracy. Barbaric yes…but effective.

I smirked, jumping onto a tree branch. Making a few hand signs I shot off a few fire balls towards the group surrounding the trees.

"Sis!" Satoshi called my name and I saw him being attacked by an exceedingly large kyonshi. I grabbed my katana, running over to him and in the process, destroying a few more of the enemy here and there. As I got to him I heard Gaara.

"Sabaku Taisou!" I heard him yell and then the screeching stopped as I stabbed the kyonshi in the back. Twisting my sword in his back I pulled it back out, connecting my fist with the back of its neck. It fell lifelessly to the floor.

"Sis…" Satoshi whispered, standing up. "When did you-"

"Remember those nights when I wasn't around?" He nodded. "I was training with Hibiki…for this."

"Hibiki eh? Of course some of those nights were for other activities no doubt…"

"Shut up." I said, a lit tint of pink on my cheeks now.

"The man's a strong guy, he not one of the heads of Anbu for nothing."

I smirked, nodding as I took another one out.

I ran as quickly as I could, racing back to our camp ground. No more than a day and a half could have passed since I was last there. I heard the screeching getting closer and I knew there was a fight. I stopped when my feet hit sand, and I realized Gaara had made a make shift desert.

Something was wrong though, something just didn't seem right. I stopped running, grabbing onto my necklace as if it would help me.

"I see your senses are as good as ever."

I froze, knowing exactly who was behind me.

Light swirled around me as I summoned my scythe. The man behind me lurched forward, and then it was scythe against scythe.

"Have you been waiting for me?" I rasped out.

"Relax Akina-chan. I'm only here to give you an invitation." The man said, leaning into my ear. "Six months from now return to the leaf, with Yumi, and your whole army."

"Is that a declaration of war?" I asked, pushing my blade against his dark one.

"That's only if you're ready for defeat by my hands, I swear to you I will show you fear like nothing you have seen before."

"Really now…well…then I'll just have to show up, Ikkaku."

The man smiled.

"Very well, Akina-chan. See you and your army in six months."

And then he was gone. I let my scythe fall from my hand when I knew he was gone. Before it hit the ground it disappeared. I growled lowly, anger getting the best of me. Wrenching the bag of sand of my bag I lifted it up, using my chakra to open it and command it to take me to Gaara.

And then, jus like Ikkaku, I disappeared as well.

The last kyonshi fell before me, my sand swallowing it whole just like the others. Satoshi and Wakana stood side by side, breathing hard from the fight.

"Gaara…" I heard my name called and I turned around to see Akina appearing in a swirl of sand. She ran over to me and I wrapped my arms around her quickly. Satoshi and Wakana were next to us instantly.

"What happened?" I question immediately.

"I found her, she's going back to Kumo on Kamina so we can train." She said into my shirt. "Gaara…" She whispered. "In six months he's coming back…"

My eyes widened as it clicked immediately.

In six months we were going to war.