A/N: I'm so sorry for the wait! Don't kill meeeee! .

Disclaimer: Same old, same old. Don't own Naruto.

Chapter 19: A Tint of Gray in This Heaven

*Smack*

I looked directly at the ground, avoiding Aki's angry glare.

"I thought I told you to never use this jutsu!" I snapped my head up to look at her.

"This jutsu will be what saves us from the Akatsuki and Orochimaru! I know what I am doing Aki! I am not that same 9-year-old girl as I was. I am 16 god dammit!" My eyes were clenched shut as I yelled at my best friend; it didn't feel right, but someone had to say what I was thinking. Better me than her.

"Suki, you don't know what I know about that jutsu…" Her eyes were wide and she was shaking her head, looking down.

"Yes. I do. I know what my ancestors did to yours. I know they used this power to kill the innocent of your clan. But your clan cursed us right back for our actions. And that is why we're here right now isn't it? Were forever tied together by fate?" Anger at our ancient past burned into my veins, I turned my gaze away from her eyes and swung my fist at the wall.

"Get out." I looked down at my hand; it was bleeding, and then looked at the cracked wall. I finally looked up at Aki's tear stricken face.

"I said get out Suki! Use your power! Go on! Kill innocent people with your own blood! I hope you are forced to look into their eyes as they die! You're just like your ancestors! Your name will always be stained in the blood that is coursing through your veins!" Her head shook in anger as she yelled at me; the tears were still falling from her face.

"You're just a stupid bitch Suki! You belong in the Akatsuki! You're rejected from here, an outsider, no one wants you here!" Okay now that hurt. I looked away from her, and looked back just as quick.

"You're wrong on that Aki. Naruto wants me here. I don't care that he's just one person." I looked out the window next to us. "I'm here to protect him from the Akatsuki. They will be coming here soon to try to take him so they can pull the 9-tails out of him." I looked back at her. "They don't know that I have this ability, this curse. I can attack them by surprise; I know almost all of their skills, and their jutsus."

"But as you requested, I will leave your home. I know when I'm not welcome somewhere." I turned away from Aki and walked out of her apartment door. I paused when I walked out, and turned around to look at her.

"I am very sorry about your dogs." Sadness flashed in her eyes for a moment, but returned to their cold stare. I turned back my head so it was facing the front of me. "I should have known that they would die protecting you. I should have saved you when you were in that village. Your dogs wouldn't have died if I stayed. I understand why you hate me." And with that, the door was slammed shut from behind me. My black and blue hair flew in front of me from the impact of the door slamming.

*So she's serious.* I chuckled. *She even surpassed the ability to have telepathy between both of us.* I sighed and walked down the street. It was strange, usually when the sun's close to setting everyone is out. I shrugged it off and continued to walk down the path.

"Suki." I turned to where the voice came from. I looked into the darkness of the tree.

"Shino. I know your there, come on out." I heard a soft buzz of bugs as a figure formed out of the trees and stepped up to me.

"Your age is back to normal…"

"Yes, it is. And you grew even taller." I measured myself from where I was on him; just below his neck.

"How did you even recognize me when we barely even saw each other before you left?"

"Simple. I just have to look for the tall, quiet, round dark glasses wearing ninja around my age!" I stated proudly, like I solved the hardest puzzle in the world. The covered boy chuckled at me.

"But you didn't even see me." He countered.

"Lucky guess." I shrugged, ending the subject that we were discussing. I looked down to the ground, and back up him.

"Hey, I'm gonna go. I need some time to think." I turned to leave, but he grabbed my wrist to stop me. I looked up at him into his dark glasses.

"You had a long time to think. It's time to take action." I looked at him confused; I tilted my head in unison to my confusion.

"What do you mean?" He released his grip on my wrist, I looked down at them.

"I know you're here to help. Just show everyone that you're serious." I nodded, understanding him.

"Thank you Shino." And with that I walked down the path.

. .

I stopped when I reached the meadow; the wild flowers bloomed all over the place. I couldn't help but allow a smile to pull my lips and my nose inhale the scent of the flowers. I sighed and fell onto my back into the tall grass and flowers.

When I landed into the grass a crowed of fireflies flew out, scurrying to a safer place to prepare themselves to fly as darkness engulfed the world around them and I. I stared up at the falling sun in the sky, catching all of the color into the setting sky.

It didn't take long for me to notice the presence of someone else in the meadow with me.

I lifted myself up onto my elbows and looked around me. I scanned the edge of the trees suspiciously. That's when someone I thought I would never see again step into the clearing. My eyes narrowed at him suspiciously.

"Hello Sasuke." I greeted as he reached hearing range. I small smirk played with his lips.

"Hello Suki." He replied. I looked at his hands; one was holding the end of his sword.

"Why are you here?" I questioned, eyeing him for what he might do now. He cocked his head to the side.

"To kill you of course." He stated matter-of-factly in a crazy high-pitch murderer voice. I jumped to my feet as he dived his sword into the ground where my body just was. He looked up at me with a grin.

"I never knew I would have to use this against you." I stated sadly as I did the hand signs for my jutsu. I jumped back as I finished the signs. "Cha!" I yelled, not wanting him to know what I was doing till last moment.

Sasuke smirked at me, his eyes activated before I even started the jutsu. "You just gave me your best jutsu as what your thoughts tell me." He stated like I was an idiot. I smirked back.

"That's what you think Sasuke! See like your family, my family is the only one that performs this jutsu! You are unable to use it!" I called to him to block out the pain of the chains coming out of my palms. They rush out of my skin faster than usual, and I smirked at the Uchiha, he smirked back.

In an instant my chains were jerked down into the ground. Startled, I looked over my shoulder. My eyes widened as I stared at the two clones of Sasuke, pinning the chains down with their swords. I looked back at the real Sasuke. His hand grabbed my chin and moved it up; I jerked back and looked away from him. He leaned into my ear.

"I'm going to enjoy killing you. I'll kill you slowly. You'll be in so much pain that you will ask me to let you die right then." I looked down to the ground where I was kneeling, a tear escaped my eye. I smirked and looked back up at him.

"You want to know what's going to hurt?" I questioned him, he looked at me skeptically.

"What?"

"Aki kicking your Orochimaru infested ass." I smirked.

"You got that right Suki!" A confident voice called from behind the real Sasuke. The two clones looked at her startled as kunai were thrown at their heads, making them turn into clouds of smoke. My chains were then free, but before I could do anything, Sasuke poofed in a cloud of smoke, leaving a log.

"Nooo! I've been LOGGED by Sasuke! AHHHHH!" I yelled into the air in defeat, holding my chained fists into the air. Aki giggled at me, I looked at her and gave a friendly smile. I quickly pulled the chains into my hands and ran to her short self. When I reached her, I pulled her into a hard hug.

"I'm sorry that I started using the jutsu Aki." I apologized, letting the tears fall down my exhausted face. She pulled me out of the hug and held me at arm's length.

"No, I'm sorry for what I said, you didn't deserve that." She pulled me into another hug, and I couldn't help but smile as the tears still ran down my dirty face.

A/N: I'm sorry for the long wait! I hope you liked it! And don't forget, REVIEW! And to Jodie: Don't feel abandoned! And Uke will be in the story also, but I'm gonna make an interesting plot twist to get her in! Mwah! Love you guys!