Chapter 17: Journey to Kaori's Past...


R.F: This is a special chapter where we learn more about Kaori's past and powers. This is also the chapter where we finally find who Raika-sensei is and how does she connect Raiga and Kaori together. BY the way, don't flame me if my Oc's seem Mary-Sue-ish to you. Just don't...


Back at the gold mines, the villagers were all grouped together, their expressions unreadable. Karashi stood by them, a look of anticipation appearing on his face. The genin team stood on the edge of a cliff that over looked the village. "Looks like the villagers are welcoming us," said Lee.

"Alright! They're looking fine! The Kurosuki family must've chickened out and split!" said Naruto jubilantly.

Neji's eyes looked around and appeared to have spotted something while Kaori's nose twitched as it caught a scent on the wind. The team looked at each other and smiled slyly.


"Hey everybody!" called Naruto as the group came jogging down the mountain. Karashi grinned as they came into view. Unfortunately, it wasn't a good natured kind of grin.

"Naruto-san! STAY BACK!" yelled Rokusuke, only to have Karashi cover his mouth.

"Be quiet if you want to live.." Karashi warned.

The other villagers looked at him in disbelief. "Karashi! We heard you were sorry for your actions!" one of them said.

"Hmph! Like I'll go back to that dinghy little restaurant so easily! NOW!" Karashi called, signaling to the other Kurosuki members at the top of the hill.

The men quickly began to push down large boulders that came rolling down the steep slope at such a high speed that the four genin barely had time to react. The villagers gasped as they saw the ninja getting crushed by the boulders. The other Kurosuki members came down and stood on top of the boulders looking evidently pleased that they destroyed their opponents. "Hah! See? Even if Raiga-sama is gone, the Kurosuki family is eternal!" he announced triumphantly.

While the other members tried searching between the boulders for the bodies, a familiar voice spoke up. "Hey! Watcha' looking for?"

"What else? Those do-gooder kids!" one of them replied without realizing who was speaking.

"You mean us?" asked another.

That got their attention. The gang members whipped around to see Neji and Naruto looking at them in amusement. Everybody stared at them with open mouths. "Do you really think that we would get killed off that easily?" asked Kaori, who appeared sitting on one of the boulders with one leg crossed over the other. Lee stood behind her with his arms folded.

"It was Naruto-kun's Shadow Clones of us that got destroyed," explained the boy.

"Assemble!" called the one who spoke up just now. The group quickly jumped back and clustered together. "Ninpo: Black Tornado!"

Suddenly the group split into two and began jumping on each other's shoulders, forming two human pillars. The genin group looked at them in shock as the men stuck out their arms, unsheathed their metal claws and began spinning rapidly, creating two deadly black tornadoes. One of them spun towards Neji and Naruto while the other went after Lee and Kaori. The genin quickly began running to get away from them only to have their efforts proved in vain as they got sucked into the tornadoes chasing them. All of them screamed before disappearing into smoke, catching the men off guard.

"Those were Shadow Clones too!" yelled Naruto from the top of cliff where the group had been watching the whole scenario. Kaori was shown to have already switched her Melon Hammer Bells for her Cat Sash Bells as the genin team began their assault, running down the mountain.

"We saw through your plans from the start!"said Neji. "Kaori-san!" he called.

Kaori nodded as she gripped the handles of her two bells and shook them, creating a loud ringing as Kaori began to charge them with electricity. "Lightning Bells... Ring!" she cried out, slamming the two bells together in the direction of the two tornadoes. A loud ringing was produced as blue lightning shot out of the bells in the form of waves, moving in rhythm to the rings. The Lightning/Sound waves hit the two tornadoes dead on and surrounded it. Kaori slammed her bells together once more, this time producing a louder and larger wave which forced the men to disperse.

The Kurosuki members yelled in pain as they hit the ground convulsing with lightning sparking around their bodies while they clutched their ears, which were bleeding slightly. But that didn't stop them from getting back on their feet and blocking attacks from Lee and Naruto, who took down at least six of them in seconds.

"Byakugan!" went Neji when four of the members had surrounded him. Once he saw that they were within range, Neji took his stance. "Kaiten!" he yelled, spinning rapidly while releasing a huge burst of chakra that repelled the men quickly. (A/N: I know he used a different move but I felt that Kaiten was more effective.)

Kaori made her weapon disappear as she stood among the half conscious men laying scattered all over the place. She crossed her arms to reveal that she was holding several Spirit Seals in her hands that were equal to the number of the members. Electricity sparked around her as she threw the seals into the air. "Miko Arts: Spirit Seals!" she said throwing down her arms, directing every individual seal to plaster themselves on each men in various places. Kaori placed her hands together to form a hand seal. "Bind!" she commanded sharply.

The Spirit Seals glowed briefly as the men found their arms moving on their own and pinning themselves behind their backs while their legs stuck together and bent forward. "What the hell? I can't move!" yelled one of the members.

"Me neither!"

"I can't move either! What did she do to us?" yell a few of the men as they tried to struggle.

Kaori smirked as her friends caught up to her. Naruto whistled as he looked the guys on the ground. "You've gotta teach that move..." he said impressed.

"Not a chance..." came the reply from Kaori.


Once back in the village, Naruto stomped angrily up to Karashi. "You just don't learn do you?" he growled in anger, making the man flinch in fear.

"Karashi! You better prepare yourself!"said Rokusuke as he and the other villagers began to advance on him, making Karashi gulp in fear.

"C-come on...it was just a joke..."he stammered as if it make the situation better.

"You enjoyed bullying us!" accused another.

"It's not my fault, I'll get killed if I don't follow the Kurosuki family's orders!" he protested.

"Screw you! I outta hammer your head open!" yelled a man picking up his hammer. Many others also began to pick up their tools getting ready to give Karashi the beating of a lifetime if Lee had not stepped forward, got down on his knees and bowed, much to everyone's surprise, including Kaori.

"Please! Hit me until your satisfied!" he begged. "It was my fault Karashi became like this in the first place! It was because of me he came to think that power was everything!"

Karashi did not hesitate to agree. "Yes! That's right! I knew it was wrong but I couldn't st-" he was saying when a bolt of lightning shot past and hit the wall behind him, narrowly missing his head by inches. The shock made Karashi sink to the ground as his legs gave out.

"URUSAI!" snapped Kaori, walking to the front of the crowd towards the frightened man. Electricity surrounded her body visibly as her eyes blazed with anger, making everybody back off. The girl glared sharply at Karashi. "You're a coward! You left your poor mother all alone, you bullied others mercilessly, and now you're willing to let Lee-senpai take the blame! Have some shame and remorse! Men like you disgust me...you're lucky Lee-senpai is even defending you!" she growled, as a spark of electricity narrowly missed Karashi's...sensitive spot... The poor guy was almost too scared to even wet himself.

A few other villagers nodded in agreement. "That's right! Lee-san, you shouldn't bother with this lying bastard!"

"Please! Kaori-san, everyone! Let me take responsibility! Karashi-san is immature, but he has talent in making life saving curry! I beg of you, please forgive him and let him make things right!" pleaded Lee, not once raising his head from the ground. "If Karashi-san ever goes down the wrong path again, I'll punish him myself!" he declared swinging his fist at Karashi but stopping just inches from his face.

Kaori did a small take at Lee's sincerity and level of mature-ness. She closed her eyes for a moment and turned around, the electricity disappearing. "Hmph!" she said, walking away.

The villagers all looked at one another and nodded. "Everyone, why don't we let Lee-san and Sansho-baasan punish Karashi instead?" asked Rokusuke.

"Well, he is only an underling..." said one.

"It's alright with me," said another. The other villagers gave similar replies. Karashi breathed a huge sigh of relief when Lee suddenly grabbed his head and forced the man's head on the ground with a thud.

"ARIGATO- GOZAIMASU!" exclaimed Lee gratefully, bowing once more.

"A-arigato..." said Karashi, lifting his head.

Naruto dusted his hands. "Well, I guess that raps up this mission!" he said happily.

"Nope, not yet.." said Neji, turning to face Kaori, who nodded in acknowledgment and placed two fingers between her lips and blew gently as she tilted her gaze towards the sky.

Within seconds there was a loud rush of wings as Yue appeared flying down from the cliff with young Ranmaru on her back. The genin were surprised to see that Ranmaru was looking more excited than depressed from before as Yue landed gently on the ground. "Sugoi! That was exhilarating!" breathed the boy.

"Glad you enjoyed your flight," replied Yue, obviously pleased as she made her wings disappear.

"Shall we go back now?" asked Kaori to Neji, who nodded.

Ranmaru looked at the the genin for a while as sadness returned to his eyes."Excuse me..but could I ask for a small request?..."

The others looked at him with open ears.


As it turns out, the group found themselves back on the mountain where they had fought, walking towards the edge where Raiga fell off. From where they stood, they could see a large pile of rocks where the man's two hands stuck out still clutching his two swords. "Byakugan!" said Neji, activating his technique to check the man's vital signs before deactivating the technique. "As I thought, there's no life left in him..."

Ranmaru stared silently, his small hands gripping Yue's furry back. Yue turned her head slightly, she didn't know why but for some reason, the boy didn't feel as much remorse as she thought. Her instinct told her that something was off. Kaori shared the same sentiments as her pupils became that of a cat's. 'Why? Why am I feeling a new sense of dread?'Kaori thought as she turned around and walked off.

"I've seen enough..." said Ranmaru, turning his head away to hide a tiny smirk.

"Let's go, our mission is done..." said Neji as the group walked away from the edge back to the curry restaurant.

"Yosha! Now you'll be able to try the Curry of Life!" said Lee excitedly.

"Curry of Life?" echoed Ranmaru in curiousity.

"It's really good! I have to admit after eating a few times I feel totally energetic!" said Naruto, grinning at the kid.

Neji and Yue looked at each other unsure and sweat dropped, while Kaori seemed to stiffen up at the mentioning of the overly spicy curry. It really burned her heat-sensitive tongue but she had forced herself to finish it back then just to be polite.

After collecting Karashi from the villagers, the group finally made their way back to the down the mountain.


The group was welcomed warmly back at the restaurant by Rokusuke's friends while Karashi nervously entered. His mother said nothing and had her back turned to him while she stirred a large pot of curry. Karashi shifted uncomfortably before sinking down to his knees in shame. "Forgive me, Okaa-chan!" he begged tearfully.

"He said he will devote his whole life to the curry shop from now on," explained Lee, trying to support the man. "Please forgive him!"

Sansho said nothing as she turned around and set a large plate of rice with bubbling reddish colored curry. Kaori and Yue held their breath as they desperately tried not to sneeze from the smell of the spices. "First, you eat!" she said looking stern.

Karashi looked at her mother tearfully while Naruto's face lit up. "Hey if you're not going to eat it, then I will!" he said.

A smile began to appear on Sansho's face. "Eat up everyone, I'll have yours ready in a sec, and I'll make one for the boy too," she said upon noticing Ranmaru on Yue's back.

Naruto gently placed the boy on the seat while Yue reverted back to her kitten form. "Oyasumi..." she said as she promptly collapsed on the floor in deep sleep.

Ranmaru's mouth fell open slightly before he looked at Kaori. "Will she be alright?" he asked as Kaori picked up the kitten and placed her in her jacket.

"She's fine, a little tired that's all. BY the way, Obaa-san could you please make my curry mild please?"

"Mine too," agreed Neji quickly.

Meanwhile, Karashi looked at the plate of bubbling curry rice with tears in his eyes. He sniffed loudly before he picked up the spoon and sat down. "Thank You for the food Kaa-chan!" he said putting a large spoonful in his mouth. No sooner he did it, Karashi's eyes widened as his face became a florescent red while steam came out from his ears.

"That's your punishment. It's 300 times stronger than usual," said Sansho smiling.

Kaori turned her head covering her nose and sneezed. 'No wonder my nose is itching so badly!' she thought, sneezing again.

The boys watched feeling a bit sorry for the guy as tears streamed down Karashi's red face. He lips had began to swell from the heat and spices as he continued to eat the curry rice. "It's hot! It's hot Kaa-chan, but its delicious!" he said tearfully.

Unseen by the others, Sansho had her back turned to the others to hide her crying face. Kaori really couldn't believe what she was seeing. Here was a guy who left his mother for selfish power and terrorized people while working for that monster Raiga. He had done so many horrible deeds and lied to them twice, yet Lee still found it in his heart to forgive and defend Karashi without hesitation. Not to mention Sansho, whom Karashi had probably hurt the most. 'Why? How is it they can find the heart to forgive someone who was involved in taking the lives of others? Such a person should deserve death as punishment!' she thought with a mixture of anger and confusion welling up inside her as she clenched her fist.


Later that night, while Naruto was still downstairs talking to Ranmaru, Kaori decided to visit the two boys in their room. She knocked on the door lightly and waited for a response.

"Come in!" she heard Lee say before opening the door.

"Excuse me for disturbing you guys, but I have to ask you guys something..." said Kaori, closing the door behind her. The two boys looked at each other before looking at her as she sat down.

"We'll answer your questions only if you would answer ours," bargained Neji, not willing to miss the opportunity to learn more about their puzzling team mate.

Kaori went silent for a while as she thought about it. "It depends..." she muttered.

"So..what was it you wanted to ask of us, Kaori-san?" asked Lee.

The girl stared at them hard. "Karashi-san did a lot of bad things to the innocent, why and how is it do you manage to forgive someone who has done unforgivable things?..." she asked getting straight to the point.

With even hesitating, Lee gave Kaori a large grin and said, "That's easy! I just forget what's in the past and look forward! There's no point in hating someone forever!".

Kaori widened her eyes and lowered her head as she recalled her conversation with her friend Taiboku. "He said something like that back then too..."

"Who?" asked Lee and Neji at the same time.

"Nothing, now to keep my end of the deal, what is it do you need to know?"

"I want to know how come you and Raiga-san seem to know each other?" asked Ranmaru as he and Naruto entered the room. Kaori still tensed a little at seeing Ranmaru and hearing Raiga's name.

Keeping her eyes hidden by her bangs, unwanted memories began flashing in her mind. The blood spatter, her sensei dying, that creature's rancid face...Kaori clenched her teeth as she tried to suppress the trauma she experienced that day. "Gomenasai..."she muttered loud enough for the boys to hear, her voice shaking. "But that is one question I'd rather not answer... please excuse me..." she said, bowing her head and leaving the room silently.

The boys looked at each other in confusion. Just then, Yue entered the room and bowed her head. "Forgive my master, please. To tell you the truth, Kaori-sama has been dreading that encounter with Raiga the moment she heard he was in the village..." explained Yue sadly.

"But why? What sort of history do they have with each other?" asked Lee curiously.

Yue averted her eyes for brief moment. "I'm not supposed to talk about this...it's complicated..."

Suddenly, Yue heard a thump, bringing her to look up to see Ranmaru on his knees . "Please Yue, even during my time with Raiga-san, he never once spoken about his past! Please Yue, what happened between them?" begged Ranmaru.

'Ranmaru-dono...' Yue looked at the boy's face, her heart filled with nostalgia as she saw a resemblance to an old friend. "You really look so much like her..." Yue thought aloud climbing on to Ranmaru's lap and touching his face with her paw.

"Who?" chorused Neji, Lee and Naruto.

Yue turned her head to them and replied, "Raika-sama...Kurosuki Raika-sama..."

"Kurosuki?" Ranmaru and the others exclaimed in shock, their eyes widening.

Yue nodded in response. "Let me explain to you about Kaori-sama's powers..." she said. "Have you ever heard of the Raijuko?"

"Raijuko?" the boys asked in confusion.

"The Raiju is a powerful legendary beast that serves the Thunder God. It is said that out of every 100 children born of Lightening affinity, the Raiju would choose five children and bestow them a fraction of it's Lightning powers. Those who receive it's powers harness the natural ability to generate lightning from birth. These children are then called Raijuko, children born of the Thunder beast..."

"So what are you saying, Yue?" asked Naruto, still confused at the kitten's explanation.

"Like I said, Raijuko have the ability to generate Lightning from birth but at a price..." continued Yue.

"What do you mean a price?" asked Ranmaru this time.

"The key abilities of a Raijuko's power are derived from emotions, strong feelings, both positive and negative. When Raijuko experiences strong emotions, such as excitement, despair, rage or even jubilation, they unintentionally release large bursts of their power, hurting others in the process."

It was then the boys recalled Kaori's strange behavior at the Gold Mine. The electric spark Naruto felt when he tried to touch her, the electrical sphere that suddenly appeared surrounded Kaori when she went into shock, the guys looked at each other finally grasping what Yue was trying to say.

"Kaori-san...she's a Raijuko, isn't she?" asked Neji.

"Yes. That time when you first witnessed her powers in the forest, Neji-dono, it wasn't a Nekojiwa clan ability. Kaori tends to use her clan's abilities as an excuse to hide her powers," explained Yue.

"NO way..." said the other boys in amazement.

Yue nodded as a sad expression clouded her face. "Hai, being a Raijuko has been difficult for Kaori-sama as a child. When she was 4 yrs old, she was sent straight to the Lightning Temple of the Lightning Country to learn how to control her powers and for protection."

"Protection?" the boys said curiously.

"Raijuko are considered dangerous due to their powers and are often feared by others. This also makes them valuable as a single Raijuko can produce enough electricity to take out an army of 500," explained Yue.

"EEEH?" the boys exclaimed in shock, their eyes bugging out.

"Fortunately, Kaori-sama's mother knew a young miko at the temple who could help...but unfortunately this meant Kaori-sama had to separate from her family..."

Lee nodded his head in understanding, his brows furrowing together. "And that miko was Kurosuki Raika, right?"

Yue nodded in reply. "Raika-sama was very kind, powerful and respectable as a miko despite being only 17 years old. Not only did she train Kaori-sama to control her powers, Raika-sama personally made her a subordinate so that she could be trained in the Miko Arts."

'Well that explains why her techniques are so different from ninjutsu...' thought Neji as he continued to listen to Yue's tale. (No pun intended)

"While Raika-sama was kind to her, there were others who despised Kaori, mostly for being a Raijuko and secondly for being Raika-sama's student as many have wanted to be mentored by her badly. When by herself, Kaori-sama would often be the subject of bullying by the other disciples and miko. What made it worse was that Kaori-sama had to force herself to suppress her feelings, so that her powers wouldn't be unleashed..." continued Yue, recalling all the times she had witnessed Kaori being tormented, getting pushed down stairs, having buckets of mop water dumped on her, it was painful for Yue as she was defenseless to stop them at the time.

"It must've been hell for her...being unable to cry or anything..."muttered Naruto looking down. 'I wasn't exactly treated nicely either as a kid but at least I could cry when I wanted to...' he thought sadly as bitter memories of his past came back to him.

"However, there was one particular person who despised Kaori-sama the most, that person was Kurosuki Raiga...Raika-sama's older brother..."

Ranmaru didn't say anything but wore a hardened expression on his face. Just then the room door opened to reveal Kaori standing there looking at Yue sternly. "K-Kaori-sama! G-gomenasai!" Yue apologized hurriedly with a guilty look on her face and kow towing.

Kaori sighed exasperatedly as she entered and sat down, stroking Yue to calm her. "It's ok, I came back to keep my end of the bargain anyway..."

The boys all heaved sighs of relief knowing that they were safe from Kaori's wrath after hearing what she could do. "So you guys know about my powers huh?" asked Kaori bluntly.

Ranmaru looked at her with large eyes. "Yes Ma'am, but please tell us about your relationship with Raiga-sama..."

Kaori looked at Ranmaru and sighed again. "Raiga-san and Raika-sensei were polar opposites as siblings but I could see he loved Raika-sensei very dearly. Sensei told me that their parents were killed by a Raijuko when they were kids, so you can imagine how much he opposed to having me around her..." said Kaori as a flashback hit her.


Flashback

A young man wearing the uniform of a Hidden Mist Jonin was yelling loudly at a younger woman who was dressed in miko attire who appeared to be looking for something in the temple store house. Four year old Kaori sat curled up in the shade of a nearby tree trying to hold back her tears after being left at place that was miles away from Sunagakure and from her sisters.

"Raika, I can't believe you would actually go through with this! That GIRL is exactly like the monster who killed our parents years ago!" roared a 19- year old Raiga."You are a respected miko for Pete's sake do you realize what this could do for your reputation!"

Meanwhile, 17 year old Raika was calmly taking in her brother's protests as she rummaged about in some old boxes."Hmm...now where did I put my old uniform?..." she muttered to herself.

"Are you even listening to me?"

"FOUND IT~!" Raika said in a sing-song voice as she withdrew a few small miko attire from a box.

"RAIKA!"

Raika continued to be oblivious to her brother's words as she checked the clothing. She looked slightly upset to see a number of holes in most of the shirts and pants. "Oh dear they're moth eaten...Oh well, guess that means I have to make new ones~! Now where's that sewing kit and material, Onii-sama?" she asked her brother catching him off guard.

"Huh? I think it's on the top shelf Ra- Hey don't change the subject! This is serious!"

Raika sighed heavily as she momentarily stopped what she was doing and turned to face her brother. " Onii-sama, I AM being serious, Kaori-chan is a Raijuko, there's no changing that fact, but she has nothing to do with what happened to our parents years ago. But if I can help her control her powers better, she can do wonders in the future. She has potential, I can see it!" she said picking up her needed supplies.

"But Raika-"

"No buts, Brother dear, it's about time you returned to the Hidden Mist, ," Raika said firmly walking past her brother and towards Kaori.

Just as the two girls were walking away, Kaori looked over her shoulder to see Raiga staring at her poisonously, his face contorted with pure black hatred. The little girl quickly turned her head to the front to avoid his gaze.


There was a momentary awkward silence in the room. "So..." Lee began to say, breaking the silence. "What ever happened to Raika-sensei?..." he asked despite the fact that everyone has the feeling they knew what the answer was.

A dark look clouded Kaori's face as she bowed her head once more. "He killed her!" she hissed, raising her head show her eyes filled with blood lust, hatred and an intense desire for revenge. A look that Naruto was only too familiar with. Electricity sparked around Kaori as thunder could be heard rumbling outside. Suddenly, the light's began flickering in reaction to Kaori's electrical pulses.

Ranmaru looked shocked, no, horrified when he heard Kaori's answer. "You're lying...it can't be true..." he said softly before passing out.

Neji quickly caught the boy before his head hit the ground. "No doubt the shock has gotten to him..." noted Neji as he excused himself to carry Ranmaru out.

Kaori quickly regained her usual stoic demeanor as she got up."It's late, I'm going to bed," said Kaori excusing herself.

"Kaori-sama..." said Yue sadly in a soft voice as she followed her owner.

"Good night, you two..." said Kaori as she closed the door behind her and Yue before making her way back to her room.


Once there, Yue sat by Kaori silently as she removed her ninja gear as well as her jacket and guantlets before unclipping her long hair which sweeped the futon she sat on. Taking a decorated comb from her bag, Kaori slowly ran it through her hair. After a few silent moments, Yue spoke. "You don't think he's dead do you?" Yue asked, although it sounded more like a statement.

Kaori's hand paused slightly before setting the comb down and picking up a cat brush after removing Yue's collar. "I can't hide anything from you, can I Yue?" asked Kaori smiling a little.

"Kaori-sama..."

The smile dropped quickly as Kaori face held a question of uncertainty. "I thought he died 4 years ago, Yue. If he survived then what's to say he won't be back?"

Yue placed a paw reassuringly on Kaori's hand and smiled. "Even if he cheated Death once, my Lady, I doubt even he can survive twice, please cease your worry, Kaori-sama, it's over..." said Yue as Kaori began to brush her fur.

"I only hope so..."


The next morning came quick, as the genin got up early to see their clients off. "Thank you guys so much," both clients said happily.

Naruto and Neji replied with big smiles except for Kaori, who smiled a little and bowed. The clients bowed as well before moving off. "Take care of yourselves!" yelled Naruto as he waved with both arms enthusiastically after the clients.

"Neji-dono, wherever is Lee-dono?" asked Yue upon noticing the absence of a particular member.

"Let's just say he still hasn't finished his own mission..." said Neji giving a small chuckle as he looked away. Kaori and Yue followed his gaze just in time to see Lee jogging up the path with an extremely worn out Karashi, who was sweating by the buckets.


"Lee, wait up...I'm bushed..." complained Karashi panting heavily as he lagged far behind Lee, who unsurprisingly has not broken a sweat as he continued jogging on the spot.

"Seems like it, let's take a break," replied Lee. Karashi heaved a huge sigh of relief as he sat down breathing hard. "Let's do 300 push ups!"

"EEEEHHH?" screamed Karashi doing a double take.

"1,2, 1, 2, 1, 2..." went Lee as he completed 300 push ups in no time while Karashi barely could even complete two as he collasped face down and exhausted. Lee suddenly glanced at the sky, taking note of the dark clouds up ahead. "Looks like a storm's coming..." he noted as Neji and Kaori approached with Naruto not far behind.

Kaori tilted her head skyward, her pupils dilating into slits. "Yes...a storm is coming..." she echoed Lee in a low voice as a feeling of dread welled up inside her.


Minutes later, a couple of trees could be heard falling as Naruto and Lee straightened their backs from sawing. "Hey with a couple of strong logs reinforcing the restaurant, I think it'll do just find in a strong storm," exclaimed Naruto confidently.

Sansho, Kaori, Yue and Neji stood by them watching. "Oh thank you boys, how kind of you two!" said Sansho happily.

"Oh no, thank you for your yummy curry!" replied Lee good naturedly. Naruto grinned and nodded in agreement.

"Hmm, I wonder where Karashi went?" wondered the old lady out loud.

Suddenly a look of concern crossed Neji's face as he leaned sightly towards Kaori. "Kaori-san, I'm getting a bad feeling about leaving Karashi and Ranmaru together in that house," he whispered.

"Agreed," replied Kaori, nodding at the same time. "Yue!" she called softly over her shoulder.

Kaori's hood shifted as Yue's head popped out and nodded. "I shall go check on them, Kaori-sama, Neji-dono," said the kitten as she jumped and silently made her way back to the restaurant.


Once there, Yue squeezed herself through the wooden bars of a window and landed gently on the ground. "Karashi-dono? Ranmaru-dono?" she called out as she quickly bounded upstairs to check the rooms, only to find no one. "Oh no..." whispered the kitten as she had a hunch where the two would be as she quickly made her way out of the restaurant and began to sniff the air. Just as she suspected, she detected their mixed scents heading towards the gold mines.

"I have to stop them!" said Yue worriedly as she began running as fast as she could in the direction of the scents.

Meanwhile, well ahead going down a mountain trail, Karashi carefully made his way down to where Raiga fell, carrying Ranmaru on his back. "Are you sure the boss is really alive?" he asked Ranmaru.

"Positive. Although Neji failed to notice, I did," replied Ranmaru just as Karashi reached the foot of the mountain, becoming unnerved at upon seeing Raiga's hands still gripping his swords poking out from the pile of rocks he was buried under.

Ranmaru's eyes began to glow red as his eyes revealed what Neji's Byakugan could not. Right from the boy's point of view, Ranmaru detected strands of life energy seeping out from the rock pile. "Raiga..." he began to say, suddenly pushing himself off Karashi's back as he dragged himself to Raiga with all his strength. "You mean everything to me...I was waiting for death and you came along and saved me..." he said as he dragged himself closer and up the pile before finally wrapping his small body around one of Raiga's arms.

"Being with you was my life, i will not hold your funeral!" Ranmaru declared as his eyes began to glow. "Even it costs my life, I won't let you die!" said the boy as he began to transfer his chakra into Raiga.


Yue who was just beginning to descend the mountain, froze as she felt a large fluctuation of energy coming from the bottom. "I have to hurry!" she said to herself as she quickly picked up speed. Yue managed to make it just in time to see Ranmaru collapse into Karashi's arms but unfortunately was too late as she saw Raiga's arms beginning to quiver. Yue quickly jumped behind a rock just as a bolt of blue lightning came shooting down from the sky and striking Raiga's swords.

Yue watched in horror as the rock pile exploded and revealed Raiga back in full strength cackling evilly.

'Kaori-sama was right!' Yue cried out mentally, fearing the worst now that Raiga has cheated Death a second time.


R.F: And the plot thickens...what's gonna happen now?