Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own Naruto, although Megan is nightheart777's and the plot is mine.

Chapter 2: The Dawn

"Even if I must take the devil's fruit, I must gain power."

~Uchiha Sasuke~

Megan's been in the Akatsuki for almost as long as she could remember. Of this life, at least.

Past lives are such fickle things, having lived their lives in alternate realities, and then, nothing for the longest time. When there is finally something, your memories are taken.

Of course, when you have the fucking Juubi in you, you still have your memories. Sometimes, those things make things much harder when you would hope they would make them easier.

Nobody in the Akatsuki knew her secret, about the Juubi or about herself being from another world. If she had anything to say about it, they never would know. Or at least, they wouldn't know until it was too late and she had stopped Tobito's evil pan.

Most people wouldn't want to end up in the organization that would likely kill you once they learn your secret. Most being the key word. Megan was happy she had ended up in the Akatsuki. Maybe, she could change them from the inside.

Her sister wouldn't have been so optimistic in such a situation. She wouldn't have believed that she could change them from the inside, especially without revealing the truth about Tobi. Megan still hadn't come up with a plan for that yet, but she would get to it. She would not wing something as important as this.

Thinking about her sister made her reminisce, and think about how she got here. Well, getting to this universe sure as hell wasn't pleasant.

x~x~x

"Look out!" shouted someone; Megan wasn't too sure if it was her sister, her cousin, or Gwen. Her cousin always had a penchant for yelling out stupid things, or things that were right in fucking front of them.

Tires screeched, but there was no way they were going to make it. Especially with those stupid boards in the car that were likely to impale one of them. Crazy drunkard, for driving a car in the middle of the night. Gwen's never gonna be able to stay over after this…

Her body suddenly jerked backwards. Well, what do ya know? I jinxed myself, she thought as she stared at the wooden board protruding out of her chest. Oh, look at that, another one, she thought just as another board pierced her eye, finally ending her pain.

x~x~x

Megan's memories and her consciousness awoke just as her mother finished sealing the Juubi into her. The women, dead, fell to the ground beside the baby, sightless eyes staring into green ones.

So, this is my new host. How pitiful.

Shit, Megan thought as she realized that the Juubi had just been sealed inside of her. I die, and this is what happens? Why couldn't I have, like, Kurama or Shukaku?

A deep chuckled sounded in her mind. You are scared because you are afraid that your precious Obito will hate you for stealing all of his glory. She could almost feel it tilt its head at her, sizing her up. I sense the want to be a ninja in you. What if I told you that I could grant you that power, and all you have to do is seize it?

I would take it, Megan replied to him in her head, baby fist clenching.

If she could see it, Megan imagined that it would be grinning. Then you have it, it hissed through her mind as she felt pain, in the places that she had been stabbed at in her past life. Her babyish screams rang out across the clearing she and the body was in, just as her body started twisting, turning into a 13 year old human body, naked and scarred.

Megan stared at the center of her chest, where there was a scar that shouldn't be there. Her eye! Terror welled up like lava in her chest, burning her and destroying who she used to be. A hand rose up to feel the left side of her face, tracing over the scarred left eye. So, this had been the price for that power.

Yes. Power comes with a high price, and the price for yours is your old body from your past life, scars and everything.

"Okay, then what power have you given me, then?" Megan demanded, her voice thick from tears of pain and shock.

The Juubi chuckled. Ah, but it would ruin the surprise if I told you. You have to find out for yourself.

Megan sighed, looking around with a wince at the rainy landscape. I need clothes, now. Sorry! She grimaced as she pulled the clothing off the dead women.

Okay, think Megan. You're in the Naruto world, obviously, and I presume that you're in Rain, or at least near it. You died in that car crash, so it is an easy guess that Caitlin, Daddy, Bobby, and Gwen may have died and ended up here also. You didn't remember anything until the Juubi was sealed into you, so it's safe to assume that they don't remember anything right now. Oh, and Caitlin's probably a baby! Or at least, Caitlin is and Daddy would be all grown up here. Er, I think. What if we were all born at the same time here? Or maybe we didn't all die in the car crash? Or maybe this is some kind of hallucination and I'm in a coma?

Stop it with your worrying. It is hurting my head. And no, this is very real. And before you ask, I have no clue if the others lived or not. Even if they died, I would have no clue if they had ended up in this world or in another world. I suppose we will found out, sooner or later.

Why are you helping me? Megan demanded, more than a little confused. She had always thought that the Juubi was crazy, and didn't think. Of course, she should have known better, considering all the other bijus had personalities and thoughts.

Why, I think that you'll take over the world.

I'd never do that!

I was joking. I've seen what is going to happen through your memories and I've decided that I would rather live and not be sealed into a psycho. Besides, your life will at least be slightly interesting, and something needs to break the monotony.

x~x~x

The Juubi, for whatever reason, trained Megan, but never revealed her hidden powers. She finally unlocked them three years later.

The blonde girl snarled as the enemy ninja got in a lucky hit on her right side with his katana. She striked out with her simple chain scythe that was being used almost like a whip. It wrapped around his throat after slicing into his side, and was pulled viciously by the sixteen year old until all the breath had left the man's body. She let the chain go limp and efficiently unwrapped it from the shinobi's throat. She then wrapped the chain around her waist, like a belt.

Megan's eye blinked as she realized that her left eye on her scarred side felt strange. She walked towards a puddle located on the other side of the road and stared into her only open eye, the other concealed by golden hair. Her blue stripes beneath her eyes stood out on her skin, causing her skin to almost seem to have a blue tint in the fading light.

She focused on her closed eye, feeling the scar that crossed over it. She had never tried to open it because she was afraid of what she would find. Maybe it had an eye. Or maybe there wasn't an eye on that side, just a gaping hole were one should be.

Slowly, she opened the eye, and her month fell open. The shocked look on her face would have been comical in a different situation. Where her left eye once laid was an eye that held, of all things, the Rinnegan.

"What's wrong with this world?!"

x~x~x

Megan made a name for herself with the strength that she possessed, and soon, the request that she had been waiting for came.

A woman in a black robe that had red clouds on it slowly walked towards the teenager. "You are not what I expected of the rumored Shadow Demon."

"Yeah, you expected a grown up, not a teenage rag-tag kunoichi that hasn't had any formal training."

The blue haired woman's eyebrows rose. "You have not had formal ninja training? Then how have you done all that you have done?"

Megan snorted. "Luck, and a good teacher."

Konan nodded, but did not ask who she was talking about. In their line of work, secrets were everywhere. "I have a proposal for you."

"Er, sorry, but I barely know you, so I'm gonna have to say no."

Konan only blinked to show her shock. "No?"

"No, I'm not gonna marry you when we barely know each other. Besides, I'm pretty sure you have to date first," Megan elaborated, a smirk on her face.

The amber eyed woman sputtered, and then said, "That's not the proposal I was about to make. What I want to know is if you will join the Akatsuki."

"Oh," Megan said, and then she pretended to think about it. "Sure. Why not?"

Konan sighed. She had a feeling that she may or may not regret that decision.

x~x~x

Life in the Akatsuki was strange. There were a rag tag group that all had very different personalities, and Megan knew that the personalities would only get wilder from there.

The only ones that hadn't joined yet were Itachi, Deidara, and Hidan. Orochimaru was still here, along with one of Kakazu's many partners. He killed at least one per week. The only reason he hadn't killed Orochimaru yet was because he bribed the miser.

Of course, she couldn't blame the snake for that (although she did blame him for many other things). She herself had had to bribe Kakazu when she caused him to lose patience with her, either through just talking or pranks. She suspected that he actually did like her because she was never frightened by his strange appearance and he hadn't really tried to kill her yet. If he really wanted to, he could kill her and then take all of her money, but he hadn't. That had to count for something.

It was actually really fun to watch the Akatsuki interact with each other. Her favorite member had to be Tobi, though. He was her best friend, even though she knew what he truly was.

In her first life, her favorite character had always been Tobito. Though they now weren't characters, it didn't mean that she couldn't have favorites. Even if her favorite was evil. Hey, KK had always told her that everybody was in the gray, not black or white, so what the hell?

Megan was embarrassed to admit that she had a huge crush on Tobito. She knew better than to tell him though. He was too hung up on Rin, and besides, even if he wasn't, he wouldn't like her.

Megan grimaced at the thought. Maybe I can hook up with Madara…

You forget that he is also what most would describe as 'evil'. Besides, I doubt you are his type. Too loud, I think. And how do you know that Obito doesn't like you and that he is just in denial?

What do you mean? Megan frowned as she sat in her room, talking with the Juubi. She could only hope that Tobi didn't suddenly rush into her room for whatever reason. She loved Tobi, but goodness, he was hyper!

I mean that what he felt for Rin was most likely a small crush that he blew way out of proportion. It wasn't true love. Usually I do not meddle in these sorts of things, but considering I have to share a head with you, I would prefer it to not be filled with thoughts like 'woe is me'.

Okay… So what are you suggesting I do, then?

Be as close as possible to him, and when the time comes, and he realizes the truth that what he is planning is wrong, you be there and help him pick up the pieces. He should hopefully realize the rest himself. If he does not, I will gladly help you beat sense into him.

This startled a laugh out of her. The Juubi may be a crazy and evil biju, but sometimes she couldn't help but laugh at his antics. She just loved evil people. Er, bijus.