~Chapter Four~

Misaki screamed, clinging to Itachi's back for dear life. The Uchiha cursed, righting himself and his baby second-cousin before they hit the ground. He managed to land on his feet, but in the process twisted his ankle. Yoru landed on one of the higher branches, "Itachi! Misaki!" he turned his head swiftly in every direction once Itachi motioned that they were all right. His black pupils slitted as he scanned the darker areas around them.

Hidan and Deidara had stopped as well, both moved down to where Itachi was and had their backs to Misaki. They kept a close knit circle around the baby dragon. Yoru growled lowly in his chest, having trouble in picking up any scent that wasn't theirs.

"It's no use trying to smell us out, Dragon." an older male's voice called out.

Yoru jumped down from his perch to stand semi in front of his injured cousin, glancing about frantically now.

"Who are you? Show yourselves!" the young adult called out to the shadows.

"Careful." Itachi warned in a low voice.

Hidan stepped back a little closer towards Itachi and the frightened baby dragon, keeping his attention alert to their surroundings more. "I don't think this is the Anbu group I and Sasori found..."

Yoru glanced over his shoulder briefly, only to then move in front of his cousin and daughter to catch a kunai a split second before it even reached Itachi. He then took the kunai and threw it back in the direction it came with a snarl. Misaki let out a little wail as it all happened, Itachi releasing the wrappings and moved the baby dragon in front of him and wrapped his arms protectively around her. A pained scream came from the shadows ahead and Yoru crouched down, his pupils slitted and he opened his mouth a little more, taking in the scent of fresh blood and easily identified the individual. He reached for his own kunai and Deidara and Hidan both went into action themselves. The blonde Akatsuki unzipped both pouches at his hips and took some clay into his hands, Hidan drew his three-bladed sythe and waited for the young adult to make the move.

"You're not Konohagakure Anbu!" Yoru snarled. "The stench of your blood says otherwise... Sound!"

"Ragh!" a Sound shinobi charged straight towards the group's left.

The young adult barely even turned his head towards the shinobi's direction, but his slitted crimson eyes met the other man's and the Sound faltered. Two more charged from the right and Yoru shifted with an enraged snarl-growl. Hidan went for the one on their left and Deidara steered clear from the draconic young adult's way, helping Itachi move somewhere a bit safer to guard Misaki. Yoru turned his massive draconic feline-like head to gaze at the two behind him, knocking them back in time with his tail. Just as he swiped the two away, four more replaced them and he snatched one in mid air. He thrashed his head to and fro then bit down to end the Sound, threw the dead shinobi at to the side and swiped one with a unsheathed paw as he snarled and roared.

One Sound managed to slice at Yoru's left flank, leaving a gash wound on the young adult's thigh. Yoru let out an enraged and pained cry, turning swiftly on the shinobi, but Hidan cut down the Sound before the draconic youth could.

"You fuckers pissed off daddy," Hidan laughed psychotically, "AND company!"

"That's a lame line, yeah!" Deidara called.

"Can it, Blondie!" Hidan snapped, slamming down the iron rod he always carried with him into the shoulder of the injured Sound.

Misaki clung to Itachi and the Uchiha used Amaterasu on the remaining few to Yoru's left. Already pissed and wanting to vent now, Yoru turned to the already burning few and released his own fire from his maw. Hidan placed his sythe on his shoulder and tilted his head to the side as he cocked an eyebrow.

"Was there a need for fucking overkill?" he questioned.

Yoru looked at Hidan, snorted and slightly opened his maw and smoke bellowed out. The silver-haired Akatsuki lifted a hand and took a step back from the young adult.

"Daddy!" Misaki sobbed, reaching out towards the youth.

Yoru turned his horned head up to his foster daughter and the two Akatsuki in the tree. He limped towards them, lifting his head up a bit more and Deidara knelt down, placing an arm around the baby dragon to keep her anchored more as Itachi wiped the blood from his eyes and face. Misaki took hold of Deidara's arm and placed her other to her foster father's nose. Yoru let out a reassuring rumble-purr to the baby, helping to calm her.

The Sound Hidan had impaled coughed and hacked, drawing the silver-haired man's attention. He looked down at the Sound, impressed that the woman even survived being raked by Yoru's claws, slashed by his sythe and then impaled in the shoulder by the iron rod. This one is definitely being sacrificed... he thought to himself. He took hold of the iron rod and pulled it out of the kunoichi's shoulder, receiving a grunt from her, but just before he brought it down into her chest Yoru stopped him.

"No,"

"What the fuck? What do you fucking mean 'no?!' Lord Jashin demands-" Hidan started.

"Your deity will get his sacrifice, but first," Yoru ignored the sharp pain in his right thigh and crouched down beside the Sound. "I want answers." he gave a low growl, a lip curling as he flashed a fang.


"For Anbu, you're late, un!" Deidara pointed accusingly at the four Anbu.

The team leader of the four held up her hands, "We didn't pick up your trail until moments ago." she tilted her head to peek around the blonde Akatsuki, watching briefly as the silver-haired Akatsuki helped the draconic youth bandage his wound. "Though we weren't expecting the Ryuu Youkai to return to the Land of Fire so quickly..."

"So you were patrolling the borders for that reason." Hidan spoke up. "Fucking next time lend us a hand!"

"Enough, Hidan." Itachi said.

The medic of the team went over to Yoru to check for any more injuries and the possible complications of his markings. The young adult had to continuously wave off the medic about his markings not being an issue, shaking his head or letting out a few growls to get his point through. Itachi let go of the squirming little girl and Misaki came over, running into her young foster father's side. Yoru caught himself, bracing himself and Misaki's weight.

"I doubt there will be a next time. Lady Hokage had only given us orders to escort the Ryuu Youkai and to leave his temporary guardians alone... for now." a bird-masked Anbu stated.

Deidara gave the masked Anbu a look, not liking him already. "We're here on peaceful terms... hm..."

Yoru shook his head, getting help by the medic Anbu onto his feet and Misaki kept close to the young adult's side. The Anbu team leader looked at the child, nodding her head in their direction. "What's with the kid? She couldn't be yours."

"She is." Yoru stated cooly, getting a bit defensive.

"But not of blood. She is not Uchiha like you or Itachi." the Anbu leader said taking a step forward. Yoru growled out of parental instinct, still feeling the affects of the adrenaline rush from earlier attack. The Anbu leader didn't move nor flinch from the sound, she simply stared him down, but he also refused to back down.

"Watch it, Anbu..." Deidara helped Itachi up off the ground, also helping to keep his balance.

"Alright then... what clan?" she demanded this time.

Yoru narrowed his eyes, holding Misaki closer and had her move a bit more behind him. "Why do you need to know?"

"For the report to Lady Hokage, why else?" she scoffed.

Yoru tsked and turned away from her, picking up his foster daughter. "I'll personally give a report to Lady Tsunade." he stated.

The Anbu shook her head and grumbled something under her breath, turning to face her teammates and told them to clean up. Two other Anbu came over to Hidan, who still had a hold of the wounded Sound kunoichi. Yoru had to put Misaki down because of the difficulty in walking and the pain that began to throb. He petted her hair and told her to stay close to him. He turned his attention towards the three.

"She refuses to speak, so I thought we'd bring her back for the Interrogation squad." Hidan threw a look from the corner of his eye, annoyed at the young adult's choice. Yoru looked at him briefly and gave a slight apologetic shrug as he rolled his shoulders in the process.

"... how're your wounds? Shouldn't they've healed already?" one questioned out of curiosity.

The young adult looked at the taller Anbu then also remembered the iron piece he had to cut out of his shoulder. "Usually... but currently, no. Normal rate."

"Enough chit-chat, boys, and let's go! Akatsuki, you leave. Now." the Anbu team leader motioned for the three Akatsuki to leave.

Hidan and Deidara both looked at Itachi, Yoru was his cousin so it was his choice to leave him in the protection of the Anbu the rest of the way. Yoru glanced over his shoulder towards his two unlikely friends and cousin. Misaki peeked around her foster father's leg, on the verge of tears again. She reached out to the three of them and Hidan and Deidara were struck to the heart. The silver-haired man glanced at Itachi from the corner of his eye, trying to keep his composure though he already guessed that the Uchiha already knew what he was thinking. Deidara looked at Itachi pleadingly without words.

"He's my cousin and our comrade... we're going." Itachi stated.


A/N: It's been a while since I've last updated this story, but chapter 5 ended up being shorter than I wanted as well. So, I decided to add it on to this chapter and think of something else for chapter 5. Sorry for the long wait!


"Sakura!" Naruto raced through the streets of Konohagakure, calling out his friend's name. "SAKURA!"

The pink-haired teenage girl turned around once the spiky blonde-haired shinobi caught up with her. She curiously looked at Naruto and went over to him.

"What's wrong, Naruto?" she asked.

"At-At the... gate..." he breathed between pants, "Akatsuki an-and a... another cloaked-" Sakura bolted for the village entrance before her teammate could finish.

Her heart pounded in her chest, her blood roaring through her veins as she raced on. Naruto followed after, trying to remember the last time Sakura ran this fast. Yes, there were three Akatsuki and a squad of Anbu with them, but were they truly certain that the cloaked figure could be- Sakura hoped and so did Naruto.

"Yoru!" Sakura called out, her heart skipping a beat and her breath caught in her throat as the cloaked figure lifted his head.

Crimson eyes met green ones as the two young adults looked at each other for the first time in three years.

"Sakura." he breathed her name in a gentle whisper.

Naruto was speechless, at first shocked, but then he slowly started to walk towards their returning comrade, their friend. Sakura took a few steps then ran to the draconic youth, tears in her green eyes as she threw her arms around Yoru's neck. Yoru stumbled a bit, hissed at the pain in both his shoulder and leg, but quickly forgot about it once he held Sakura close. Deidara and Hidan glanced at each other and smiled a little, happy for the young adult male, Itachi watched his cousin and the pink-haired girl hug each other close in a heartfelt moment. Yoru nuzzled into Sakura's soft, pink hair, breathing in her scent and a rumbling purr sounded from his throat.

"I missed you." Sakura murmured.

"I'm home... Sakura." Yoru murmured back to her.

The two pulled back from each other a little, looking at each other for half a heartbeat then kissed, ignoring everyone around them. Naruto ran over, about to grab Yoru around the shoulder with his arm, but skidded to a stop when he saw the two. His cheeks went red and he stared wide eyed at the two.

"EEHHHH?!" Yoru and Sakura pulled back from the kiss, startled by Naruto's outburst right next to them. "When did this happen?! I-I mean, I know you liked her a lot, Yoru, bu-but when-how-" Naruto felt like his head was spinning.

Sakura blushed and got all shy while Yoru rubbed the back of his neck, his cheeks red and he ducked his head a little to hide beneath his hood.

"Since the night I left..." he mumbled.

"WHAT?!" Naruto spazzed again.

Deidara's coat squirmed about at his back and the baby dragon popped her head out. "Hm? Oh, Mi-Mi, you're awake-hey!" her ears perked and she caught sight of her foster father and the pink-haired girl Deidara had described before. She pushed down on Deidara's head and started to squirm about more as she wriggled herself free from his coat. "Wh-whoa! Hey, e-easy, un!" Deidara stumbled forward a bit then Misaki kicked off the back of his head and he face-planted the ground. Hidan burst out laughing at the blonde Akatsuki and Itachi sighed.

Misaki cried out to the draconic young adult, but ran right passed him and jumped up into Sakura's arms. Sakura was startled by the baby dragon's appearance, but managed to catch the furball. Yoru pulled down his hood and faced the two. "Misaki! Don't jump off or on people like that. Remember, we have claws."

Misaki shifted into her human-form and hugged Sakura around the neck. "Mommy!"

Yoru froze and Sakura blushed, looking at Yoru, who now was blushing too. "Y-Yoru...?"

"Ah, hey! She's like Yoru!" Naruto grinned.

Yoru and Sakura looked at him and thought, Well of couse, Captain Obvious!