hey, here's the new chapter. sorry for the long wait. also there's a poll on my page and i would appriciate it if you would vote. bye!

He sat back with a sour scowl on his lips. How much would he give to let Kingu sink its massive teeth into the Tsuchikage's neck?

Alas, Akira Nekoyomi held back on his urge and stroked the lion that was at his side. His hair was a brilliant orange that stuck out like the mane of the lion that sat beside him. His eyes were like two amber stones that reflected fire in the dimly light room.

The Tsuchikage sat across the table from the Nekoyomi leader glaring back at the cat man with equally fierce eyes.

"Is it understood Akira?" The Tsuchikage asked with an edge on his voice.

Akira's throat tightened as he thought of how he despised the man before him.

"Very well." He said tightly before standing up so quickly that his chair fell over. Akira didn't even give the Tsuchikage any sign of respect, he didn't even bow, before he stormed stiffly out of the room with Kingu at his heals.

The Nekoyomi leader stopped when he was outside the building to look up at the night sky. Hikari. Yami. He thought worryingly as he thought of his children before his eyes narrowed. That's it. Its time I join my children. He thought before looking down at his faithful companion.

Kingu gave a slight nod to his friend. It to missed the young warriors. Knowing that he had his friends approval Akira set off toward his clan to spread his news.

--

Hikari and Itachi walked on a remote beach in Sakuragakura as the sun began to be swallowed by the ocean, casting a red glare over the swirling waters.

The twins had grown to be quite large recently and enjoyed tackling Chi and her tail, as they did now.(1)

The two children gave shrieks of joy as they pounced on the cheetah's tail. Chi gave a soft sigh before lashing her tail away and running a bit of a ways off from the children. Still shrieking the little ones stumbled after the red cheetah, still trying to grab its tail.

"Poor Chi." Hikari said quietly. Three months with her twins had taught Hikari just how energetic the babies were and poor Chi was their favorite play toy. Itachi nodded his agreement. Since his long mission away from home, Karei had not given him any big missions.

But he wasn't going to complain. He was getting use to the life of a father but sometimes he wished he could keep up with his soon-to-be wife and children.

"Naruto and the others are considering merging with their demons." Hikari said startling Itachi.

"Really? That just might scare the day lights out of anyone stupid enough to attack us." he said, knowing exactly which idiot would pull that one. Hikari nodded her head before she felt something. It was a feeling of longing yet also a feeling of fear.

Itachi activated his Sharingan when he felt a huge chakra source.

"Chi! Bring Akari and Artemis here!" He cried. The cheetah gave a curious look to the man and simply planted its butt on the sandy beach to wash its paw. Itachi was about to repeat his order when a nine-tailed panther appear and pick up his children. He wanted to shout, to attack this demon if it meant saving his children. But he could not move.

He stood paralyzed in that spot as the demon brought them up to its eyes. The demon looked at the young children and they calmly looked back at him with wide curious eyes.

The demon gave a load chuckle before setting the children down and looking at Hikari.

"They are wonderful." The demon said, its voice booming. Itachi looked over at Hikari to see that his wife was gone and in her stead was Hachibi.(2)

"Aren't they? They have a bit of my and your chakra. In case you couldn't tell." The cheetah demon said with a smirk, "Oh! And sorry for the sudden…borrowing of your chakra. Death is very powerful."

The demons both gave amused chuckles and Itachi saw a rare softness in their eyes.

"So." The panther demon said turning its purple eyes on Itachi, "Who's this?"

Hachibi only then seemed to notice the Uchiha.

"Ah, yes. Kurohyou this is Itachi Uchiha. He is the father of those kits. He's shone to be a good protective father." Hachibi said smiling. Kurohyou lowered his head to Itachi.

"Is that so?" the demon asked. It already knew of Itachi. It knew about everything. After all he had been watch Hikari closely since she had taken in his mate, Hachibi.

Itachi felt small in the demons presence. He wanted to retreat into a corner and hide there. He was about to turn tail and run when he caught sight of his children playing with Chi again.

No. I will not run without my children or Hikari. He thought returning his attention to the demon in front of him. He gave Kurohyou a defiant glare that shone with his Sharingan.

Kurohyou saw the fear flee from Itachi's eye, to be replaced with determination. He smiled broadly at the Uchiha.

"Well then." He started, "I have a proposal to you. Itachi Uchiha. Lover to Hikari Nekoyomi."

Itachi raised a curious eyebrow, "A proposal?" He asked. The demon nodded.

"I don't know if you have been in formed of this yet, But Hachibi and I were mates before she was sealed inside your lover." Kurohyou started.

Itachi remained calm as he listened but he couldn't hide the shock that was in his eyes. Was it possible for demons to love? Well, why not?

"So." The panther said, "My proposal to you is to merge with you."

"M…merge?" Itachi asked, all his calm gone.

"Yes you know. The same thing Hachibi and Hikari did." The demon said some what annoyed at his newly chosen vessel's stupidity.

"Can… Can you truly do that?" Itachi asked. If he could merge with Kurohyou, then he would be more useful to the village. And maybe….

"Yes. I can. And if we do merge then I will be able to fully restore your eye and get rid of that sickness." The demon said smirking when he saw Itachi's eyes widen in more shock. Itachi stood paralyzed again as he considered the demons offer.

"Very well." He said looking up at Kurohyou, "I agree."

The demons smile broadened, "Good. But before we become one I have some information for your comrades." Kurohyou said before a scroll gently floated down to Itachi, "In that scroll is the location of several other demons looking for something to do other then sleep. Have your friends look into them and see if they will be willing to join us." The demon said.

Itachi grabbed the scroll and looked at in fascination. Returning his stare to Kurohyou he saw the demon was glowing.

"Relax your body and open up your mind." The demon commanded. Itachi nodded and did as he was told.

Hikari walked over to her children and stood between them and the man and demon. She bent down and brought the children close to her just before Itachi's scream filled the air along with a blast of chakra.

--

The Jinchuuriki, the Akatsuki, and the original team four ran at full speed with Karei leading them. They were stopped however when a blast of chakra almost lifted them all off the ground and threw them. If it hadn't been for Karei quickly boringly up roots to hold the humans down they would have gone flying.

After the blast had gone by they all stood rooted in place panting.

"What the hell?" Kasai asked as the dust settled. Naruto gave a few coughs as his eyes slit.

"Seems like the treat is bigger then we thought." He said hoarsely. Karei gave a nervous nod. Whatever had just happened was big and she wasn't sure she liked it.

"Lets go." Karei demanded as the roots released the group. She charged ahead with the others close behind and poured chakra into her feet to go faster.

When they did arrive at the beach that the chakra source was coming from they were shocked to see Hikari holding Artemis while a man that looked like Itachi but with nine Black Panther tails, three black stripes on each cheek, and a black star on his forehead, held Akari. The two children were shrieking happily at the two adults and as the group stared at them shocked they noticed they had company.

"Hello everyone." Itachi said, his voice laced with power now.

"I…Itachi…sensei?" Naruto stuttered. Itachi nodded to the growing man before turning his gaze to Karei, who was surprisingly enough chuckling.

"Lets go home. I was in the middle of a nice dream before this all happened and now if you don't mind I want to return to that dream." She said before heading back. Everyone nodded stiffly as they fallowed Karei back.

"Why didn't you give Karei the scroll?' Hikari asked Itachi when they were alone. Itachi gave his wife a curious look before kissing her lightly.

"It'll wait until I can speak with her alone. I don't think it would be good to give it to her openly." He explained. Hikari gave him a confused look but didn't argue.

"Lets go home then." She said before disappearing with the twins. Itachi smiled before he too left.

--

Karei sat back in her office. After Itachi's merging with Kurohyou, as he and Hikari called the demon, the other Jinchuuriki had began merging with their own demons.

Gaara now had the addition of a sandy brown Tanuki tail, a sandy brown stripe on each cheek, and a sandy brown 4 pointed star on his forehead.

Saria had the addition of two black cattails with red stripes on the end, a black stripe on each cheek, and a black diamond on her forehead.(kirara)

Kaira however had to be the most interesting yet. When she's in water her legs change into a white fish tail with three fins but when on land she had two legs. She also had a red stripe on each cheek and a red triangle on her forehead that point down.

Dana had gotten real wings, an aquamarine stripe on each cheek, and an aquamarine cloud on her forehead.

Neji had gotten five brown wolf tails, a lilac stripe on each cheek, and a lilac moon on his forehead.

Yami had acquired six dark orange tiger tails, two orange stripes on each cheek, and a dark orange sun on his forehead.

Kiba had seven white dog tails with brown tips, two purple stripes on each cheek, and a purple moon on his forehead.

And Naruto had nine blonde foxtails with white tips; three sky blue stripes on each cheek, had lost his whiskers, and had gotten a sky blue heart on his forehead.

The changes were…startling. But what was more startling was what Itachi had given her no more then an hour ago. A scroll that had the location of eleven other demons.

She had practically died of a heart attack when she opened the scroll. But who to send? Karei kept questioning. On the paper besides her she had her list and it was fairly obvious who she was sending.

Sighing a load she called for her new assistant now that Hikari was gone with her kids.

"Get me the original team four and the Akatsuki" She commanded. The woman nodded and went to do as Karei ordered. God. Could I have any more shocks this week? Karei asked as she quickly wrote each location in a different scroll along with the name of its chosen one.

The moment was short lived though. For everyone arrived.

"You called Karei-dono?" Kasai asked, shocked that so many were gathered.

"Yes. I have a mission for all of you. It is optional but I don't trust anyone else." Karei said getting everyone's attention, "You must choose as I call your names. I cannot give you any information on it except in these scrolls. And you are not to shared that information with anyone if you do except. Sasori."

Sasori stood in his puppet for a moment before nodding, "I accept." He said coming forward so Karei could hand him his scroll.

"Do not open it until you have left the village." Karei said before moving onto the next person, "Deidara."

The blonde gave a smug smirk, "I'll do anything you throw at me." He said taking his scroll.

Karei nodded to the blonde, "Kisame."

The shark man hardly replied. Instead he simply took his scroll with an insane smile.

"Hidan." The god-obsessed man came forward to take his scroll.

"Kakuzu." Kakuzu extended his hand so black treads could take the scroll.

"Tobi." The man was oddly enough calm as he walked forward to take the scroll. His one visible eye showed interest.

"Aoi." A paper butterfly took the scroll and flew it to the gentle looking woman.

"Minato." The Akatsuki leader boldly came forward and took the scroll.

"Kasai." Kasai came forward and took the scroll.

"Furai." Furai's hawk flew forward to take the scroll and bring it to her.

"And Rei." The Youma appeared next to Karei, took the scroll, and sunk back into the ground.

"On those scrolls is your mission. You have accepted them and cannot refuse the task. Now go. You all have a long journey." Karei said with an exhausted look. The eleven shinobi before her nodded before Karei's office was filled with pops and smoke. The smoke quickly settled and Karei was alone with Minato.

"Why are you sending so many of us away at once?" He asked. Karei sighed tiredly.

"Sakuragakura is strong now. We can hold on our own while your gone." She said tiredly. Minato gave Karei a confused look before walking past her desk. Karei heard her window open, felt the cool days breeze, and smelt the village. She thought Minato had gone when she felt a hand rest on her shoulder and someone lean over her.

"Be back soon then." He said before doing something Karei would never had suspected. He gave her a light kiss on the cheek.

Karei went to whip around to question him but when she turned was already gone. She gave an irritated grunt before turning back to her work. Damn it. She thought doing her work.

--

Akira and his clan ran threw the forest as fast as they could. The elderly were having trouble keeping up but he dare not slow his pace.

"Why the devil are we doing this again?" a woman with brown hair and purple eyes asked. At her heels was a normal house cat, which hissed in displeasure.

"I will not fight against my own children Ame. Nor will I send my clan mates to die pointlessly." Akira said, "Levi. You and Yuki go ahead and try to get escorts from Sakuragakura. Its only a matter of time before they find us again."

A girl with dark burned orange hair and purple eyes nodded to her father before taking off with a snow leopard on her heels.

Levi ran as fast as she could. She didn't know this area but she had to believe in her father. She ran to the swirl of chakra that was the gate to Sakuragakura but wasn't shocked when almost a dozen shinobi stepped in front of her.

"Name and business." Shiro demanded glaring at the strange girl.

"Please." Levi panted, "My clan seeks refuge in Sakuragakura. My father, the leader, has news he must share with you."

Shiro and the other Shinobi exchanged curious glances.

"Inform Karei-san." Shiro ordered to one of the shinobi. The woman nodded her head before disappearing, "Where is your clan?"

"This…this way." Levi said shocked that she was actually getting the help her father said would come. She went to lead the man back when he called out several names and a party of Anbu appeared around her.

"Lead the way." Shiro said smirking at the girls obvious shock. Levi nodded and took off into the forest with the group right behind her.

--

"What did you say?" Karei demanded. She had JUST gotten rid of one problem and now she had to deal with a clan wanting entrance to her village? God! Couldn't she plan her defense in peace?

Over writing her exhaustion Karei left her home and headed out for her office.

--

Akira cursed when he heard cries coming from his end ranks.

"Akira! Iwa Anbu!" A member of the clan called. Akira cursed at his rotten luck.

"Ame! Lead them away." He demanded, "Come Kingu!"

The leader and lion raced towards the end ranks only to be met by Anbu. The lion gave a load snarl before it pounced on the Anbu. Drawing his katana, Akira joined in. It was only so long that the clan had gone and Akira was left with Kingu and barely a handful of men to fight off a few patrols of Anbu.

Damn it. There's too many. Akira thought as he tried to hold off three men. He was about to lung in when another man appeared behind him ready to impale his heart.

"Die traitor!" The Anbu shouted. Akira watched as the Anbu's dagger got closer to him and waited for deaths cold grip.

Good-bye, Levi. He thought. Yet the pain did not come. Instead was a warm splatter on his back.

"What the…" Akira went to ask when he saw Shiro behind him.

"I believe there was a distress call." The Youma head said smiling, "Come. The Sakurakage is waiting."

"But the Anbu?" Akira asked.

"You mean the ones running like dogs with their tails between their legs?" Shiro said motioning to the Anbu who were indeed running.

Akira glanced around in shock.

"Now come." Shiro said, "Lady Karei awaits."

(1) in my story demon children grow very fast.

(2) Hachibi's spirit is still alive she only merged her and hikari's chakra and blood.

hope, ya liked it and please review.