It took several seconds for the guy in front to trip in the blood and intrails and fall, causing his two friends to laugh at his clumsiness. He started to laugh too as the others reached down to help him up and the door slowly swung closed, shutting them in the darkness with her.

They never saw her coming, and even if they did she had'nt given them the chance to fight back. She had been waiting for them, and they had walked right into her trap.

She stood over their uncounsious bodies smiling as if she was'nt going to hurt them, such a sweet and innocent smile was at odds with the demon that they had unwittingly woken and set free.

She was going to enjoy this...

(*****************************************************************************************************************************************************)

Sarutobi walked around the desk and placed his hand against her cheek. "Naru-" He spoke very softly, knowing that the slightest rasing of his voice would set her off in a big way. Smart man. "Dear one, are you feeling okay?" He asked after a second or so. Wondering if maybe her blood sugar was so low now that she was about to go into a catatonic state since she suffered from diabetes among other things.

Or maybe she had simply bit the tip of her tongue off like she sometimes did so that she would'nt have to speak for any reason. It was all part of containing the Kyubbi. Every health issue that she had ever had could be linked to the demon. As for the reason why she bit her tongue off from time to time, that was easy, her voice had a hypnotic quality that made people do strange and funny things to get her attention.

The sound was much like a strong drug, it created a type of euphoria. It was addicting. Anyone who had heard her voice would instantly do whatever she wanted to gain her attention, some even went so far as to destroy themselves to reach her, believing that if they did, she would love them. Something that had started to happen shortly after she had turned thirteen.

Something that she obviously hated about herself and was saving for a rainy day.

She nodded her head without looking him in the eyes. She didn't look at him out of habit. Since Sara had died, she had been trying to hide herself from anyone who would worry and care for her. Trying to shut them out by doing strange things and making them hate her, but he had been on to her game for a while now and knew that she must feel very akward in the presence of someone who cared about her.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of candy and handed it to her. She stared at it for a second before unwrapping it and biting the chocholate nugget in half and rewrapped the half of the candy that she didn't feel like eating right now, and tried not to let the gesture warm her cold heart.

Really it was much too late for such acts of kindness.

They had gotten what they wanted. They had all but killed her. Broken her heart and her mind down almost into pieces.

She hated them.

She despised them.

She begrudged them every fucking breath they took.

"Naru? Child will you please answer me?" Sarutobi asked as he knelt next to her chair and took her small hand in his and lifted it to his mouth and kissed her finger tips. If Iruka thought the act of affection odd or suspicious he said nothing. Really what could he say if the old man was trying to recapture his youth by taking the girl as his lover. Iruka cringed at the thought. He hoped that that was'nt the case, the one thing he had always respected about the man was that his vices were'nt anything truely damning like everyone elses.

Iruka liked to cut himself from time to time and even let his lovers choke him until his heart stopped. He didn't do it because he particularly hated himself, he did it because those things made him feel alive.

Kakashi liked to kill-well kill was too kind and polite a term for what the man liked to do. He didn't just kill people, he slaughtered them. He never let anyone or anything get in his way when he wanted something, and that was'nt always a good thing. But the Hokage had managed to turn the Hatake's most dangerous vice into a positive thing and had set certain rules and guidlines for the man to follow in the village to keep him from killing needlessly or wantonly.

Some of his other vices were less condeming but Hatake was merely an example that came to Iruka's mind as he glanced at the girl and sighed when she still didn't speak. Had she decided that speaking was simply too much trouble or did her silence stem from the fact that she had so few people to listen to her? To care and help her?

Sarutobi waited for several seconds longer before letting her hand go and sighing. "Go home Naru." He said in an almost cold voice, he was getting frustrated by her actions and wanted her out of his sight before he gave in to the urge to shake her or something. partually because he knew that it would'nt help things any, and because it would cause her to lash out at him and possibly hurt or kill him. And that was something that the village could'nt deal with.

It was something that he knew that Naru would'nt be able to deal with either.

It would simply be too much for her wounded heart to take, so sending her away seemed like the best option for now. "Lord Hokage?" Sarutobi looked at Iruka and gave the younger man a wary smile.

"She'll be fine Iruka. Try not to worry so much."

Iruka gave him a doubtful look and bowed and quietly slipped out of the office. Easier said than done.