thinking'

Flash back or dream

"Talking"

Demon or inner

You know, it's not the fact that cemeteries hold dead people that I hate going there. It's the fact that there are hordes of bugs and parasites over there eating the dead people, that I hate cemeteries.

Oh, did I just gross you out?

My bad…

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Kiba POV

Crap. This is my fault. Hey, how is it your fault? I left her alone. Dude, how were you suppose to know someone would come snatch her away on a normal day like this? … That's right, you didn't know. Still, I have to save her. That's right. Go save her. You're the man!

I was having a pep talk with myself as I stared at the note taped to Arisu's cell phone. I came rushing home, at the speed of light when I heard what was going on, on the other side of the line.

That's just like Arisu. She's so smart, but when it comes to fighting…no, that's my job.

Obviously she put up a fight. I looked at the shattered perfume bottled on the wall.

Obviously she lost. I looked around the house. No Arisu.

I glanced again at the crumpled note in my hand. It was a smooth piece of evenly cut paper. On it were straight lines of letters. Not a single blotch of ink.

Dear Mr. Kiba Inuzuka

I have a Ms. Arisu Mizushima in my possession at the moment. If you want her back unharmed, you must answer to the demands of the DMRO. Meet me in the Memorial cemetery tonight. I shall give you the details of the DMRO's demands there.

P.S. If you do not come, Mrs. Arisu will be picking out a grave for herself tonight

Shino Aburame

I clenched my sharpened canine teeth. So, this Shino was with the Dark Matter Research Organization, the nasty lot of louts. I never ran into them personally but I had stories from Tsunade's lot to go by. They call themselves workers of the future. All they are really are, would be dark magic priests, and freak shows masquerading in long white lab coats and fancy business suits. I pocketed the note.

I was desperate now. It was almost evening, I was running out of time but I'd rather chew my own arms off then join DMRO. In this case, I suppose the saying, "enemies of your enemies are allies", can come into use. It's time to pay Tsunade a visit.

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I stepped into an abandoned dusty old church, though I guess "abandoned' wouldn't be the most proper word, since, aside from myself, there were about six other people. "Well, well, if it isn't Inuzaka…" Tsunade murmured, as she lounged at the altar.

"Hey, what's dog boy and dog doing here?" a loud blonde questioned. I grimaced, great, Naruto was here. After he hears everything he'll be begging to come.

"Hello, Kiba, what brings you here?" beside Naruto was the girl he was supposed to be anchoring though I would have expected it to be the other way around. Hinata was a sweet, polite and refined girl. Naruto was closer to an ogre than a human being and he was a trouble magnet to boot.

"You going to answer the question?" asked a voice from the side of the door. It was a man with silver hair and a mask. This guy I haven't seen around, but then again the only people I knew from Tsunade's group were Shizune, Sakura, Hinata and Naruto.

"I need help" I spat out. I didn't like asking for help…but I knew this situation called for it.

I saw Sakura sitting next to Tsunade and Shizune, "are you in some kind of trouble, Kiba?" she asked attentively. "I'm not but by tonight, Arisu might be dead".

There was a wince from Naruto. He didn't know many people, but he was very protective of his friends, and that was considered everyone he knew. Hinata's brow furrowed a bit, and Sakura gasped. The older people were simply silent.

"What's the situation?" Tsunade demanded , authority and seriousness sinking in.

"A demon named Shino Aburame kidnapped Arisu. He said he'll kill her unless I join DMRO. I have to meet him tonight a memorial cemetery, or she dies".

Tsunade nodded absorbing the situation. "By helping you, my associates will be put in danger…"

"I'll join" I said, knowing that this would chain me to them, in other words, "I join and this problem becomes a problem of your entire coven".

Tsunade's lips parted, creating a small smile, "well done Kiba. You could become a politician". I just shrugged. "Alright, let's keep this short since we're running low on time. As you are one of us, your welfare matters to us. I'll send Hinata, Naruto and Kakashi with you on this…" she searched for a term, "rescue mission".

Hinata nodded, "Ok". Naruto was an orange blur bouncing like a basketball, "yes! Yes! Yes! Believe it!". The silver haired man walked up to me and said, "yo! I'm Kakashi".

I nodded, "thanks". I was about to leave with the people who would help me rescue a friend when, "Wait!".

Sakura POV

I stood up awkwardly in the church , my voice rebounding around the walls. "Is there something you would like to say, Sakura?" Tsunade said smiling. I nodded, "I…want to come with you".

Kiba just stared at me, "Why?".

I gulped ,"I know what it's like to lose someone special, and I…" their gazes were all set on me, "I'd like to do something…anything really, to make sure it doesn't happen to someone else" I finished in a hoarse whisper.

There was a silence, their gazes were still pinned on me. I felt very uneasy, I was afraid to look at their faces. What emotion would they hold?

Then I felt something cold and hard pushed into my hand. Tsunade looked up at me, "I know it's dangerous, so you might need this". "Tsunade…". She smiled, "how can you learn how to protect something if you're not given the chance? The earlier the better. You'll do fine, take it from me".

I looked at the device in my hand. A simple pistol, and an extra set of bullets.

I pocketed both objects and headed towards the rescue team.

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We arrived at the cemetery at a quarter past eight. It was cold, and foggy, classic cemetery scenery. I walked between Hinata and Naruto. Kiba and Akamaru were at the head while Kakashi was at the rear. Kiba stopped at an iron gate. Oh, it was locked. Any one got a hairpin? A lock picking manual?

Hinata stepped forward. "I'll handle this", she took the huge rusty lock in both hands, her ivory fingers settling at the hinge. There was a moment of metallic groaning before the handle snapped off, and off the lock came. She carefully put it at the side of the gate as Kiba swung open the gate. It opened with a loud creak and groan.

SCEEEEEK!

"Ghosts!" Naruto screamed jumping a foot in the air. I was getting annoyed with his noise . Without thought and restraint I suddenly felt the urge to punch him. Since I've been holding back the urge to punch him since the very day we met, I thought, 'punch him now or forever hold your silent frustration'. So I did.

"Waaah!" he was thrown through the gate and kept rolling on the floor before his head met a tombstone with a loud bonk. He then fell still for a while, little stars dancing around his head.

I blinked. So did the others. Then Kiba cracked a line, "what kind of vitamins do you take, woman?!". I stared at my hand, "I don't take vitamins". "I didn't know you were so strong, Sakura" Hinata said, glancing at my hand warily. "Then think how surprised I am" I retorted, "I was the weakest girl in class".

Kakashi passed by, "hmmm. It looks like your essence is developing strongly. I remember Tsunade had similar cases". He stepped over Naruto to look at our surroundings. Nothing but more tombstones and fog.

No one paid Naruto any attention except for Hinata who was fretting about getting him up. We observed our surroundings now. Something didn't feel right. I put my arms around myself in an effort to warm myself up. I felt a chill just now.

All of a sudden Kiba muttered , "did you hear that?". I looked at him, "hear what?". "That clicking noise".

"I hear it" Kakashi said without facing us. Even Hinata, and Naruto, haven woken up , were alert now. Kiba pinched his nose, "what is that smell? It reeks!". "Like you don't, dog boy" Naruto smirked. "Quiet Naruto, this is important" Kakashi said staring off into a clump of trees. "Nothing there" he said. "Nothing to our right either" Hinata said. "Our left is clear" added Naruto. I turned around, "nothing behind us". Akamaru gave a slight growl.

We listened for another moment, now even I could hear the clicking noise everyone was talking about. I reached for the pistol in my pocket. Kiba looked upward , "then it's…"

The ground beneath our feet gave way, "BELOW US!" Kiba shouted. I had the sense to react fast, I jumped away from the clump of abnormal ground. I stayed back, raising my pistol towards it. Beside me was Hinata, taking a sort of protective stance, in front of me, ready to push me in whatever direction the abomination was not.

Finally the thing was all the way out. What did I see? A psycho bug collectors dream come true. Before me stood a nine foot tall, eighteen foot long giant centipede. I saw a look of disgust pass through Hinata's refined face. I didn't even know what expression I was making. Naruto was already starting the party as he hung from the head of the giant centipede staring it in its many eyes.

"Are you looking at me?" he said, "are you looking at me?!". Jeez ,what was wrong with him? The bug was probably thinking if he would risk getting a stomach ache by eating the 'idiotic human'.

Kakashi then took things into his own hands, "obviously, this would be a diversion…maybe this Shino wants you to come alone, Kiba". "Could be". "Alright then, Hinata , Naruto and I will take care of the bug. You , Sakura and Akamaru will continue onwards". Kiba nodded, "fine, but don't take your time".

I was a bit dizzy, staring at the monsters many legs but I heard the order, and followed it. I refuse to be a burden, in this mission. "See you , Hinata!" I said, running of after Kiba and Akamaru. "Be careful!" she called after me before joining the fray.

Hinata POV

I saw Sakura running alongside Kiba and Akamaru as I raced to assist Naruto. I could see all around me actually. It had been some sort of technique my ancestors had created, the Byakugan.

I realized that in this story, very little seems to be known about me, so allow me to briefly tell you my story. A few centuries ago, there was a time when Ninja's ruled. There were five great Shinobi countries. I belonged to the fire country, in the leaf village to be precise. I came from a powerful clan called the Hyuuga clan.

I was known for being a shy little thing and I was almost abandoned by my clan despite being from the main branch, because I was weak, however I eventually became one of the strongest of Hyuugas…but no matter how strong I became, my sister Hanabi was always stronger.

Then there was a war, and the Hyuugas decided to act independently of the Leaf Village. My father , Hiashi decided to attack the Lightning country. Hanabi, however was against it. Eventually, she sided with the Lightning country, and the Hyuuga clan broke into two pieces. I stayed true to the family and I remained with my father… Hanabi became an enemy.

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Naruto was bounding around the insect, taunting it to follow him, like the Peter piper. The bug was goaded and with an earsplitting roar, it wacked it's large tail down on Naruto. It was so fast. My eyes widened, such a force would crush him like an empty tin can!

I was in a dark room, with only some light streaming through paper covered windows. On the floor was a little girl, with a kunai in an attempt to guard herself. My father stood just in front of her, a smile on his face, "very good, Hanabi. You are beginning to master our family's techniques". Then his eyes wandered to me, pride, replaced by disgust, "Hinata, get your sister something to drink. Being the weak, pathetic thing you are, this is all you are suited for".

There was a crack, and a snap as my ribs shattered and I was thrown to the ground. "Hinata!" it was Naruto's voice, but it sounded so far away…I had jumped infront of him to rescue him…to save him…to prove to myself I was not weak…

I pushed myself to my feet, quickly, before the giant abomination could try to wound me again. I activated Byakugan. All at once, everything was black and white, and I could see, everything. The giant centipede, was not such a simple life form. Instead it was created through hundreds of bugs, amassed together.

Naruto's fist slammed into the centipede, "take that! One big bug doesn't scare me, believe it!".

I came in, with a kick to it's middle, cracking it in half. The two pieces fell to the ground, in clouds of dust.

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I wiped the sweat from my brow and glanced at my white dress. It was all bloody from where my ribs were mercilessly cracked by a science experiment. Pity. I really liked that dress. Naruto jogged over to me, "are you ok? Not too hacked up I hope…we can get you a new dress, maybe, lilac…yeah…". I just let him talk. I liked to listen to what he has to say. They can be very interesting things.

Then something distracted me. A low, dreadful, clicking noise.

I looked around for Kakashi, he was right beside the thing. He was watching it.

Before I had much time to do anything else, the pieces of centipede, melted away. It was a scene from a horror film, every OCD patient's nightmare. The Centipede dematerialized into hordes and hordes of little black insects, swarming, over tombstones, grass, covering everything in a clicking , black carpet.

Now I really wish I wasn't here.

There's chapter eight, done and finished. Just wait, more action coming your way!