A/N: This Chapter is in Inners POV. Don't be alarmed this will happen every once in a while. She too has a story to be told.

That Terrifying Moment

I can't stop laughing.

Sakura's expression when I told her she read that sexy love scene out loud was priceless! The faces on the Pervert's, Caveman and Idiot's faces were also the highlight of my day. I couldn't help but laugh. Unlike Sakura I have no morals. Except when it comes to her, then I become a raging bitch. I won't tolerate anyone hurting my charge in any way.

She belongs to me.

Still I should watch where I step. It is necessary for something like me. If I don't concentrate then I could end up falling straight into hell. Without paying attention to the material world I could just slip and become even more incorporeal. It doesn't help that I naturally don't feel it either. The only thing of the physical world I can feel is Sakura. But that doesn't mean that I can't move material objects. It just exhausts me more. I'll have to snack on some of my charges energy in order to recharge from the book and that damn photo I knocked over in the Ol'Bastards office. Hopefully there won't be any more surprises today.

Too bad I thought that just as I missed a fucking step and fell backwards.

I tumble down . I felt no pain from the stairs as I'm not alive. I have no body of my own I'm almost a complete mirror image of my charge with a few personal tweaks such as hair and eye color.

Then the Idiot-that hot, blue-eyed, blond, sexy, Idiot-stepped in front of Sakura.

I have never been so frightened in the few years of my existence.

I fall into an empty sewer, the boiling water met my face causing me to jerk back in pain.

I felt pain!

I should not have felt anything!

Other than Sakura the only other beings I'm able to touch are those from the spiritual world so how would I be able to feel water burning me?

Oh fuck!

Have I truly tripped into hell?!

A growl silences my thoughts. And though I don't need air I start to take deep breaths to calm myself but this proves to be useless. The chill of the air just makes the drastic temperature difference in the water more obvious. I clench my teeth and bravely lift my head.

Slowly I look up to see a large iron gate and rethink the possibility of tripping into hell. Where else could I be right? But than why is there a seal on the door?

Once more I hear a growl and behind the gate one giant red eye opens. It's hatred a physical entity that freezes me in my spot. My eyes widen as my breath leaves me in a flash. As a muted growl makes it's way to my eats I began to feel the water going from still to a current as if it was being sucked up by the monstrous creature.

Taking a deep gulp I force my self to breath and try to force my voice out but much to my humiliation it doesn't. Apparently seeing my stammer for I don't know how long annoyed the unknown entity enough to be the one to speak first.

"What do you want Shadow?" demanded the creature in its booming voice.

Shadow? I smooth my face but can't help but feel as if my eyes give away my question.

"Too stupid to even know what it is and here I thought something interesting decided to stop by and free me from this wretched prison." A sigh of disappointment blew across my face, the heat causing me to swell with energy.

Annoyed I glare at the thing. Finally finding my voice. "I'm not stupid. This shouldn't have even happened!" I exclaim.

A fierce, loud and vicious roar causes me to jerk back slip into the bubbling hot water. My mask starts to crack, I can feel my fear as it leaks into my expression. The blistering water pulls the chill of fear from me leaving me feeling somewhat tired.

"Do not talk back to me Little Shadow!" with every word a dull blood red glow starts to surround the creature. Smokey and faint but just enough to give me an image of what I'm talking to.

Burning orange fur and blazing red eyes the size of the sun while surrounded by streaks of fur that is true darkness. It's mouth is filled with enormous peal white fangs and its mile long ears are pushed back on it's head. Wagging lazily in the distance are nine enormous tails.

Oh shit…

The Nine Tailed Fox…

I am so dead.

"S-Sorry. F-forgive me." I stutter as I force myself stand despite my exhaustion. What's wrong with me? I haven't felt this weak since Sakura first created me.

He growls in acceptance as the smoky red blood-lust fades. I hear a faint chattering and realize it's my teeth, not only that but my entire body is covered in frightened tremors. A snort brings my attention back to the awesome Fox. His glowing grin make me dully glow with humiliation.

"May I ask why you called me a 'shadow'?" I question.

"No," he bluntly replies.

I wince but my curiosity is killing me, if he won't answer my questions how will I find out what wrong with me? I already am feeling weaker as my tremors soon stop. The water current picks up speed as heat begins to work it's way into me, leaving me glowing a dull red.

"Little Shadow tell me what are you here for?" he demands. His eyes narrowing in concentration.

I blink in confusion, his voice is fading. It no longer held the righteous boom as it was a few moments ago.

"I didn't mean to come here. I just fell into the Idiot." I weakly mumble in return. I blink slowly trying to focus my now blurry eyes. The heat starts to burn me from the inside out.

A growl that sounds as faint as a purr reaches my ears. I look into the blazing red hate filled eyes and pay attention to the next words from the cage.

"Stupid Little Shadow, I did not mean here. I meant why do you exist? You should not exist. There are no more Shadows in the worlds. So why is it that you are here?!" He roars the last word at me. His breath, which should reek of rotting corpses, instead smells of burning flowers.

The room sways around me. I feel less…there. The burn is becoming dull but I'm starting to feel numb.

Suddenly raizor sharp claws slam against the cage door, shocking me and compels me to stumble a few steps backwards. I wrap my arms around myself, not feeling my hands against by body, to try and find balance before I once again fall into the boiling water. I should have flung my arms away but I'm unsure as to how far away his claws may be because my eyes are now closed. I hope the room stops swaying soon. I was starting to feel...strange. A tickling sensation makes its way throughout my numb body causing me to shiver and moan. A tsk brings my attention back to the Fox.

"Too weak, Little Shadow. You cannot even stand to be in my presence for a few moments without losing your hold on your precious essence. Go away you annoying little pest! Come back when you have the answer to my question!" And with that he roars, forcing me with his energy through the hollow sewers until I continue falling down the stairs of the physical plane. The first chance I get I grab hold of the railing, I pant and wheeze. I have never felt so full in all my years!

But there is not enough of my charge's energy and too much of the Fox's. My natural instinct is to change my form to fit his, I know my image is fading trying to erase Sakura's imprint on me in order to make room for the Fox's but I refuse to do that. I like who I am, how I look, what I do and I won't let that damned Fox change me!

I look up noticing that Sakura has been asking me how I am. Suddenly a brilliant idea comes into my head.

"Fine," I wheezed. "Just feed me!" Then I attack her. Wrenching her head back with my fading hands as I straddle her and bring my lips to the easiest place to feed from. Her third eye right in the center of her large forehead. Maybe she has been born with that slight imperfection because of her spiritual energy? I don't know, don't care, all that's important right now is to get the delicious heat from the Fox out of my system.

As I feed I release the excess energy given to me by the Fox. It burns as it leaves me, looking like smoke, but that's fine. I'll blister but so long as my connection is to Sakura and not that fucking beast I don't care. As the heat leaves me I revert my clothes back to my usual wardrobe. Boots, jeans and a tank but leave my hair. I kinda like the pig tail's. It helps cool me down as the entrapping energy of the Fox leaves me.

Oh, how freeing it is to feed from Sakura! She is like the purist form of energy! Like...well I don't know. All I've ever done before is feed but I have never ate. Physical food has no appeal to me so what could I compare my charges energy too? The random thought breaks my concentration and I take an usually big gulp before I force my self to slow down. It has been much more difficult not to drain her than usual. Maybe because I was already filled with the Fox's dark essence? The blood-lust that came off him was... addicting but I will not let that affect me. After all, I am Sakura's Guardian Angel.

When I feel that a majority of the Fox's essence is gone I stop feeding and lift my head. Looking down to see that my charge has fainted. Fearful, I check her pulse and found a steady heart beat, I relax with a sigh. She will be fine, Sakura is an unusual human according to Tonton. That little pig has never seen a human who has so much spiritual energy that it affected their physical appearance, and she has been around for a few centuries. Yet here is Sakura, with more than enough energy to not only keep her alive but to also create and sustain me.

But fear once again blossoms in me as I see her getting lifted by Naruto and I finally comprehend that he has been screaming about seeing me. My mind goes back to my terrifying moment with the infamous Fox. Shadow is what he called me. As far as I know I'm a one of a kind, a spiritual incarnation. Yet the Fox spoke as if there are or at least there once was a species for what I am. As I look at my charge in the arms of the scared blond a dull red, white and black streak of smoke starts to embrace her, floating around her body and gives her back enough energy to make up for the large amount I took. Face cringing I begin to wonder as I follow the Idiot to the nurses office.

Sakura…what are we?

A/N:

And that's all for now folks!

From all the Kyuubi guesses I thought it would be nice to show you exactly what happened while Inner was in Naruto's soul. Their encounter was longer than I thought it would be though.

And now we have a possible answer as to why Inner was seen. Completely different from what I originally thought but this makes much more sense! I hope you all enjoy this little Excerpt from Inner. This will happen from time to time. Sakura can't go everywhere you know. She's human…or is she? What is this smoke Inner sees surrounding her precious charge? Find out next chapter!

Oh and for all of you thinking, "It says Romance so where the hell is it!" Trust me it is on its way. I just need to build it up to that point. Already Sakura has met two of her possible loves but she has yet to meet the others. Inner too for that matter, I said she has a story and I wasn't lying she too will have her own personal drama. But for now just enjoy the set up.