I have really bad news, guys. I'm sort of thinking of discontinuing 'I'm a what?'

"Happy birthday!"

Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise as he walked into the lounge-slash-kitchen.

Everyone was there with a bunch of crappy balloons and party crap, surprising the Uchiha. Kiba's team and Shikamaru's team minus Ino who was with family.

He remained silent for a while.

Then he looked like he was frowning hard to refrain from bursting out into tears.

"You're a darling." I laughed, walking up to him and pulling him down into a kiss. He instantly kissed back before we parted and a smile appeared on his features.

"You guys did this all...for me?" He questioned, looking at the giant banner saying 'Happy birthday Sasuke!' with a scribbled out 'bastard'; courtesy of Kiba.

"Yeah." Kuroi drawled with a small smirk. "Seeing as we're in town during your birthday, we decided to throw a party. You've worked hard." He walked up to the Uchiha and ruffled his hair, making Sasuke give an irritated expression, but there was a small blush on his cheeks.

"Adorable." I blurted out.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at me.

"You are." I smiled, having to go on my toes to be able to kiss him again. "Happy birthday."

"Thank you."

"Stop your damn flirting!" Kiba yelled from somewhere in the crowd.

"I agree." Neji's voice spoke up. "It hurts to watch."

"That's because you-" Sakura started, but was effectively cut off by the Hyuuga smacking his hand over her lips.

I blinked at them as the pinkette frowned, Neji hitting her a bit too quickly and harder than he would've liked. He hastily removed his hand, revealing a red-shaped mark over her cheeks.

"Sakura-sa-"

"Shut up and die!"

Kakashi sighed. "And to think she's a medic. It's scary how she could both hurt and heal you."

"Torture." Sasuke and I spoke in unison. He's been spending way too much time with me.

"You've been spending too much time with her, Sasuke."

I gasped, turning to my father.

"You mind-reader!"I accused.

Kuroi merely smirked, ruffling my hair.

"I know you."

"I know you do. Aren't you proud your daughter is fabulous?" I grinned.

"This is meant to be about me, Kuroki." Sasuke sighed, but nonetheless smirked.

"We can go somewhere private later and make it all about you, don't worry." I patted his cheek as his eyes widened, but then went to the darling little puppies jumping around on the couch before he could reply.

Sasuke was so adorable, tensing up whenever they would present him with gifts or make him blow out the candles. By god, we played spin the bottle.

The bottle faced Kiba.

And Sasuke was the one who spun it.

There was a tense silence.

Really tense.

Until I burst out laughing with Sakura, both of us supporting each other before falling over and letting the pups jump on us.

Sasuke glared at Kiba.

Kiba growled at Sasuke.

I coughed, sat up, and did my best Star Wars impression. "Do it."

"Hell no." The denied in sync.

"But..."

"It's my birthday." Sasuke pointed out, looking at me. "I don't have to kiss him. Substitute him."

"Yes, Kuro! Swap!" Kiba pleaded.

I blinked.

Sakura blinked.

Shikamaru yawned.

"No." I refused in a deadpan. "Now kiss. I'll disinfect your mouth later, Uchiha."

Neji sighed. "Something tells me that a fight is about to ensue."

"You ruin my couch, I ruin your manhood." Aonami threatened, her head peaking out from the entryway to her library.

The tension between the Uchiha and Inuzuka ceased.

"My turn then." I drawled, spinning the bottle.

My eye shifted uneasily as Neji and Sasuke looked at the bottle a little too intensely.

Seriously, what is up with the Hyuuga?

It came to a slow finish, and I swear I saw Sasuke's sharingan activate.

It pointed towards Shikamaru.

Shikamaru cringed at the glares of death he was receiving from the Inuzuka, the Hyuuga and the Uchiha. Poor guy.

"Do we have to?" He asked, a small bead of sweat running down his forehead. "This is troublesome."

I shrugged. "I'm not a bitch, so I'll do the kissy-kiss."

I leaned over as Shikamaru sighed.

"I'm too young to die." He muttered once I neared his face.

"I'll protect you, you lazy shit." I snickered, before pecking him on the lips and moving back with a smile-slash-grimace as the killing intent was exceeding the limit of what I thought the Uchiha was capable of.

Wait...that's two killing intents.

"Prepare yourself, Shikamaru." Sakura snickered.

The Nara laid back with a sigh.

"Kuroki. Here. Now."

I waved a dismissive hand, crawling over to the Uchiha.

"Possessive thing, you are."

"I'm an attractive possessive thing, so you shouldn't need to kiss other people." He glared at my lips.

"Game." I enunciated slowly. "Gaaaame. You're staring at my lips as if you want to rip them off. It's too bad Gaara couldn't-"

"Don't even speak of him. Don't."

I grabbed a puppy and placed it in Sasuke's face, making him kiss it.

"Shh, my love. Your emo is going all over the place."

"I don't even know what emo means, and you made me kiss a dog! A DOG!"

"I hadn't noticed. Maybe I'll get Shiruba to make it more obvious for me."

"Did you have a nice birthday?" I questioned, staring at the village and all its night lights.

We were sitting at the grassy hill, the moon high and bright.

I sat in Sasuke's lap as he wrapped his arms around my neck, his forehead leaning against the back of my head.

He sighed.

"I was going to kill both Kiba and Shikamaru, but I suppose it was...nice."

I smiled.

"I'm glad."

"You haven't given me your present yet." He commented, his voice muffled as he buried his face around the side of my neck.

"Close your eyes and unhand me, mortal."

I grabbed a scroll from my pouch and opened it to retrieve my gifts.

I clasped the first one around his neck. Then jokingly wrapped the second one around his head, blocking his eyes from view. His lips turned down in a frown, which made me smile.

"Are you done?" He questioned skeptically. I snickered.

"Yes."

His hands went up to the navy scarf and pulled it down so his eyes could see it. It had the Uchiha symbol on the end of it.

"Did you make this?" He asked in disbelief. I frowned and looked away.

"No." I denied, though it was a lie.

"Kuroki."

"Okay, so I made it." I admitted in a sigh. "It took me a long time to make because I don't sew, but mum knew how."

He wrapped the scarf around his neck and buried his lower face in it, a frown forming.

"Thank you." He mumbled.

I felt really embarrassed, so I grabbed the pendant around his neck and brought it up.

"I got you this as well."

He grabbed it, and opened it; revealing the picture of him and I together on one side and a whole family picture with Aonami, Kuroi, Sasuke, Shiruba and I.

Abruptly, he wrapped his arms around me and squeezed.

"Thank you..." He thanked me again, though even softer than before.

I smiled.

"It's nothing."

"I did it!" I cheered. "I motherfucking did it! You see that?! I fucking did it! In your face, Kuroi!"

Kuroi smirked as I danced around happily, finally able to master the technique he'd been teaching me.

"Well done, Kuroki." He congratulated me, ruffling my hair and catching me as I collapsed with a smile.

"This would be very romantic if you weren't my father." I snickered. I think the fatigue is getting to me.

"I know a certain Uchiha would be very happy to know you don't have the hots for your father." Kuroi chuckled as her picked me up bridal style. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he began to walk back home.

"I think all of us would be very happy, dad. Incest isn't that great." I mumbled, feeling more tired.

"Indeed. You'll always be my little girl, even if you're getting too tall for my liking."

"You'll always be my dad..." I yawned, before letting his breathing lull me into a sleep.

I frowned as I remembered the familiar surrounding of black all around.

Hands wrapped around my waist, though they felt rather ghostly instead of fully corporeal.

"Kuroki..."

I leaned forward, but the hands pulled me back almost roughly.

"Don't leave me again..."

"Why shouldn't I?" I growled, still upset with him. "You went berserk on me, and forced your way to control my body. You nearly killed me!"

At that, I felt the hands loosen around me; only to wrap around my neck in a possessive hug.

"I'm sorry..." He apologised in his wispy voice. It sounded sorry. "I'm lonely by myself...I don't like it when I'm alone...I'm always alone..."

I frowned, trying not to let his tone of actual loneliness get to me. Instead, I looked at the black floor.

"How old are you, Jin?" I questioned, blinking in surprise as his hands started to feel a bit more solid.

My ear twitched as he blew in my ear.

"I'm very old...being in that place...not able to talk to someone...to anyone...I don't remember my past life...I don't want to..."

I sighed. "It's about time I leave."

"No!" His voice was urgent, and I yelped in surprise when I was suddenly on my back and he was desperately clinging to my waist. "Don't go...I won't do it again...don't leave me behind...please...Kuroki..."

"I...I can't do that..." I tried to supply, only to have him tighten his grasp around my waist. He looked up, though his eyes still weren't there; but his lips were in a pout.

"I...I promise not to do it again...I'll be good...so don't leave me here...it's lonely without you...you're important to me..." the desperation in his voice was shaking my resolve to keep him out of my soul.

"Jin...I...can't trust you after what you did." I sighed, sitting up as he buried his face in my neck.

"Don't say that...don't say it...I'm trying...it's my nature to be bloodthirsty..."

"That's exactly why I can't." I frowned.

I gasped when I felt a sharp pain in my neck.

"Jin!" I exclaimed. He was biting me with those shark teeth of his! "Stop it!"

He stopped biting, and instead began to lick my wound; but it seemed angry.

"You frustrate me, woman...you irritate me...you make me cling to you...I hate you for that...but...I don't want you to hate me..." He whispered, randomly grabbing my hair as our surroundings became the top of a mountain at night.

"You and I are bonded...don't shut me out...put limits on me...don't let me resurface...just let me talk to you again..." He ran his hands through my hair, slowly but desperately.

I was his anchor to the world. I was his only means of communication. But...

"But nothing...!" He growled softly, pushing me down. "I'm pleading to you...! It's pitiful and pathetic...and yet I'm doing it to a human like you...how dare you make me feel like this..."

"Like what?"

"Like..." He leaned down. "I can't bare to lose you...stupid woman...you've grown since I last saw you..." His hand brushed against my cheek as he seemed to be studying my face intently. I didn't know what to think.

They all told me not to let him back inside my head...but...he sounded so sad. I felt guilty for not feeling anything in the time we didn't see each other.

I grabbed a piece of his hair. "Promise me."

He tilted his head.

"Promise me that you won't ever do that again. You only come out when I want you to. That contract where I feel blood lust instead of fear, it's done." I spoke with finality in my tone. "We can talk again, you can enhance my body's abilities, but you'll never breach that trust I had for you again. Otherwise I'll break our bond."

His eyes widened in alarm, and he made a strange face between he's about to cry or he's about to blow up at me.

"You're..." He sounded like he was angry... "such a demanding woman...fine..." He sighed in defeat, leaning his forehead against mine.

I felt strangely uncomfortable with his face being so close. "Uhm..."

That familiar amused smirk formed on his lips. "Don't you know how to reconnect the bond, Kuroki...?"

I looked at him in confusion. "Huh?"

His smirk widened. "A kiss makes everything better..."

"You're joking." I deadpanned.

He chuckled. "Oh, no...I'll accept all your terms if you kiss me...I'd say it's fair since you're the one with all the benefits..."

"You cheeky dickwaffle." I huffed, before pushing his chest but to no avail. "No."

"Why...? Your precious little Sasuke won't know...I don't exist there...it's one thing...you know you've always wanted to..."

Kuh. What an ass.

"What a demanding woman you are...if you won't do it...I will..."

"Wai-"

I jumped up, my eyes frantically looking around to find myself in my bedroom.

I must've stirred Sasuke awake because he mumbled something unintelligible and popped open a squinting eye to look up at me.

"Are you alright...?" He mumbled, yawning as he sat up.

I sighed. "I'm..." I trailed off at the familiar shiver running down my spine and the ghostly feeling of lips on my neck. "fine..."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes in suspicion, before pulling me back down and hugging me like a teddy bear.

"Go back to sleep." He sighed as I blinked at the black that was his chest.

"...Okay."

I feel like I didn't make the right choice.

My ear twitched at a wispy chuckle.

'I'm not complaining...'

Of course not. Stupid ass.

"We're...giving them away...?" I sniffed, looking at the dozens of puppies in a big box.

"Not all of them. We'll keep two. So choose." Kuroi stated heartlessly.

I dropped to my knees, staring down at the boundless puppies trying to jump at me. "Oh, my babies."

I swear I could feel Sasuke roll his eyes as I heard him sigh. "Just pick two already."

"Shut up, you monster!" I snarled, grabbing the dark silver one with black patches and a silvery-navy one. "I'll pick you two."

They both barked into unison and I let them down to run to Shiruba who played with them as any father dog would.

I sighed as Kuroi picked the box of puppies up and walked down the street.

"They're puppies, Kuroki." Sasuke sighed. "They'll be fine in their new homes."

"Shut up." I frowned, standing up and petting Shiruba who whined sadly. "I know, darling. I know. Sasuke's just a little shit."

The Uchiha glared at me as I poked my tongue at him.

"I'll make you regret saying that." He huffed.

Jin made a sound that sounded similar to a snort. He's been rather irritable towards Sasuke lately.

'Because I don't like him...' Jin justified.

I inwardly snorted at him.

'I don't like Neji either...you're a slut...' Was that a tone that sounded upset?

I snarled outwardly, before realising that I did that randomly. I clicked my tongue in annoyance.

I'm not a slut, you ghostly dick.

'I've missed you...' I yelped at the sudden sensation of being touched even though no one was there by...other peoples' terms.

Sasuke frowned skeptically at me, but I merely threw it off as being upset about the puppies.

I'm not sure they'd like it if I told them that I let Jin back in. He'd probably find out when he uses his sharingan next, though...I already feel Jin's chakra remixing and enhancing my chakra reserves. Eh...

I sighed as I sat on the roof, watching the clouds pass by. I kind of miss Gaara. I haven't seen him in a while, not since that incident.

"You have a very serene look." Neji commented softly, sitting down beside me as I smiled at him.

"It's peaceful, I suppose." I frowned. "I sort of feel a little lost at the moment."

"I'm sure you'll find your path eventually." He smiled, grabbing a bit of my hair and staring at it. "Are you going to cut it?"

I stared at the split ends. "Yeah, I'll get mum to do it. I'd ruin my hair if I had to cut it."

"I can't wait until Naruto comes home." I sighed.

The Hyuuga smiled at the mention of the blonde. "Yes, I would like to see him again as well."

"He's probably gotten a lot stronger. Being under a sannin and all. Even Sakura is the Hokage's apprentice."

"We've all gotten stronger, I believe."

I smiled.

"Yeah."

Yeah...I'm really sorry guys, but my muse for this story is sort of just...gone. Either I discontinue it or put it in an indefinite hiatus. I'm sorry for all of you who love this story, I'll try to get my muse back...but it seems slim. I wanted at least to post this chapter instead of a single Author's Note about my possible resignation of this story. It seems cruel. Really sorry guys. I just feel like I don't like it anymore.