"Hey." A voice whispered from behind him.

Asuma Saratobi jumped up, started at her sudden appearance behind him, "You know, Natsuki," He began, turning his head around, to look the blonde in her blue eyes, "I'm getting real tired of you spooking me all the time."

"Have I ever told you how old you sound?" She asked seriously.

Asuma rubbed his head, already feeling a headache coming on. "All the time." He answered with an exasperated sigh.

"A small bird told me there was going to be a new guy with a bad past fighting tonight." Natsuki said with a grin as she walked up to the young Saratobi Asuma who watching the fight going on in the ring.

Asuma turned towards the young blonde, "And what exactly did the 'bird' say?"

"That the guys had a bad reputation. He's from Suna and known as the Sandman in the underground." She said as she turned her head towards the ongoing match. It was between two men, the typical underground fight. Natsuki herself was the first female fighter in Konoha, but in Wave there was only one other in the past, Konan, Pein's girlfriend. Natsuki was the only current female fighter around these parts that was active.

Asuma gave her a glazed look, "And who is this 'bird'?"

"Well, he's probably more dog related than bird." She said with a smirk.

Asuma sighed, "How does Kakashi get his information?"

"It sure as hell isn't from that book he reads." Natsuki answered.

Asuma deadpanned, "That was a rhetorical question."

Natsuki shrugged, "So who is this 'Sandman' and what's his reason for being here?" She asked as she watched the two men fighting in front of them.

Asuma sent a worried gaze as he pulled a box of cigarettes from his dark green jacket, "What makes you think he has a reason for being here?"

"Asuma, the guy's from Suna. Suna. You know as well as I do that Suna natives have a large amount of distain for anyone not from Suna. They don't go anywhere outside their home without a, at least in their mind, legit reason." She scoffed as she watched one of the men land a really nice left hook on his opponent.

Asuma sighed wearily as he lit the head of a cigarette and took a long, relaxing, drag. "You didn't hear it from me," He said as he breathed out, enjoying the scent of his sweet sticks, "but there has been some rumors going on from the underground over there. It's said the kid has some major mental problems, and that he left because everyone worth killing is already dead."

Natsuki narrowed her eyes as she processed the information, "So what's he doing in Wave?"

"I don't know." Asuma shrugged, "Rumor has it that he only travels with two other people; a guy and a girl. They never say their real name, even to each other; they just go on in silence. At least, that's what I've heard through the grapevine."

"You've never met them, have you?" Natsuki peered at the older man.

Asuma shook his head, "I couldn't tell you what the kid looks like."

Natsuki's eyebrows met in confusion, "Than how'd he get a spot in the fight. If I do recall, you meet everyone face to face before you schedule a match unless they're veterans."

"Well, he technically is a veteran." Asuma smirked, his cigarette hanging off his lips.

Natsuki scoffed, "That's bullshit, and you know it. You still had to meet me before you gave me a slot, and I was pretty infamous back in Konoha."

"I honestly don't know how he did it. A man named Baki called, asked when the fights were and how much to get a spot. I doubt the Sandman's name is Baki." Asuma sighed.

"How'd he get your number?"

"That's what is really troubling. He didn't call my cell, you know, the one solely for the underground shit; he called the house phone when Kurenai was home." Asuma said wearily.

"Speaking of, how is she?" Natsuki asked.

Asuma gave a haunted look, "She's barely five and a half months pregnant and has a really good throwing arm. Yesterday I had to dodge a butcher knife."

"Then you should've worn a condom! ~" Natsuki said in a singsong voice.

Asuma groaned. Don't get him wrong, he was excited to be a father, but Kurenai was an absolute beast at times. He'd come home from work to hear her screeching about the 'ugly' curtains she had picked out the week before. He hoped for a speedy pregnancy if he had to experience that when coming home. He missed the calm Kurenai who was content with just watching a movie and blinds on the window. Ah, blinds on the window… those were the days.

"You know a condom actually works about 99 percent of the time, right?" A voice broke in.

Asuma and Natsuki turned to look over to their right.

"Shikamaru." They voiced simultaneously.

Shikamaru gave a mock bow, "The one and the only." He said with a smirk.

Natsuki tilted her head up at the –why is everyone so fucking tall?- taller man, "I didn't know you came here."

Shikamaru smirked at the blonde, "I knew I recognized from somewhere else other than school."

"I didn't know you both went to school together." Asuma piped in.

"Bullshit." Kakashi said as he walked past the trio, towards the bar part of the warehouse with an obviously flustered girl trailing behind him.

"Hey," Natsuki began gaining Asuma's attention, "Is Kakashi going to be the one hosting the races since Kurenai is busy making a baby in her belly?"

"Yes." Asuma sighed.

Natsuki nodded in understanding, "That explains it."

"Explains what?" Shikamaru asked.

Natsuki looked back to where Kakashi was once before, "When he was younger, he was in a car accident that killed his mom. He received terrible trauma from it, and so he really hates the sight of cars."

"How does he get here?" Shikamaru asked.

"The same way I do; I drive my motorcycle."

Natsuki looked over Shikamaru's shoulder, seeing her makeshift family from afar.

"Hey guys," She said as she looked back to the two men, "I'll see you later."

After receiving the same goodbye, Natsuki took off towards the small family, carefully watching them as she walked through the large energetic crowd. To anyone else they looked calm, laid back, and relaxed, simply enjoying each other's company in the chaotic crowd, but Natsuki knew better. They were tense, as if they were expecting something to react to. They always were like this after one of her fights.

Natsuki would be lying through her teeth if she said she didn't know why they acted like that, but she couldn't blame them. Although they tried to hide their tense posture from her, and everyone else, Natsuki was very observant when she wanted to be. She knew what they were expecting, and in some ways she was doing the same too.

They want to be here, and ready in case she got attacked again like she did seven months ago, the night she received the horrid scar on her neck.

It was like any other Thursday evening. Asuma called, telling her what time she should be expecting to fight based on rough estimations. Asuma was the son of the most well known professor at the Academy -At that time, of course. Asuma's father didn't get promoted until later.- Although both of them attended the Academy, -Natsuki as a first year in high school and Asuma in his second year of college- they did not meet until Natsuki's long time friend, Kakashi, another person who had lived at the Konoha orphanage, gave her Asuma's number.

That day, Natsuki was set to fight two of Gato's men. Gato was the most notorious gang boss in Wave. He had his hand in everything inside the small country except for the Academy, but if he had his way, he would have his slimy fingers in there too. She was set to fight to infamous gang members, the demon brothers. They were known to be ruthless whether it was in a match or doing their boss's bidding. Og course, her lookout, Kakashi, warned her not to go through with the match, but being so her, she couldn't say know. She wanted to see if she could actually beat both men.

Naturally, and through stubborn determination, she defeated both men, much to Gato's fury. Gato had bet several millions on his most prized fighters, the loss of money was not something Gato liked at all. He had both brothers killed and hired a mercenary and his protégé to finish Natsuki off permanently.

At that time, Natsuki had yet to earn enough money for a bike of her own, so she often hitched a rid with one of the Uchiha brothers or her long time friend Kakashi on his bike. That night, she was waiting for Kakashi patiently as he did whatever it was he was doing. Natsuki wasn't one for the party scene, so often after a match, she'd watch a race and then wait in seclusion for her ride.

The man and his protégé attacked Natsuki when her back was turned to them. True to her nature, Natsuki fought back, but she still weak from her fight with the two brothers. She ended up killing the man's protégé, a boy about a year or two older than her named Haku, in self defense.

The man was vivid with anger as he saw all the blood drain from Haku's face as his body slumped over. It was an instant death; Natsuki had accidentally managed to snap the boy's neck when she punched him. The man and Haku were close, and in his rage, the man began to savagely beat her. He broke three of her ribs, fractured one, and broke her left arm and her tibia in her right leg. Her right wrist was fractured when she had punched the man.

When he was satisfied with all the damage he had caused her, he pulled out his sharp knife he had tied to his belt and knelt over the beat up girl. He lightly pressed his sharpened blade o to her neck and slowly traced it to the other side. Watching in satisfaction as the dark red liquid slowly oozed out from the shallow cut. He didn't want the girl to die instantly; he wanted her die slowly and painfully. He watched as the blood began to spill out of the girl's throat with great satisfaction.

The man didn't expect Kakashi to see and attack him head on, or the girl to survive in the end. He didn't expect to get so close to death, or leaving Haku's body next to the dying girl. Cursing softly as he nursed his wound, the man hid in the shadows, waiting to appear later on.

The man ran when Kakashi had stabbed the man with the butt of a broken pipe into his abdomen during their struggle. Kakashi quickly ran towards Natsuki, who was slowly fading in and out of consciousness. Kakashi quickly dialed the police, asking them to send an ambulance. Natsuki was lucky enough that one was only several blocks away. When they both arrived at the hospital and Natsuki admitted into emergency surgery, Kakashi called Iruka to inform him of what had happened. Iruka had contacted Jiraiya, a man with many contacts in many places, to find Kurama.

Three days later, Kurama and a small group of people arrived. Natsuki was in a small coma due to the lack of oxygen to her brain. A week later, Natsuki awoke with a large family to greet her. Kurama bought a small apartment for himself and Natsuki to live until Natsuki was well enough to go to school.–Natsuki was the only student living off campus with permission due to the attack.- Natsuki was out of school for a little over a month, but quickly caught up with school work. When school ended Kurama, Natsuki, and their makeshift family traveled for two and a half months around the continent, making friends in various places.

New story- Spirits- has been posted, check it out. It's a FEMNaruto story, naturally.

Feel free to criticize on both stories. I promise not to get depressed, scouts honor. H'm… is there anything else?

Oh yeah, poll still posted on profile, feel free to drop a review if you can't, for whatever reason, or if you're simply too lazy to. I oftentimes fit into the latter category.

I don't know if you guys noticed, but I OBVIOUSLY do NOT own Naruto…I only just own the plot to this story.