Back! Sorry for the wait, but I'm back now!

Well, not much to say- OH! Happy late Thanksgiving to you all! ^^

Well, NOW I don't have much to say, so...

Read, review, review some more, and ENJOY! :D

I still feel it. I still...feel him. Almost like that song by Anberlin: "Do you still feel him, calling in the air tonight?".

Luna hoped against hope she was just paranoid, and that Alex was finally dead. But like that would happen.

She wasn't too surprised when her stupid sixth sense kicked in, and decided now was a good time to show her exactly what she'd rather be in the dark about; Alex's whereabouts .It looked...almost like the outside of the hospital in Konoha. But there was no way that waswhere he was. There was no way that waswhere he was escaping from, wounding people left and right. In his desperation, he wasn't paying any attention to who he was hurting.

He was just shooting kunai after kunai at whoever got in his way. Luna felt her fists clenching as a mother comforted her child, who had been cut across the side of their face from a throwing knife whizzing past.

This isn't right. What about those ANBU guys Sakura mentioned? I thought this was a village of ninjas! Why the hell are people not fighting? ...More importantly...why am I just standing here?

"ALEX!" Luna shouted, running after him. To her surprise, he jumped at her shout. If that was the reason, though, he didn't let on.

She summoned chakra to her feet, speeding up until she was hot on his heels, then screamed his name again.

"Alex, you bastard, stop and lemme kill you again!"

They were now in a wooded area. His pace slowed, realizing he was free. Luna noticed with a bright red flush coming to her cheeks that he was wearing a hospital gown. Thank goodness I am facing his front...

As she spoke, she noticed goosebumps sprang up onto Alex's skin almost instantly. "Hm. Since this is my vision, I believe I can do whatever I want. Yes? Good, I knew you'd see it my way, Mr. Sharpe." And with that bizarre statement, Luna reared back her fist and punched him in the face.

He went down, looking scared for a moment. Then he started laughing, standing up and wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. "I know that punch. I've winced every time I saw you give that punch to someone, too. I figured you'd catch up to me one way or another."

"Did you now?" Luna asked. She hadn't been expecting an actual answer.

"I knew you would because of one simple and obvious fact that you just can't seem to admit. ...We're bound to each other now, y'know. No matter where you go, what you do, who you replace me with, I'll still find my way back to you. Just like your heart's always gonna bring you right back to me," he explained simply.

"Don't flatter yourself," she growled. She shook her head at him. "I used to be so in love with you. Then I felt betrayed by you. Then I was ashamed to have ever known you. I was scared of you for a long time, too. But now...I'm just sick and tired of you!" she shouted, tears pricking to her eyes.

It seemed he didn't hear her. He was currently looking around with curiosity. "Huh, I wonder if she's still here..."

"I'm right here, stop mocking me!" she fumed before realizing he was serious. She sighed heavily, shaking her head.

The one time she finally was able to put her deepest feelings for someone into words, and they hadn't heard a single word. That figured. It also sucked. Majorly. Alex looked around some more before walking backwards towards the other end of the woods.

"You can't protect him forever, you know. I'll be back, and so will Orochimaru! He says he misses your company," he sneered before running off.

"...What? Since when do I know this Orochimaru man? Naruto and the others have encountered him, not me..."

Luna shook her head quickly and ran after Alex, wanting to find out where he was hiding. As she tried to catch up to him, ninjas whizzed past her in weird masks and uniforms. She decided they must have been ANBU, and tried to get ahead of them so she could give Alex some punishment of her own. She was beyond fear and apprehension for him at this point; now it was all about her rage at the man he'd become.

Luna and a couple of the swifter ANBU members had managed to keep him in sight as they made their way out of the woods, coming to a barren area, and were only a few yards away from him when she noticed a blinking red light nearby.

It was blinking periodically, as if in warning. As she got closer, she heard the clicking noises and gasped in horror as the ANBUs bent down to inspect it. He had brought a bomb with him to Konoha? "No, don't-"

Too late. There was a brilliant white flash, complete with a roaring sound. The next thing she knew, the white light turned into a fiery cloud, brushing against her face, burning away the flesh, boiling her alive-

"NO!" Luna screamed, shooting straight up with wide eyes. Naruto jolted awake to her right as she tried to catch her breath, making noises that sounded like crosses between sobs and pants. She was covered in sweat, and her pulse was pounding so fast in her head, chest, and wrists that she was seriously scared her veins would pop right out of her. Gruesome, but she couldn't help it. Then again...considering she had just seen her face get burned off, maybe it wasn't so gruesome after all.

"...Loon, the hell's wrong with you?"

That can't be real. That can't have been real, no, not at all. He died. I watched him. I watched him die, he's dead, he died dammit! ...I have to know. I have to know for sure. I have to!

Luna suddenly turned to look at Naruto, grabbing him by the shirt. "Alex is dead. He's dead. I killed him...didn't I? HE'S DEAD, RIGHT?" she sounded almost hysterical at this point, no wonder he looked unsure on how to answer her.

"...Oh. Right. Um, listen, last night Sakura came by and said they were treating him at the hospital..." he trailed off as she let her face fall into her hands, and she shook her head.

"Keep going."

"Well, they were treating him at the hospital, and he was conscious, and...apparently there wasn't a bullet in his head."

"Naruto, I saw that bullet connect with his skull. I saw it!"

"I know, I know! I saw it too. But...it's not there now."

Luna stayed in that position for a really long time. She felt his hand slide onto her shoulder, and she jerked away, swinging her legs over the bed as she adjusted her shirt. "I gotta go see."

"WHAT?"

"Naruto, if he's not there, people are going to die!" she snapped, hopping into her jeans and fumbling with the button after zipping them up.

"Wait, slow down. What makes you say that?"

She sighed impatiently, running for the door and not bothering with shoes. "No time. I'll be back." He reached the door before her and blocked it with his hand, giving her a glare much like the one she was giving him. "Luna, don't be stupid. Tell me what's going on."

Luna could've sworn she heard yelling a little ways off, and put a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "I'm sorry, I didn't wanna do this."

"Do what?"

"THIS," she shouted before Falcon Punching him away from the door. "Dammit, get your spy ass back here!" he shouted as she ran off, sprinting towards the hospital. When she got within ten feet of the hospital, she looked around frantically. People were looking angry and confused. Sakura was leading the mother and child from her dream into the hospital; blood was all over the mother's shirt from where she'd been embracing her daughter.

Luna ground her feet against the rough gravel, skidding to a stop. "No...No, not already...!" she said with a wild shake of the head, abruptly changing directions and running towards the wooded area she'd followed Alex into mere minutes ago.

Sakura called her name, but she didn't acknowledge her. She just kept running, applying chakra to her stinging feet. Luna's feet felt as if she'd found and broken every stick in the woods, but she didn't care. She was going to save those ANBU.

Alex, you won't be killing anyone on my watch. Absolutely not. "Luna?" Sakura called out, making her trip over a branch.

"Owww," she groaned before hopping up.

"She's over there!"

"Loon, where're you going?"

She stopped as she heard that roaring noise, paling terribly. "No..."

"What was that?" Sakura wondered.

"A bomb," Luna said simply. She sighed heavily, hanging her head. "Alex planted a bomb. It killed approximately seven ANBU, but luckily it was short-range and was planted in a barren area. No forest fires should be started or anything of that sort."

"H-How...he...what? Dead? ...What?" Sakura asked, making Naruto sweatdrop.

"I saw it. They're dead. I didn't get a chance to see what direction he ran in from that point on, though. I was caught in the blast as well."

"But...you're right here..." Naruto said slowly.

Luna sighed and shook her head. "I know that. But I saw it in my vision, and in my vision I was caught in the blast. ...He just...refuses to die..."

Sakura looked at Naruto, tapping her foot. "Care to tell me now that you had nothing to do with his injuries?"

"I already told you, Luna beat him with a plank!"

"NARUTO UZUMAKI, YOU TELL ME WHAT REALLY HAPPENED THIS INSTANT OR-..." Sakura trailed off as hot wind blew against their faces.

Luna didn't feel as regretful as she thought she would. That made her worried; perhaps Ichigo was right, and she was too accustomed to death after all. "...I told you," she said simply before turning around and heading back out of the woods. Naruto and Sakura exchanged a look and ran after her. "Where're you going now?"

"I do not know."

"Loon, calm down."

"I am quite calm, Naruto."

"I know, but...calm down."

Sakura had question marks popping up above her head, and Naruto just shook his head. "She's fine, go back to work."

"Yeah, but she-"

"GO."

Sakura glared at him for a rather long time, but eventually crossed her arms and stomped off. "Giving me orders, the very idea...!" Naruto sighed and shook his head before running to catch up with Luna. Her and her damn formality.

Luna was already far ahead, hoping he'd just go away and let her be alone. But like hell THAT was going to happen. "Hey, Loon, wait up!"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"That's alright, I've already caught up."

"So I see."

"Will ya at least look at me?"

"No I shall not."

"Why?"

"Because my eyes are stinging."

"You got somethin' in 'em?"

"Maybe. It could always be allergies or...or something."

"They're watering, I can see it from here."

"They are? How odd."

"Are they watering because you're crying?"

"Crying? I do not cry. I am not a little girl, and crying is for little girls."

"Is it?"

She nodded quickly, wiping her nose distractedly. "Yes. But I am not a little girl. I am tough. I am very tough. I am a rock, metaphorically speaking. In fact, I have no feelings. I am emotionless. Yes...emotionless. That sounds nice, doesn't it? Having no emotions."

"Everyone has emotions."

"Not I."

"Yes you. You're crying."

"I am not."

"You're crying-"

"No I am not!"

"Because you know you'll have to go through all that trouble of killing him again-"

"Stop talking."

"And because he just killed at least seven innocent people-"

"I am not cr-"

"Because you couldn't stop him. You knew what to do, but couldn't do it in time, and now seven people ar-"

"STOP IT!" she shouted, whirling around to look at him. She couldn't see him very well, her eyes were blurry.

Her eyes were stinging again, and she sniffled, looking down at the ground. "...Allergies. I have allergies. Do you have medicine for that? Some medicine...yes, that always helps. My eyes used to sting like this quite often. They would give me medicine and I would feel much better. I would be in a daze all day long, and I would not be able to walk straight, but it was a nice feeling. Do you have some medicine like that, Naruto? It always helps."

She had the distinct feeling she was rambling, but she was so out of it that she didn't care. It almost felt like at the Manor, when she felt like her sanity was slipping away. Only this time, it was her rationality. She felt vulnerable, tired, and quite frankly she felt all-around ill. She could still feel that hot air on her face, wanting to boil her skin.

Naruto's hands plopped onto her shoulders, and his voice was very close, but she didn't feel like looking to see where the source was. "...You don't need medicine for something like this. You need a TV and lots of Pop-Tarts. I happen to have all that. Okay?"

"Okay."

"But you have to do something for me first."

"...What?" she asked suspiciously. If he was choosing NOW to ask her to do something stupid, she was going to kill him. And she would NOT develop allergies for doing so.

"You have to dry your eyes, stop worrying about that douchebag, stop feeling guilty about what he did, and smile- and mean it- at least once today. Or else no deal. ...Can you do that?"

She shook her head slowly. "No. I probably cannot. But I shall try for the Pop-Tarts." He laughed and tightened his grip on her shoulders, pushing her towards home. "Good enough for me."

After they started walking, he frowned. ...What the hell kind of medicine did they give her? He couldn't help but grin though. Allergies, huh? I shoulda used that excuse when I was little...! Damn! I wish I had thought of that sooner!

MEANWHILE...

Tara slowly opened her phone, clearing her throat. "Agent Surandon."

Her superior's cold voice grated against her ear almost immediately. "Hello, Agent Surandon. I called to ask about the status of The Subject."

"As far as I know, sir, she has been doing fine. No illnesses thus far due to prolonged exposure to unpurified air. All abilities seem to be performing normally, as doesThe Subject herself."

"Good. ...Agent Surandon, we cannot hold out on the Allies much longer. They are demanding proof of The Subject's abilities, and we need to know if we can enhance them with our new formulas."

"I am aware of that, but The Agency must put the needs of The Client and his village first. They shall make strong allies as well, should Orochimaru be eradicated. And there is also the fact that Orochimaru is extremely interested in The Subject and her abilities as well. It is believe he has had her sights on her for years, Sir."

"We are aware of the situation, but without the support of our Allies, The Agency cannot fund all of our studies. Which prevents scientific progress. Which makes us have a slight disadvantage with our enemies. All of these points do not fare well for any of us, Agent Surandon."

Tara felt her anger boiling, and curled her hand into a tight fist to resist the urge to lose her cool tone and shout some sense into him. She had never had such strong impulses before Luna and the other young Agents had been put in her care.

"...I understand, Sir, but I cannot just drag her out of Konoha. She has a solid cover established there, and L- ...The Subject will not go willingly, I can assure you of that."

"Are you saying The Subject has become attached to The Client and Konoha's inhabitants?"

"Not at all, Sir. I am simply saying she does not abandon a mission, under any circumstances. If you wish to see that The Subject gets assigned back to The Agency, you will probably end up dragging her back in handcuffs."

Tara had meant to make a point, not a suggestion. But the long pause on the other line told her that Luna's arrest was being carefully considered. Her stomach lurched at the thought of how much that would put her through.

"...Understood, Agent Surandon. Keep us updated on any changes The Subject may undergo."

"Yes Sir."

"...And Agent Surandon?"

"Yes?"

"A year will be up in less than four months. We need her back in three maximum. ...I cannot guarantee the results will be pleasant for The Subject if she refuses transfer. She will have to undergo intense questioning as to her relationship with The Client and his city."

"Understood."

"See to it that does not become necessary."

"I will to the best of my ability, Sir."

"Very good. Dismissed."

She hung up the phone, slamming it down. She realized that her nails had been clenched against her palm so tightly that beads of blood were forming in a couple places. Tara eyed it hungrily, licking the droplets daintily before making herself resist the temptation of sucking the wound dry.

She then completely realized what that conversation had meant, and shook her head slowly. "...Luna, please. Complete your assignment swiftly. Your life might be at stake..."