Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, yada, yada, yada...

Happy Fourth of July everyone! What better way to celebrate our nation's independance than to stay indoors and read! lol -

seriously though - it's almost 110 degrees out... I hate Arizona...

Chapter Six:

The Village Hidden in the Waterfall

So close no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
And nothing else matters

~Metallica~

Thirteen months ago

Naruto wiped the slick moisture from his brow again. "How can it be so damn hot?" he thought to himself, "It's not even summer yet." The weather had been abnormally hot lately, even for the Land of Waterfalls. It was so hot; he was starting to worry that his brains would broil in his skull. He readjusted his pack and slowly trudged on. The resistance seals had just been made stronger yet again this morning. He felt the constant drain on his chakra pulling at him. "Pervy Sage is a sadist," he thought, sending a dark look at the man he still admired greatly.

He was so thirsty. They all were. As he unconsciously put one foot in front of the other, he wondered if he would fall. He didn't want to fall. It was a matter of pride. Jiraiya told them this leg of the journey would be difficult, but he thought nothing of it. Now he knew differently.

Tsunade was walking next to Sai. She had been talking to him about mind numbingly boring medical jutsu during their travels, but they too had fallen silent to conserve their strength.

Sasuke was next to him, blindfolded. He was working on expanding his senses. Every now and then, Naruto would toss a rock at him to screw with him. That teme always seemed to sense it though. Sighing, Naruto pulled the rubber ball from his pocket and tried to pop it using his chakra. So far, he had no luck. The water balloon was definitely easier.

"I hear water," said Sasuke, pulling off his blindfold. He looked around, searching for proof of what he had sensed. He thought he smelled the faint hint of minerals and lake weeds, but all around them was tall boulders and rising canyons. Everything was dull and brown. Scabby parched weeds dotted the ground. "Was I wrong?" he asked aloud, beginning to have doubts.

"No; it won't be long now," responded Jiraiya wearily. He wasn't used to traveling through this miserable part of the country so slowly. The sun crushed heavily on them the whole way; even when it turned an inflamed, turbulent red at sunset, it shined defiantly down through the hills to their left, blinding them. Every drop of sweat inching down their burning skin pained them.

The coolness of the canyon they entered made them sigh in relief and a half an hour later, they all heard it. The rumble of water; sweet life giving water…

Naruto licked his parched lips and walked faster, nearly tripping over his feet in his haste to see this miracle. The next turn opened into a wide green field. A mammoth lake sparkled in the sun and drew them like moths to a flame. They dunked their heads into the cool refreshing water and drank deeply. As he lifted his dripping face, he stared in awe of the waterfall.

The huge column of water seemed to stretch endlessly into the sky. In truth, Naruto thought the clouds were touching the tip of the mountain. The roar of the water drowned out all other sound as they shouted to be heard over it.

A watery haze shrouded the entire area due to the power of the falls. Droplets of water and the rays of the sun merged in a passionate embrace to create a rainbow bridge that sliced the sky above and came diving down into the lake below.

All three boys gasped in wonder at the sight. It looked as though they could reach out their hands, touch the seven-colored miracle, and feel the airy fragility of this bridge in the sky.

"It's amazing," said the unusually hushed blonde boy. He sighed contentedly, catching the fresh spray on his face. "Can we get in for a quick dip, please Pervy sage?"

"No, we are here."

Sai looked around intriguingly. "I don't see any village."

"That's because it's hidden Aho," replied Sasuke sarcastically.

"So how do we get in?" asked Naruto.

"Right through there," replied Jiraiya, pointing at the pounding water, "Just follow me." An instant later, he and Tsunade leaped at the base of the waterfall and disappeared.

"At least we're getting wet," shouted Naruto enthusiastically before following the Sannin.

It was a strange thing to blindly leap through the air, not knowing where the ground was. The pounding waters blinded him, so when he felt something snatch him from the air and wrap around itself around him in a tight grip; he gave a small squeak of fright. A deep chuckle reverberated against his chest and a familiar voice teased, "Scared gaki, or did you step on a mouse?"

Naruto, beyond humiliated, blinked the water from his eyes and scowled. "I wasn't scared, Pervy Sage, that was just my…my sandal. It's wet."

"Mm hmm," he said doubtfully and then set the boy down. Tsunade caught Sasuke in her arms and Jiraiya grabbed Sai. Neither one seemed surprised at being caught in the Sannin's arms which caused Naruto to scowl even deeper.

Once Naruto eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, he was surprised to discover he was in an enormous cavern filled with small water filled holes. Sai and Sasuke stood beside him glancing around curiously.

"Pay attention boys," said Jiraiya, shaking them out of their reverie. "Some of these holes are traps and some are dead ends; either way, you'll drown if you choose to go in the wrong one."

They trailed him over to a bean shaped one, which he dove into. Naruto took a big breath and followed. It seemed like he swam forever in the twisted underwater tunnels; his lungs burned for oxygen. Just when he thought he wouldn't be able to hold his breath much longer, there was a light ahead. He furiously kicked his legs and broke though the surface of the lake, taking huge gulps of air. Sai and Sasuke bobbed up next to him an instant later doing the same.

Directly ahead was the biggest tree the boys had ever seen. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary tree, like one of the thousands they had seen in their travels, but there was something special about this one. They felt something odd. The tree seemed almost sentient. "Wow," they whispered.

Naruto tugged on Jiraiya's arm and quietly asked, "What is it?"

"You can feel it, huh? It's a very special tree; it creates the Hero's Water."

"What's that?"

"Later," he said, "We have a very important mission right now." Jiraiya and Tsunade climbed to the top of the water and walked across the lake towards the tall man that stood at the edge. The boys, remembering the why they were there, assumed somber expressions and hastily followed suit.

The man rushed forward to the Sannin. Worry was evident on his face. "Jiraiya, thank Kami you came. Is this Lady Tsunade? I am the village's jonin leader, Shibaku. I wish I could give you a proper greeting, but time is of the essence."

"That's alright," interjected Tsunade, "Show me and my apprentice where they are. Until I discover the nature of the disease these people have, I want the rest of you to stay away."

Sasuke and Naruto exchanged concerned looks with Sai and nodded. They nervously watched him leave with the slug Sannin. Jiraiya clapped his hands on the remaining boys and drew them away. They walked towards a large house that stood in the middle of the village. A very old wrinkled lady came out and greeted them, "Jiraiya-boy, nice to see you again."

"Have you got room for a few extra, old mother?" he asked fondly.

"Of course," she beamed while ushering them inside.

~~O~~

Tsunade and Sai made their way to the makeshift infirmary that had been quickly erected after most of the townspeople began to fall ill. The village was too small to support a hospital and had only two healers. Things were looking very dire.

Tsunade stopped at the entrance of the rough wooden building and grabbed two masks from the table that stood beside the door. She handed one to Sai before entering.

The scroll detailing the medical emergency didn't prepare Sai for what he witnessed. The odor of decaying flesh hit his nostrils through the mask, making him feel instantly nauseas. Most of the victims had open, weeping sores all over their bodies.

A small child lay in the first bed. She was crying out for her parents in a hoarse, raspy plea that went unanswered. Her pitiful cries filled his heart with pity and sorrow. He stood there, trying to take deep even breaths to calm himself. Tsunade took his hand in hers and gave him a quick reassuring squeeze. "We are here and we will help them," she said encouragingly.

Sai stood up straighter. In a firm voice, he asked, "What do you want me to do?"

She handed him a bag. "You can start by gathering samples."

~~O~~

Naruto and Sasuke couldn't help but love the sweet old woman immediately. She fed them and tsked over the worn state of their clothes all while keeping a running commentary about the village and its current state of emergency.

Since they were going to be there for quite a few weeks at the least, Jiraiya set up a training schedule for them. As he handed them the scrolls, Naruto studied his with a frown on his face. "Umm, Pervy Sage…when am I supposed to sleep?"

"Right here," he said, pointing out the four hour slot.

"Four hours? That's all I get?"

"Eh, it's just for the week. It's combat training."

Naruto frowned for a minute before brightening. He pulled a scroll from his bag and held it towards his godfather. "Can you send this to Sakura?" he asked, "It's almost her birthday and I wanted her to have these jutsu."

As Jiraiya took it, Sasuke scoffed, "Why would you give that away?"

Naruto growled, "Don't even say it teme. I got it from Kikujō when we were in the Land of Vegetables. It's mine to give and besides, it's just a bunch of flower jutsus; who better to have it than Sakura."

"Isn't it rather dangerous to use your entire vocabulary in one sentence?"

"TEME!"

"BAKA!"

"Alright you two, knock it off!" Jiraiya put the scroll away and then stepped between the boys. He made a shadow clone to lead Sasuke over to one corner of the training field while he led Naruto to another. "It's time I finished teaching you your father's jutsu."

Naruto had been feeling off all evening. He felt anxious and jittery for some unknown reason. At first he thought that maybe he was worried about Sai, but when the boy joined them that night, he still didn't feel any better. It wasn't long before he excused himself to go to bed. Sai and Sasuke followed him soon after.

When they entered the room several minutes later, they found him sitting on the window seat, staring pensively out into the night. "Honestly baka, what's wrong with you? You better not say 'nothing' because we know better."

Naruto turned and gave them a perplexed look. "I really don't know. I feel weird, I don't know…like something's about to happen. Something big."

"What, like something dangerous?" asked Sai.

He hesitated before answering. "Yes…no, I don't know."

Sasuke considered Naruto's words before responding, "I would think that if something bad was about to happen, Jiraiya or Tsunade would feel it too. Just forget about it for now and go to sleep."

Naruto nodded with a little reluctance. He stripped down to his boxers and laid down on the futon to sleep for the night. The other boys had just settled down when he bolted up and clenched his chest as if in pain. Seconds later, their door was kicked down and young woman with short spiky mint-green hair ran into the room. Her wild orange-colored eyes searched the room until they fell upon Naruto.

Before they could even pull out weapons to defend themselves, she shouted, "You! Is it you, isn't it?"

"Is what me?" asked the confounded boy.

"It is you!" she said as though in shock.

Jiraiya came running into the room, and then abruptly halted at the sight of the woman. "Fū, what are you doing in here? I heard you weren't expected back until sometime late tomorrow."

She gave a small respectful bow and then asked, "Is he really…?"

"Yes, how did you know?"

"Chōmei," she said simply.

The boys sent baffled looks at each other then scrambled out of their beds as she suddenly gave a loud, excited whoop, raced forward, picked up Naruto, swung him around in a circle, and kissed him full on the mouth. Jiraiya laughed and sent a wink to the blonde. He strolled out of the room, leaving them alone with the crazy kunoichi.

Sasuke held out a kunai and demanded, "Leave him alone!"

Naruto just stood there in a daze when she sat him down. She turned to Sasuke and asked derisively, "What do you care what happens to him? You probably hate him."

"Tch, I don't hate him, he's my best friend."

"And mine as well," interjected Sai.

"Friend?" she snorted. "Yeah right, nobody is friends with a Jinchuriki." She added sullenly, "Everybody knows that they are monsters."

"Hey," shouted Naruto, "I am not a monster."

A look of comprehension crossed Sai's face. He said, "A monster is an imaginary creature that is typically large, ugly, and frightening. While I might agree that Naruto is ugly, he is neither large nor frightening."

"Hey!" yelled Naruto.

"That is sarcasm…" he added smugly. "I've been working on it."

"Keep working on it Aho," muttered Naruto.

"Who are you and what do you want?" demanded Sasuke.

"She is obviously a Jinchuriki, I mean really, are you always this ignorant?"

Naruto ignored their squabbling as he looked at her in wonder. "Are you really? Is that why I've been feeling weird today?"

"Yeah, I felt it too, the closer I got to Takigakure. Chōmei, my bijū, felt your presence and warned me."

"You talk to it?"

Fū smiled and asked, "You don't?"

Naruto gave her an odd look at that statement, not knowing how to respond. In truth, it had never occurred to him that the Kyuubi would actually be capable of speech. The mere idea of it made him feel a little apprehensive. Sasuke and Sai seemed to feel his anxiety and moved close enough to brush their skin against his.

Fū noticed their subtle movement and was taken aback by what it implied; something she had thought impossible. "So these two are really your friends?" she softly asked in astonishment. "And they know what you are?"

"Yeah, they're my best friends and brothers."

Fū managed to shock boy boys into utter silence as she ran up to them and gave them the same greeting she had given to Naruto. Sasuke was not able to mask the red flush that crept up his face as the beautiful girl hugged him tight against her breasts and kissed him on the mouth.

~~One week later~~

Sai's hands glowed green over the little girl's chest. She coughed weakly then gave him a shy smile. "Where's your mommy at?" she asked.

"She is at home in Konohagakure with my father."

"Do you miss her?"

"Sometimes."

"I miss my daddy and my brother. They're not allowed to come in here because they might get sick too. I miss my mommy too. She used to talk to me, but then she didn't say anything. She just stopped and I don't know why. The doctors took her away yesterday and she hasn't come back." Her eyes filled with tears. She grasped Sai's hand with surprising strength and implored him, "Can you bring back my mommy to me?"

"I…I do not know." He wanted to say or do something to make her feel better, but was at a loss as to how. He patted her hand awkwardly and said, "There, there. Please do not leak fluids from your lacrimal apparatus."

"W-What?" she sobbed.

"Don't cry. It makes me feel uncomfortable."

"But I'm s-sad and sc-scared. What should I d-do?"

"Well, whenever I feel that way, I try to do something that makes me happy or I talk to my friends. They will usually make me feel better. I guess you can tell me what makes you happy."

"The sun always makes me happy," she said weakly. "But everything is so dark now and I'm scared of the dark. My mommy makes me happy too. She is very pretty and nice and…" she faltered as another harsh barking cough cut off her words. Blood dribbled down the corners of her mouth while she tried to catch her breath. "I don't like being sick."

"Lady Tsunade is one of the greatest medics in the world. She is finding a cure and you will get better. Soon, you will be able to play in the sun again."

~~O~~

A thick black strand of sweat-soaked hair fell in his face again. Sasuke impatiently shoved it aside as he tried to summon enough chakra to do the great fireball technique one more time. Panting heavily, he took another deep breath, made the horse and tiger seal, and exhaled an enormous inferno.

He held it as long as he could before the flaming ball sputtered out. Sections of the rocky mountainside wall were still glowing red from the intense heat, while other parts were burnt black. He knew he was pushing himself too far, but he wanted to be the best. He was an Uchiha and it was expected of him. He stumbled to the ground as extreme weariness overtook him.

"Well, that was stupid," teased Jiraiya dryly. Sasuke gave him a sour look as the Sannin continued, "Do you even have enough chakra to get back to the house now?"

Sasuke used his meager supply of chakra to lift his arm and throw a kunai at the smug man. Jiraiya easily dodged it and then, with an amused laugh and wave, dispelled himself.

"Stupid clone," he muttered to himself before taking a drink of water. As he was lowering the bottle, he heard her approach. Because Fū was related to the village leader, she was not hated by everyone but she was feared by them. She never had any friends, so for some odd reason, she instantly liked the three boys. She told them that they were her new little brothers and made it her goal in life to treat them that way. Naruto loved it, Sai was bewildered by it all and Sasuke was annoyed… a little.

"Fū," he greeted warily.

She ran up to the boy picked him up and glomped him. He gave a scowl and tried to push her away, but she just cheerfully laughed and tousled his hair. "Did you miss me cutie-pie?!" she asked impishly.

"Will you stop calling me that already? I am a shinobi, not some little child." he hissed as he tried to regain his dignity. "You are more annoying than the baka sometimes. You're a jonin, so you should act like it."

"Aw, you say that, but you don't mean it! And besides, you're not a shinobi yet."

"Yes, I do mean it!" Sasuke huffed and sat back down. "So how was your mission?" he asked, knowing it was useless to discourage her.

Fū answered, "Boring. How has your training been?"

He pointed at the wall behind him in answer.

"Very nice little brother," she complemented.

"Of course, I am an Uchiha," he said self-importantly.

Fū, stuck out her tongue, slapped him upside the head, and then pulled him to his feet. "Come on, little brother," she said in a chipper voice, "Stop being so conceited. I'm starving and you get the honor of buying me lunch."

"Oh joy."

~~The Rasengan~~

Naruto stood in the field next to his summoned clone. "This time," he thought, "This I'll do it for sure!" His hands were aching and bleeding from all the chakra burns and explosions, but he never gave up. He bet Tsunade that he would finish it in a week so that she would stop trying to stomp on his dream of being Hokage. He had to do it. He had to show her that he was smart and capable. He had to show her his will of fire. "One more time," he said to himself again. "This I'll do it for sure!"

Thrusting out his palm, he gathered his chakra until a glowing untamed mass appeared. The clone's hands rotated around it until it became a violent sphere in the center of his hand; a shriek emanated from the glowing blue chakra. "Rasengan!" shouted Naruto as he slammed it into a nearby tree, sending splinters and chunks of wood flying.

He stood staring at the crater in the tree. With a loud crack, it toppled down and slammed into the ground, the vibrations tickling the boy's feet. "I did it! I did it! I knew I could do it!" he shouted ecstatically.

The noise in the field dropped as all the other clones stopped training to look at the fallen tree. A rush of noise filled Naruto's ears as the clones began to shout and cheer. He turned to the tall Jiraiya clone next to him and said, "I've got to go show granny!"

~~O~~

Sasuke and Fū were sitting alone at the food stand when he asked her, "Why did you lie to Naruto?"

"What are you talking about?"

"When you said that the Nanabi, Chōmei was your friend, you lied. I could tell."

"You're just a kid, you wouldn't understand."

"I am not a kid, I'm a shinobi. Tell me the truth."

Fū studied Sasuke for a minute before answering. "Being a Jinchuriki is a curse. It leaves you with a hole in your heart. Chōmei and I get along all right, but we can never be friends because I resent it too much. It is because of the beast that I am feared and hated for the power contained within me. As I said, you can never truly understand what that feels like."

Sasuke sneered, "You think I don't know what that feels like? My father was a traitor. It was kept quiet, but there is no such thing as a secret in a ninja village. I am looked at as a son of a traitor by some." His voice grew louder as he got angrier, "The rest of the villagers see me as only an Uchiha. There are so many expectations placed on me. They no nothing of me or who I am. I understand Naruto better than anyone can."

"I lied to him because I don't want him to be hurt. He has been blessed with friends to fill the hole that the Kyuubi caused. It is a struggle to keep the bijū contained. I want him to have hope that it is possible. I have heard that some Jinchuriki have been able to befriend their bijū and control them." Fū leaned close to the boy and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Naruto is really lucky to have you as his friend. How I wish I had it too," she whispered regretfully.

"You are our friend, Fū."

~~O~~

In the dim light of the tavern, two old friends sat in companionable silence for a brief moment. The last of the villagers had finally been healed and all that was left was to wait for them to rest to recover fully and get their strength back. Tsunade had left Sai in charge at the infirmary. "This place could really use a hospital," she said ruefully. "It would have saved lives."

"Thankfully, you came along. Much more than three would have lost otherwise."

The flickering candle between them sent fluttering moths of light against the numerous sake bottles. The man gave a slight jerk as one of his clones dispelled then leaned back against the booth with a proud expression on his face followed quickly by a smug one.

The woman, catching the telltale gleam in his eyes demanded, "What is it?"

"Oh, I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise."

"You do know, I hate surprises."

"This one is pretty special."

"What is it?" she demanded again.

"It's coming right now," he said with a nod to the opening door. A bright yellow streak of sunshine slammed in the old man with hurricane force.

"I did it! I did it! I told you I could do it!"

"Yeah," Jiraiya laughed, "I was there gaki, remember?"

Naruto swiftly turned to Tsunade and said, "I told you granny! I told you I could do it! I win the bet."

The slug Sannin's eye twitched and her fist clenched. "What have I told you about calling me that?!"

"Yeah yeah, but a bet's a bet," he said.

Tsunade had no idea how it happened or when it happened, but somehow during their travels, that bold, irreverent little brat wormed his way into her cold heart. There was just something about him that made her want to bet on him.

~~O~~

Sai stepped outside and sat down on the cool grass next to a tree. It took nearly a week, but Tsunade was able to isolate the disease and create an antidote. He helped her inoculate everyone in the village. They would survive. For days, he had used chakra techniques taught to him by the Sannin to help alleviate their symptoms and prolong their lives. For many, it brought them back from the brink of despair and gave them hope. For some, it was too late.

The little girl didn't make it.

"Mitsuku, child of the light," he thought bitterly as he took a pad of paper from his pack and some paint. "What a lie." He began to draw her face; one that was free of the disease that killed her. When he was done, he didn't feel better. He didn't find the peace that often came over him when he was doing what he loved. He was about to crumple up the paper when it was taken from his unresisting fingers.

Tsunade sat down next to him. She said not a word as she patiently waited for the boy to figure out what he needed to say.

"I thought she was getting better," he finally said without looking at her.

"I know."

"She didn't get better."

"No, she didn't."

"Her father and brother are unhappy now."

Tsunade nodded and said, "It's very hard to lose your loved ones."

"I too am unhappy. Why do I feel this way? What is the purpose of it? I am a ninja, I shouldn't feel anything. People live and people die; it's a part of life. I don't like feeling this way."

Tsunade put her arm around the boy and said softly, "Oh Sai, we all must know the pain of loss, because if we never knew it, we would have no compassion for others. The terrible pain of loss teaches humility to our prideful kind and has the power to soften uncaring hearts and to make a better person of a good one."

Sai was silent while he considered her words. "She is finally with her mother now, Sensei, isn't she?"

"Yes, she is."

"I think I can be content with that in time."

She handed the drawing back to the boy and asked him to finish it. After careful consideration, he resumed his painting with more emotion than before.

~~O~~

Everyone in the village came to the graveyard to say their final goodbyes. Sai stood next to the small plot where they laid the little girl to rest. Her mother was next to her. They were together again. His chest felt tight and heavy. There were no words that came to his mind to say so he simply laid the picture on the casket and walked away. It was his way of saying goodbye. Naruto and Sasuke both put their arms around him.

"That was a nice thing to do," commented Sasuke.

"Yeah," agreed Naruto, "It was."

The man who had been silently grieving picked it up and smiled through his tears. He clenched it tight to his chest for a moment then showed it to the young boy who looked so achingly similar to his sister.

Mitsuku was held in the arms of her mother. They were so happy.

They were laughing in the sun.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Tsunade and Jiraiya were also at the funeral paying their respects when the leader, Shibaku approached them. "Milady, I just got an urgent plea for aide. It seems some of the lower villages have been stricken with the same disease."

~~O~~

Tsunade packed her things and left to travel to the other villages. She left Sai to continue looking after the weakened people. Jiraiya hastily departed the next day, due to unforeseen circumstances in the nearby country of Amegakure. He had a very important meeting with one of his contacts.

As he stood near the lake with his packed bags, he informed the trio, "Continue with your training and help the villagers as much as you can until I return. I should only be a week or two at most. When I return, we will leave for the SummoningIslands."

"What about Lady Tsunade?" asked Sai.

"She has agreed to return to Konohagakure when she is done."

~~One Week Later~~

The sun was burning high in the sky when they stopped their training to have lunch. They were practicing some of their more destructive jutsu, so they were not in the village. Instead they were at the base of the falls beside the massive lake. They were halfway through eating when a rustling in the nearby bushes alerted them to danger.

Sasuke hissed, "Shut up and listen…"

He yanked out his giant windmill shuriken while Naruto and Sai stood alert and ready with their kunai in hand. An injured woman stumbled towards them with two young children. Sai grabbed her as she fell. "Please help…There's been an attack," she gasped out.

Sai pulled out the shuriken embedded in her back and healed the wound. "How many are there?" he asked.

"I…I don't know, maybe eight or ten. It happened so fast." She began to cry feeling useless and fearing the worst. The children held on to their mother in fright.

"Shh, it's okay lady," comforted Naruto, "We'll handle it."

"But you're just children!" she wailed.

"No," said Naruto gravely, "We are shinobi."

AN:

Thanks to cookiemonster77 for her help - you rock

Sorry, but I had to cut it off here due to complaints when the chapter becomes too long.

To all those who have been asking me when the time will get to the present, I'll say this, there are three events that are important and have to be included. I am not certain how many chapters it will take to write them. Most of it is integral to my character development. Even though the boys will be 12/13 when they return to Konoha, they will be shinobi - no longer children. There will be great changes to their characters as they grow. I had a guest comment that there was too much of the girls, however I believe that they need their characters developed as well or it would seem jarring and surreal when they are reintroduced. Please have patience...we'll get there together!

Just thought I would share a fun little Naru/Saka fic I found. It's called Treasure by DayoNight7. Check it out while your waiting for my next update.

As always, thank you for the reviews/favorites/follows! Even if it's just 'update soon' - nothing encourages a writer more than getting feedback.

Ja Ne

AZFAERYDUST