DEAR FANS,

Sorry I haven't uploaded in forever. My laptop crashed along with almost the entire ending for the story. I have spent the last four months trying to recover what I have. The only thing I got was this chapter which was incomplete and useless. But here it is, finished after about two weeks of work. Thanks for your patience. My new laptop should arrive by the end of May and I will spend all of June finishing the story. Much work to come just be patient. Until then... ENJOy

Yuki awoke with a start, licking her parched lips with her tongue. She reached a hand up and touched her right eye, in the hopes that it had all just been but a dream. Instead she was met with soft cloth around the empty socket, and flinched away as it throbbed with an untold pain. She shook it away, forcing herself to her feet, and glancing around to catch her bearings. When her eyes found two familiar faces, lying face down, she rushed to them, surprised by how lightweight her body felt. She tripped almost immediately, but caught herself and reached down, shaking her godmother's shoulder's lightly. She kept her other senses occupied for any trouble that might be on their way, but continued to shake the woman's body lightly. With a start, Anko woke up, shivering violently, and grabbing at her cursed mark fervently.

"Where is-Oh. Yuki-chan."

Yuki smiled and held her hand out, grabbing her godmother's. With very little effort, she pulled her up, and turned to Kakashi who was standing up and looking about.

"That was a nasty little situation we got ourselves into, eh, Yuki?" Kakashi stated, his disheveled look contradicting the calm he emanated. Yuki smiled, and nodded before turning her attention to the explosion which rocked the ground she stood on. She whirled searching for the source of the disturbance. A plume of what appeared to be water filled the sky, forming a rainbow that arched over the trio.

So that is where they-

Her godfather must have been thinking the same thing, for he stiffened at the sound.

"I'm going. Whether you two follow-" Yuki stated, digging her feet into the ground. She didn't have time to waste. She was needed on that battlefield now.

"Kid. You really need to stop underestimating us. We're your godparents, and we will go wherever you do. It's our job after all. "

Yuki stared at Anko, who although worn down, looked ready for another fight. She stared between the both of her parents, before nodding. Although she hated to bring them to this fight, she knew that there were few shinobi quite as capable as her Father, and as dependable as her mother.

"Hope you two can keep up," Yuki replied with a smile.

Kazuyo disengaged from the masked shinobi for what seemed like the fifteenth time. Her chakra was almost gone, and her body was slowly but surely betraying her. Just the small tremors that ran through her arms and legs made her reactions two tenths of a millisecond off. Her body needed to move faster, yet her actions felt like rubber. She gasped for air as every muscle in her body strained against her limits to keep her alive.

I still have chakra. I still can use that final jutsu. I don't want to but I don't have many other choices.

She glared at the man as he stared at her his eyes unflinching and unemotional.

"Heheh. Not bad for an old man," she stated, aloof and relaxed, shaking a few strands of hair out of her face.

"I could say the same to you. I'm a little disappointed that this is all the Hazukashii clan has to offer."

Kazuyo narrowed her eyes, and watched as he dashed towards her. Immediately, she presented her water blade, slashing upwards. It phased through him, and the chain encircled her waist in an attempt to contain her movements. Before the chain could capture her, she created a barrier She winced as the chains pressed against her sides harder. She pushed her sword against the steel trap which bound her. A single kunai flashed into her view from her peripheral and she ducked, spinning out of her restraints, and stood up, warding off his hurried thrust. She kept her sights on him, and shifted her weight completely to the left, throwing him off balance. She pulled out another kunai, aiming it at his head, and letting it fly. As the attack was phased, she pulled on the rope as the thread wrapped around Susano'o's hand. She hadn't truly been aiming at the man but instead had been focused on the ethereal figure behind him. She held onto the rope tight, ignoring the vibration which rattled her bones inside her arm. She ground her teeth against each other, and blocked the attempt to cut the strings which she was holding onto. She smirked, as she was pulled forward inch by inch.

Good thing I was able to prevent Naruto from getting crushed. Granted, I am open to being attacked, but nothing I can't handle.

Her senses warned her of incoming danger, and she formed ram, focusing her chakra into the ground. She turned, watching as the earth rose creating a protective wall between her and her target. The wall though wasn't enough to stop Tobi, and Kazuyo knew that watching as he phased through it, and prepared himself to strike.

I cannot continue to risk Akira and Naruto's life. My chakra will hold for two more jutsu, and then I'll have to resort on genjutsu and tiajutsu. Okay. Get them out of here, and then I'll use that…

She blocked his attack, and countered, letting go of the rope. Afterwards, she returned her attention to the masked man and thrust herself headlong into battle, a grin forming on her lips. Kazuyo weaved out of his next attack, and formed three water clones, using them to give her a second to form her hand seals.

There. Now I can fight free from any hindrances!

Akira glanced at the girl who protected Naruto yet again. Whatever happened, she couldn't trust her to not turn on her or Naruto. She kept her thoughts sane, and focused on the fight, but mentally prepared herself for the inevitable turn where their savior might declare herself part of the Akatsuki. As she skidded to a halt, her foot slid from underneath her.

What the-?

The demon half anticipated that she had been grabbed by Sasuke's visual jutsu, but instead, she found herself floating inside a bubble of water. She looked around, and glanced towards Naruto finding that he was in the same situation. Her eyes returned to the girl, confusion bubbling in the pit of her stomach.

What is she- No! But why would she? She doesn't even know us!

Before another rational thought could fulfill itself, they were whisked away from the battlefield at a rapid pace After about fifteen minutes of rapid travel, the bubble popped , dropping them to the ground gently. It only took her a moment to glance around to confirm they were alone. The demon turned and faced Naruto, who was gasping for breath and was nursing several deep wounds. The fact that he was still standing and alive was proof enough that the stranger had meant what she had said. Akira forced her own pain down, and approached her husband, who was staring at her concerned.

It's typical that he be more worried about me than himself. It's actually really cute, and sweet.

"Don't worry, Naru-koi. I'm gonna heal your wounds. All we have to do is rest, and then we will return to finish them off." She focused her remaining chakra on his wounds, wincing as a little more blood seeped through her clothes. Her wounds were superficial and weren't very deep but that didn't mean they didn't hurt.

This isn't good. Even at full strength we aren't even close to breaking through their defenses. If we return to face them alone, we will die, most assuredly. The best we could hope for is a quick death.

"What about her? Will she be-"

Akira ground her teeth against each other. She knew it wasn't her fault, but the girl was most likely dead. She felt guilty that she couldn't have saved her even if she had tried, and for that reason, a single tear shed itself for their comrade with no name.

"Akira. Naruto. Good to see you both are still alive," a calm voice stated, sighing softly. She whirled around, her claws held up, prepared to ward off another enemy, smiling at the sight of Yuki's godparents. They were saved, if not for a couple of minutes. Reinforcements were better than nothing and she was more than grateful for the help.

"Kakashi-sensei! Crazy snake lady!" Naruto shouted, before letting out a yelp as Anko bonked him on the head.

"ANKO! IT'S ANKO!" she retorted, huffing in mock rage.

"Yeesh…you're still scary, dattebayo!" Naruto whined, causing a chuckle from the demon. In a single instant her mood changed.

Akira glanced at her shoulder as a single blur whipped past her and a very intimate scent permeated the air, taking her far away from the present.

"Yu-yuki-chan?" she asked, only for t he wind to whistle it's response. The girl was gone…and she would never come back. Akira was sure of it.

Kazuyo hit the ground with a thud, rolling several feet before coming to a stop. She coughed up blood, smiling up at a blue Susano'o. They brought a new meaning to being beaten black and blue. She forced a foot underneath herself, as a ghoulish hand grasped her hair by the roots dragging her into the air. She grimaced as she stared into Madara's unsympathetic eyes which raked over her own. She kicked, attempting to get some form of balance, wincing as she slid in his grasp.

"No fear? Do you accept that I am about to torture you beyond anything you could possibly imagine?" Madara asked a smile on his lips.

Kazuyo closed her eyes. She was more than content to die, but she was not going to go down without a fight. She focused, clenched her fists together, wincing. Her chakra was down to nothing. She had one more jutsu up her sleeve and she didn't feel like using it just yet. If she could maybe make contact with his body, then she would gladly give her soul to take him out. Yet, she knew deep down, that he was more than content to simply toy with her broken, and defenseless body, till she screamed for release, which he would gladly give. He would hide like a hermit in his jutsu, until he was sure that she was no longer a threat.

Hehehe. Sorry, Yuki-imouto. I wish I could have been there to fight alongside you...that I could watch them fall. But it looks like this is it for me.

She considered all possible moves she could make, before thrusting her hand into her ninja tool bag. She reached up with a single kunai, only for a second arm to clamp itself on her arm, crushing it to a pulp. The pain rushed up her arm, sitting in her chest cavity, as she clenched her eyes shut to prevent the scream which threatened to rip itself from her mouth.

"You're no different from the random shinobi who I've killed. They lie to themselves, deceiving themselves into believing they are strong enough to not scream. That it's nothing…that is until…"

Kazuyo's eyes widened as he manipulated a shard of bone in her arm, the pain seeking like a hot needle beneath her eyelids. It took every ounce of sheer willpower not to make a sound, as tears poured down her face.

"They all scream in the end. You will soon enough too, " Madara jeered.

Kazuyo fought to remain still, her body shivering and sweating from sheer exertion.

"Y-you Uchiha…I've killed more than my fair share. You are all the same. Y-you won't get your sick enjoyment out of me, you dickless asswipe,"Kazuyo spat, drooling a little. She didn't care. She was positive he was going to torture her. She just wanted this to be over with.

Just kill me already!

"I guess-"

Kazuyo's eyes widened as a blur slammed into her, driving the air out of her chest. In the next seconds, she was falling as everything faded from view. The mass that sat against her, held her protectively until they stopped descending. A small femine 'oof' echoed from her lips as she shifted in a warm damp hole. It took her eyes several minutes to adjust, as she glanced around, fearful of what was to come. She brought her injured arm to her chest, letting a low cry echo out of her chest. She shivered violently as blood poured from her wound. Her eyes stared at the shinobi who had saved her life, worried that it was only Sasuke who was going to kill her.

I survived. But who-

"Hey, Nii-chan. That's pretty nasty wound. Sorry I'm late!" her sister's voice whispered into her ear. Her heart slowed, and a smile touched her lips, even through the pain which threatened to engulf her.

"Yuki-chan. could you have picked a better time to show up?" she asked, glancing down at her arm. It was too late to repair the damage. All she could hope to do was contain it.

"Don't. Let me heal you," her sister spoke, reaching forward.

An explosion rocked the ground where they sat, and Yuki chuckled.

"Speaking of which…how did you get me out of their grasp?" Kazuyo asked, her voice quivering from the pain. Almost immediately the pain started to throb, and fade, as muscle and bone came together.

"I cut your hair, and grabbed you, throwing you into the ground, and following suit. We are currently one hundred feet in the ground, in a pit. Safe from them. For now anyways."

Kazuyo studied the girl's face suddenly aware as to why her appearance was off.

"What happened to your eye?" Kazuyo asked, alarmed.

"Don't worry about it," Yuki responded.

Kazuyo sensed it almost immediately in the way the girl dodged the question.

She's hiding something. Now then what is it? She seems more on edge…who or what happened?

She kept her eye on her younger sister, watching as sweat poured from her forehead as the last of her chakra trickled out over her arm. Abruptly the pounding on the earth overhead, trickled to a stop.

"The-there. That should do it, nii-chan."

Kazuyo glanced down; reaching down to what had been a mangled mess. Her right arm was completely healed. Not a single blemish or scar or proof that anything had happened to it. Glancing up at her sibling she could see the exhaustion which was wearing her down to the bone.

She's out of chakra. Which begs the question…how will we get out of here?

"Alright…Let's get back to the others," the younger girl stated, wiping several free strands of hair out of her face.

"Ok."

Kazuyo watched as her sister exerted herself one more time, and a hole opened up a hundred feet to their right. It only took a little bit of movement before they were free of their underground prison.

"Their gone," Yuki stated, her breath coming in short pants.

"Right. Let's get out of here now, before things get any worse," Kazuyo stated, sighing softly.

They didn't retreat…they are planning something big and I would rather be out of here before trouble finds us.