Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (either manga or anime!); the wonderful Masashi Kishimoto-sensei owns all rights. However, the plot and Namiko Uzumaki are mine!

Chapter 25: Monster

The following day flew by for Namiko as she finally could train using ninjutsu again. She and Sasuke made sure they abided strictly by Orochimaru's rules and Namiko held up her side of the bargain by cooking every meal and cleaning up afterward. Between everything, she had managed to stay busy enough to not have another night terror.

Sasuke and she fell into a simple routine: breakfast, Sasuke training with Orochimaru or by himself, lunch, Namiko training with chakra limiters removed, Namiko training taijutsu with the limiters on, dinner, and then some quiet time before bed. They both kept conversations light. Overall, Namiko was adjusting well despite still technically being held captive by Orochimaru, though it had only been five days.

However, neither of them expected Orochimaru and Kabuto to show up in the kitchen before Namiko had begun to cook breakfast.

"Ah, good," said Orochimaru with a twisted smile, "I was hoping to have caught you before breakfast."

Namiko looked up from where she had been rinsing some rice. "Oh really? Can I help you with something, Orochimaru-sama?"

"Nothing of the sort. Kabuto-kun and I have to go somewhere, but we should be back early afternoon. So, don't worry about food for us." Orochimaru's gaze shifted between the two teens before him. "Also, I wanted to give you a little treat for being such a good girl since you've been here. While we're gone, you two will be here alone and I am going to allow Sasuke-kun to remove your chakra limiters until further notice, provided that you promise not to run away, of course."

Sasuke tried to suppress his reaction. Orochimaru never did anything out of the goodness of his heart; this was a test. A test to see if he would follow instructions to not let her free if given the chance.

Namiko, on the other hand, couldn't hide her happiness. A bright smile appeared on her freckled face. "Really?! Thank you so much, Orochimaru-sama! I promise you won't have to worry about anything. I'm sure Sasuke will take good care of me." She offered up her wrists to Sasuke who removed the limiters swiftly.

"I expect nothing less," said Orochimaru as he turned and slinked out of the kitchen with Kabuto following close behind.

Kabuto turned back briefly. "You two be on your best behavior while the grown-ups are gone," he snickered.

As the door shut, Namiko went back to preparing breakfast for the two of them, humming happily to herself.

Sasuke took his seat at the counter to watch her cook. "You know this is a test from him, right?"

"Of course, I know that," she replied as she set the rice on the stove, "but that doesn't mean I can't be happy about the benefit I get out of this. He wants to make sure I'm not going to escape, and I have no intention of doing so. As you have pointed out numerous times, it's more dangerous for me to be by myself out there than in here with him."

"I just want to make sure you understand that. Everything Orochimaru does to benefit someone comes at a price."

"Says the man who is willing to hand over his body and soul to a sociopath just to get revenge," grumbled Namiko as she rolled her eyes.

Sasuke shot her a glare. "I've told you before, I have no intention of that ever happening. I have to time it right though."

"You say that, but…Orochimaru isn't one of the Sannin without reason. You went to him for power. He's been giving you some powerful tools, but you have to know he's holding back some as well. You need a backup plan."

"What kind of plan would that be?"

"I can help you. I could mark you with Flying Raijin and transport us both to safety."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Have you ever tried to transport someone with you?"

Namiko bit her bottom lip nervously. "Technically no…" Excited energy filled her as she explained, "But I can take things with me, so I don't see how a person would be any different."

"I'd rather not be your lab rat. I've done enough of that with Orochimaru." He paused. "Why are you pulling the whole '-sama' thing with him anyway?"

"Because once again, as you pointed out, if someone doesn't have value to him, they're in danger. So, I have to be sugary sweet and respectful to get what I want." She lowered her voice, muttering quietly but loud enough for Sasuke to hear, "Too bad it doesn't work on you…"

Sasuke scoffed. "Hn, you should know you can't sweet talk someone who doesn't like sweets."

Namiko sat on her seat next to him, giving a playful smile. "Maybe you just haven't tasted the right kind of sweets yet." As soon as the words left her mouth, she clamped her lips tightly and turned away, blushing furiously. 'Why the hell did I just say that?!'

Sasuke coughed as he took a drink of water. He cleared his throat before changing the subject. "So…since you have the whole day without chakra limiters, what do you want to do?"

She thought for a moment before turning to him, eyes shining brightly. "Would you train kenjutsu with me? Please? It's been ages since I used a sword and it's obviously one of your top strengths."

"Are you sure you can handle me?" said Sasuke with a cocky smirk.

Namiko blinked at his response. 'Is he messing with me?' She pasted a smirk on her face to mirror his own. "I think I'm more than capable."

"Then let's finish up here and get to it," he said just before taking his last bite of tamagoyaki.

Naruto, Sakura, and Sai crouched in the bushes with the Tenchi Bridge in view. Yamato, disguised as Sasori, was walking along the bridge to meet the spy and hopefully gain knowledge of Sasuke and Namiko's location.

A cloaked man approached Yamato carefully. "Sasori-sama…how the time flies…"

'That voice! It's Yakushi Kabuto!' Yamato was very grateful for his disguise and that it wouldn't give away his shock as Kabuto removed his hood. If Kabuto was here, then most likely Orochimaru was close by.

Naruto's eyes widened. "Kabuto!" he hissed to Sakura, "Does that mean Namiko and Sasuke are near?"

"I don't know," said Sakura as she shook her head. "Who knows how long Kabuto has been traveling?"

Naruto groaned loudly. "I can't do this knowing they may be only a few kilometers away! Let's get closer!"

Naruto went to stand but Sakura laid a firm hand on his shoulder, pushing him down. "Naruto! We can't get closer, or we run the risk of being seen and heard. We have to trust Yamato-taichou's judgment and wait for the signal."

The trio watched on as Yamato continued to question Kabuto. "Uchiha Sasuke…where is he?"

"There are several hideouts. Most are in Oto, but there are more spread throughout the other nations. However, these change weekly and the dates and locations are at random," explained Kabuto, trying to keep the wind from cutting through him. "We'll be moving again soon. Uchiha Sasuke is there with us, and we have the kyuubi jinchuriki girl as well."

Kabuto let out an irritated breath. "Look, this is taking too long. If Orochimaru-sama discovers I've met with you, death will be the least of my worries. You know what I want. Now give it to me."

Just as Kabuto extended his hand, a figure appeared behind him, their slithering words cutting through the thick wind, "Interesting conversation, mind if I join you?"

Naruto's anger flared, growling out as he recognized the second person, "Orochimaru!"

The air was thick with tension as the two young shinobi faced each other, their eyes locked in an intensely competitive stare. On one side of the large room stood Sasuke, his charcoal eyes ablaze with determination and confidence. Opposite him was Namiko, smirking mischievously as she focused on the Uchiha before her. "Remember, you promised no Sharingan." Sasuke nodded in agreement.

Without a word, the two drew their swords simultaneously, the metallic ring echoing through the massive room as they clashed. Sasuke expertly swung his katana with grace and fluidity, while Namiko was more unwieldy, her movements rough at first but she quickly settled into her sword.

Sasuke lunged forward, his blade slicing through the air with deadly precision. She deftly parried the attack, their swords clashing with a resounding clang. Sparks flew as they engaged in a fierce dance of blades, each move calculated and precise.

Sasuke's Sharingan allowed him to predict his opponent's movements, but he chose to not use it to be 'fair' to Namiko. Their swords blurred as they exchanged blows, the clash of metal filling the room with a symphony of battle.

With a sudden burst of speed, Namiko unleashed a barrage of strikes, each one aimed at exploiting the smallest opening in Sasuke's defense. But he was relentless, countering each attack with a grace that bordered on the impossible.

As the duel raged on, Namiko felt a surge of frustration building within her. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't seem to gain the upper hand against Sasuke.

Sasuke never expected her to be so fast, but he refused to give up, drawing upon every ounce of his strength and determination to press forward. He noticed a small opening and seized the opportunity. Sasuke lunged forward, his katana aimed straight for Namiko's chest.

However, she was ready, her blade moving with blinding speed to intercept the attack. With a swift twist of her wrist, she disarmed Sasuke, sending his sword spinning out of reach. Before Sasuke could react, Namiko closed the distance between them, her blade poised to strike.

But just as the final blow was about to fall, Sasuke's Sharingan flared to life, its crimson glow causing Namiko to falter in her movements. With his reflex speed dramatically increased, Sasuke grabbed hold of her wrist, halting her deadly strike centimeters from his throat, flipping her to the ground, and holding the blade against her neck.

For a moment, time seemed to stand still as they stared into each other's eyes. In that instant, they both recognized the fierce determination burning within the other, along with a different kind of burning smoldering beneath.

Namiko's breaths came in ragged gasps as the adrenaline of the fight began to fade. "You…cheated…" Her cheeks were flushed, but whether it was exertion from the spar or blush from their compromising position, she wasn't sure.

Sasuke removed the blade from her neck, setting the sword next to them as he leaned over her. His hair brushed her cheeks as his hands were planted on either side of her shoulders. "You…" he started, pausing as he tried to keep his breath slow and even, "challenged me more than I thought."

His eyes flickered down to her lips, and he couldn't help but notice her blue-violet eyes dilate at his actions. He slowly leaned down, about to close the gap between their lips when he realized exactly what he was about to do. He pushed back and rolled off her to sit beside her, running a hand through his hair. 'What the hell was I thinking?! Uchiha don't let their emotions get in the way of things. I can't keep being this close to her or I'm going to do something we both regret.'

'What was that? Was he about to kiss me? No. There's absolutely no way he'd do that…right?' she mentally scoffed at the idea as she sat up. "So what I'm hearing is that I was actually a challenge for the great Uchiha Sasuke?" she said with a wide grin.

He rolled his eyes. "Since when did you get so cocky and overconfident like your brother?"

"You both are the ones that are cocky and overconfident," she said casually as she stood up and started walking towards the exit, a satisfied smirk on her face, "and you underestimated me. I'm hungry after that. Let's go back to the kitchen."

Sasuke stood up and joined her, leading the way back to the kitchen. "Maybe I did underestimate you…" he whispered to himself, though he knew she heard him. 'In more ways than one…'

"So you just pretended to be under Sasori's spell, all while secretly under Orochimaru's jutsu," stated Yamato. His disguise of Sasori had been ruined and he now stood in front of the two Oto shinobi.

Kabuto gave a small laugh. "That's where you're wrong again. Orochimaru-sama and I share a philosophy. I'm with him of my own free will." He raised an eyebrow. "Who are you? You ruined our plans for Sasori."

"Patience, Kabuto-kun, all will be revealed in due time," hissed Orochimaru. "Starting with the three baby rats hiding behind papa rat here."

Yamato gave the signal and the trio leaped into action, landing just in front of him on the bridge. Orochimaru's wicked smile spread across his face. "Well now, isn't this a pleasant reunion? And I see you've brought me the other kyuubi child…I've been waiting to see which one is stronger, Naruto-kun…or Sasuke-kun."

The whisker marks on Naruto's face darkened and his normal blue eyes turned to red as he let a growl escape his throat. "Give me Namiko and Sasuke!" Orange chakra began to surround his body.

"Give them back?" said Kabuto as he adjusted his glasses, "Don't fool yourself, Sasuke came to us of his own accord. Why can't you accept the truth?"

"Shut up, four eyes!" yelled Sakura, her patience growing thin, "He would never join you if it wasn't for the curse mark!"

"Then why has the jinchuriki girl stayed with us?" Kabuto said with a shrug. "She has no reason to do so, and she is not being held captive. She's free to leave whenever she pleases."

"If you want to know more about Sasuke-kun and Namiko-chan, you'll have to force me to tell you." Orochimaru taunted, "If you can…"

Suddenly a plank of the bridge shattered under Naruto's grip, rocking the bridge, and causing Sai and Sakura to shield themselves from the blast. When the smoke cleared, Naruto raced past Kabuto, claws out, and hit Orochimaru so hard he knocked down a path through the expansive forest behind him. Naruto slowly turned to look back at Kabuto and his teammates, the kyuubi's chakra tail whipping behind him intimidatingly.

Yamato watched with wide eyes as he remembered the conversation he had a few days earlier.

"It's just as I feared…" muttered Jiraiya.

Tsunade and Yamato listened carefully as Kakashi sat in his hospital bed explaining what happened when Naruto transformed, "Judging by the shape the chakra was taking, the number of tails will probably grow. Eventually, there will be nine."

Jiraiya sighed. "That's about right."

"Jiraiya-sama, how many tails have you seen?" questioned Kakashi solemnly.

Jiraiya began to remove his shirt. "In all my years of living, I've come close to death only twice. The first time I got six broken ribs, broke both arms, and ruptured several internal organs. That was just when I tried to do research at the women's bath at a hot spring and Tsunade beat me like a drum. The second time—"

Jiraiya removed his shirt fully, revealing a deep web-like scar spread across his chest. "The second time was when Naruto and I were off training together, and the fourth tail appeared. His anger acts like a trigger. The number of tails increases with the intensity of his rage. He was able to maintain consciousness with the appearance of the first three tails. But after the fourth, his mind was overpowered. All that was left was a hunger for destruction. He was like a smaller version of the kyuubi."

Kakashi's concern flooded his voice, "That far gone? Even with the Yondaime's seal?"

"I can't say what's causing it, but one thing is for certain, the Yondaime's seal formula seems to be weakening," suggested Jiraiya as he put his shirt back on.

Tsunade finally broke her silence, "The Yondaime's sealing jutsu? He learned that from Kushina, correct? She was an expert in sealing jutsu, so how could it fail?"

"I'm not sure what's causing it to weaken, but that isn't even the bad news," explained Jiraiya, folding his arms over his chest, "When Naruto is cloaked in the chakra of the kyuubi, I know it looks like he's being protected, but the truth is his body is continuously being harmed by that same chakra. When the fourth tail emerged, his whole body suffered severe injuries and he ran amok, covered in blood.

"Once the cloak had finally disappeared, Naruto's internal kyuubi chakra began healing his body. But if he continues this cycle of egregious harm and rapid recovery, his body will pay the price, and the span of his life will be shortened."

"Namiko's only been cloaked twice with me and only one tail both times," Kakashi explained as he turned to Jiraiya. "How many times has Naruto been cloaked?"

"On our journey, he became cloaked well over a dozen times," stated Jiraiya.

"I wonder why Namiko hasn't been cloaking as often as he has," mused Tsunade.

"I have a feeling his quick temper is the cause of his frequent cloaking. Namiko has always been more even-tempered," explained Jiraiya.

Kakashi's brow furrowed worriedly. "She has been until recently. Kurenai was telling me that Namiko has been more aggressive as of late, has frequent night terrors, and has been caught talking to herself. I think that while the kyuubi has been attacking Naruto's body, it's going after Namiko's mind."

"That's exactly why we need you for this mission, Yamato," said Tsunade as she turned to face the ANBU. "After all, you carry the cells of the Shodai in your blood."

"You alone possess the ability to control the jinchuriki now. It's in your blood. Luckily, Naruto also wears the Shodai's necklace," encouraged Jiraiya. "We're counting on you."

Yamato stared at the scene before him. Naruto crouched before them, chakra tail whipping back and forth furiously. Kabuto didn't seem fazed in the slightest and smirked at the kyuubi host. "Naruto, you've come a long way as a jinchuriki, haven't you? The power of the kyuubi gets stronger and stronger."

Naruto's red eyes bore into Kabuto, but he quickly turned his attention to the snake sannin coming back out of the forest. Orochimaru slowly moved his hand from his face, revealing shredded skin and another face underneath. "You're getting quite jinchuriki-like, aren't you, boy?"

"Now I see," said Orochimaru as he walked back onto the bridge. "That's why he was chosen to be your watchdog, yes? Seems some of my experiments came in handy after all. Honestly, Konoha should be more grateful to me. Wouldn't you agree, my darling little test subject?" He gave a menacing chuckle as he stared at Yamato.

Kabuto glanced behind at Yamato. "Test subject? Who is this guy?"

"Years ago, when I still walked amongst the fools of Konoha, I sought the power of the shinobi who was not only the ultimate wood style ninjutsu master but also the person who had total control over tailed beasts…the Shodai Hokage." Orochimaru's laughter sent chills down Sakura's spine.

He used a hand to cover the peeling flesh of his face. "I extracted some DNA samples from the cells of the Shodai's remains and experimented, implanting genetic components into the cells of sixty worthy children. But their bodies violently rejected the treatment. They perished in rapid succession, one after another."

"Just as I was closing the book on the subject, someone stumbled onto one of my other experiments. I was forced to flee, leaving my laboratory exactly as it was." Orochimaru removed his hand from his face, revealing he had completely healed. "I thought all my test subjects had succumbed. I never dreamed there would be any survivors."

"How impressive," Kabuto praised. "We are looking at the result of your work all those years ago. You can observe the fruits of your labor."

"He's intriguing," said Orochimaru with a sly smile, "but I wonder more about Sasuke-kun. He needs to stretch his wings. Maybe we could put his growth to the test by pitting him against Naruto-kun here."

"You don't own him!" growled Naruto as two more tails appeared, "Sasuke doesn't belong to you!"

"I beg to differ," said Orochimaru with a malicious grin. "I own him and your little sister…she's quite the monster in her jinchuriki form as well, but it appears your form is more advanced. Perhaps I can experiment on her to see just how far I can get her to transform. Sasuke-kun does seem to have a talent for suppressing her kyuubi chakra…"

"Stop it!" screamed Naruto, "You keep your hands off her and Sasuke, you filthy bastard! You're going to die here and now!"

Naruto's kyuubi chakra spiraled out of control and exploded, splitting the bridge in two.

Namiko felt off.

She and Sasuke were in the kitchen eating lunch when her body felt like her nerves were on fire like she felt when she was overwhelmed by the kyuubi's chakra. She suddenly turned to glance at Sasuke who paused midway through a bite of tomato. "Something feels weird with my chakra. Can you see if anything is off? The Sharingan can see chakra, right?" asked Namiko, her voice bordering nervous.

Sasuke activated his Sharingan without a word, scanning over her body. "The kyuubi's chakra looks almost agitated, but your chakra seems to be fine. Do you feel okay otherwise?"

"Just kind of warm and my body is a little achy, though that might be from where you slammed me into the ground earlier," she said with a small laugh.

"For someone who hadn't 'practiced with a sword in ages', you definitely readjusted quickly." Sasuke continued to scan her, this time focusing on her body instead of her chakra. "I don't see any injuries except a couple of bruises…" he kept his face neutral, but his voice held a hint of remorse.

"Sasuke, I was teasing. You didn't hit me that hard," she reassured him. "I'm fine right now other than a headache and whatever is up with the kyuubi's chakra."

Sasuke shut off his Sharingan and raised an eyebrow questioningly. "I guess I've earned my way back into your good graces?"

She cocked her head to the side. "Huh?"

"You said 'Sasuke', not 'Uchiha'. Does that mean I'm forgiven and back on your good side?"

She sighed heavily and gave a small smile. "Despite my best efforts to hold you at a distance and continue to be upset with you, it's kind of hard to do that when we're with each other every minute of the day."

"Mm," agreed Sasuke. "How are you feeling now? Is this something that's happened before?"

"The same. It's weird. It's the same headache and burning sensation I get when the kyuubi takes over, but it's not painful this time, just…uncomfortable," she said with a shrug.

"It's painful when the kyuubi takes over? How many times has it happened?"

"It's not absolutely unbearable, but it was more painful when there were two tails." She thought for a moment. "It's happened a total of three times, including the time here. The other two times were with Kakashi-sensei; I accidentally burned him both times, just like I burned you when you tried to stop me." She hung her head in embarrassment. "I'm still sorry about that."

"You had no control over that happening. I was the one who grabbed you. It's okay."

Namiko stood from her seat and went to the sink to wash the dishes. While Orochimaru's base didn't have electricity, she was extremely thankful for running water which was far more important. "Still, I don't like hurting anyone, especially friends."

He smirked. "So, we're friends now?"

"What else would you call us? I guess I can't exactly call you my enemy anymore since you've 'earned your way back into my good graces', now, can I?" she said rolling her eyes before she stuck her tongue out at him playfully. "In all fairness, I don't think you've ever been my enemy. I guess I was just mad you chose to leave everyone."

"I did what I had to do," he said flatly as if he was trying to convince himself it was still the right decision.

"I know, and a friend will be the one who will go into the darkness to bring you home, which is why I'm here and why Naruto would be here too if he hadn't been sent on a different mission."

"I don't deserve your friendship, but I'm thankful for it nonetheless."

The glass she was washing in the sink slipped out of her hands, shattering into dozens of pieces. "Oh crap…" She started picking the glass out of the sink. She looked back up at him, surprise written all over her face and her cheeks lightly tinted pink. "…you're welcome? Ouch!" She pulled back her hand quickly blood dripping down her fingers.

Before she could react, Sasuke stood, activating his Sharingan and grabbing her bleeding hand. She gazed up at him, her blush intensifying. "You know I could just use medical nin—"

"I know you could, but if there's glass still in your hand you could get an infection," he said, his eyes never leaving her hand. He held her hand in his left as he used his right hand to pull out a tiny sliver of glass, holding it up for her to see. "Now you can heal it."

"Oh…thank you." As he let go of her hand, Namiko felt the sudden loss of his touch and craved to feel it again. 'Since when does a boy cause butterflies in my stomach? Ugh, get your act together, Namiko, you are not some girl who loses your mind over a boy. …no, he's not a boy anymore. He's a man now. A good-looking one too.' Her blush was still lingering as she tried to focus on healing the small cut.

Sasuke scraped up the rest of the glass and disposed of it. "What would you like to do with the rest of our time before they get back?"

Namiko sighed as she finished healing her cut. "My head still hurts. Would it be too much of a downer to ask to go back to our room?" Her stomach did a little flip saying the words 'our room', but what else was she supposed to call it? They both slept there and spent most of their time there unless they were training.

"No, but I may go back to train for a while by myself since Orochimaru isn't here." Sasuke wanted to stay busy, and something told him Orochimaru was up to something big and it was in his best interest to stay at the top of his game. Orochimaru rarely left him alone unless he sent Sasuke on a solo mission, which wasn't often either.

He led her down the hallways to their room. As they got to the door, he opened it and she immediately sat on her futon. "How long are you going to be gone?"

He leaned against the doorframe. "I'll be back when Orochimaru returns." He started to leave but turned his head to glance at her before closing the door. "Get some rest."

Three hours later, Sasuke stopped his training when he heard the wall of the base open. The long hallway leading to the main training room amplified the sound of the rock moving. He sat at the base of the giant snake statue's head, waiting for Orochimaru.

"You're late." Sasuke noticed that Orochimaru not only had Kabuto with him but another person he didn't recognize. "You said you were going to help me hone a new jutsu this afternoon, Orochimaru."

"If I were you, boy, I'd take a more respectful tone," Kabuto retorted.

"Enough, Kabuto-kun," reprimanded Orochimaru, "our efforts today have been rewarded with a little gift. Someone for Sasuke-kun and Namiko-chan to reminisce with from Konoha." Noticing the redhead was nowhere in sight, Orochimaru smiled slyly. "Where is our dear Namiko-chan?"

Sasuke kept his face neutral. "Resting."

"Hmm, interesting." Orochimaru's smile spread wider, unsettling Sasuke.

The unknown person stepped forward wearing a forced smile. "So you're the legendary Uchiha Sasuke. I'm Sai. Nice to meet—"

"Get lost," snapped Sasuke.

Sai's smile faltered for a moment. "No matter how much I smile, everyone seems to dislike me right away, even Naruto. Though I can already tell you're nothing like him, so I have a feeling we'll get along much better."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, Sharingan shining dangerously. It was time to test the newcomer standing in front of him. He locked eyes with Sai, throwing him into a quick genjutsu and causing the artist to stumble and fall to the floor.

"Sasuke!" yelled Kabuto.

Orochimaru turned to Sai who was still sitting on the floor and wiping the sweat from his face. "It's probably not a good idea to provoke Sasuke-kun too much. He's even more difficult than I am."

"I don't care about this guy," said Sasuke as he stood, Sharingan still wildly active.

"Naruto's talked a lot about you," Sai said calmly as he stood, "It seems he's been searching for you all this time. For three years now."

"Oh yeah?" Sasuke started walking away from the three. "Come on, Orochimaru."

Sai spoke up again. "You mean a great deal to Naruto. He thinks of you as a brother."

Sasuke shot a glare at him. "As far as brothers go, I have only one. The one that I must kill. I'm done talking." Sasuke disappeared without another word, walking toward his room.

Orochimaru handed Kabuto a folder. "I'm taking my leave as well. Go get our new friend settled, would you?" Kabuto nodded and Orochimaru walked down one of the halls and out of sight.

A/N: We are officially 25 chapters down! I just want to thank you all for all the love and support you all have shown me over these last 25 chapters and I can't wait for you all to read the next few chapters as tensions rise. I truly enjoy reading your comments and theories, so please continue to let me know what you think! See you next week!

-Eriisu