EDITED: 2/18/17- I did major editing in this chapter, and it's completely revamped. Although this is still a transition chapter, it gives a picture of how the relationship between Akira and the Kageboshi really is.

The dedication remains. To Shinigami5, the first person to take a chance on this story here in Wattpad.

~~~~~~~~

17

'Breathe in, breathe out. Relax.'

She closed her eyes briefly. Sounds of excited chatter reached her ears. It only made her heart beat faster.

'C'mon you can do this! Deep breaths...calm down...'

Soon enough, with her deep breathing exercises, the young Hyuuga relaxed. She opened her eyes again and took in her surroundings.

Her classmates were chatting idly with each other, the boys clumped together on one side, showing off some playing cards while the girls were seated on the other side of the room, laughing and occasionally glancing at the mysterious Daisuke (the popular guy in class) who was apparently every girl's crush. Everybody seemed to be happy and at ease.

Except for Hyuuga Hanabi.

The young Hyuuga made it a point to arrive early when she learned that her sensei was back from her mission. Excitement and fear mixed in her young heart. For two weeks, Iruka-sensei took over for Akira-sensei and he was less intimidating than the red-haired instructor, though stern as well. It was fun, they started with Taijutsu and Iruka-sensei seemed pleased that they had knowledge of the advanced lessons on Survival Skills. Hanabi took pride that she was one of the top pupils on the said subject. It was all due to Akira-sensei why the young Hyuuga worked double and scored top marks in the Academy.

However, despite coming from the famous Hyuuga clan, Hanabi feared that she might fail Taijutsu. Yes, she's been training with her father and sister everyday but it felt different. At home, she spars with her father and sister and they use the same technique that the young Hanabi could somehow predict their movements. In the Academy though, she's forced to spar with her classmates, and sometimes they could be cruel. Hanabi doesn't know why but she just blanks out when it was time for her to spar. Her heart races, her throat suddenly feels dry and all of a sudden, it was as if she had forgotten all that her father taught her. Iruka-sensei said she's just nervous and it's okay, and he was kind enough to let her sit for the first few lessons, but now that Akira-sensei's back, Hanabi was scared she might not be as kind as Iruka-sensei or as considerate.

Soon enough, the said sensei arrived and immediately the class fell into a hush.

Akira entered the room and outside, Yuudai walked, peering into the windows from time to time. Her two weeks and a half's absence seem to have made the children forget about her big wolf because she heard stifled gasps when they saw Yuudai.

"Good morning," she greeted. Her eyes wandered over the room, taking note of the familiar faces and when their eyes met, Hanabi was sure that her sensei winked at her. The young Hyuuga smiled.

"Today we will discuss the three main shinobi skills: Ninjutsu, Genjutsu and Taijutsu. Who could tell me the difference between each?"

For the first time, Hanabi's hand shot up in the air.

~~~~~~~~~

"Alright, boys on my left, girls on my right. Now!"

They were in the Academy grounds. After a short lecture, Akira had her pupils line up. She decided to test their Taijutsu skills before actually teaching them the techniques. In a short while, the class was divided into two lines.

"Before I teach you Taijutsu, I want to see how much you actually know about the skill." Akira paused to look at the apprehensive children. "I will put you in pairs and you will spar with each other. Don't worry, this is ungraded. I just want to see your skill level so that I'll know how much to teach you." The children began to whisper to each other excitedly and Akira noticed a certain competitive air surround them. She smirked. "No weapons are allowed; this will be pure hand to hand combat."

She had the class sit on the ground and she stepped to the front. She took out her list and started with the top student of her class.

"Daisuke! Kenji! Step up!"

The two boys faced each other and Akira reiterated the rules. No headbutts, no strikes to the head and groin, no weapons, anything goes. When she tells them to stop, they stop and no use of Kekkei Genkai. Most importantly, show respect to your opponent and sensei by shaking hands and bowing.

"Ready?" Akira looked at the two boys who curtly nodded. "Fight!"

For the next hours, Akira supervised the sparring, making sure that no serious hits were made and taking note of all her pupil's strength and weaknesses. The civilian children needed closer follow-up since they lacked technique whatsoever. Iruka was right about the shinobi children. Most of them used their families' own stance and techniques. She made notes of those kids who needed more attention and those who were ready to learn advance taijutsu skills. Akira was surprised that the Hyuuga kid did not make it to the advanced group.

The rest of the day was devoted to endurance building and Akira made her pupils run 10 laps on the Academy training grounds. Next, she taught them the basic Konoha stance which has a wide base to ensure balance. Akira used her kage bunshins to allow her to assist her pupils simultaneously. She paid more attention to the children from non-shinobi background since Taijutsu is new to them. Yuudai meanwhile had summoned Sachiko, and the two of them watched in amused silence as their pack leader was busy with her work.

Meanwhile, Iruka and Tsunade were at the Academy's rooftop, watching Akira and her class. Iruka smiled, proud of his student's progress. Beside him, Tsunade was silently appraising the young instructor.

"What do you think, Hokage-sama?" Iruka asked.

"She's doing good so far," Tsunade replied, not taking her eyes off from the redhead. "I hope she maintains that level of performance."

"Hai. It seems to me that Akira has mellowed down. Sort of."

The Hokage glanced at the Chuunin beside her. She smirked. 'Has she, really? Or is there something else to it?'

'We'll know soon enough.'

~~~~~~~~

"I want nothing more than a cold glass of beer and warm ramen. Or barbecue or sushi."

Akira sat on top of Sachiko who was giggling. "Akira-hime, you sure were funny out there with your students. I say you'll be a great mother one day!"

The redhead jolted from her position, eyes wide in surprise. "Me?! A mother?!" Her face contorted to that of disgust. "No way!" She slumped back and leaned against Sachiko's soft fur. "Yuudai, what do you think?"

The gray wolf who was seated in front of her merely growled gently. "I don't think it's a bad idea," he said.

The three of them were in the forest, in Akira's training ground. Under the shade of a tree, Sachiko was lying on her while Akira was seated on the ground leaning against Sachiko and gently running her fingers through Sachiko's soft fur. Yuudai meanwhile, was seated on his haunches in front of Akira. It was a warm afternoon and Akira had just come from her class after dismissing her pupils. It was a long day devoted to Taijutsu lessons and Akira was tired from barking like a drill sergeant just to keep the class in order. At the memory of that stupid rivalry between Daisuke and Ryoma (the former being top one and the latter the dead last of her class), Akira groaned and slumped lower. She shook her head as if trying to clear it and focused instead on Yuudai.

"What do you mean it's not a bad idea?" she said. "It's a very bad idea! I don't think I can handle it. Little children and stuff..." Akira picked a stray twig. "And babies! They cry and cry and never tell you what is it they want! Ugh. No, I will not have babies."

"But it's the natural order of things. Women are well-equipped for childbearing," Yuudai replied in a matter-of-fact voice.

Akira shook her head. "No. Well, fine, yes. Physically speaking, you're correct. But...it's just too much work. Besides, look at Hokage-sama. She's just fine without kids and all. I'll be fine too. I'll manage."

Sachiko laughed. "Akira-hime, you're way too far into the future!" The white wolf flicked her tail playfully at Akira. "You're already thinking of babies when you haven't even thought of marriage yet!" Sachiko giggled. "Any person in mind?"

At this Yuudai straightened up, but remained silent.

The redhead looked at both her wolves and just then she remembered someone but frowned as she pushed it back in her mind. "No one," she replied confidently.

"It's Neji-san."

"What?!" Both Yuudai and Akira chorused.

Sachiko smiled slyly. "Why? The Hyuuga kid's nice enough and good-looking too! He watched over Hime-chan when we were in that island and sorry to burst your bubble Onii-san, but he was not the ''stupid, arrogant boy" you said he was. I mean, he seemed kinda okay to me." She looked at Akira. "I am right, am I, Hime?"

Akira let out a sigh and shook her head. "Don't you think it's too early to say Neji's nice?" She turned to Yuudai. "And I agree, Yuudai. He is arrogant." She remembered his amused smirk and she frowned. "I don't know how Tenten puts up with him."

Yuudai barked in agreement. "...I don't like that Hyuuga boy. I don't trust him."

"But why Onii-san? He hasn't done anything to harm Hime-chan or us. I don't think he's evil either, I mean, you can just smell it off people but I don't sense anything from him."

"Maybe he's just good at hiding it."

"Hmm...I don't know. I like him. I like him for Hime-chan!"

"Well I don't!"

"What? Why do you doubt Hime-chan's attributes? She's tall, beautiful, strong, and they look good together, she and Neji-san!"

"Sachiko, it's not that. The Hyuuga is-"

The rest of their argument was drowned in barks and growls. Akira stood up and watched as her two wolves began a heated discussion, with Yuudai fervently opposing Sachiko's idea of the Hyuuga being 'nice and good for Hime-chan', while the white wolf was pointing out to her adoptive brother that it's about time their princess had some company other than her loyal pack.

Akira groaned. It's never a good idea to hang out with both Yuudai and Sachiko for they always end up arguing. It could be adorable and funny but right now, Akira was tired and her mind could not really deal with the wolves' petty fight.

Sighing tiredly, she bit her thumb, and summoned Akai and Kuroi. The two wolves bowed and immediately turned towards where Sachiko and Yuudai were arguing quite loudly. Akai let out a deep laugh.

"I know now why you summoned us," the red wolf said, it's brown eyes twinkling. Beside him, Kuroi shook his head.

"Are we going to play referee again for those two?" asked Kuroi in his deep voice. Being the biggest among the pack, he was the most intimidating without having to resort to his Alpha form. His bulk alone and the deep tone of his bark is enough to make anyone within a 50-meter range scuffle in fear. He turned to where Yuudai and Sachiko were and shook his head the second time.

"Sorry I had to summon you guys," said Akira with a grin. "You know Kishi won't help. And-"

"Yeah, that lazy-ass would just doze off," Akai said, frowning.

Akira couldn't help but chuckle at the crimson wolf. "Damn right, Akai."

The red wolf barked. "Hai, Hime. And I'd rather too. But you need our help so, yeah, I'll go and make those two stop now. Geez, what are they fighting about anyway?"

"Neji-san's okay just give him a chance! Why are you so protective of Hime-chan anyway? She's a strong shinobi, don't you trust her?" Sachiko was yelling.

Yuudai growled. "It's not about that! You're too young to understand but I swore to Inoue-san that I will protect Hime whatever the cost!"

"What has that got to do with Neji-san?"

"Why are you siding with the Hyuuga?! He's the enemy!"

"No, he's not! How could he be the enemy? You just don't like him!"

"Yes, I don't like him!"

"But he's nice!"

"He's not!"

Before Sachiko could retort, Akira had given her silent signal to Kuroi and Akai who obediently turned Alpha and pulled the two wolves apart.

"Alright, enough of this!" Akai growled while pulling Sachiko away. Meanwhile, Kuroi was facing Yuudai.

A series of barks, growls and some cuss words (courtesy of Akai) broke the forest's quiet. Akira watched her wolves from a distance, grinning amusedly at how Sachiko would cower at Akai (to be honest, the crimson wolf's choice of words weren't really flattering. Akira sometimes thinks that Akai was her wolf counterpart), how Kuroi used his size advantage over Yuudai who was growling still. The two wolves walked away from Sachiko and Akai. Akira heard Kuroi reminding Yuudai that Sachiko was still young and could sometimes base her judgements on face-value and that Yuudai shouldn't let it get to him. The two wolves looked at each other and silently communicated. Akira was glad that they have calmed down, somewhat.

Despite being her second-in-command, Yuudai could sometimes be impulsive and tends to lose his cool with Sachiko. The young white wolf has a playful nature and sometimes says things she doesn't really mean. This irks Yuudai most times. It's usually up to Kuroi and Akai to break the petty fights between the two. Kishi would sometimes get on in the fun, but he'd rather watch as Yuudai tries to make his point at Sachiko while the younger wolf would just irk him some more. Kuroi would always pull Yuudai aside since he's the strongest in terms of brute force and could go head on with Yuudai's skills. Akai would take Sachiko to one side and talk to her. Sometimes Akira would tune in to their conversation and she'd be surprised that Akai could be reserved and mature, not sarcastic and brash. But that only happens when he speaks to Sachiko.

With the two wolves calm and Akai and Kuroi flanking them, Akira approached her pack. Immediately Sachiko and Yuudai bowed and asked for her forgiveness. Akira smiled.

"It's alright you two," she said good-naturedly. "You always fight over the smallest things and I'm used to it. But try not to do it always. I mean, it's adorable how you two bicker, especially you Yuudai, but you're my right hand and I need your cool head to lead the pack when I can't. So take it easy with Sachiko, okay?"

Yuudai bowed and barked in acknowledgement. "Hai, Hime-san. I'm sorry for acting like that."

Akira nodded and turned to Sachiko who grinned sheepishly. "Sachiko..." suddenly, Akira felt tired and she sighed deeply. "Oh dear kami, you're a handful. Please, please don't tease your brother too much."

Sachiko nodded. "Yes Hime-chan. I'm sorry. I'll behave better next time."

Akira rubbed her head fondly. "Alright then, I think it's time you go back to the mountains." She turned to Kuroi and Akai. "Thanks for the help guys."

"You're welcome, Hime."

"Hai, Hime-chan! Bye!"

"Take care, Akira-hime!"

"C'mon, you guys. Let's not make Kishi-the-lazy-ass wait!"

Without another word, the wolves disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

With the wolves gone, Akira slumped back on the ground, relieved to have some peace and quiet at last. Closing her eyes briefly, she decided to save training for another day as she was quite tired from the taijutsu training she had the kids do in class earlier. The kids were pretty excited at the prospect of finally learning "real ninja skills", and most of the boys were over enthusiastic with their punches and kicks. Fortunately, her reputation as a "terror teacher" was effective in keeping the children in line. It was still daunting, nonetheless.

Akira noted the afternoon sky, and craving for chilled sake, she stood up and made her way to the village's pubs. At this time of day, the streets were somehow crowded. It was a good thing she let Yuudai go back to the mountains with the rest of the wolves, or else she'll be forced to get sake later in the night.

And right now, Akira wanted nothing but the cold drink.

She walked with long strides, wanting to be as inconspicuous as she could. She headed towards a sparsely populated pub and sat on one of the chairs, motioning for the bartender. After ordering chilled sake and a small plate of sushi, Akira settled down and looked around.

The pub she chose was located at the furthest end of the street. It was surrounded by brightly-lit bars and some night clubs. Music was blaring from one of the bars and Akira was glad that this particular pub was more quiet and had few customers. She liked going here because nobody bothered her and most of the customers were middle-aged men-mostly shinobi-who just want to relax after a tiring mission. The food was good too, and Akira particularly liked their preparation of spicy barbecue.

Her order arrived and she wasted no time in pouring herself sake and downing it in one gulp. Her craving satisfied, Akira smiled contentedly and proceeded to eat her sushi, thanking the bartender in return. Silently, she sighed in satisfaction.

'Sigh...finally...It's been awhile since I came here,' Akira thought. She looked around a little and saw that there were few shinobi around and some civilians just enjoying their drinks. It was relatively quiet.

Just then, a group of shinobi entered the pub. They were a noisy bunch and Akira turned her back at them in disgust. Frowning, she resumed her drinking, trying to ignore the loud cheers and yells from the group. From what she could hear, they settled on a table just behind her and was apparently celebrating a comrade's completion of a mission. It appears that some of them had been drinking prior to entering this pub.

Their loud laughter and cheers were starting to annoy Akira and she decided it's time to leave. She was about to stand when she heard her name.

"Yo! Is that the Satsuna?! Haha! Hey, wolf freak!"

Akira glanced behind her. The group was laughing loudly and pointing at her. She chose to ignore them and instead placed money on the table and started to leave.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?!"

"Shriveled tomato!"

"Damn, look at that ass! I'd kill for-"

"Hey man, I saw her first! I recognized that red hair anywhere. Yo, Satsuna! Come over here for a minute, eh?"

Instead of pausing, Akira continued to walk away, mentally taking note of how many were in the group based from the sound of their voices. In spite of her quiet retreat, the rowdy men still called to her, one even making the mistake of grabbing her by the arm.

"I don't like it when women ignore me!" said the man, grabbing Akira's arm. Her quick reflex clicking, she stepped harshly on the man's foot and when his grip loosened she aimed a punch to his face. Unfortunately, the man was shinobi too and was able to evade. Akira immediately got into a stance, ready to unsheathe her katana.

"Hey!" said the bar owner. "No fighting in here!"

Akira and the other shinobi ignored him. The man who attacked Akira smirked. "Huh, I didn't think you'd be that strong, eh, tomato? Where's that boorish wolf of yours?"

She did not answer him, instead, she studied his features under the faint glow of the pub's light. He was a classmate of hers back in the Academy. 'Saito? Roku? Something to that effect...the bastard...'

"I see you recognized me," he said. "Didn't think it was you at first...heh...I see you've grown up." His eyes flicked at her tall form. The rest of the group snickered behind him. Someone whistled in a malicious way and it was followed by catcalls and laughter.

Insulted, Akira frowned. "What do you want?"

The man sneered. "Ooh...brave." He stepped closer. "Let's start all over, shall we? Why don't you join us? I'm Saito, remember? Academy days? When I used to, uh... push you against a wall and...do things to you?"

The group laughed louder and Saito sniggered. He approached Akira who stood stock still. "I say, Satsuna... you turned out to be a hot little thing..." he drawled. He lifted a finger and traced her jaw. Akira could smell the strong whiff of alcohol in his breath.

"You better get your hand off me if you want to live," said Akira in a low, threatening voice. Instead of stepping back though, Saito remained leaning close to her.

He smirked. "What, you gonna stand up against me now? Huh?" Roughly, he pushed Akira out of the pub. Akira staggered for a moment and immediately found her balance.

Saito and his gang followed her. "Come on freak!" he shouted. "Let's see what you got!" Behind him, the rest of the drunk men surrounded Akira and egged for a fight.

Akira looked around her. She'll be against 5 men, and not just men but shinobi like herself, probably of Chuunin or jounin rank. The right way to settle this would be to ignore them and report their misconduct to the Hokage. But the kunoichi was known for doing things the wrong way, and with a smirk on her lips, she obliged the dark voice in her mind.

"This ain't the place," she drawled. "Let's meet at training ground 7." And chuckling darkly to herself, she sped away to the said training ground, eyes lit up at the prospect of a brawl. It has been a while since she broke someone's skull.

Her bloodthirst was craving.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Guys! Guys! You gotta come with me, dattebayo!"

Neji's silent meditation was disturbed by the blond's outburst. He opened his eyes and saw Naruto running towards them, excitement etched on his face.

"What is it, Naruto?" asked Tenten, obviously not wanting her training to be disturbed. "We're in the middle of a training sess-"

"No, I'm serious you have to see this, Tenten-chan! Neji!"

The Hyuuga exchanged glances with Tenten and before he could make up his mind on whether to follow Naruto or not, the blonde shinobi had already grabbed Tenten by the arm and was dragging her away despite the kunoichi's requests. Neji had no choice but to follow suit.

"Oi Neji!"

He turned in mid-leap and saw Kiba and Akamaru dashing as well. Apparently, Naruto had asked them to come with him too. According to Kiba, he was taking Akamaru to a walk when the blond had demanded that he come with him.

"I don't know what the baka's up to but he seemed pretty excited," said Kiba as he and Akamaru leapt over a roof. "Well, he said something about Akira...but I didn't really understand."

Upon hearing the name, Neji momentarily paused, frowning as a pair of emerald eyes and a flash of red invaded his thoughts. He activated his Byakuugan and was all the more confused with what he saw. Gathering chakra, he hastened towards training ground 7.

'Akira better have a good reason for this.'

~~~~~~~~

Akira jumped back and growled softly. She didn't appreciate the small crowd that gathered around her and Saito.

Saito obviously was a braggart. He brought along his gang, who brought along their other friends, and now a small crowd of shinobi and civilian alike were in training ground 7, cheering and booing and placing bets on who would win between the Satsuna freak and Saito.

Akira watched in irritation as Saito strutted around, hands up in the air and egged the small crowd. He loved a good show and would make it a point to let everybody know that he could still bully the Satsuna like he used to when they were children. Unfortunately for him though, the Satsuna had grown up and could definitely match him now.

The arrogant man threw a punch first, which Akira simply evaded. She threw a hook punch and when her fist collided with Saito's ribs, she almost smiled in surprised glee. The shinobi was overconfident that he failed to watch his flanks. Akira decided to use this to her advantage, by circling the man, occasionally throwing kicks which he was able to block some. Although he has brute strength, Akira knew she can evenly match it. Also, his taijutsu is sloppy, probably because he had been drinking. The Satsuna smiled. That would mean his senses would be dulled too. Using genjutsu on him would be great since he's under the influence of alcohol and it would be easy to twist his mind to her liking. However, the Satuna also had a vain streak in her. It would be a complete waste of time for these spectators if she just finished him off silently.

A flurry of punches, kicks and elbows were thrown and Akira was glad that her deductions were correct. Saito was slower and Akira took this to her advantage. She aimed a fake right hook which Saito evaded but instead of countering with another punch, Akira slid on the ground between his legs, and hooked her left leg with his right. Saito fell and Akira wasted to no time and straddled the man. She gripped his neck and pressed.

Saito sputtered beneath her as Akira choked him.

"You really chose the wrong opponent," Akira rasped. Around her, she heard jeers but she paid them no heed.

"D-don't be c-cocky!" Saito managed to growl back. He slammed a palm upwards, hitting Akira's chin and causing her head at an awkward angle. She cried out from the pain, which caused her to loosen her grip. Saito took advantage of the short distraction and punched the Satsuna square on the face.

Grinning lewdly, he stood up and towered over the girl. "Heh. Bitch." He spat.

Akira focused her attention away from the pain on her face ('Fuck! My nose!) and stood up. She became aware of the yells around her, particularly one that said—

"Go Akira-chan! Don't lose to that monkey! Dattebayooo!"

Akira's keen eyes saw Naruto standing by and cheering her. Her eyes briefly widened in surprise. Beside Naruto was Kiba, Tenten and Neji. Kakashi-san was also standing with them and beside him, Gai-san.

For a split-second she was alarmed that the two sensei might jump in and stop the brawl. Tsunade's furious face crossed her mind and she knew she won't have to leave the village on her own. Tsunade will definitely banish her from Konoha the moment the Hokage learned that she, Satsuna Akira, an Academy instructor, was participating in a drunken brawl.

A large fist interrupted her thoughts. Akira dodged just in time. "Shit!"

She turned her attention back to Saito who seemed to have grown bolder from the encouraging jeers he got from his own peers. He attacked her with more punches, even throwing several shuriken. Akira deflected the projectiles with her katana.

"Let's up this a bit," Saito challenged. He began weaving seals. Akira's eyes widened upon recognizing the seal for Tiger, and she readied her own jutsu.

"Katon: Endan!"

A huge bullet of fire blazed towards Akira.

"Suiton: Ryusuiso!"

There was a collective gasp among the spectators when the two jutsu collided. Saiton's fire bullet dissipated into thin mist when it met the water from Akira's blades.

Akira cursed under her breath. Water techniques are her weakness, and somehow, she finds it difficult to manipulate the said element. The tendency is either she puts in too little chakra or too much. In this case, it was too much.

Shaking off the water from her katana, she looked up to see Saito rushing towards her. She met his attack, and just before his arm collided with her, she side-stepped and slashed.

"Fuck!"

Saito clutched his side, where blood started to ooze. Akira smirked. She turned and swung her blade so fast that even those who were watching had to blink several times to follow her movements.

"Oh yes. That's right. Make him bleed!"

"No!"

Slash! Slash! Every slice of her katana was like a dull lullaby. When was the last time she felt the thrill of the hunt?

She swept his leg, which caused the man to fall on his back, but Akira did not stop. She hovered over him, the same way he did just minutes ago, the tip of her katana glinting from the moonlight as it hovered over his heart.

"Good night, Saito," she said in a low voice.

~~~~~~~~

Kakashi-- like Neji, Tenten and Kiba-- was also dragged along by Naruto. At first, he couldn't understand his babbling. All he could make out was: "-Sensei!-Akira-chan-fight!" And then the blond shinobi had started dragging him, excitement evident in his features. They were nearing the training grounds when he heard cheers, catcalls and quite a ruckus. Lengthening his strides, he soon saw the cause of the commotion.

In the middle of the clearing was Akira, facing a shinobi who seemed to be under the influence of alcohol. This shinobi was prancing around, yelling. Akira meanwhile was just silent, scowling, as usual.

Beside him, Gai arrived followed shortly by his students Neji and Tenten and Kiba.

"Oh my! Is that-- is that a fight?" Tenten asked nervously.

When a random man said "Go on Saito! Punch her out cold!", Tenten looked up at Kakashi in alarm. "Sensei, I think we should stop them." she said.

Kakashi looked at Gai and said, "Should we, Gai?"

The spandex-clad man just smiled. "You know we should, Kakashi." But neither moved to do anything about the brawl, and honestly, Kakashi felt that Akira knew what she's doing. It would be nice to watch a drunken brawl from time to time, though the Hokage would not be pleased.

"But what if they kill each other?" The kunoichi said worriedly. "This is stupid! Why are they even fighting anyway?"

At this, Kiba grinned. "Relax, Tenten," he said. "Don't you know Akira? She's been in brawls ever since. She'll be fine!"

The brunette glared. "How could you say that?"

"Because I know her," Kiba replied confidently. He nudged Naruto. "Hey Naruto. What about a bet? 50 ryo says that guy will drop in 10 minutes!"

Naruto shrugged. "Oh I don't know. He looks drunk. He'll drop in five."

"Haha! Deal! Wanna bet too, Tenten?"

The bun-haired kunoichi just shook her head. "No, Kiba. I'm worried about Akira. She might--"

Her sentence was cut off when the small crowd cheered. They turned their attention at the fight and saw that Akira was exchanging blows with the man called Saito. Kakashi observed her moves, curious to see Hayate's student in action.

"She's fast." Beside him, Neji spoke, Byakuugan on. "Although her enemy isn't much of a challenge."

Kakashi nodded. "Let's see what she's got under her sleeve. But be ready Neji," he turned to the younger jounin. "If things get ugly, we'll have to interfere."

Neji nodded and resumed watching. He shook his head lightly. 'What the hell are you doing, Satsuna?' he thought. Participating in street fights never crossed his mind as the Satsuna's hobby. But if Kiba and Naruto were to be believed, it seems that the kunoichi was not a newcomer when it came to brawls.

A series of taijutsu was exchanged between Akira and Saito. Gai was nodding while Naruto and Kiba yelled encouragements. The Satsuna's face was a mask of concentration and she seemed deaf to her surroundings.

She threw a right hook and in a split second, she was already atop of Saito and choking the bigger man.

"Wow, that was fast!" Kiba gasped.

"Interesting taijutsu," Gai muttered, eyes trained on the Satsuna as she choked Saito. As Saito struggled, they watched Akira tighten her hold on him, putting her weight on the man's neck.

The Satsuna's taijutsu style was indeed interesting. Under the tutelage of Konoha's taijutsu master, Neji had seen different styles at work. His clan's Gentle Fist relies on upper body strength, while Lee's Lotus has more kicks than strikes and tends to bring the opponent airborne. Akira's style however was different. Hers was less showy and more...brutal. Lock, holds, chokes was the highlight of her style. She had no definite taijutsu stance and she employed ground techniques primarily. Unlike the usual shinobi style where power-packed punches and kicks were the highlight, Akira's was quieter but deadly as well.

"That's rare," Gai was saying to Kakashi, eyes not leaving the Satsuna. "She's leaning towards locks. Although that's a weak choke over there. She should've gone for a headlock from behind, instead of straddling the opponent."

Kakashi merely hummed in agreement.

When the pair exchanged ninjutsu, Neji's eyes widened in interest at the kunoichi's water jutsu. That was a B-rank, and with his Byakuugan, he saw how much chakra the kunoichi had put in. As expected, Saito's fire jutsu was cancelled.

The match continued with Saito consistently on the losing end. He watched her slash the man with her katana, before she released a barrage of deadly strikes with her blade. She then stood over the beaten man and smirked, ready to deliver her final blow. He caught a glimpse of her dark, malicious eyes, and that was when the air was suddenly charged with sinister chakra.

~~~~~~~~~

"Good night, Saito."

Akira smirked, the bloodthirst significantly growing. The desire to kill, suddenly was overwhelming.

"End him. Kill him!"

'No! I must...'

"Do it, brat! I must taste blood...yes..."

'I must...fight back! I... can't...let it...get to me..'.

But her resolve was swiftly fading. Between the voice in her head, the noise of the crowd and her own conscience yelling, it was a chaos of sounds and the voice in her head was beginning to cloud her consciousness.

There was a yell and then Akira was suddenly thrown backwards.

Someone was shaking her by the shoulders.

"Akira-chan! Akira-chan!"

The sound of claws rattling against metal bars echoed in her head, colliding with the loud voice saying her name. She shook her head. Her gaze met a pair of cerulean eyes.

"Akira-chan! Are you alright?"

Akira was still silent, figuring out how Naruto was in front of her.

Naruto turned to Kiba. "She won't talk! Why?"

The Inuzuka shrugged, eyes wide in confusion as well. "Don't ask me! I'm not a medic!"

Akira looked around and tried to re-orient herself. She was aware that she was still gripping her katana tightly in her hands. Following the sword with her eyes, she saw Saito on the ground, being assisted by Kakashi and Gai. Meanwhile, she was seated on the grass, with Naruto holding her by the shoulders, and Kiba and Tenten kneeling in front of her. The crowd had begun to disperse and the sky was darkening to night.

"Warfreak."

"Crazy bitch. She had to go berserk. Tsk."

"Yeah, and did you see how she almost killed the guy? Damn... she's fuckin' dangerous."

"Should be kept in a cage, then. Monster!"

"Hey!" Naruto let Akira go and glared at some of the people who had uttered those insults. "Stop talking about Akira-chan like that! You want me to kick your asses all the way to the next planet?! Come here you, wussies! I will beat you to pulp, dattebayo!"

Kiba pulled the blond jinchuriki by the collar. "Naruto stop it. You're not helping!"

"Yeah? Well they shouldn't talk like that about my friend!"

"Shut up, Baka!"

All this time, Akira only looked at her still drawn katana.

"Akira."

She turned to the voice and saw Neji kneeling in front of her. The kunoichi felt her confusion ebb away at the sight of his pale eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

The redhead nodded. "Yeah."

When Naruto noticed that Akira had responded to Neji, he pushed the jounin away and peered into Akira. "Akira-chan, are you okay? We were scared for one minute there, we thought—oh but that was just cool, Akira-chan! I mean, you really gave that Saito a scare, dattebayo! Even us! We thought you were gonna end him right there and then!"

Akira avoided his eyes, guilt and shame starting to creep within her. "I almost did." Wearily, she stood up and sheathed her katana. She felt Tenten lay a gentle hand on her shoulder but she ignored it.

Akira looked at the scene before her. She remembered better now. The sudden desire to kill. That despicable voice in her head. Her feeble attempt to fight back. The others were looking at her strangely and from a distance Kakashi was staring at her as well. Ignoring Naruto and Kiba, she approached the silver-haired jounin.

"Kakashi-san," she started. "I apologize-"

"That was quite a match," said the jounin. Along with Gai, they assisted the unconscious Saito on his feet. "Had it been a real fight, I think the result would've been different."

Akira remained silent, wondering if the jounin felt that there was something amiss in her. She was about to say something when Gai spoke.

"I would appreciate it if you'd spar with my students," he said. "You have interesting taijutsu style."

Mustering a smile, Akira bowed. "Thank you, Gai-san." She glanced at Saito and frowned. "But I just want to let you know, it wasn't me who started it. I was just quietly drinking in a bar and he and his friends...provoked me." She looked down and averted her stare from the two men, suddenly feeling embarrassed as she remembered what Saito and his friends said to her back in the pub. "And... whatever you guys saw...I didn't mean it." She felt Kakashi lay a hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright, Akira," he said. "Saito's just unconscious. He'll be fine. And if you're worried about the Hokage knowing this, well I can promise you I won't say a word." Then as if an afterthought, he added. "Don't worry too much. It's just a drunken bar fight."

Akira looked up at Kakashi and read something in his eyes. He probably knew something. "Thank you Kakashi-san and Gai-san."

She gave them a curt bow before heading home. It has been a long day.

"Hey Akira-chan! Where are you going?" asked Naruto.

Akira paused and turned to them. "Home. Thank you," she bowed curtly at the group, not failing to see the strange looks they gave her. Feeling all out of sorts, turned her back at them, her usual scowl coming back to her face.

She could hear Naruto calling her back, saying something about her nose but she ignored him. A sudden wave of sadness washed over her as she remembered how they looked at her. It was evident in their faces. They feared her. They knew she was different-she's a jinchuriki! And when she lost control like that...Akira began to question her decision of stalling her defection from the village.

She's dangerous and it was just pure luck that she didn't go on a rampage and murdered Saito. By some miracle, she was able to control herself although it was by a slim chance. She had coursed lightning chakra through the chains and if Kakashi and Gai were a second later, she could've killed Saito.

"You could at least have that set right, you know."

Startled, she turned and was about to strike out when she recognized the lavender eyes and the arrogant smirk. Her eyes fell upon the handsome features of Hyuuga Neji and Akira brought down her fists.

"What do you want?" she asked rather rudely.

"I figured you might need a walk home," he replied, still smirking.

Akira ignored him and continued to walk. To her dismay, the Hyuuga did not leave and walked by her side. The unusual pair trudged silently along Konoha's streets. The redhead chose to ignore the Hyuuga's presence, though it seemed every move he makes doesn't leave unnoticed by her eyes.

She glanced at him and saw him looking at her. Akira frowned. "What?"

"Your nose is broken." he stated.

Akira was not bothered. "So? I heal fast, it'll heal on its own." She continued walking, ignoring the dull throb of her nose and the droplets of blood. She'd had her nose broken before and it wasn't a big deal. It seemed to heal pretty quick. Perks of a jinchuriki.

They continued walking in silence. Finally, Akira couldn't stand it anymore. She stopped and faced Neji.

"What are you doing?" she demanded. "Why are you walking me home?"

The Hyuuga frowned. "Don't flatter yourself; Kakashi-sensei asked me to."

"You were there."

"Yes."

The kunoichi averted her stare. "Then... you saw."

He nodded, almost imperceptibly.

Akira turned away from him. "Then you have no reason to be near me. Tell Kakashi I can manage. I don't need a babysit—"

To her surprise, Neji took her by the arm. "Take a deep breath. One, two—"

CRACK!

"AAHH! FUCK!"

Akira yelled at the sudden force her nose was pulled and then, she can suddenly breathe easier.

"Why the hell did you—"

Her breath hitched at his proximity. Suddenly, he was too close, and she began to be conscious of the small space between them, the warmth of his breath against her cheeks and the feel of his hand on her skin. His hand then trailed to the side of her lips, lingering fractionally at her bottom lip before resting just at her chin. Akira swallowed when his eyes trailed from hers to her lips.

But then Neji stepped back and wordlessly averted his stare. Akira looked away before touching her nose which has begun to heal.

"Thanks," she muttered, feeling her cheeks blush. The Hyuuga merely nodded. An awkward pause ensued between the two shinobi.

"Y-you don't have to walk me home," Akira said, looking anywhere but at the brunette. "I'm fine. Thanks." And before Neji could say anything, the redhead turned at the corner and walked away from him.

He followed her with his eyes, red hair bright against the dim light of the streetlamps. Even when she had disappeared from his line of sight, it's as if he could still see her. Sighing, Neji turned and left.

'What was that just now, Hyuuga?'