3

Her day went horribly and Akira had no plans of going home with her head stewing. It was never a good idea for her to lash out her anger on Yuudai or to the poor furniture in her house.

After that incident with the stupid kid, Akira was sure her desk would be overflowing with complain letters from parents. That would be if she were lucky. If not, well, she could be unemployed first thing in the morning.

Or right now, depending on the Hokage's mood.

Not that being unemployed really bothered Akira. In fact, that was what she had been asking, begging for, the moment she was placed on that god forsaken place called Ninja Academy.

Her yearly submission of request for transfer and resignation letters would be enough evidence of her utter disgust for the teaching job.

It's not that she dislikes the profession, because she was also once a student at the Academy and had great respect for all her teachers. It's just that she feels that her skills and abilities are misdirected, misplaced and under-utilized.

'I mean, give me a break. I'm qualified for a jounin level and yet here I am, teaching maggots how to hold a kunai. Sure, there are exceptions when some bright-ass kid wanders into my class, but still. I should be out killing someone and -'

Her thoughts were disturbed when Yuudai gently bit her arm. She looked down at the white and gray wolf at her side, now shrunk to his regular size, which is up to her elbow. It's intelligent gray eyes looked up at her.

"Oopss, sorry." Akira said to the wolf. "I forgot, we don't take this road."

Following Yuudai, Akira trudged down to a side street, away from the main road. After a few minutes, they reached the back roads of Konoha, deserted and almost forgotten by many. Except for Akira and her wolf, of course.

Although the main road would've been the easiest way for her to get home, the back roads and side streets are what Akira prefers to use. It's not exactly a welcoming thought to walk down the road and know that the village hates you, right? Besides, walking around the village with a larger-than-normal wolf at your side is enough for anyone to cringe and hide.

'Well, the feeling's mutual', Akira thought grudgingly. 'I don't want to see their dislike and pity anyway. I don't need it.'

Mentally scoffing at the mutual dislike between her and her village, Akira frowned and looked at Yuudai.

"We're okay, just you and me, right Yuudai?" she asked the wolf, ruffling up his fur a bit. Yuudai looked up at her and gave a low growl to which Akira laughed.

"Yeah sure, you and the pack, me and grandma," she said, chuckling. "Though I don't think granny shares my sentiment. She loves the village too much." 'Too much for something that's not worth it,' Akira thought bitterly.

Yuudai barked and pranced a few steps away from her. Akira glared at the wolf and made a face. "Oh hell no. I do not love this village," she stated defiantly. "I'm not stupid to lay my life on the line for something that hates my guts!"

To an outsider watching them, Akira surely looked like a mental case. There she was, a red-haired, green-eyed girl, walking along the deserted back road of Konoha talking to an impossibly large white and gray wolf.

What could be stranger than that?

Probably the fact that Akira and her wolf, Yuudai, shares a bond thicker than blood that people don't understand.

And that Akira is a jinchuriki of something more sinister than that spiteful Nine-tails.

Well, that explains the "cordial" relationship between Akira and the village she calls home.

~~~~~~~~

Iruka leapt from tree to tree, trying to figure out where the damned kid went. He just barely missed the Hokage's outburst a while ago and he knew that it was a feat. Tsunade-sama never misses, and he was plain lucky to be whole right now.

He was trying to locate Akira, and bring her back to take some good old reprimand for her latest act today that earned him, the Hokage, and the rest of the instructors at the Academy, the spite of parents and students.

'Well, good job Akira, he thought sarcastically. 'You just made my day.'

It was not as if he didn't see it coming. She was his former student anyway and he knew what her temperament was like. And she always had a thing about punctuality, even during her genin days. That must be the reason she never really clicked with Hatake Kakashi.

As he reminisced about her young Academy days with him, Iruka could not help but feel fond of his former student. She was actually a bright girl, full of potential. He was proud to watch her grow as a skilled and very capable kunoichi.

Many would consider Akira beautiful. She has a tall, lithe form, matured for her 17 years. She has long red hair tied in a ponytail with a few strands framing her face and deep green eyes. Clad in a black sleeveless shirt that hugged her figure, black miniskirt and a red haori loosely tied around her waist, Iruka had seen many male heads turn towards her direction every time she passes by. But the sight of her katana and the huge wolf at her side made them think twice.

Iruka leapt from the tree he was perching on and followed the beaten Konoha back road. Akira may be a cynical and highly temperamental person but she's an excellent shinobi. If only the village can see that.

He sighed. Iruka made sure not to have favorites as a teacher but he could not help but like two of his students the most. He treats Naruto like a younger brother, and Akira as a younger sister that he should always look out for.

'Especially now that she's always brewing trouble like this', he thought as he tried in vain to track her. 'Where could that wolf be anyway?'

She was always seen with the wolf at her side that most people, even Iruka, had already associated her with the creature. You see the wolf, you see her. Where the wolf is, there she is. So now they have confused the girl with the wolf and started calling her wolf as well.

'Especially when she moves like one.' He gritted his teeth, mentally cursing her speed and her ability to slink away like, well, a wolf.

He stopped for a while. He has been looking for her quite a while now with no result. He could just give up, but the Hokage will hang him if he did not bring Akira to her. He had run out of places to search for, mainly because he knew that Akira never ventures near the village's crowded places. She has an aversion to noisy and crowded places because...well...she has always been like that.

Iruka shook his head. He had only been to her house once, but maybe it's time to pay her a visit.

Even if she'd lash out her katana and kill him. She hates it when people visit her.

He chuckled. Yup, he had his fair share of strange students. That must be why he likes his job so much.

~~~~~~~~~~~

It's rare for someone to just "pass by" the Satsuna residence. Not only is it located at the outskirts of the village, it was also rumored to be the home of fearsome beasts.

'Just one beast, though', Akira thought to herself as her house appeared in view. The old structure never fails to bring out all sorts of emotions to her. Disgust, worry, relief, hope... And a little bit of sadness, if she'd allow it.

Several meters from the gate, Akira and Yuudai tensed. A presence was nearby. Whether friendly or not, Akira doesn't like it because to her, nobody is welcome in this space she calls home. Yuudai gave a low growl and started towards the said presence. Akira began to unsheath her katana as she and her wolf prepared to engage the enemy. As they drew closer, she suddenly halted.

"Yuudai!" she called to the wolf. A silent conversation ensued between her and the wolf. Seconds later, the wolf stood down and trotted back at Akira's side after both recognized the familiar chakra signature.

Akira couldn't hide her irk. "Iruka-sensei. What the hell?"

"I see your senses became better." Iruka jumped from the tree where he was perched. "Hey there."

Despite her irk, Akira could not help but smile at the sight of her former sensei, and now colleague. His easy demeanor always lifts her mood. He probably does not know it, but she considers him as the older brother she never had. She just doesn't like showing it.

Yuudai obviously felt the same towards Iruka, for the wolf went over to the said shinobi and allowed him to pet his fur. Considering that Yuudai almost never left Akira's side and allowed no one to pet him, that was considered a feat.

Iruka smiled at the hound and gingerly rubbed its head. "Hey, Yuudai-kun. I hope you don't mind me calling you that."

The wolf gave a low growl and then went back to Akira's side. "Obviously, he doesn't, or else he'd already bitten your head off." Akira smirked. "You know I hate visitors. So, what brought you here?"

Iruka sighed, the smile gone from his face. "Akira, the Hokage wants to speak with you."

"Oh yeah? What about?" Though Akira knew damn well what it is.

"You know what." Iruka frowned. "And frankly, that was overboard. Having Yuudai after the kid? Since when have you become sadistic?"

Akira rolled her eyes. "The kid's alive, for god's sake. Besides, Yuudai just wants to have a good time, eh?"

The wolf and Akira shared a conspiratorial look and Iruka swore he saw an evil gleam in the wolf's eyes. That sort of creeped him out.

"Look," Iruka said, shaking his head a bit to clear the mild thumping in his head. "Tsunade-sama will skin me alive if I don't bring you to her. So, can we just go and get this over with?"

"No, Iruka-sensei," said Akira in an equally serious voice. "I will skin you alive if you don't let me get in there." She pointed to the house. "I'm serious. I'm starving. So why don't you come with me, just let me grab something, and then we get going before Tsunade-sama decides to skin us both and use us as carpets." Then she added, "I'm not going anywhere, promise."

Seeing that he has no choice, Iruka let out a groan. "Argh. Why is the universe ganging up on me?"

Akira chuckled as she walked towards the house. "Haha! At least you'll get a private tour of the famed Satsuna residence, home to a beast even older than time."

~~~~~~~~

Author's Notes:

EDITED: 9/19/2014- Changed the wolf's name to Yuudai. It means "big hero" and I think it suits him more than his former name. I also tweaked Akira's outfit a bit. The photo shows her with a red tie and brown jacket. Just remove those and you have Akira, more or less. :) I can't find a suitable picture, sorry...