40

It was a cloudy morning, as Akira scanned the Academy grounds with sleepless eyes. It was still quite early, so the raucous laughter of children was absent. Taking in the chilly, morning air, the kunoichi breathed deeply, mentally preparing herself for another day of teaching.

Frowning, she kicked a stray clump of grass by her feet and tried not to dwell on the fact that the demon within her had terrorized her once more. After waking up from another emotionally scarring nightmare, Akira was not able to sleep until morning. She rose from her bed, exhausted, and skipped her morning training. Her wolves noticed her unusual behavior and tried to ask her but Akira had curtly hushed them. Noticing her short temper, the Ookami said nothing and just bade her well. It was obvious to the wolves that their mistress was feeling out of sorts.

"He only lusts after your flesh."

Akira clenched her fists and closed her eyes briefly, unable to forget the demon wolf's taunting. She absently touched the thin gauze that covered a shallow wound on her left cheek. As usual, the Kageboshi's chakra had marred her skin with unsightly burns. Most have started to heal but there were still those that were quite raw. Akira covered her arms with bandages and wore pants to cover up some of the wounds on her legs. The one on her cheek was still quite fresh so she applied a soothing ointment and covered it with a thin gauze. Hopefully, it will heal before midday.

She's used to the physical, emotional and psychological assault of the demon she harbors but that doesn't mean that it hurts less. It always pains her, most especially when the attack is about him.

"He only lusts after your flesh."

"I can't leave you Satsuna."

A stray tear fell from her eyes and she hurriedly wiped it away, lest a student see her. She sighed once more and looked up at the sky. The sun had hidden behind gray clouds and once more, she saw the events of last night.

She acknowledges their deep bond although she never had the same level of camaraderie and companionship with her own genin team. Akira is aware of the strong connections between a team, and so she knows that the friendship between Neji and Tenten is something that cannot simply be ignored.

But...

The scenes of last night flashed in her mind once more, and a wave of hurt and confusion washed over Akira. She felt her chest tighten. She tried to rationalize—insisting that they're just friends.

They're just friends.

'They're just friends. There isn't anything more.'

A part of her objected. Because she knew that friends do not treat each other like that. Friends do not look at each other like that. And friends do not touch each other like that.

Again, Akira was reminded of how close Tenten was against his side, how their arms were linked together, how Neji looked comfortable doing it. To Akira, there was nothing platonic in their exchange. There was something there that shouldn't be. And regardless of whether she's overreacting or over analyzing, Akira could not deny that it hurt her to see them—him—like that.

And the worst part? It was as if it didn't matter to him what she saw, what she felt, or who she was. As if he didn't hold her the same way, kissed her... as if she didn't matter.

Insecurity crept slowly into Akira's psyche, and her confusion magnified into epic proportions in her heart and mind. She felt torn. On one hand, she can't really get mad at Tenten because the girl had always been kind to her. But Akira couldn't shake off the feeling of spite when she saw how close the other kunoichi was to the Hyuuga.

She tried to remain rational, but she failed. Not when the Kageboshi's words and the images are fresh in her head. Not when the pain in her heart is like a dozen kunai embedded deep.

'What exactly are we?'

"Did you really think that Hyuuga brat cares for you?"

'What exactly am I to him?'

"Did you really believe that he loves you?"

"Akira?"

She looked up at the masculine voice and schooled her features into a passive mask. Iruka was standing by the entrance towards the Academy.

The senior instructor walked up to her. "You seem deep in thought," Iruka noted, smiling kindly. His eyes clouded a little with concern, and his stare was fixed on the gauze on her cheek. "Are you okay?"

Akira nodded and faked a small smile. "Yes, sensei. Just woke up from the wrong side of the bed today." She turned her face away slightly in an attempt to hide the burn on her cheek.

Iruka wasn't fooled by the kunoichi's cheerful façade. "You know, you can talk to me," Iruka replied, lightly touching Akira's shoulder.

She saw his earnest concern and she was tempted to tell him what she felt, but she refrained. It's her personal business and Iruka doesn't need to know that she was having some stupid problem over a certain Hyuuga prodigy.

Akira only shrugged and maintained a mirthless smile. "I'll be fine, Sensei."

Iruka studied her for a minute before nodding. "Okay, I won't force you. But you can always approach me if you want to talk."

"I will. Thank you," she replied politely.

Minutes later, students had started to arrive and Iruka left her to make sure that none of the kids are being rowdy. Akira stayed by the old swing for a while, watching as the children milled about. When she saw that several of her pupils had already entered the building, she stood up and decided to proceed in her classroom. She had only taken several steps when she felt Neji's chakra signature. She turned around to see the Hyuuga himself approach her.

Although her heart began to drum faster, she kept a calm air and a deadpan expression.

"Akira," he greeted. Like her, his countenance was inscrutable.

She forced herself to look him in the eye. Again, her mind drifted to the events of yesterday but she pushed them away. She turned her attention to the knapsack on his back. "Mission?"

"Yes."

A beat passed before she said, "Good luck."

"Thank you."

It wasn't amiss to Neji how stiffly their conversation flowed, how it was restricted to monosyllables, how the kunoichi was suddenly cold and aloof. While he knew that this was the Satsuna's usual mood towards strangers, it's already established that they are no longer strangers to each other.

They stood for some time, just watching each other, both lost in their inner monologues. Neji wished he had an ability to know what's in the kunoichi's mind. Because although she stood just an arm's length away from him, she had never been so far away.

Last night, after he bid Tenten goodbye, Neji followed Akira home, wanting to speak with the girl. But midway to her residence, Neji faltered. What was he supposed to say?

What could he possibly say to make her understand, when he himself is lost in this tangled web of conflicting ideologies?

A young Academy student ran between the two shinobi, and Akira stepped sideward to avoid the running child. She looked back at him.

"My class is about to start," she said as she turned to go. "Good luck in your mission."

"Wait."

She looked back at him. Against the muted sunlight, Neji saw the bags under her eyes, the gauze on her cheek and the small crease between her brows. He remembered what her wolf said.

"Once the Kageboshi's deep into her psyche, it's very difficult to rouse her unless she fights it back with happy memories. Memories of ...you."

Something within him clenched but he tried to remain calm. "We'll talk when I get back."

Akira looked at him for several seconds before she nodded and walked away. Neji gave the kunoichi one last glance before using a space-time ninjutsu. He was gone in a thin veil of smoke.

It was only when she no longer felt him that Akira turned back to where the Hyuuga once stood. Suddenly feeling weak, she leaned against a wall, dropped the tough façade, and heaved a weary sigh.

~~~~~~~~

"Under Kakashi's tutelage?"

"Hai."

A large, weathered hand gripped the wooden cane tightly. "Tsunade's being cautious. No matter, it's not as if the Hatake can be a catalyst."

"Permission to speak."

"Granted."

"It's not only the Hatake."

There was a pregnant pause, before the older man let out a mirthless chuckle. "Oh?"

"... the sparrow."

"Hmm..."

Another bout of silence enveloped the small and dark enclosure. Aside from the empty chairs, there was nothing else inside the small room. An older man stood at its center, while a younger subordinate kneeled obediently in front of him. For a few minutes, there was only the echoes of footsteps from outside and the mild hush of whispered conversation.

The older man spoke. "A sparrow. But what is it compared to a hawk?" He caught his subordinate's eyes. The underlying message was instantly understood by the younger man. He murmured in assent.

The elder man turned to exit the room, the sound of his footsteps and cane echoing against the sparse walls. Before he left however, he spared the younger man a glance. "Gather the others."

"Hai!"

~~~~~~~~

Neji scouted the terrain with his dojutsu. Their target is a middle-aged man of average build, with a wooden stump as his left leg. Considering the man's background and connection to the Akatsuki, Neji and Tenten had anticipated that the man will be under the guise of a henge. The extraction will be a day from now, but the pair had already set up a lookout, rigging the immediate surroundings with several traps.

The small business town was strategically located at the heart of the Land of Fire's several smaller villages, making it a melting pot of various visitors. As such, there is also the chance of interference from other shinobi or renegade groups who are after the intelligence that the man possessed about the high-profile criminal group. It is imperative that Neji and Tenten get to him first.

After seeing no immediate threat, Neji leapt down from the tree he was perched on and met with Tenten who was already setting up camp.

"Anything?" the kunoichi asked.

"None so far," Neji replied. He sat down on the grass and closed his eyes briefly. It has been a tiring day for the pair, and Neji could already feel the strain in his eyes.

As Tenten ambled about, Neji took several deep breaths and started to meditate in an effort to align his chakra.

"Once the Kageboshi's deep into her psyche, it's very difficult to rouse her unless she fights it back with happy memories. Memories of ...you."

"Also, I stand by what I said. I do not want to hurt Akira. She...she is important to me."

Instead of clearing his mind, Neji delved into memories of the red-haired kunoichi he left back home. At once, he felt the overwhelming desire to rush back and simply... see her.

'Bullshit.'

The look she gave him was enough to choke him of guilt. When he followed her that night and saw her sag against her door, he knew she had seen. And although Neji tried to rationalize that there wasn't anything inherently wrong with him spending time with his teammate, he knew that there was something more to it. What made it worse was that he didn't do anything about it.

Akira saw, and she knew.

And it hurt her.

But what really scared him, and at the same time triggered his guilt, were the marks that marred her skin. Although the Satsuna was wearing her shinobi uniform that hid her extremities, Neji's sharp eyes saw hints of the Kageboshi's assault. That gauze on her cheek definitely did not hide a simple pockmark. Neji had a strong hunch that the kunoichi's distress had somehow made her defenses weaker, allowing the Kageboshi to take advantage of her weakened psyche.

The ever-present guilt in his heart multiplied to epic proportions.

"Hey?"

He woke up from his reverie and looked up at the brunette kunoichi who was looking at him curiously.

"Are you okay?" Tenten asked. Above them, the sky had turned dark.

Neji re-oriented himself for a while, getting himself re-acquainted with the wildlife and the sounds of his surroundings. He nodded. "Yeah." He took the small tin of pre-cooked meal that Tenten offered.

"Here. Dinner."

He nodded his thanks, and although he did not have any appetite, he forced himself to down the chunks of meat.

Meanwhile, Tenten watched him carefully. The kunoichi sighed. "You know, you can talk to me about it," she said.

Neji glanced at her but said nothing. After a pause, the kunoichi sighed. "Whatever it is, I hope you'll be able to fix it."

The Hyuuga did not reply. He figured it wouldn't be that easy to 'fix it'. Nothing seems to be easy when it involves a certain Satsuna.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Damn it."

Yuudai looked up at his mistress who was wearing that perpetual scowl as she paced along the grassy clearing. It was nearing dusk and Hatake Kakashi was still nowhere in sight. Akira was starting to get pissed.

"This is unacceptable," the kunoichi grumbled. "I could be doing something else right now!"

"If you want Hime, we can train," Yuudai offered. He tried to sound as unassuming as he can, not wanting to gain the irk of the Satsuna. Akira was a little off lately, and Yuudai didn't want to get on their mistress' bad side.

She had been quite abrasive this morning, and she had not summoned any of her pack until later that day, when her classes at the Academy ended and she went to the training ground Kakashi had specified. She only asked for Yuudai however, and this made the rest of the pack quite jealous and sullen.

It's not as if Akira had favorites, and they knew that she loves all of them dearly, but Yuudai has been present during Akira's early years so it's just natural that he's the closest to her. Aside from that, they share almost the same personality quirks, except for their tempers, because Akira can be quite temperamental compared to Yuudai. If there's anyone in the pack that got Akira's temper, it was Akai.

Akira sat down on the grass, brows still furrowed in impatience. She sighed. "Yuudai, what did the pack say?"

"What do you mean, Hime?"

Akira sighed and cupped her cheeks. "Well, I was a little grumpy with you guys earlier. What did they say?"

Yuudai sat beside Akira. "Hmm... Sachiko obviously was a little upset. Kuroi and Akai were puzzled and Kishi was simply accepting. You know how Kishi is."

Akira smirked fondly. "Yeah, Kishi's always cool." She sighed again. "I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to be harsh towards you guys. Please tell them that."

"I will, Hime-chan. But... do you mind telling me what's wrong?"

Akira met Yuudai's gray eyes. "Promise me you won't kill him."

The wolf's eyes narrowed. When it finally clicked, he gave a low growl of dissent. "I knew it!"

Akira's arm shot out to grab Yuudai's ear and pulled him to sit back down. "No, you will not kill him. Besides he's out on a mission."

"What has he done?" Yuudai said, still growling.

"Nothing."

"You're upset because of him!"

"Yes, I am but you will not tear him to shreds!"

"We never said we were going to tear him to shreds. We plan on beheading him with our jaws."

Akira gave Yuudai a deadpan look. "Funny. No, I forbid you to do that. You will not harm a hair on his head. I want him whole."

Yuudai let out a disappointed bark and plopped down on the grass in front of Akira. "Hmph."

The kunoichi only rolled her eyes at Yuudai while the wolf let out a low bark, like that of a human's grumble. There was a short pause between kunoichi and wolf before Yuudai spoke again.

"You still want him?"

Akira looked out at the horizon where the sun had started to glow light orange, and sighed. Her nod was almost imperceptible, but not to Yuudai's sharp eyes.

"What has he done, Hime?"

And Akira told him of the events of last night, how it was so trivial and yet affected her so much, and how the Kageboshi had a part in the whole fiasco. Akira could see the disapproval in the wolf's eyes but thankfully, Yuudai remained silent until the kunoichi had finished her short story.

"While I promise not to kill him, I think he deserves a Gatsuga or two for upsetting you," said Yuudai. "And several raiton jutsu from Kuroi, don't you think?"

Akira shook her head lightly. "You are impossible, Yuudai."

"Sorry. But I just don't understand. He's friends with Tenten-san, right? Why does it seem wrong for them to be together?"

"I dunno. It's not exactly wrong." Akira sighed deeply. "But it feels like it." Akira wondered why she's making a big fuss out of the whole thing. He doesn't seem affected. So why must she?

Even Yuudai was puzzled. "But he said... he said he cares for you. I heard him say it himself." He looked back at Akira. "Shouldn't that be enough?"

The kunoichi bit her lip. She knows she loves him.

Is that enough?

Something within tells her it isn't.

~~~~~~~~~

Minutes later, Kakashi arrived, and by such time dusk had almost come. Akira rolled her eyes at his lame excuses and tried not to think too much of his habitual tardiness. Yuudai had long gone to the forests to check on the traps Akira had lain out around her home.

"I figured I'd like to see more of your genjutsu and ninjutsu," said Kakashi. "You said you can incorporate jutsu in your weapons?"

Akira nodded. "Yes. But the jutsu are dependent on the type of weapons."

"Show me."

Akira took a deep breath before unsheathing her katana. Channeling chakra to the blade, she gave long slash, and a gust of wind blew from her katana, slicing several nearby trees into halves. Kakashi nodded appreciatively.

Next, Akira shifted to reverse hold and subsequently followed the wind attack with a fire technique, turning her blade orange-red as flames engulfed the fallen trees. Kakashi leapt away from the kunoichi's line of attack just in time as the cackle of raiton energy came charging. The trees had all turned to char.

"No water?" Kakashi asked, a brow cocked in amusement.

As if in reply, Akira wielded her katana and a stream of water emerged from the tip of her sword, causing thick smoke to rise as she doused the poor trees with suiton jutsu.

After that showcase, Kakashi wordlessly asked for Akira's katana, which the kunoichi handed him. The jounin's eyes narrowed in curiosity.

"Earth jutsu?" he asked as he examined the blade.

Akira shook her head. "It's tricky. I can harden the blade, turn it rock solid but it's only good for short-range attacks."

"This is a different kind of katana, isn't it?"

"Hai. It belonged to my grandmother. She gave it to me when I turned seven."

Kakashi cocked a brow in amusement. He imagined a seven-year-old, wielding a katana, and the image was quite comical. Shaking the mental image off, he turned the blade in his hand and channeled his own chakra. Although the katana reacted by glowing, it did not have the same effect it did when Akira used it.

'Is it safe to assume that this only reacts to her chakra?' Kakashi mused. 'But if it belonged to her grandmother, and her grandmother used it, then that means this katana isn't sensitive to Akira's chakra alone. It could be that it reacts to anybody who has the same chakra signature, and that could mean that any Satsuna can use it.'

He handed the blade once more the kunoichi. "It's a unique sword. Can you do genjutsu with it?"

"Hai." At this, Akira stepped back and placed considerable distance between her and Kakashi. "I'm sorry in advance, sensei."

Before Kakashi could react, Akira charged towards him. He pulled out a kunai and instinctively blocked the kunoichi's blade but before his weapon could make contact with hers, the kunoichi disappeared. Kakashi whirled and a soft gasp escaped his lips. The trees and grass disappeared. He was suddenly plunged in a snowy terrain. And before him, a colossal, red wolf was snarling.

It's long, sharp fangs dug deep into the tender flesh of his neck, and bright red blood bubbled from the wound and from his mouth. Kakashi fell on his knees as knife-like pain seared throughout his body. But the wolf was not finished, and it mauled him, causing him to lie prostrate on the cold snow, his blood dyeing it red. Claws as sharp as knives slashed through his body and Kakashi screamed. In desperation, he opened the sharingan.

Only then did the nightmare end.

He was lying on his back, sweating bullets, kunai still gripped tightly in his hand. Across him, the Satsuna sat, wide-eyed, mouth slightly agape.

"Shit," Kakashi grumbled as he hastily pulled down his hitaite to conceal his sharingan. He sat up gingerly, body still reeling from the illusion and he called out to the kunoichi.

"Akira, hey," he said, shaking her gently. When the girl did not react, he coursed a minute amount of chakra from his hand to hers. This caused the girl to wake from her stupor.

"Sensei!" she gasped, and she looked wildly about her.

"What did you see?" Kakashi asked.

"N-nothing. Darkness. But I heard..."

The jounin sighed deeply. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fight back." He raised his eyes to meet her still shocked stare. "Funny how genjutsu affects us, huh."

Akira took several deep breaths before responding. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm sorry too, that was extreme, but I wanted to show you the extent of the genjutsu I'm able to make with my katana."

"It's okay," Kakashi said as he stood up. He offered a hand which Akira took and he helped her up. "That level of genjutsu is probably around B. Given other weapons, can you still perform an illusion with the same rank?"

Akira shook her head. "Only on those that can be used on close combat and those that are hefty enough: swords, staffs, kunai, axes, sickle. Projectiles are more difficult because they are mostly thinner and there is less surface area to infuse chakra in."

"Hmm. That's interesting but we'll get to that later. There's something important I want to teach you." He lifted his hitaite once more but kept his eye closed. "You have to learn to stop looking at the Sharingan. This ocular ability has a lot of powers which is why it's the most coveted, if not next to the Byakugan. You've felt what it can do, so you must learn to avoid it at all costs. Luckily, there are only three people in the world who has the Sharingan: me, Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke, and that makes the chances of fighting against a Sharingan-user close to nil. However, I want you to be prepared should that happen. And the first thing you must learn, is not to fall into a genjutsu. Ironic, since you yourself is quite adept with the skill."

Akira nodded. She had fallen victim to the Sharingan twice now, and the experience was not good. "So what do I do if confronted with the Sharingan?"

"For starters, don't look at it. The Sharingan has many other abilities but it's safe to say that genjutsu is the tamest—although the illusions are deadlier than any other jutsu. Because it's the 'mildest', most likely, this will be the first technique that a Sharingan-user will utilize because it does not drain too much chakra compared to its more complicated and dangerous abilities."

"Right..."

"Now, I will open my Sharingan and we'll spar. I want you to fight without falling into my illusion. Understood?"

Akira frowned, knowing how this will put her in a disadvantage, but she nodded obediently. She closed her eyes and tried to anticipate Kakashi's attacks.

"Okay. Start!"

She stepped back and tried to course chakra on the soles of her feet, attempting to feel for the vibrations of Kakashi's movements. She felt him move but in a split second, the rough sole of shinobi sandals hit her face and she skidded against the ground. She groaned in pain and stood up.

"Fuck!" she cried out as she brushed the dirt off her cheek. She resisted the urge to open her eyes and instead whirled around. She felt the 'swish' of a kunai and her reflex kicked in. Akira blocked the attack with her arm.

This went on for a while: Akira constantly on the defensive, attempting to block or evade Kakashi's strikes. Akira managed to evade some of his kicks and punches, but a number had slipped through her defense and by the time their spar was over, she felt black and blue all over. She winced when she heaved a deep breath and her left side hurt. Meanwhile, Kakashi looked as laid-back as ever.

"Satisfactory but still not enough," Kakashi remarked. "You may want to wipe..."

Akira touched the warm liquid that streamed down her nose. "Shit," she grumbled under her breath. Her nose was not broken but Kakashi's kick must have caused some capillaries to burst. She channeled chakra in her hand and pressed gently. The cool flow of chakra was relaxing and Akira let out a contented sigh.

"Medical ninjutsu?"

"No sir. I mean, yeah, but it's just for pain relief. I can't heal." At this, Akira frowned. "Hokage-sama said I'm not cut out for it."

"Did she say why?"

"Well, I don't have precise chakra control, that's one thing. And uh, I guess, I'm simply not talented enough."

Kakashi eyed the kunoichi. "Maybe just not enough for medical ninjutsu, but you have a diverse skill set that only needs to be refined. Anyway, we'll take a break."

"Hai."

Akira used the time to check on her injuries. While Kakashi did not break any bones, he hit her hard as hell and bruises were starting to appear on various parts of her body. Her muscles were starting to ache and she could feel slight fatigue starting to set in.

'Well that's not surprising since I've been up even before sunrise,' Akira thought warily. She opened her canteen of water and leaned back on the tree. At least she was successful in not looking at the Sharingan during the spar. Still, it was difficult fighting with her eyes closed. She remembered Hayate teaching her and her teammates how to fight in the dark but that was all there is to it. Besides, it's not as if they were a team for a long time. After graduation, she was assigned to Hayate and then she met Saburou and Daichi. They trained as a genin team for one year, afterwards they joined the Chuunin Exam where only she and Saburou were able to pass. After that, another Chuunin exam was held and Hayate died.

At the memory of her genin days, Akira turned to Kakashi and asked, "Sensei, Uchiha Sasuke was your student, right?"

Kakashi closed the small book he was reading and looked at Akira. "Yes, he is."

The kunoichi noticed his usage of the present tense, and she realized that although the Uchiha had defected, the jounin still treated him as a pupil.

"I wonder..." Akira looked up at the darkening sky. "How did you feel when he left?"

Kakashi sat up straighter and studied the kunoichi's profile. After a brief pause, he sighed inaudibly. "In a way, I felt guilty. He is my student and I feel like I should've done more to help him. Somehow, I knew he'd tread that way but I guess I was too complacent to actually heed the warning signs. However, a part of me also knew that no matter what we did—Naruto, Sakura and I—Sasuke would still embark on that dangerous journey of hate."

Akira met his eyes. "Why won't you guys just let him be? He chose to leave."

"Akira, if you saw one of your students run towards the Forest of Death alone and unsupervised, you'd run after that kid, right?"

"... Yeah."

"Then that answers your question." Kakashi stood up. "Regardless of whether it's his choice or not, when I see someone dear to me about to get hurt, I will run after them and pull them back."

When the kunoichi remained silent, Kakashi extended a hand. "Come on, we still have to work on your fighting skills."

Akira stared at him for several seconds, mulling over his words. As she took his hand and allowed the jounin to pull her up, Akira realized how lucky Uchiha Sasuke was. Despite his decision to join the darkness, these people—Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi—still wants him back and will do anything in their power to make him return.

As she watched the assured way Kakashi moved, Akira could not help but wonder: if she had left, would there be someone who would chase her back?

They trained for several more minutes. Kakashi continued attacking Akira while the kunoichi tried to evade his attacks. Twice, she almost fell for the Sharingan and froze for a moment when her eyes connected with Kakashi's crimson gaze. However, in almost split second, Akira had stabbed herself with a senbon which caused her to wake due to the sharp pain. She leapt away from a stream of fire that Kakashi attacked her with.

Soon enough, the night sky had caused the training ground to dim considerably and by then, both shinobi were ready to retire for the night.

Kakashi bent over the kunoichi who was lying spread-eagled on her back. "Oi, you okay?"

Akira opened one eye. "Hai, sensei. Just, ummm, let me lie here for a bit."

"Hmm. I'll see you tomorrow."

Akira only let out a groan which Kakashi returned with a chuckle. "Good night, Akira. Be careful."

Only when the jounin's chakra signature had left her vicinity did Akira open her eyes and raised her head.

"Aww fuck," she groaned. Her body felt heavy from exhaustion, it was just possible for her to spend the night in the training ground.

She considered the option, since she's too tired to actually move and be bothered with walking. She could summon her wolves to lift her home ('Ahh, the convenience of summoning animals,' she thought briefly) but then that too would be troublesome. Akira focused her eyes on the dark clouds and sighed deeply.

Just as her lids started to grow heavy, she caught wind of a familiar trail of chakra headed her way. After some consideration, the kunoichi relaxed as she caught a whiff of the shinobi's scent.

"So Kakashi-sensei was right," the male voice said. "You really need help."

Akira turned to her side. "Hey Kiba."

The ninken tamer bent over to meet her eyes. "You look worse for wear. What happened?"

"Training."

"Hmm."

...

"Oi, you're not going to sleep here, are you?"

"I might."

"Tch. Pathetic."

A slight shuffle.

"Ugh! What are you doing?"

"Dragging your ass back to your house. Come on, Satsuna."

Akira allowed herself to be lifted, and soon she was upright and supported by the Inuzuka. She leaned against his muscular form, her one arm around his shoulder while he had his arm around her waist as support. That spar with Kakashi had truly drained her physically.

Kiba whistled for Akamaru and the ninken obediently bounded towards the pair, yipping cheerfully. Akira mustered a tired smile and allowed the dog to lick her palm.

"So, how was your training?" Kiba asked Akira as they walked away from the clearing.

"I'm bone-tired," Akira replied. "I've been up before sunup and Kakashi-sensei was brutal." She yawned. "I just want to sleep."

Kiba chuckled and assisted her, slowing his pace so that she could keep up. They were silent as they exited the darkening training grounds towards the brighter streets of Konoha. By then, the moon had risen and several people were walking the streets, either on their way home or out for a drink with friends and family.

She ignored stares she received, and even Kiba seemed oblivious. The atmosphere was a little chilly but the Inuzuka seemed to radiate warmth and Akira felt comfortable against him. She could feel some sense of strength coming back to her limbs.

"How did you find me?" she asked.

"Akamaru and I met Kakashi-sensei along the way," Kiba replied. "And when he saw that we were going to the direction of the training grounds, he asked me to check on you."

Akira nodded. "Ah... well, thanks a lot. I'm feeling better now."

"It's nothing. Anyway," Kiba gave her a look over. "What's up with the conservative clothing?" he teased. "Trying to pull a Hinata?"

Despite of her fatigue, Akira had enough energy to glare at Kiba. "Get your hands off me, you pervert!" She tried to push the man away but all she was able to muster was a slight shove.

Kiba laughed. "Easy, princess. I was just kidding! But you do look all covered up. What happened?"

Truly, Akira had bandages that covered her arms, as well as long dark pants. This was different from her usual breezy outfits that showed some skin. The kunoichi sighed.

"Some wounds," she murmured. "They'll heal soon enough."

A shadow of concern crossed Kiba's features. "Have you asked a medic to look at them?"

"Nah. Perks of a jinchuriki."

Kiba then froze and paused walking. Akira turned to him in confusion, only to notice that the Inuzuka was frowning, his dark eyes sharp with an emotion Akira could not understand.

"Stop saying that, will you?" he said in a low voice. She felt his arm around her waist tighten a little.

"Saying what?"

"Jinchuriki."

"But I am a jinchuriki, in case you haven't noticed."

"Yeah but that doesn't mean you should downplay your injuries! Besides, you—" He closed his eyes for a moment, briefly looking conflicted, before he met her eyes once again. "You're not just a jinchuriki," he said in earnest. "You're human, you're our friend and... you're..."

He trailed off and abruptly looked away. Suddenly, Akira grew aware of their proximity, how his arm was still around her and how her body was pressed against his side, how warm he felt against the cold night air. She was close enough to see the tense line of his jaw, the unease in his taut musculature. He then turned towards her and suddenly, she was face to face with Kiba. She saw his eyes flash with some unnamed emotion, causing her heart to skip a few beats.

"You're not just a jinchuriki," he said finally, dark eyes meeting with Akira's green. "So stop saying it as if that's all you are."

Akira felt warmth flood her face at his nearness and the way he was staring at her. She averted her eyes. "Y—yeah..."

There were a few awkward beats of silence before Kiba resumed his assistance of her. "Come on, let's get you something to eat and then I'll walk you home." As Akira was about to protest, Kiba smirked. "No, you don't get a choice today because I'm acting upon orders of Kakashi-sensei. So, I'm sorry, Princess, but you're stuck with me."

Akira could only stare back, feeling suddenly conflicted and confused.

~~~~~~~~

In the days that followed, Akira had somehow settled into a sort of routine. Every day, after her morning classes, she heads out to the training fields to train with Kakashi. The jounin first focused on teaching her chakra control, which proved to be quite a challenge. Because of the beast within her, Akira has naturally large chakra reserves. However, thanks to the Kageboshi, Akira also has difficulty controlling the huge ball of chakra effectively. This results to her unable to perform as much techniques as she could with her five chakra natures.

Kakashi increased the difficulty of her training regimen every day. He made her do laps, then endurance training, then ninjutsu. Since Akira had a solid foundation on taijutsu and bukijutsu thanks to Hayate, Kakashi turned his attention to honing the kunoichi's skills in ninjutsu and genjutsu. So far, she's achieving minimal progress in learning how to effectively use chakra in water-based ninjutsu.

But her daily training with Kakashi wasn't the only thing that was added to her routine.

Every evening, after her grueling sessions with Kakashi, Kiba would always be present. At first, she resisted, just like what she always does whenever Kiba tries to cajole her into a 'date', but after a few days, Akira finally relented. She cannot deny that it felt somewhat comforting to know that someone aside from her pack is interested to be with her. Especially after a rough day at the Academy and with training.

It was always casual and light and usually involves barbecue. Just like her, Kiba was quite keen on beef and any sort of meat. He usually drops by after her training with Kakashi and it had become an everyday occurrence that Akira had sometimes thought that maybe Kakashi had something to do with it. But it doesn't seem to be the Jounin's nature to be privy of other people, and so Akira ultimately decided that Kiba was just being a stalker.

"I'm not!" the ninken trainer protested over barbecue one night. "It's just that missions are quite scarce lately for me and Akamaru and so we've got more free time. Besides, you train just nearby where we do, so it's not like I'm tailing after you or something!"

Akira smirked good naturedly. "Fine. But you really don't have to—"

"Hey." Kiba put down his glass of water on the table and looked squarely at Akira. "Stop it. I know what you're thinking. No, I do not have any ulterior motive, I am not stalking you and I am not planning to take advantage of you."

Akira blushed and poked him on the face with her chopsticks. "That wasn't what I was thinking!" she said.

"Ow!"

"It's just..." she bit her lip. "Why bother? I mean, I get it... trying to be friends and all that, but... why?"

There was a brief pause between the two shinobi, and Akira had to avert her eyes from Kiba's stare. Kiba crossed his arms over his chest.

"Do you always do this?" he asked, his features serious and dark eyes trained at Akira's. "Do you always doubt people?"

"Well...i-it's not like people have been kind to me, or..."

"I understand that some people may have been mean to you. But Akira..." He leaned closer to her and rested his arms on the table between them. "I'm not going to hurt you."

Akira felt the warm blush creep up her cheeks and she felt like it was suddenly warm and cold at the same time. She heaved a deep breath. Once again, something sharp tugged within her, and it was the same sensation she had always felt these past few days whenever she's out with Kiba but her mind is on someone else.

Guilt. Conflict.

She did not respond to his statement and neither did he push her for a reply. In silence, they finished their meal and after paying, both walked to the direction of their homes. Kiba whistled for Akamaru and the ninken trotted along the two shinobi. Wordlessly, the trio made a turn towards the less-known roads of Konoha leading to the kunoichi's home.

"You are persistent," Akira said after a long pause and shook her head.

Kiba shrugged. "I never back away from a challenge."

At that, Akira paused mid-step, a sudden feeling of déjà vu enveloping her.

"You are so damn persistent."

Neji smirked at her frustration. "I never back away from a challenge."

"Probably a good thing."

She tried to pull her hand away but he caught her hand, entwining his fingers with hers. Akira tensed but obliged.

"Akira, are you scared?" he asked softly.

"Terrified."

He winced. "Why?"

Sighing, she leaned her head against his shoulder, her red hair tickling his neck. "You make me feel safe," she whispered.

The memory caused her heartbeat to quicken, and her mind was suddenly invaded by an image of a different man with pearlescent eyes. She shook her head a bit, as if to clear it, and masked her hesitation with an awkward smile.

"Shut up," she said to Kiba, putting some distance between them. She kept her eyes away from him, scared that he might see through her.

Fortunately, Akamaru had placed himself between them and barked amicably. Akira sighed softly in relief, glad to have the dog around for distraction.

Kiba grinned. "Well, it's true," he said, ruffling the dog's fur with one hand. "Akamaru and I are hunters. Once we set our eyes on a prey, we don't back down."

"Say that in front of Kuroi, and you'll eat your words. Hunting is his forte."

Their easy banter continued, dispersing the uncomfortable air between Akira and Kiba, until they were within the premises of Akira's residence. The kunoichi was glad to be finally home after a long day. She bowed slightly to thank Kiba.

"Thank you," she said in earnest. "I'll pay you back for the food."

Kiba shrugged. "You don't have to, Akira. I'm happy to be around."

He didn't say it outright—what he actually meant-- but Akira understood. Under the dim moonlight, she studied Kiba's features: tanned skin, muscular build, a ruckus of dark, spiky hair. Sharp eyes. He was rugged, a bit rough around the edges, brash at times.

A stark contrast from his regal features and dignified air.

But...

He lusts only after your flesh.

She often refused his offers of company, training, or even the outright 'romantic date' simply because she couldn't understand what he really sees in her, and she wasn't interested in anything else but friendship with him. Even now, with the disturbing thoughts in her head and the confusion in her heart, she still sees him as a friend. But even with all the mess in her mind, she can't deny that his presence is strangely... comforting and more than welcome.

'Well, if you only see him as a friend, then it's okay, right?'

Akira bit her lip at the small voice in her head.

She sighed.

"Kakasi-sensei cancelled our training session tomorrow. I get off from the Academy at 3pm. Until then..."

A wide grin spread across Kiba's face. "I'll be there."

The Inuzuka's smile was infectious, and Akira found herself returning the gesture. "Yeah."

"Good night."

"... good night, Kiba."

~~~~~~~

Author's Notes:

Immense thank to all of you guys who read and put this story in your reading lists! I appreciate your support and I hope you enjoy the story. Please drop me a line or two in the comments-- I love to hear what you think of the fic!

~Akira.