Master of All Beasts

Chapter 40 : Ship

"Ready, Gaara-kun?"

He doubtfully nodded, as he grabbed her arm. She gave him a reassuring smile, before making the handsigns.

And the two fell to the ground.

×××××

"Uhh... K-Karasu-chan...?"

"I'm here, Gaara." A soothing voice replied. Gaara turned, to see Ara behind him. She was wearing a short red and white battle kimono, with a small orange-and-black Nine-Tailed fox beside her.

"This is Kurama. My Bijū. Are you ready to meet yours, Gaara?"

"Hai."

"Let's go, then."

They walked through the long, dark, tunnel. Blood was dripping from above them, with many carvings on the walls, so many that Ara couldn't read it. Then, when the large cage came into view, they stopped.

"Shukaku-sama." Ara stated, as she started walking towards the cage. She ran her fingers along the metal bars.

"Ah. The seal is weak, indeed." She muttered, before she crouched, and starts running her chakra through it, in order to strengthen the seal.

The prisoner reacted in an instant. A large claw made of sand rushed towards the group, but Ara reacted faster. Immediately, a barrier of chakra surrounded Gaara, while the claw was blocked by her metal wings. She didn't even remove her gaze from the cage. Instead, she stayed on her first task, fixing the seal.

"... Karasu-chan... Why didn't my sand protect me?"

"Well, the sand was controlled by Shukaku, the One-Tail. And he's the one who tried to hurt us just a while ago." Ara explained, before she stood up, done with her job.

"Shukaku-sama, I don't want to use force. But I do think it's not a good idea to attack your own jinchūriki. Anyways, my name is Karasu Kigaeru. The host of Kurama."

"What do you want?" He growled, glaring at her.

Ara smiled. "I want you to make a deal with your jinchūriki."

"Why should I? This brat is worthless. He-..."

"You will have to stay in his body for years, decades. If he doesn't get enough sleep, he won't grew up in his full potential. No offense for you, Gaara-kun."

Ara crossed her arms. "You won't be able to break free. I already fix the seal. If you can cooperate with your jinchūriki, you both can become stronger. Plus, people will hate you less. You can get more protection."

"I don't need protection, I'm a Bijū already."

"There's an organization of S-rank criminals who wants to rule the world by capturing all the Tailed Beasts. They got that eye, and they also have that statue. You think it's impossible?"

Shukaku glared harder. "You wouldn't leave until I agree, right, you damn Kigaeru?"

She grinned, nodding.

"Fine."

*/*\*/*\*

"Can't you stay longer?" The redhead whined, pouting. Ara sighed, ruffling his hair.

"Well, I have to come back to my home village, too." She said, as she fixed the Suna headband around her neck, and shoved her hands in her pocket.

"But they will hurt you!"

Ara grimaced. She looked away, taking a deep breath.

"But I have to protect them. I have friends, too. I want to stay with them."

Gaara looked down. He muttered something inaudible, before he looked up. He the stretched out one of his hands to Ara, the one which was holding his brown teddy bear.

"Take him. He will make you feel better when you're sad, Karasu-chan."

Ara's eyes widened. A soft smile crept onto her face, before she pulled Gaara into a hug, taking the teddy bear.

"Thank you, Gaara-kun. I think you should keep Mr. Fox, too." She said, as she let him go, and unsealed a certain orange fox plushie, giving it to Gaara.

It was a simple action, which make the 2 happy. A certain Nine-Tailed Fox shouted out his delight, while a white tiger frowned deeply at the loss of the cute plushie.

*/*\*/*\*

"...-although I guess I still like foxes better than raccoons. They are just as cute, but raccoon didn't offer any challenge. At least fox is a sly, over- confident animal."

The orange fox turned at Ara. "Is that an insult?"

Ara only grinned, as she picked up the fox, and starts petting his head. "Maybe, Kusama. Maybe."

Kakashi chuckled, as he bent down to get a better look at the fox. "He doesn't look that evil. Is he really the Kyūbi, Ara? I think he's cute."

The fox growled, and squirmed in her grip. "First, she's the one who made me this small. My original size is as big as your village! And if you say something like that again, I'll bite your nose off, you masked perv!"

The 19-years-old Hatake cringed.

"But still, I like tigers the best! They have temper, but still, they're the coolest."

Yūsha didn't react.

"Alright Ara, is it okay if I went to sleep now? I'm tired." Kakashi said suddenly. He knew that the Kyūbi gave her a pretty good stamina, although that caused Ara some sleeping disorder.

"Right! Oyasumi, Aniki." She replied, before she closed her eyes, leaning on the tree behind her.

They were already miles away from the desert. Ara took watch most of the time, to 'find some use in my insomnia', she said.

She was accompanying Gaara during the nights before he made the deal with Shukaku, and sadly it caused her some sleeping problem.

Ara's gaze traveled far, far along the clearing. She began to think about everything that happens since the time she left Kumo.

"Hey, Crow." Someone suddenly called. She turned, to find a certain purple-haired teen standing in front of her with crossed arms.

Ara merely just raised an eyebrow.

Yūgao sighed, and sat next to the Hatake. "Kakashi told me that I should stay here, in case if you fell asleep. And besides, you really need to rest."

Ara nodded, and began to play with her silver locks. But however, she didn't say a word, nor did what she was told to.

"I envy you, Karasu." Yūgao suddenly said. This caught her off guard, and she turned at her.

"W-What?! Uh... Did I heard that right?"

Yūgao nodded, smiling slightly. "Sorry that I was rude to you. But I really envy you. I was... jealous..."

Ara frowned, and shook her head disapprovingly. "You can't be serious. You were jealous at me? How come? I'm a jinchūriki, a monster. Everyone, even my own family, hates me."

"But not Kakashi. He really cares about you." Yūgao muttered. Ara's eyes widen, before her lips curled into an amused smile.

"So, you want to be my sister-in-law." She stated bluntly.

Yūgao's face turned red, and she quickly looked away. "Don't you dare tell him!"

"Nope. I'll help you."

"Eh?!"

"Yup. I'll help."

Yūgao's eyes slightly widen. "A-Are you sure? And-... And you forgive me? Just like that?"

Ara turned at her, and smiled softly. "I never hold any grudge against you. There's nothing to forgive."

"But-... How-... Why...?"

Ara closed her eyes, and lied on the grass.

"I'm used to it."

*/*\*/*\*

When Ara opened her eyes, she was on Kakashi's back. The older Hatake was jumping on trees, with Yūgao and Bee in front of him.

"How's your sleep, imouto?"

"Pretty good." Ara muttered, "How far are we to Konoha?"

"We'll arrive in about two hours."

"Put me down, then." She said, but Kakashi shook his head.

"I recall you told me once that you love it when I give you piggy-back-ride." He replied smugly.

Ara giggled, and pulled his ear. "I hate you." She whispered, pouting.

"Love you too~"

"You need a girlfriend." She suddenly said, too bluntly. Yūgao instantly cringed when she heard this, and her eyes twitched.

"What for, Ara?" He asked back, way too calmly.

"Well, Obito got Rin." She said, low enough so that only he can hear her, "Your Sensei got Kushina-san. You need a lover, too."

"Me? Need a lover? Again, Ara, what for?"

"Again, Aniki, so that I can have some nieces or nephews! So that there will be more than 2 alive Hatakes!" She said, as she noticed what was holding his attention. A certain female ANBU.

Yūgao almost choked on her own spit. She quickly put on her ANBU mask, trying to hide her blush, receiving a questioning eyebrow from Bee.

Kakashi's eye twitched. "Ara..."

"Yes?"

"Did you read my Icha-Icha?"

She giggled. "A bit! Bee told me it was good, so I tried it!"

The Hachibi's jinchūriki's eyes widened.

"Sh*t!" He exclaimed, as he fastened his pace.

"How dare you rip away my sister's innocence?! Come here! Let me kill you!" Kakashi roared, as he ran after him, dropping Ara.

Karasu landed swiftly on the ground, next to Yūgao.

The purple-haired shinobi pulled up her mask, and glared at the 10-years-old girl.

"What the hell, Ara?!"

The said girl grinned. "Why not? I'm having fun, you know?"

Inside her head, Yūsha and Kurama was cackling, laughing like crazy.

*/*\*/*\*

Minato stared at the 4 ANBUS in front of him.

The tall silverette is cracking his knuckles, glaring at the man in front of him. The said man was cringing, holding his hands up, and keep muttering, "Please don't kill me. It's partially her fault, too," over and over again. The purple-haired teen is dragging a shorter silverette by her scarf, and the girl was holding a small fox in her hand, talking at him.

"Anyone explain what's the meaning of this?"

"She's/He's crazy!" Both the Konoha ANBU yelled, referring to the ones they were holding.

"It's not my fault!" The victims yelled, both of them received a punch on their heads.

Minato eyed the four, before letting out a sigh.

"What did you do, Ara?"

Ara grinned sheepishly, as she put down the orange fox.

"I kinda... make... A ship..."

"A... ship?" He wondered, and she nodded in excitement.

"I think silver and purple would make a great combination!"

Minato sighed. "Whatever. Kushina said it's silver and black. And I really don't understand about this ship thing. The topic has made Kushina and Mikoto became over-excited, rambling at me and Fugaku. Anyways,"

Ara tugged her scarf off Yūgao grip, and stood up.

"Your report, please?"

*/*\*/*\*

"You must be kidding me." Minato said, shaking his head disapprovingly, pointing at the orange fox.

The fox growled, and bit his finger, causing him to yell in pain.

"Damn you mortals! Yes, I'm a demon, so stop staring! I'm far from cute, and about my small form here, you must blame that brat!"

"Kusama! Be polite!" Ara yelled, pinching his cheeks, and scratching his neck.

"Polite?! You asked ME to have manners?! Learn some respect! You are really an insolent brat! Let me bite off your ears, Kasu!"

Ara broke into a fit of laughter.

Minato wiped the blood off from his fingers, his eyes twitching. "Alright. Then I take it your work is done here?" He asked Bee, who nodded.

"I'll be taking my leave now, if I may, Lord Hokage."

"Of course."

Bee then turned at Ara, and did something that made everyone in the room, except Ara, Yūsha, and Kurama, to widen their eyes, as their jaws fell agape.

He rapped.

"Greetings, my name is Killer Bee,
jinchūriki of Hachibi
And right now, here,
What you must hear,
I will tell you, I proudly vow,
I will never forget this Crow!"

Surprisingly, Ara crossed her arms. She grinned smugly, raising one of her eyebrow.

"It's true, you may be leaving
But don't worry, I'm not dying
We might be thousand miles away
That won't get in our bond's way
Smile, and trust me on this
So don't mourn over this little Miss!"

She then stuck her tongue out, and turned at Minato.

"So, who's better? I trained harder, so I must be the winner, and he's the loser!" She rapped again, and Bee glared at her.

"It ain't be right! I won't lose without a fight!"

"What in the world...?" Yūgao muttered, before she let out a sigh. "I'm leaving." She announced, before she disappeared.

Ara punched Bee's shoulder. "See ya!"

Bee nodded, grinning, and teleported out. Ara smiled at the sight, before turning at Minato and Kakashi.

"I'll see you guys later!" She told the remaining 2 males, before she teleported away, leaving them speechless.

Ara grinned at herself, as she appeared in front of the Inuzuka compound. She calmly walked in, receiving weird stares from the others. Why not? It's not everyday you can see a 10-years-old girl with 2 headbands and an ANBU mask.

"Tsume-san!" She called out as the brunette woman came into sight. The said Inuzuka turned, and her eyes instantly lit up in excitement.

"Is that really you, Crow?"

"Yep! I'm back!"

"Hana must have wanted to meet you! She's currently at-..."

"Can I wait here?" She asked, and the woman's smile grew wider.

"That's better! You can-..."

"Mom! I'm home! Sorry for-..." She stopped when her eyes landed on the silverette.

Her eyes narrowed, then widen in realization. In a blink, she appeared behind the Crow. "Why don't you tell me you'd be coming back?" She growled, frowning.

"Uh... You see..." Ara muttered, before she turned away,

"ITACHI! HANA'S GOING TO KILL ME!

*/*\*/*\*

Woah! We reach 40 chapters, everyone!

At last I can update! You must have realized how slow I updated now... -.-

Blame school. But don't worry! I didn't waste my time! I was taking care of another story! I'm planning on writing an AU Naruto FanFic (another co-works, tho). I'm going to update I'm Just A Monster soon, so stay tune!

Comment! Vote! Thank you!