Kaiya stood on the Hokage memorial, balancing on the flame tip. The wind blew through her wild hair. Her ears flicked and she turned her head to see Asuma standing at the base. "How'd you know I'll be here?" He asked. The wolf eared girl only shrugged and smiled. "Coincidence."
"Anyway, how come you were gone so long? A bandit mission is something you can do in just half a day." Kaiya blushes and jumped down from the memorial. "ER....well. A long story that I really don't want to repeat more than three times. Asuma rose a brow, slackening his hold on the cigarette he just lit. To bad he didn't quit for long. The smoke stench really wasn't good for her nose.
"I see. Well save it for the others. I'm visiting Kurenai later today." He scratched his beard while his face pinkenned. "Alright but don't get carried away." She teased, brushing past him. He gave her a shocked look. All she did was wink over her shoulder before running off into town.
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She was off of missions for now since she had no messages to deliver and no minor troublemakers in the land of fire to beat up, so she dressed in a longer skirt that cut off around her knees and a long sleeve grey shirt. Her hair was tied into two loose ponytails at her shoulders. She saw Sakura up ahead and waved. "Hey there pinky!" She grinned.
"Oh Kaiya, You were gone for a pretty long time. Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, just got a little sidetracked. I had an injury that needed tending to and the closest place was the sand. Those bandits ran me a race heheh." She laughed while giving half-truths. The pinkette narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "If you say so. But for now I need to head home." She nodded to the paper sack in her arms "I'm making some food pills for Naruto. Here have a sample."
She held out what looked like one of those things dung beetles roll around. She brought it to her nose and sniffed. Immediately she cringed and held her nose. "Er.....I'll pass until you perfect the recipe."
"What do you mean? I already did."
.......
Kaiya turns around and runs off without another word that might set off Sakura. She saw Hinata around the corner. Yay another friend! She ran over and hugged the Hyuuga girl by surprise. "Ah! Oh it's you Kaiya-chan. We were worried about you....and well.....uh." She didn't know how to continue the conversation. Her tail wagged with excitement when a idea popped into her brain. "Hey are Kiba and Shino around? If your team isn't busy, I'd like to hang out."
"Y-yes. Kiba is in the store down there." Kaiya looked and saw the pet store. Ugh... It will be a while before she can go near one of those after her experience. "I'll just wait out here." Not sooner after she said that, Kiba ran out with Akamaru.
"Oh hey there wolfy!" He grinned. She flicks her tail, scowling at him. He's calling her that now? Kiba puts his arm around her shoulders. Sighing, she reached up and pinched his hand with her pointed nails. "Owe owe owe!" He jumped back, shaking the wounded limb. "Anyway, how about we go get some meat buns!" Kaiya grinned, her tail now wagging.
Hinata smiled shyly and Kiba rode Akamaru as the three friends walked down the road. Every once in a while she heard people whisper her old nickname 'night wolf'. It felt like only a week ago that she was terrified of going outside Asuma's apartment. Singing on full moons to relieve her troubles. HM maybe she can sing something for the people sometime. No, if anything she would sing at night like always. But lately she only did it whenever the right emotion hits her.
The rest of the day she hung out with her pals including a short visit to Naruto and telling him how Gaara was doing. Kiba laughed at her story about becoming a puppy, even Hinata couldn't help but giggle at the ridiculousness. Shino was apparently on a mission with his clan and the ino-shika-cho team couldn't hang out for too long. They were helping to rebuild the damaged wall , well not Shika, it was too much of a drag for him.
When it got dark she went out the gate. Kotetsu and Izuna were packing up the post. "Oh hey there Kaiya. Heading home?"
"Yeah. See you guy's tomorrow." She smiled, waving to them. Kaiya went into the cabin. It had once again collected a layer of dust. I look poor. She laughed to herself. Lira peered around the corner. "Welcome home. Had fun today?"
"Yeah, I get to take a break after what happened in the sand village." She jumped onto her bed and a cloud of dust rose up into the air. She coughed and ran to open the window. "Agh, gross. I can't breathe in here." She stuck her head outside. This house my hold memories but, man it is hard to keep clean.
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Two days later.
Kaiya staid in bed till noon. The sunlight filters through the blinds and onto her face. "Ugh.....bad sun." She grumbled, curling up to the point that the end of her tail covered her face. Lira nudged her. "Kaiya, lady Tsunade wants you."
"Hm? Already? But I just got back from the sand. I don't want to send any long distance messages yet." Lira flicked her ears. "No...I'm not to embarrassed to show my face after that either." She answered the wolf's unspoken question. Kaiya got up and changed into her basic ninja gear and pulling on short spandex under her skirt. She only does that for missions, as well as travel. "What's the meeting place?"
"Hokage manor roof."
"Eh? Why there?" She asked, rubbing some light pink lip gloss on. She looked around for the last thing needed. "Have you seen my vest?"
"No."
"GAAH." She growled and stomped out of the cabin bare foot, tail flicking irritably side to side. Her earrings jingled in her ears making her stop for a second and touch one of them. Hmm... "I wonder if he noticed......" Lira did the lira-leer at her. "What was that you said."
She shook her head and started running. "Nothing, lets just go!" She shouted over her shoulder. When she reached the gate she ran to the gate keepers. "Izumo, wheres Kotetsu?"
"He led a visitor to Tsunade, it was urgent." His face was serious and immediately she changed hers to match. "Can you give me any information? I was summoned just now so this might be corresponding with the event." He nodded sollumly and began informing her of what a priest said. One from the fire temple. Damn! The akatsuki are looking for Naruto and they killed almost everyone in a temple. Her fanged teeth grit together with frustration. "I see.....Thank you." With that, she took off.
In no time Kaiya arrived, landing beside the Hokage. "You summoned." Kaiya knelt. Tsunade furrowed her brow then sighed. "Judging by that tone, you've heard?" She nodded in response before standing. "Yes milady."
"I want you to watch the fight between whoever locates the team. Memorize their moves and abilities and immediately report it here, later send the same information to the sand."
"I can't seem to stay away from Suna no matter what I do huh? It's only been two days." she laughed. The woman narrowed her brown eyes at the young jounnin. "Oh and I never got to thank you. For sending those children here. They didn't wait a day before they started insisting on becoming 'cool shinobi' like you. We need more like them." She folded her ears down, scratching her cheek.
"I couldn't let them be orphans with nowhere to go." She looked down at the ground. "I want to know.....who are the two akatsuki? What was the description."
Tsunade gave a concerned look. "Thought you'd ask. The monk said there were two men, one wielding a red scythe with three blades and-"
"Hidan and Kakuzu. You were going to say the other one was big and tall." She growled under her breath, clenching her fists. Calm down Kaiya, don't boil over. You know what will happen. "Lira, follow Shikamaru's team. I'll feel better having you with them. Plus Asuma is part of it too." All teams had left but she got a look at them. Izumo had joined Kotetsu along with the two. Ino and Choji were on a different team.
"Contact me when you if they are the ones to encounter them." She ordered Lira. The black wolf nodded before disappearing from sight. She looked back at Tsunade and smiled like she normally did. Kaiya nodded before flashing away towards the gate.
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She walked up to a grassy animal trail and sniffed a handful of grass. "Just wild-life here." Jumping back in the trees, she started jumping from branch to branch. They wouldn't be following a normal path would they? It would be out in the open. then again they are cruel killers. She was clenching her fists so tightly that she drew blood from her palms. Suddenly she sensed something. "Lira?"
Yes it's me.
"Whats your status?"
Asuma's team reached the temple.....it's not good.
"Thanks." She sighed with relief. Why did it have to be Hidan and Kakuzu that came to the land of fire. She had enough to deal with already. Meaning Orochimaru breathing down her neck, and her memories of the past. The akatsuki just make the memories more vivid. She shook off the troubling thoughts and kept moving to try and find a trail to follow.
A twig snapped nearby. She halted on her perch and gazed down at the path. She saw some cat walking towards a abandoned looking house. "A collection office?" She jumped down on the roof. Inside she could hear voices. "No just an old house." She saw a hawk fly over and whistled to signal it down. A report from platoon five and six. A grey silo and river hut are clear of enemies. "Good. Go now." She wrote her own report on the next blank line.
The hawk took off and so did Kaiya. How long will it take to find these guys. there aren't many collection places to look at. She sprinted across the trees again until she finds another suspicious building or hears from Lira.
Then she froze , there they were, the akatsuki. She didn't think that she would freeze. Her foot missed the branch and Kaiya tumbled to the ground. "Eh? What was that Kakuzu?"
"How am I supposed to know?" Their footsteps got closer. Think think think!
A wolf walked out of the bushes and looked at them. She flinched, seeing the two cloaks, and sprinted off like a normal everyday animal. She didn't stop running until she felt safe, she managed to get to a clearing and transformed back. "L-Lira?"
What's wrong?
"I....I saw them.....I saw them and I froze." Tears ran down her cheeks. She thought she could handle it. But the sorrow of that day thirteen years ago came back. "I...Think their heading westward....I'm going to catch my breath for now."
I'll inform the others
"Thanks...." I have...a bad feeling. She thought to herself. I hate when I get bad feelings.
They usually are right.
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Sorry for the late update my wonderful readers. School stuff is getting in the way as well as drwing more pictures for the chapters. Kaiya might snap at last in the next chapter. Hope your curious about what it's like for her to loose control ^^