I do not own any Naruto characters or settings.  I only own my OC, Akuma Izoku.

This chapter describes mild scenes of blood.  

I hope you enjoy the story of Izoku, Avenger of the Akuma Clan of the Village Hidden in the Shadows!

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Kakashi sped up, catching up with the other four ANBU nin. Izoku was racing through his mind as the trees slowly blurred into green, the leaves of life returning back onto the bare branches. The way they forced her down, the chains and the blindfold...Kakashi wanted to turn back and pursue her. He loved her, he'd known that all of these years. He's known that and stuck with it, even though she ended up with other shinobi.

Her soft voice echoed in his empty mind again, ringing a clear, pure tone as he flashed through the forest.

“Tell Sandaime-sama what happened, and tell him about my past. It will be his decision from there to save me or not. Understand? Kakashi, please. Do this for me as my final wish.”

Do this for me as my final wish...

My final wish...

This won't be your final wish, Kakashi declared as he clenched his fists. I promised to protect you no matter what. Your past doesn't change the fact I made that promise or that I love you. I promise this won't be your last wish.

“Sandaime-sama!” Niramu burst through the door after rushing through the corridors of the building.

“What's happened?” The Third Hokage immediately stood up from his desk. “Is the invasion happening now?”

“No, it's not that, Sandaime-sama!” Reza puffed, regaining his breath. They had made it back from In'ei in just over two and a half hours. “It's Izoku-san!”

“What happened to her?” Sandaime's eyes flickered to the five ninja who burst through his door.

“She's the one they were looking for,” Kakashi let out a sharp, shaky breath. “They have her; she turned herself in to save all of us.”

“She's the Akuma survivor?” The Hokage's eyes widened. “So Muzai was just an alias to hide her past...”

“Chodo, Sandaime-sama!” Kakashi pleaded, stepping up and falling to his knees, throwing a deep bow at the Hokage's feet, his hands in tight fists. “Please, save her!”

“Hatake Kakashi,” the Hokage said in a stern tone.

Kakashi looked up at him with his tear-soaked eye.

“Sandaime-sama?”

“Where's your mask?”

“B-Bimu-san has it,” Kakashi stuttered. “We broke off into teams of two to spy on the inside and outside of In'ei.”

“I see.” The Hokage nodded once. He looked up at the other four ANBU members. “So Akuma-san turned herself in?”

“Hai,” Nirmau panted. “They threatened to take her by force if we didn't give her to them. Honestly, Yondaime-sama, I was prepared to die for Akuma-san, but she gave herself to them because she knew in her very core they'd annihilate us.”

“How many of them were there?” the Hokage scoffed.

“Twenty-eight.” Bimu clenched her teeth. “I counted them all. They all looked to be in top physical shape and in their prime.”

“Please, Sandaime-sama,” Kakashi pleaded from the floor. “Send out a rescue party for Izoku-chan. I beg you, please, Sandaime-sama!”

The Hokage stared down at the seventeen year old boy who was dying of heartache. He closed his eyes and walked away to the window behind his desk, his hands clamped together behind his back. He was in deep thought, staring out over Konoha as he considered every possibility.

“Gomen-nasai, Kakashi.” The Hokage dipped his head finally. “I will not be sending a rescue party to save Akuma-san.”

“NO!” Kakashi boomed, jumping up to his feet as he snarled venomously. “If you're not going to send a rescue party, I'll go and save her myself!”

“Baka!” Niramu shouted at the furious shinobi in front of him. “You think you can take down twenty-eight Shadow ANBU by yourself? I doubt even Akuma-san would be able to do that on her own!”

“Urusai!” Kakashi's single dark eye flashed over to Niramu. “I made a promise to her and I'm going to keep that promise!”

“Don't be offended." Sandaime lifted up his hand. “I only said I won't be sending a rescue party. I will be, in fact, sending an invasion party to In'ei.”

“Invasion?!” the four ANBU behind Kakashi shouted.

"Sandaime-sama,” Bimu sputtered. “Isn't it a little rash to be send out an invasion on the Hidden Shadow Village?”

“If the Yondaime Kuraikage has Akuma-san on her side,” the Hokage said sternly. “It'd be better to take the battle over there.”

“Sandaime-sama,” Niramu interjected, “the Hidden Shadow Village has multiple squads of ANBU, and the number of them and Jonin will rise, according to Akuma-san's report today.”

“That may be.” The Hokage closed his eyes. “But that doesn't mean they'll meet up to the expectations of Shadow shinobi.”

The five ANBU nin looked puzzled.

“Not quality shinobi?” Toge asked.

“Hai.” The Hokage nodded. “If the Kuraikage is in such a hurry to promote shinobi up a rank, then the ninja wouldn't be as strong compared to a normal situation because of the Kuraikage's haste into battle. If we attack now, the ninja wouldn't be as prepared, therefore, not as skilled as a fully trained ANBU would normally be. As you can tell, time is of the essence. The sooner this invasion, the better.”

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The pain of the restraints tugging at her wrists made her jolt. Izoku's wide violet eyes flickered back and forth, taking in the dark environment and analyzing the area.

The Dungeons. Izoku scowled. This is under the Kuraikage's building, meant for S-rank criminals and missing-nin.

The heavy stone door was shoved open, the sound of rock grinding against rock ringing through the stone room. A small, slender woman entered with two tall ANBU shinobi on either side of her. Her frame was petite and looked she was about five feet and four inches tall; she was dressed in white and purple robes, her Kage hat bore the kurai character on the surface in a dark, shady royal purple.

“Akuma Izoku.” The Fourth Kuraikage smiled as she held out open arms to the chained kunoichi. Izoku's wrists hung against the stone wall, suspending her in the air. “It's been quite a while, little one.”

“Indeed,” Izoku spat at her. “Twelve long years.”

“It seemed like only yesterday I saw you play on the streets with your dear friend.”

Yondaime flashed her cat-like golden eyes. “Jibun Joi, was that it?”

Izoku's hands gripped the chains.

“Don't you dare mention her name.” Izoku's voice dripped with poison, a fierce scowl scrunching up her pale and sweaty face.

The Kuraikage took off her hat, revealing long hair, black as night, and flashed her baneful golden eyes; her pupils were black slits.

“My my.” Yondaime strolled up to her, running a finger across Izoku's face. She tugged her cheek away from the evil Dark Shadow that stood in front of her. “You've grown up to be quite the beauty. You take after your mother.” The woman smirked.

“Urusai!” Izoku struggled against her restraints, the heavy chains rattling and echoing in the concrete chamber.

“There's no use in trying.” The Kuraikage flicked the kunoichi's nose and walked away, bored. “I put my own Chakra in those chains; there's no way you can break through them.”

Kusso. Izoku pressed her lips into a thin line. If only I can make one hand sign, I could summon my Third Contractor...

The Kuraikage whipped around, her white and violet robes flying in the air. Her arm extended out her arm, flinging a sharp kunai at her. Her eyes wide in alarm, Izoku moved her head to the side, the kunai scraping the side of her cheek, barely missing her eye.

The Dark woman let out an amused shriek.

“Ahaha!” she screeched out in delight. “Oh Izoku-chan, you're as sharp as ever!” she snickered.

“You witch!” Izoku growled. “You could have killed me!”

“Oh, but I didn't.” The Kuraikage pointed a slender finger upwards, winking. “Besides, is it against the law to have some fun every once in a while? Being the Kuraikage has me stuck behind the desk hours upon hours a day; I never have the time to sharpen my skills anymore!”

Like you need it. Izoku scoffed. Even though you're a devil, no one can deny that you're the most powerful Kuraikage to have existed.

“Yondaime-sama,” one of the ANBU spoke to her.

The small woman of thirty whipped around and faced her nin, her eyes glowing a venomous gold.

“What is it?” she snarled.

“The negotiation, Yondaime-sama.” The ANBU bowed, obviously used to the cruel, bipolar treatment. “We have the crystal ball.”

“Ahh yes,” the Kuraikage giggled childishly, taking the crystal ball wrapped in dark blue velvet in her small hands. “I've come here to make a deal with you, Izoku-chan.”

“You can kill me now,” Izoku spat. “I'm not fighting for you.”

“You better watch your mouth, gaki (brat)," the woman hissed brutally.  "Careless words can lead you into all kinds of trouble.” the woman glared at her with her feline stare.

Izoku scoffed.

“What could you negotiate with me? You don't know anything about me!” she shouted.

“Oh, but I do," Yondaime laughed, obviously enjoying some kind of knowledge Izoku did not know she knew yet.

Izoku stiffed as the ANBU brought in a small square wooden table. The Kuraikage took a seat opposite the hanging Izoku and set the covered crystal orb at the center of the table. She peeled the plushy velvet off of the ball and set both of her tiny palms on the skull-sized sphere. Her golden eyes flashed, glowing a toxic glare. Her blue Chakra flowed into the crystal ball, and an image appeared in the orb.

Izoku almost let out a scream.

“See this?” the Kuraikage nodded at the live image of Kakashi, laying in his bed, his hands behind his head. His charcoal eye stared at the blank ceiling that seemed to mimic his bleak expression; his face was paler than usual and his cheek shined with a sheen of his cold tears. His chest rose up and down very faintly, his mind was in another world.

“H-how do you know about him?” Izoku's voice started soft, in utter disbelief, before she started pulling against her chains. “How do you know about him?!”

“I've been watching you since your arrival at In'ei.” the Kuraikage cocked her head to the side, her cat-like eyes wide and pure. “You two are just too cute together. I'd be a shame if...he were to be eliminated.”

Izoku's violet eyes flashed a bloody crimson.

“You wouldn't dare,” she ripped a beast-like snarl, her face scrunched up into a demonic scowl.

“Oh, you really doubt my intentions?” the Kuraikage eyes glittered, his finger pressing against her bottom pouty lip.

Izoku's chest rose up and down violently, her mind racing.

She's going to kill Kakashi if I resist. She flickered her eyes back and forth. I can't let him get hurt. I can't lose another one I love...

“What do you want?” Izoku huffed, her hands pulling down on the restraints.

“It's obvious isn't it?” The small woman raised and eyebrow, grinning. “Fight alongside us, as a loyal Shadow kunoichi, loyal to me and only me, and I'll tell all of the ninja to not lay a finger on your precious Kakashi-kun.”

Izoku blinked, feeling her eyes tear up. She breathed in, closing her crimson orbs. She thought of Konoha, the beautiful Village Hidden in the Leaves. She thought of the Academy, the playground where she and Kakashi had played together as children. She saw Asuma and her on top of the giant wall that surrounded Konoha, Asuma's arm protectively around Izoku's shoulders; in return, her head rested in the crevasse of his neck and shoulder. She even imagined the times with Gai, obnoxious and confident, but not to the point of cockiness. She remembered the time when he had challenged Kakashi to a duel, finding the silver-haired shinobi talking to Izoku and mistaking it as flirting...maybe it was flirting, now that she thought about it.

Izoku pictured the training grounds, usually occupied by a few ninja when Kakashi and Izoku got together there in the early morning. They would try their skills in knife throwing, target shooting, ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu. When the training grounds were too full, they would get permission from the Hokage to practice outside the gates. The Hokage. The older man who had given her so much kindness; gave her a home, supported her until she could earn enough money to support herself. The Hokage, who saved her from falling into the forever abyss of Death.

Izoku flashed her glowing scarlet eyes, blazing a sudden heat that radiated hatred and oozed hostility. Her lips pulled back into a beastly snarl.

“Yondaime,” she ripped a deep growl deep from within her soul, Korosu showing his murderous, cruel bloody crimson eyes through her body. “I'll make the deal. Shikashi, if you are to break that promise and this boy gets hurt, I will unleash the full power of the shinigami Korosu, Keeper of the Phantom Katana, on you and only you. Your death is guaranteed to be painful, slow, and agonizing. You'll be begging me to slice your throat because the pain will be too much for even you to handle. Mugoi Hyo, Yondaime Kuraikage of the Village Hidden in the Shadows, make this a Demon Blood Oath to the shinigami Korosu, Keeper of the Phantom Katana.”

The Bloodthirsty Panther, Yondaime of the Hidden Shadow Village, glowered an evil smile that dripped with poison. She took out a kunai from her robes and sliced open her palm. A diagonal cut appeared, her cupped palm filling swiftly with dark maroon blood, thick and warm. The Kuraikage walked over to Izoku, who smiled with a sinister expression. The two ANBU released her from her cuffs. She fell on the concrete ground on her knees, her hands spread out before her and her head lowered, her long black hair splayed everywhere. She looked up and tried to reach towards the Kuraikage, but her hands were tied in front of her with heavy chains. The creepy smile, exposing sharp white teeth remained. Yondaime brought her blood-filled palm to Izoku's lips, who slurped the blood like the thirstiest man in the middle of a scorching desert.

Her eyes snapped up to the woman as she drained her palm, a stream of dark blood dribbling down the corner of her smiling lips. That maniac smirk, spread wide across her face, was no longer Izoku anymore.

“With this blood,” a deep voice rumbled inside the girl's throat. “You swear to your life to save this boy Izoku loves so much. As she is my host, I can feel all of her emotions run deep inside me. If this boy gets injured whatsoever, I will unleash the power of the shinigami upon you.”

“I make this deal." The Kuraikage glowered down at the girl. “And swear to not harm Hatake Kakashi in any way, shape, or form.”

“Good,” Korosu growled, his throat letting out choppy, amused chuckled. The laughing faded away as Izoku's eyes faded back to its original dark violet hue. With a pained look of loathing, Izoku glared up at the Kuraikage.

“You've made the Demon Blood Oath, Yondaime-sama. You swore on your life to not harm my Kakashi. Now, I will make my end of the deal: I will fight alongside you, Kuraikage-sama. I will be loyal to you as my Kage, and I will protect you with my own life.”

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