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

This chapter does not contain any descriptions 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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"You think you can beat me with that level of ninjutsu?" Izoku teased as she flashed her hands to three signs. "Shadow Style: Dark Sphere of the Hound!" A ball of rotating dark purple substance grew in Izoku's palm. She blasted it to her opponent.

Kakashi dodged to the side, the Dark Sphere grazing his sleeve.

"You certainly can't beat me with that level of ninjutsu!" Kakashi teased. "We're Jonin now, can't you use something more advanced?"

"You asked for it!" Izoku smirked mischievously. "Here I go! Wind Style: One Thousand Shrieks of Death!" She stuck two fingers in front of her mouth with her thumb opposite her middle finger. From her lungs, she blew a massive wind that screamed like battle cries, mixed with a vast amount of Chakra. Kakashi tried to evade the attack, but the wind covered too much ground. He tumbled back into a tree, denting the trunk a good three inches.

"Nice one!" Kakashi grunted, wiping some sweat off of his right brow. "But not good enough to defeat me!"

"Bring it on!" Izoku thundered.

"Fire Style: Dragon Fireball Jutsu!" Kakashi blasted a sphere of flame toward her, the molten hot magma shifting in its spherical form as it launched toward her.

"Water Style: Arctic Polar Geyser!"

She sprayed icy water at the hurling ball of lava, cooling and slowing the scorching ball down until it dropped onto the grass below. The two Jounin landed on the ground, both out of breath.

"Your power never ceases to amaze me." Kakashi smirked.

Izoku lifted her chin.

"You're not too bad yourself." Izoku laughed. "Rojin!"

"Ahh, you asked for it!" Kakashi tackled her with lightning speed, sending her back against a tree. The two laughed as Izoku pushed him off; her eyes wandered over to the boy as she analyzed him within moments; he had changed very much since their first meeting.

The death of his father had a hard toll on him, and ever since his suicide, Kakashi had never once mentioned the White Fang ever again. Izoku, who had also seen the man as a father figure, shared the weight of the loss, as she had lost another loved one in her life. They were both seven at the time.

And ever since that mission, he had come back to Konoha even more solemn. He had lost a friend, Uchiha Obito as Izoku had heard, in the infiltration of the Kannabi Bridge in the Land of Grass. Though most Kakashi's days were now filled with tragedy and haunting memories, his usual energy was always released during training or when around Izoku. His Leaf forehead protector now slid down to cover his left eye, his dark mask still present.

She had wondered what was behind that headband ever since he came back, but he was always touchy with the subject of it.

Izoku took a heavy breath after the laughing had ceased and pushed herself up, offering a gloved hand to the still-laughing Kakashi.

"Hungry?" She smiled.

"Starving," he chuckled, taking her hand. She hauled him up and they walked together towards the village, pushing each other and eventually racing each other to the gate.

"First!" Izoku declared as she crossed the gate. "You get to pay for lunch!" she laughed as she looked behind her, only to see trees and dirt.

"I wouldn't think so." Kakashi smirked, standing in the middle of the busy street.

Izoku whipped around and pointed a firm finger at him.

"You cheater!" Izoku accused harshly.

"How so?" Kakashi cocked his head to the side, a finger resting on his lip that was covered by his mask. Izoku just shook her head as Kakashi gave her a close-eyed smile. "Guess who's paying for lunch!"

Izoku shoved him as she walked past him, panting.

"Urusai (shut up)," she growled, "baka (idiot)." Izoku crossed her arms and marched forward. Kakashi just laughed and sprinted to catch up to her. They found a nice restaurant nearby and seated themselves there. After ordering their food and filling themselves up, Izoku reached into her vest pocket for her wallet. She was about to put the bills on the check when Kakashi slapped her hand away.

"Itai!" she whimpered as she rubbed her hand. "What was that for?"

"Happy seventeenth birthday!" Kakashi laughed as he put his own money on the check as the waitress carried it away.

Izoku smirked.

"You little rat." She punched him in the arm from across the table. She giggled as he rubbed it, acting hurt. "Come on, today has a more important meaning than me turning seventeen!" Izoku got up from her seat and began to exit the restaurant.

"Shoot! The ANBU ceremony!" Kakashi gobbled up his untouched food behind her; after all these years he still hasn't let Izoku see his face. She started running ahead, waving to him.

"See you there!" She winked.

The ceremony was held at the Hokage's building. Today was the day she would become an ANBU kunoichi. The excitement itched inside her as she fidgeted in place, standing tall next to an even taller Kakashi as the Hokage officially gave them their titles. Only ANBU members and the Hokage were present, as their identities were classified. After a grueling two hours, Izoku finally received her uniform and mask.

"A purple panther..." Izoku murmured. A flash of that past violet panther Shadow ANBU appeared in her mind. She shook her head from the memory, gazing longingly at her slender mask. Her thumb brushed across the leaf symbol on the panther's forehead. Now finally, the tattoo.

"The tattoo will symbolize your eternal loyalty to the Hidden Leaf Village," the Third Hokage explained. He placed his hand on her left shoulder and muttered a series of words. A burning sensation suddenly ripped from Izoku's arm. She screwed up her face and silently cursed in her head. The same happened to Kakashi, but they both seemed to be fine with it. After the ceremony, the two newly made ANBU ninja sprinted toward their apartments, careful to hide their masks and uniforms as they sped through the village.

"We did it!" Izoku leaped into the air, closing her eyes and breathing in the cool evening air.

"I knew we could." Kakashi nodded, beaming. "It's only natural for ninja like us to become something so important like ANBU."

"I'm so excited!" Izoku squealed as she reached her floor. "And Sandaime-sama even told us to come back to his office in the morning. Do you think he has a mission for us?"

"Probably," Kakashi smiled, leaning against the wall next to Izoku's door. His silver hair swooped to one side, defying gravity. His eyes were half opened, lazy, and his were hands shoved into his pockets.

"Well, guddonaito (goodnight), rojin."

Izoku smirked.

"Baka." Kakashi shook his head. "Guddonaito to you too, gaichu (pest)."

"Itai, that hurt so much." Izoku rolled her eyes. She unlocked her door and was about to go in when she had her wrist tugged firmly. She fell backwards outside and Kakashi appeared in front of her, pulling her into his chest for a tight hug.

"Yoku nemuru (sleep well), Izo-chan," Kakashi murmured softly into her ear.

Stunned, Izoku slowly raised her arms to encircle Kakashi's back to return the favor.

"Yoku nemuru...Kakashi-kun..." she breathed. They stood there in silence, tangled in an embrace. After a while, Izoku broke away, clearing her throat. Kakashi took a huge step back, scratching the back of his head.

"Uhh...hai. See you in the morning. I'll drop by to pick you up," he mumbled.

"Pick me up?" Izoku chuckled. "Okay, whatever. Guddonaito, Kakashi-kun!" She waved to him as she walked into her apartment.

The silver-hair shinobi ambled towards the staircase, raising his hand in farewell. He murmured in a smooth voice, barely audible, as Izoku shut her door with a soft click.

"Guddnaito, Izo-chan..."

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