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

This chapter does not contain 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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Izoku and Kakashi wandered through the streets, admiring the glowing yellow lanterns that adorned the cobble streets of In'ei.

“So kirei (pretty)!” Izoku exclaimed as she clung onto Kakashi's arm, taking in the sight before her. In'ei hasn't changed a bit appearance-wise in the past twelve years.

“Who knew the Hidden Shadow Village could be so bright.” Kakashi smiled as they passed a group of children running with a sparkling stick, the sparks flying from the end of the thin wooden pole. “It's very pretty.”

“Here it is!” Izoku pointed to a glowing sign with a bright red pot with white steam coming from the open stop. On the sign, it read 陰影の味, “Taste of In'ei.” “Looks delicious!” she smiled.

“Let's get a table, shall we?” Kakashi returned the grin, sincere and true. Izoku nodded, excited, for this was the restaurant her family would go to for special occasions like her birthdays or for her parents' wedding anniversaries. They walked into the bustling restaurant, a pretty waitress with shortly cropped pink hair stood at a wooden podium.

“Welcome!” she greeted the couple with a giant smile, her voice a bit too preppy for Izoku's taste. “How many are in your party?” Her bright eyes lingered on Kakashi.

A hot anger boiled inside Izoku's chest.

“Two,” she snapped, hugging Kakashi a bit tighter. “Just my boyfriend and I.”

“Oh.” The waitress blinked, looking at Kakashi's arm that was resting over Izoku's shoulder. “Right. This way please!” The pink-haired girl grabbed two menus and led them to their table in the corner of the restaurant. “Enjoy your meal!” She smiled a fake smile, mumbling something under her breath about an odd purple-eyed girl with “her man.”

“Baka,” Izoku scoffed as Kakashi pulled out the chair for her.

“Don't worry.” Kakashi gave her a one-eyed smile, offering her the seat. “I'm only yours for the next few weeks.”

“I was talking about you.” Izoku stuck her tongue out at him, arms crossed. Kakashi rolled his eyes as she sat down. He took his own seat across from her and they both took a look at the menu. The building was packed and, despite all of the windows being open, incredibly hot and stuffy; however, they decided to share the spicy hot pot with boiled crabs and shiitake mushrooms. They took their order from a younger blond waiter and she immediately took their order to the kitchen.

“How are you liking In'ei?” Kakashi asked Izoku.

“It almost feels like home,” Izoku admitted, giggling a little sheepishly.

“That's good.” Kakashi nodded in agreement. “So I guess the mission won't drag on then.”

“Definitely not.” Izoku smiled. She lowered her voice. “How could it? I'm on my first mission as an ANBU with my best friend.”

Kakashi smiled a larger smile.

“Absolutely,” he agreed enthusiastically.

About fifteen minutes passed before their food came out.

“Itadakimasu!” Izoku clasped both of her palms together in front of her chest before snapping her pair of chopsticks.

“Itadakimasu,” Kakashi chuckled, mimicking the gesture in respect to the chefs in the back.

The two ate their meal rather quickly, Izoku careful not to look up to see Kakashi's face as he ate.

I will win fair and square to see your entire face, Kakashi-kun. Izoku smirked. I will win.

Izoku stopped eating after her eighth crab leg and started to munch on the mushrooms as Kakashi continued to eat. As she picked up a soft mushroom, she saw something from the corner of her eye.

Kusso!

A squad of Shadow ANBU ninja, who seemed to be off duty but still in uniform, wandered into the restaurant. Izoku tried to hide her face, drawing her hair down to cover the half that was facing the doorway. She pretended to stare at the katana hanging on the wall in an “X” shape. She ate her mushroom with a little too much enthusiasm.

“Izo-chan?” Kakashi called to her as he broke her away from her thoughts.

“Hmm?” she murmured back.

“Are you ready to go?” He had apparently already paid for the meal and was standing up from the table. He stiffened a little when he saw the ANBU nin, the group of four, but then relaxed. “They won't suspect anything. Let's go walk around. I hear from the other people around us there's a festival that's going on for the week!”

“H-hai.” Izoku shifted in her seat. She got up and hastily, but not suspiciously, exited the restaurant, passing the ANBU nin with ease. She glared at them from under her hair as she brushed past one of their shoulders.

I'll make you pay one of these days. Izoku grabbed onto Kakashi's arm as they walked towards the town square. I'll make every one of you suffer for taking my family away from me. Especially you, Yondaime.

The lantern-lit streets were busy with people. Their wore paper masks decorated with elaborate colors like green, red, blue, and orange. They shimmered with glitter under the firelight, the moon shining full and large over In'ei. It was the Festival of the Panther, the holiday that was dedicated to the sacred animal guardian that protected In'ei from invaders:

“Hogo-sha, the Guardian Black Panther Demon of this village.” Izoku pointed out a large obsidian sculpture of a fierce-looking big cat in the middle of the town square. The shininess of the obsidian reflected the moon's powerful white rays, imitating the sleek coat the panther would have in real life. “Legend has it, during his high peak of power on the week of the full moon of October, he becomes uncontrollable. So, in order to keep him distracted from destroying the village, the people of In'ei celebrate his greatness, thanking him for protecting them for the entire year. They worship him by partying, drinking, and gambling, as Hogo-sha is very fond of those things. In return for the week of heavy partying, Hogo-sha will protect the village for another year until his week of power again.”

“That's pretty cool.” Kakashi shoved his hands into his pockets as he gazed up at the large stone panther, its shady, hollow eyes fierce and its lips were drawn back into a savage snarl. “An akuma, eh?”

Izoku blinked, unfazed.

“Yeah.” Izoku nuzzled her cheek into Kakashi's shoulder. “I find it fasinating, the myth of the Shodai Kuraikage facing Hogo-sha in the legendary Shadow Showdown. Two beings of the same powerful level, from two different shady realms, facing each other in this very spot. This valley was created by Shodai-sama, who launched the deathblow to the panther. The witty Hogo-sha dodged the attack just enough to live and decided to make a deal with the Kuraikage before they continued, which would have ended with his death. 'If you let me live,' the demon snarled. 'I will protect your people from any dangers that arise. That is my promise.' Of course, Shodai-sama agreed, as it was the time of a great shinobi war. The village moved to this crater and thrived, the panther warding off any uninvited visitors. It's been quite a while since the Shadow Showdown though, so Hogo-sha is getting restless, and I feel like he wants to break away from his contract.”

“Demons are uncontrollable.” Kakashi nodded, walking towards the statue. “But they can't break away from contracts they've made, or else their souls will rot away.”

“I've heard," Izoku sighed. They reached the base of the massive black stone sculpture, the panther's giant black paw lashed out as its hind legs prepared for a leap. At the base of the statue, there was a message inscribed into the hard obsidian.

In memory of Shodai Kuraikage-sama, who bravely defeated the Black Panther Demon Hogo-sha and died on the battlefield in the First Shinobi War.

Izoku paid her respects to the Kuraikage, dipping her head and placing a gentle hand on the lines carved into the stone. Her hand swept over the words, her fingers lingering in the divots of the cool obsidian. Kakashi got up behind Izoku and wrapped his arms around her, his chin resting on her shoulder as he looked past her.

“So, what else is there to do at the festival?” Kakashi turned to brush his nose against her neck.

Izoku shivered.

“Well...” she swallowed. “There's going to be a parade at midnight, in respect to Hogo-sha. There's also going to be competitions after that, and at the end of the night there's going to be fireworks.”

“Shall we wander around to see what we can find?” Kakashi smiled.

“S-soudesu.” Izoku stared at him with wide eyes. He released her hips and rested his arm on her shoulder, guiding her over to the mass of people. The glanced over at the commotion and saw there was a snail race going on.

“They do that kind of stuff here?” Kakashi laughed.

“They bet on certain snails.” Izoku shrugged. “Like I said, people gamble in the name of Hogo-sha.”

“Right.” Kakashi rolled his eyes as they pressed on. Many people huddled into groups, different events taking place at every huddle. Izoku gazed around with wondrous eyes, wide with curiosity as they passed through the lit up alleys.

Seeing the streets were packed to the brim, Kakashi wrapped his arm around her waist, looking from side to side as he pulled Izoku closer to him. Izoku wrapped her own arms around Kakashi, her cheek pressing against the side of his chest. She shut her eyes tight as her head began to spin. The dizziness made her a bit nauseous as they continued to walk down the tightly packed lane.

“Kakashi-kun,” Izoku whispered, grunting a little as she saw the lantern lights spin.

“What is it?” Kakashi asked, looking down at her in concern.

“I-I just need to use the restroom,” Izoku stammered. Kakashi raised an eyebrow and shrugged. They stopped at a small shop, Izoku going in to ask the man at the desk for the restroom. He pointed her in the direction in the back of the store. She nodded and thanked him before staggering to the back. She found the restroom and stepped into the small room, closing the door tightly behind her.

Izoku leaned on the sink, trying to control her rapid breathing. She turned on the cold water, splashing some onto her face. The drops of sweat washed off as she splashed her face a few more times. The dizziness started to fade, but her head began to ache.

What's going on? Izoku pinched the bridge of her nose. I haven't used any Chakra today, so I'm fully loaded. Maybe my senses...? This is Korosu looking into the future, isn't it? What's going to happen?

Izoku wanted to Summon her shinigami and demand what he was doing, but seeing that was an unnecessary waste of Chakra and time, Izoku just flushed the unused toilet and walked out of the restroom. She exited the building, giving another slight smile to the sandy-haired cashier.

Izoku waited at the front of the shop; Kakashi was no where to be seen. Izoku's mind raced.

What happened to him? Has our cover been blown? That's impossible, we haven't even done anything to cause even the slightest of suspicions!

Izoku quickly scanned the area from left to right. A woman holding the hand of a small black-haired boy. A brightly-dressed man crouching opposite an older man at a wooden table, deep in the game of shogi, a Japanese version of chess. Izoku didn't identify a silver-haired man in a gray t-shirt, so she started to panic a little.

A hand landed on her shoulder a little too harshly. Jumping back, she whipped around, her hair flying out. In front of her was a group of three men; in their early twenties, tall, and drop dead wasted.

“Oi!” the man who had touched her shouted groggily. He ran a hand through his black-blue hair. “What are you doing alone at this time of night, gouka (gorgeous)?”

“Actually, I'm looking for my boyfriend,” Izoku sneered, having to force the last word out of her throat. “Thanks for the concern, but I'm fine.”

“Hey, you seem familiar...”

Another guy pointed at Izoku, his brown eyes red and his cheeks a bright scarlet.

Izoku stiffened, her hand immediately going to her hidden stash of shuriken and small kunai knives inside the back of her kimono top.

“Yeah.” The brown-eyed man blinked. “You're the girl who's staying on the second floor of the Southside apartment, aren't you?”

Izoku sighed in relief, taking her hands off of the weapons.

“Hai.” Izoku remembered what Niramu had told her specifically before she had been deployed to her current position: “Shedo,” He said firmly. “As a spy in the village, you need to act like a non-kunoichi would. Act weaker and cute, just as a normal seventeen year old girl would.” Izoku looked at the three drunk men and gave them a small, kind smile. “Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to look for my boyfriend now.” Izoku started to walk away when a hand grabbed her wrist; she jumped a little.

“Why leaving so soon, gouka?” the first man asked, a wide stupid smile spreading across his red drunken face. “Ditch that boyfriend of yours to hang with us for a while. I promise it'll be fun," he sang drunkenly as he winked.

Izoku snorted in disgust, snatching her arm away from him.

“No thanks.” Izoku turned her nose away scornfully. “I'd rather not.”

“Come on,” he laughed, sticking out an arm. “I'll even introduce myself: Konbanwa, boku wa Boko desu ne.”

“Osou desu.” The brown-eyed man gave Izoku a thumbs-up.

“Tosatsu desu.” The third man winked.

Izoku examined each and every man carefully, her shinigami Korosu's powers to analyzing them in a split second.

Tatakau Boko, age 23; the revolting lead man. Black-blue hair, dark eyes, and a belligerent personality. Chunin rank Shadow ninja. Total missions completed: 52. 14 D-rank, 20 C-rank, 18 B-rank, 0 A-rank, 0 S-rank. Heir of the Tatakau Clan. Kekkei genkai: Night Release.

Tatakau Osou, strong man of 22. Dark brown hair, brown eyes, and a bold personality. Chunin rank Shadow ninja. Total missions completed: 48. 13 D-rank, 21 C-rank, 14 B-rank, 0 A-rank, 0 S-rank. Member of the Tatakau Clan. Kekkei genkai: none.

Tatakau Tosatsu, age 22. Light brown hair, darker eyes, and a laid-back personality. Chunin rank Shadow ninja. Total missions completed: 51. 11 D-rank, 21 C-rank, 19 B-rank, 0 A-rank, 0 S-rank. Member of the Tatakau Clan. Kekkei genkai: Night Release.

Izoku scoffed. They're so cocky, but they're so wear.  Night Release just allows the user to bring darkness upon the victim's mind; shikashi, it's a fairly easy genjutsu that can be escaped by an experienced ANBU ninja.

“Ubu Yoru*** desu.” Izoku smirked (***name means “Innocent Night”). The shinobi's ears pricked up.

“Yoru-chan.” Boko grinned. “That's a beautiful name.”

“Arigato.” Izoku bowed slightly, clenching her jaw.

Act kawaii...act kawaii!

“Yoru-chan.” Boko extended a hand out to Izoku. “Come with us; it'll be fun, I swear!”

“Arigatogozaimasen (no thank you), Boko-san. I have to go and find my boyfriend.”

“What is up with this boyfriend of yours?” Boko's mouth twitched. “He can't be that amazing, could he, Osou?”

“He walks around with a mask covering his mouth and nose.” Osou crossed his arms and scoffed. “He looks like a coward.”

Anger boiled inside of Izoku.

“It's not polite to judge a book by its cover, tonogata (gentlemen).” Izoku used the last word lightly, stressing the word with clenched teeth.  She exhaled and smiled up innocently at them. “He just so happens to be a very fine shinobi from my previous village.”

“Oh, you're not from around here?” Boko scratched his head. “Well, it looks like you'll have a hard time leaving if you want to. Yondaime-sama is very strict on citizens leaving In'ei.”

Yeah, she sends ANBU to kill anyone who steps outside the gates. Izoku clenched her fists.

“Oh, well I guess I'm going to have to talk to Yondaime-sama in a few years.” Izoku tipped her head to the side with her finger on her lips, her violet eyes wide. “My boyfriend and I love to travel to and live in other villages.”

“Looks like this is your last stop.” Boko reached and grabbed Izoku again by the wrist. He jerked her over to him, surprising her and making her stumble. She fell into his hard chest with her hands in front of her face. She looked up at him, small and her eyes wide with a fabricated terror, but her chest infuriated with murderous intent.

Korosudeshou (I'll kill you)!  Izoku huffed.

“B-Boko-san?” Izoku tried to step back, but his heavy arms crushed her close to his body.

“Yoru-chan.” Boko smirked. “Didn't you say your bloody boyfriend was a “fine shinobi”?”

“H-hai,” Yoru squeaked.

“You know, Shadow shinobi are feared for their power and skill.” Boko's hand began slipping down to her waist.

Izoku's eye twitched.

Korosudeshou, baka! Korosudeshou!

Osou stepped forward and put two fingers under her purposely-quivering chin.

“I'd like to see him take on all three of us.” Osou chuckled.

Tosatsu leaned against a wooden pole that held up the roof of the small shop, arms cross and a smile present on his darkened face.

“O-onegai (please)...” Yoru stammered. “Please let me go,”

“I'm afraid I can't do that, gouka.” Boko nuzzled his intoxicated face into her raven hair. Izoku shuddered in disgust.

If I wasn't on such a confidential mission, you'd all be dead by now!

“Boko-san...” Yoru crumpled his shirt under her palms. “Onegai...”

Boko grabbed her face in his hand and lifted it up to his. His bitter-tasting lips moved against hers in a hungry manner, making her want to puke.

Ughh! No, my first kiss is this guy?!

“Yo!” A deep voice rang from behind Izoku. Boko's lips continued to move on her still ones, Izoku's eyes shut tight as she squirmed weakly inside his somewhat strong arms.

“Who are you?” Tosatsu jeered.

“Baka.” Osou stepped up. “That's Yoru-chan's boyfriend.”

Kakashi!  Izoku mentally sighed relief.

Boko's ears pricked as he heard the title of “Yoru-chan's boyfriend.”

“Your lover?” Boko stared down at Yoru's frightened eyes. Boko shoved Yoru to Tosatsu, who grabbed her arms immediately and forced them behind her back.

“Try to escape, and I will kill you,” Tosatsu growled in her ear.

I'd like to see you try, Izoku snarled.

“What do you think you're doing to my girlfriend, kono yarou (you piece of shit)?”

“You left her behind.” Boko stepped up next to his cousin. “You had this coming to you; women out on their own at this hour? It's quite dangerous, baka.”

“Watch your mouth,” Kakashi threatened, what was seen of his face scrunched up into a fierce scowl. “Korosudeshou.”

By this time, a crowd had gathered around the three shinobi. Izoku, acting as Yoru, stood in the back, supposedly “held back” by Tosatsu. Everyone knew what was coming up.

“Fighting will please Hogo-sha!” one of the crowd members shouted, raising a fist in the air.

“Fight!” the rest of the people who gathered chanted.

“Well lookie here,” Boko laughed satanically, his drunk and hazy mind sending him to pull out a kunai from his back pouch. Kakashi, who was unarmed, readied himself with a taijutsu stance. “This is inevitable, douji (boy). You should have just left when you had the chance; now we'll clobber you until there's nothing left but a mass of flesh and bone.”

“Don't get too cocky, kono yarou. You may be older than me, but I can promise you you're not stronger,” Kakashi growled.

“Oh?” Boko dark eyes flashed. “Let's put a wager on this then, shall we?”

Kakashi growled.

“What's the wager?”

“Winner gets Yoru-chan.” Boko laughed hysterically, high-fiving a roaring Osou.  He then strolled over to Tosatsu, who restrained a terrified-looking Yoru.  He stroked a gentle finger under her quivering chin.  "All of Yoru-chan..."

“You're going down, you gray-haired swine!” Osou yipped. “And Yoru-chan will be ours forever!”

“Oi!” Yoru snapped her jaws at an attempt to bite Boko's finger. “I'm a human being, not a prize!”

“Shut your trap, gouka,” Boko cooed, cracking his knuckles and whirling around to face Kakashi, his kunai knife glaring in the bright pale moonlight.

“I accept the challenge,” Kakashi snapped.

“Oh, and by the way.” Boko twirled his kunai carelessly. “What are you called?”

“Shinku Shikon.” Kakashi smirked (***name means “Crimson Fang”).

“Alright, Shinku-kun.” Boko mocked, pursing his lips together.

“Let's see who's the strongest shinobi.” Osou glowered, his mouth widened into a white smile.

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COMMENT, please!  Stay tuned for the next chapter!  A treat for you all, since the last chapter was so short!  Hope you enjoyed it!  Please make sure to vote and to follow me!  And and as always, thanks for reading!