Music is Bloom by Ryan Farish (I'll let you know when I personally think you should play it :)

Pic of Ashley, Sakura and Hinata (I dunno why, just cuz I can lol) -->

Third Persons POV

Naruto slowly leans up on his elbows, blinking rapidly as he comes to. The blonde sucks in a deep breath as he takes in the devastation around him, smoke billowing high into the sky. He notices large pools of water in the ground, filling the craters that he, Hakuba and Pain had created during their battles.

"Pain..." Naruto murmurs, brows furrowing as the boy pushes himself to his feet. "Gotta find him.....Ashley-chan......I hope she's okay....."

Naruto pauses for a moment, eyes closing as he recalls fighting against the girl's Tailed Beast. He hadn't meant to attack Ashley like that, he really hadn't........But Naruto had been completely consumed by the Kyuubi and had not been moving of his own free will.

It was lucky for Naruto that the Fourth Hokage had sealed some of his own chakra inside the boy, or who knows what could have happened. The Fourth Hokage, who had shockingly informed Naruto that the boy was his own son, had helped Naruto gain back control of the Nine Tails. The man had entrusted Naruto with saving the Leaf Village as well, expressing his honest belief that only his son could do it.

Naruto's confidence had never been higher, thanks to his Father.

Gritting his teeth, Naruto turns on his heel and sprints in the direction Pain and Hakuba had disappeared in, wanting to catch up before the Ten Tails could destroy anything. Not only would Naruto have to stop Pain, but it seemed he was also going to have to try and defeat the powerful Tailed Beast as well.

Hopefully Ashley hadn't lost complete control and she'd be able to help Naruto stop Hakuba before he killed anyone.

"Blue Eyes!" Saffire calls out, wincing as she drops to the ground beside an unconscious Hinata. She watches Naruto vanish into a thick plum of smoke, leaning forwards on her hands and knees with a pained expression.

"I don't think he can hear you from here Saffire" Fang advises, skidding to a halt beside her still injured partner. She gives Saffire a quick once over, to see if the girl is alright. While Fang had been able to heal her, it didn't seem as if the Minami was functioning at one hundred percent yet.

"It's fine" Saffire sighs, dropping her worried gaze down to Hinata, "Let's just hurry up and stabilise Hinata......"

"Of course" Fang replies, using her teeth to hastily unravel the bandages from around her ankles. As soon as the bandages fall to the ground, revealing the light coloured symbols marking her forelimbs, Fang places her front paws on Hinata's chest.

The symbols immediately light up with a soft glow as Fang focuses her chakra, hurrying to keep Hinata's heart from stopping. She'd sustained a lot of damage from her brave assault on Pain, and Fang didn't even know if she'd be able to properly heal the girl. No doubt Hinata would need to go to the hospital after this........If there even was a hospital any more.

Saffire watches on silently as Fang concentrates on her patient, reaching down to take hold of Hinata's hand. She subconsciously strokes the back of Hinata's hand with her thumb, eyes wavering a little.

"This girl....." Saffire murmurs, dropping her gaze, "She knew she wasn't strong enough to save him, yet she still ran out there like that.......Only to end up like this....."

"A very selfless act indeed" Fang replies softly, a warm look in her icy blue eyes. "That's what love is Saffire."

"But that's just it Fang" Saffire whispers, sniffing a little, "She loves him way more than I ever could......I didn't even consider running to help him..."

"Because this was nothing more than a crush" Fang informs her partner, sending the saddened girl a tiny smile. "When you fall in love Saffire, you will do the same as this girl."

"What?" the Minami asks, not liking that she's had to admit Hinata is better than her. "I'll end up half dead?"

"No!" Fang sighs heavily. "You'll be willing to give your life to save them. You're still so young, there is plenty of time for you to fall in love."

"........I still don't like it" Saffire admits grumpily, using her free hand to wipe at her eyes. "Why'd you have to be better than me at this love stuff Hinata?...."

"Lady Hinata!" a male voice cries, catching Fang and Saffire's attention. They both look up, only to see a panicked Neji racing towards them, his teammates following close behind.

"Lady Hinata....." the male says, trailing off as he comes to a stop beside Saffire, pale eyes wide. "What happened to her?!"

"She uh......She stepped in to save Naruto when he was fighting that Akatsuki guy" Saffire explains, sitting up a little straighter. "As you can see, she kinda didn't fare too well...."

"Oh Hinata....." Tenten says softly, a sad look in her large, brown eyes. "She would do that too."

"What is this Wolf doing to her?" Neji demands to know, brows creasing. Fang casts the Hyuga a slightly annoyed look, not appreciating his suspicious tone at all. It's not like she was mauling the girl after all!

"Fang is healing her so she'll be stable" Saffire states, a proud look on her face. Her Guardian had been such a big help during this whole ordeal, and who knew how many lives her healing abilities had saved during the Akatsuki's attack on the Village!

"I cannot heal all of her internal injuries" Fang adds, looking back down at Hinata, who seems to be breathing a little easier than before. "She will need to see a proper doctor to fully recover."

"I'll go and find a Medic Ninja right now!" Guy announces, saluting everyone before disappearing from sight.

"You must be good friends with Hinata" Lee speaks up, leaning his hands on his knees and smiling kindly a Saffire. "It was nice of you to sit with her until help came."

Saffire blinks at this, as Neji crosses his arms and looks down at her also, one eyebrow raised. While Neji knew that she was a Minami, he'd only really met her once before. That had been the last time the Leaf Village was attacked, and even then, he hadn't really had anything to do with her. Or her Wolf.

"Oh uhh....." Saffire begins, smiling sheepishly and rubbing the back of her head, "We're not......We don't really know each other that well to be honest. I just saw that she was hurt and thought my Guardian could heal her."

"You're not friends?" Tenten asks, tilting her head to the side in confusion. "Then why are you holding her hand?"

"Huh?" Saffire asks, gaze dropping down, only to see that she is indeed still holding Hinata's pale hand. "Oh.........Well I guess.....I guess I was just trying to comfort her? E-Even though she's still unconscious......."

Fang, Lee and Tenten all grin as Saffire looks to the ground, embarrassed by how stupid she sounds. Neji frowns at the two visitors from the Land of Ambience for a moment, before crossing his arms.

".......Thank you for staying with her" the male says sincerely, the tiniest of appreciative smiles gracing his pale face. Saffire glances up at Neji, only to blush and look away. She closes her eyes, sharp teeth becoming visible as she grins to herself.

Maybe forgetting about her crush on Naruto wouldn't be so hard after all. Especially seeing as these people cared for Hinata and him so much, maybe the Hyuga girl was a better choice. Only in this instance though!

Naruto stares up at the sky with wide eyes as he runs, a bead of sweat dripping down the side of his face. What was that huge sphere in the sky? And why did Naruto feel an evil chakra floating around him, making the air seem thick and uncomfortable?

Jumping down from a small cliff, watching as more and more rocks lift into the sky and press themselves into the rocky formation floating high above, Naruto spots Pain ahead of him. The orange haired man, his arms in the air, notices Naruto at the same time and narrows his purple eyes.

"So" he states lowly, bringing his arms down to his sides, "You managed to overcome the power of the Nine Tails."

"Where is she?" Naruto demands to know, hands balling into fists. "What did you do with her?!"

"......Who?" Pain asks suspiciously, to which Naruto's eyes widen again. He remains silent for a few moments, unsure of how to ask where Ashley is without giving up her secret. Naruto didn't want the Akatsuki Leader to find out that Ashley was a Jinchuuriki as well after all!

"That creature you were fighting before" Naruto says softly, though there is a dangerous edge to his voice, "What have you done with it?"

"It is being held prisoner for now" Pain replies darkly, gesturing towards his Planetary Devastation, "Until I release the Jutsu. Then that creature, as well as the Leaf Village, will be completely and utterly destroyed."

Naruto is unable to suppress a gasp as his neck wrenches back around, staring at the ever growing ball of rocks through wavering eyes. How had Pain managed to trap her inside that thing, especially since she had been taken over by the Ten Tails? Surely such a powerful creature would be able to break out of the Jutsu?

Then again, Pain was strong. He'd proven to be quite a difficult opponent when Naruto had been fighting him earlier, despite being in his four tailed state.

"The time has come for us to end this" Pain speaks up, causing Naruto to glare over at the man. "Do you finally comprehend pain? Unless you can come to know the same pain as another, you will never truly understand them. Even if you do manage to comprehend it, you may still never agree with them. That is the truth, and that is the reason it is useless for you to chase after Sasuke...."

Naruto briefly closes his eyes and grinds his teeth, feeling frustrated. So, the Akatsuki knew he was still looking for his old teammate huh? Oh well, what did it matter? Pain's words weren't going to break Naruto's resolve!

"Enough of this" Naruto commands, reopening his eyes. "Just take me to where the real Pain is hiding. I wanna talk with him, face to face."

Pain lowers his head at this, taking a step back as a metal rod protrudes from the sleeve of his ripped Akatsuki cloak.

"So, you figured that part out as well did you?" the orange haired man asks rhetorically. "First Jiraiya Sensei and now you as well. You Leaf Ninja are really quite impressive, but the time for talking is over. Further conversation will change absolutely nothing!"

"I just need to discuss something with him!" Naruto reiterates, only for Pain to launch himself at the boy. "Fine! I'll just have to find him myself!"

Hakuba grunts in pain as his body is crushed beneath the ever increasing weight of the rocks above, jabbing into his flesh sharply. Cast in pitch black, no sunlight able to reach him now, Hakuba keeps his eyes firmly shut.

'Th-This is nothing' the Beast tells himself, growling as another boulder slams into the rocky sphere. 'Nothing compared to the Sage.....'

His agitation increasing with every second he is trapped, Hakuba tries to move around and break free, only to find that the weight of the chakra imbued rocks have him completely pinned down. Unable to even open his mouth to let loose a blast of chakra, Hakuba growls again.

'I refuse to be defeated this way again' the Ten Tails thinks angrily. 'I refuse to ever be defeated again......This damn Jutsu.....And those damn eyes!.....'

Hakuba feels his blood boil as the eyes of the Sage flash through his mind, mocking him....Taunting him......That Pain fellow, he had the exact same eyes as the Sage that had taken Hakuba's power and sent half of him to the Moon. He thought he could defeat Hakuba with those eyes.......He thought he was a greater being than the almighty Ten Tails......Was Pain one of the Sage's descendants? Whether he was or not, Hakuba wanted nothing more than to completely obliterate him.....

'.....You can....Do it Hakuba' a voice suddenly whispers in the Demon's head, interrupting his vengeful train of thought. 'D-Don't let......Don't let anger cloud your judgement.....'

'Well, well' Hakuba muses, smirking despite his predicament, 'Isn't this a reversal of roles brat?'

'.....I believe i-in you' Ashley encourages weakly, barely conscious. 'You can.....You can protect Naruto.....And the V-Village....'

As Ashley's voice fades, Hakuba sees a faint image in his mind of the girl's hand resting on the seal that holds him prisoner. She grips the paper in her shaking fingers, tugging it down even further, so close to being fully removed.

Feeling a sudden increase in his power, chakra surging through his body and flaring around him, Hakuba opens his eyes. They glow red in the darkness, a flash of white appearing as the Ten Tails bares his teeth in a furious grin.

It was time to show him true pain......

Naruto quickly releases his last clone, having left it to gather nature energy up on Mount Myoboku, reverting the boy back into the powerful Sage mode he'd earlier fought against Pain with. He was going to need the extra strength to defeat this man, and beside, he'd need it if he was going to track down the real Pain as well.

As Pain is about to leap for Naruto again, a huge explosion causes both males to pause and look towards the Planetary Devastation. Their eyes widen as rocks fly in all directions, blasted away with powerful force. Ominous black chakra pulses away from the planet like creation, almost as if they were geysers.

Hakuba rises up to on all fours and throws his head back to release a thunderous roar, the sound sending out a shock wave that almost sends Pain and Naruto stumbling to their knees. Naruto lets out a shout of concern, seeing eight tails now waving back and forth behind the furious Hakuba. A thick spine travels up the creature's back, with a cracked skull now encasing it's face. Bones cover the Beast's arms and legs as well, all coloured a pale grey.

Pushing himself up onto his back legs, Hakuba focuses a large amount of chakra in front of his mouth, before leaning forwards and snapping the orb up into his mouth. Pausing for a second or two, the Beast then releases a blast of chakra at the already crumbling rock formation. It collides with Pain's Jutsu and bursts, completely collapsing the rocks in a huge cloud of dust.

As Pain's obliterated Jutsu tumbles to the earth, each rocking shaking it, Hakuba leaps high into the air. He slams heavily into the ground, only metres from Naruto, landing in a crouched position with his glowing eyes locked on Pain's face.

"H-Hakuba......." Naruto whispers, his face paling a little at the Demon, much larger than it was when he'd fought it earlier. The blonde swallows thickly as Hakuba roars at Pain, the Akatsuki Leader having to focus chakra into his feet to keep from being blown away by the shock wave.

"You will not lay a finger on the Kyuubi's host" Hakuba informs Pain fiercely, stepping in front of the shocked, blue eyed Shinobi, "And I will no longer be mocked by those eyes of yours......"

"We have different views on the world, he and I" Pain replies coolly. "We will settle our differences and see whose ideals are greater."

"Your arrogance will be the death of you human" Hakuba sneers nastily, lowering his head. "To think you can cause the misery of others, because someone else did you wrong. You are a hypocrite, and I shall take it upon myself to wipe you from the face of the planet!"

"Y-You've gotta calm down!" Naruto argues, not wanting to allow Hakuba to fight, in case he should target the Village next. "Just let me fight him oka-"

"Step back Kyuubi boy" Hakuba sneers, glancing back over his shoulder as he uses one tail to sweep Naruto out of the way. "I will handle this!"

"Ughh!" Naruto grunts as the tail slams into his stomach, sending him tumbling backwards across the earth. The blonde crashes into one of the fallen boulders, wincing when his back hits the cracked surface.

Chuckling as Naruto is taken out of the equation, Hakuba turns his attention back to Pain.

"You are weak and tired" the Ten Tails muses, tails waving back and forth slowly, "While I can only grow stronger.......This fight will not take long...."

"D-Don't kill him...." Naruto groans. "I need one of his chakra receivers while he's still alive...."

"This has become far too personal for me to allow you to finish him off....." Hakuba scoffs, red eyes flashing. "And besides, I'm angry!"

That said, the Ten Tails opens his jaws wide and blasts Pain with volley of tiny chakra spheres. The orange haired man swiftly bends his knees and throws out his arms, narrowing his eyes.

"Almighty Push!" Pain shouts, his chakra countering Hakuba's Jutsu and causing the barrage to explode. Internally grinning to himself, Hakuba throws himself forwards, bounding through the shield of smoke the explosions had caused.

Seeing the Beast as it opens its mouth to bite at him, Pain throws one arm forwards, a thick, steel rod extending out from the sleeve of his ripped Akatsuki cloak. Hakuba's mouth snaps closed on the rod with a loud clang, before he violently tugs his head to the side, cracking the steel right in half.

Swiftly bringing the back half of his body around, Hakuba slams Pain with two of his tails, causing the man to disappear from sight and crash through multiple boulders.

"You wanted this so badly" Hakuba growls, spinning around and throwing the rod to Naruto, "You'd better make sure you catch it!"

Watching as the rod sails towards him like a javelin, Naruto quickly jumps to his feet and snatches it out of the air. Gritting his teeth and sucking in a sharp breath, the Uzumaki stabs himself in the shoulder with the steel rod. In doing so, Naruto is able to sense the chakra it is receiving from the real Pain, thanks to his Sage mode.

"I found him!" Naruto cries victoriously, only to see that Hakuba is already galloping straight for Pain.

"A-Almighty Push!" Pain shouts angrily, sick of dealing with Naruto, the Nine Tails and this strange Demon. All he wanted to do was destroy the Leaf Village to exact his revenge, and take the Nine Tails Jinchuuriki back to have his Demon extracted. He hadn't planned for all of these mishaps.....

Hakuba is slammed by Pain's strong Jutsu, though rather than being blasted backwards, the Beast is merely stopped in his tracks. Raising his head to glare at Pain, Hakuba begins to laugh, the volume increasing as he takes one step forwards, much to Pain's shock.

"Wh-What?" the man asks under his breath, unable to stop staring as Hakuba continues forwards, pushing through his Jutsu. "How.....How can you be so powerful to break free of the Planetary Devastation and get through my Almighty Push?"

Pain drops his arms as Hakuba looms above him, black chakra flowing around his body and eight tails waving back forth in agitation, like a predator waiting to strike.

"Because I am the original" Hakuba utters dangerously, "I am the ultimate, and my power is immeasurable."

Pain's eyes widen in shock and horror, as the Demon Wolf opens his jaws once again, a huge ball of black and purple chakra forming in front of them. At point blank range, Hakuba fires the Tailed Beast Ball at Pain, the blast ripping the rocky ground apart as if it were nothing more than mere paper. Rocks and debris fly skyward, the ground shaking violently and more smoke mixing with the air, as Naruto falls backwards from the earth's movements.

With a sweep of his tails clearing the smoke away, Naruto sees an uninjured Hakuba glaring down at the severely damaged body of Pain. Hurriedly jumping to his feet, the blonde boy races over, though tries to maintain a small amount of distance between himself and the somewhat terrifying Demon.

"That was too easy" Hakuba smirks. "A pitiful display indeed."

"........He's dead" Naruto states quietly, hooding his eyes at he looks down at the body, unsure of how to feel. He jumps when Hakuba lets out a mocking laugh, hesitantly glancing up at the Beast.

"Of course he is" Hakuba boasts. "Nobody who faces the Ten Tails comes out of the battle alive boy."

"....You didn't kill me" Naruto states, to which Hakuba pauses for a few moments. "And Ashley-chan said you hate the Nine Tails......You could've killed me."

"The way you're carrying on" Hakuba growls, glowering at Naruto, "It sounds as if you want me to kill you!"

Naruto sweat drops at that and throws up his hands innocently, shaking his head. The last thing he needed to do was annoy Hakuba. He didn't know much about the Demon except for his name, and the fact that the few times Naruto had seen him take over Ashley's body, he usually went crazy and was incredibly strong.

Hakuba shakes his head and watches as Naruto crouches down beside Pain, carefully pulling out every steel rod from the man's face, dropping them on the dirt.

"The real Pain controls this body by sending chakra to these receivers" the Uzumaki explains quietly, inspecting the last one, before dropping it also. "Without them inserted in the body, Pain can't control it."

"Where is the last Pain Kyuubi brat?" Hakuba demands to know, rising to his feet, his tails almost knocking Naruto over again. "I will kill him as well for what he has done......"

Naruto's blue eyes widen a little as he stares at Hakuba for a few moments, wondering what he meant. While the blonde didn't trust Hakuba, it didn't seem as though the Demon was planning to hurt him at all. In fact, he had basically protected Naruto from Pain just before....

"No" Naruto states firmly, brows furrowing as Hakuba whirls around, growling. "You need to stay here."

"What did you just say to me brat?" the Demon demands to know, incredulous that this weak child had just tried to tell him what to do. Who did this boy think he was? Just because he had the Nine Tails, did Naruto really think he could tell the Ten Tails what to do?!

"I need to do this on my own" Naruto explains, heart thudding against his chest as he hears a low growl coming from Hakuba's throat. "Pain is my Master's former student, and I need to speak with him by myself."

As Hakuba takes one step forwards, Naruto jumps back a little, struggling to maintain his confident expression as the Demon lowers its head.

"You think I'll obey you?" Hakuba hisses irately, taking another step forwards. "I don't know who you think you are boy, but I'd watch my tone if I were you, or you'll end up just like him!"

"I....I'm not trying to offend you here or anything" Naruto quickly explains, sweat dropping. "This really is just something that I need to do alone! I know you're strong, I don't doubt it at all I just.......I just have to go by myself......"

'Hakuba.....' a soft voice addresses, making the Demon pause. 'Please.....Let Naruto go on alone....H-He knows what he's doing......We just need to trust him.'

'Trust him?' Hakuba questions internally, scowling at the notion. 'I can barely stand being in his presence, let alone trust him. He's an imbecile.'

'An imbecile with great courage and sense of loyalty' Ashley replies tiredly, to which Hakuba rolls his eyes and sits down.

'I still don't trust or like him.'

'Then trust me Hakuba' Ashley urges pleadingly. 'Please take my word for it. Naruto will finish this.......The right way.....'

Naruto stares as Hakuba falls silent for a few moments, his eyes seeming to focus on something far away. Though he isn't sure what the Demon is thinking, Naruto doesn't make a move. He didn't want to risk provoking the Ten Tails again or hurting its pride.

Eventually, Hakuba releases a heavy sigh and rises to his feet, turning away from Naruto. The blonde blinks a few times, a look of confusion settling on his face as the Demon begins to walk away from him.

"Wh....Where are you going?" the Uzumaki asks, jogging to catch up to Hakuba.

".......I am heading back to your Village" the Ten Tails replies flatly, not sparing Naruto a glance as he continues his pace. "You wanted to go and face this enemy on your own. So be it."

"You're um, heading back to the Leaf?" Naruto questions uncertainly, freezing when Hakuba suddenly stops and glares down at him.

"Don't test me boy" the Demonic Wolf warns darkly. "I am not going to cause your Village any further harm..................My brat of a host will require medical attention once I withdraw my power....."

Naruto stares after Hakuba in wonder as he mutters the last sentence under his breath, amazed by how tame he seems to be. While Ashley had said Hakuba helped her when she was away on her secret Akatsuki mission, Naruto was in awe of the fact that Ashley's Demon was heading back to the Village knowing she'd be weak from him taking over her body.

Why couldn't the Nine Tails be like that?

"......Thank you Hakuba" Naruto says gratefully, loud enough for the retreating Demon to hear. Closing his eyes for a moment, Naruto's face settles into a determined frown, before he reopens his eyes and bounds off in the direction of the real Pain.

It was time to settle this, once and for all.

"Ashley's Demon has taken care of the last Pain" Katsuya informs everyone, the news causing Rei to gasp, "And Naruto is on his way to talk with the real Pain now."

"What?" Kiba asks lowly, shocked, as he crouches beside Akamaru. Jet and Kai exchange confused and suspicious looks with each other, while Chi's tail begins to wag a little.

"You said Ashley's Demon took care of that Pain guy?" Atsui questions, arms crossed. He scowls as Katsuya nods her confirmation, shaking his head. "That doesn't make any damn sense. That Demon of hers is a bloodthirsty, power hungry monster who tried to destroy our homeland! No way he took out that guy with the intention of helping out!"

"That's really mean meanie-Atsui-chan" Chi pipes up, causing the green haired Minami to grow an anime vein. "Maybe the Demon decided to be really nice coz that man was being a bully and maybe he doesn't like bullies so he got all mad at the bad guy and killed him dead and now we're all gonna be the best of friends and I can introduce him to Jet-chan and-"

"As much as I hate to interrupt when you go of on a tangent like that kid" Jet cuts in, tone dripping with sarcasm that Chi doesn't seem to catch, "Atsui's right. Lady Ashley's Demon is hardly what I would call a good guy."

Rei nods her head from her position lying beside Ace, silently agreeing. Kiba frowns in thought, eyes darting around.

"Well, she's mentioned to me a few times that things seem to be getting better between her and Hakuba" the Inuzuka decides to add, brows creased. "Apparently he helped her out a lot when she had to go and fight Orochimaru."

"I still don't believe it for a second" Atsui scoffs, brushing off Kiba's comments. "That monster is up to something for sure."

"Why don't you ask him what he's tryna do Atsui-kun?" Tsumetai suggests, tugging at the boy's pant leg.

"Don't be stupid Tsumetai" the green haired Minami sighs irritably. "He's sealed inside Ashley most of the time. How exactly am I meant to ask him?"

"Well, you could try" Tsumetai smiles cutely, pointing to something behind his partner, "He's right over there!"

"What?!" Atsui cries, whirling around. His fuchsia eyes widen at the sight of Hakuba re-entering the destroyed Leaf Village. "Uh oh....."

"He's......He's way bigger than before Jet-chan....." Chi whimpers, ears folding backwards as he fearfully nuzzles into the larger Wolf's side. "And he looks super scary with those bones on him too....Make him go away Jet-chan!"

"I've......I've never seen it look like that before" Kiba states, eyes wide at the sight of Hakuba stalking across the broken ground.

"Well hell, no wonder it's so big!" Atsui barks, throwing a hand in the direction of the Ten Tails, as it approaches a small group of Ninja. "It's got eight tails!"

"Milady....." Kai mutters under his breath, heart pounding. She'd never lost control of Hakuba like this before. Never had Kai seen this form of the Ten Tails, and he knew how difficult it was for his teenage partner to control Hakuba with only one tail, so this form......

"We need to get down there and help Guy's team out!" Tsume orders, rising from her sitting position. "Sakura is still down there healing Hinata Hyuga!"

"Hinata...." Kiba whispers, fearful for his teammate. She'd gotten hurt pretty badly earlier, and he certainly didn't want her to have to deal with the Ten Tails now as well.

"Woah there big guy!" Saffire cries out, leaping to her feet. "Don't come any closer, or we'll be forced to attack you!"

Hakuba merely stares down at the black and white haired girl blankly, as the other Ninja around her take up defensive stances as well. Sakura stares up at the large Demon through wavering eyes, keeping an eye on him as she hesitantly continues to work on Hinata's internal injuries.

While Sakura had seen Naruto in his eight tailed form earlier, that was nothing compared to Hakuba's eight tailed state.

For one thing, he was a lot bigger than the Nine Tails, and the combination of his creepy red eyes and flaring black chakra just gave off the most ominous vibe. He made Sakura's skin crawl......

"We do not wish to fight you Demon" Lee adds bravely, though he is ready to battle if necessary. "Please, stand down. The Leaf Village has endured enough for today...."

"Do you think Ashley will fight it's power" Neji asks, smirking meanly, "Or do you think she'll encourage it?"

"Of course she's gonna fight it!" Saffire barks over her shoulder. "She's my best friend, and I know she hates this stupid Demon!"

"Hate is such a strong word" Hakuba muses, his deep voice causing everyone to jump. "I hardly think a child like you would understand its true meaning."

"Shut up Demon!" Saffire growls, shaking her fist. "And leave Ashley alone! We hate you just as much as she does, if not more because of what you do to her!"

".......I question myself on my decisions today" Hakuba mutters under his breath, ears laying back in annoyance. "What did I do this for?"

Closing his eyes briefly, trying to keep himself from obliterating the irritating little Shinobi before him, Hakuba inhales slowly. Immediately, he finds himself remembering her pain, her sorrow. The way she'd cried so helplessly, the way she'd felt so utterly defeated......

'Thank you.....' Ashley says sincerely, the girl smiling for what felt like the first time in forever to Hakuba, though it had probably only been a few hours. 'Thank you Hakuba......'

"Ah..." Hakuba realises, reopening his eyes. He stares at the ground for a few moments, when the chakra around his body ceases pulsing and the glow in his pupil less eyes fades. Raising his head, Hakuba spots Kiba and a few of Ashley's Wolves watching on in the distance, poised on the edge of a short, debris ridden cliff.

"......Huh?" Tenten asks, blinking her brown eyes when Hakuba's eight tailed form begins to fade away, as if vanishing into the air. "What's going on?"

Ignoring the Ninja in front of him, Hakuba steps right over them, almost prompting Saffire to attack. She pauses however, when she sees that the Demon has lost interest, continuing forwards as if on a mission.

Rising to his feet uncertainly as Hakuba approaches him and the others, Kiba grits his teeth together tightly. He could only hope the Demonic Wolf wasn't about to unleash his power on the already severely damaged Village....

His body now nothing more than a shadow, Hakuba easily steps up the small cliff and looms over Ashley's friends. He slowly lowers himself down into a crouched position, eyes travelling over the frozen Wolves and Leaf Shinobi, before they settle on Kiba.

This boy.......He was the one that had enabled Ashley to feel safe enough to sleep. He was the one that had loved her, and taught her how to love another person. While he was stupid and brash, the Inuzuka had protected Ashley and been a constant source of support. It was his fault Hakuba had never been able to take over Ashley's body. With her feeling so safe, happy and loved, how was Hakuba supposed to weaken the girl's psyche and break free?....

"You're a buffoon" Hakuba scoffs, hooding his eyes as he continues fading away, "........But I suggest you don't change...."

"....Huh?" Kiba questions in confusion, only to throw one hand over his face as Hakuba suddenly disappears in a large puff of smoke. After a few seconds, Kiba cautiously lowers his arm, only for his eyes to widen in surprise.

Right in front of him, a worn out Ashley stands unsteadily on her feet, one hand to her head. She blinks her bleary eyes a few times, before lifting her head and glancing around, seemingly just as surprised to see Kiba.

"K-Kiba?" the girl asks questioningly, only for her legs to give out underneath her.

"Ashley!" Kiba cries, darting forwards and catching the blonde before she can hit the ground. He carefully lowers himself into a kneeling position, one arm supporting Ashley's back. "A-Are you alright?"

"Milady!" Kai barks, leaping over and sniffing at the girl, reassuring himself that she is okay. "What happened? Did you finally manage to control that monster and put him back?"

"Milady, Milady" Chi sings happily, bounding over and throwing himself into Ashley's lap. He rolls onto his back and giggles, tongue lolling from the side of his mouth. "Ahhhh, so comfy!"

"Kid....." Jet admonishes flatly, also walking over. "Try not to injure her any more, okay?"

"Katsuya told us that Demon of yours killed Pain" Tsume speaks up, one hand on her hip and the other resting on Kuromaru's head. "That must have been one great fight! Too bad we missed out on seeing it!"

Ashley slowly looks around at everyone with a faintly puzzled expression, as if trying to understand what they're saying. What had happened? One second she was barely conscious while Hakuba was in control, and all the sudden he'd retreated back into her psyche. Why had he done that? And why had he decided to bring her all the way back to the Leaf Village like this? He'd even put her exactly where Kiba and her Wolves were....

"....Don't give it much thought brat"Hakuba advises, turning around and looking down at Ashley over his shoulder.

The girl stands before his prison, staring back silently. Her eyes drift to the ripped seal on the middle steel bar, almost ripped right off. One more tug and it would be completely torn away from the prison.

"You could have done it Hakuba" Ashley says softly, looking back to the Demon, who lowers himself into a lying position and rests his chin on one large paw. "You could have taken over my body and gone on a rampage. You could have absorbed all of the Nine Tails' chakra, and you could have completely ignored me........But you didn't....."

Hakuba drops his ruby eyes to the cold floor, suddenly feeling uncomfortable and unable to maintain eye contact. He shifts a little, turning his face away.

".....Like I said" the Wolf reiterates lowly, sounding uncharacteristically awkward, "Pay it no mind.....It....It means noth-"

"Thank you Hakuba" Ashley interrupts, smiling up at Hakuba despite the tears welling in her eyes. "I can never repay you for what you did for me today. All I can do is thank you over and over again!"

Hakuba lies his ears back at this, unsure of how to react to Ashley's happiness and her grateful expression. He'd never gotten that from her before, not to this extent. What exactly was he meant to-

Hakuba freezes as Ashley suddenly steps forwards and presses herself against his cheek, trying to wrap her arms around his neck, though he is far too large for the girl to accomplish it.

The Demonic Wolf's heart thuds against his chest, Ashley snuggling into his fur and closing her eyes, a tear sliding down her cheek as she smiles broadly.

"You've been a good friend to me Hakuba" she whispers, unable to keep herself from laughing quietly. "I'm lucky you're here. Thank you so much....."

The Wolf's red eyes widen considerably at Ashley's affection and her sudden proclamation of friendship. He had known the girl's feelings towards him had changed a little, but to be referred to as her friend?.....It seemed almost....Strange......

Hakuba slowly closes his eyes and tilts his head towards Ashley a little, subtly pressing his forearm against her back.

It was strange and yet.......Hakuba hadn't heard those words in years. Under normal circumstances they would mean absolutely nothing to the Demon, but from her.....

"You're still just a brat...."

"Ashley?" Kiba asks again, concerned that the girl hadn't responded to anyone. "Ashley, are you alri-"

"Yes" the Minami speaks up quietly, "I-I'm fine......A little tired, but fine."

Kiba sighs with relief at this, before sending Ashley a closed eye grin and hugging her to his chest. The blonde smiles as well, glad for the comfort, only to glance down as Chi begins to squirm in her lap.

"Milady?" the young Wolf asks, tail wagging as Ashley leans back from Kiba. "You make a super cool Wolf. I wish you could really be a Wolf, because then I could marry you! Then we can always play together and we can gang up on Kai-chan when he's being really mean!"

"What?" Jet asks, raising one eyebrow. Kiba scowls at Chi, while Ashley begins giggling in amusement, the caramel Wolf swiftly leaping to his feet. He bounds over to Jet, a concerned look on his adorable face.

"I'm sorry Jet-chan" Chi apologises hurriedly, jumping up and down, "I didn't mean it I swear! I promise I'll marry you and not Lady Ashley, I was just really excited that she was okay and it slipped out but I-"

"Kid, you need to learn when to shutup" Jet interrupts, blushing as he lays his ears back and turns his head, eyes hooded. "Th-That's not even going to happen so just....Just stop talking....."

Chi nods enthusiastically, closing his eyes as he grins up at the embarrassed Jet, speedily wagging his tail.

"So what was up with your Demon taking over?" Atsui questions sharply, arms crossed. "Usually you're pretty good at keeping him under control. Not today though."

"Hey, watch your tone buddy" Kiba barks, glaring at the green haired male. "She's only just come to, so take it easy."

"Whatever" Atsui sighs boredly, rolling his eyes. "Ashley, your Demon?"

"I have never seen him run so rampant before" Kai adds, frowning a little. "That monster must have taken advantage of the situation. He saw that you were weak and decided to wreak havoc on-"

"No!" Ashley suddenly shouts, catching everyone by surprise, including herself. She quickly shakes her head and regards everyone seriously.

"Hakuba didn't run rampant or take advantage of me or anything like that" the Minami explains pointedly, a faint smile appearing on her face. "He helped me. I let him take over my body."

"What?" Kai asks lowly, before raising his voice. "Why would you let him take over Milady?! How stupid, allowing a bloodthirsty monster like that run free, when you know exactly what he wants from-"

"He's not a monster Kai!" Ashley snaps back, feeling a little offended on Hakuba's behalf. "He's not a monster at all! He's....He's my friend you guys. Hakuba saw how much Pain had hurt us, how much he'd hurt me......And he wanted to make Pain pay for it. That's why I let him take over."

"......He's your friend?" Kiba questions, to which Ashley nods vehemently. "Well, if you say so. It's not like he attacked any of us or anything I guess. He only went for Pain."

"How can you be friends with a Beast that tried to kill our entire Clan?" Atsui growls, scowling at Ashley angrily. "He killed so many Minami, and he'll do it here as well if you let him out like that!"

"Don't you tell me how my Demon thinks Atsui" Ashley retorts, baring her teeth in annoyance. "I deal with him every single day, so I know exactly how he thinks and feels! You don't know anything about him except for the things he did generations ago!"

"So that makes him innocent huh?" Atsui shoots back, taking a step forwards, to which Kiba sends him a warning glare. "You think that because he played nice today, we should just forget about everything he did in the past? It's your responsibility to keep him from being released in the world. Why do you think he was sealed away?! He's evil Ashley, don't be an idiot!"

"Watch your tongue boy....." Kai warns, narrowing his red eyes at Atsui. Though he somewhat agreed with the fired up Minami, Kai still didn't like the disrespect he was hearing.

"You wanna hold people's pasts against them do you?" Ashley asks darkly, climbing to her feet. "Well, I wasn't exactly a good guy a few years ago either. I killed people, I did bad things. Do you wanna hate me forever too Atsui, even though you have no idea why I was like that?"

Atsui gives a start at this rebuttal, blinking a few times, before he turns away and sighs irritably, shaking his head.

"That's different" the male mutters coldly. "You're not a Demon."

"Depends on who you ask" Ashley sneers, crossing her arms. "Hakuba has proven himself to be a friend to me and I....I trust him now. Didn't you see? The Nine Tails was attacking him, and he still only went after Pain. Hakuba wants nothing more than to be reunited with the Tailed Beasts and regain his original form, yet he chose to deal with Pain instead, because he hurt me. He was selfless back there......And he protected Naruto from Pain too.......So all of you, stop judging Hakuba on his past!"

Everyone stares at the frustrated Ashley through wide eyes, when Tsumetai cautiously wanders over and wraps his tiny arms around one of her legs, ears folded back.

"Ley-chan?" the small creature addresses, a cute, wide eyed look on his face. "If you say Hakuba-chan is nice now then....Then I believe you. I won't ever be mean to Hakuba-chan again, I promise!"

"Thank you Tai-kun" Ashley replies with a smile, bending down to scoop up the chibi into her arms. "That means a lot to me."

"Hey, hey!" Chi barks urgently, bouncing up and down. "I promise I'll be nice to meanie-Hakuba-chan as well Milady! Give me a hug, give me a hug!"

Laughing, Ashley crouches down, wrapping one arm around an excited Chi's neck. Jet merely sits back and smiles to himself, content to take Ashley's word for it. If she now trusted the Demon that she so used to despise, then what reason did he have not to?

Kai pulls a face as Kiba jumps to his feet, steadying Ashley, who had begun to sway a little. Clearly being taken over by Hakuba had affected her body, if her tired appearance was anything to go by, but.....

"Why aren't you unconscious Milady?" Kai asks curiously, eyes narrowed. "Usually you are quite weak after that.....After Hakuba takes over, yet you seem to be relatively alright this time. Considering the form he took on, I'm surprised you're even awake."

"I guess I'm not as badly affected because I let him take over" the blonde replies, shrugging one shoulder. "In the past I was never one hundred percent convinced, and he would sort of force his power on me."

"Maybe Hakuba-chan tried to be nice to you Lady Ashley" Chi suggests, tilting his head. "If you're friends and stuff now, he probably didn't wanna hurt you."

Here Chi turns towards Ashley and rises onto his back legs, front paws resting on the girl's shoulders. Kiba grunts a little, now supporting both Ashley and Chi.

"Hey Hakuba-chan!" the young Wolf shouts loudly, right in Ashley's face. "Thank you for being nice to Lady Ashley! We can be friends now if you want and I'll let you meet Jet-chan! He's my best friend, so you can't steal him from me, but you can look at him and-"

"Uhh Chi?" Ashley asks, sweat dropping as she gently pushes the Wolf back down onto all fours. "You don't have to yell for Hakuba to hear you. Anything I hear, he can also hear......."

"Oh...." Chi trails off, looking confused. Before Chi can ask any other questions, Ashley looks over at Rei, who has her head resting on her paws. Her watery eyes travel from Ace's face, over to the blonde girl's. While Rei, Kiba and the others had managed to pull Ace free of the pole through his torso, it hadn't helped. Rei had held onto the silly hope that freeing her mate of the jagged pole would save him, but of course, her hopes had been dashed....He was truly gone.....

All of the sudden, the memory of her two Wolves being dead hits Ashley like a ton of bricks, her lower lip trembling a little. While Ace was right here, where were Aki and Tiez exactly?

"Where's Aki?" Ashley asks quietly, to which Kai sighs heavily and rises to his feet.

"He and the little one are over this way" the large animal explains, sounding reluctant to head over, "But she's refusing to leave him. We couldn't convince her to come over with us."

"It's alright Kai" Ashley says, placing a hand on his back. "Please just let me go by myself.......Actually, Kiba? Can you help me walk? My legs are still pretty unsteady...."

"Yeah, no worries" the Inuzuka replies, helping Ashley hook one arm around his neck. The two Leaf Ninja head in the direction Kai mentioned, leaving the sombre Wolves behind as they all exchange pained looks with each other.

Making their slow way over, Kiba steps into a ditch and gently lifts Ashley down after him, before wrapping his arm around her back again and helping her towards Tiez, who they can now see.

"Tiez....." Ashley says softly, making the purple Wolf lift her head. Ashley sees tears in the animal's violet eyes, the fur of her cheek wet. Tiez remains quiet, though she shifts even closer to the larger Wolf lying beside her, silently begging not to be taken away from him.

Ashley's eyes slowly widen and fill with tears as she watches Tiez snuggle in Aki's side, a pool of blood beneath the black and white Wolf's head. His entire left side is buried beneath a heavy pile of bricks and rubble, though Ashley knew that Aki had also been stabbed by Pain while trying to protect Tiez.

"I-I'm not leaving him" Tiez speaks up in a trembling voice, as Kiba helps Ashley down into a kneeling position. "The o-others already tried to make me leave, but I won't go!"

"It's okay Tiez...." Ashley assures the small animal, placing a gentle hand on her head. "I'm not going to make you leave Aki....."

Tiez glances up at Ashley, watching as the girl stares at Aki through hooded eyes, tears dripping down her cheeks. She maintains a straight face, crying silently, though Tiez can feel Ashley's hand shaking.

It was hard to believe Aki was gone. No matter his flaws, no matter how frustrating he could be at times, Aki had always been a loyal Pack member, willing to risk his life to save any of the others. He'd been so friendly even when Ashley had first met him, and he'd felt right at home in the Pack. While the Wolf was vain, he'd never been so self absorbed that he hadn't cared for Ashley, often being the first one to offer comfort and advice when she was down. He had a knack for cheering her up....

Ashley sniffs, her head lowering as she continues to stare at the Wolf's face, his eyes closed and his head tilted to the side. Kiba steps forwards and places a comforting hand on the blonde's shoulder, swallowing thickly.

He could see how badly this was affecting Ashley, and her heartbreak was making it somewhat difficult for him to keep his own emotions in check.

".......You know" Tiez says quietly, dropping her gaze back down to Aki. "......Aki told me something before he........."

"O-Oh?" Ashley asks, her voice sounding strained. "What did he say?"

"........." Tiez closes her eyes, more tears falling from them. ".....He told me that he.....That he l-loved me....."

Ashley's eyes widen at this, as the purple Wolf begins crying again, her shoulders shaking. So, all this time, it was Tiez that was the object of Aki's desire. Is that why he had always flirted with everyone else? Because he didn't think Tiez would feel the same way?

Heaving a heavy sigh, Ashley pushes herself to her feet, Kiba helping to support the girl. Tiez raises her head in alarm, brows furrowing.

"I'm not leaving him!" she barks, baring her teeth. "Y-You can't make me! I'm staying here until I die as well!"

"......I already told you Tiez" Ashley replies quietly, wiping at her eyes and raising her arms, "I'm not going to make you leave Aki behind. I'm going to move this debris off of him.........Then we're going to take Aki and Ace back to Inu Zoku Mountain....."

".....You promise we'll take him home?" Tiez asks anxiously, watching the blonde girl activate her Katsuryoku and carefully begin removing the rubble crushing Aki.

"Don't strain yourself Angel" Kiba advises gently, allowing the girl to lean her back against his chest. "I can remove that stuff manually if you need me to."

"Thank you Kiba" the Minami responds, turning her head to give him a ghost of a smile, "But I'm alright. If I remove it little by little, it's not much of a strain on me."

The three fall silent for the next few minutes, until the very last brick is removed and dumped to the side, completely freeing Aki's body. Ashley and Kiba walk forwards, with the blonde kneeling on the opposite side of Aki to Tiez.

She gently runs her hand down the Wolf's back, his fur as soft and silky as it always was, despite the circumstances.

"He's such an idiot" Tiez growls, biting her lip to keep from bursting into tears again. "If he hadn't jumped in to save me like that, he wouldn't be de........."

"But you would be Tiez" Ashley explains, smiling sadly, "And Aki didn't want that. You meant everything to him."

"Well I'd rather it was me lying there instead of him!" the purple Wolf shouts, pushing herself up into a sitting position and shaking her head vehemently. "He didn't do anything to deserve this! What am I supposed to do without him huh?! He saved my life when I was just a pup, and now he's done it again! I never even repayed him for the first time he saved my life!"

"......I doubt he saw it that way" Kiba speaks up seriously, earning a teary eyed glared from Tiez. "From what I've seen, he was happy enough just being around you. Even though you guys were always teasing each other, you worked perfectly together as a duo during battle. I mean, you were a match for even Captain Yamato back at the lake."

"......We were pretty badass" Tiez agrees, smirking through her tears.

"I don't think Aki wanted you to give him anything except your friendship" Kiba continues with a shrug, scratching the back of his head. "I mean, I'm no expert or anything, but that's just how it seemed to me. He told you he loved you, but he didn't even bother you every time you chased after Akamaru. Pretty selfless dude if you ask me."

(Hit that music button yo)

Ashley turns her head and sends Kiba an appreciative smile, to which he glances down and winks back, Tiez heaving a deep sigh. She looks back over at Aki, smiling sadly.

"I just wish he'd told me sooner..." she murmurs, only to leap to her feet with fright as a bright green light suddenly shoots down from the sky and absorbs into Aki's body. "What the hell?! What was that?!"

"Woah....." Kiba exhales in shock, tilting his head back to look at the sky with wide eyes. "What's going on? What are all those lights?"

Taking hold of Kiba's hand to pull herself to her feet, Ashley's brows furrow as she stares up at the sky as well. Bright green lights dart through the sky in all directions, some falling towards the earth as if they were shooting stars. All around the Village, people let out gasps of fright and shouts of surprise, piquing Ashley's curiosity further.

What were those lights?

"H-Heavens above...." a hoarse voice moans. "I have quite th-the headache...."

Tiez and Ashley freeze for a moment, their eyes widening as they both look down at Aki, only to see him blinking his sapphire eyes wearily. He coughs a little, rising up into a sitting position and shaking himself.

"Oh dear....." the Wolf mutters, pulling a face as he looks down at his fur. "I look atrocious. All this blood and dirt in my fur, how barbaric...."

"Aki!" Tiez and Ashley both scream at the same time, diving for the Wolf, who jumps in fright at the sudden sound. He glances between them in confusion, with Ashley wrapping her arms around the Wolf's neck and Tiez nuzzling against his now healed stomach.

"H-Hello my darlings?" Aki greets, sounding more like he is asking a question as he glances up and sends Kiba a bewildered look. The brunette merely shrugs, crossing his arms and grinning broadly. He watches as Ashley begins crying with happiness, her cheek pressing against Aki's fur.

"Why all the tears?" the large Wolf questions gently, hooding his eyes and nudging the top of Ashley's head with his nose. "Do I look that bad?"

The Minami girl leans back and beams at Aki, before breaking out into giddy laughter, her eyes sparkling. Tiez rolls her own eyes and head butts Aki's chest, blushing when he glances down at her.

"You were dead you moron!" she barks, scowling. "You got killed and now you're suddenly just back to life. Make up your damn mind! You're stressing me out...."

"I was dead?" Aki asks, blinking in surprise. He then smiles slyly, hugging Tiez to his chest with one paw, to which the smaller Wolf begins struggling. "Oh Tiez darling, is that why you're crying? Your tears are for me?"

"I'm not crying!" Tiez barks adamantly, ripping herself from Aki's grip and glaring up at him. "I wouldn't waste tears on you!"

Aki merely tilts his head to the side, smiling charmingly at Tiez, sapphire eyes shining brightly.

"How sweet" he chuckles, before turning and licking Ashley's cheek. "Darling, I appreciate your concern, but I'm fine. Apart from being a dirty boy, I feel rather good actually. Being dead must have refreshed me."

"........I'm so happy you're okay Aki" Ashley replies after a moment's pause, hugging the Wolf once again. "I don't understand what's going on, but I-"

Ashley suddenly freezes, her fuchsia eyes widening once again. The girl's mouth opens, when she abruptly releases Aki and jumps to her feet, wobbling a little. Kiba darts after the girl as she makes her swift way back towards the others, stumbling over debris.

Though he doesn't touch her, Kiba sticks close to Ashley, seeing that while she seems determined to get away, she's still worn out from Hakuba taking over her body. The Inuzuka didn't want Ashley to collapse or anything.

Climbing back up a small mound of debris, Ashley pauses once again, a loud gasp escaping her mouth. Everyone turns to look at Ashley as her hands fly to her mouth, tears already pouring from her eyes.

Surrounded by Rei, Jet Chi, Tsumetai, Atsui and Akamaru, Ace raises his head and locks eyes with Ashley, Kai supporting him.

"Ace!" Ashley cries in disbelief, breaking into a run, her arms outstretched. Atsui, Tsumetai and Akamaru all step out of the way as Ace rises to his feet, only for Ashley to barrel straight into him.

The Wolf exhales sharply as his small partner tackles him onto his back, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and crying loudly into his chest. She presses her face into Ace's fur, with the Wolf crossing his paws over the girl's back to return her hug.

"It is alright Milady" Ace murmurs into the girl's hair, closing his eye as he leans forwards to rest his cheek on top of the blonde's head, "I am alive and well.........There is no need to cry...."

"I-I can't b-believe you're okay" Ashley sobs with relief, lifting her head to look into Ace's face. "You g-got so hurt and I....I saw you lying there and I w-was so, so, so s-sad!.....Ace!"

Ace can't help chuckling lowly as Ashley buries her face back into his fur, patting the girl's back comfortingly.

"Milady, if I am to lose my life protecting you" Ace says quietly, "I can die happy. You do not need to shed tears for me."

"But you're my best friend in the world" Ashley replies, sitting back up, wiping at her tears. "I don't want you to die at all!"

"We all must die at some point" the Wolf states wisely, carefully rising to his feet as Ashley releases her hold on him. "Now, no more crying Milady.......Please?"

Ace smiles to himself as Ashley nods, her tear stained face and shining eyes reminding him of when she was a young child. The Wolf sits back on his haunches and rubs his cheek against Ashley's affectionately, making her giggle happily.

"Aren't you just the cutest Ace" Kai teases, earning a deadpan look from the navy Wolf.

"Kai, if there was one thing I enjoyed about death" Ace states flatly, "It is that you were not there."

"Ace-kun looks weird without his eye patch on" Chi speaks up, tilting his head. "I don't think I've ever seen him without it. Can you even open your other eye Ace-kun?"

"Of course" Ace replies in his monotonous tone. "There is no point in opening it however. I am blind in this eye."

Ashley looks at the Wolf's scarred eye, two old slash wounds travelling across the closed lids. It had happened so long ago, Ashley had forgotten what it was like when Ace didn't wear his eye patch.

"Can I please see Ace-kun?" Chi asks enthusiastically, ears pricking up and tail wagging. "Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please-"

"Very well" the Wolf sighs gruffly, opening his usually hidden eye. "I warn you, it is nothing remarkable."

"Woahhhhh......" Chi breathes, impressed by the sight of Ace's completely white eye. He looked strange, having one aqua eye and one white one. "I think I prefer you with your eye patch Ace-kun. You look more like a pirate that way!"

"Wonderful" Ace mutters sarcastically, sweat dropping as he recloses his scarred eye. "That is exactly what I had hoped for young one...."

"Ace dear" Rei smiles, sitting beside her mate and resting her head against his shoulder, "I am so happy that you're alright. I was quite beside myself with sadness...."

"I know my dear" Ace replies, resting his chin on top of Rei's head. "I am sorry to have worried you...."

"My adoring subjects" a voice suddenly addresses, causing everyone to look up, "You may now cease your crying and bow before me!"

Leaping down from a large pile of debris, Aki lands amongst the other Wolves with a flourish, fluffing up his fur and flashing a dazzling smile.

"Aki the glorious" he finishes, teeth sparkling, "Is back."

Rei sends Aki a happy, closed eye smile, as Chi bounces up and down with excitement at the older Wolf's good news. Ace, Kai and Jet however, all glare at Aki, unimpressed and unamused. Seeing their reactions, Ashley places a hand over her mouth, trying to hold in her laughter.

"Now they probably wish you'd stayed dead" Tiez states flatly, marching past Aki and shaking her head. Quirking his brow, Aki snatches Tiez's tail between his teeth and tugs her back towards him, much to her surprise and dismay. Hugging the purple Wolf to his chest with one arm, Aki flashes another charming smile.

"How can you say such hurtful things to me Tiez darling?" he asks, raising both eyebrows suggestively. "And even after I confessed my love to you on my deathbed. You are cruel...."

"L-Lemme go!" Tiez orders, looking flustered. "Don't be such an ass!"

"As you wish my love" Aki sighs dramatically, allowing the smaller Wolf to slip away. He sits back and grins to himself however, knowing he'd embarrassed Tiez. He wasn't dumb. He knew she loved him as well now. She'd admitted to it only seconds after Ashley and Kiba had run off. She couldn't pretend to be indignant anymore!

"Anyone know what the hell's going on?" Atsui asks, frowning as he sits down beside Shimei, who is still out cold. "Why are the dead coming back to life? I'm pretty sure that's not normal."

"You don't say?" Jet scoffs, smirking when he receives a dirty look from the green haired Minami.

"Naruto has finished talking with the real Pain" Katsuya speaks up, gaining everyone's attention. "He finally won Pain over, and now he has decided to bring back the lives of everyone he killed......In fact, Naruto is on his way back home now."

"I'd say I can't believe he actually did it" Kiba laughs, shrugging his shoulders, "But I can believe it! He's an impressive kid."

"Ruff ruff!" Akamaru agrees, turning to look at Chi, both of their tongues hanging from their mouths and tails wagging.

"Naruto..." Ashley smiles, shaking her head. "You never cease to amaze me."