Ashley's POV

I let out a low breath, feeling my chakra beginning to run low again. It hadn't been too long since Sakura had shared hers with me, but due to my lack of chakra control, I'd already used most of it on healing Akamaru, myself and Shimei.

Looking down though, I can see that Shimei's pained expression seems to have relaxed, and almost all of his bleeding has stopped. As long as he'll be alright, I don't mind feeling tired like this.

"Are you okay Ashley?" Fang asks me, sounding exhausted herself. "You've used up a lot of your chakra."

"I'll be fine" I assure the Wolf, my glowing hands still pressed over Shimei's closing wound. "We're almost finished."

"Yes" Fang agrees, smiling with relief, though she too keeps her paws over Shimei's injury. "Shimei seems to be doing well, thank goodness..."

"You've both done well" Rei smiles, her chin on her paws as she watches us.

Ace looks on silently. I know he was mad at me for not just healing myself, but I think now he's just happy that I'm not out on the battlefield, putting myself in immediate danger.

"Ley-chan?" an uncertain voice suddenly asks, causing my head to snap up.

I see my sister approaching, cuts all over her body and her clothes soaked with blood splatter. She steps into our small safe haven, Keilor limping behind her.

"Kiyu" I reply urgently, moving to rush over to her, only to pause when I remember that I can't leave Shimei yet.

"I'm alright" my sister laughs softly, brushing off my worry with a brief wave of the hand.

"You're both limping" I point out. "Never mind all of the cuts you have on you as well."

"We've been like, killing dudes" Keilor explains, before exhaling loudly and falling in a tired heap at Ace's feet, something that causes Rei to giggle. "My feet are like, on fire man."

"Keilor has used up most of his chakra" Kiyu explains softly, raising one hand to lift a large piece of earth into the air. She sits down on it, sighing quietly to herself as she takes the pressure off of her feet.

"I was hit in the leg earlier" Kiyu adds, raising her eyes to me, watching as Fang and I continue to heal Shimei. "Sakura-chan bandaged it up for me though...."

I smile to myself at the thought of my teammate helping my sister, before I glance back over at Kiyu and frown in concern.

"I don't think I'll have much chakra left after this" I admit, "But I can try to heal you once Shimei is-"

"No!" Kiyu interrupts, her dark eyes widening with realisation. "I-I mean...No, please don't. I actually came here for your help with something else Ley-chan."

"Something else?" I ask, quirking one eyebrow.

"Yes" Kiyu nods, now looking down and fidgeting with the ends of her hair. "....A lot of the Village's buildings are on fire and falling down. I was hoping you would help me rescue the people that are trapped...."

I can't help the way I stare at Kiyumi at this request, my body suddenly feeling tense. I find myself concentrating on her so hard, that the chakra fades from my hands.

"What?" is all I manage to ask.

"But Kiyu-chan" Kurai says hesitantly. "Helping them is how Shimei got...."

"Why should we help them after that?" I demand to know, now crossing my arms over my chest.

While I had initially been on the side of being merciful to the enemy, after seeing what they were willing to do to my friends, and how hard my friends were fighting, I had certainly changed my mind.

"B-But those children are innocent" Kiyu argues, her voice trembling. "This is all because of that monster Sirius."

I blink at this, the desperate look in my sister's eyes and the pleading tone in her voice causing my resolution to falter a little. From the corner of my eye, I can see Ace staring at me, and I can basically sense him tensing up with apprehension at what I might do.

"I could hear some of them screaming Ley-chan....." Kiyu informs me in a soft voice, clearly affected by what she had heard. "It reminded me of.....well, you know......"

I close my eyes and turn my head, scowling to myself in thought.

"I-I'd get Grandfather to help" Kiyu finishes, "But he's busy defending this area."

"....Fine" I eventually growl, reopening my eyes and slowly pushing myself to my feet. "I'll help."

"Really?!" Kiyu exclaims, her eyes widening, glittering with happiness.

"Milady....." Ace warns, standing up.

"Ace, can you carry me?" I request. "I'm low on chakra and you're going to be able to move faster than me."

"Of course" comes the immediate reply, my Guardian just happy that he is going to be able to be by my side. "My love, please stay here and rest."

"Ace dear" Rei whimpers. "Will you and Lady Ashley be alright?"

"Yes" Ace answers in a monotone voice, leaning down to nudge Rei's cheek. "We will protect each other. Stay with your sister."

"Be safe" Rei sighs, as Ace walks over to me and crouches down, allowing me to climb onto his back.

"Thank you for your help Ashley" Fang says gratefully. "I'll be done with Shimei soon."

"...Keilor?" Kiyu addresses gently, leaning down to look at her Wolf. "Are you feeling well enough to come with us?"

"Yep!" Keilor barks, rolling over and wincing as he climbs to his feet. "I'm like, at the top of my game right now."

Seeing that his feet are in pain, probably from releasing such high concentrations of chakra, Kiyu lowers the rock she is sitting on to the ground, allowing Keilor to climb on top of it and sit down.

She then rises to her feet and, moving her arms, raises the rock back up into the air, using it to move herself and Keilor towards the entrance.

Kiyu peers around the corner of the earthen wall for a few seconds, before turning her head to glance back at me.

"Are you ready Ley-chan?" she asks.

"Yeah" I reply, only to look up as a hand grabs onto my arm. ".....What?"

"Be careful" Arashi warns me. "Lord Sirius is targeting the Minami. He'll sooner attack your clan members than the Leaf Ninja."

"......Noted" I mutter angrily, hooding my eyes and looking back to Kiyu.

Judging by the expression on her face, she's scared. My sister was always the more timid one when we were younger and I always felt the need to protect her. I'm sure she doesn't want to go back out there, but her sympathy for the trapped villagers seems to be outweighing her fear at this point.

It's admirable, but admittedly not very smart, in this situation at least. The only reason I'm even going out there to do this is to make sure my sister stays safe.

"C'mon Ley-chan!" Kiyu calls, darting back out onto the battlefield.

"Let's go Ace" I say, to which my Guardian launches himself forwards.

I can't help the way that my eyes widen as we run back out into the battle, seeing both dead and injured soldiers strewn across the ground, with many still fighting on. Craters and broken earth break up the once even ground, with scorch marks and stone columns mixed through the mangled field. Discarded and broken weapons litter the ground, as explosions of fire, water and lightning rumble through the air.

The night sky is momentarily lit up every time an explosion goes off, casting a very brief and eerie red hue across the ground. Fires rage on numerous buildings, with some having crumbled to the ground, either partially or completely.

The sounds of people yelling and screaming hits my ears from all directions, though amongst all of the noise, I am unable to discern what anyone is saying.

Knowing that I am in the land of my birth, I feel my chest tighten as Ace continues to run behind Kiyumi and Keilor, my breath quickening and my body breaking out into a sweat.

It feels far too reminiscent of that day.

"Milady!" Ace calls out to me. "I can feel your distress! I know the situation we are in, but please try to maintain focus for the time being!"

I blink a few times at this, opening my mouth to respond, when a man suddenly bursts up out of the earth right in front of us.

I am jerked forwards as Ace skids to a halt, the man immediately leaping towards us, a kunai brandished in each hand.

Before either of us can react however, a thick tendril of water suddenly wraps itself around the man's waist and flings him high into the air. I tilt my head back to watch, only to see the tendril them slam the man down into the ground, hard, face first.

"On your way my Granddaughter" I hear from behind, only to glance over my shoulder.

I see my Grandfather smiling at me, his arms folded over his chest and his eyes glowing brightly. I lean one hand on Ace's back and twist around more, my eyes growing round.

Standing as if he hasn't a care in the world, I see multiple tendrils of water floating around my Grandfather. As if alive, they whip around in different directions, to stop anyone from entering the large earthen cube he had created so Fang could heal Shimei uninterrupted.

As a man slides underneath one of the water tentacles to try and slash at my Grandfather's leg, a stone spike pierces up out of the ground, easily running the man through and rendering him helpless.

"Grandfather is amazing" I exhale, hastily turning around as Ace takes off in a sprint again, only to notice something in the distance. "Ace, look!"

Glancing to his side as I jab my hand out, Ace seems to notice what I am pointing at.

"So much for the Minami needing to be the ones to kill Sirius" the Wolf sighs, turning away.

I watch on as best as I can with numerous other fights going on in my line of vision, as I see Kakashi Sensei running towards Sirius, lightning crackling in his hand. Clearly having used his ability to manipulate others however, Sirius manages to evade Kakashi Sensei's attacks, having his men jump in the way to defend him instead.

Even from this distance, I can see Sirius' men fall at the hands of my Sensei, though I can't be sure if he's actually killing them or not.

I feel a jolt run through my body however, when I see Sirius turn his head and make eye contact with me. Even from here, I see his smug grin contort into a furious scowl, the loathing for me and my Clan mates extremely evident.

'Make sure he suffers Kakashi Sensei' I think to myself darkly, gritting my teeth together.

"Here Ley-chan!" a voice calls from up ahead, catching my attention. "There are two people in here!"

Ace slows to a halt in front of a crumbling building, as Kiyu lowers her rock to the ground and jumps off. She stumbles a little, due to her injuries, but manages to right herself and looks to me.

I raise one hand to cover my face and squint a little, the heat from the flames burning on top of the building hitting me in intense waves.

"I know you can control a bunch of elements like Grandfather" Kiyu explains to me, eyes darting back and forth as she focuses on sensing where the trapped people are. "Can you put out the flames Ley-chan?"

I raise my eyebrows at this, feeling somewhat doubtful. I'm much more confident at controlling elements like earth, wind and water.

Fire, I'm not so well practised with, and putting flames out is something I've never even attempted.

I sigh internally, turning my head to look around. While I'm doubtful that I can just cause such a large fire to cease, I'm sure I could use some water to do it.

Not too far away from us, I see a large puddle of water, though it is quite murky. No doubt the remnants of someone's Jutsu. Judging by the amount of people strewn across the ground, I'm quite sure that puddle has not only been tainted by dirt and ash, but blood as well.

I take in a shaky breath and raise my arms towards the puddle, slowly dragging the water up into the air. As I turn my torso back to face the burning building, the water follows my movements, now hovering over the flames.

My arms tremble as I do so, my whole body feeling the effects of fatigue by this point.

As I cease using my Katsuryoku, allowing the water to splash down over the building in front of me, I feel an instant sense of relief. I press my palms down on Ace's back and allow my head to hang as I let out a sigh.

"Good job Ley-chan" Kiyu praises me, her soft voice hard to hear over the hiss of the flames being dowsed.

I lift my head again and watch as my sister now raises her arms, to which the crumbled stones of the building begin to float up into the air. Kiyu moves her arms to the side, taking the debris out of her way, before dumping the stones on the ground by slashing her hands downwards.

As the debris falls back to the ground a short distance to the side of the building, Kiyu sucks in a deep breath and takes up a sturdier stance, palms out and facing towards the house.

I watch on, feeling somewhat amazed as the remainder of the front wall of the building is lifted into the air. I blink, hearing a faint voice crying out from somewhere in the home.

"Alright" Kiyu says, dropping the wall to the earth with a loud crash "I'll just be one second."

"Be careful Kiyu" I warn, to which she pauses and smiles at me.

"It's alright Ley-chan" my sister assures me, stepping into the wreckage of the house. "I can sense where they are."

"......That's not what I meant" I sigh, running one hand down my face. "What if they attack her?"

"I can still see her from here" Keilor replies, unusually serious. I glance at him, only to see his ears pricked up and his eyes intently focused on my sister's back. "If anything like, happens, I'll be over there in ya know, like, the blink of an eye."

Ace turns his head to glance back, though he doesn't seem to be looking at me. I watch his nose twitch, ears flicking around in different directions.

"What's wrong Ace?" I inquire, seemingly irritating the Wolf.

"I am on high alert Milady" Ace responds flatly, as if I asked a very stupid question "We are in the middle of a battlefield and you are in no position to fight. I feel as though we may as well have targets painted on our backs."

"......We're helping rescue people" I argue, although I actually agree with my Guardian. I'm feeling a little apprehensive being out here like this as well.

"I do not care about any other people except for you Milady" Ace informs me seriously. "I am anxious for your safety."

Suddenly feeling a little bad for stressing Ace out, I reach down and place one hand on top of his head, petting him gently.

"I'm sorry Ace" is all I am able to say.

".....I just wish you would consider your own safety before that of others sometimes" Ace sighs. "Your selflessness only ever seems to lead to your own suffering."

"It's alright" I hear my sister say, causing me to look back over at the building. "You're okay now...."

Stepping back into view, I see Kiyu slowly leading a little girl by the hand, helping her over the rubble. The little girl's face and clothes are covered with black dust and ash, with two lines running down her cheeks as her tears fall. A woman also hobbles into view, tightly hugging a very young boy to her shoulder as she glances around fearfully.

"Mommy..." the little girl sobs, turning around and latching on to her Mother's leg.

"I-It's alright now" the woman soothes her daughter, her free hand gently rubbing the top of her daughter's head.

She looks between Kiyu and I with hesitation in her eyes, clearly uncertain whether her children are safe with us.

"...We're not interested in hurting you or your children" I inform the woman, trying not to feel annoyed with her. She's probably heard a lot of awful lies about the Minami and aside from that, she obviously just wants to keep her two little kids safe.

I still can't help feeling a little impatient with her though. Kiyu just saved all of their lives, so she shouldn't look so distrustful of us.

"......Why would you help us?" the woman can't seem to stop herself from asking, to which Kiyu blinks a few times, seemingly surprised.

"We don't want innocent people to get hurt" my sister replies in her quiet voice, shrugging. "We don't even want this to be happening."

The woman turns her head towards the fighting at Kiyumi's gesture, her face twisting into one of distaste.

"....None of us want this either" the woman admits, now looking down at her two children. "Thank you for helping us. I don't know what I would have done if my children had....had....."

"It's alright" Kiyu smiles, tilting her head to the side and closing her eyes. "I'm glad we could help."

".......We know what it is like to lose loved ones in a needless war" Ace speaks up. "It is very painful."

"We're just trying to prevent that from happening here again" I conclude, suddenly feeling a little more optimistic about helping Kiyu save people.

To say we're trying to prevent the same heartbreak that all of the surviving Minami Clan members have experienced, in our own homeland, from happening to anyone else....Well it makes me feel a little more inclined to want to help.

I only hope the ones we save will appreciate it.

Third Person's POV

A kunai in each hand, Kakashi feels himself gritting his teeth tightly under his mask, glaring through the crowd of soldiers at Sirius.

Kakashi had seen Sirius arrive on the battlefield and he had also seen the evil man use his ability on one of his own men. That man had been the one to strike Shimei down, something that Kakashi had also witnessed, though he had been too busy defending Naruto and Sakura to be able to help.

Upon seeing Shimei, the one who had volunteered to kill Sirius, fall on the battlefield, Kakashi had decided that it no longer mattered who took the enemy leader down. All that mattered now what that his teammates didn't die.

Lady Tsunade was just going to have to understand.

Ducking as a man suddenly darts forwards and aims a kick at his head, Kakashi spins around and sweeps the man's grounded leg out from under him.

One thing the Jonin hadn't expected, was for Sirius to be able to control so many people at once. Kakashi didn't feel intimidated by the crowd in front of him though. Killing all of them would be easy.

Keeping all of them alive was another story.

Some of the men had been apologising while attacking Kakashi, whilst one or two had even had tears in their eyes.

It was clear to Kakashi that these men did not want to give their lives for Sirius. Judging by conversation Kakashi had overheard as he led his team into the village, most of the soldiers here only fought for Sirius to keep their families safe.

Killing them was too cruel. But killing their Leader....

Kakashi pauses, seeing that, behind the crowd of soldiers, Sirius' gaze seems to be fixed elsewhere all of the sudden. Confused by the scowl now replacing the man's smug smirk, Kakashi turns his head to follow Sirius' line of sight.

The Jonin feels his chest tighten, spotting Ashley in the distance, riding on Ace's back. He sees his young student look over, her tired expression contorting into one of anger, as she bares her sharp teeth and narrows her eyes in Sirius' direction.

Quickly looking back to Sirius, just in time to see him raise his arm and open his mouth, Kakashi launches himself forwards.

"Keep your eyes on me!" the Jonin demands, incensed. Sirius's neck wrenches around as Kakashi flings both kunai towards him, before pressing both palms together.

Two men leap in front of Sirius, blocking him from Kakashi's view and easily deflecting the knives.

"Lightning Blade!" Kakashi calls out, bright blue electricity immediately beginning to spark around his right hand.

The silver haired man ploughs through the crowd of soldiers as they all rush to protect Sirius against their will, though he tries his best not to hit any vital areas.

Having seen the pure hatred in Sirius' eyes as he had glared down at Ashley, Kakashi felt that familiar anger burn inside of him. An anger that almost made him unable to think and unable to hear, like a roaring wave crashing over him.

It was a fury that he had experienced many times in his life, when those he loved had been torn away from him one by one over the years. It made Kakashi want to destroy everything.

He was not going to allow Sirius to lay one hand on his student. On any of his precious students.

Unable to hear anything beside the pulsing of his own blood in his ears, Kakashi moves through the crowd of attacking soldiers with an ease that he had not been experiencing earlier.

While he knows they aren't, the men around him seem to move in slow motion, allowing Kakashi to kick, punch and fling them out of his way. The Jonin barely feels it as a number of shuriken hit him in the back, sinking into his flesh and lodging themselves there, as he drops to one knee and performs a long, but swift, set of hand signs.

"Water Style" Kakashi growls, sucking in a breath, "Water Dragon Missile!"

Leaning forwards, Kakashi exhales a powerful jet stream of water that immediately morphs into the shape of a huge dragon.

The silver haired man leaps to his feet and gives chase, as the dragon releases a thunderous roar and rockets forwards, hitting each opposing soldier with the force of a tsunami.

Seeing that Kakashi is likely going to reach him, Sirius smirks at the incoming Jonin and raises both hands towards the sky.

If his Kekkei Genkai wasn't going to work, then Sirius knew of at least one weakness this powerful enemy had, and he was going to expose it.

Thunder rumbles overhead, as clouds quickly begin to form, streaks of lightning flashing across the sky.

Sirius eyes Kakashi intently, his smirk broadening as he gets closer and closer, the water dragon blasting Sirius' men in every direction. It didn't matter to Sirius how many of his men died, as long as all that opposed him died and he could finally claim this land as his own.

"Lightning Style" Sirius calls out, Kakashi now leaping forwards, electricity sparking around his hand again, "Redirection Strike!"

Immediately, a huge bolt of lightning flashes down from the sky and hits Sirius' hands. As soon as the blast hits him, Sirius changes his stance and throws his arms out to the right, the lightning traveling down his arms and firing from his palms in a new direction.

Kakashi's eyes widen at this movement, ceasing his own Jutsu and skidding to a halt right in front of Sirius, as he spins around.

"No!" the Jonin cries out, the white lightning blasting across the battlefield and heading straight for Ashley.

"Thanks for the help Sasuke" Ashley says sincerely, sweat dropping.

"Hn" the Uchiha smirks back, standing with his back to Ashley. "That's twice I've saved you now."

"Almost makes up for the two hundred times I've saved you" Ashley chuckles tiredly.

While she and Kiyu had been moving around trying to save trapped villagers, they had been attacked by soldiers.

It was taking all of Ashley's remaining energy just to be able to assist with putting out fires, so she hadn't been in a position to defend anyone, and Ace didn't want to jump into the fray seeing as he had a weak and injured Ashley riding on his back.

While Keilor had been able to repel one attack, his chakra was running far too low for him to be of much assistance anymore and Kiyu had been in the middle of moving debris.

Luckily for all of them, Sasuke had been keeping an eye on the small rescue party and had decided to come over and defend them.

While Ashley really did appreciate her cousin's help, she could only hope that she wasn't going to have to hear about this afterwards. If he bragged about saving her even once, she was going to knock him into next week!

"Alright Ley-chan" Kiyumi says with a nod, sounding tired. "Go for it."

Dropping her shaking arms, Ashley watches as the water that had been floating over the burning building falls, dowsing the flames almost immediately.

Smoke billows high into the dark sky, stinging the eyes and noses of everyone standing around the building, as Kiyumi pauses for a moment.

Brows furrowing slightly, the girl drops into a crouch and presses both palms against the ground, before sighing.

"It feels like the middle part of this house collapsed" Kiyumi explains, standing in front of the house and raising her arms. "I'm going to have to lift the front half of this house to be able to free them."

"I can help" Ashley offers, though she is not entirely sure that she can at this point.

Even something as simple as holding a small amount of water up in the air was proving to be painful.

"It's alright" Kiyumi says, giving her sister a quick smile. "It's mostly made from stone, so I can lift it."

That said, Kiyumi closes her eyes and takes a few deep breaths, before slowly beginning to raise her arms.

Ashley watches on with admiration, as the house begins to creak and shake. Small pieces of stone trickle to the earth as the building slowly begins to rise into the air. It creaks and cracks loudly, as Kiyumi separates some of the stone walls from the foundation and raises them up into the air.

Cracking one eye open, a trembling Kiyumi glances at Ashley.

"C-Can you see them?"

Ace moves closer to the building, allowing both himself and Ashley to peer inside.

"There Milady" Ace points out, his ears sticking up straight when he notices some movement.

Cowering beneath the remains of a table, Ashley sees a little girl peeking out at them, tears spilling from her eyes.

"Hey-"

Ashley is cut off by the sound of a thunderous boom, something that causes her head to whip around. Her eyes widen, as something white flashes towards her, its searing heat only able to be felt for a second, before it disappears right past her.

"What was that?!" Ashley cries out, only to freeze when she sees Kiyumi crumple to the ground in a heap, blood spilling from her torso.

Before Ashley can react to the horrific and confusing sight of her bloodied sister, the pieces of the house that Kiyumi had raised into the air come falling back down to the ground with a shattering crash.

A large plume of dust spreads out along the ground like a wave, covering everyone close to it in a white cast.

"Ashley, are you-" Sasuke cuts himself off, having spun around in alarm, only to see Kiyumi lying in the dirt.

Ashley stares down at her sister with round eyes, her whole body beginning to tremble at the sight before her.

She didn't know what had happened. Whatever it was, had happened in a mere millisecond. And whatever it was, it had blasted right through her sister.

"Kiyu?...." Ashley whispers, tears filling her eyes.

Kiyumi lies strewn on the ground, her eyes closed and blood spilling from the gaping wound in the middle of her stomach. Her limbs flop limply, as if they have been broken.

"Kiyu?...." Ashley asks again, her voice strained.

Keilor too, stares in silent stupor, horrified and frozen in place as he looks down at the mangled body of his beloved Kiyumi.

Ashley, shaking violently, leans over and slides down to the ground. Still barely able to stand, Ashley falls heavily to her knees, though she doesn't feel the pain at all.

In fact, Ashley can't feel anything anymore. No pain, no fatigue. Not even the warmth of her own body.

Her unblinking eyes still focused on her sister, Ashley crawls towards Kiyumi's body and reaches out, hesitating when her fingertips are about to touch the girl's hair.

"K-Kiyu....." Ashley sobs, her tears now overflowing. "Kiyumi!"

"Kiyu!" Keilor is finally able to call out, diving towards his partner and nuzzling in as close as he can, his cheek rubbing against her forehead. "Kiyumi....No, no.....Not my Kiyumi....."

Keilor lifts his head, tears spilling from his eyes as he looks to a sorrowful Ace.

"Ace my man" Keilor cries pitifully, his ears laid back and his eyes squeezing closed. "What am I gonna d-do without my....without my Kiyumi?"

"Keilor...." Ace trails off, his head hanging, as he sits behind Ashley and watches on.

"She's not dead!" Ashley snaps, pressing her palms over Kiyumi's wound. "I can save her!"

"Milady" Ace begins, "You do not have the chakra to-"

"I can heal her!" Ashley shouts desperately, struggling with all of her might to focus chakra into her hands. "Come on! I can do this!"

Sasuke stands over his cousin, watching as she shouts angry encouragements at herself, frantically willing her body to produce enough chakra to heal her sister. The Uchiha feels a painful sting in his chest at the sight of Ashley crying so pathetically over Kiyumi's body. If he didn't know any better, he would think he was looking at himself, crying over the bodies of his Mother and Father.

"Come on!" Ashley screams, clenching her hands into fists and glaring at them, barely able to see through her tears. "What the hell is wrong with me?! Kiyumi, I'm gonna save you! Just hang on!"

"Where is Sakura?" Ace asks, looking to Sasuke. "Bring her here immediately. Milady needs chakra."

"Sakura?" Sasuke repeats, confused.

"Fang!" Keilor suddenly calls out, leaping to his feet. "Ace, help me out!"

Throwing his head back, Keilor lets out a resounding howl. The grey Wolf knew that Fang would be tired, especially after healing Shimei, but he didn't care right now. He would do anything to make sure that his sweet, kind Kiyumi was alright. He couldn't lose her.

Not needing to be asked twice, Ace also raises his head to the sky and lets out a howl. For his beloved Ashley's sake, he hoped that Fang, or even one of the other Wolves would be able to hear the two of them howling.

If the message could get back to Fang, then maybe, maybe she could save Kiyumi.

Running out of breath, Ace and Keilor both cease their howling and raise their ears, searching for a reply. They both listen with bated breaths for what seems like ages, only for the two Wolves to look to each other when they hear a howl of reply in the distance.

"Fang is on her way Kiyu" Keilor informs his partner, tail wagging. "She'll be able to help you....."

Feeling discouraged by his partner's silence, Keilor's excitement fades, and he drops back down to lie next to Kiyumi. He rests one paw on her shoulder, his cheek on her forehead. Not wanting her to be cold, Keilor flicks his tail up over Kiyumi's legs.

Listening as another howl is heard, closer now, Ace releases an almost inaudible sigh of relief.

Not only was Fang coming, but Rei and Kai were escorting her to their location. Everything would be fine once the black Wolf got here and healed Kiyumi. Then Ashley would be alright.

"Milady, Rei and Kai are also- Milady?"

Ace interrupts himself, as Ashley slowly rises to her feet, glaring at something straight ahead.

'How is she standing?' Ace wonders, only to notice that Ashley's bloodied hands have clenched into tight fists, her entire body trembling.

"Look at him" Ashley hisses in a sharp tone.

"Look at who?" Sasuke asks, slowly turning to see what Ashley is glaring at.

Confused, Sasuke follows Ashley's line of sight, his Sharingan eyes flicking around as he tries to search for whatever his cousin is talking about.

After a few moments, in the distance, Sasuke spots Sirius. The man stares over in their direction with an emotionless expression. Ahead of him, as if the man had been running towards them, Sasuke also notices Kakashi staring at them, his eyes wide.

Glancing back at Sirius, Sasuke can't help the way his brows furrow, as the man breaks into a smirk. Seeing the way Sirius' eyes are fixed on the small group, Sasuke gets the sneaking suspicion that the smirk is somewhat victorious, as if he had accomplished something.

As Sasuke turns to say something to Ashley, chakra suddenly flares around the girl's body, sending out a wave of burning hot energy. Sasuke throws his hands up in front of his face and stumbles back from Ashley, as Ace leaps to his feet in alarm.

Black chakra quickly envelopes Ashley's body, her hair blowing up in the air and her infuriated eyes wide and focused directly ahead of her. Her sharp teeth, elongating as the chakra bubbles around her body, are bared in an aggressive growl, her nails expanding into claws.

"Milady, no!" Ace calls out, watching as two tails begin to form in the chakra behind Ashley. "Do not use his power!"

As if she is unable to hear him, Ashley ignores Ace's pleas. She hadn't intentionally given control over to Hakuba, but the sight of her sister's body, dead or not, had finally snapped what little emotional stability Ashley still had.

After everything that had happened during this visit to her homeland, Ashley finally felt as if she had lost control of herself, and Hakuba planned to make good use of her fragility.

The tailed beast didn't have full control at this stage of course, but with every passing second, more of his chakra was released into Ashley's body. It was only a matter of time before he would be completely released....

"K-Kiyumi....." Ashley mutters, sounding as if she is in pain. Tilting her head down, Ashley sees the unconscious face of her wonderful sister, as well as the fear filled and sorrowful eyes of Keilor.

"Tch...." Ashley grunts, before dropping down to all fours, now back to glowering at Sirius.

Ashley was going to rub that smug smirk off his face. Permanently.

"Milady!" Ace pleads desperately, leaping to Ashley's side and crouching down to look her in the face. "The beast is not your friend! He will not help you! Please do not-"

Not allowing Ace to finish his sentence, Ashley launches herself forwards, racing across the ground at a much faster pace than she could usually manage.

Her eyes, wild and angry, are locked onto Sirius. The man watches as she approaches, the smirk slowly fading from his face as she approaches him at speed.

He hadn't cared which of the two Minami girls he hit with his Jutsu earlier, as he knew the death of either one of them would infuriate and hurt his enemies. He hadn't expected the surviving sister to attack him head on though.

"Men" Sirius laughs, unperturbed by Ashley's changed appearance. "Give your lives for your leader."

"B-But Lord Sirius" one man begins to object, before his body suddenly lurches forwards against his will, making him run towards the incoming Minami.

"Ashley!" Kakashi calls out, whirling around as the girl races past him without so much as a glance in his direction. "....This is bad."

Knowing that he won't be able to talk Ashley out of this situation, Kakashi begins looking around, searching the crowd for two particular people. He really didn't want to pit anyone against Ashley right now, and while he could fight her himself, Kakashi knew she would hate him forever if he stopped her with force.

"Get out of my way!" Ashley screeches, her voice deeper than usual thanks to Hakuba's influence.

She pulls one arm back and throws it forwards, causing the black chakra around her hand to extend forwards. Its clawed fingers slam into numerous soldiers and rake through their skin, before flinging them away as if they were mere flies.

Sirius' eyes widen at this and, as Ashley draws closer to him, the man places his palms together.

"Lightning Style" the man growls, throwing both hands out towards Ashley, "Thunderbolt!"

A sharp bolt of lightning blasts away from Sirius' palms, colliding with Ashley's chest in a mere second. As her body lights up with electricity, Ashley brings one arm forwards and swats at the beam, abruptly cutting it off as if it were nothing.

Sirius' eyes widen slightly as Ashley leaps at him with a roar. Using the chakra surrounding her body, Ashley slams one hand down onto Sirius, only for him to leap backwards out of the way and begin running in the opposite direction.

Ashley's chakra claws hit the earth, shattering it and sending small mounds of dirt flying in every direction. She doesn't wait however, immediately giving chase to Sirius.

"You little monster" Sirius chides, glancing back over his shoulder as he runs, dodging around Ashley's repeating attacks. "You Minami are nothing but pests!"

The chakra around Ashley's body darkens as her anger grows, more of Hakuba's power seeping into her body. Now completely opaque, the burning chakra blocks Ashley from view, the eyes of her chakra cloak burning a bright red.

With two tails fully formed and a third almost complete, Ashley lets out a deafening roar. Chakra visibly begins to gather in front of the girl's mouth, forming into the shape of a ball.

After a few seconds, Ashley sends the ball of dense chakra shooting straight towards Sirius. The man, sensing the incoming attack, is too fast however and manages to dodge.

The chakra ball collides with a row of buildings and creates a huge explosion that sends debris and fire flying in all directions. Everyone on the battlefield braces themselves as a wave of energy emits from the blast, stinging at everyone's skin.

"I have never seen Milady lose control so quickly" Ace states out loud, in despair at the sight of his beloved partner. "She must be in so much pain."

"What is that power?!" Sasuke demands to know, his eyes wide with shock. "Is that something that Orochimaru did to her?!"

Ace ignores Sasuke's question, though he does give the boy a sidelong glance.

"Milady would be very disappointed to hear such a question from the likes of you boy" the Wolf comments, confusing Sasuke even further.

"Ace dear!" a voice calls out, catching the Wolf's attention.

Much to Ace's relief, he sees Rei charging towards him, with Kai and Fang running side by side behind her.

"My love" Ace mumbles, closing his eyes as Rei collides with his chest, snuggling into him and sniffling.

"Kiyumi!" Fang exclaims, horrified. "Oh no, this is terrible....And with Ashley behaving like that...."

"I'll protect you" Kai informs the black Wolf, standing with his back to her, eyes focused on Ashley in the distance. "Just focus on what you have to do."

"R-Right" Fang agrees, turning back to Kiyumi and placing both paws on the girl. "It's alright Keilor. I'm here to help."

"You're wonderful Fang" Keilor says softly, not moving from his position lying next to Kiyumi. "Please....please save my Kiyu...."

"Dear" Rei addresses, only to flinch as another huge explosion rips through the air. ".....Dear, how can we help Lady Ashley?"

"This is really bad...." Kai murmurs. "Three tails already?"

"I've never seen it go this far" Rei adds solemnly.

"What is going on?" Sasuke asks again, frustrated. "Is she alright?"

".....No" Ace responds, his heart pounding. "I......do not know what can be done. This is unchartered territory."

"Will she stop once she gets that Sirius guy?" Kai wonders out loud, wincing a little at the sound of a third monstrous explosion.

People scream as they are flung into the air or burned by the chakra from Ashley's attack, the night sky briefly lighting up as if it were daytime.

".....I do not think Milady is in control anymore" Ace says, sounding forlorn.

Sasuke glares at all of the Wolves, annoyed that they seem to be purposefully avoiding his questions.

What was this sudden power that Ashley had? How could it be so strong that she couldn't even control it properly?

Had Orochimaru been the reason she obtained such power?

"Shikamaru, Ino!" Kakashi calls out, finally locating the young Ninja. "Come with me!"

"Huh?" Ino squeaks, sitting on the ground and leaning back on her hands.

"What for?" Shikamaru asks hesitantly, standing beside Asuma.

"I need your help to stop Ashley" Kakashi informs them vaguely, to which both Ninja freeze, their eyes widening.

"Why would we stop her?" Ino questions. "She's gonna finally kill that bad guy."

"Ashley isn't able to control her power right now" Kakashi explains hurriedly, wanting to just help his student. "Even if she kills him, I don't think she'll be able to stop."

The small group of Ninja all turn around, only to see Sirius launching a volley of lightning bolts at Ashley. They hit her in quick succession, all directly to the face and chest. As clouds of smoke from the small explosions hide Ashley from view, she lets out a roar that immediately disperses the smoke. She throws her head back, another ball of chakra forming in front of her mouth.

Now sweating from fatigue and a little bit of fear at what is before him, Sirius whirls around and breaks into a run again. For the time being, he could out speed the beast that was relentlessly attacking him, but none of his attacks seemed to be slowing it down in the slightest.

Everyone on the battlefield, Ninja, soldier and villager alike, all stand in silent shock as they watch the strange beast and Sirius fight against each other. With the man having to focus so much on avoiding Ashley's attacks, all of the soldiers that had been under Sirius' control had finally been freed from the ability.

"Are you crazy?!" Ino shrieks, leaping to her feet. "Look at what she's doing! We'll be killed!"

"I'm not going anywhere near that" Shikamaru agrees, sweat dropping.

"If we don't help her, she'll die" Kakashi states harshly, words that cause both Ino and Shikamaru to pause.

"Kakashi" Asuma addresses warily, a warning look in his eyes. "Don't drag my students into any unnecessary danger."

"My student is in more danger than anyone else here" Kakashi replies in a cool tone, not wanting to snap at Asuma. "I believe that Shikamaru and Ino have the power to stop Ashley's rampage, before anyone besides Sirius gets hurt. Or worse."

Ino and Shikamaru exchange worried looks with each other, before the Nara heaves a sigh.

"Alright" he agrees, rubbing the back of his neck. "But I'm almost out of chakra, so it'll have to be quick."

"A-Ashley's my friend" Ino says, wringing her hands. "If I can help.....then I will!"

"And how exactly are you going to catch Ashley?" Asuma asks pointedly, raising his chin in the beast's direction. "You might be able to match that speed Kakashi, but my students can't."

"....Perhaps I can be of assistance" a voice speaks up, causing the group to turn around.

They are met with the sight of a very serious Chief Dashi, Arelle by his side.

"I don't have the chakra to catch up to my Granddaughter" Dashi says, "But I can carry the two younger ones over with my Katsuryoku."

Kakashi, Ino, Shikamaru and Asuma all stare at Dashi, uncertain about his offer.

The older man smiles a little, a saddened look in his fuchsia eyes.

"I understand the gravity of this situation better than anyone" Dashi explains quietly, his hands balling into fists. "I won't allow my Granddaughter to suffer in the same way that my wife did......I will not lose my Granddaughter to this curse as well."

Kakashi stares into Dashi's face for a few seconds, processing what the man had just said. While he had no knowledge of the situation, was Dashi insinuating that his wife had also been the Ten Tails Jinchuuriki? Had she died after losing control of the demon as well?

"We would appreciate your help sir" Kakashi finally responds, to which Dashi sends him a small smile.

"With me young Ninja" Dashi advises, using his Katsuryoku to lift a section of earth into the air.

"......Asuma Sensei?" Ino asks, her voice shaking as she looks to him.

"You can do it kid" the man assures her with a wink, placing one hand on her head. "Both of you, make your Sensei proud."

"What is going on?!" Kiba shouts, ducking his head as a ball of chakra shoots right over his head and collides with a building near him. "Shit!"

Throwing himself over Shino's body, Kiba shields his injured teammate from a shower of dirt and rubble, as well as the intense blast of residual chakra.

Akamaru, riding inside Kiba's jacket for protection, whimpers at the sound of the explosion.

"Hey you!" Kiba calls out, spotting Atsui not too far away from him.

The green haired boy, sitting on Tsumetai's back, glances back at Kiba in annoyance, beads of sweat on his face.

"What's happening right now?" Kiba demands to know. "What is that thing? Is it one of your Wolves?!"

"It's not a Wolf you idiot!" Atsui barks back, only to pause, seemingly troubled. "Well....not technically anyway...."

"What are you talking about?!" Kiba shouts. "It either is or it isn't!"

"It's not a Wolf" Atsui sighs, looking back towards the rampaging beast. "........It's Ashley."

"What?" Kiba asks, dumbfounded. Looking down, he quickly checks to make sure that Shino is alright, before raising his head to look back at the beast chasing after Sirius.

How could that monstrous thing be Ashley? As far as Kiba was aware, she didn't have any abilities like that. Unless....

Kiba scowls as he watches Sirius blast the beast with a powerful lightning strike, though it seems to have no effect.

Was that the result of one of those awful experiments Orochimaru had done on Ashley? If so, it would make sense why she had lost control of herself....

"We have to help her" Kiba decides, only to hear Atsui scoff.

"There's nothing we can do" the green haired boy states. ".....I don't know how we can fix this."

"There has to be something that we can- Ahh!"

Kiba grabs onto Shino's shoulders and scrambles backwards, just as Kakashi races past him, with Ino, Shikamaru and Chief Dashi right on his tail, riding on what looks to be a large mound of earth that has been ripped out of the ground.

"Kakashi Sensei?" Kiba asks, blinking.

"Hey!" a voice calls out, causing both Kiba and Atsui to turn their heads.

A breathless Naruto runs over to the two boys and bends over, resting his hands on his knees as he pants heavily.

"You alright Naruto?" Kiba asks, tilting his head.

"Did I hear you right?" the blonde asks, trying to catch his breath. "That thing is Ashley-chan?"

"That's what this guy is saying, yeah" Kiba confirms, glancing back at beast as it seems to notice Kakashi.

"...It looks kinda familiar" Naruto mutters, straightening up. His blue eyes waver at the sight of his friend. He didn't know what was wrong with her, but all Naruto knew was that his good friend needed help.

And he didn't shy away from helping his friends.

"Hey, wait!" Kiba shouts, as Naruto breaks into a run and chases after Kakashi. "Dammit!"

Feeling frustrated, Kiba glances down at Shino's unconscious form. He wanted to go and help Ashley too, but he couldn't just leave Shino here...

'A fourth tail is forming' Kakashi thinks urgently to himself, placing his hands together. 'We have to end this now...'

"Do you guys understand the plan?" Kakashi calls back to Ino and Shikamaru, though he keeps his eyes ahead, seeing that Ashley has turned to look at him.

"Yeah...." Ino responds, absolutely no confidence in her voice.

"What a pain" Shikamaru complains, sweat dropping at the sight of the beast up ahead. How could someone like him stop something like that?!

Kakashi was insane.

"Alright" Kakashi mutters to himself, increasing his speed.

Instead of running directly into Ashley, Kakashi continues moving in a straight line, intending to cut her off instead. The Jonin hoped to get between her and Sirius, draw her attention and hopefully get her to stop running for just long enough....

Kakashi watches carefully as Sirius changes direction when Ashley lashes out and swipes at him, the man frowning at Kakashi as he runs by.

"Alright Ashley" Kakashi murmurs, skidding to a halt and turning to face the incoming beast head on. "Work with me here."

Ashley slides to a stop only metres away from Kakashi, red eyes focused on the man as she opens her jaws wide, another ball of chakra forming. Three tails flick backwards and forwards behind the beast, a fourth mid-way through forming as well.

"Now Chief!" Kakashi urges, wanting to end this before Ashley can cause anymore destruction.

Floating high above Kakashi and Ashley, Chief Dashi holds one hand up above his head, only for a huge fireball to suddenly form in his palm. It flares up with a loud fwoosh, casting a bright red glow across the sky.

Standing on the ground at a safe distance away from Ashley, Shikamaru drops down to one knee and places his fingers together.

Thanks to the light of Dashi's fire, Shikamaru is able to get his shadow to stretch across the ground. It merges with the shadow being cast from the earth Dashi is floating on, before stretching even further and connecting to Ashley's shadow.

The beast immediately lets out a roar upon being caught, the chakra ball dissipating into thin air before it can be fired.

"Hurry Ino!" Shikamaru grunts, sweat rapidly forming on his brow. "There's no way I can hold this!"

"R-Right!" Ino responds, jumping forwards and holding her arms out. She laces the tips of her fingers together and catches Ashley in her view.

All she had to do, was catch Ashley and deactivate whatever power she was using. It should only take a second!

"Ninja Art: Mind Transfer Jutsu!" Ino cries out, activating her Jutsu.

As Ino's mind is send into Ashley's body, the blonde girl's own body crumples to the ground with a thud.

"D-Did it work?" Shikamaru wonders, struggling to keep his Shadow Possession Jutsu going. "Ashley's still fighting me so much."

Within mere seconds of Ino transferring into Ashley's mind, Ino's teal eyes pop wide open and the girl sits boltright up, screaming in terror.

"Ino?!" Shikamaru shouts in fright, almost accidentally cancelling his Jutsu.

"There is some horrifying monster in there!" Ino cries, hiding her face behind her hands, her body trembling. "It tried to kill me! I don't know what's going on, but I can't beat that!"

"Calm down Ino!" Kakashi calls, still standing in front of Ashley, though he feels a little defeated at this point. "There might be another way...."

Kakashi looks to Ashley with guilt, as the beast tries to struggle and thrash against Shikamaru's Shadow Possession.

"Make it quick Kakashi Sensei!" Shikamaru calls out, his voice strained.

"....I'm sorry Ashley" Kakashi apologies. "I didn't want to have to try using my Sharing-"

"Ashley-chan!" Naruto shouts, leaping at the demon and wrapping his arms around one of its chakra coated arms.

Ashley's POV

I'm in pain.

I'm crying and I'm in so much pain.

I feel freezing cold air all around me, as burning hot liquid rushes around my knees. Both sensations sting at my skin, but neither of them are the cause of the pain that I feel.

Kneeling in a pool of black water, I take my hands away from my face and look down at them.

I can't see my hands. It's too dark in here.

I can feel that my hands are wet though. I think it's from my tears, but I'm not sure.

I turn my head and look around, but I can't see anything.

I'm all alone.

Feeling that I am shaking, I hug myself and grip onto the tops of my arms. I'm crying again.

Where am I?

Why do I feel so lonely?

Why am I alone?

"It hurts" I barely manage to say, my voice nothing but a whisper.

I can hardly hear my own words over the sound of the rushing water.

It's up to my neck now. Soon, I'm going to drown in it.

I can't move though. My body feels heavy.....

I close my eyes as the water reaches my chin, tears dripping down my cheeks.

I don't remember why I'm crying anymore. And I don't know why I'm in so much pain.

My body feels numb and yet, everything hurts.

Is it my heart?

"My heart hurts...." I mutter, half opening my eyes.

Ahead of me, I see two glowing red orbs. They flicker in the darkness, and they scare me.

Evil.

"Pathetic" a deep voice murmurs. "You're the one who reached out to me and now you can't even remember why."

"Why...." I repeat. I want to look away from the red orbs, but I can't move.

"How easy" the voice chuckles. "I didn't even have to convince you this time. And you accepted more power than you could handle. At this rate, I'll be free in no time at all."

'Free...' I think to myself, unable to speak, as the water rises past my mouth.

"It won't be long" the voice taunts me, "And you'll have drowned in my power. But look at the bright side brat. You'll be able to see your family again once you're dead."

'Family?' I wonder, closing my eyes as the water reaches them. 'My...family......'

I can't breathe.

I can't move.

This water is too heavy. I'm still in pain.

I hear the voice laughing at me.

My family......

I crack my eyes open, unable to see in the darkness that surrounds me. Even the red orbs are gone now.

My....sister....

My sister.

My sister.

I open my eyes all the way now, suddenly remembering.

I did this for my sister.

I wanted to save her.

And....

I wanted to kill the man that hurt her. But I was too weak.

Hakuba.....

In a situation like that, his power was like a siren song. It was the only way I could protect her.

She can't die. Not now that we're back together again.

I suddenly choke, my throat burning.

I can't breathe in here.

I'm drowning.

In water? In darkness?

I don't know, but it hurts....

"......ley..."

I grab at my throat. My lungs are burning.

"....Ashley......."

A voice? Is it him again?

"Ashley!"

I gasp.

The voice is right next to me.

I turn my head, but there's no one there.

I blink, and as I open my eyes, the darkness has disappeared.

Everything is blue.

Everything is calm.

I am no longer burning.

I feel my body grow light as I begin to float. I rise to the surface and inhale deeply.

I am no longer drowning.

I am able to lift my head. The sky is clear and cool.

I am no longer in darkness.

"Ashley!"

The voice is right next to me again.

I feel a presence. It is warm......and comforting....

I am no longer alone.

I let out a gasp as I open my eyes. I sit boltright up, my eyes wide.

My body feels like it's on fire.

"Ashley-chan!" a voice calls to me, right next to my ear.

I turn my head, only to find myself looking into the concerned blue eyes of my friend, Naruto.

"Thank goodness" the blonde sighs with relief, swiping one hand across his forehead. "I didn't know if you were dead or not!"

I feel my brows furrow slightly.

Why are his hands burned?

I find myself staring into Naruto's eyes, a familiar feeling of calmness and warmth flowing through me.

What is it about him? Everything about him says one thing.

Safety.

"A-Ashley-chan?" Naruto stutters, seeing that my eyes have filled with tears. "Are you-"

"Naruto" I whisper, reaching up and wrapping my arms around the blonde's neck. I hug him tightly, closing my eyes and burying my face in his shoulder. "Thank you...."

I feel Naruto pause as I hold onto him, my grip tightening. After his initial surprise at my reaction to him, I feel Naruto hug me back, his warmth and kindness enveloping me.

I hadn't meant to lose control like that and it had been scary....To be inside my own mind not know what's going on...I've never experienced that before.

When I saw Kiyu lying there like that, I just lost all sense of rationality and took hold of Hakuba's seal. I saw red.

In that moment, I didn't care what it cost me or how I did it, I just wanted to avenge my sister.

My kind, lovely little sister.....

Hakuba, like the monster he is, had taken advantage of me. Though I suppose it shouldn't come as a shock. He has often said that he will take advantage of my emotional fragility if given the opportunity.

Naruto allows me to hold on to him for as long as I need, only releasing me when I take my arms away from his neck.

"What was that for Ashley-chan?" he asks quietly, smiling at me.

"You're a good friend Naruto" I say sincerely, returning his soft smile with my own. "Sometimes I wonder if the universe brought me to you on purpose."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asks, sounding confused.

"Nothing" I chuckle to myself, feeling a little embarrassed. "All I know is, I need you way more than you need me."

Naruto tilts his head at this, a question mark above his head.

I can't bring myself to explain it to him but....I've never felt such affection for someone who wasn't my family before. Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke and Kakashi Sensei....

Although I suppose Sasuke does count as family. After all those years of pain and feeling as if I was drowning in my own misery, the universe brought me to people like my team.

I strongly believe that nothing else could have saved me. And I'll never tell them, but I am eternally grateful for them all.

"Ahh....." I groan, leaning back a little, as I finally notice the intense pain wracking my whole body.

"Are you alright Ashley-chan?" Naruto asks, worried.

"I uh, I don't think so" I reply, sweat dropping. "It seems like I still have the fatigue and injuries from earlier, but now my skin feels like its burning too..."

"That's because you were covered in a cloak of chakra" Kakashi Sensei informs me, stepping into my view, his hands in his pockets and his head tilted. "I'm surprised you're conscious to be honest."

"Cloak of chakra?" I repeat, slowly realising. I glance at Naruto awkwardly, before looking back to my Sensei. "How many-"

"Four" Kakashi Sensei interrupts me, knowing that I don't want my demon's power to be revealed to the others.

"Four?!" I exclaim, my eyes widening in horror. "Four! How could I do that?! I'm such an idiot...."

I press the palms of my hands against my closed eyes, berating myself for being so stupid as to let Hakuba release four tails.

".....Did I kill anyone?" I ask monotonously, hesitant to know.

"I'm not sure yet" Kakashi Sensei replies honestly. "It's possible."

"How did you guys stop me?" I laugh humourlessly, dropping my hands and staring at the ground.

"Kakashi Sensei worked really hard to stop you before you could hurt any of us" Naruto informs me brightly, confused by the conversation, but not wanting to dwell on it. "He got Ino, Shikamaru and the old guy to help too."

I stare up at Kakashi Sensei through half lidded eyes. He looks back at me, curious as the why I'm staring, only for me to let out a low chuckle.

"You're as reliable as ever Sensei" I inform him, to which he smiles and nods.

"That's my job as your teacher."

I can't help thinking back to my earlier train of thought, that I need my team far more than they need me. How many times Kakashi Sensei has had to support me, I've lost count at this point.

"I'm glad to see you're well Ashley" my Grandfather addresses me, as he, Arelle, Ino and Shikamaru float down to us on a large mound of earth.

Shikamaru looks a bit blue in the face, as he lies down with his arms out and breathes heavily. Ino on the other hand is staring at me with large eyes, thoroughly concerned about something.

".....I'm sorry for causing trouble like that Grandfather" I apologise, feeling ashamed of myself. "I should know better."

"You're only young Ashley" my Grandfather reminds me, smiling kindly. "Control will come in time."

"I'm beat" Shikamaru complains. "That was the biggest drag ever. Whatever that was Ashley, please don't do it again."

"Right, I'm sorry Shika-kun" I say, feeling bad for him. I suppose he had to capture me with his Jutsu, but I can only imagine how difficult that had been for him....

"Uh, Ashley?" Ino asks, seemingly uncertain about addressing something. "So, I used my Mind Transfer Jutsu on you and um....Well I'm just wondering if you're actually alright, because there was this terrifying monster in your mind! Is that normal for you?!"

I blink at this, feeling a little caught out. Ino used her Mind Transfer Jutsu on me when I was like that?

Poor Ino.

"Uh, no it's not" I lie. "Maybe it was just a side effect?"

Ino's mouth twists to the side, the blonde clearly unconvinced. I'm not about to offer any other solution however.

Suddenly, Kakashi Sensei looms in front of Naruto and I, his back facing us. Naruto automatically dives over me, as electricity sparks and something explodes with a loud crack right above our heads.

Peeking over Naruto's arm, I see electricity flashing around Kakashi Sensei's hand, as he uses his Lightning Blade to stop a blast of lightning from striking Naruto and I.

"Trying to hit an injured child when they're unprepared?" Kakashi taunts, standing protectively in front of me as Sirius appears ahead of us. "That's pretty low."

"That child seemed prepared enough before" Sirius sneers, a poisonous look in his eyes as he locks his gaze onto mine. "Might as well stop her from causing any more problems in the future."

"You'll have to get through me first" Kakashi Sensei warns Sirius in a low voice.

Naruto releases me and quickly scrambles to his feet, jumping up to stand beside Kakashi Sensei with his hands on his hips.

"Me too!" the blonde declares.

"Three against one won't be very fair" my Grandfather says, still smiling, though I can see the dangerous look in those usually kind eyes.

"I can easily take all three of you worthless cretins on!" Sirius boasts, throwing both hands into the air above his head. "Lightning Style: Redir-"

I can't help the squeak of fright that comes out of my mouth, as Sirius is abruptly consumed in a huge pillar of fire. The flames blaze high into the sky, roaring so loud, I have to cover my ears with my hands. I see Naruto doing the same thing in front of me, while Kakashi seems to be looking to our left.

Following his line of sight, I see Jet standing only a few metres away, with a furious looking Shimei sitting on his back. With both hands out in front of him, Shimei's eyes glow a bright red and his mouth is pulled down into a scowl.

It seems a little unusual to see him so fierce. He always came across as quite friendly and easy going.

Shimei allows his pillar of fire to continue burning for a full two minutes. I sit in silence the entire time, not looking away as Sirius writhes and screams, only to be reduced to a pile of useless ash at the base of the flames.

As Shimei lowers his arms, the glow fading from his eyes, he lets out a low breath. The flames immediately cease, sending us all into the darkness of night once again.

"Milady" Jet addresses, though he does not approach me. ".....Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm okay" I reply, smiling at the Wolf. I'm sure he knows that I'm not alright, but considering what could have happened, I'm okay.

Jet briefly closes his golden eyes in a silent sigh of relief, before he reopens them, the ghost of a smile on his face.

"Good job Shimei" my Grandfather praises, walking over to the younger Minami and placing one hand on his shoulder. "I was moments away from doing something similar."

"I promised to be the one to kill him" Shimei responds seriously, placing one hand on his stomach. "I don't want the Leaf Ninja to get into trouble."

"That's true" Grandfather agrees, a teasing tone to his voice. "We don't want to cause problems for our new friends."

"Dear" Arelle addresses me softly, sitting beside me. "I just thought you should know. Kiyumi-chan will live."

My eyes widen at this news, my heart beating loudly.

"She'll be alright?" I exclaim happily, my eyes filling with tears again. "Did you see into the future?"

"Yes" Arelle closes her eyes and smiles at me. "Her recovery will be long, but the main thing is that she will live."

"Thank goodness" is all I am able to say, as my tears begin to fall, despite my smile.

Okay two things.

One - I really wanted to show just how quickly things can happen in a large scale fight, so if certain things seem sudden, it was on purpose. Hopefully that came across as intended in the last two chapters.

Two - I know the writing style changed a bit for that first part of the second Ashley POV. I have to say though, I really like it. I enjoyed writing like that.

Thank you for reading :)