Just A Kid

"Kakashi-sensei!" someone shouted. Kakashi looked up from reading his book.

"Oh, Sasuke, where have you been?" Kakashi said calmly. Sasuke had to stop and catch his breath before he continued.

"Something's wrong with Araile! I don't know what's wrong with her, but she's been acting really strange! Before I ran over here, Araile just ran towards the middle of the forest" Sasuke said all in one breath. Kakashi's eye widens.

"Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura! You three stay here,” Kakashi said suddenly as he stood up.

"What? Why! We want to come too!" Naruto and Sakura said at the same time.

"No. It’s way too risky for you three to come along. I have to go by myself" Kakashi said, now very serious.

"Grr! Kakashi-sensei, why do we have to stay here? We can help!" Naruto shouted again.

"Yeah, Kakashi-sensei! We want to help Araile with you!" Sakura added. Sasuke just stayed silent.

"You guys can't come with me,” Kakashi repeated. "Anyways, you don't know Araile like I do" Kakashi said as he continued walking. That comment just got Naruto even angrier.

"Kakashi-sensei is right. We shouldn't go with him,” Sasuke suddenly said.

"Sasuke-kun, what do you mean?" Sakura said.

"I mean that Kakashi-sensei has known her for her for 7 years. I've only known her for 5 years. You and Naruto have only known Araile for about 3 days" Sasuke concluded. Sakura nodded her head in understanding. Naruto just looked dumb-founded. The group watched as their sensei disappeared into the darkness of the forest.

"Now, where to go?" Kakashi said to himself as he looked around. "Ah, this way" he said as he changed direction. Finally, after what seemed like hours of walking, Kakashi found himself at the entrance of a shrine. "Now why would Araile go into a place like this?" Kakashi asked himself as he studied some marks all along side of the entrance. Suddenly, a small light flew around Kakashi's head and landed on his nose.

Kakashi's eye widened in surprise as the small light suddenly giggled and grew even brighter. As the light dimmed, Kakashi was no longer looking at a light, but a small fairy. The fairy giggled again and curtsied. Her hair was light blue and was shoulder length. Her small silver wings fluttered as she flew off again. The fairy looked back at Kakashi and flew back. She flew and pulled a piece of Kakashi's grey hair.

"Oh, you want me to follow you?" Kakashi asked. The fairy nodded her head and flew into the shrine. Kakashi decided to follow the fairy. Kakashi had to jog a bit in order to keep up with the small fairy. Every once and a while, the fairy would look back, to see if Kakashi was following her.

Suddenly, the fairy stopped. Kakashi looked around as he stopped as well. The tunnel seemed to split into two smaller tunnels. The fairy squeaked and pointed towards the second small tunnel. "Oh, you want me to go this way?" Kakashi asked. The fairy squeaked and nodded her head. "Alright" Kakashi sighed. The fairy sat on his shoulder as he continued walking. "Well, at least I don't have to walk in the darkness" Kakashi thought to himself.

After walking for a long time, the tunnel opened suddenly into a big chamber. The fairy stood up and flew over to a cage at the side of the wall. The fairy looks at Kakashi and gestures that Kakashi should come over to where she is. The fairy squeaked as pointed inside the cage. "Are you trying to tell me that something is in there?" Kakashi asked, looking inside the darkness. The fairy nodded. Before Kakashi could say anything else, the fairy flies in, making the whole cage light.

You groan as you open your eyes. You squint as the light grows brighter and brighter. Your ear twitches slightly as you can hear a series of short squeaking sounds coming from beside you. You get up, but fall back down. You never reach the floor. A pair of strong arms wrap around your small body. Just before your mind goes blank, you can see Kakashi's face.

"Alright then. Now to get out of here,” Kakashi muttered as he held a now unconscious you. Before Kakashi could walk out of the chamber, the fairy began a series of short squeaks and chirps. As Kakashi looked at the fairy, the fairy pointed towards another entrance that lead into the chamber. A series of footsteps could be heard coming towards the entrance. The footsteps grew louder and louder.

The fairy gave a short squeak and flew out of the chamber from a hole in the ceiling. Kakashi looked around. Finally, Kakashi jumped onto a high rail that went across the ceiling. Unfortunately, he forgot to pick you up again.

Before Kakashi could jump down to get you, a man appeared beside you. The man glanced down at you before picking you up.

"Now, how did you get out of your lovely home, my dear?" the man said. The man took something out of his pocket.

"That looks like a needle!" Kakashi said to himself.

"There now, this won't hurt a bit, my dear,” the man said as he grinned. Kakashi silently takes out some shrewikan, but stops at he sees you. Your tail shifts back and forth. You continue to move silently without the man knowing. Your eyes open and stare at the man as his back is turned while he fills the needle with blue liquid. Your gaze suddenly shifts to Kakashi. You give Kakashi a small smile before closing your eyes once again.

The man finally turns around with the needle in his hand. Now, Kakashi can see what the man looks like. The man had light brown skin with markings on one side of his face. His hair was dark blue and his hair was in two long braids that went down to the man's mid-back. A long, slim sword hung from his belt.

The man suddenly injects the needle in your neck. A growl rises from your throat, but ends in a whine as the man injects the liquid into you. As soon as the man finishes, your eyes snap open and you lunge at the man. The man smiles as he steps to the side, making you crash into the side of the chamber.

You lay there, dazed. You soon snap out of it and walk towards the man. You growl as you again lunge at the man. The man steps to the side again. You crash into another wall.

"Enough of this! Play time is over!" the man yells as he takes out his sword and raises it above his head. The sword then began to glow with electricity. The man aims the sword at you. The electricity smashed into you, making you fly through the chamber, making a hole.

The man chuckles and sheathes his sword. "You can come down, Kakashi" the man says as he looks up to where Kakashi was watching.

"Who are you!" Kakashi says as he jumps down and gets ready to fight.

"I am Ishimaru, the demon within the symbol. You should recognize me,” Ishimaru says as he grins. Ishimaru suddenly runs at Kakashi. Both Kakashi and Ishimaru engage in hand-to-hand combat. Before long, Kakashi is thrown into a wall. The man takes out his sword and raises it above his head, like he did with you.

Suddenly, Ishimaru cries out in pain. Kakashi's eye opens in surprise. Ishimaru twits his arm around, so that both Kakashi and Ishimaru can see. Kakashi laughs a bit as he sees you with your teeth sunk deeply into Ishimaru's arm. Your ears lay flat against your head as you bite deeper and deeper into Ishimaru's arm.

"Get off me you little runt!" Ishimaru shouts as he hits you over the head with the hilt of his sword. You yelp as you release Ishimaru's arm. Blood pours from his wound. You sit on the ground, rubbing your head.

“Araile, watch out!” Kakashi shouted. You look up to see Ishimaru running full-speed at you, his sword out. You growl as you stand up, facing Ishimaru.

Suddenly, 2 kunai knives come out from nowhere. The knives land directly in front of you, making Ishimaru skid to a stop. Surprised, you look around. Your eyes open wide as you see Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura running up to you.

“Araile! Are you alright?” Sasuke said, looking directly at you. You nod slightly.

“Alright! Naruto is here! Nobody has anything to fear!” Naruto shouted. Sakura and Sasuke both get anime sweat drops. You twitch your tail slightly before looking at Ishimaru.

“Well, it looks like you’ve brought some of your little friends along” Ishimaru says as he walks slowly over to where Naruto and Sakura were. You growl and stand in front of them with your arms out. Ishimaru stops and smirks. “Are you protecting your little friends, my dear?” Ishimaru says as he laughs. He points his sword at you. “You know that’s no good,” he says.

Suddenly, he runs at Sasuke with his sword. Your eyes widen in surprise, while Sakura cries out. “Now die!” Ishimaru shouts as his sword glows with electricity. You make up your mind and quick as a flash. You jump in front of Sasuke before Ishimaru reaches him. You look back at Sasuke and smile before Ishimaru’s sword stabs you. The sword lets out another shock of electricity, shocking you, while the sword is still in you

Everything seems to go in slow motion. You can hear your heartbeat in your ears. You can scarcely hear Kakashi’s voice, along with Sasuke, Sakura’s, and Naruto’s. You can feel no pain. Your body is thrown into another wall. Blood flies everywhere. Kakashi’s eye widens. Ishimaru laughs as he stares at your body.

“You see, that’s why you should never interfere when someone is about to kill someone. Because you’ll end up getting killed instead!” Ishimaru smirks. Sasuke suddenly lunges at Ishimaru, kunai knives in his hand. Ishimaru smirks again. “Now, this should be interesting” he says as he swings his sword in the air. Almost immediately, the sword begins to glow with electricity.

“Sasuke-kun, watch out!” Sakura shouted. It was too late. Sasuke met Ishimaru’s sword in mid-air. Sasuke was thrown back. Sakura shrieked. Naruto stood there, rooted to the spot. Ishimaru laughed even more and pointed his sword at Naruto.

“Now its your turn!” Ishimaru shouted as he raised his sword above his head.

Suddenly, Ishimaru screamed as he twisted around.

“W-What’s happening?” Sakura said, still at Sasuke’s side.

“Not again” Kakashi whispered. Ishimaru suddenly twisted his arm to his back and grabbed something. Sakura gasped. Ishimaru screamed again as you were hanging in mid-air, biting his arm. You had somehow come up behind Ishimaru and now you had a death-grip on his arm.

“Kakashi-sensei, what’s going on?” Naruto asked as Kakashi jumped to where they were. Kakashi stayed silent.

“The last time this happened, Araile was beaten up pretty badly. She’s pretty beaten up now, so it could happen again”, Kakashi thought. A snarl distracts the group’s attention. You jump into some shadows as Ishimaru grips his now bloodied arm. You walk out. Sakura gives a small shriek.

Your nails have grown twice the size that they originally were. Your eyes have become a deep purple while your fangs have grown longer and sharper. Your ears and tail have changed from white ears and tail with black tips; to black ears and tail with white tips. Blood is smeared all over your body as you advance on Ishimaru, growling and snarling.

“Enough! Play time is over!” Ishimaru demands as he aims his sword at you.

Naruto clenches his fists as he looks at you. “Kakashi-sensei! Why are we just standing here when Araile is over there fighting on her own! She could get killed!” Naruto says as he looks at Kakashi. “Well then, I guess I’ll have to help her” Naruto says, as he is just about to make the hand signs for his shadow-clone jutsu. He stops as Kakashi puts a hand on Naruto’s shoulder.

“Stop Naruto! We can’t interfere with Araile and Ishimaru! Look at Araile, Naruto. Do you see anything different about her? Her appearance? Her actions? If you even step near her, Araile will attack you without hesitation. I was hoping that she would never be like this” Kakashi said, his eye on Araile.

“But Kakashi-sensei, why is she like this all of a sudden? I mean, she wasn’t like this until now” Naruto asked.

Kakashi looked at Naruto and said “Naruto, do you remember the night when you went into the tent to see if Araile was alright?”.

Naruto put his hand at the back of his head. “Yeah, now I remember! That’s when she began to act funny, and then she jumped over me and ran into the forest,” Naruto said.

“Well, that’s because whenever her life is in danger, she goes into a state called “full-demon form”. That’s when she will attack anything and everything that moves close to her. That’s why I can’t allow you to get near her. I can’t allow any of my team to get near Araile until she’s turned back into her normal self” Kakashi said.