Mistress Of Tigers

The Stubborn Can Smile

We both rocketed forward as I sent a clone next to Naruto and went a different way. My clone poofed away as soon as I climbed onto Deidara’s bird. “Dei-kun, it isn’t nice to steal people’s dead friends,” I told him, making him jump.

“Shit, Hitsuki, you scared the hell out of me.”

I smiled at him. “Sorry.”

“You know we can’t be friends as long as you are with the Leaf.”

“Not true. I was still friends with Kimimaro even when he stabbed me. We just were on different teams. We both understood that we would be enemies as long as we followed different people, but we are still friends…well he died shortly after Sasuke left us, but that was because he was sickly.”

“You are not making a good point here.”

“Deidara, I will always be your friend, I just have to choose my new family over my murderous one.”

He looked at me. “I guess,” he said cautiously.

I smiled at him and crouched down. “But, remember that Leaf ninja are chasing you right now.”

I jumped off at his shocked look and a bit of guilt twanged against my heart when Kakashi let loose his Mangekyo Sharingan on Deidara. He caught his arm and I sighed a bit to myself in relief when I saw that it was just his arm. Naruto jumped up with a Rasengan, shocking Deidara, and drove it through the bird’s neck, catching its head with clones and landing safely on the ground.

I followed closely behind and fell to my knees, clutching at my stomach as I tried to choke back the blood. Naruto didn’t seem to notice and I stood up just in time to evade Kakashi. Naruto’s clones held up Gaara and he started to shake with anger. I cursed under my breath as I saw the nine-tail’s chakra leaking from him.

“Naruto, calm down!” I called, but he didn’t hear. I walked closer to him and stopped when Kakashi held me back as a look of worry crossed his face. “You really think that he can stop me? I have a demon of my own, Kakashi, I think I will be fine,” I told him as I performed the needed hand signs. “Manipulation Jutsu: Blood Manipulation!” I shouted and held out my hands towards Naruto.

My eyes widened when I felt the evil coursing through his blood, making it boil as the chakra practically melted his skin off. Sakura came up with Chiyo and I heard Kakashi talking to me, but I was too busy concentrating. “Son of a bitch. NARUTO, MAN THE FUCK UP AND CALM THE FUCK DOWN!” I shouted as his anger started to wash through my mind, a connection through the Jutsu.

Hijuya materialized beside me. “Hitsuki, release the Jutsu,” she whispered. I stared at Naruto as a feeling of power and hate for someone I considered a friend washed over me. I barely saw anything but blind madness. “Hitsuki, release him. Kakashi, calm him down or I won’t be able to stop her. All I can do is try and keep the chains on Kaname from breaking.”

“What chains? Who’s Kaname?” Sakura asked.

“Kaname is her husband,” Chiyo said as I felt my own chakra start to surface.

“HITSUKI, DO NOT LET HIM DO THIS TO YOU, NOT AGAIN! THINK ABOUT YOUR MOTHER…YOUR FATHER…YOUR COUSINS AND UNCLES…THINK OF EVERYONE HE TOOK FROM YOU! Release the boy, Hitsuki, or I will make you do it. I will not have an innocent’s blood stain my husband’s hands any longer.”

Kakashi touched my cheek then. “Hitsuki, come back,” he whispered.

Suddenly I felt a wave of love wash over me, driving back the hate and rage that had filled me only moments before. My hands fell to my side and I started to fall to my knees only to have Kakashi catch me. I held on to his shoulder and a coughing fit took over my body as the amount of chakra I had used jostled the disease. Blood came out with each cough and soon I was panting and wide eyed in Kakashi’s arms.