Guardian Angel (A Naruto Fanfiction)

Chapter 25

The Ichibi snarled, hackles raised and ears pinned back, as Kurami appeared in front of him. "You insufferable human!" He spat angrily. "What did you do to the boy's seal? It hurt, you little brat! I can't even mess with him anymore." He grumbled petulantly towards the end, his tail twitching in irritation. 

Kurami narrowed her eyes. "Well, it's nice to meet you too, Shukaku." She began, her voice dry with sarcasm. The beast just huffed and appeared to pointedly ignore her, though his ears were turned in her direction. Rolling her eyes, Kurami continued. "I corrected Gaara's seal so that you won't be able to influence him the way you did before and you cannot speak with him or give him your power unless he requests you to. I'm sorry that the process caused you pain, but it was necessary for the well being of my little brother." 

The one-tailed demon's anger subsided slightly at the explanation and apology. After a moment, he regarded Kurami curiously, but also suspiciously, his pale yellow eyes studying her intently. "Who are you, how did you know my name and why are you here?" He queried, a cold and calculating intelligence shining in his eyes.

The raven haired girl grinned, and Shukaku noticed that her canines were bigger than they should be for a human. They were slightly longer than normal and curved towards the end, dangerously sharp, like an animal's, if he had to describe them. 

"My name is Kurami Akuma Namikaze, I'm the last of the Akuma clan, which I'm sure you have heard of. As for how I know your name...that's a story for another day. Now, my reason for appearing before you is to make a deal."

Shukaku wasn't too happy with the girl's vague answers, but she intrigued him with the palpable aura of power and mystery she unwittingly emitted. Leaning forward within his prison, he lowered his face so that his eyes were level with hers. "Go on," he urged, his voice low with barely restrained excitement and interest. 

"I will find a way to give you your freedom and ensure that you cannot be captured ever again by humans, provided you stay away from them once I do. Also, until the day you are free from the seal, I want you to help Gaara in any way you can, if asked by him, and to always protect him from any threats to his life whenever I cannot do so. If you do this, I give you my word that I will set you free one day. Now...do we have a deal?" She said, waiting patiently for the beast to respond after she laid out all her cards.

Shukaku thought over her proposal carefully. After a few moments, he spoke. "How do I know you will keep your word?"

"I am an Akuma, and our word is binding. If you accept the deal, we will both be bound to fulfill our end of it, even in Death. I'm sure, however, that you already knew that." Kurami stated and the demon grudgingly nodded.

"I have one more condition to add before I agree to this deal. You have until my host completes his eighteenth year to free me, or the deal is annulled and I will make sure that the boy is killed. The boy will be matured then and should be able to protect himself. I do not wish to be in captivity for longer than necessary and I believe the given deadline is sufficient time for you to develop a way to give me my freedom.  Do you accept my condition?"

Kurami nodded, not even batting an eye at the Ichibi's demand.

"Then we have a deal." He announced gleefully, he could practically taste his freedom, and the mere thought of it exhilarated him. 

"We have a deal, Shukaku," Kurami repeated, finalising it. Then she flickered away.

The demon gazed at the spot she had vanished from and chuckled. She was the second human to ever use his name. What a fascinating human, he reflected to himself, but a dangerous one nonetheless. She was one he would not dare to cross.

He closed his eyes, releasing himself into the hands of slumber, royal purple eyes imprinted in his mind. He wondered...just who was Kurami Akuma Namikaze?

A:N - Hey guys, my exams are finally over so thank you so much for waiting patiently. I'm sorry this isn't a very long chapter, I will make sure the next one is. I'm still kind of tired. Also, I wanted to ask you, would you be interested in a prequel to this story once I finish it (sadly, probably not anytime soon)? It would, of course, be centred around Kurami and her life before she met Naruto. So basically, everything that happened in her childhood, including the events surrounding the annihilation of her clan, her time with Minato and Kushina, her first meeting with the other three members of Team 7 and her 5 year mission away from the village. It will also explain all of her powers and how she achieved them in much more depth that in this fanfic. So what do you guys think? Would you be interested if I wrote it after this? It's up to you. You guys are my motivation. ^-^