Story: Dragon Stone (all chapters)

::Twelve Years Later...::

A bored-looking Amegawa Ryuu rested her head on the desk in front of her, roaring headphones concealed in her mass of tangled, ginger hair. Amidst the clash of guitars and drums, she heard the voice of her teacher scolding a student. Her guess was that it was Naruto had done something stupid.

Raising her head from its spot, Ryuu pushed her headphones down to the base of her neck; she promptly shut off the CD player after recieving a stern glare from Iruka-sensei.

The students who passed his exam the day before recieved forehead protectors, or Hitae-ate (Ryuu was wearing hers on her thigh). The scar-faced Chunin held a clipboard in his hand, ready to announce whatever was given to him. Even Shikamaru was giving him the utmost attention. Iruka clared his throat politely and began:

"Okay...Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and...Uzumaki Naruto."

Immediately upon hearing his name, Naruto stood up straight and started throwing one of his trademark fits. Ryuu sighed internally with anxiety and turned to Shikamaru, of whom was sitting adjacent to her and looking quite distressed. His eyes still had dark rings around them from the day before, from his smoking and staying up late. Ryuu nudged him with her elbow.

"...Everything okay?"

He sighed and slumped back into his seat. "No...Knowing me, I'll probably get stuck with Ino on my team. Ridiculous Ino-Shika-Chou garbage has been going on for three generations now, it's my own bad luck."

"Come on--it won't be that bad. Aren't you friends with Chouji?" The Kunoichi gripped her headphones and pushed them back over her ears. "You're probably just worrying yourself for nothing."

That elicited a slight chuckle from the Shadow-nin. "No, you're right; I'm not. But this is logic: mine and Chouji's grades even out, and then there's Ino's fighting skills. More or less we'll be on the same team." Ryuu nodded, her brows knitted in thought. Since becoming friends with Shikamaru, her reasoning had improved considerably.

"I guess that makes sense. Say, would you mind waking me up when they announce my team?" Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at his odd friend, as if to ask her what the hell she was talking about. She was frozen in his reaction.
"Uh, what?"

"Weren't you paying attention? He's already announced it!" Ryuu's eyes grew wide.

"Huh?!"

"Relax...don't act so troublesome; you're on Team Six with Tsuyo and Yumi."

"Oh, uh...thanks. Who are they?"

The Shadow-nin almost collapsed in an anime-style fall. Christ, if there was anything Ryuu was, it was inattentive. She stayed in her own little world most of the time, drifting into whatever fantasic dream she lived in. That was a big no-no for a Shinobi. ...But as one could notice, Amegawa Ryuu was not your average Shinobi.

[[After a Detention for listening to music in class...]]

Still wearing the said headphones, the Kunoichi strolled past the parted sea of hallways and classrooms, opening the door to a particular room: number Six, where she and her team were informed to meet.

"Look out!"

"Do, wha--ahh! It's cold!!"

Someone has stragetically placed a glass of water on the top of the door, causing it to fall directly onto a surprised Ryuu. The liquid slithering down her face, the Kunoichi's left eye twitched with well-surpressed anger, as a short girl ((Sorry, Yu-chan!)) with brown hair streaming down her back approached her with a nervous smile plastered across her face.

"I-I'm sorry! That was--"

"It's okay! Just...It's okay--I said it's okay, dammit! Please, I'm fine...For crying out loud." Ryuu shook her hair out like a sheepdog in an attempt to dry herself.

"Umm...Team six, I take it? You're Yumi and..." The brunette nodded cheerfully. A girl with ivory hair and skin rose from behind one of the front desks. Her expression was so delicate and fragile that the meer touch of your fingertip could shatter her to pieces. Yumi tried gentley to coax the white-haired girl from her sanctuary behind the desks.

"...Tsuyo. Come on--she's not gonna hurt you, or anything."

The girl refused to budge, sitting down defiantly in one of the seats. Ryuu suddenly became nervous; what had she done to evoke such a adverse response? But as long as this kid didn't try and...Say, how DID they find water? There wasn't a sink in the room, and neither of the two appeared to have drinking bottles...Taking a quick glance at the floor and her clothes, she noticed that they didn't retain any liquid at all...

"Um, Yumi? I know this sounds like a dumb question, but...where did the water go?"
The brunette smirked at her new teammate cheerfully.

"Yeah, about that...that wasn't water; it was me." As if on cue, Ryuu's eyes grew the size of lollipops. Did she step into some kind of fictional world out of an Asimov novel?

"...Uh, come again?"

"Seriously--my family came from Mist, and taught me that trick. So, I can, um, 'melt', into liquid at will. I convinced Tsuyo over there to place me over the door, and then..."

Ryuu nodded. "I see. That is interesting... But what about that girl over there?"

"That, I haven't figured out, yet. So, what're you...?"

Oh, crap--she'd forgotten to introduce herself.
"Uh, Amegawa Ryuu. And um...I don't know what I am, really."

Her teammate's eyebrow twitched out of curiousity.
"You don't? Well, do you have a Kekkei Genkai?"

"Um...I can...do you have a kunai, by any chance?"

"What for?"

"Come on--this is cool! I wanna show you!"

Yumi complied, unsheathing the blade and handing it to her teammate, a look of confusion on her face. Holding her arm at a ninety-dgree angle, Ryuu positioned the knife at her wrist and focused energy into the blade. There was no visable change as its molecules slowly broke down at the speed of a snail.

Yumi and Tsuyo raised disappointed, confused eyebrows. "If you just want attention, that's fine, Ryuu, but don't--oh. My. God."

Ryuu had dropped the kunai onto the floor, watching the weapon shatter pathetically like glass. Its gritty remnents dirtied the surface, tiny grains of steel and rawhide seeping into its cracks. The Kunoichi smiled broadly at her accomplishment.

"And I can do MUCH more than that. I can...I can create things...Like, um, I can just focus my emotions into the thing and it..." '

It dies. 

Upon seeing the expressions on her teammates' faces, her smile faded. "But...you probably think I'm a freak, don't you?"

Yumi shook her head. "No way! I think it's amazing...Think about it: I can use water...you can do that, and, and Tsuyo over there has summoning skills that'll knock your socks off!" She turned to the pearly-haired chick. "Right, Tsuyo-kun?"

Surprised at the high level of emotion filling the room, Tsuyo nodded nervously. Ryuu took a step towards the girl, and extended her hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Tsuyo-kun."
She smiled kindly. The other girl simply stood there like a stone, fear and apology burning painfully in her eyes and face. The brunette laid a hand on the Kunoichi's shoulder, gaining her attention.

"Ryuu...I'm sorry to tell you this, but...Tsuyo's deaf. She doesn't read lips, but...I can communicate with her through telepathy."

"Is that her...?" Yumi shook her head.

"No; her sixth sense is just so powerful, and mine is, too, so, the both of use are able to have that special friendship."

"Now THAT'S amazing." Ryuu smiled kindly.

///

~ 

Shortly after the triforce of adolescents had become acquainted, the door to room six opened with a light creak, announcing the arrival of their new teacher. In entered a bored-looking, magenta-haired woman dressed in casual jeans, sandles, and a Black Sabbath shirt. The girl couldn't have been a day older than nineteen. A shy smile spreading across her face, she greeted her students cheerfully.

"Hey, how's it going?"

Ryuu wavered her hand to indicate she was just fine."'M okay."

"Umm...Fine, I guess." Yumi replied obligingly.

Tsuyo simply stared at the intruder, as if to ask her what she was doing there. While the child's voice lay dead within her throat, she could still interrogate and shout and demand with those eyes of hers. Cornflower-blue and soul-piercing, Tsuyo's glowing eyes were her most powerful attribute, aside from the mysterious powers that lay dormant inside of her...

The teenager cleared her throat.
"So, um...Yeah. I rather we start somewhere that isn't so cramped."

Teenagers...They sent her a freaking teenager who didn't know her own ass from a hole in the ground. Geez. Ryuu arched one of those heavy eyebrows that she inherited from her dad. She didn't know whether to cut this chick some slack or to completely defy her authority altogether. Either way, if the girl proved incompetant, the Academy could always dispatch another instructor to teach the team. Why not? Give her ten minutes...

::Music Studio of the Shinobi Academy::

Comfortably sitting Indian-style atop one of the sturdier desks, the lady adressed her new students.
"My name is Abunai Kuro. Pleasure to meet all of you...So, how 'bout you kids tell me about yourselves? Let's start with you in the headphones." She pointed to Ryuu, of whom, took off the said headphones.

"Amegawa Ryuu. I like writing and reading science fiction, and sparring with my friends Shikamaru and Kiba. My dislikes are antagonistic people, fried food and doing laundry." Yumi giggled, realizing the randomness of her teammate's speech. Ryuu continued: "My goal is to write a book about my experience as a Shinobi and to figure out the truth of my lineage."

Kuro-sensei nodded and transferred her attention to Yumi.
"And what about you, miss...?"

The brunette beamed proudly. "I'm Yamamoto Yumi. I like dancing, drawing, and pocky. Pocky's great...Umm...I don't like people who don't tolerate others and people who try to 'fix' me! My dream is...to become a dancer!"

The magenta-haired lady nodded patiently, then pointed to the child who looked as though her body had been carved from ivory.
"And you?"

Yumi promptly opened her mouth to announce her friend's disability, but Tsuyo laid a hand on her friend's shoulder, shaking her head. Taken aback by her reaction, the brunette nodded nervously, then stood up.
"...You'd...better...prepare yourselves...this will be very loud."

Ryuu arched another eyebrow; the female stood up, closing her eyes tightly as a piercing voice began to permeate the room:

//I am called Ikari Tsuyo. I like to cause and create. I hate...those who harm nature.// Tsuyo's voice was unforgetable: something powerful, like a torrental rainstorm, or earthquake. It was a force unto itself. //My dream? I hope that someday, I can make it come true...Someday.//

Yumi threw her companion a proud smile before sitting back down. The teacher and other Kunoichi sat speechless, yet impressed. Kuro-sensei stared at the pearly-haired female admiringly, the first true smile on her face.
"Tsuyo-kun! Your voice is beautiful...I would love to hear you sing sometime!"

At such an unexpected compliment, Tsuyo blushed, her pale features accentuated with a deep crimson. She smiled shyly at Kuro-sensei and nodded. The older woman clapped her hands together in finality.

"Well! I suppose it's my turn, then! All of you know who I am. I like to play the cello, violin, bass guitar, and so many more string instruments that ain't even funny." That caught Ryuu's attention.

"I play in a band, called 'Bara no Chi', with a few other Jounin. We're looking for someone who can actually sing.... But anyway, I don't like raisans or snobs. My dream is to...help someone I really care for achieve his goal."

"Who's in your band?" Ryuu and Yumi both asked eagerly.

"Ummm...Hatake Kakashi, Yuuhi Kurenai, and Sarutobi Asuma. Kurenai-chan thinks she can sing, but, in reality, she's just another Avril..." Kuro-sensei pouted, obviously still remembering the outcomes of her band's previous practices. "We're looking for someone who can ...well, I'll worry about that later."

"So, is there anything that we'll have to prepare ourselves for tomorrow?" Yumi asked the teacher, twitching in curiosity. Kuro-sensei smiled deviously.

"Yes, actually...meet me at training zone number thirty-six at ten p.m. ...Okay?"

"Okay!" Declared the two girls. The team leader clapped her hands together.

"Marvelous."
Forming the seal of the rabbit, Kuro-sensei disappeared in a cloud of leaves and violet smoke.

::Skip ahead Two Weeks::

Because Kuro's students already proficient in most areas of combat, she focused her attentions on expanding their intellectual and dexterical skills. For example, they spent an entire afternoon in one of the Academy classrooms, writing on the chalkboards using only thei left (or right, depending on which one they sucked at using...) hands. Her justification behind this was that if they lost the dominant arm as a result of torture at the hands of enemy ninja, they would still be capable of using a weapon and/or fighting. Before then, Tsuyo honestly had no idea of the benefits that her natural ambidexterity would hold for her.

::Two weeks Later, Third Hokage's Office::

An old man licked his finger and skimmed through one of the many documents that cluttered his table. His tired, bloodshot eyes then transferred their gaze to the motley crew in front of him. He cleared his throat:

"Very well, Kuro-san. We have for your team: digging graves, cleaning up an area down by the beach or babysitting the child of a local Fire Lord..."

"Oh, for crying out loud..."

Ryuu sighed indignantly. She'd overheard from Kiba that Naruto and his team were given a C-ranked mission. Considering his and Sakura's skills as shinobi, the very concept was almost ridiculous to her. He was almost as big a loser than she was. But it was Yumi who decided to take the initiative. Taking a step forward, the hot-blooded kunoichi presented her case to the old man. However, before remembering the firey tongue of her student, Kuro spoke first.

"Hokage-sama...We have completed such trivial pursuits already. Do we not deserve a mission suitable to our caliber as shinobi?"

Sarutobi sighed once more.
"As much as I would like to, Kuro-san, I can't. Your team is still very inexperienced, and I fear that if they do take on a mission of higher rank, you may regret it."

The magenta-haired teen persisted, her brows knitted in determination.
"But you don't see everything that I do. Tsuyo's beginning to come out of her shell and have confidence in himself! A-and Ryuu's language skills are freakin'--" The Hokage held up his hand.

"Kuro-san, that is quite enough. You are expecting too much from them--"

"Oi! Don't we have a say in this?" All eyes were on Yumi, whose eyes were alive with spunk and fury, eyebrow twitching. The ginger-haired kunoichi at her aside nodded in agreement.

"I'm...not much taken to the idea that a weaker team than our own is being treated like they're superior to us."

Yumi folded her arms across her chest and continued.
"We've been patient. We've worked hard every day of our lives."

//And now, you're choosing to deny us recognition?// Tsuyo agreed, finally taking part in the argument. Kuro-sensei felt a smile tug at the edges of her face. She then turned to an abashed-looking Sarutobi.

"...You see my point?"

The old man nodded his agreement and cleared his throat. "Very well, young Kuro-san. Wish granted--send her in!" Given their orders, the detainers at his side opened the door to the lobby. An unpleasant-sounding creak annouced an arrival.

"Zein? Kuneg auten xaa..." In sauntered young Dragon Youkai with long, messy cerulean hair, dressed in peasant garb: all hair, limbs, and large eyes-and what, maybe thirteen? The girl approached the Third's desk tentatively, staring at Team Six in terror as though they were man-eating beasts. Her eyes were large and faceted. They made Ryuu think of insects and diamonds as she stared at the client.

"Maiten Hokage...hale Qaa liekre fre Nau Hilge."

Raising an eyebrow, the old man ignored the girl and inhaled. "Any of you speak Yune? I don't know what to do with her."

Kuro-sensei gripped Ryuu's shoulder tightly. "Ryuu-kun and I both speak it fluently. I'm willing to place my trust in her as a representative of my team. As leader."

A wave of pride flowed through the bushy-haired kunoichi's body like a sudden rush of blood to the head. Her face was soon illuminated with the pinkness of a blush. "Kuro-sensei..."

Sarutobi nodded his complacency. "Very well then. Young lady, I am turning responsibilty of keeping..." He paused to glance at his paper. "'Rautep Barano Sairensu' safe. Alright, go over to her now..." He insisted, pushing her gently. "That's the ticket! Kuro-san, I'll need you to sign these statements, if you would..."

"O-of course!" And the energetic teen complied, leaving her students to greet the client.

///

The Hidden Villages of Emotions were the first countries established by Shinobi, primarily by the Eien Clan, according to the numerous history lectures imposed upon the Academy students by Iruka-sensei. Because those "Dragons" could only see in Infrared vision, it was illogical to name their home after an element or something that appeals visually. The auras of the many realms of the continent, however, evoked emotions which either harmed or invigorated that clan. As a result, those countries were known as the Villages Hidden in Emotion.

The Village Hidden in Hate itself was a world engulfed in negativity. Its air had a sour odor to it, having a high consentration of sulfer dioxide. Swamps and marshes were scattered around the area to the extent that they almost freckled it. No one spoke or knew about sunshine...However, none of these climatical influences had anything to do with Yamamoto Yumi's ability to argue...but, if anything at all, they caused it to worsen.

====

"Stop yelling at me! I haven't done anything!" Ryuu defended. She was feeling quite irritated by her teammate's sudden antagonism. Yumi bared her fangs in irritation, her tiny hands curling into fists.

"Well, maybe if you took off those fucking headphones for once, I wouldn't have to yell at you so much!!"

"But what does that have to do with anything?!"

Finally taking the intiative, Kuro-sensei took a fly-swatter from one of the pockets of her Jounin vest and smacked the two belligerents. Everyone, including the client, was grateful to her.
"Oh, for crying out to Hell! Shut up! Both of you are getting on my nerves...Christ."

The ginger kunoichi rubbed the back of her head where her teacher had struck her, still pissed off at Yumi. The client blinked twice out of confusion.
"...How on earth could she have gotten a fly-swatter?" asked Sairensu to Ryuu in Yune.

Ryuu shook her head and sighed.
"To tell the truth, I'm not sure. How're you holding up, Sairensu-san?" She had to admit that she appreciated the dragon's silence. Sairensu hadn't so much as complained since the trip had begun. She smiled amiably.

"I'm doing just fine, Ryuu-dono. Thank you for asking."

"Eheh...You don't need to call me that...Really."

===

"...How much longer do we have to walk?" Muttered a particularily jelly-legged Ryuu, dirt and twigs littered in her messy hair.

Yumi simply ignored her, just as she had tried to do for the past four hours of walking through mud and stinking swamps; Tsuyo took a deep breath, not knowing the dangers of inhaling sulfer-imbued air. Her normally placid personality slowly began to dissapate, and every little thing that came out of her ginger teammate's mouth sent a fresh wave of anger throughout her body. Something red and swollen began building inside the blonde, growing more and more inflamedwith each passing moment...

"Kuro-sensei, do you know anything about the Eien Clan?"

"Hm? Uh, yeah. What do you want to know?" The teen replied. Ryuu knitted her eyebrows in thought for a moment and finally answered.

"Well...I know they have a complex in Konoha where the Head lives, but...why haven't any of us ever come into contact with them? I mean, what about us do they hate so much?"

"..." 

"...Sensei?"

"Oh. They're just not what you call 'social creatures'. It's no one's fault, Ryuu-kun." The Kunoichi wasn't satisfied by such an answer. She persisted.

"But...I remember Daiouryuu-sama--What are you doing?!"

//My god, you never shut up, do you?// The enraged form of Tsuyo had appeared in front of Ryuu, a heavy purple film over her eyes.

With a swiftness that would rival any Jounin, she siezed her teammate by the throat and pushed her onto the moist ground, pressing Ryuu's body into the violet earth and every filthy substance that lived inside of it. Ryuu would never forget the fear that she had felt when her normally shy, silent teammate had made this assault. A bitter-smelling breeze caused the blonde's hair to flutter. Ryuu's throat contracted painfully with the weight on top of it.

"T-Tsuyo-kun...!" She wheezed. "What did I do...that made you so mad....?"

//Stop talking. Stop asking questions...// Her nostrils were flared in an inhuman rage as she drew a sai from her weapons' pack. //...Maybe then...people will respect you.//

The blonde was about to stab the weapon into Ryuu's chest when her arm came to an abrupt stop in mid-thrust, halted by an onslought of waves from an unknown force. Tsuyo's body remained as stiff as an iron bar until someone took the initiative to pull her off of Ryuu. Kuro-sensei sighed exasperatedly, an anime sweatdrop hovering over her brow.

"Jesus...Kids today try and attack anything they can get their hands on. Gotta put 'em in their place once inna while."

Ryuu sat up straight and massaged her throat carefully.
"That was you, Kuro-sensei?"

"Hm? Yes, I did that. Your life was at stake; isn't it my responsibilty to protect you, Ryuu?" The ginger nodded gratiously.

A bit confused about the entire conflict, Yumi's eyebrow twitched uneasily. She poked Tsuyo's inert body, of which was still in the position she was in when she was repremanded.
"What did you do to her, sensei?"

But the magenta-haired teen ignored her question and throw the blonde's body over her shoulder, keeping a brisk pace.
"She's still alive, if that's what you're wondering..." Kuro exhaled; her breath left a maroon cloud as she pressed onward. "Come on--the Village shouldn't be more than a mile away. If we keep up this pace, we might reach it within the hour."

No one had the audacity to question the magenta-haired woman. Abunai Kuro could be as hard as a man if she so chose. Experience had taught her that much. If it had to be done, it had to be done...and she would try her DAMNDEST to keep her students alive.

Should their lives hang in the balance, Kuro would be the first one to volunteer to be raped, tortured, and killed. She would be the mother that those children never had the opportunity to have.

===

"...Are we there yet?"

"Shut the fuck up, Ryuu."

"You know what, you've been a total bitch the whole trip!"

"Well, maybe I wouldn't be a bitch if you weren't such an annoying little freak!!"

"...I hate kids. As soon as we reach this fucking Village, I'm getting a vodka straight-up and a hysterectomy."

A young monster felt the sensation of body heat and petty animosity above his moist bed. The peat was porous and acted as a conductor for capturing heat and sound, almost perfect for this spy. Faceted eyes rolled beneath their lids, commanding his body to accellerate; blood flow was then directed to the fingertips, slowly accumulating and and scratching at the surface of his tomb. His prey awaited them with their precious blood...

It was warm; a red glow filtered by a grey shadow. Four red ones, and a blue one...lying on a red shoulder? Really? Fancy that, he hadn't seen one of those in a long time...A low growl began to rumble in his throat, as if almost warning his prey.

===

"Ow! Stop pulling my hair!"

"Oh, shut UP. You haven't got any hair to brush, let alone pull..."

"Will you two shut up?!"

Ryuu and Yumi obeyed.

Kuro sniffed the air carefully, ears perked so as to pick up anything threatening. Her eyes told her nothing but marshlands for as far as they could see. The area was painted a rich violet hue, giving it a horrible, poisoned appearance.

Whispers in the wind were as loud as an elephant's trumpet; sounds and smells magnified beyond any and all imagination. Everything seemed to be growing larger...Halucinations were settling in from the high content of sulfur in the atmosphere. She'd soon become a victim of its rage, just as Tsuyo and Yumi had, if she didn't recieve proper ventilation.

'Jesus...' Kuro gulped, sweat rolling down her face. 'Jesus, Jesus, Jesus...We have to get out of here...at all costs, they CANNOT die. Not on my watch.'

"Sensei..."

"Be quiet, Ryuu."

"But sensei..." Kuro sighed angrily and turned around to bop the girl on the head. Ryuu simply stood before her teacher, eyes as wide as lollipops. The girls, of whom only moments ago were fighting like wildcats, were caught in eachother's arms, doing their best not to be afraid. Yumi's left arm was outreached, index finger pointing behind her teacher. A look of terror and relief filled her expression.

"We're here."

///

::Barano Complex; Infirmary::

Ryuu stared in helpless worry at her teammates and teacher. They lay in their hospital beds, each of them with an oxygen mask covering their air passages. At least the three were together in their illness, leaving the elder of the two kunoichi with only the scent of Pine Sol and four walls to keep her company. A heavy sigh escaped her lungs as she slumped down into a chair.

"Feeling alright?" Ryuu raised her chin, her blue eyes meeting the faceted ones of the doctor, He was wearing the first warm smile she'd seen in about three days. She nodded.

"You're...speaking Japanese? But the client only--"

"Yune, I know. That boy's been through a great deal of shock lately and, in panic, reverted back to his mother tongue." He replied cooly. "Don't worry; your friends are going to be just fine, give or take a few hours' rest..."

Ryuu felt as though a tremendous weight was lifted off of her shoulders, all tension having been alleviated by a few kind words. Still...why wasn't SHE be resting beside her friends? All of them had suffered from rage and hallucinations, leaving her alone and confused. The old Dragon ran his hand over the wall to find a light switch; his wrinkled fingers found the protuberance, pressing it down. The room soon dimmed. Ryuu cleared her throat.

"Um..."

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry..." She muttered, hanging her head. The doctor looked at her with confusion.

"For what?"

"For not being able to help them. I don't know what makes me so different...I mean, why wasn't I sent into some kind of...rage?"

He couched down to her level, the crevices in his eyes eerie, illuminated by the glow of the irises. "Is this your first visit to Hate?"

"Yeah...up until now, I've never left Konoha." He knitted his brows in thought.

"I see...Is there...anything special about your emotions or your teeth?"

Upon hearing such a suggestion, Ryuu ran her tongue over the bottoms of her teeth, discovering that they were, indeed, unnaturally sharp, as though they had been filed. And of course, there were her techniques...

"Yeah. I can form weapons out of my blood using chakra, but I don't know why I'm able to do it..." The doctor smiled kindly and patted her on the head.

"That's wonderful, child. What's your name?" Someone had actually complimented her!

"Ryuu. Amegawa Ryuu!" The old dragon arose, his bones making an uncomfortable crackling noise as his body maneuvered upward.

"Come with me." He suggested. "I know someone who would like to meet you." Ryuu took a quick glance at her makeshift family and decided that they would survive without her...at least for five minutes.

The doctor led Ryuu out of the hospital and into the bitter-smelling citadell. A cool, balmy air filled the night while a tiny freckling of stars colored its sky. It would have had a calming affect had it not been so dark and lifeless. The young Kunoichi inhaled deeply and blindly followed the crunching sound that the doctor's feet made against the dry earth.

::Thirty Minutes Later...::

At last, the pair arrived at their destination: a large house that didn't look so much as a mansion as it did a keep; painted black by the "sighted beings" as the Barano Dragons called them, it was a portrait of malevolence and a warning to all who were not members of the infamous clan to stay away. The Barano had only been the incumbent government for six-hundred years. Considering that most of the main branch had been instituted for millennia, the Barano were the Third World.

The old Dragon tapped Ryuu on the shoulder, catching her off guard and eliciting a shriek.
"Inside, you will find a man by the name of Empe. If you ask him to help you, he will." He explained in but a whisper. "But you must NOT...look him...in the EYES. Do you understand?"

"I-I think so...Won't you be coming in with me?"

"I'm afraid I can't, Miss Ryuu. I have to return to your friends at the hospital, remember?" Ryuu heard his voice fading away into the darkness. "IF you are who you say you are, you shouldn't be met with any trouble..."

"If I am who I say I am? Who am I?! What do you mean?" She cried into the night.

But there would be no answer. Taking in a deep breath and summoning every ounce of courage, Ryuu ran her trembling hands over the door, just as the doctor had done at the hospital. To these dragons, there were no such things as light or dark, shapes and images. No. They had to *feel* their way around things. Soon, the cold metal of the doorknob bit her flesh. She twisted it and caused the door to gape open before her with an annoying creak. The inside was no more illuminated than the night itself. There was only void--something well-accepted by this race of beings.

Ryuu felt her mouth go dry. "Please? I-I'm looking for Empe." She stuttered. "Can someone help me? Please!"

Scuffling sounds. Something like the shuffling of papers. Someone was writing. Was this an office?
"What do you want?" A masculine voice wheezed. Ryuu stood stock still upon hearing it, holding her breath.

"I'll ask you again. What do you want?"

"Ah! Um...I'm looking for a man named Empe." She replied nervously. "Do you...know where he is?" Something like the sound of a book slamming closed.

"Child...if you take a few steps to your left, you'll find a light switch. You've made it blatantly obvious that you can't see anything."

"But you can see me?"

"Yes. I am a Barano; our infrared vision is perfect. Now if you would....?"

"Oh, right. I'm sorry, sir..." *Click* "Ah, thank Hell..." However, once light flooded the room, Ryuu found that the voice that kept her company was given a body.

Though the man was not a terrifying sight, he was indeed primitive, if not gargoyle-esque in appearance. Thick, curling horns protruded from his scalp, along with a pointed tail from his rear; dagger-like talons grew from his feet in the stead of toes. His eyes were faceted and lamp-like, taking up almost a sixth of his face; the man's muscled torso was shirtless in addition to being scaled. Upon seeing this man, Ryuu remembered the warning given to her by the doctor.

"You must NOT...look him...in the EYES." Was this the very Empe whom she was seeking?

The Kunoichi averted her eyes to the Dragon's feet. His talons twitched.
"A-are you...Empe?"

"I am, child." He wheezed. "What do you want?" Ryuu gulped painfully, her voice almost dying inside of her throat.

"Sir...I need your help. Y-you see, I can destroy things with my emotions, a-and...the doctor said that you might be able to help me."

"I see..." His voice was raspy. "Why do you think this is so? Can your parents do the same?"

"No, sir. My dad can't, but my mother...I don't know anything about her."

"Nothing at all?" She heard his tone soften. "No history? No visits from relatives?" Such questions caused the hollow pit in her stomach to grow.

"No, sir...There's just me and my dad."

"What is your name, child?" Empe lifted Ryuu's chin to his eyes, which had an ominous glow to them.

"...Ryuu. Amegawa Ryuu." A bead of sweat slithered down the side of her cheek. The older Dragon did not blink once while the pair spoke, his eyes lidless and malevolent. He nodded afirmatively.

"So, you're Tenshi's child. That makes sense; I heard that she died giving birth to a human's child twelve years ago."

She blinked. "A-and I'm that child?" Empe's face split into a broad smile.

"Yes...This is wonderful." He sighed. "I never thought I'd see you in this lifetime." His clawed hand released Ryuu's chin as he embraced her. She swallowed nervously.

"So, what am I?"

"You're an Eien Dragon." He wheezed joyfully. "THE Eien Dragon. The Fourth Red Dragon."

"That would make you my...?"

"First cousin. I am your first cousin, Ryuu-sama." Ryuu was almost in tears with ecstacy. She'd never known of her mother's history, let alone her own. And this new discovery would change her life forever.

"Then you'll teach me everything?"

Empe nodded. "Yes." He paused for a moment. "I'll teach you EVERYTHING..."

::Tairyuu's Office::

Two hours after Kuro and her two students were released from the intensive care unit, they were brought before the eldest of the Barano clan, Empe. This Empe was a human-like vibrant-looking older woman with long, olive hair and a powerful speaking voice. The crispness of her accent made the lady all the more pleasant to listen to. Kuro found herself falling for that voice herself...

"Kuro-san...Please allow me to welcome you into the Village Hidden in Hate." She addressed the trio proudly. "It is indeed a shame that the fourth member of your group is not here as well...But may I ask her name?"

"Ryuu. Amegawa Ryuu, Empe-sama." Kuro replied. The Dragon's eyes suddenly became as large as lollipops.

"Y-you're not serious. THE Amegawa Ryuu is here in the Village of Hate? In MY Village?!"

"Hey! Ryuu-kun may be a bit creepy, but she's never hurt anyone!" Yumi defended.

"No, no. You misunderstood." Empe looked at the group gravely, her breath quickening. "She is in DANGER. We have to find her IMMEDIATELY!"

///