Chapter 27

Another Tomorrow

(A/N: Hi, everyone. Twilight-to-Nightfall here. My sincerest apologies for keeping you guys waiting so long for an update. I believe I uploaded the last chapter in...July? Damn. I'm sorry. As I stated in the author's note of one of my other stories, I had been pretty busy. I've been suffering from serious writer's block and my creative juices weren't really working up to par. I could only work on this chapter a little bit at the time, and that was only when I actually had an idea. Life sucks when you have writer's block and it's killing me. I'm just glad I've finally updated this story. Hope you all enjoy this update!

Also, another reason may be that I'm not as much of a fan of Naruto anymore as much as I used to be. I mean, I haven't been keeping track of the anime or the manga for months. Then I figured, since when has this story ever followed the actual plotline anyway? Ha, ha. So I'm continuing this story as usual.)

For those of you who reviewed chapter 26...

Phear the Insane: Thanks! And I see you've changed your pen name. Very nice. Well, here's your update! Sorry for the long wait.

AnnabelleLee13194: Ha, ha, it's cool. I guess I was being a tad violent-killing-happy in the previous chapter. Just wait until I get to those points in my Godchild fanfiction. Kukuku...Ha, ha.

TheWinchesterAngel: Thanks! And I shall!

Lollu: Ha, ha, it's alright. Don't worry about not reviewing every single chapter, dear. Hee. And thanks for those lovely reviews. Ah, yes. Megumi's death. I had thought about it for a while, so I decided to do it. I figured it'll just make things more intense.

roseandthorns19: Thanks! And yes, protective Shika is protective. Hee, hee.

polkadtrainboots: Ha, ha, thank you. I found writing that bit with Shikamaru and Kai quite enjoyable. I had fun with it. Ha, ha. Yes, homework can be evil too...

Univerasal Disaster: Heh, thank you. And yes, Megumi is dead. There are no tricks or anything that would magically "revive" her. Unfortunately, poor Megumi-san is no more.

InnerSakura14: Hm...That's a pretty neat idea, actually. I never really thought about the Akatsuki being a part of this story, but we'll see what happens. I kinda already have a plan set for when this saga ends. It'll be a surprise!

Janne: Ha, ha, I'm glad you enjoyed that whole Shikamaru--Dani--Kai bit. Such wonderful comic relief. Ha, ha. And yeah, I'll be dropping some hints of romance every now and then. Perhaps, we'll get some from the lazy genius? Ha, ha.

I-Eat-My-Vegetables: Thank you very much! I'm glad you're enjoying this story! Oh, the money deal. I never really thought about that...Ha, ha. Well, let's see. She probably had some money with her when she got sucked into the computer. Or maybe Ino or Inoichi gave her some? Oh, wow, I actually thank you for pointing that out for me, because I just had an idea!

invisible-gurl: Ha, ha. No, no, there is no raping in this story. I forbid it. Ha, ha. Well, I'm glad you like it.

shannon55544: Oh, thank you very much! I'm glad to hear that I have another fan of this story. Oh, wow, this is your first Naruto fanfiction? I feel kinda special now. Ha, ha. And as for the whole Shikamaru and the CD thing, I kinda have an idea set for that, but I'm not going to tell, since it's kind of a spoiler. Well, here's your update!

Lucy: Will do! I apologize for taking so long.

TaruGalateia: Here's your update!

LeopardstarXOCryingtearsXO: Oh, thanks bunches for the compliment! And here's your update!

Siyui no Akatsuki: Thanks! And yeah, it's been a long time since I updated this story. The fact that I haven't updated in a while makes me feel really, really bad.

Marika-Uchiha: Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying this story! And thank you for the compliment. :) Here's your update!

IMPORTANT NOTICE BELOW!!

From now on, unless I say otherwise, everything will be in Dani's point of view. Somehow I feel that constantly writing (Dani's point of view) in every single chapter looks sloppy, and somewhat unnecessary since the story is mostly in her perspective. I repeat, unless I say otherwise, everything will be in her point of view. Thank you for your time.

Twilight-to-Nightfall

Why? Why must these things happen to the innocent? Why must unpleasant and uncalled for events spiral out of control and ruin lives? Is this the end? The final battle of the mission? The last straw?

Running. It was the only course of action I could do. Running...and chasing...in search for a sick person who killed and kidnapped for the sake of the twisted cult he was a proud member of. My chest ached terribly, and it wasn't just because of the running. Nerves, fear, and deep concern also juggled together to create a huge part in the situation.

Old and wise Megumi was dead. She was murdered by a sick man, who didn't stop from there. He kidnapped Yuko for reasons I myself cannot fathom. The whole situation was just insane and completely out of hand. All I had hoped for was the end of this mess, Yuko's safety, and at least for a slight hint of twilight to gleam through the eternal darkness that was the horrible situation in our hands.

The boys had left a little while earlier to tail the culprit responsible for Megumi's murder and Yuko's capture. Ino and I were responsible to stay behind in the last family's now completely broken home and comfort and protect Aki and Kaori. Dearest little Aki was a complete wreck, and did nothing but sob over her older sister's abduction on Ino's shoulder. I only sat there and watched Kaori continuously staring out at the never-ending darkness as though she was awaiting for dawn to finally break. She stood over the shards of broken glass from the intrusion, and there were moments where I had feared that she was going to cut her bare feet if she had made even the slightest move.

The boys were gone for a very long time and Ino and I were in a state of worry. We just weren't sure whether or not they had found the culprit yet, or worse...But we just wouldn't think like that. It wasn't until just a few moments ago when Ino and I had decided to help with the search. We didn't know where to start, but anything was better than just sitting around and doing absolutely nothing to help. Although she and I had absolutely no intention of traumatizing the children any further, we had no choice but to drag them along as well. We just couldn't leave them alone...not even for a minute.

It was a bit of a challenge to get Kaori to budge. She just stood there lifeless and unemotional. I had no choice but to lift her from the ground she stood and carry her on my back as Ino did the same for Aki. We ran off into the night. We didn't exactly know where we were going, but hell, we were more than confident that the others didn't head off too far.

My legs were growing tired from the running. My breathing became heavier after every breath I took. I was far from the running type. As I started to slow down, Ino took the time to notice my struggle and stopped at her tracks. "Hey! You okay?" she called, rushing back to my side.

"Just peachy..." I replied in sarcasm between heavy breaths. "...and out of shape..."

Ino's eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Hm...you want to take a break or something?" she offered, obviously not thinking when she said that.

I shook my head as I stood tall with Kaori clinging on my back. "Nah, I'm fine," I assured her. "We have no time for breaks, so really, my needs aren't important."

"Well...if you say so..." She pulled her gaze away from me and rested upon the distance ahead. "They shouldn't be too far...I hope..."

I shrugged as I followed her gaze. I stared off to the distance as though longing for the night to finally end. I gulped. "Ino, I'm afraid..." I voiced almost silently.

She gave me a look. "What? Why're you scared? We've been through these types of situations before but only under different circumstances, is all."

"Yeah, I know, but--"

"Don't be scared, Dani. It'll be alright." The one who spoke up was none other than Aki, who peeked her cute little head from behind Ino's shoulder. "You guys will do great! It's all of us against just that one guy. He doesn't stand a chance!"

Dearest little Aki. She was being very optimistic at a time like this. She had confidence, something that I couldn't obtain during that moment. She believed in me. She believed in all of us. She was sure that justice will prevail, and that this mess will finally come to a close once and for all. However, there were still doubts and assumptions that crept silently behind all of that confidence and reassurance. Aki knew it and I knew it, and I was sure Ino and Kaori knew it too. For instance, what if that man had backup lurking about, whether they were part of that sick and deranged group or an alliance? Worst of all, what if we were too late and that man did away with Yuko on the spot?

Ino and I commenced with running again. Outside the walls of the ruins of Sei-an surrounded vast woodlands. I was...paranoid. I kept on getting this bothersome gut feeling that something was going to just randomly pop up from behind the many tall trees. I was never in for surprises, and I sure as hell wasn't in any mood for one.

To my surprise, Ino's running came to a halt and slowly crept around, constantly checking behind trees as though she was searching for something. I cocked a brow at this action but I didn't question her about it. Instead, Kaori did that for me after being silent for such a long time. "Erm, what are you doing?" she questioned, observing Ino's actions.

Even Aki had grown curiouser and curiouser by the minute. "Ino, I don't understand, what're you doing?" she asked, practically reiterating Kaori's question, but only phrasing it a bit differently.

Ino continued with her abnormal routine as she replied, "I'm just making sure we're not going to get any 'surprises' when we least expect it."

My eyes widen a bit at her reply. The heck? Did this chick just read my mind or something?! I thought, my eye twitching.

"Oh, Ino, we'll be fine," Aki giggled, obviously amused by her actions. "I doubt there's going to be anyone or anything popping out from behind trees."

"Well, you never know!" Ino declared, her head snapping back to face Aki's cheeky little grin.

I couldn't help but join in on Aki's amusement of the matter while suppressing some giggles that were slowly bubbling up in my throat. "I, uh, I think you've been watching way too many horror movies, Ino," I managed to croak out through a slight giggle that found its way to escape my lips. Of course, what I had said pretty much contradicted my subconscious, since I too was paranoid over something that seemed so trivial to others, at least to Aki and Kaori, that is.

I shook my head as I reluctantly headed over towards Ino and patted her on the shoulder. "Eh, I wouldn't waste your breath over being so paranoid," I said, then thinking to myself if that reply even made any sense. "Let's just move on and find the guys. We can't just--"

I caught my breath and the entire area was hushed in a dead silence. It was eerie, but the fact that everyone paused was something that cannot be reversible, reason being because the sound of a loud crack snuck its way in as I talked. I started to shake a little. "Wh-what was that?" I stammered, frantically looking around in panic.

Ino smiled a sly smile, which indicated her amusement of my paranoia. "Ha! And you're telling me that I watch to many horror films?! Hypocrite!" she teased, sticking out her tongue mockingly.

My face flushed in embarrassment and annoyance. "I-it's not funny, Ino! I really did hear something!" I snapped. "And you were just as freaked out as me--!"

"Uh, guys...?"

"GAAAAAAH!!!"

Ino and I literally jumped off the ground startled upon hearing a voice. Aki and Kaori were staring at us rather strangely as we frantically looked around. "I-IT'S A GHOST!!!!" Ino shrieked, literally crying as well.

"What? A ghost? What the hell are you talking about, it's only me!" Shikamaru stepped out from behind one of the many skyscraping trees that formed the dark and murky woodlands that surrounded the ruins. He cocked an eyebrow at the sight of Ino and me practically freaking out previously, and then hung his head down and shook it sluggishly. "My god, you guys..." he muttered.

Around the corner, Chouji and Kai emerged from the darkness as well. "So, this is why you guys were screaming like banshees..." Kai guessed, suppressing a chuckle.

I sighed heavily in relief, not only because my paranoia was slowly starting to subside, but also the fact that the boys were safe and alive. Good, they're okay...thank goodness.... I thought, a small smile tugging my lips.

Although I was relieved, Ino, however, was fumed. It was painfully obvious, judging by the light hint of pink lingering on her cheeks and the steam coming from her ears. "You guys are such asses! Who you think you are, sneaking up on us like that?!" she snarled through her teeth, clenching her fists to her sides. "I almost had a heart attack thanks to you bastards!"

"Language, Ino, there are children present...." I warned her sternly after using foul language to express her anger. "Besides, we have more important matters to worry about." I turned my head to face Shikamaru. "So have you guys found the guy yet?" I asked, searching for a glint of hope in his eyes.

Instead, Chouji was the one who responded first. He shook his head while staring at the dirt ground. "Unfortunately not...." he replied sadly.

"Our pursuit is failing so much that it defies belief," Kai scoffed, his gaze casting off to the side. "The guy's nothing special at all, so I really don't understand how we could lose--" He paused for a moment as he gave Ino and me a questionable look. "Erm, I thought you two kittens were supposed to be at the house while the three of us look for that guy?"

"That was originally the plan, but we couldn't just sit there and do nothing to help," I explained, setting Kaori down as Ino did the same for Aki. I watched Kaori run to her brother's side. "We were worried about you guys, and--"

"Aw, ain't that cute? You were worried about me? I knew you had a thing for me, Dani," Kai smirked, winking at me flirtingly.

My face was shaded red like a ripe apple. Ino and Chouji gawked questionably at Kai, and were most likely curious of his sudden hint of flirt and affection towards me. Shikamaru didn't really show any particular emotion, but I could tell he was anything but amused or pleased.

...Okay, maybe I really couldn't tell how the guy was feeling at the moment, seeing how I couldn't find a hint of any emotion other than neutrality. I admit it was kinda freaking me out a bit. If only one had the ability to read minds....

"Ahem...anyway...." Shikamaru finally voice, catching everyone's attention at an instant. "We hardly have the time for senseless lollygagging. We still haven't found the culprit, and Yuko's life is at stake. This whole situation has gotten way out of hand, so we're going to have to put an end to this disaster immediately."

"Of course, you're right about that, but the real problem is where to look, and if it is necessary to split up," Chouji cut in. It appeared as though he and I were on the same page.

"Hm..." Shikamaru rested his chin on the lower pads of his palm, his knuckles hiding his quivering lips from the sudden chill the swept upon us. "You have a good point," he muffled through his knuckles, then releasing his chin. "Here's the thing. The guy could be anywhere, and normally, the most logical action to take is if we split up and search. However, that sort of action would probably work best if we're dealing with more than one pursuit."

"So, in other words, you think it's best if we all just stick together and find the guy?" I asked, finally understanding where exactly he was driving at.

"Exactly," he replied. "As Megumi told us before she died, these people we're dealing with aren't exactly a real threat--"

"Unless you're sleeping...." Ino cut in, shuddering a bit from both the chill and the nerves that were slowly creeping up on her.

"Well, that sort of thing can apply to any kind of person, shinobi or not," Shikamaru pointed out as he shrugged. "We're not sleeping, are we? Plus, judging by his actions, he seemed....cowardly..."

I raised an eyebrow at his assumptions. "'Cowardly'?" I questioned. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, think about it," he explained. "Besides Kai, you, and me, everyone else was asleep. The perpetrator could've easily done away with everyone who weren't conscious, but instead, he didn't take the advantage he had. He murdered Megumi, who was probably the weakest of the remaining survivors most likely due to her old age. He didn't take the time to murder anyone else, probably because he saw them as a sort of threat. But what I don't understand is why he kidnapped Yuko instead of just killing her right there, along with Aki and Kaori. I don't see what he's trying to accomplish by doing that."

I thought about what Shikamaru had said for a moment. He was onto something in the explanation. If the man in question was as cowardly as he assumed he was, then what exactly was the point in kidnapping Yuko if he could've just killed her right there and then? What kind of motive, if any, was that? "Maybe..." I began, "since he's too cowardly, he decided to kidnap Yuko because if he had killed her, he was probably afraid that someone would've woken up from the ruckus?"

"Hm...no, that would be flawed," Shikamaru pointed out. "Abducting her would cause the same amount of riot as killing her too."

"Yes, but wouldn't killing her be much worse than--"

"We don't have time for this!" Kai suddenly snapped, cutting me off completely. "Is the question of whether or not the perpetrator was cowardly or has a specific motive really all that important? We need to save Yuko because her safety has much more importance right now."

Oh, right. Yuko's life was at stake at the moment. Crap.

What in the world were we doing just standing around while making deductions of some theory that harbors no real importance other than the safety of Yuko? We would have time for trivial matters like that for later. Kai was right. We had to keep moving on...for Yuko's sake...

Kai snarled through his teeth as his clenched fist began to shake. "This is stupid. If you guys are just going to stand there, then I'll just go find Yuko myself...." he hissed, stomping away from the gathering and heading deeper into the woodlands.

I huffed loudly as I stared off at him. "Come on, Kai, don't do this," I begged monotonously. Kaori watched as her brother stormed off, and moments later, she finally jumped off my back and scurried over to his side, following him into the dark.

"Eh....What's his deal?" Ino finally uttered, turning away from Kai and facing the remaining group.

"He's just frustrated," Chouji replied, trying to make sense off all this. "His cousin's in serious danger so of course he's going to act all moody and stuff."

"You're right..." Shikamaru muttered, agreeing with Chouji's words. "It's normal to act that way when someone's dealing with the kind of crap he has to go through. We're only human after all."

I nodded my head in agreement, keeping my gaze towards Kai's direction even though he and Kaori were no longer in sight. "Poor guy...It must be unbearable for him, having to be in charge of everything and having to deal with a bunch of senseless bull...."

Aki's lips pouted as though pitying her cousin. "He'll be alright," she assured. "I'm sure everything will end well and we can all live peaceful and happy lives."

"Thanks for the note, Aki, but as far as I'm concerned, a resolution like that is barely within our reach right now," Shikamaru said as he began to walk towards Kai's direction. "We should follow Kai if we hope to get anything accomplished."

We all nodded and started following him until we made an abrupt stop upon hearing a familiar voice shrieking, "Yuko!!" The voice was recognized to belong to Kai. Worried, we hurriedly made a run for the path ahead, even though we were still a tad unsure of where exactly we should be heading to. We arrived at a clearing just outside of the woodlands and found Kai and Kaori kneeling in front of a still body that laid silently on the grass. Curls of gold, a faded dress...pale...

We were rendered speechless, and Ino was the first to actually say anything...or in this case, holler anything. "Oh, no, Yuko! Is she alright?!" she screamed, being the first to rush over towards Kai's side to observe the body while carrying the petrified Aki on her back. Chouji followed her lead as did Shikamaru, but he stopped and glanced back towards me.

"Come on, Dani, what are you waiting for?" he asked me.

I finally snapped out of my brief haze. I was in too much shock to even move or speak, because I thought we have arrived too late for Yuko's rescue. She couldn't be dead. She just couldn't. "U-uh...y-yeah...." I finally stammered, slowly walking towards the group before receiving relieving news from Chouji.

"She's breathing!" he exclaimed in happiness. "She's going to be alright!"

I placed a hand over my chest and sighed deeply. "Oh, good, she's okay," I sighed in relief and in bliss.

"She must've fainted," Shikamaru guessed as he and I made our way towards the group. "So what do you suppose happened to the kidnapper?"

"Who knows?" Kai shrugged, staring down at the unconscious child in his arms. "But who cares. As long as Yuko's okay, then to hell with that guy."

So...what now? That was a question that continuously reeled in my mind during that moment of relief. Yuko was going to be alright, so where do we go from there? How do we know if the kidnapper was gone for good? What if he returns? And if he did, then what? I didn't think the war was going to be over, not now, or probably even ever. It's possible that those kids were going to keep running for the rest of their lives, that they were never going to grasp peace since it'll be so far from their reach.

"But we can't let that creep get away with this!" Ino shouted, thus interrupting my inner monologue. "I mean it's a good thing that Yuko is okay, in fact, it's a great thing, but are we seriously just going to let that guy go?!"

"But we don't even know where he went, or why he just simply dropped Yuko off like that," Kaori finally brought up after not speaking for a long period of time. "Is it really worth getting into all of that?"

Ino's face relaxed greatly upon Kaori's explanation, though it still shown uncertainty. "I dunno," she mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest uncomfortably, "I mean, I don't think it's very normal for a kidnapper to drop off his victim like that. It's kinda sketchy...."

She did drive a very valid point...

I took a glimpse at the unconscious form of Yuko, whose face twisted into a grimace in her subconsciousness. The sudden movement startled me. "Y-Yuko?!" I stammered, causing everyone else to perk up as I rushed to Yuko's side in a hurry.

A small grunt escaped the blonde girl's lips as she slowly opened her eyes, only to widen when she saw everyone hovering over her. "U-uh...wh-wha-what?" she managed to utter in obvious confusion as she blinked a few times. "G-guys? What in the world?" she continued, weakly sitting up and refusing to pull her startled gaze from everyone's faces. "Where am I? What happened?"

Chouji chuckled happily as he patted her head. "We found you passed out here," he grinned. "We don't know what happened to the kidnapper, but it's a very good thing that nothing serious happened to you. You're safe now, kiddo."

Yuko bit her lip slightly. "W-well...that's good then...." she muttered. "But are we going to be alright?" She faced Kai. "Kai?"

A small smile tugged Kai's lips as he nodded his head. "Yeah, I'm sure we'll be alright...." He turned his head to the side and raked his hair with his fingers. "But we're going to have to leave this place and head on off somewhere else...just to be safe."

Good plan.

"So...what do we do now?" Chouji asked.

Kai shrugged at his question, a smile still plastered on his face. "I say we head on back home and end the night with a nice hot meal. Whaddaya say, guys?"

"Wait, you're thinking about food--?"

"Alright! Let's do this!" Ino shouted in euphoria, interrupting Shikamaru as she pumped her fists in the air. "Time to celebrate!"

"Ye-ha! Onward!" Chouji cheered.

Shikamaru and I watched as the group started heading back. "Um, hey," I started, facing him. I caught his attention as he looked back at me. "So, does this mean it's all over now?" I questioned, searching for a hint of reassurance in his eyes.

He shrugged, hinting that he really wasn't too sure either. "I...guess it is. Let's go."

"Right..." The two of us started to follow the rest of the gang, though I stopped suddenly and turned around. I found Kaori standing there, her back facing me, as she gazed intently at a group of bushes that were rooted a couple of feet from her. Shikamaru and I looked at each other for a moment before I decided to speak up. "Kaori, what are you doing? Everyone's leaving," I called, heading towards her.

She didn't reply.

I turned to Shikamaru and gave him a look. He waved his hand, telling me to go on. I nodded and turned back toward the little girl. "Hey, Kaori!" I shouted, hoping that it would finally get her attention.

It never did.

As much as I hated to admit it, the fact that she didn't say anything really bothered me, more so than it should have for some reason. It disturbed me that she was just standing there with her back facing me and that she hadn't said a word in the longest time. Sure, I would think from my experiences with her that those actions were normal, but I couldn't help but wonder why should it, especially now? Her cousin is safe and there was nothing to worry about any further...right?

"Kaori!" I snapped, causing Shikamaru to flinch as I stomped towards Kaori. "What gives, Kaori?! Why aren't you answering--?!"

"?!"

I stopped moving when I noticed the group of bushes suddenly shook violently. I let out a gasp as I hurriedly grabbed Kaori and hauled her far away from the bushes. "What the hell?!" I croaked as I started to shake as well.

Startled as well, Shikamaru shouted back at the others, "Guys, get back!" When the rest of the crew finally realized that something was wrong, they immediately stood beside us.

"Wha-what's going on?!" Chouji and Ino shrieked in, to my surprise, perfect unison.

While everyone gaped at the bushes in panic, Kai was the only one who shown indifference. "Um, guys...?" he started with a bored tone. "You do realize that it might just be an animal, right...? So I really don't see why you are all making such a big fuss over it--?"

His breath caught in his throat when the bushes started shaking violently once again. My blood ran cold when a familiar someone stepped out from the bushes, a familiar someone that neither I nor anyone else wanted to see, especially now. Yuko's kidnapper, Megumi's murderer, and the one person who was responsible for the horrid night...he was there, standing before us.

It appeared that the man really didn't seem to be a ninja after all. He didn't possess any stealth or even weapons that presented him as one. Instead, he shakily held out a simple steak knife towards us. Perhaps he was just a coward after all?

His sudden appearance started everyone. In truth, none of us actually believed that he was going to turn up again...at least...not so soon. Kai bared his teeth, letting out a low and angered snarl. "You...." he began, shooting the shaken man daggers with his hard stare. He clenched his fist. "You've got some nerve showing your face again...after what you did...killing my grandmother and then kidnapping my cousin...."

The man had nothing to say to Kai. He continued trembling while gripping onto the steak knife in his sweaty palms. "N-nobody move!" he squawked in his poor attempt to sound threatening. "I've got a knife here, so don't you freaks of nature do anything, alright?!"

"Freaks of nature" he says? Like he was one to talk.

We all couldn't help but gape at the man who was standing before us, sweating bullets with a knife in hand. None of us had any sort of clue what to do during the situation. The man was clearly insane, yet a coward? None of it made any sense.

There was a sudden flare in Ino's eyes as her teeth started grinding together. "Who are you calling 'freaks'?!!" she barked. Seems like she was going to live that insult down just yet...

Startled, Chouji hurriedly covered her mouth with his hand. "Be quiet, Ino!" he whispered to her harshly, hoping to silence her from her nagging, which kinda did seeing that her babbling was muffled by his hand over her mouth.

My eyes rolled to my side and rested on Kai. I glanced down from his angered face and stared at his shaking fist. I actually feared that his fingernails were going to dig so deep in his palm that he may actually start gushing out blood. It kind of worried me. I reached my hand out for his shoulder and tried to think of something, anything, to say that would calm the poor guy down, though I had doubted that anything would cool him down at the moment.

There was a sudden glint in his eyes, almost like a spark that sort of flashed for a quick second all of a sudden, that even caused him to flinch. I really didn't think much of it until I heard a slight gasp from the culprit. We all gawked at the armed man as we watched his body start to twitch. He gasped for air and the pupils of his eyes shrunk. It was abnormal, yes, but it wasn't anything frightening...that is, until he let out an ear-piercing screech.

The man dropped the knife and held his head tightly. His screams were so terrifying and loud that it caused many waves of echoes. "WHAT?!! WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME?!! IT'S SO DARK--IT'S SO--!!! NOOOOOOOO!!! GET AWAY FROM ME NOOO!!!!"

His screams and actions terrified me. It all happened so suddenly, and I had absolutely no idea what triggered him to act this way. I turned to Kai, who also looked taken aback from what was going on. However, he refrained from moving. His stare was still, and it continued to set on the suffering man, as though he somehow had no control over it. I didn't think things would get any more gruesome and terrifying.

However, I was wrong.

Dead. Wrong.

"AHHHHHH!! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!" The man, with his head in his hands, dropped on his knees writhing in pain. He dropped one hand from his head and shakily reached for the knife.

The worst was yet to come.

Through a small chorus of gasps of fright, I quickly shielded Kaori's eyes and shut my own due to my queasiness. To rid whatever was troubling him in his head, the man stabbed his forehead with the knife and proceeded in doing such violently. So many voices reeled in my head, from Ino's gasps, to the terrified sobbing of Yuko and Aki, to Chouji and Shikamaru trying their best to stop the man, and of course, the cries of the man, a poor unfortunate soul.

And then, nothing.

With my shaking hand still covering Kaori's eyes, I slowly opened my own, only to feel nauseous in the end. The man was as good as dead, his face splattered from the blood that gushed from the multiple knife wounds that were scattered all over his forehead. Shikamaru and Chouji, horrorstricken, hovered over the bloody corpse. Ino gazed at the sight in shock. Terrified little Aki cried on Yuko's shoulder. Kai's expression remained the same, the look of shock and shame written all over his face...the horror over the fact that he had unintentionally taken the life of another human being...

It seemed as though tomorrow was never going to come around, like the dreadful nightmare we had faced that night was never going to come to an end and that we would continue to suffer from the sorrow, the paranoia, and the dread.

None of us slept that night when we finally returned to the house. Kai had spent the rest of the night burying Megumi's body and creating a decent grave that was beautified by various types of wildflowers found by Yuko. I could remember watching the sunrise the next day, and I remembered being mesmerized by the radiance and the beauty of the sun peeking over the horizon. Although I was still a bit frightened from the incident from the night before, I had a feeling that things were going to look even brighter now.

"So...you guys are leaving Sei-an for good?" Ino questioned the last four survivors of the Yagari Clan. When the sun had fully risen in the sky, Kai and the girls rummaged through their belongings and packed the items they needed and cherished most. They were going to leave the forgotten village. They didn't have a concrete idea of where their final destination will be. All they knew was that they had to get out of there.

"Yeah, I figured it'd be the best thing to do for me and the girls...." Kai replied, scratching his head with one hand and holding a bag of his belongings in the other.

"But do you have any sort of idea of where you'll go?" Chouji asked. "You can join us and live in Konoha."

Kai flashed a warm smile as he held up his hand. "No, no, we'll be fine," he assured. "We'll manage somehow. Also, I need some space and work on controlling that damn jutsu in private. I couldn't control myself."

"Well, I'm sure you'll do fine with a little practice," Shikamaru advised. "You don't want to overwork yourself. Plus, you shouldn't make your sister and cousins worry about you too much, especially since you're in charge from now on."

A hint of pink tinted Kai's cheeks as Aki and Yuki giggled at Shikamaru's comment. I couldn't help but smile too, even moreso when Kaori finally joined in on the laughter. It felt really nice to see everyone finally have reason to smile, reason to be happy...reason to go on living.

Kai's blush finally wore off as he chuckled as well. "Well," he started, extending his arm out Shikamaru, "I think it's about time for us to go our separate ways. It's a damn shame too, because you guys were a fun bunch."

A light smile tugged Shikamaru's lips as he shook Kai's hand. "Well, I guess we could say the same about you guys."

Looks like those two are finally getting along, I thought, still smiling. I was caught off guard and gasped when I noticed Kai's grin-plastered face dangerously close to mine.

"Heh, ta-ta for now, Doll-Face," he chuckled, swiftly kissing my cheek and causing me to blush heavily. Everyone had a different reaction to Kai's actions. Aki blushed cutely, Yuko shyly giggled, Kaori stared at her brother blankly, and Ino and Chouji were left wide-eyed. Shikamaru's reaction wasn't anything too dramatic, but I did notice a pout of annoyance on his face.

"Okay, Kai, was that really necessary?" he grumbled, his eye twitching in annoyance.

Kai didn't pay any mind to Shikamaru's annoyance and kept on flashing that grin of his. "Why, sure, it was. Dani's a cutie, and she deserved a little treat."

"Oh? But what about me?" Ino flirtatiously asked, pointing to her cheek cutely.

"Shut up, Ino...." Chouji, Shikamaru, and I muttered in unison.

The Yagari family all laughed at this. Kaori was the first to stop and tugged on her brother's shirt. "Hey, Kai, can we go yet?"

Kai smirked as he ruffled her hair. "Sure thing, kiddo." He turned to the three of us and smiled warmly. "Thanks for everything, you guys. I'm sure we'll cross paths someday, and I sure hope we do."

We waved goodbye as we set off back to Konoha. The mission was complete and all we could do was hope that the last survivors of the Yagari Clan will finally stop running and find peace somewhere. It'll happen eventually. I knew it, Shikamaru knew, and Ino and Chouji knew it. I was more than sure that Kai, Yuko, Aki, and Kaori did too.

After all that has happened, it astonished me that they were still strong enough to carry on. They witness death and fear, all of which happened on one single night. Those kids were an inspiration. They were a family who have faced many struggles...but they still held onto that belief of someday living a life without fear...a life with hope in their hearts...

...a life of everlasting freedom.

(A/N: Chapter 27 is finally complete! Finally! And again, I'm terribly, terribly sorry for the agonizingly long delay. I still can't believe that my writing mojo has somewhat come back to me. Now I just need to get working on my other two fanfictions...Anyway, I have somewhat of an idea of what chapter 28 will be about, but I'll get to planning it out and typing it. I sure hope that it won't take me as long to update. I'm truly sorry. I know there have been people waiting for this chapter to come out.

Thus concludes our Yagari Clan saga. Until next time!)

-Twilight-to-Nightfall