Angel's Touch

Artemis-sensei: YOSH! I am updating! I had to do a little research for this chapter. But I’ve got it planned out and hopefully it’ll be good.

For those confused by the end of the last chapter, Naruto didn’t do anything to Sakura other then always hogging Sasuke’s attentions. He’s just scared silly of Sakura, so when he saw her he ran in terror. XD

Now, to continue the Feelings of the Heart arc with a small insight on another of the Saint Beasts. By the way…I reread some chapters and kyaaa…so cute. =D Mostly the last saint beast one, the Tragic Autumn. Not that Gaara’s childhood was cute…no. But the ending part between him and Lee was cute. ^^’

Warning, Gaara speaks an actual sentence or two in one go in this. =D *laughs in amusement*

OH, and I’d like to point out a realization I found. SASUKE IS NOT EMO!!!

**
It’s true. Look. Naruto was published in 1992. That means Sasuke’s character was already created, colored, and the story written for. This whole emo fad didn’t start till about a year or two ago. Back in 1992, Sasuke’s style and hair was considered more punk and rebellious. His story line is also a well known, well used story line in stories. It’s called the anti-protagonist. A hero who never really goes through a growth in his story line. He’s the same at the start of the story as he is at the end of it. His story of avenging a dead love one is also not an uncommon story arc. In fact, the avenger story arc is used in many stories, animes, and movies and it is a well loved story arc to work with.

So technically, Sasuke really did have his style before emo’s were emo. Thus, Sasuke isn’t emo, the emo’s just copywrited him. So damn you emos, you thieves! Couldn’t you all run around in pink and cut your wrists instead? And mind you, just because Sasuke gets injured in his battles doesn’t prove he’s emo. I’ve heard that before.

Me: Sasuke doesn’t cut himself.
Sasuke-hater: He’s a ninja. He gets cut so much he doesn’t have to. Thus, he’s emo.

Sorry guys. If Sasuke’s emo because he gets cut up as a ninja, then Naruto’s an emo…and Kakashi, and Iruka, and Shino, Kiba, Hinata, Sakura, Shikamaru, Chouji, etc…Oh…and those guys in 300 are emo for running around getting themselves cut and killed. The gundams were emo. Vash the stampede is emo. The sailor scouts are emo. All video game characters are emo…etc, etc, etc again. ^^

My rant ends. =)

**
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 23: The Tragic Summer


Lee dutifully picked up all the cards he could find on the floor, watching out of the corner of his eye as Gaara left the apartment room. He blinked curiously and straightened, fixing the deck in his hand. Setting the cards down, Lee stepped over Kakashi’s outstretched legs and left the apartment in search of the other male.

Gaara wasn’t too hard to find. He was leaning against the railing just outside, staring out over the city landscape with his usual frown.

“What troubles you, Gaara-kun?” Lee asked, leaning against the railing and smiling at the other.

Gaara flinched slightly, obviously having not noticed Lee had followed, and turned to him with a slightly more pronounced frown. “They’ve been gone a long time.”

Lee blinked in surprise, then thought about it and realized Gaara was right. He looked out over the landscape for a moment, before flashing Gaara a bright and reassuring smile. “Do not fear! Their mission is very important, so it is understandable that they should be gone so long.”

Gaara seemed non to reassured and turned back to stare out at the sky.

Lee’s face momentarily fell, but he quickly hid it with another playful smile and scratched the back of his neck. “Am I perhaps that boring?”

Gaara shook his head and looked at Lee again. “No.”

“Awe. That’s good,” Lee laughed, folding his arms on the railing and looking out again with a smile. “I am certain everything is fine. Even if something were to go wrong, Naruto-kun has Kiba-kun and Sasuke-kun with him. Together, they are more then a match for any enemy. And if we were to be attacked, you and I will surely crush the foe.”

Gaara smiled just barely, making Lee inwardly cheer. He considered every smile drawn from the other a victory.

“Lee…why didn’t you use chakra in our fight with the other me?” Gaara asked, the question again causing Lee’s good mood to suddenly shatter.

Lee frowned and looked down, slumping as he mulled over the question. He’d avoided answering it before, but apparently Gaara wasn’t going to forget it anytime soon.

“And…why didn’t you fly?” Gaara also asked, this time his voice a whisper.

Lee rubbed his hands together, unable to get up the strength to put on his cheerful mask. He should probably tell Gaara, since if they did get into battle, the other needed to know. But…he was afraid of what Gaara might think of him once he knew.

“I told you my secrets…” Gaara murmured, looking away almost sadly.

Lee sighed and turned, reaching out and turning Gaara’s face towards him again, smiling sadly at Gaara. “Hai…you did. And I would do you wrong by betraying the trust we have built between us.”

Gaara turned, giving Lee his full attention. Lee swallowed and ran a hand through his hair, before straightening and facing Gaara bravely. “The truth, I fear, lies with my own life and death. It is not that I didn’t use chakra…it is that I can’t. I do not have the ability to use chakra in the way that other’s can. And I do not have wings, for wings are something that requires a concentrated flow of chakra to form.”

“…oh…” Gaara stated, suddenly looking ashamed for asking.

Lee sighed and leaned against the railing, thinking about his past. “I am ashamed to say that…compared to you, I did not suffer as badly in my life. I experienced abandonment, but I can not compare it to the degree of yours.”

Gaara frowned and walked over, resting on the railing with their shoulders touching. “I never asked you to.”

Lee looked at him in mild surprise, then melted into light laughter and blushed in shameful embarrassment. “No…you haven’t, have you? I am sorry. I’m so used to it being that way up in Heaven.”

Gaara watched him silently, before looking away again, cheeks barely tinged red, “Will you tell me…”

Lee watched and then looked away, his own cheeks warming a little. “I owe you that much, Gaara-kun………life wise, my childhood was relatively happy and carefree. I had many friends and a loving family. I was short for my age but very active, and I loved to play outside. Whenever I could, I would be participating in sports, exercising, or just simply running around. In fact…sometimes my parents would joke around and say I was to hyper to be normal.”

Lee smiled softly and chuckled at the memory, closing his eyes to hide the sadness that started to well up inside him. “But…during the summer of my seventh year of youth…everything went horribly wrong…”


Lee ran through the group of children with a smile on his face, kicking the soccer ball along as the goal neared. With the path wide open, he took the shot as another child came from the right and tried to stop him. The ball made it past and into the goal, but the other child’s foot caught Lee’s and he tripped.

Sudden pain shot up his leg, making Lee cry out as he fell to the ground. Another, even more powerful pain shot from the shoulder he landed on and he couldn’t help but cry out some more. He lay still on the ground, sobbing softly and shaking from the sudden onslaught of pain.

“Lee!!” His mother shouted out, rushing onto the field with his father right behind her. She fell to her knees and reached out to pick him up, but as she lifted him off the grass the pain returned and made Lee shriek. She immediately stopped and pulled away fearfully while his father shouted to the couch and pulled out his cell phone.

There was a lot more shouting and activity happening around them, but Lee ignored it all and closed his eyes in an attempt to shut out the pain. What was happening?

A moment later, Lee’s father picked him up carefully and carried him to their car, Lee doing his best not to cry out in pain anymore. His mother fussed over him the whole drive home, and finally when they arrived, he was carried to his room.

Lee had gotten used to the pain by now and watched behind moistened eyes as the family doctor arrived and entered the room.

For a few hours afterwards, the doctor examined him and did some tests. When he was done, Lee’s upper right arm and leg were wrapped up with a brace and gauze.

“Lee-kun…I want you to stay in bed for now. You’ve broken a few bones and they need time to heal,” His doctor explained gently.

Lee sniffed and nodded, doing as he was told. He hated having to stay in bed, but he knew to listen and do as he was told.

The doctor sighed and removed his glasses, wiping his forehead dry before he packed up his things and left the room. Lee watched as his door was closed, but not completely. He could still hear what was going on outside his room, and when he heard his mother ask the doctor about him, he listened curiously.

“Doctor, will Lee be all right?” His mother’s voice spoke.

A sigh, then the doctor’s voice spoke up, “I looked him all over. It’s nothing to serious, just a few broken bones. However…the way the bones have broken……I would highly recommend you take Lee in for a physical at a hospital.”

Lee frowned at that. His mother and father hated hospitals. He’d never been to one in his whole life, and their doctor knew that. Why would he suggest they do so if it was merely broken bones?

“But Doctor Yenma, you know how my wife feels about hospitals,” His father’s voice joined in.

“I know. Please understand, I would not suggest this unless I honestly believe it would be for Lee-kun’s own good. I can only do so much with my equipment…and Lee’s bones have broken, well, in an odd way.”

“What do you mean?” His mother asked.

A long pause, then the doctor replied, “They’ve shattered. Not enough to pierce the skin, but enough to worry me. If even a small piece of bone were to get into the blood stream and make its way to Lee-kun’s heart…well…I highly recommend you have him looked over at a proper hospital.”

“But as I’ve said, my wife-“

“No. It’s ok…I can deal with it for Lee’s sake,” His mother stated finally.

Lee frowned slightly, not able to really understand what all that meant. But he did know one thing for sure. He would be going to a hospital.

Lee was not allowed to move from his bed. He lay there all night, fidgeting with the covers and staring out his window, watching the wind blow lightly on the tree leaves. When he finally fell asleep, it was a restless sleep filled with dreams where he would repeatedly break his arm or leg.

Finally, he woke up the next morning when his dad came and scooped him up again. Lee watched his father and mother as they left their house and got into the car, driving to the hospital in the city.

Lee stared at the large building in awe, amazed by the amount of windows it had. Inside, it was all really white and there were people rushing around everywhere. It was a very busy place, and Lee didn’t know where to look first.

His mother didn’t seem too excited though and clung tightly to his father, a little pale in the face but insisting that she was all right.

After a while, a woman in scrubs arrived and ushered them away from the crowded white room, down a few halls, and into a smaller white room with a bed.

“The doctor will arrive shortly,” The lady assured them, leaving them alone after that.

Lee’s father deposited him carefully on the bed and made sure Lee was comfortable and not in any pain, before he went to sit down by Lee’s mother and comfort her best he could.

Lee felt a little bad, like it was his fault that his mother had to be somewhere she was scared to be. He started to apologize, but the doctor came in just then and Lee closed his mouth, knowing better then to interrupt an adult when they were talking. The doctor greeted his parents warmly and eased them best he could, then came over to Lee.

“Lee-kun, right? Nice to meet you. Don’t worry, we’ll just be doing some tests. You can have a sucker afterwards, how about that?” The doctor smiled gently, shaking Lee’s uninjured hand.

Lee liked the sound of a lollipop, so he smiled and relaxed.

What followed after seemed like fun and games for Lee. Or at least, he made himself believe that. Most of the tests involved things Doctor Yenma did on a normal checkup, but the ones near the end were new. The doctor examined his eyes and he was given something called a cat-scan, though it didn’t involve a cat at all. He then received a shot, but instead of putting something in him, the doctor was taking blood out. It hurt a little, more then a normal shot, but no where as much as the next shot afterwards did. The one that followed involved a needle that was much thicker then a normal needle. The doctor had said something about drawing out and checking a sample of his bone marrow.

Finally, Lee got his lollipop and sucked on it while the nurse cast up his leg and both his upper and lower arm. The doctor had said something and frowned when he was drawing out the bone marrow from the lower arm bone, and now he apparently needed that bone in a cast to. Lee really didn’t understand anything that was going on, but the doctor was calm so he assumed everything was ok.

“Mr and Mrs Rock,” The doctor addressed his parents, which drew Lee’s attention. He watched, sucking on his treat, and listened curiously. “Are you aware that your son has Osteogenesis Imperfecta?”

Lee paused in his sucking and frowned at the large, complicated word. Apparently his parents weren’t familiar with the term either.

“He has what?” His father asked with a frown.

“Osteogenesis Imperfecta,” The doctor repeated. “It’s a rare genetic disorder…a disease of sorts. Normally it’s something that should have been spotted when your son was born. Did he have a proper medical examination?”

His mother frowned and nodded hesitantly, “Our doctor looked him over...”

“My wife has a deep fear of hospitals, doctor. Lee was born at home, with our doctor and a midwife assisting during the birth,” His father explained.

The doctor frowned and sighed, looking down at his charts, “Osteogenesis Imperfecta normally shows itself at birth. By conceiving him outside of a hospital, there was no way you could have known.”

His mother frowned and clutched his father’s arm, “Is it bad?”

The doctor calmly looked through a few more papers, before looking up at them both. “Osteogenesis Imperfecta is a genetic disorder characterized by bones that break easily, often from little or no apparent cause. Normally, it’s because the body’s ability to produce strong bones has been disrupted due to a lack of type I collagen. Collagen is the major protein of the body’s connective tissue, as well as part of the framework that bones are formed around. Without proper amounts of it, the bones that grow become deformed and brittle. There are many different types of OI, each with similar yet different symptoms. You’re son has type IV.”

“And…?” His father asked.

Lee watched as the doctor stood and motioned his parents to follow him out of the room. He frowned, wondering what all that had meant, and why they weren’t going to continue talking about it in the room he was in.

The nurse that was caring for him finished and stood, moving to clean up the room. After she was done, she pulled out a small device and inhaled from it. Lee recognized the inhaler and smiled, “I have one of those.”

The nurse turned to look at him, then smiled. “You do?”

Lee nodded, “Yeah. Sometimes I have a hard time breathing. My doctor said it was probably asthma and gave me one of those. It helps…sometimes. Lately it hasn’t been helping at all.”

The nurse smiled again and bowed, before leaving the room. Lee was left alone and he went back to sucking his lollipop. He looked outside the window, wishing he hadn’t broken a bone. He’d much rather be out there, playing with his friends. Basketball sounded fun at the moment.

“Lee…it’s time to go home,” His mother’s voice broke through his thoughts, drawing Lee’s attention.

Lee blinked, noticing her face was wet and her eyes were red. “Ka-san...?”

His father entered and went over, lifting him out of the bed so gently that it was if he thought Lee was made of glass. Lee didn’t understand but decided not to ask. He pulled the finished stick from his mouth and looked at the doctor, holding it to him. “I’m done.”

The doctor took it with a smile, “Thank you, Lee-kun. You can have another one if you promise not to bite on it. Just ask the receptionist on the way out.”

And on the way out, Lee did get his second sucker.

No one would tell Lee what was wrong with him. For a month after his hospital visit, Lee was forced to remain in his bed and wasn’t allowed to do anything. His father would take him to the restroom when he had to go, but otherwise Lee remained under the covers in bed. After a while, his casts were removed and his bones pronounced healed, but even then Lee was told to stay in bed.

Lee didn’t understand. He wanted to go outside and play. Sometimes his friends would come over to visit him, but they were all told not to allow Lee out of his bed. And the one time some of them had started to rough-house in Lee’s room, his mother had burst in and yelled at them as if they’d committed the worst of crimes.

After a while, his friends stopped visiting.

Lee’s breathing difficulty started up again. It happened every now and then and all Lee had to do was stay calm and breathe normally. Sometimes he’d take some painkiller and it would go away. But this time, his mother broke down into tears and panicked as if he was dieing or something. Lee frowned as his father guided her from the room, his frown deepening as the two of them started to argue.

He wasn’t used to them fighting, so Lee ignored the shouting and looked out his window again. Summer only had a month left. Soon it would be Autumn and he’d have to go back to school. Lee frowned at that. He’d really wanted to spend his summer playing sports and being with his friends. Not confined to his bed like this. He really missed his friends. He wondered why none of them had visited. Well, maybe it was because of his mother overreacting. The least they could do was send him a hello or get well card.

A few weeks later, his parents were arguing more frequently then ever before. It almost felt like they fought every day now. Lee felt a little tired to, though he didn’t need to sleep. He’d already slept that night.

His favorite past time had become nature watching. He always looked out the window now and imagined the things he could be doing if he wasn’t stuck in his bed. Right now he was watching a blue bird building a nest on the branch just outside. It looked very busy.

“This is all your fault!” His father’s voice rang out, invading the quiet moment Lee had been enjoying.

“My fault! How is this my fault!?” His mother’s distressed voice rang out.

“You’re the one who didn’t want to have your child in a hospital, like normal people!” His father’s voice answered. “If Lee had been conceived in a hospital, then-“

“Then what!? Even the doctor says there’s no cure yet!!”

“At least we would have known!”

“And how would that change anything?”

“……” Lee couldn’t hear whatever his father’s answer had been.

“Oh my god!! You…you bastard!! How can you say such a thing? How can you even think of that!! Lee is as good a son as any!! How can you even think of replacing him with a second child!?”

“Lee is dieing! You said so yourself, there’s no cure. I’m thinking about the future!”

“I can’t believe…Get out! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!!!”

Lee listened as the shouting stopped and a door slammed. Then everything went quiet. He stared at his door, eyes wide and tears falling silently down his cheeks. His body started to hurt and he closed his eyes, rolling onto his side and nuzzling his pillow, crying softly. Exhaustion crept up on him, a sharp pain and tightness forming in his chest. Lee reached up and gripped his shirt, gasping softly for breath and continuing to cry. After a while, despite the pain, Lee felt so sleepy that he slipped away in the darkness regardless of how much it hurt.


“When I opened my eyes again…I was dead,” Lee finished his story. “I learned later from Gai-sensei that my ribs had grown in more tightly then normal because of my birth defect, so as my lungs had developed, the space for them to grow had grown too small. I strained myself crying so hard after my dad left…that they finally gave in and collapsed. And I do not know why…but somehow my birth defect affected my spirit’s ability to control chakra in my afterlife. I can’t use chakra like other people or form wings…but ironically, my body is stronger then normal.”

Lee sighed and wiped away a few tears that had formed during his story, jumping away from the railing and smiling brightly at Gaara. “But everything’s all right! Gai-sensei has become like a father to me and I have made friends like you and Naruto-kun. I am no longer sad, and I shall not allow my lack of chakra to stand in my way of being a powerful angel of love and justice!”

Gaara stared at him for a while with a frown, before he pushed off of the railing and walked over to Lee, suddenly hugging him around the chest.

Lee gasped slightly, eyes widening at the unexpected move from the other. “Gaara-kun?”

“You’re like me. You hide yourself behind a mask,” Gaara murmured, before closing his eyes and hugging Lee a little more tightly.

Lee blushed but relaxed, thinking about that statement before he wrapped his arms around and hugged Gaara back. They staid together like that, enjoying comfort from each other and letting the past dissolve for now. Then Lee pulled away with a genuine smile and rest a hand on Gaara’s shoulder. “Let us go search for the others.”

Gaara nodded slightly and they both started for the stairs in comfortable silence. Lee was starting to think how happy he was to have found someone that understood when suddenly Gaara, just in front of him, let go of the railing and fell forward. Lee gasped and shouted out Gaara’s name, quickly jumping forward and catching Gaara as they both tumbled down the stairs, Lee shielding Gaara with his body.

After the tumble ended and Lee endured the pain for a second, he uncurled and rest Gaara in his lap. The other’s eyes were closed and his face was pale. Lee felt himself panic and he shook Gaara. “Gaara-kun? Gaara-kun!? Are you all right!?”

Gaara groaned and shifted, so Lee calmed himself down and scooped Gaara up, standing and rushing back up the stairs to their apartment. He shoved upon the door and immediately saw that Kakashi was not on the couch where he’d left him. Lee rest Gaara down on the couch, then went around the apartment calling for the older angel.

Realizing Kakashi wasn’t there, Lee frowned and went back to the couch. He sat down and reached out, cupping Gaara’s face gently. He felt cold to the touch, and Lee thought back and realized Gaara had been paler then normal as of late. Lee frowned and shook Gaara lightly.

“Gaara-kun…wake up. When was the last time you had any blood??”

Gaara staid quit for a while, before he stirred and opened his eyes with a slight groan. He looked up at Lee and blinked in confusion. “…Lee?”

“Gaara-kun, when did you last drink blood?” Lee repeated himself.

Gaara frowned and turned his head to the side, breaking their gaze and staying quiet.

Lee frowned at that and straightened a little. “You haven’t been having any, have you? Why, Gaara-kun. You and I both know you need blood to sustain your existence!”

Gaara’s eyes narrowed and Lee could read the shame that overcame his solemn face. “I…”

Lee leaned down, having not been able to hear the last part of the answer. “You what?”

Gaara closed his eyes and angrily snapped out, “I hate it!!”

Lee straightened a little in surprise, then frowned sadly. “Gaara-kun…you need it.”

Gaara shook his head and glared at Lee, a little moisture at the edges of his eyes. “I hate it. I hate drinking blood! I hate drinking Naruto’s. I can’t keep taking his blood! He saved me…I can’t stand…doing that…”

Lee smiled sadly and leaned down, hugging Gaara and getting to be the once to surprise the other with the action. “Gaara-kun…you have to drink blood. You’ll go away if you don’t.”

He let go and sat up, moving to unbutton his shirt and pull his arm from the garment. “I do not want you to leave. But you do not have to drink from Naruto-kun anymore.”

Gaara propped himself up carefully, staring at the other confused. “Lee…?”

Lee smiled at Gaara and patted the now exposed skin of his neck and shoulder. “You shall drink my blood from now on.”

Gaara frowned and again gave him a confused look.

Lee smiled warmly at him, “Let me help you with your illness, Gaara-kun. And we’ll make a promise…never to abandon each other.”

Gaara stared at him some more, before leaning forward and resting a hand on Lee’s shoulder. He grimaced, but Lee didn’t pull away or stop smiling in that reassuring way, so Gaara closed his eyes and leaned in the rest of his way, sinking his teeth into Lee’s skin and tasting the disgusting but satisfying taste of blood.

Lee closed his eyes and reached up, rubbing Gaara’s back soothingly. “Don’t be ashamed, Gaara-kun. You have no reason to be.”

Now that Lee had found such a precious friend, he would never fail to protect or support him.

***notes***

- Blood: Yep. I didn’t forget that Gaara needs blood. Instead, Gaara hasn’t been drinking it like he’s supposed to. Bad Gaara! We don’t want you to disappear either! But poor Gaara hates being a vampire…oops…I mean suicider. =P *Gaara smacks her*

- Lee’s past: Yeah…not as sad as Gaara’s…or maybe it is? That’s for all of you to decide. But man, Lee’s past required a lot of research. I knew Lee would be healthy, then be inflicted with a bad bone disease. The kind that can bedridden you and even lead to death. I first found osteoporosis, but that wasn’t to the severity I wanted. Then I stumbled on Osteogenesis Imperfecta. You can learn about it here…

http://www.oif.org/site/PageServer?pagename=FastFacts

It’s normally lethal at birth, really, depending on the type. But often times, as stated, death with this defect comes in the form of respiratory failure or accidental trauma. Of course, knowing Lee’s lungs had to collapse, I had to do more research to see what it feels like, or the symptoms are, of a collapsed lung. So I found that here…

http://lungdiseases.about.com/od/generalinformation1/a/diag_pneumothor.htm

Lee, you’re death was so hard to orchestrate. =P

***reviewer response***


Mitsuko – Hee hee. ^^

Vincent-Young - Thank you

littleolmee – thank you. schools going good. ^^ And if I create any games, you can be sure there might be a little boy/boy stuff, if not, certainly lots of hints to it. XD And Naruto didn’t do anything to Sakura. He’s just terrified of her so he ran away. ^^

Donedin – Yeah! I missed your reviews. ^^ Not digital media…its actual a major called Game Design. Digital media is more about videos, not games. Thank you, by the way. ^^

devil child – Hee hee. Yeah…I think that’s probably what Sasuke would tell all these people in real life that call him emo. And it’s true to. long live Shino/Kiba! ^^

bloodyrose – sorry. Life is an ass. And hey, Shino was being fluffy. The whole butterfly thing and the smile was Shino realizing maybe that the one for him HAD stumbled into his basement. ^^ But for me, I believe Shino is the type that’s not a fan of public affection. Just because of his silent, withdrawn persona…I see him as the type who’d drop the façade and become a passionate lover in private behind closed doors. ^^

XZanayu – lol. ^^

kaa-san – congrats. You’re the first reviewer to realize Naruto was running in terror from Sakura, because he was terrified. XD

Magic Knight of the sky – hee hee. ^^

Andi-chan – thank you. the understanding helps. ^^

Nomme de Plume – Yeah, Kiba’s new at it so I figured I’m make him do the dumb mistake thing, but realize it and from that the love shall blossom. ^^ But now that I’ve updated…you! Update Naruto’s Uchiha Dictionary!! =3 I luvs that story.

Dark_Angel_Kyo – thanks ^^

Cheshire666 – Heh…lots of Gaara and Lee fluff. ^^’ But thank you. I’m glad you liked the mall outing. I was afraid it would be boring and not funny, which I was going for funny and cute. Glad I succeeded. ^^

rainbowgirl – I love Shino/Kiba to. They can be so cute. ^^

TheSirens – Yeah…my 3d modeling is actually going well. I’m pretty good at it. =D I’m better at modeling swords then drawing them! lol

Yuri-san – Sai’s the one I was hinting to…but he’s not the seven-tailed. someone else is. But no, he has never shown any eyes of the Aburame in the manga. And Kakashi’s face has never been shown. Any pics are all photoshopped. ^^’

KawaiiNakole – yep. in this story, they fell off. But I reveal nothing to no one. Only Shino and Kiba know what his eyes look like. And they must be pretty, cause Kiba momentarily got lost in them. =)

Damp – Not yet. We’re learning to make games. Anyway, yep. ^^ Thank yas.

Kameoto – Always so random. Your reviews are fun to read. =3

Takako – Yeah…Akamaru’s actually fun to write. The smart dog rolling his eyes at his slightly dumb master. =D And traffic cones have holes at the top. ^^” And yes…god…Shino’s so fricken hot when he’s older. O.O

Gwyllion – Thank you. ^__^

niguara_chic – Don’t know about that. Shino’s even more covered up in Shipuuden, though he’s still so bad ass awesome. =3 And oh, I know he does. He keeps hinting at it. Hello! Naruto and Sasuke kissed in the third episode of the series!! Not every manga writer does that, specially a male manga writer! ^^

Ca55o - ^__^ thank you.

Kagome Raya – email you about the update? Wow…you’re the only one who’s asked that. Most of us just bookmark the stories we like and check them every now and then for an update. ^^” I guess I will, but I can’t promise every time.