Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Our Lives in the Hurricane Chronicles ❯ Chapter 16

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

“Missed me! Missed me! Now ya gotta kiss me!” –???
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Sasuke opened the door. Of course, Mayu was still sleeping. The Uchiha smiled as he walked into her room. He quickly and quietly put Itachi's journal back where he found it. He did not want Mayu getting suspicious if she found out that it was missing. Sadly, the information Sasuke seeked was not in the journal. It was as if Itachi purposely stopped writing in it after meeting Mayu.

Sasuke turned to face Mayu's sleeping form. "You're still a mystery, Mayu..." he muttered, walking towards her bed. He moved her dark bangs away from her face. "But at least Itachi fell victim to your pranks and childish behavior." Sasuke's hand stroked Mayu's cheek. "In some ways, you're more of a mystery than Itachi." But that was quickly going to change as soon as the Uchiha got his hands on that diary.

Mayu's diary has held all her secrets and thoughts of her childhood years. Sure, Sasuke could have just asked her, but he was sure that she'd jump around the true answer because it involved his brother. This way, he could kill two birds with one stone. Learning about Itachi and Mayu at the same time, it was simple, yes, but for things like this, Sasuke, frankly, didn't care. He walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

A small smirk appeared on his face as he walked down the hall. "Every thought, every feeling... will be known to me," Sasuke thought. This excitement he felt made him go slightly faster. The sooner he knew of Mayu, the better. He reached the front door in seconds. Sasuke opened the door, expecting to just walk out, but a person blocked his path.

Sai looked momentarily surprised. Sasuke had opened the door before he could knock. He dropped his arm to his side. "Sasuke-san...!" Sai bowed his head.

"Yeah, yeah..." Sasuke replied, pushing Sai away and stepping out, closing the door behind him. "What do you want?" He walked away, causing the pale ninja to follow after him. “Mayu’s sleeping, so you’re going to have to come back later.”

“Ano… I really wanted to speak with you, Sasuke-san…” Sai reluctantly said. Sasuke abruptly stopped and turned to stare at his teammate. Beads of sweat started to form on Sai’s face. “This is… harder than I thought,” he thought. The blank stare Sasuke was giving him wasn’t exactly helpful at the moment.

“What…?” the Uchiha asked. He was surprised, to say the least. Sai had never spoken to him directly outside of missions. This was actually the first time Sai had come to Sasuke’s home. “You want to speak to me, not Mayu?”

“That is correct,” Sai answered. The two stared at each other in silence. Sasuke’s eyebrow twitched. Sai continued to stare at him, not once blinking.

“Well, what do you want?” Sasuke asked, slightly aggravated. Sai coughed lightly.

“Mayu-san–Jester has told me that I don’t… ‘connect’ with you as I do with her and Na-Na–Dickless…” he said. Sasuke had to hold back a grin. Dickless… That was truly priceless. Once, Sai had actually shouted that out on a mission.

“DON’T CALL ME THAT IN PUBLIC!” Nakatsu screamed.

“But you gotta admit, Nakatsu-kun, Sai-chan sure did an excellent job of distracting the bandit for us!” Mayu patted the head of the said bandit, who was tied up. He grumbled as he shook Mayu’s hand away from his head.

“Still…!”

“Can’t help it if it’s true,” Sasuke smirked.

“Shut your face before I rip out your spinal cord through your as-”

“And I think it’s time to go!” Sai interrupted.

“… You guys are retarded…” the princess, their client, huffed loudly as she crossed her arms.

“Yeah, so…?” Sasuke questioned, trying hard not to let out a laugh from that particular mission.

“Well, I’ve reached the conclusion that it is because I have yet to give you a nickname,” Sai answered.

“Oh joy…” Sasuke thought, inaudibly sighing. “So, what do you got?”

“I decided to come up with your nickname, using Mayu-san’s influence,” Sai continued, smiling. Sasuke noted that he didn’t use Mayu’s nickname. It still must be a little hard for him. “So… I came up with… Tori-suke…!” (THANX anime.storm!!)

Sasuke’s eye twitched. “Tori-suke…?” he thought. His whole body shook. Thanks to Mayu, this guy was going to continuously call him that!

“Ahh…! I see you’re shaking in excitement!” Sai noticed.

“Excitement’s not the word I’d use…” Sasuke thought.

“I am very happy you like it, Tori-suke!” Sai continued; his smile seemed to grow slightly. He turned. “I hope we are able to ‘connect’ now!”

Sai jumped away, not giving a chance for Sasuke to retort. Not that he was going to, anyway. The Uchiha sighed heavily, and then shook his head. He was on a mission! How could he forget! Mayu’s diary, that is what he needed, not a nickname!
************************

Sasuke walked into the room, completely disregarding the fact that there used to be a door there. His dark eyes darted around the room. If he remembered correctly, Mayu’s diary was… a dark color. Sasuke’s eyes scanned the floor. There was one, lone book on the dusty floor. He walked over, and then picked it up. The color of the book was deep red, almost maroon. “This is it…” he muttered, opening the diary. “Now all I have to do is find the date corresponding with where Itachi’s journal left off.”

21st of April

Dear unresponsive object,

Sasuke’s mouth turned into a smirk. “Only Mayu would write that,” he thought, and then continued reading.

I am so pumped right now! Today’s the day weasel–I mean, Itachi is supposed to come back here. (really have to remember to say his name right!) I’m happy that I finally made a friend.
Being a secret is kinda lonely, ya know?
That April Fool’s day joke with the paint…
Itachi didn’t like that, so I don’t think I’m going to do that anymore…
With paint… heheheheheh

Anyway, like I said, he’s coming over again.
Last time, I introduced him to the rest of the family.
He looked surprised by the way my family acted.
This makes me wonder if he’s ever experienced this…
Well, if he thinks we’re bad, he definitely doesn’t want to meet Uncle Mori!

I really hope that Itachi will–
HE’S HERE!

*******************************************************

Journey to the Past
Part 2

**************************************************************** ********************************************************************
I raced down the hall, heart beating faster and faster! I was writing in that notebook when I saw his dark figure walking towards this place. Yeah, Itachi did have this sorta dark aura around him. It’s kinda weird to have that when he’s only–how old is he again? He looks so much older than what he is that I know. Nonetheless, I am so friggin’ excited. I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time! “Finally, weasel–I mean, Itachi has come back!” I shouted in glee as I continued to run day the hall. My destination was the front door, so I could greet him.

Suddenly, I feel a tug on my shirt. And like I dog on a leash, I was pulled back. After I stopped coughing and choking (because that almost killed me!), I looked to see who had stopped me. It was my dear mother; she had a small grin on her face. “And where do you think you’re going, Mayu?” she asked. I flushed in slight embarrassment.

“I saw Itachi-kun…” I answered in a polite voice. Sometimes, I joke with my mom, but other times, I don’t. Why…? Because my mother is a fiend! She’s crazy! Although, I’d never say that to her face… I love my mom, really I do, but that doesn’t change the fact that she’s the scariest person alive to me. When she gets angry, it’s best to stand clear. “He’s coming this way.”

“So you saw Itachi-kun, eh?” she asked; I nodded my head in response. “Very well, but before you greet him, I want to hear five sentences in our primary language.”

“Nani…?!” I shouted. “Why do we keep doing that? I mean, I’m practically fluent!”

“Practically isn’t fluency,” mother stated. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. She always said that! Always, always, always…! That’s the reason I hated learning that language in the first place! Luckily, she isn’t making me learn how to write it yet. “Begin.”

I sighed loudly to show my annoyance. My mother didn’t bat an eyelash. I opened my mouth. “Esto es estúpido. ¿Por qué debo tener yo que hacer esto? Quiero divertirme. Yo no comprendo. ¿Puedo ir me ahora?” I finished with a frown.

“Do you understand what you said?” mother asked.

“Yes, ma’am…” I answered. “This is stupid. Why do I have to do this? I want to be entertained. I don’t understand. And can I go now?” I repeated in the language I’m actually used to.

“Fine, off with you,” mother said, releasing me. I almost fell! “Your father and I will spar for about an hour. After that, he will make lunch.”

I nodded my head, and then continued my, what seemed to be, journey to the front door. “Hold it there, girl!” a woman’s voice stopped me. I’d recognize that old voice anywhere. I sighed heavily as I rolled my eyes. Ishikari Mayuri, how I dreaded when this woman asked me to do something for her. I slowly turned, trying to stall my fate.

“Y-Yes…? Granny Yuri…?” I grumbled.

“What did I tell you about calling me that?!” she shouted. For an old woman, she could shout really loud. “Don’t make me make you run laps around Konoha!”

“You told me not to ever call you that because you don’t look like an old granny,” I answered in a bored tone. Although, she really did look old. I mean, it seriously seems like she gets gray hairs everyday! In fact, her hair is no longer black. It is now a pale grey, almost white. “And running laps around this village, again, isn’t necessary!”

“Damn straight, you little scalawag…!” Granny Yuri looked proud. She stood with a slightly crooked back, but her hands were on her hips as if she was the boss.

“Who the hell says ‘scalawag’ anymore?” I thought, diverting my eyes away from the senile old woman.

“Anyway, little Mayu, I need you to do something for me,” Granny Yuri said. Of course she did…

“And what can I do for you today, Mayuri-sama?” I asked with sarcasm. I turned my eyes back to her.

“Your sarcasm is not needed,” Granny Yuri stated, narrowing her eyes at me. “You’re just like your father in his youth. He changed because my daughter knocked some sense into his head. You need the same treatment. Back in my day, children never back talked their elders! Oh, to be young again! I would-”

“Oh, would you please get on with it!” I interrupted loudly. “Just tell me what you want alrea-” Suddenly, I found myself flying backwards. Granny Yuri had given me a fierce kick to the gut. I did a small flip and landed noisily on the hard floor.

I sank to my knees as I held my stomach. I glared up at her. Granny Yuri only smirked as she walked towards me. I don’t know why I keep forgetting she’s a strong, senile old woman! “Th-That was uncalled for…!” I shouted.

“You think an enemy is going to see it that way, Mayu?” she asked with a small chuckle.

…

So this woman was trying to teach me something…? I slowly stood. … Didn’t have to kick me, though. “Now, take me to my room,” Granny Yuri continued. “My brittle body can’t handle the stress of walking all the way there.

“But your room is like… 12 steps away!” I stated.

“Doesn’t matter; now, down, girl!”

I sighed heavily. A seven-year-old carry around an elderly person is kinda weird. And yet so normal for me… Why do I have to have the weird grandma? Why couldn’t I get the sweet, loving grandma that spoils her grandchildren? Albeit, I’m her only grandchild, but still…! “But Itachi’s coming…” I muttered, turning. I bent down slightly, waiting for the excess weight.

“Itachi…?” my grandmother repeated.

I felt her weight on me. Funny, she’s not as heavy as she was a month ago… “Yes, you met him before, remember? He’s the young Uchiha that found out about this place awhile ago,” I told her. I moved forward, towards her room.

“Ah, yes! Now I remember,” she exclaimed. “Quite a handsome boy, he was. If I was a few years younger-”

“OBAASAN…!” I shouted. “Don’t finish that sentence or I’ll drop you!” Like I wanted to hear about my Granny Yuri and–I shuddered.

“Don’t be so jealous, Mayu,” she told me; I scoffed. I opened the door to her room. “Set me on my futon, young one.”

“Yeah, whatever…” I did what was told of me. She laid down with a smile on her face.

“Thank you, child,” she said, closing her eyes. “Now don’t disturb me with your pranks, Mayu. The elderly need their sleep.”

“Hai,” I replied, standing. I headed for the door. Itachi’s probably annoyed that I have him waiting.

“Mayu-chan…” Granny Yuri called out to me.

“Yes…?” I turned my head slightly.

“Continue our legacy with pride,” she told me.

“Eh…?”

My grandmother chuckled. “I can see it now…” she whispered. “Red-eyed great grandchildren for me.”

“What the hell…?” I thought. “Granny Yuri, rest well.”

“Hai, hai…”

I walked out, feeling slightly freaked out. Not that I’m not usually freaked out by my grandmother. Her last birthday party, she got drunk! Traumatized for life, I was! I closed the door behind me. “Oh crap…! I forgot Weasel man!” I exclaimed, dashing down the hallway.
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The two adults watched as their children played. The two men were drinking tea as they did so. Jano and Hyuga Hizashi drank their tea at the same time. It was a peaceful moment, and they had to admit that it was nice. The two were sitting on a bench. It was one of those rare moments where both adults were present to watch over their children.

Hizashi stared at his son and his playmate. “Hm…” he made a noise, telling Jano he wanted to say something.

“What is it, Hyuga-san?” he asked.

“My son told me something yesterday,” the pale-eyed man stated; he closed his eyes for a moment. “I would like to share it with you.” Jano nodded his head, and then took small sips of his tea. “Neji told me that he was very fond of Yasume.” Jano grunted, already knowing that. They were friends, after all.

He sighed heavily as he pulled the cup away from his lips. “What’s that gotta do with anything?” Jano asked.

“Hm… Well, my mind temporarily regressed back to its teen years and I told him that close friends, like himself and Yasume, kiss each other,” Hizashi answered.

“Ah…” Jano replied, and then sipped his tea, closing his eyes as he did so. It took a minute for what Hizashi said to sink in. Jano’s eyes bugged and tea spewed from his mouth. “WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST SAY?!” he yelled, turning to the Hyuga.

Neji and Yasmine didn’t even glance at their respective parent. “Let’s play in the sand, Yaya-chan!” the little boy said. Yasmine nodded her head and followed Neji over to the small sand box.

“Please, Jano-san… I meant no harm,” Hizashi said, putting his hands up in mock defense. “Sit, please…” Jano glared, and then sat. He picked up his dropped cup, tea now sinking into the dirt. “I was slightly… impudent in my youth.”

“Slightly…?” Jano scoffed; Hizashi chuckled. He turned his pale eyes back to Neji and Yasmine. The two were building a castle out of sand. Hizashi closed his eyes.

“I… want to enjoy the time I have left,” he said. Jano stared at him, silently questioning him. “Come; let us watch what he will do.”

Yasmine frowned as she tried to construct a bridge out of sand. The tiny grains just wouldn’t hold together! “It won’t work if there’s no water, Yaya-chan,” Neji commented, noticing her problem.

“Then how come yours is working?” Yasmine asked, pointing to Neji’s mound of sand.

“Because I’m a genius!” he answered with a grin. Yasmine stuck her tongue out in response. “Come here and help me.”

Yasmine nodded, and then crawled closer to her friend. The two were now sitting side by side. They both worked to make the pile of sand grower taller. “This is gonna be huge, Neji-Meji…!” Yasmine commented. Neji’s face turned a light shade of pink, causing the girl to snigger. She didn’t know why, but Neji’s face always changed colors when she called him that. Maybe he was happy to have a nickname, or maybe he was embarrassed by it.

“Hey, Yaya-chan… Father told me something yesterday,” Neji said. The girl didn’t turn her eyes away from the sand.

“Yes?” she asked. “What did he say?” Neji turned his attention to the sand as well and continued working.

“He said that really close friends kiss each other,” he answered.

“What’s a kiss?”

“I asked the same thing. He told me that a kiss happens when a person touches another with their lips,” Neji explained.

“Why…?”

“I guess it’s a sign of affection.”

“What’s a sign of affection?” Yasmine wanted to ask, but she didn’t want to come off as an idiot in front of a genius like Neji.

“Ne, Yaya-chan… we’re best friends, right?”

“Best friends…?” Yasmine blushed. She’d never had a best friend before. Did Neji really consider her as a best friend? That is so overwhelmingly great! “Yes, yes we are!”

“… Then could I try kissing you?” Neji asked, slightly embarrassed. “My father told me that I had to… on your cheek, but it you don’t want-”

“I don’t mind!” Yasmine interrupted. “If it means that we’re best friends, I don’t mind at all!” Neji smiled at her reaction. She looked about as excited as he felt.

“Good,” he said, and then leaned forward to kiss her cheek. Two adults watched in astonishment.

“Wow, he’s really going for it, isn’t he?” Jano muttered surprised. Hizashi, equally surprised, coughed lightly.

“My blood does indeed run through his veins,” he said, proudly. Jano almost rolled his eyes. Suddenly, a very devious smile crossed Hizashi’s face.

“Yasume…!” he called out. Since he called out her ‘name,’ Yasmine naturally looked towards him. Now because of this action, Neji missed her cheek and ended up kissing her lips! The two children stared wide-eyed at each other, while Jano gaped. Neji quickly pulled away. “That’s my boy!” Hizashi said with a small smirk.

Jano snapped out of his stunned silence and glared at his fellow man. He made a strangling motion with his hands. “You did that on purpose…!” he accused.

“Now, now, Jano-san…” Hizashi put his hands up again. “You can’t blame me for wanting to see my son’s first kiss.”

“But at the expense of my gaki…?!” Jano practically snarled. Hizashi smiled nervously as a sweat drop formed on his head.

“He’s even more protective of the girl than I am of Neji…” he thought, averting his eyes, so he wouldn’t have to look at the angry expression of Jano.

“All Hyuga are insane…!” the ANBU operative thought.

“What are they fighting for?” Yasmine tilting her head to the side in confusion.

“I have no idea…” Neji answered.
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“Pay close attention, gaki…! I’m about to show you what chakra is,” Jano said. Yasmine quickly looked at Jano, but her eyes were averted due to a passing blue butterfly. “Gaki…!” Yasmine’s attention, again, went to the man. Jano sighed heavily. “You ask me what chakra is, and yet you don’t pay attention. You really are a gaki…” he muttered.

“Gomen, gomen…! I’ll pay attention!” Yasmine exclaimed.

The two were in a forest. Yasmine’s caretaker had already told her about chakra. The young girl fell asleep about three times during the explanation. Jano was now about to show her how to work chakra. He was standing, hands on his hips, looking slightly annoyed. Yasmine gave him a nervous smile, hoping he wouldn’t grind his knuckles in her skull again. Jano sighed heavily; his eyes closed.

“Alright, let’s see what you remembered,” he said. “Two weeks ago, I told you what chakra is used for. What is it used for? And careful when you answer, gaki. I won’t show you how to use it if you answer incorrectly.”

“Chakra… is used to… perform jutsu,” Yasmine answered. “Every living thing contains chakra. Ninja are able to perform superhuman feats with their chakra. Normal people have chakra, but they don’t use it.”

“Hm… I thought you were sleeping when I told you that,” Jano commented, and then shrugged. “Well, luckily for you, that was correct. Now I’m going to show you a jutsu. It’s the most basic of jutsu. Bunshin no Jutsu!”

“Clone…? What’s that?” Yasmine asked.

“It’s an illusion that looks just like the user who uses the jutsu,” Jano answered. He performed hand signs. Another Jano appeared beside him. Yasmine’s eyes lit up in fascination.

“Is it real?!” she asked, poking the clone with her finger. Her small finger went right through the clone; it disappeared, causing Yasmine’s eyes to widen.

“Of course it’s not real, gaki! What do you think illusion means?” Jano asked. The small girl gave him a blank stare, causing him to sigh. “Anyway, even with the most basic of jutsu like that, you need to use chakra.”

“If it’s basic, then can I do it?” Yasmine asked.

“Eh… no, you can’t. Even with the right training, the most you could accomplish with your chakra is with taijutsu. Your chakra reserves are just too tiny,” Jano answered. “Attempting to do this jutsu at your age will cause a major strain on your weak little body.”

“I’m not weak…!” Yasmine pouted, crossing her arms. “Neji-Meji said I was just fine!”

“Does ‘Neji-Meji’ let you get away with calling him that?” Jano asked with a grin. Yasmine looked slightly surprised, and then the nervous look appeared. She rubbed the back her head, causing Jano to roll his eyes. “Not really…” she muttered. Jano chuckled lightly. “But I can’t help it! His face changes colors and his expression is… kawaii!” Jano suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. “Anyway, kaasan, will you train me to use chakra?”

“Of course, gaki! You must make people think you’re weak-”

“What?! Why?!”

“Let me finish!” Jano bellowed, annoyed. “You must make people think you’re weak when you’re actually strong.”

“Ano… Isn’t that bad…?” Yasmine questioned.

“In a world like this, Yasume…” Jano actually seemed serious. His expression slightly frightened Yasmine. She had never seen it before. “… Public image is necessary.”

“Demo…”

“You 217;ll understand it better when you’re older,” Jano smirked. “You are only three now.”

Yasmine looked annoyed. Well, at least her caretaker was back to normal. A serious Jano was seriously not fun. “You know I am four!” she muttered, glaring up at him. Jano ruffled the girl’s brown hair. She swatted his arm away. “Stop that…!”

“I’m really… getting attached to you, gaki,” Jano whispered.

“Eh…?”

“Anyway, let’s begin…!” the man clapped his hands. “For the next couple of weeks, we will be running around the village, nonstop!”

“NANI…?! That’s a little too much, kaasan!” Yasmine protested. “Think of my age, please!” Yasmine really didn’t want to go running around the village. “None of the kids my age do this!”

“Those kids aren’t going to be very good ninja then,” Jano waved off her protest, causing the girl to blanch. “Besides, isn’t ‘Neji-Meji’ training at this very moment?” Yasmine frowned. It was true what Jano said. Neji had told her that he was getting trained by his uncle and father and that’s the reason they didn’t meet at the park today, or wouldn’t be meeting for the next couple of days. “Do you want Neji-kun to come back strong while you’re the same, hm?”

Yasmine sighed heavily.

“But I don’t wanna be a ninja…” she muttered.
***********************************

Sasuke flipped to the next page. “Something’s not right…” he murmured. He flipped back the previous page. “The dates… they don’t go in order.” He looked carefully at the pages. Under his observation, he discovered torn edges. “Someone… purposely ripped out a time period!”

Sasuke went to the unread page. His eyes read over the date. “This is over two years later,” he deducted. “But… who could have ripped out the pages? Could they have known someone like me would search for answers in this? Could it have been Mayu?” His dark eyes widened when he saw the date of the page. “This is… three weeks before the massacre!”

September 18th

Dear loved ones who might sneak a peek in my diary,

Sasuke’s eye twitched.

These are the last words that will ever come from me
Why…?
Because I made the mistake of using paint in one of my pranks again…
Itachi, my bringer of death, is stomping around looking for me.
I am so dead when he finds me in this closet!
But it was pretty funny to see him sit on a balloon with bright pink paint!
Mother and Father couldn’t stop laughing.
And that’s probably why he’s so angry…
Well, it serves him right!
I almost can’t believe he filled my bed with frogs last week, and the week before…
He pushed me near a hive of bees!
He’s become a friggin’ monster
If I survive, I will never pull another prank on Itachi again!
… that’s a lie.

Anyway, these are the last wo–HOLY CRAP!
HE FOUND ME!
MUST RUN!
*********************

Turns out… I couldn’t runaway from Itachi. He had caught me with his freaky “ninja skills.” So now, I’m being dragged down the hallway by the wrist! I now have a permanent bruise there! Itachi is so mean! It was only paint for crying out loud! “Ne, Itachi-kun…! I didn’t mean anything by it!” I tried to sound sorry.

“Shut up and move your ass,” he responded.

I continued to struggle against Itachi because I knew the fate he was dragging me to. Getting smacked with a paper fan was not fun. And people wonder why I’m afraid of crinkled paper. “NO! Quit it, weasel man!” I finally got my hand free. “It was only paint! I could’ve made it rotten eggs!”

“And I could kill you!” he shouted.

“Please! You don’t have the balls for that!” I retorted. Itachi’s eye twitched. I noticed his hands coming towards my neck. I quickly bolted out of the hallway and into mother and father’s room. I ran around the futon, Itachi chasing me. “You’re scaring me, weasel man!”

“I’m not going to stop until you accept your punishment!”

“But you don’t even have it with you!”

“Then let me take you to it,” he responded in a menacing voice.

“Ah! ¡Ayúdeme, la madre!” I shouted. Both of my parents sat up in bed.

“Perhaps, you two should get some sleep,” father suggested. Both Itachi and I were still running around them.

“Some of us have to spar tomorrow,” my dear sweet mother said, and then fell back, along with father. Why didn’t they care that I was about to be tortured?! They were the ones laughing so hard!

Itachi finally caught the back of my shirt. He held me in mid air as if I was a kitten and he was the mother cat. “Perdónenos, Ishikari-San. Nosotros los dejaremos ahora...” Itachi said. (Forgive us, Ishikari-san. We will leave you now). Man, he really has come a long way. I remember when he couldn’t even say “stupid” in our language. My mother just waved us off. My parents are cruel! Itachi carried me outside of their room and closed the door.

He didn’t even put me down. He continued to carry me to my room. Itachi then set me down on my already laid out futon. He gave me one of his fake glares. “What?” I asked as if I didn’t do anything wrong.

“You’re lucky I have changed already,” he muttered, sitting down on his own futon.

“Yeah, yeah, weasel man,” I replied, scratching my ear.

Suddenly, I’m smacked upside the head… with the dreaded paper fan. “Ow…! Damn it, that hurt!” I shouted. He smacked me again and again. “Quit it, damn you!” I tackled him to the floor, causing Itachi to cry out in surprise. Yeah, I’ve never attacked him when he was attacking me with that paper fan of his. Luckily, a soft growl stopped our struggle from going too far… like last time. Bite marks, scratches, black eyes… I’ll never forget the look on mother’s face when she saw us looking like that.

I climbed off Itachi, kneeing him in the gut on my way. He glared at me because of it. Serves him right, the jerk! Itachi didn’t move from his horizontal position. He stared up at the ceiling, looking lost in thought. Actually, he’s been doing that a lot. When he does this, his expression is unreadable to me. Back when we first met, it was the same. I hate it when he gets this way.

Nana crawled on his stomach, curled up, and then yawned. She had found her sleeping place for the night. I smiled. That was her sleeping place whenever Itachi stayed the night. Nana purred loudly as Itachi, as if it was routine, scratched behind her ears. He continued to stare up at the ceiling. “Ne, Itachi…” I murmured, lying down next to him. He grunted, letting me know he was listening. “What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing… important…” he answered.

“Hm…” My fingers had mysteriously pinched Itachi’s cheeks and began pulling them out of shape.

“Ah…! Stop it, Mayu!” he exclaimed, grabbing my wrists.

“Don’t lie to me!” I told him as I let go; I sat up.

“Whatever…” he grumbled, sitting up; Nana had fallen into his lap with a yelp of surprise. He rubbed his poor, now red, cheeks. “If you must know, I was thinking about the arranged marriage.”

“What about it…?” I asked, and then covered a yawned.

“… How can you ask that with such an indifferent expression?”

“Hey…! Quit using smart words!”

“Mayu…! We’re getting married! Be serious about-”

“I am serious,” I interrupted. Itachi closed his mouth, most likely because this was one of those rare times I was actually serious. “You don’t know this, but mother told me about this long before. It was when your father came over the first time. My mother told me that it was obvious what he wanted. You told him of my family’s abilities because he demanded it of you.” Itachi stared at me, a slightly guilty look in his dark eyes. “Mother told me that he wanted an alliance… an alliance through the marriage of their children. When she first told me, I was horrified. Me marrying you…? It sounds weird when I say it now.”

I closed my eyes. “Two days ago, your father came back, this time telling the two of us about the arranged marriage. It was that day I realized that I was happy about marrying you,” I opened my eyes. “I love you, Itachi, and I’d do anything for you to be a part of the Ishikari clan.”

“G-Gomen… I can’t return your feelings, Mayu.” I narrowed my eyes, and then kicked him in the chest.

“BAKA…! Let me finish!” I exclaimed. Itachi coughed lightly, and then sat back up. “I meant love in a sibling way, doofus! When I said I’d be happy marrying you, I meant that–well, I see the way you behave in front of your father. I don’t like it. You’re happier here, so… if my marrying you would allow you not to act so aloof anymore, then I’ll do it, no matter what hidden motives your father might have.”

“Hidden motives…?” Itachi repeated; I sighed.

“I don’t like your father. I know I shouldn’t think that way, but something’s not right about him,” I said. “I know he wants something other than a happy union. To me, he doesn’t seem like a father who would be happy for his son’s happiness.”

“For a moron, you’re very perceptive,” Itachi said.

“Well, I do try–hey…!” I shouted, once I realized he had insulted me. Itachi chuckled as he ruffled my hair. I swatted his hand away. “Anyway… Why are you thinking about it?”

Itachi didn’t respond, but he was mumbling something under his breath. Something about Uncle Mori and what he had told him before. “Itachi…? What’s wrong?” Itachi still hadn’t turned his eyes to me. “¿Qué tiénés, comadreja? ¿No quiere ser casado a una mocosa?” I grinned at him. (What is wrong, weasel? Do you not want to marry a brat?) “¿Usted no me quiere?” (Do you not want me?) I looked towards the ground.

Marrying me would probably ruin his life, right? I shouldn’t be happy. I feel so selfish. Suddenly, I felt my chin being lifted. I stared wide-eyed up at Itachi, who was easing in! “Prometo que yo la protegeré, Mayu-chan,” he said. (I promise that I will protect you, Mayu-chan)

“¿Hombre Comadreja...? Qué estas-” (Weasel man…? What are you-) I had to stop my question because Itachi had kissed me… on the friggin’ lips! AHHHH…! He pulled back, leaving me still staring in a stunned confusion. I quickly snapped out my stupor, and then looked away, embarrassed. “¡Por qué hizo usted eso?!” (Why did you do that?!) I could feel my body shaking.

Itachi just smirked at me. “Stop using ‘usted’,” he told me. “It’s been years since we’ve known each other. You should be using ‘tú’ when addressing me.”

“Why the hell did you kiss me?!”

“Well, think about…” he began, looking serious. I felt myself leaning in, waiting for his answer. “At least now, I won’t have to worry about some random guy, which I don’t like, stealing your first kiss.”

“Just wa-wait till Uncle Mori hears about this!” I threatened.

Itachi scoffed. “He’s the one that told me to do it someday. I figure, why not now?” he said. I found myself getting extremely angry.

“You bastard…!” I shouted, punching him. He was out cold, swirling eyes and all. Nana pounced on his lap, curled up again, and then yawned. She had found her sleeping spot again. She didn’t seem to care about what just happened between Itachi and me. “Damn it!” I grumbled, lying on my futon; I turned my back to the knocked out Uchiha. “Damn Uncle Mori, damn Uchiha Itachi…! Damn everything…!” I continued to grumble.

But even then, I couldn’t help but smile.

There were several bangs on the wall. “Shut the hell up over there! Some of us have to work in the morning!”
************************************

Sasuke ’s frown turned into a sneer. “More ripped pages?!” he thought. This was unbelievable! Why would someone rip out a certain time period of Mayu’s life? And why that certain period?! The one time he wanted to know and it was all for not.

“Did I even learn anything today?” Sasuke complained. His eyes narrowed. “Yeah, I did learn something!” He flung the book across the room. It hit the wall with a loud ‘thud’ noise. Mayu’s diary slid down the wall and fell to the floor. Sasuke noticed the binding was torn, but he didn’t really care at the moment.

He glared at the book from afar. Sasuke clenched his fists and bared his teeth. Oh, he learned something, alright. “Mayu’s engaged to him!” he thought, shaking in fury. “She’s engaged to that bastard and she brags about it!” Why? Why would Mayu flaunt that fact around like she’s proud of it?!

“And not only that…” Sasuke had a hard time controlling the growl that erupted. “He took her first kiss…! That was supposed to be me!” Uchiha were possessive by nature. And that fact only gave Sasuke another reason to kill Uchiha Itachi. “Pretty soon, Ishikari Mayu… you’re going to stop hiding things from me,” he said. “Whatever else you’re hiding in darkness will come to light.”

Said teenager was wonderfully oblivious of what was eventually going to happen as she groaned lightly in her sleep.

Sasuke failed to notice the writing in the back of the diary.

Why, Itachi…
Why…?

I’m sorry. It had to be done.
Hate me now, but not forever.
Forgive me when I am reborn.
**********************************

Yasmine watched as the sand slipped through her fingers. She scooped up more sand, and then allowed it to fall again. For the time being, that’s what she did. She had already played on the slide, on the jungle gym, and the swing set. But it was a little boring since she had no one to play with. Actually, she was waiting for her playmate.

Jano had gone on another mission, leaving her alone, so she had nothing to do but wait. There was a chance that Neji wouldn’t show up again today. It was strange because he told her he’d come back, but… that was over two weeks ago. Jano did not know of Yasmine’s trips to the park, waiting for her friend, while he was gone. He did not know how long she waited for him to return. But Yasmine believed that Neji would come. Surely he’d come soon, right?

Yasmine swirled the sand away with her finger, not really paying attention to the small designs she made. She sighed heavily. It had been two boring weeks of waiting… The sun was beginning to set by now. Perhaps she should just give up and go back home. Yasmine quickly shook her head to rid herself of such thoughts. “No way…! Neji called me his best friend!” she said. “What kinda best friend would I be if I left?”

Unbeknownst to her, pale eyes watched her from behind a tree. They were narrowed into a glare. “She doesn’t know the pain of losing a parent…!” the boy thought, frowning. “That’s why there’s still a smile on her face! Her smile…” Hyuga Neji stepped from behind his hiding place. He quietly walked over to Yasmine. She was none the wiser of his presence.

He reached out to touch her. He had felt her hair before. Yasmine had told him once before that she had convinced Jano to wash her hair three times a week. She had grinned as she told him that story. Neji’s small face hardened as he thought about it. He would no longer experience his father washing his hair for him, yet she did. She still could! It wasn’t fair…!

Neji put his arm down. “Hey…” he said. Yasmine flinched, but then smiled because she recognized the voice right away.

“Neji…!” she stood up and turned to face him. Her smile wavered slightly. Something… was different about her friend. Something about his face wasn’t quite right. She shrugged, passing it off as nothing.

“Yaya… chan…” Neji responded, nodding his head. Again, Yasmine felt something was wrong.

“Neji-Meji! You haven’t been here recently. I missed you this much!” she stretched her arms out. She laughed as she put her arms back to her sides. Yasmine looked around as Neji stared uncaringly at her. “Where were you, anyway? Where’s your daddy?”

The reason she had asked was because Neji’s father, Hizashi was always with him when they came to the park. Sometimes, the man would let Neji and her climb all over him. He would laugh along with them, bring lunch, and even play in the sandbox with them… if he was in the mood, of course. Yasmine turned her eyes back to Neji. The boy’s eyes were downcast as if something had happened. His small body was shaking, too, Yasmine noticed.

Neji’s expression suddenly turned angry. Who was she to ask that question in such a casual manner? “Don’t talk about my father!” he yelled. Yasmine stopped smiling and backed up in slight fright. Why did Neji yell…? He was usually a soft-spoken boy. Actually, Yasmine had never heard Neji raise his voice.

“Neji-Meji…?” Yasmine tried to get him to calm down.

“Don’t call me that, either!” the Hyuga interrupted. Yasmine flinched. Sure, he was usually annoyed when she called him by that nickname, but he would always blush and try to change the subject. It was a little routine that the two children had. Why would he suddenly…? He had not blatantly told her to not call him that.

“But that’s-” Yasmine tried to say, but was interrupted again.

“I don’t care! You know what? I don’t to see your face anymore, Yaya-chan!” Neji glared at her. “I don’t want to see that smile while I’m so unhappy…” he thought. Yasmine’s small body trembled. She was scared. Why was Neji so angry with her?

“Wha…?”

“Don’t ever come here again!” Neji shouted, leaning forward slightly so that she would get his point. “I hate you…” he lowered his voice slightly.

Neji turned his back to the girl. “N-Neji… why? What did I do?” Yasmine asked. Whatever she had done, she would apologize for it! She just really did want him to leave. Neji was her only friend here. She didn’t want to be alone again. Not after it took so long to really open up to Neji.

“I hate you…” he repeated and then ran. Yasmine watched him go, still confused. She was confused, sad… angry. It made no sense to her that he would just suddenly lash out at her. Unless… Unless he truly did hate her, of course. But for what…? What had happened? What did she do?

Yasmine continued to stare at Neji’s back. He grew more distant by the second. Not once did her friend–ex-friend look back. Liquid welled up in her eyes. “… F-FINE, I DON’T CARE!” she shouted, squeezing her eyes shut, causing the tears to spill out. Innocent bystanders, who heard the unfamiliar words of a different language, all turned their eyes to see the source of the shout. But it was too late; the source had already run off. Left behind was the soft dirt that had become damp from the tears and a small glass bird that had been cracked from the fall from the girl’s pocket. It would have been a present. It’s astonishing how a small thing can destroy something great…

The glass bird split in half…
**************************

She ran. She ran so far away. The tingling in her legs screamed for her to stop, lest they shut down completely. They were not well rested after running around the village five times earlier today. Yasmine ignored the throbbing pain in her legs. That pain was nothing compared to what she was feeling at the moment. Her heart felt like it was being torn.

“Why…? Why would he say that?” Yasmine thought. Hot tears continued to slide down her caramel-colored skin. The tears blurred her vision slightly, yet she did not stop running. Her throat felt like it was constricting. She didn’t understand anything, anymore. Was friendship supposed to be like this?

Yasmine tried to wipe away her tears, but they just kept falling. Because of her trying to wipe away the tears, her vision was blocked. She did not notice a root of a tree was sticking up out of the ground. She tripped and went flying. Yasmine let out a gasp of surprise.

She did not hit the ground. Her body had gone right off a cliff. Yasmine stared into the darkness of the pit. “I… I don’t care anymore,” she whispered as she fell. She didn’t try to grab onto something. Why should she…? She didn’t belong here, anyway.

Yasmine Dalton should have died in that car accident along with her parents. She never should have ended up with her abusive uncle. She never should have tried to fight back against him. She never should have been here. She should have never meant Neji. The tears did not stop seeping through her closed eyes. The four-year-old wrapped her arms around herself, waiting for her doom.

She would be joining her parents. “Finally… I get to see them again,” she thought. “Daddy… Mommy…” Yasmine’s body sunk further and further down. She never tried to stop herself. She had given up. The only thing that waited for her was the ever-lasting darkness below. The darkness came.

Unfortunately for her, it wasn’t ever-lasting…
****************************************

J ano stepped into his apartment. He closed the door behind him and locked it. He yawned loudly. The missions he had been given from the Hokage might have been quicker, but they sure were tiring. “Gaki, you here?” he called as he tossed his keys on the counter. Of course that little rascal would be here.

She knew that when the sun went down that she had to be here. Jano stifled another yawn as he walked towards the kitchen. He opened up the refrigerator, searching for something to fix for himself and Yasmine. Speaking of her, she still had not returned his call. “Gaki…?” he called again. He lifted his head and looked around the apartment. Silence greeted him.

Jano closed the refrigerator door. Come to think of it, all the lights in the apartment were still off. “She’s… probably sleeping in my room again,” Jano thought, walking towards the door to his bedroom. He smirked. After all, she had to run five laps around Konoha today. She was usually curled up in a ball on his bed after running. Jano pushed the door opened and peeked inside. The light was off. He didn’t bother to turn it on. Perhaps that’s why he always banged his knee against the dresser… “Damn it…!” Jano grumbled, rubbing his knee. “Every time…!”

The off-duty ANBU individual felt his way over to the bed. He, luckily, found it and sat down. His hand felt on the bed, searching for the usual small body. “Gaki…? Where are you?” he muttered, still feeling around. When he didn’t feel her body, he immediately grew alarmed. He stood up and pulled back the covers. The sight that greeted him was the white sheets.

Jano’s eyes widened considerably. He dashed back over to the door, running into the dresser again. “Shit!” he cursed, hitting the wall as if he tripped. He felt for the light switch. He turned it on. Light flooded the room, washing away the shadows. There was no Yasmine. “Gaki…!” he called out, leaving the room.

“I can’t even feel her here!” Jano thought, frantic. He moved over to the window that had a clear view of the park. “She couldn’t still be there, could she?” he murmured out loud. He opened the window. His eyes scanned over the park. Still, there was no sign of his ward. “Yasume–I mean, Yasmine… where the hell are you?” he practically growled.

Jano jumped out of his window, landing quietly on the ground below. He dashed towards the park, heart rate escalating. It wasn’t like Yasmine to still be up, let alone at the playground. Once there, Jano scanned the area again. He chewed his lip. “This child is gonna lead me to drinking!” he groaned. “Where are you?!”

He walked forward, almost tripping over something by the sandbox. He grumbled and looked down to see what he had tripped over. In the light of the moon, the object twinkled. Jano crouched down. With his hands, he completely uncovered the object. His eyes expanded because of what he saw.

Jano picked up the object, now defined as a bird. A small glass bird lay broken in his hand. He stood up as he examined it. “Neji’s present…” he stated. “That gaki had begged me to buy this for her to give to him.” Jano took one of the pieces into his other hand. He clutched both pieces, causing him to bleed. “Yasmine would have never let this be broken, so why is it broken?!”

The Hyuga kid had something to do with it, he knew. Jano knew of his father’s death, but… that kid wouldn’t seriously take it out on his friend, would he? Jano narrowed his eyes. “He’s a Hyuga, capable of anything…” he muttered. “What did he do to her?” It was time to have a little chat with the pale-eyed gaki…
****************************

Yasmine’s body hit the wall hard. She dropped to the ground and winced in pain. This–it didn’t hurt as much as it used to. Why…? Perhaps she had gotten used to it. A large hand grabbed her hair and hoisted her up. Hot, smelly breath caused Yasmine to grimace. “Do you know how much your medical bills were?!” a harsh voice asked.

It was a rhetorical question. It wasn’t meant to be answered, but something inside of her made her respond. “I don’t know, how much, dear uncle?” she asked. She knew it was wrong the moment those words came out of her mouth. Her uncle looked momentarily shocked by the response. He quickly composed himself, and then struck Yasmine across the face. He dropped her to the ground.

“Sarcastic lil bitch!” her uncle said. “Just like that fucking slut of a mother.” The giant man turned his back to the small child. Yasmine’s body quivered as she struggled to stand.

“D-Don’t talk about my mommy…!” she shouted. Her uncle slowly turned to face her.

“Oh, still got some fight in ya?” he asked. He backhanded her.

Yasmine’s head practically bounced off the wall. “Bastard...!” she muttered, trying to stand again, but failing.

“You listen here, bitch… You have nothing to fight for, so why try? Don’t step to me again or I really might kill you,” the man said. “I don’t know what the hell happened to you while you were comatose, but you’re back here. And I show no mercy, so go back to the pathetic bitch you were. The one who didn’t talk back and just asked for me to kick her lil black ass!” Yasmine used the wall as support to help her stand. Her head was bowed.

“Forgive me, uncle…” she whispered. “I will try not to upset you anymore.”

“That’s more like it, ya dumb lil ho,” the man said. “Now go in the bathroom and wash yourself off. I ain’t paying for no mo medical bills, either, so you better not fall unconscious again!”

“Yes… I understand,” the girl responded. “You won’t have to worry about any more medical bills.”

The man’s eyes narrowed as he watched her go into the bathroom. It was like a different person was talking to him or something… The man shrugged as the girl closed the bathroom door. “And don’t use no hot water!” he called. He moved his way over to the comfy chair and sat. His hand reached for the remote and turned on the TV. The television was god! As long as he had that, nothing else mattered, not even a stupid child that he was supposed to take care of.

Brown eyes glared at the man through the keyhole of the bathroom door. Pretty soon that bastard would be asleep. The girl moved again from the door, a sadistic grin on her face. “That’s the last time you fucking hit me, bitch,” she said to herself. The girl made her way over to the shower. She quickly undressed and got in. “Don’t use the hot water my ass,” she muttered as she turned on the shower.

The warm water washed over her body, washing away the blood and splinters. The girl hissed as the water touched the long wound that had yet to heal fully. She put a hand on her shoulder and looked back at the thing that would turn into a scar. “Don’t worry, dear uncle, I’ll pay you back in full,” she thought.
*********************************

Like a cat, she quietly moved around the apartment, obtaining the things she needed for her plan. That man sat in his chair, sleeping so peacefully. He was blissfully unaware of what was about to happen to him. The girl, who was scurrying about, had a smirk on her face. She had everything she needed to carry out this plan, everything… except the gun.

If she remembered correctly, that man kept his gun in his bottom desk drawer, under some porno. He probably thought it was safe from view because Yasmine never went in his room. The girl stealthily moved towards his room. It wasn’t long before the Browning 9 millimeter Hi-Power gun was in her gloved hands; it had been equipped with a silencer. And what luck, there was a bullet still in it.

The girl picked up the metal stool, much too heavy for a normal four-year-old to pick up. Grabbed a pillow, and then stood up on the stool that was placed behind the chair of the sleeping man. “It begins…” the girl grinned. She tapped the man’s cheek with the gun. He didn’t wake up. She smacked him hard. “Wake up, bastard!”

The man woke up with a start. “What the fuck…” he muttered, slightly dazed, not to mention confused. “Why am I all tied up?!”

“That would be my doing,” the girl smiled, hiding the gun behind her back. The man turned his head.

“Yasmine…?! What the fuck did you do to me?!” The girl chuckled.

“Oh, nothing… I just had to make sure you were awake,” she answered.

“What the hell are you up to?!” the man yelled, pissed. He was struggling against the rope and tape.

“Don’t even try to escape. You’re stuck,” the girl stated.

“What are you gonna do?” the man growled. The girl cocked the gun.

“I’m going to kill you,” she answered.

“You bitch…! How dare you threaten me! When I get out of here, I’m going to-”

“The only place you’re going to… is hell,” the girl said. “I just hope you suffer there. It’s a shame that I don’t have time to make you suffer myself. But I’m sure the devil will rape you anally as a welcoming gift.”

The girl kept the pillow still at the back of the man’s head. “What the fuck are you doing, Yasmine?!” he shouted. The girl rolled her eyes and sighed. She took a sock out of her pocket and shoved it in his mouth.

“Shut up, dumbass. I need full concentration…” she said. Muffled shouts were her response.

Again, she pressed the pillow against his head. “And do you know why I’ll get away with this?” she asked. “Because no one will believe that a four-year-old planned and followed through with this… cold-blooded murder. In fact, they will most likely think this was done by a tall robber, seeing as how I’m standing on a stool to do this,” She chuckled. More muffled shouts. “Oh, and by the way… the name’s Yasume, bitch.” And with that, Yasume pulled the trigger.
******************************

Yasmine groaned, and then slowly opened her eyes. Her body felt like it was floating… She opened her eyes fully to see that she was floating! And naked…! She seemed to be floating in an all white… dimension of some sorts… “Why am I…?”

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you face to face,” a voice said. Her body seemed to turn on its own. What she saw caused her to gape.

There was another…! … Only, this one looked way more confident. She was actually grinning as she floated towards Yasmine. “Who are you?” she asked. The copy chuckled.

“Isn’t it obvious?” she asked. “I am you…”

“No, you’re not…”

“Oh, fine, fine! Ruin the introduction!” the copy said. She circled around Yasmine, causing the girl to become slightly uncomfortable. “I am your defense mechanism. My name is Yasume.”

“Yasume…?”

“That&# 8217;s right… For here on out, I’ll be your protector,” Yasume said. She stopped orbiting Yasmine and put the palm of her hand on the confused-looking girl’s head. “I will also be like a sponge. I will absorb every bad thing you want to forget.”

A dark aura of sorts suddenly manifested in the palm of Yasume’s hand. She pulled her palm away from Yasmine’s forehead. The dark aura seemed to vanish. “What did…?”

“See, all gone!” Yasume said.

“…”

“You won’t remember the things that happened when you were ‘comatose’; dumb bastard probably didn’t know what that meant till he heard one of the nurses use it,” Yasume muttered the last part to herself.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about… but I kinda feel relieved,” Yasmine admitted. Yasume grinned.

“Good, now wake up.”

“What are you tal-”
*********************************

Yasmine sat up in bed. What a strange dream… She yawned loudly. She flipped back her Barbie printed covers, the one thing that her uncle gave her that she actually wanted, and slipped out of bed. The first thing she did was walk in the bathroom with a set of clothes under her arms. It was all a part of her daily routine.

Get up, take a shower, brush her teeth, and get yelled at by her uncle because of something he forgot to do, eat breakfast, and then go back to her room, praying her uncle wouldn’t beat her that day. Yasmine yawned again as she undressed. Stepping in the shower, she turned on the cold water. Heaven forbid she uses her uncle’s precious hot water.

After her three minute shower, she turned the water off. Her uncle hated it when she took longer than three minutes, so she took very quick showers. She couldn’t even feel the coldness of her showers anymore. Yasmine dried herself, and then put on her clothes. It was hard, but she managed to brush her teeth as she put on her clothes. Her uncle didn’t want her to take too much time in the bathroom. Apparently, it was a horrible thing to do.

You don’t have to worry about him and his rules anymore…

The red toothbrush fell from Yasmine’s mouth. She looked around, thinking she had heard something. She shrugged, and then picked up her toothbrush. She rinsed it off, and then drank some water to rinse her teeth off. She spit it out. Yes, everything was all going according to her daily routine.

Yasmine exited the bathroom. Her dirty clothes fell from her arms. Her eyes grew wide, her mouth dropped open. As usual, he was in his chair, but… there was a hole in the back of his head and blood spattered on the television. Yasmine stood there, frozen. “Un-Uncle…?” she tried to call out, but her voice came out as a whisper.

Yasmine took slow steps towards the bloody corpse. “Uncle…?” she repeated. She bit her lip. “Uncle… I broke the TV in your room!” She waited for the smack, but it never came. Her uncle sat there, motionless. And he smelled horrible, more than usual. Could her uncle be dead, like the guys on those crime shows? Yasmine continued to stare.

…

She screamed.

This was definitely not a part of the routine.
********************************
Years later
*********************************

Yasmine watched as the man beside her knocked on the blue door. He impatiently tapped his foot as he waited for someone to answer. She heard footsteps, and then suddenly the door opened. There stood an African American woman. Her appearance told Yasmine that she was old, but that grin, along with the sweat, told her “don’t judge a book by its cover”. Chills went up and down her spine.

“Here she is,” the man said, giving Yasmine a slight push forward. The woman had to move backwards, least she be knocked down. “The papers will come in the mail in about two weeks.”

“Why didn’t they just send the papers with you?” the woman asked, frowning.

“…” the man didn’t respond. Instead, he just walked off, leaving Yasmine and the woman standing there, looking at his departing back.

“Well, that’s just plain rude,” the woman muttered. She then turned her brown eyes to Yasmine. “Come in, come in…” she said, motioning for her to walk forward. Yasmine did so, her eyes scanned around the house. It was a small, simple home, but it was way better than the orphanage. “I’ll show you to your room, dear.” Yasmine nodded and followed the nice old lady.

“Don’t let the smooth talk fool ya,” a voice said. Both Yasmine and the woman turned to see a girl. She was leaning against the doorway, staring at them through narrowed eyes. There were two Band-Aids on her face and a bandage wrapped around her arm. Yasmine stared in amazement. She looked like one of those experienced fights on one of those anime shows that she watched. “That old hag is not so polite. She’ll work you like a dog.”

“Go back to your room, before I punish you!” the old woman commanded as she pointed a finger. The girl only shrugged, and then disappeared from the doorway. “Damn child…” the woman grumbled. She sighed. “I remember when she wasn’t like that…”

“Um, ma’am…”

“Don’t call me that. My name is Theresa,” the woman stated. “And if you wanted to know, that girl was my granddaughter. She’s living with me because she didn’t want to go to a high school in Japan. Don’t know why…”

“She’s from Japan?” Yasmine asked, incredulously. Theresa nodded.

“Anyway, enough about her! There will be plenty of time for you to meet her,” she said. “Tell me something, Yasmine, is it?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, Yasmine… have you ever run a mile before?”
************************************************

Yasmine set her bag on the bed. She panted as she fell to her knees. “What’s with that old woman…” she muttered, still panting. Theresa had made her drop her bag, and then run around the house about twenty-five times! Her heart felt like it was going to explode!

“So you’ve already succumbed to her extensive training, huh?” a voice asked. Yasmine didn’t have to look to see who it was. She recognized the voice from earlier. “Something tells me you haven’t been in a real fight before.” The girl walked towards Yasmine. “My name is Mayu… Ishikari.” Yasmine didn’t respond. So she had a Japanese surname. The must mean one of her parents were–“Oi! You should look at your roommate when she’s talking!”

Yasmine finally turned to face the girl. She reeled back in shock! Mayu had gotten way close to her face, and that’s something she wasn’t expecting. Now that she had a close up of Mayu, she could honestly say that the girl was a bit scary. Her eyes are what caused the hair on the back of her neck to stand. They were a blue color, but they were cold and distant. It was as if her emotions had been locked away behind those eyes. “Ro-Roommate…?” Yasmine stammered.

“That’s right, girl. What’s your name and how old are you?” Mayu asked.

“Yasmine… Yasmine Dalton… I am fourteen.”

“Hm… So am I. I guess that means you’re going to the same high school as me… There’s sadness in your eyes,” the girl said. She didn’t say it with malice, nor did she say it with a happy tone. She said it as if it were a scientific fact. Whatever the case, Yasmine’s eyes still widened in surprise. Her body relaxed.

“Actually, that’s just the retina and the optic nerve,” Yasmine stated. Mayu blinked at her words.

“You’re funny,” she said, but again, it was emotionless as if she were just stating facts. “That’s good. I’ll take good care of you, Yasmine.”

“What…?” Yasmine began. Mayu grabbed a hold of her chin, and then kissed her on the lips. Yasmine could only stare at her roommate with large eyes. There were no words to describe what was happening!

Yasume: WTF?!?! A LESBIAN…?!

Then again, Yasume always found the words to say. Mayu pulled back and stared at the stunned expression of Yasmine. “You are now my precious friend,” she said, and then just walked out of the room. “Try to get stronger, so you can keep up with me.”

“Precious… friend…?” Yasmine muttered.
*****************************************

Sasuke walked down the street, towards the Hokage building. His hands were shoved in his pockets as he moved with a frown on his face. Team Nakatsu had a mission today, but Sasuke really wasn’t in the mood today. Perhaps he was still upset from reading Mayu’s diary three days ago? Or maybe it was the fact that this Mayu believed she was actually marrying that bastard of a brother? Either way, Sasuke was cranky and pubescent today, and he was going to take it out on the next person who spoke to him.

“Ohayo, Tori-suke!” a voice called. Sasuke looked up to see his teammate, Sai, running towards him, along with Nakatsu. Sai had a friendly smile on his face as he stopped in front the Uchiha.

“Where’s Mayu?” Nakatsu asked, looking around.

“She slept in late,” Sasuke grumbled, walking ahead. His two teammates looked at each other, shrugged, and then followed after him.

Sai quickly fell into step with Sasuke. He looked at his teammate as if expecting something. “Normally, your friend is supposed to respond to you,” Sai thought, watching Sasuke. He remembered that little fact from one of those books.

“What the hell are you looking at?” Sasuke asked, glaring at the pale ninja.

“Ohayo, Tori-suke!” Sai repeated. “What sorta of things will we do today?” Sai remembered that if you spoke more casual with your friends, they open up a little bit more.

“Nothing…! I’m sick of your dreadful, cheerful, stupid face!” Sasuke responded.

Sai looked taken aback. His dark eyes stared at Sasuke; a look of gloom crossed his face. Nakatsu also stared at Sasuke. Sure, Sai was a little creepy, but that was just harsh! “Why must you hurt me in this way, Tori-suke?” Sai asked, looking as if he might cry. Sasuke scoffed, uncaringly.

“Yeah, what’s your problem, Uchiha?!” Nakatsu asked, glaring.

Sasuke stopped walking, causing Nakatsu and Sai to stop as well. He slowly turned to his teammates with a look of irritation. “My parents are dead. My life sucks. My fiancé wants to marry another man! I’m surrounded by morons and shit all the time! I mean, what the fuck?!” Nakatsu stared at Sasuke like he’d lost it.

“But Tori-suke, that’s all a part of shinobi’s life. Even the greatest of Sanin, like Orochimaru, turned out to be quite the idiot,” Sai said, cheerfully as if that little fact would cause Sasuke to feel better. The three began walking again. They were close to the Hokage being now.

“Yeah, well, I still have nightmares about his snakes licking my skin clean off every night!” Sasuke argued. “I can’t take it anymore…! I. Quit. Being. A. Ninja!” Sai gasped loudly; Nakatsu rolled his eyes.

“He says this as we’re going to get a mission,” he thought. “But what about fighting Uchiha Itachi? Isn’t that your ambition?”

“Fine, it’s all up to some random person to kill him!” Sasuke grumbled.

Nakatsu had to think about that. A thought bubble appeared over his head. He imagined Sasuke telling a random stranger to go kill his brother for him. “B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-But… No…!” the random person almost wept.

“Go on now! Go fight him!” Sasuke would say, pushing the stranger towards his brother. Uchiha Itachi turned away with a menacing look on his face. The random person whimpered of the harsh gaze the Sharingan.

“Hello, little ninja,” Itachi would say with an evil smirk. Again, the person whimpered. Itachi narrowed his eyes. “You want a piece of me?” he said, getting into an attack stance. “What?”

“N-N-N-N-No, sir…!” the stranger said, and then took off back to Sasuke.

“Yeah, you run again… stupid ninja,” Itachi turned back around.

The random person went back to Sasuke, his head bowed in shame. “I-I ca-can’t do it,” he sounded dejected.

“You didn’t even try your best! You’re pathetic!” Sasuke would not try to cheer up the stranger, leaving him in tears. A sweat drop appeared on his head as Nakatsu narrowed his eyes.

“Yeah, that’s what would definitely happen…” he thought.

Nakatsu suddenly felt a tug on his shirt. He paid attention to see that Sai had grabbed a hold of his shirt. “What’s Sasuke doing?” he asked, pointing towards the Uchiha. Nakatsu stared at Sasuke who was repeatedly stomping his feet as he walked through the building.

“Angst… angst… angst… angst… angst… angst… angst…” the Uchiha grumbled. Nakatsu sighed before answering.

“He’s been a lil off recently. Haven’t you noticed?” he asked. “For the past few days, he’s been more grouchy than normal.”

“Maybe he’s…” Sai tried to remember what that word was. “Maybe he’s in love!” he remembered and suggested it. “The book said that if your friend changes suddenly, your friend could possibly be in love.” Nakatsu sneered.

“Who’d fall in love with such an as-”

“Maybe he needs a hug!” Sai interrupted, smiling.

“I don’t want a hug!” Sasuke shouted, hearing that part of the conversation. Sai walked towards him.

“This can’t end well…” Nakatsu thought, smiling nervously.

“Give me a hug, Tori-suke!” Sai commanded, holding his arms out.

“NO…!”

“Hugging…!̶ 1; Sai exclaimed, and then glomped the Uchiha.

Sasuke didn’t like that, so he pushed him away, and then threw a punch. “I’ll end you…!” he shouted, throwing another punch. Sai’s natural defenses kicked in, causing him to dodge Sasuke’s punch, and then throw a punch of his own. Sasuke, naturally, dodged that and threw another punch. So this dodge-and-punch went on for a few minutes. Nakatsu sighed again as he walked past them, pulling the back of their shirts as he did. He looked back; the two were still punching and dodging even as they were being dragged.

“And they call me an idiot…” Nakatsu muttered. “I wish Mayu-chan was here.” He knocked on the door to the room where the Hokage would be sitting.

“Come in,” a muffled voice. The seventeen year old ninja opened the door and walked in, dragging Sai and Sasuke along with him. The two were still at it! “What is all this rumpus?!” The Hokage asked, glaring at the three males. The authority in her voice caused the two to stop bickering.

“Forgive us, Hokage-sama… It’s just a little confli-”

“Sasuke-san tried to hit me!” Sai spoke up, pointing to the Uchiha.

“Sai invaded my personal bubble!” Sasuke retorted. Tsunade glared the two.

“Me thinks that a punishment is in order,” she said. “Here I was thinking of giving you a better mission, but you’re acting like children! Perhaps I should give you a D-rank mission. Is that what you want?”

“No, ma’am!” the three said.

“Good because I personally handpicked you four for this certain–where’s Mayu?” Tsunade asked.

“She’ll meet us at the entrance,” Sasuke answered.

“Very well, then…” Tsunade moved a couple of papers around her desk. She picked up a file. “I’m sending your team on a recovery mission. An A-rank, so be happy. You are to find a man that belongs to this village. He was finally spotted in the Land of Waves a few days back. You are to find and bring him in.” She held out a slip of paper. Nakatsu walked forward and took it.

“And who is this man we’re supposed to find?” Sasuke asked.

“Is he a missing-nin?” Sai asked.

“Yes, he is considered to be a missing-nin, but he could have a lot of information regarding Akatsuki,” Tsunade answered, lacing her fingers together. Sasuke clenched his teeth. This person could have info on Itachi as well… The need to kill his brother had finally come back.

“His name is… Ishikari Mori,” Tsunade stated. Three pairs of eyes widened at the name.

It couldn’t be… Mayu’s uncle?
********************************

I can’t believe I’m finally finished with this chapter! This chapter was almost thirty pages long, too. So if I would have combined them… it would have equaled sixty friggin’ pages! That’s insane! A chapter shouldn’t be that long! Thirty pages is way too long now that I think about it! Perhaps, I should shorten the chapters to ten pages each…

Anyhow! Review, please! I’ll be waiting.

QOU:

“Sai invaded my personal bubble!”- Uchiha Sasuke

--Beta’d by UKELICIOUS–

Beta’s QUO:

“Give me a hug, Tori-suke!”- Sai