Disclaimer: I own nothing except my own OC's. This story implements use of swift release. This is a test run and I'm wanting a few opinions on the story!

Haruka Ikazuchi would have never guessed it would be quite so difficult to keep a clan intact and running. He had not given a thought to how the clan members would quarrel, or how neighboring villages and clans would just simply not like the Ikazuchi's. And he certainly never would have suspected he would have to fight to bring his own flesh and blood back to the clan.

His two advisors were strictly against allowing Kaori Ikazuchi back into the quaint village the clan resided in. Just eight years ago the woman had left, wed a man not of Ikazuchi blood, and had given birth to two children in the meantime. She had been exiled, and prohibited from returning to the village by the former Head.

However, Kaori had turned up at the clan's gates, begging for refuge. Her husband had died in action, and she claimed she needed a stable place to raise her children. According to her, Sunagakure was certainly not the best place to raise an eight and a four year old.

Haruka sighed. His long fingers ran through fine, blonde strands that only fell back into his face. His wife had proposed a compromise. It seemed fair enough, but Haruka couldn't help but wish he could bring his sister back into the clan without her being shunned.

The clan would not be pleased if Kaori were to return. It was likely that they would possibly even rebel and someone would step up to take over. That was something he needed to avoid at all costs if he wished to keep his seat as head of clan. He knew how some of his family could be, and he knew that if certain people were to takeover it could mean the ruin of their clan.

Haruka sighed. "Shoichi!"

Moments later a tall man opened the door to Harukua's office, tilting his head forward as a sign of greeting. "Yes Haruka?"

Shoichi's eyes were curious, obviously thinking that Haruka had finally made a decision about Kaori and her children. "Have Kaori Ikazuchi escorted here, if you don't mind." Haruka waved a hand, sighing once again.

Shoichi nodded before disappearing before Haruka could even blink. Haruka couldn't resist rolling his eyes. There were many people here that had a tendency to show off their speed. While it was useful in completing tasks or arriving at a destination quicker than usual, even Haruka didn't show off to the point others did.

It didn't take long for Shoichi to reappear with Kaori and her two children in tow. Haruka's eyes went to the children first. Sumiko rested on Kaori's hip, her chubby arms wrapped loosely around her mother's neck. She had a shock of blue hair, a trait surely inherited from her father seeing as most Ikazuchi's were fair-haired. Her eyes were large and a deep brown with a tan complexion more than likely from living out in the desert.

The eight year old child stood by her mother's side, her back straightened and chin jutted outwards. She was lean and at a decent height for her age, and her skin had a pink tinge almost as if she had been sunburned. Just looking at her now, Haruka could easily guess she was Ikazuchi through and through.

"Kaori…perhaps Ren and Sumiko could wait outside." Haruka waved a hand nonchalantly towards the door. He watched as she handed Sumiko off to Ren, murmuring for her daughter to wait outside the door.

Then, Kaori and Haruka were alone.

Kaori turned on her brother. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she stood slightly slumped. She had lost the proud stance she had once held in her younger days. Her pale hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, and despite the slight slump in her back her blue eyes were still sharp.

Haruka leaned back in his seat. He sighed again. "My advisors are strongly against having you back here Kaori…"

"I know that," Kaori scowled, averting her gaze to glare out the window, "Tell me what the verdict is."

Haruka folded his hands together, resting his chin atop of them. "I managed to come up with a compromise. We have agreed to take Sumiko and Ren in…but they are adamant in not taking you back in."

Worry flashed through Kaori's eyes and her expression softened. "I-"

She said no more. She couldn't bring herself to. Haruka knew she had to choose between the safety of her children and her pride. He already knew what her decision would be. She held a particular hatred people who valued their own pride over more important matters. She had constantly told him while they were growing up that too much pride would be the downfall of a shinobi.

"Fine," She murmured, "it's not the most ideal situation…but it's better than the alternative."

He frowned. "Alternative?"

"Suna isn't a safe place right now…with the Kazekage's son and just…political issues…it would be much better for the girls to remain here," Kaori explained, as logical as she had always been with such matters.

"They're more than welcome here then…if they choose so they may return to Suna when the time comes."

Kaori smirked. "Ren was…displeased with having to travel here. She's quite fond of Suna...and becoming a kunoichi of course."

"Then she will continue here. She'll learn the way of the Ikazuchi."

Haruka didn't add the 'like she was meant to'.

"Then it's decided. You will raise Ren and Sumiko until it's safe for them to return to Suna. I'll be leaving now." Kaori's tone had turned curt. Much like Haruka had expected it to. While that woman had quite a bit of patience, she lacked most of it when dealing with her family.

She waved a hand a hand at him, a gesture he quickly realized was meant to make a mockery of him. Then she slipped through the door and began murmuring to her children. Haruka sighed. He stood up and followed after Kaori who was kneeling in front of an about-to-cry Ren explaining. He leaned against the door way, not missing the look Kaori threw at him.

"Sweetheart, Uncle Haruka will take care of the two of you until it's safe for you to return home," Kaori explained, tucking a strand of her daughter's hair behind her ear with the utmost affection.

Ren nodded, daring to toss a quick look in Haruka's direction. She bit her quivering bottom lip and this time nodded her head much more fervently than before as she said, "I'll get real strong and come back and protect everybody!"

Kaori smiled softly at the eight year olds proclamation. She planted a kiss on both her children's forehead and straightened up. Then, much to Haruka's surprise, she walked over to him and pulled him into a fierce hug.

"If you don't keep my children safe Haruka, so help me-"

"You have nothing to worry about dear sister," Haruka interrupted her, returning her hug as he murmured the words in her ear, "they will be safe."

Then Kaori was leaving. Gone. Ren stared after her mother. Sumiko tugged at Ren's braid with the best pout she could manage. Haruka moved to place a hand on top of Ren's head, smiling down at his niece with the most enthusiasm he could manage. Just now was the first time he noticed the pack strapped to the girl's back.

"Well girls, if you give me a few more minutes we'll head home." He ruffled Ren's hair, laughing when she swatted at his hand in annoyance. He moved back into the office, tidied up a bit, and set a few important documents off to the side to deal with the next day.

As soon as he was finished he reappeared outside, swept Sumiko into his arms seeing as Ren had set her down to play, then gestured for his niece to follow him. "I think the two of you will really enjoy it here."

Ren snorted.

Haruka resisted the urge to sigh. Instead he led the way into another part of the building where he could smell his wife's cooking wafting through the halls. Beside him he heard the faint grumbling of Ren's stomach. He smirked. If there was one thing that would win her over, it would certainly be Noriko's cooking.

"Ren!"

A head shot up. The girl's eyes darted around the room, because yes she had been asleep, and she had been sleeping very well. She threw her covers side and moved around the room as fast as she could possibly manage. Tugging her nightshirt over her head, she snatched a clean shirt from her closet. She pulled the too blue and yellow shirt over her head, stumbling to the left a bit when she nearly tripped over something in her bedroom floor.

She swore under her breath. Something her aunt Noriko would have her head for if she were to hear. Regardless she quickly slipped into a pair of fitted black shorts, the standard sandals, and jolted towards the bedroom door.

She tore down the hallway, took a sharp left, and skidded to a stop in the kitchen where Noriko waited for her. Noriko's silver-blue hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, and her gray eyes were bordering on the edge of amusement. She was lean and taller than most women in the Ikazuchi clan.

"Yes Aunt Noriko?"

"You've received a letter dear."

Ren blinked at her aunt. That's what she called her for? To inform her that she had a letter. Granted, that was odd in itself. It wasn't often that she received letters, only if they were from her mother, and even then it wasn't quite so often.

Noriko handed a scroll to her, one that Ren took cautiously. It was the sort of scroll her mother would have sent to her. She furrowed her brows and moved over to the table, sliding into a chair. She opened the scroll, her eyes scanning over the letter that had been sent to her. It was from her mother.

As she scanned the letter she caught phrases such as "everything is well here" and "I'm hoping you and Sumiko are doing good". However, there was one in particular that caught her attention. Keiko will be visiting to check up on you.

Keiko? As in the Keiko Hakuran? The very woman who Ren had heard a ton about, the one who was claimed to be one of her mother's best friends?

Noticing the look on Ren's face, Noriko questioned, "What's the matter?"

Ren blinked up at Noriko, as if she had forgotten her aunt was there. "Oh. A friend of my mother's is coming to visit me and Sumiko."

Noriko blinked back. Then her brows furrowed. A stiff look passed over the older woman's face at the thought of Kaori. If asked about her sister-in-law Noriko would say she was a wonderful woman, but behind closed doors when she would gossip with Ren's cousins she would say some of the most awful things about Kaori.

Ren knew. She had listened in on them plenty of times. Luckily for her, not a single one of her aunt's dumb friend's were ninjas, so they never noticed her.

"Well, that's nice." Then Noriko had her back turned, resuming the chore of washing dishes she had been working on before.

Ren rolled her eyes. She climbed up from the table and said, "I'm going to go find Kaito-sensei."

Ren was off then, jolting out of the house and ignoring her aunt's call to be back by dinner. Her aunt didn't understand. She didn't get why Ren would put herself through the acts of learning how to be a proper shinobi, or learning the techniques of her clan. Like all Ikazuchi's Ren was built for speed. Her limbs were lean and she was as thin as could be. Kaito-sensei had told Ren that not a single Ikazuchi could build up the muscle meant for physical strength. It was the way they were born, the way they were all built.

Sure, it was certainly a weakness. But that was why they focused so much on their speed. The Ikazuchi clan had came up with techniques to increase their speed, and they honed their abilities the best they could.

Ren knew where she would find Kaito-sensei. The training grounds were a normal place for her to find him, and that was what she did. He was sitting cross-legged on the ground and his palms were laid out flat on his thighs (he often claimed he was meditating, Ren and her teammates argued he was napping).

"Kaito-sensei!"

One of his eyes slid open, revealing a deep blue iris. His eyebrow twitched as she approached. She stood just a few feet in front of him, leaning forward on her toes as she did. She grinned at him. He heaved the heaviest of sighs (even more so than Haruka could manage).

"Shun and Satoru will be here soon."

She plopped down in front of him. They wouldn't be training today, it was their day off. No dumb missions. No okay missions. Just a day for them to spend 'team-bonding' as Kaito often put it. In other words, they would eat, Shun and Ren would argue, and Sataru and Kaito would try and quiet them down.

It had become a norm for Ren. But, as always, she couldn't help but wonder what it would have been like if she would have grown up in Suna. It was true, she loved her clan and tiny village they had established. Yet, she felt as if something were missing. She could barely recall how it felt to have the hot, dessert sun beating down on her head, leaving a pink tinge behind due to her fair-skin being sunburned rather often.

Ah yes. But she could also recall catching glimpses of the red-haired demon that was claimed to roam Suna. Her mother would usher her away, murmuring nonsensical words to her as she locked her two children away in their home.

Even now, she wondered that maybe not everything was quite as it had seemed..