The kunai hit the target right in the center.

"I told you I could hit it, Dei," said Hotaru.

Dei patted her on the head and Hotaru grinned up at him. She loved to impress him. In just a few days, she would finally get to attend Kanoha's ninja academy and then she could join her brother. He was seven years older than she, but their bond had always been strong.

"Do you think Mom and Dad would be proud?" she continued to Dei.

He paused. Hotaru remembered he didn't like to talk about such things. But instead he just smiled back down, saying, "I'm sure they would be."

Hotaru grinned as hard as she could, then ran back to the house. Just a few more days…

Tomorrow she would also be cutting off her hair as a sign of maturity. In her eyes, long hair was for little kids. She was ten now!

As she ran by, Hotaru glanced at her reflection in her mother's mirror. She barely remembered her mother, but Hotaru knew they didn't look alike. The only resemblance was the fiery red hair. There was only one picture of Hotaru and Dei's parents in the whole house, but they both treasured it more than anything.

Hotaru hated any type of dog or wolf, for reasons unknown to even her. Even when she was five, she would try to kill anything that resembled a wolf.

Even though Dei had never told her (and Hotaru didn't know), their parents had been jounin under the seventh Hokage. Dei had only been nine when they had been killed by a wolf demon. They had killed it in the process, and were highly honored, but…

Dei followed his sister back up to the house. Suddenly, he swiveled around as the wind blew leaves across the courtyard. He looked up at setting sun. He could have sworn someone was there, watching…

♦♦♦

That night, Hotaru couldn't sleep. She was just so excited!

Suddenly, she heard voices from her brother's room. Her pulse quickened. Who is he talking to? she thought, a drop of sweat running down her face. Scenarios and probabilities raced through her mind, each more ridiculous than the last. Maybe he was just talking in his sleep (that would be a first). She waited for five minutes for the talking to stop… but it did not.

Hotaru quickly rose from her bed, and, as quietly as she could, opened the screen door. She silently crossed the hall and sat next her brother's door. The voices now were distinguishable.

"-if we can trust you," said a voice not her brothers. "You haven't exactly been helping us… As leader, you must know you must have been very bad-" the way he said it made her temper rise, "for me to pay a visit…"

Silence.

"Nothing to say…? I don't want to have to kill the little brat, but…"

She heard the intake of breath from her brother. Why doesn't he just kill the horrible man? thought Hotaru. He's a jounin, after all.

"Ah, I seem to have struck a ner-" the awful man stopped. "I think I heard a rat."

It took Hotaru a moment to realize whom he was referring to. She desperately scrambled to her feet, but suddenly the man was in front of her. He had a mask over his face, and his headband had a burning leaf of it. He wore a green vest and a black suit. Hotaru turned, but he grabbed her long hair. She suddenly regretted having grown hair at all.

He dragged her struggling body into the room. Dei's eyes were narrowed and Hotaru saw his anger. She looked away. She should have stayed in her room. But now, she was going to die.

The man, who Hotaru now could tell was a ninja, threw her to the ground. Dei didn't try to reach for me, and suddenly a kunai was at her neck.

"If you move for her, I'll slit her throat."

Hotaru resisted the urge to gulp. This man was obviously a Rebel. But why was he here…?

"Gosu…" said her brother calmly. "Hotaru does not have anything to do with this. Please, let her go." His expression filled Hotaru with relief, even though a sharp object was at her neck.

"Oh, I know." He did not remove it. "But I know you care if she… dies?" He dug the kunai in deeper and Hotaru felt pain and a drop of blood roll down her throat.

"How have I not been loyal to you?" said Dei. What was he talking about? Is he part of the Rebels?

"I think you know exactly what I am talking about." Two more drops of blood rolled down her neck. She cried out.

"Stop."

"Stop what? Killing your beloved sissy? I don't think so. I want to watch you be miserable… that is, unless your willing to pay for your crimes."

Dei did not reply as if he knew how he was to pay.

"No, Dei!" Hotaru screamed. "I don't want you to die!"

Gosu laughed. She hated it.

"You think I care what you want, brat?" He cut deeper. Blood began to ooze, and Hotaru knew that next time, she would die. She softly said her brother's name, her vision blurring. Gosu began to roar with laughter.

Hotaru's brother stood, and Gosu stopped laughing, looking slightly surprised, even concerned.

"What are you going to do now, Deiru?" said Gosu. "If you come closer, the girl will die." Hotaru could tell that he wasn't lying.

"You will not harm my sister any further." Dei took a step forwards. Gosu tightened his grip on the kunai.

"You're right." Gosu stood up straight, dragging her with him. "You and your games have gone on long enough. I'm going to kill you!"

He dropped Hotaru and threw the kunai at her brother. Dei easily dodged it, and she saw throwing stars in his hands. In a flash of movement, Dei threw all four at Gosu, who was struck in the stomach.

Hotaru released a sigh of breath, when all of a sudden, in a flash of white dust, Gosu's body turned into one of Dei's pillows.

"Damn," Hotaru heard Dei mutter. "Substitution jutsu…"

"Dei! Behind you!" Hotaru cried. Dei spun around, delivering a swift punch to Gosu's face. Gosu dodged, and tried to attack again.

This sort of thing continued for the next two minutes, until, finally, they were on opposite ends of the room. Hotaru was huddled in a corner, because she had barely been able to move. Dei stood protectively in front of her, kunais in both of his hands. Gosu stood across from him, a katana in his hand.

They disappeared from view, but Hotaru knew they had simply run at each other, too fast to be seen.

Suddenly, they were both standing with their backs facing each other. Hotaru heard the drip of blood. Her eyes raced around to see the source.

Her brother fell to the ground. Gosu had a large cut across his face, and he cried out in agony. But he did not fall.

"You're…" he hissed, in agony, at her. "You're lucky I don't slit you open on the spot." And with that, he jumped through the window in the night and was gone.

Hotaru's legs began to work again and she jumped up and raced to her brother. She cried, "Dei, don't die! Please, don't leave me! I don't want to be alone!"

Hotaru gasped when she saw him close up. His chest had been slashed, and his robes were blood soaked. Gosu must have been an extremely good ninja to be able to do this to her brother.

"H… Hotaru…" he whispered hoarsely. "I… don't have much time…"

"What are you talking about?" She smiled, but she could see her tears on his face. "You'll be fine… I'll take you to the hospital and-"

"No, Hota…" He touched my face. I began to sob uncontrollably. "My firefly… and…"

"What? What is it?" Hotaru could barely get the words out.

"I like your hair… long…"

And then he died.