A small child clung to her leg, palms flung upwards to deflect the rain, eyes wide in unnatural wisdom. Reika watched him in awe. His eyes- bright, bright blue- stood out in the misted terrain, dusted with depths of tanzanite, the mark of their family's forbidden bloodline limit. He caught her staring. Tilting his head in innocent, nearly childlike wonder, he met her gaze, and she forced herself to remember, that heir or not, he was still her younger brother, still a baby, still untainted by the twisted nature of her village and clan. "Sister.." Yuichi's tiny voice was a sigh, nearly drowned by the storm, and she forced herself to look away, already knowing his question. "Momma and Poppa… Where are they?"

"A mission, Yui." It took everything Reika had to keep her voice level. "They'll be gone for a long time. Let's go home to Ayame. She's waiting."

He nodded, beginning to turn towards the direction of their house, missing the hard glare Reika aimed towards the Mizukage's abode. Ayame, her twin, wasn't so understanding. The clan's bloodline limit was passed through patriarchs- from father to daughter and son- the mother of the children was irrelevant in its inheritance. Her parents therefore coddled Yuichi, the sole male heir to the limit, ignoring the talents of Reika and Ayame. Aya, hot-blooded and hateful by nature, turned the neglect into bitter detest, rejecting their uncaring parents, despising Yui, and turning all her love and affection to Reika.

Yui began to shiver in discomfort, pressing against Reika further, and Reika noticed they were approaching their small house. Sure enough, as if to justify Yui's fear, Ayame opened the door, eyes bright upon seeing her twin. "Reika! Come in, you'll catch something in the rain."

Yui hid behind her. Smiling, Reika picked him up, pretending not to see the shift in Aya's eyes, shooing them both back inside. "Yui, I need to talk to Aya. Go take a nap, please?"

Ever eager to leave Ayame's cold gaze, the child hopped down from her embrace, skipping down the hall, and Reika softly closed the curtains, locking the door to the study as she turned to her younger sister. "It's the Mizukage again. I'm afraid… maybe Mother and Father won't make it back this time."

"This is ridiculous." Ayame huffed, her thin fingers reaching to graze her forehead protector, the steel engraved with the scars of her increasingly impossible missions. "It's the brat, isn't it? For that stupid brat, they throw themselves into missions akin to suicide. Yet.. for you, and me…"

"Ayame… I had a theory." Reika bit her lip, gauging her sister's reaction, yet when facing her, Ayame's eyes were soft and understanding as ever. "Father was the clan's only survivor. He started a new life, and met Mother.. Yet the Mizukage began pointing them at difficult missions, especially during Mother's pregnancies."

"At least that's what he told us."

"Right. But I thought it was odd. The Mizukage is certainly targeting our family. But how did he know to target us? What told him we possessed the bloodline limit?"

"Reika, I wasn't kidding." Ayame got up, reaching into a cupboard, absentmindedly mixing ingredients into a bowl. "We did see Father go on missions when we were young. But they increased when the brat was born. If the Mizukage really despises our blood that much, daughters should be no concern to him. But at the birth of Yuichi, a son… likely our family became a threat again."

Reika suddenly felt faint. A threat. If a Kage saw them as a threat, they would likely not live long. Within moments of the realization, her mind began turning, and Ayame reached out, grasping her hands, identical blue eyes searching for the cause of the panic. Reika's voice was shaky. "Ayame, we have to do something. We can't wait to die. We're both jounin. Surely.. after our parents, the Mizukage will look to us… Then.."

"Reika, let's speak to the Mizukage."

She looked up, almost in disbelief, but Ayame was absolutely serious. Mindlessly, the younger turned back to the baking at hand, as if to conceal her fears. Reika winced. "Ayame, we'll die."

"No. Our bloodline causes the Mizukage fear. We're strong, Reika. He's afraid of being killed, of the village knowing that our family is more worthy for the throne than he. He knows our clan, and he's afraid of us."

"That's why we shouldn't speak to him. We should take Yuichi and run."

"That's the thing." Taking calming, deep breaths, Ayame tossed ingredients into her mixture, beating them restlessly, as a form of stress relief. "He knows we're strong. The two of us are daughters. We can't pass on the blood. If we renounce our family, renounce Yui, and promise to serve him, he'll spare us."

"No." Reika's voice was barely above a whisper. Yes, Ayame was important to her, and within a heartbeat, she would give her life if it meant hers. But, at the price of their parents and Yuichi, it was almost too much to ask. "Mother, Yuichi, Father. We can't do that, Aya. It means leaving them behind."

"They saw us as tools to protect Yui. And Yui is the spoiled child who allowed it. They never cared about us, and I learned to hate them. But you, Reika. I want and need you to live. That's my goal, and right now, I'll go to hell to accomplish it."

"Ayame, give me a day. I'm the older sister. Let me protect you." Reika was shaking, but her plan was clear. The Mizukage was the root of their problems. If he was gone, Yuichi would be safe. Had he been gone, Ayame would have been happier, carefree, not so bitter and callous. If he was gone.. The thought resounded, again and again. Distracted by it, Reika failed to notice Ayame's bright eyes, the gleam of an idea that would ruin and save everything.