-1Chapter One:

Show me sister, prove to me that you are worth the air that you breathe, the life that dwells within this pathetic excuse for a body. The day I return I want to see that you are more than human and are worth letting live.

Hatake Amaya woke with a start being startled by the words that echoed in her head playing themselves over and over again. She just stared at the white ceiling above her trying to think.

It's been years since he was around, Amaya thought to herself while pushing her hair out of her face. I don't understand, why now? Of all the times for my subconscious to drag this into the forefront of my memories.

She barely moved but this one small movement was met with a hit to her leg from the flitting tail of the tiger that lay curled up at the end of her bed.

"Sorry Akira," Amaya said then moved again intending to go back to sleep for a little while longer.

"We're going to be late Mitsuko," Amaya said leaning against the door jam watching her friend gather herself together in front of her mirror.

"Well, not all girls can just slap something on and still look good," Mitsuko said referring to her friend as she pulled her own brown hair back.

Mitsuko was right though about Amaya. If she ever really wanted to she could have been one of the most popular girls in Konoha just from her looks. The silver hair that she had was cut at odd lengths having been a quick cut job fell into her face over her left eye where she wore the band of the Leaf Village ninja. Reaching it was a black mask that covered the lower half of her face.

She wore a very gothic looking outfit. The front of the skirt reached about her mid-thigh and the back reached her knees with white gaiters underneath the skirt portion so that she could move as she pleased. From the bottom of the lightly v-necked front was a chain that lead to the chocker around her neck. Over her left upper arm and down to over her hand she wore a black sleeve that was able to stay on her arm with the tightly pulled buckle. On her hands she wore gloves that were cut off at mid-finger.

Her friend was wearing an outfit that almost fit in with Amaya's but not quite, it didn't look as dementing. It was a black shirt that was sleeveless and was high collared. With it she wore a tight black skirt that slit up to her thighs revealing a pair of skin tight shorts that reached her mid-thigh underneath them.

"Let's go already," Amaya said again, now she was really wanting to go.

The room had gotten too quiet for her. Whenever there was silence like that when Amaya was near her memories began to swelter in her head.

"Okay, let's go," Mitsuko said hearing the light edge to her friend's usually calm voice.

They walked down the street headed toward their own destination. Mitsuko paused for a moment feeling like she had forgotten something.

"I think I forgot something," Mitsuko stated to her friend.

"Could it quite possibly be your band?" Amaya questioned calmly but her friend started to freak. "Just go get it, and hurry will you?"

"Be back in a minute!" Mitsuko said running back down the street.

Amaya waited. She lent against a wall waiting for the rapidly drawing nearer return of her friend. Many people skirted past her noticing her leaning against that wall. She didn't wonder why she just ignored it allowing herself to drift off into thought.

She was just as pathetic as you are turning out to be! Isn't that delightful!

She was brought out of this thought as Akira bounded up out of no where and soon afterward Mitsuko came running up also.

"What's your problem?"

This was the question she received from the tiger that now sat flitting her tail in a very calm and cool manner. Her eyes the bright yellow they were, were just looking at Amaya in a questioning manner. Amaya shook her head to indicate it was nothing.

"So what did your tiger ask?" Mitsuko questioned not really caring how silly she sounded and fixing her own band around her waist.

"She thought I had a problem," Amaya said shrugging her shoulders. "She's always asking me that though."

"You know sometimes I wonder what normal friends would be like?" Mitsuko said out of the blue looking up. "I mean friends who couldn't talk to animals, or have some really out of the blue justu,"

"Well, you had your chance didn't you?" Amaya questioned reminding her friend of something seemingly. "You could have just said thanks and gone on your merry little way,"

"I know," Mitsuko said with a sigh. "I don't regret it though. I mean being friends with a Hatake clan member? Who could ask for more, well other than being friends with Uchiha,"

Amaya nodded knowing who the girl referred to. Uchiha Yukio.

It was said that he was the Uchiha Sasuke's brother, Uchiha Itachi's son, so Sasuke's nephew, but no one was truly sure. He was the most popular boy around. He was handsome, that Amaya couldn't deny, but she didn't like his personality. It was far too close to her own for her to be comfortable around him.

"Well, anyway," Mitsuko said putting her arms behind her head in a stretching movement as they walked. "Got a hunch on who your Sensei's gonna be?"

"I don't really care," Amaya shrugged. "As long as I can improve then that's all that really matters doesn't it?"

"Well, what about your team? Don't you want to be with people you like?" Mitsuko said then just shook her head. "Never mind I already know the answer to that."

"C'mon Akira," Amaya wasn't paying attention to her friend's rambling. "I don't think they will let you in at this size,"

Amaya created a quick seal and the cat began to shrink. Mitsuko watched the large tiger shrink to the size of a kitten in wonder. No matter how many times she had seen her friend perform this jutsu it still amazed her.

"You know that justu, really is a hell of a deal," Mitsuko said as Amaya caught the small tiger in her arms as she jumped up and continued to walk.

"I know, and with Akira it really helps," Amaya said and the tiger began to purr in her arms content. "I mean I've been able to take her lots of places without bother, no one worries about a kitten do they?"

"Apparently not," Mitsuko said and they headed on down the street. "You know, I hope I'm just not stuck with two idiots that I have to compensate for."

"That would be your luck now wouldn't it?" Amaya said and her friend nodded with a laugh.

"Of course it would be!"