It was about a warm summer's night and the Uchiha family sat out in the huge garden laughing and enjoying the party that was taking place. All except Anika, and it was her party. Today was her and her twin brother Caleb's 15th birthday and like always contrary to her brother she hated it. It was always the same every year, Caleb would receive new ninja equipment while Anika would get paints and kimono's that she would never wear. Then when their older brothers Haruko and Fiyero would come back from there ever so important training they would have the party, full of dancing and music. For every one, but Anika. Because of what happened when she was born she was never allowed to do anything that might bring on an attack as they called it, and the only time that had happened was when she was 7.
She had been playing with Caleb and had fallen into the pond. And with Sasuke's tight lead on her she had never learnt how to swim. If Haruko and Fiyero hadn't been training near by to hear her scream (which seem to be like radar for them) she probably would have drowned. That was the last time Sasuke allowed her to play with any of her brothers, instead she spent her days either in her fathers office with him while he was in meetings or doing paperwork and other kage stuff, or when her mother was free she would spend time with her learning flower arrangements sewing and painting never to do what she wanted.
So now she was sat between Sasuke and Hinata watching the people of the sound village that had been invited (which was pretty much every one) dancing and enjoying themselves. That's when she saw him under her balcony across the lake. She knew she had to do something before he was seen. Tonight seem to be going in her favor from then because at that moment she sneezed which instantly made Sasuke turn all his attention to her.
"Anika are you okay??" he asked
"Yeah it's probably just the cold night air." She said in a sweet tone she hoped would convince him that she needed to go inside.
"I think it's time you went to bed, we don't want you catching anything that could strain you."
Her heart skipped a beat, she didn't think that a ninja like her father would be easy to fool, so she said her goodnights to her parents and brothers and made her way to the house. As son as she was inside she ran to her lesson room which was beneath her room.
"Mikio what the hell are you doing!!" she whispered/hissed at the young blonde.
"Well I had to see you on your birthday didn't I." Anika glared at him; if he was found over the border from the fire country without a reason/permission it could start a huge conflict between the two countries. Now becoming more alert Anika noticed that some one was coming down the hall towards them (the study is at the end of the hall with a staircase leading straight up to her room)
"Some ones coming you need to go.2" she said in a panic
"Meet me tomorrow, in the forest by the cottage."
"I'll try, now go please." She begged trying to push him back towards the door as the foot steps started to get louder. Thankfully Mikio was gone after slipping a small box into Anika's pocket.
"Anika I thought you were going to bed what are you doing in here?" Anika spun around, only to lose her footing and be caught in the arms of her oldest brother Haruko.
"Mother never saw your light go on and began to worry, what were you doing anyway?"
"Uh I thought I heard Tessabell (that's what we call my cat) in here." She lied through her teeth. Yet again she was hit by another wave of luck when the said cat came wondering from behind the bookshelf.
"Well at least mum will stop worrying now." He said cheerfully
"Yeah cause so much could happen in such a lock down building." She grumbled pulling out of Haruko's arms and making her way to the staircase with the black cat in tow.
Haruko sighed "Anika you might not see it but there scared, I mean they have the right to be, you had an attack straight after birth and look at what happened when you were playing with Caleb, they just don't want history to repeat." Then he walked off.
The next day Anika was sat with her father in the office before the Kazakage arrived to prepare the chunin exams which she was not looking forward to because it was so boring. However Sasuke noticed that she was fidgeting and it was starting to annoy him.
"Anika what do you want." His tone came out harsher than he intended making her jump about.
"Um well I was wondering as it's a nice to day if I could take a walk by the lake to find something to draw." She finally stuttered out, one of the irritating habits she had inherited from Hinata
"If one of your brothers takes you."
"Well the thing is there all training for Caleb's chunin exam, so I thought as this is important for him couldn't I just go by myself this once?" she said in a pleading tone
"You have 20 minutes, be back before the Kazakage gets here." He stated turning back to the scroll in font of him.
"Thanks daddy." She said as she jumped up and hugged him.
Anika charged through the forest on one of the chestnut horses from the family stables. The truth was since her father decided he wanted her on a safe leash she had started becoming more rebellious and after much convincing of her twin and one of the stable hands that they were friends with took up horse back archery. When she entered the huge clearing with the cottage on the other side with Mikio standing outside (were talking about a 2 mile clearing here) she forgot that she couldn't stay long because of getting back before the Kazakage. She decided she was going to keep Mikio waiting and guessing just that little it longer and started charging around the forest.
It had been 10 minuets since Anika had left and Sasuke was starting to get anxious, when the door to his office swung open and in ran a hysterical Hinata.
"Hinata what's wrong?" Sasuke asked as he stood up and pulled her into his arms
"She's gone I can't find her anywhere." She cried, Sasuke instantly realizing who she meant
"Hinata calm down she's just drawing at the lake." Hinata shook her head violently
"No, no she's gone. The maid found this in her pocket." She pulled out a gold bracelet with a tag tied to it saying
Dear Anika
Meet me tomorrow at the old cottage.
Soon we will be together I promise
Until then
Your love
Mikio
As Sasuke finished reading the note rage over took him, no wonder she had been so eager to go alone.
"HARUKO, FIYERO, CALEB!!!!!" almost instantly the three boys ran into the office
"Caleb stay here with your mother, Haruko Fiyero we going to look for her." Sasuke yelled as he grabbed his ninja tools
"Hold on what's going on?" Fiyero asked as Sasuke threw the bracelet at him. The other two reading it over his shoulder.
"I know where that cottage is, about a five minuet sprint towards fire country." Haruko spoke up as they walked out the door while Caleb tried to comfort his mother.
Anika was just coming into the clearing trying to catch Mikio's attention when suddenly something spooked the horse she was on.
"AHHHHHHHHHH"
Screams filled the forest
Mikio looked up towards the clearing
Sasuke and the oldest twins ran faster.
