Back in the mist village, Sora laid motionlessly on the couch with his eyes closed. He thought of his wife and the first seven years of Jatsu's life. He shifted on the couch, looking down at his left leg. It never worked the same. He always had to limp and because of it the Mizukage almost never let him leave the village. He sighed deeply and tried to shake the thoughts when a knock came to his door. He moved off the couch and to the door, opening it to see a jounin from the Mist Village.

"Hello?" He asked with confusion.

The man's head was lowered and his breathing was heavy. When he lifted his head, Sora knew instantly who the jounin was; Hitmichi. Hitmichi's eyes were wide. "Your...daughter..." he breathed.

"Has something happened to Kazue?" He gasped, his heart rate picking up.

The man's brows furrowed and he shook his head. "No...? The other..."

Sora's eyes widened even more. "J-Jatsu?" He stuttered, the name was almost foreign by now.

"She's...strong." The man let out a breathly laugh. "And she's trying to kill us..."

"U-Us? As in who?" He stuttered again, not completely processing.

"Me and two others..." The man said. "We were on a mission...and we had to split up. I guess I managed to get away - I'm alive - but they'll be coming..."

Sora's brows furrowed. "You're sure it's Jatsu?"

"It isn't the most common name..." The man stated. "And she looks similar.."

Sora rubbed his forehead before sighing. "Where did you last spot her?"

"Her and her friend found us in the Rock Village. We split up just before the Leaf Village. I'm guessing they went after Kumoi."

Sora sighed. "I-I guess I'll see if I can find her..."

The man sighed with relief. "You have to! I can't die yet! I'm still young!"

Sora raised an eyebrow. "Why would they be after you and the other two anyway? What did you do?"

The mans eyes widened. "Are you accusing us of something? We went on a classified mission..."

Sora sighed. "N-Nevermind... I-I'll gather some things and head out... Thank you for this information..."

The man nodded before running off again. Sora quickly headed to his room and gathered a bag of tools, food, and sleeping gear before heading out.


The sun disappeared below the horizon and Kazue stopped to stretch. She pulled back the hood and pulled the sweater off. "Here you go. Thank you very much for that..." She smiled gratefully.

Nikito smiled in return and took the sweater, putting it back into his backpack. "No problem.. Are you wanting to do this through the night?" He asked.

The two had already finished their main mission and had already made it into the outskirts of the Rain Village. The two had stopped to take a break. Kazue sighed and yawned.

"I think we should maybe sleep tonight. We've been going non-stop for a while now, and that meeting almost knocked me right out..." Kazue laughed. "I didn't think this would be a boring mission."

Nikito smiled and sat down, pulling out a sleeping bag from his backpack. "I'm just glad you're okay..." He murmured, straightening out his bed.

Kazue sat down beside him once he laid down and drew her knee's to her chest. "Why wouldn't I be okay?" She laughed.

Nikito just shook his head. "Forget it..."

She leaned down and drapped her head over his chest and she gave him a quick hug. "Good night..." She whispered and sat back up.

Nikito looked up at Kazue. "Are you not going to sleep yet?"

Kazue shrugged and laid back with her arms behind her head. "Yupp..."

Nikito smiled and closed his eyes as he murmured, "I'm happy you found your sister, Kazue..."

Kazue's lips twitched up. "I am too..." She whispered and closed her eyes.


Dawn came quickly. Jatsu sat up in bed with her head in her hands as she looked over at Umi who was still fast asleep. She sighed as she stood up and stretched, pulling her black cloak back onto her body and walking to Umi's bed, shaking her.

"Wake up..." She murmured.

Umi's eyes opened and she peered up at Jatsu. "I'm awake."

"Then let's get moving..." Jatsu murmured, walking over to the door.

Umi stood and picked up her cloak. She followed Jatsu out side and they quickly made their way down the path, away from the Inn. The two walked in silence for a while before Jatsu finally spoke up.

"U-Umi... I have something I need to tell you..."

"This is unusual." Umi stated and glanced at Jatsu. "What is it?"

Jatsu turned her face down, the hood hiding her face from Umi's view. "I-I told Kazue we were heading to the Sand Village..."

Umi closed her eyes and lowered her head. "I guess I'll apologize in advance if I do something to her..."

Jatsu shook her head. "I'm telling you this... because I think her and that guy can be helpful to us... they may be able to free us and the others..."

Umi kept silent and continued to walk. It felt like forever had gone by when Umi slowly spoke, choosing her words wisely. "The Affani will not show any mercy on them. And it's not like we're in a contract that can be broken."

Jatsu sighed deeply and nodded. "I know... but if we all turn on the Affani at once, with the help of my sister and her boyfriend, we may be able to do this... Them being outside the organization, may be the key to getting in and taking the kill."

Umi shook her head. "The Affani are powerful with just the three of them, but they have many devout followers as well. The lot of us are still considered children." Umi finally opened her eyes. "What about the newest of the members?"

Jatsu clenched her jaw. "We will have to protect them obviously." Jatsu growled. "And they can't consider us children anymore... you and I alone are twenty two!" Jatsu hissed, anger rising within her. She sighed again and let her shoulders relax. "We need to come up with a plan... but it needs to be in secrecy without the Affani figuring it out..."

"That's a one in a million percent chance. The Affani somehow knows everything that happens."

"Then I will be the one to take any blame, shall they find out. But if they do figure it out, and I am killed, I expect you to carry on with the plan and help out the others."

Umi sighed and closed her mouth. She never agreed with the Affani, but she was starting to think Jatsu was going crazy. Ever since she was reunited with her sister, she seemed to change and get these crazy idea's. Umi lifted her eyes to the sky and picked up the pace a bit. She wanted to finish this mission quickly.

"Umi!" Jatsu hissed. "Don't ignore me."

Umi continued to walk. Umi was often suceptible to mood swings, most even assumed she had a multiple personality disorder, and right now, she thought it was best not to speak another word.

Jatsu growled and caught up to Umi's quickened pace but kept her mouth shut. She knew the times that were good to bother Umi and the times that weren't. She also knew that when Umi disagreed with her, she'd remain silent. Jatsu sighed. She knew her idea was difficult, maybe even crazy, but she refused to see the new children who the Affani took in, to be trapped as they were for a long time.


Nikito groaned as he rolled onto his side, his hair falling over his eyes while his arms were sprawled out. One of his arms landed across Kazue's stomach and she quickly awoken, looking around. The sun was starting to rise. Kazue looked down at Nikito and smiled. She always found his sleeping face funny. She carefully moved his arm off her stomach and sat up. Another groan left Nikito's lips as he stirred again, moving onto his back.

Kazue giggled and shook her head. She reached up to fix the hair in the pony ties and fixed her clothes. The cloth belt around her waist had fallen off in the middle of the night so she retrieved it and put it back on. Her bow and arrows laid next to her, all still there. Maybe they should have got to an Inn for the night, but she shrugged it off. All their stuff was still with them.

The sun began to get higher and the light reached Nikito's face, making him mumble something before he murmured something tiredly to Kazue. "Kazue... a-are you awake?" He yawned, his eyes still closed.

Kazue smiled and laid back down. "I am..."

His lips twitched up in a smile. "Good." He yawned again. "Ready to head out again?"

"With you still drowzy like that? Let's allow you to wake up first." She laughed lightly.

Nikito chuckled and opened his eyes to look at the sky that was a soft shade of orange. "It'll only take me a minute..."

"A minute we have to spare..." Kazue smiled. The orange hue of the sky lit up his eyes. She sighed and turned away. She couldn't deny that she loved his beautiful blue eyes.

Nikito noticed Kazue's glance before she had turned away. He thought on it for a moment before sitting up, tightening the headband tighter to his head before stretching his arms out. "I'm ready..." He stated as he set his arms back down.

Kazue nodded and stood up, grabbing her bow and arrow bag to place in their normal spot. She grabbed her other bag and slung it over her free shoulder. "Don't forget your stuff." She smiled.

Nikito smiled as he stood up and gathered his stuff, returning it to his backpack and picking up his sword before looking back at Kazue. "I got one last question before we head out..."

"And if I start to walk?" She smirked.

"I'll follow and ask." He laughed.

Kazue nodded and turned around, beginning to walk back towards the path. "Ask away..."

Nikito followed her and quickly reached her side. "Alright, so... Jatsu said to meet her in the Sand... but did she say where or when?" He asked, glancing over at Kazue.

Kazue shook her head. "We're going there blindly." She shrugged.

Nikito sighed. "Of course we are..." He smirked. "So I guess we're just gonna have to keep our eyes out... or try to sense her chakra?"

Kazue nodded. "I'm assuming that since she didn't give me a time, she was headed directly towards the Sand Village. If she meant in a few days, I assume she would've told us. Where in the village, I have no idea, but cloaks are not a typical clothing article in Sunagakure."

Nikito shrugged. "Guess you got a point. I figure we will sense that girls chakra first anyway - the one that was with Jatsu. She had... a very... interesting chakra type..."

Kazue nodded. "She seems to have major issues."

Nikito laughed. "Just don't say that around her... may make her snap.."

Kazue nodded. "Agreed." She smiled after a moment and turned to look at Nikito. "If anything happens, I know the future Mizukage would protect one of his village shinobi..."

Nikito's face turned a light shade of red as he avoided her gaze. "You know I will protect you... j-just don't call me the Mizukage..."

"You have the looks, Nikito." Kazue laughed softly. "And the personality."

Nikito rolled his eyes. "Well, thank you. But, I still think my dream is a stretch.." He smirked. "And now we don't have to keep guessing about Jatsu, so that makes mine ever harder now."

Kazue spun around so that she was walking backwards infront of him. The corner of her lips twitched down and she reached up to flick his nose. "You have just as good a chance as I have had." She stated and turned back around, picking up her pace.

Nikito rubbed his nose before catching up again. "Alright, alright..." He murmured with a small laugh.

Half way through the day, Kazue and Nikito finally reached the village gates. They walked through the narrow passage way and walked out into the various buildings. Nikito had lent Kazue his sweater again, and the hood was up to protect her from the beating sun. Nikito sighed deeply as the two looked around the village. They had been searching for almost a half an hour and still had no luck.

"Maybe we beat them here..." Nikito mumbled to Kazue.

Kazue was off in her own world, looking around at the villagers. She had never been in the Sand Village, let alone in the land of Wind. A few people who walked by them had looked at Kazue with curiosity, but Kazue was used to it. Her stomach growled and she grabbed Nikito's hand to lead him to a Ramen shop that she saw in the distance. "I'm hungry..." She laughed.

Nikito gave her a soft smile. "I was thinking the same thing... but for myself." He chuckled.

They ordered their food and sat at the bench, occasionally looking out side every once in a while. When the food came, Kazue gave Nikito a quick hug and thanked him for paying. Nikito had blushed and gave her a smile as he quickly dug into his bowl of Ramen.

Just outside the shop, up on top of a building, Jatsu and Umi were faceing off another man. The man hissed at the two as he panted.

"Give it up... you cannot win." Jatsu hissed, holding a kunai towards the man.

Kazue faintly heard the commotion outside and droped her chopsticks before running outside. She spotted Umi first, and then Jatsu, along with the man who Jatsu extended a hand and kunai to.

A grin took over her and she leaned back, waiting for Jatsu to finish whatever it was she was doing. Nikito quickly finished his Ramen and walked over to Kazue, looking up, a smile taking over his face. "So you found her again."

Kazue nodded with a smile as she watched the fight. Passerbys quickly ran from the area, terrified.

"Umi... what is your emotions saying this time?" Jatsu smirked.

"Hear no evil..." Umi whispered to herself and stepped forward. "You never wanted to be apart of the mission. But you didn't say anything, or doing anything about it." Umi stated and shut her eyes. When she reopened them, her eyes had turned a bright shade of red. "He deserves pain."

Jatsu smirked and lowered her hood to reveal her face to the man. His eyes widened. "Y-You're J-Jatsu O-Okima!"

Jatsu chuckled. "So you know me..."

"Who doesn't in the Mist Village.." He hissed.

Jatsu smiled. "Before we kill you, I would like to ask one thing... we lost your other friend... his trail stopped cold... where has he ran off to?" She hissed.

The man smirked. "Guess you aren't as great as they say if you lost him."

"Shut it!" Jatsu shouted stepping closer, pulling out her other arm from the cloak with poison staining the new kunai. "Where did he go?" She shouted again.

The man gulped and took a step back. "W-We all split up! I-I have no idea where he went!"

Umi appeared behind the man while he was distracted with Jatsu and quickly pulled his arms behind his back to bind them with chakra depleting rope. She pulled a kunai lightly across his throat and growled into his ear. "Where...did he go?" She whispered harshly.

Jatsu took a step closer with an eerie smirk as she touched the poisoned kunai to his cheek.

The man hissed in pain as he glared at Jatsu. "I said I don't know you freaks!"

Umi shook her head. "No one gets away with offending the Affani's handiwork." Umi stated and grabbed his ear to cut it off. She threw the piece of flesh to the side and put her mouth to his other ear. "If you don't know exactly where the other is, where would the most reasonable place be?" She asked and grabbed his other ear.

The man hissed in pain as tears streaked down his cheeks, blood spilling from where his ear once was. His eyes were locked on Jatsu instead of turning to look at Umi. "M-My g-guess..." He hissed. "Is to find your father!" He growled, glaring at Jatsu.

Jatsu's eyes widened slightly as she pushed the poisoned kunai closer against his cheek, drawing more blood. "Why there?" She hissed.

"Wh-Why else!" He gasped in pain. "T-To get your father t-to stop you!"

Umi shook her head. "Don't you think before you act?" Umi growled and reached let go of his ear, reaching around and pushing the kunai into the wound where his ear was cut off. She left the kunai sticking out of his head and stepped back, letting him drop to his knee's. "You're growing weaker, and your time is almost up. You'll be gone like the other, like dust in the wind." Umi whispered and narrowed her eyes.

"I-I'm not lying!" He hissed. "H-He probably figured that you're the biggest threat... so he went to retrieve your father!"

Jatsu growled. "How would that be the case if you didn't even know I was alive!"

The man growled. "Hitmichi was s-spying on you g-guys first... h-he knew Jatsu was a-alive but didn't bother to tell us... s-since he knew, my guess is he went to find Sora!"

Umi glanced at Jatsu and stepped forward towards the man. She grabbed his bloody hair and pulled it up, forcing him to stretch. "Pathetic...pathetic... That's all you three are." She murmured and grabbed his other ear to cut it off. "I'm done with him..."

The man was screaming as blood poured from both sides of his head. He was down on his side now, deaf and drowning in his own blood.

"Oh shut up..." Jatsu hissed, taking her kunai and slicing his throat open, his screaming stopped and turned to a gurgling sound as he choked on his own blood. Jatsu quickly formed hand seals before blowing flames to the man's body, the smell of burning flesh now filling their noses. Jatsu moved back to stand and looked at Umi. "If he was correct, that means the last one is hidding out in the Mist Village... that also means my Father will be trying to follow our trail... we will have to finish quickly if we are to avoid Sora."

Kazue had turned in the middle of the fight and buried her face in Nikito's chest. She had numerous occasions where she had to kill her enemy, but she would have never imagined someone so cold to kill so slowly and painfully. The calmness of Umi was sickening to Kazue. The way Jatsu had assumingly played along made Kazue writher with disgustment. Her sister had changed dramatically over the last fifteen years.

Nikito had watched the fight, the blood and gore not an issue to him. He held Kazue close as he watched and tried to listen to Jatsu, Umi and the male. When the fight ended Nikito smiled. "You can go to her now.."

Kazue sighed. "If I can stomach it.." She mumbled into his chest. "I'm a pathetic shinobi." She muttered.

Nikito shook his head. "They aren't killing in the shinobi way... theres nothing wrong with it if you cannot handle it."

Kazue pulled away and shook her head. "They seem so natural with it..." She mumbled and turned around to jump up on the roof.

"I'm here..." Kazue smiled.

Before Jatsu could say anything, Umi stepped infront of her and looked at Kazue with her bright red eyes. "If you wish to speak with Jatsu, you must follow. Authorities are on their way and we're not going to be caught for disruptancy in their village." Umi stated and nodded to Jatsu before taking off.

Jatsu gave Kazue a soft smile. "Get your boyfriend and follow." She whispered before running off after Umi.

Kazue's mouth gapped and she turned to look at Nikito with an apologetical smile. She shrugged and took after Jatsu, Nikito following close behind.