It was getting light and they were almost at the meeting spot. Mai was getting worried, she wasn't too sure how these Leaf ninja will be. She has to ignore it and go with the mission. She owes it to Gaara, Temari and Kankurō.
"Almost there." Temari said.
"Look like we were running late." Kankurō said, seeing Yamato, Sakura, Sai, Naruto, Kakashi, Shikamaru, Ino and Chōji. They land in front of them.
"You're late." Shikamaru said.
"Sorry, left later than we liked." Temari admits.
"Who's the new girl?" Naruto asks and Mai looks away.
"This is Mai." Temari introduces and Mai looks over. Naruto smiles as he walks up to her, putting his hand out.
"Well it's nice to meet you, I'm Naruto Uzumaki." Naruto introduces.
"Naruto, get away from her." Yamato said and Mai looks at him shock. She knows that voice, that voice form three years ago. Mai walks back and Naruto looks back confused.
"Yamato, what is it?" Kakashi asks worried.
"It has been three years but that girl was with four Mist shinobi." Yamato explains and Naruto looks at Mai who grabs a Katana, not pulling it out, and stares at Yamato.
"Whoa, wait a second." Temari tells them, standing in front of Mai who sighs as she lets her arm drop.
"Next time, we are leaving you with Gaara." Kankurō said.
"I did warn you." Mai whispers.
"Look it is a long story but Mai is with us." Temari tells them.
"You tell them, we'll head to the river." Kankurō said and Temari nods. Kankurō and Mai walks off.
"I'm sorry about this." Mai whispers.
"Don't worry." Kankurō said as they came to the river. Mai kneels down by the water and wash her face while Kankurō sits next to her. "So Yamato killed you friends." Kankurō said.
"He killed Naoko. I didn't see his face then because he had a mask, but that voice. I know that voice." Mai replies. "He has wood style." Mai adds.
"He does." Kankurō said and Mai sighs.
"I can't work with that man. I thought I could, but… the fact her killed Naoko. I can never forgive that man." Mai explains and Kankurō sighs, see Naruto.
"Why?" Kankurō asks.
"Because he was meant to kill me." Mai replies, placing her hands on her chest. Naruto looks at Mai shock. "Naoko… he jumped in front of me when the wood went through him. His last words to me was he loved me and I needed to run." Mai explains and Kankurō sighs.
"I'm sorry." Naruto said. Mai quickly stands up and looks back Kankurō sighs as he stands up.
"I was 13 years old." Mai tells him, placing her hand over his headband. "You Leaf have taken everything from me." Mai tells Naruto as the others walked over and Mai sighs. "I can never forgive any of you." Mai admits and Naruto sighs.
"Naruto, a word." Kakashi said and Naruto nods, then the pair walks off. Temari walks over and sighs.
"Mai, I need you to stay here while Kankurō and I talk to Yamato and Kakashi." Temari whispers and Mai looks at her shock.
"Are you sure?" Mai asks softly.
"Don't worry, you'll be fine. Just stay quiet if you want to." Temari whispers and Mai nods. Kakashi and Naruto walks back. Then Temari, Kankurō, Kakashi and Yamato walks off. Mai sits by the river and sighs, staring into the water. Naruto walks to the left side of Mai and sits down.
"What do you mean the Leaf took everything from you?" Naruto asks and Mai sighs, looking back at the others.
"Can you tell us?" Sakura asks. Mai sighs as she turns around and Naruto sits next to her.
"I was born in the Land of Fire, not far from here. I recognise this river. When I was seven years old my village was attacked by shinobi from your village." Mai explains and they look at her shock.
"What happened?" Naruto asks.
"I have a small hidden room under the flooring in my room. I was playing with my mother and the new stuff cat she got me. My father yelled out and told my mother to hide me. I was picked up and put in the room. I didn't know what happened. After a while I heard my parents shout, my mother scream and I could hear more screams from outside. I climbed out to see my mother's body in the walkway. That was my first accounted with death." Mai explains.
"Oh no." Sakura whispers.
"I headed out and soon found my father's body. I ran out for help, but ran into a man. I looked up and I saw the Leaf headband and a bloody kunai." Mai tells them. "I ran, they caught up and tried to kill, but I managed to get away and used the river to escape. I was seven years old, there were a lot of other children younger than me and I saw their bodies." Mai tells them.
"That's so sad." Ino said.
"That never should have happened." Naruto said and Sakura sighs.
"And with Caption Yamato?" Sakura asks.
"When I was ten, I met four Mist shinobi Goku, Naoko, Ryu and Yukio. They took me in and we travelled. They were over war and death so they agree to just travel the world. That's it. Then the Anbu from your village attacked us. I recognises his voice and he has an odd style, a wood style. I didn't know what to do. I was 13 at the time and I panicked. This Yamato goes to attack me and I tripped back. Naoko jumped in front of me and was killed instead. He dropped his Katanas which is why I have them. As you know Naruto, his last words to me was he loved me and to run so I ran." Mai explains.
"I see, I understand why you can't forgive us." Naruto said.
"Wait, you said you were seven when your village was attack but you didn't meet the Mist shinobi till you were ten, what happened between there?" Ino asks.
"Good question, what did happen?" Shikamaru asks and Mai sighs.
"I lived with an early lady named Chikako. She lived in a small hut near our village and she was a Medical shinobi. She saved my life. She taught me Medical Ninjutsu till I was ten. She died of natural causes. Once she died, I left, not being able to stay in that place anymore." Mai explains.
"So you're a medical ninja as well then." Sakura said and Mai nods.
"Yeah." Mai whispers.
"How did you end up in the Sand?" Shikamaru asks.
"The eight Mist shinobi that we are after is why." Mai replies. "They are trying to kill me. According to Mafuya, who is the leader of the group, I know too many secretes and techniques that belong to their village. That I cannot be allow to live. I… I tried to take all eight of them and came out second best. The Sand was the closest so I manage to lose them and headed that way for help, but fell unconscious by the borders. Temari and Kankurō found me." Mai explains. "I owe them a lot so coming on this mission is a way to repay them." Mai admits.
"Are you staying in the Sand or will you leave?" Naruto asks.
"I don't know yet. I mean, Gaara has offered me sanctuary, which was sweet of him since I am a stranger and not from the same village, I just don't know if I will stay or not." Mai replies and Naruto smiles.
"That Gaara." Naruto said and Mai sighs.
"So you know Mafuya, Yuuya, Rui, Kei, Yoshiki, Sakutaro, Choushiro and Tsukasa then." Shikamaru said and Mai nods. "What can you tell us about them?" Shikamaru asks and Mai sighs.
"They are all great shinobi, well trained and know no mercy. They are from the time when the Hidden Mist village was known as Bloody Mist. Mafuya, Yuuya and Sakutaro all have Lava style." Mai explains.
"All three of them." Shikamaru said shock and Mai nods.
"Yeah." Mai whispers. "Another reason I was sent on this mission was because I know them as well as I do." Mai tells them.
"This is going to be tricky." Shikamaru said.
"So what do we do Shikamaru?" Chōji asks.
"I don't know yet." Shikamaru replies. Then Kakashi, Yamato, Kankurō and Temari walks back.
"We have to move." Kakashi said and everyone got up. Kankurō and Temari walks over to Mai.
"We'll catch up." Temari said.
"Got it." Kakashi and heads off with the others.
"Is everything here okay?" Kankurō asks.
"I told them the truth about my past." Mai replies.
"See, that's a good sign." Temari said and Mai smiles. "Just stay away from Yamato." Temari tells her and Mai nods.
"Come on." Kankurō said and they head off. They caught up and Mai sighs.
"We are heading to the latest attack." Yamato tells them.
"Got it." Temari said. Mai falls back and Naruto drops back as well.
"So Mai, what were your parents like?" Naruto asks.
"I remember my father being stick but caring and my mother always playing with me but…" Mai said and sighs.
"But what?" Naruto asks.
"I can't remember their faces. It's blurry." Mai admits and Naruto sighs. "I remember playing with the other children in my village." Mai adds smiling.
"When we get a chance and if you want to, do you want to go back?" Naruto asks and Mai looks at Naruto shock. Go back, she hasn't been there in nine years. "I mean, your stuff should be untouched so maybe you have a family photo you could grab." Naruto explains and Mai sighs.
"I remember a large one in the hallway as you enter the house, hanging on the wall." Mai admits.
"That's a yes then." Naruto said smiling and Mai smiles. They came to the village that was attacked to see people walking around. There were a lot of wounded and Mai sighs.
"Mai, Ino, we need to tend the wounded." Sakura tells them.
"Right." Ino said.
"Of course." Mai said and the trio runs off. Mai quickly takes the Mist headband off, shoving it in her bag and sighs. 'Sorry Naoko, this will only cause more problems which we don't need at the moment.' Mai thought as the came to the area with the wounded.
"Okay, we have a lot of work." Sakura said and Mai sighs as the trio got to work. There were a lot of wounded.
"Help!" a woman voice shouts and Mai walks over, she had to children at her ankles and a man that was seriously wounded.
"Father!" a child shouts with tears. There was a boy that looked around ten and girl that was a few years younger.
"Are you a medical ninja?" the woman asks and Mai nods as she kneels by the wounded man and started healing right away.
'This doesn't look good but I can save him.' Mai though, scanning the man's wounds. There were burn marks. It was going to be a long day. Temari runs over and Mai looks over.
"How bad?" Temari asks.
"It's not like them to leave people alive. This is a warning." Mai tells her and Temari sighs.
"I fear you would say that." Temari said. "Help everyone you can, I have something to do." Temari tells her and runs off.
"Got it." Mai whispers and the little girl walks next to her father. Mai looks at her, then at the man.
"Father." the girl cries and Mai sighs.
'You will pay Mafuya.' Mai though.
~XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX~
Gaara was heading to Mai's apartment to check something out. He came to the door to hear someone in the place. Gaara uses his sand, slowly sending it under the door and sighs as he uses the Eye of Sand. He closes one eye with two fingers over it to see Anbu in Mai's apartment. Gaara sighs.
'Does Mia know this?' Gaara asks himself. He opens his eye and unlocks the door with the spear key Mai gave him. She believe he needed it though he doesn't know why. When he walks in, the place was empty. 'This cannot go unanswered. I need to find out why there was Anbu here plus, I have to talk to Mai when she gets back.' Gaara thought walking out, locking the door and heads off.