Hello everyone! I seemed like you all enjoyed the last chapter and I hope you enjoy the new installment! Thank you xNotUnderstood, yyh-ygo-fma, jennku, and Aniwolfgirl for reviewing! Remember, all you readers out there, I love reviews; so, please review! Now, on with the chapter!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters; just those of my own creation.

Chapter 11

Birds chirped and sang softly outside of the window through which light was shining through and directly onto Ayumi's closed eyes. She stirred slightly and began to realize that the mattress she was lying on was softer than her's and Kakashi's back in Konoha and, also because of the softness, she knew she also wasn't in the hospital since their beds were extremely firm. She shifted slightly and realized she was lying on her back with her arms at her sides and she felt bandages on her body. This helped her realize that the events of late were real and not a dream. Finally, she opened her eyes and did not recognize her surroundings. The walls were a pale green with gold painted trim on the walls. The bed was fairly large, but small in comparison to the massive room she was in. The cream colored silk sheets rustled slightly as she began sitting up. However, she paused as the doors directly across from the bed opened.

"Ayumi-sensei! You're awake!" Hiroshi shouted before running over to the bed and flopping down on the bed next to her on his stomach.

She laughed before wincing as a maid helped her sit up fully and fluffed pillows behind her, "Please, I don't need all of this treatment."

"Oh, but we're happy to do this for the kunoichi that rid our lands of that menace," Atsui replied from the entrance of the room.

Ayumi smiled at him as he strode over to her beside, "I was just doing my duty as a good shinobi, but now I am in your debt."

The man laughed, "No; we are still in yours."

She smiled, "If you say so. If you don't mind me asking, what time is it? And what day?"

Atsui laughed softly, "It is seven a.m. of your tomorrow."

"So," Ayumi began, "Hiroshi and I left yesterday? Then I had to be brought back here?"

The man nodded while Hiroshi replied, "It's the only thing I could think of, Ayumi-sensei. I knew I couldn't get you back to the village by myself. I'm sorry."

She smiled at her student, "It's okay, Hiroshi. You did very good."

The boy smiled sheepishly before turning his head as a person from the entrance to the room exclaimed:

"There is our savior!"

Ayumi inwardly groaned as the daimyo approached her bed before bowing deeply to her.

"I apologize greatly, Ayumi-sama, for the things I said to you during our first encounter. While I believed what you said in part afterwards, I know fully believe you and understand even more. You are a great shinobi," the daimyo stated.

She sighed, "Rise, Yangu-san. I do not deserve such praise. Goumon belittled things that I hold dear… and he bestowed the scars I bear upon me years ago… It was a pleasure to do you this service."

The daimyo nodded, "How do you feel, Ayumi-sama?"

'Seems we're sticking with "sama" then,' she thought to herself before replying, "Sore, but well. If you don't mind, I'd like something to eat before departing. I'm sure Tsunade-sama is worried."

Yangu nodded, "It won't be a trouble at all. Atsui, see to it that she is well tended."

Once the daimyo left the room, Atsui looked at Ayumi, "Your clothes were destroyed and stained, do you have others?"

She nodded, "Yes, in a scroll. Thank you."

The man nodded and left to bring her some food. Silence filled the room before Hiroshi finally asked:

"How did you do it, Ayumi-sensei?"

She looked at her student, drawing her attention from the room's décor, "Hmm?"

He sighed, "How did you kill those men and remain unaffected?"

Ayumi sighed, realizing that Hiroshi made his first kill, before replying, "Well, as my sensei told me, it's because you get used to it. However, I don't like that, because it makes me feel like that eventually, I'll lose my humanity."

"So, how do you do it?" He asked again.

"You have to find ways to justify it. To justify it, you must find things to protect," she replied, "You heard mine during the fight. Above all, I fight to protect Konoha, like any shinobi should. Second, I fight to protect the people close to me, like you, Kakashi, Iruka, etc. Finally, I fight to protect myself. It is last, because other things should take precedence over your own well-being, but it doesn't mean you should be reckless."

"And how do you get the image of that person dying out of your dreams?" He looked up at her, sadness in his once bright eyes.

She sighed and placed her hand a top his, "That, is truly something you get used to. It will go away eventually, Hiroshi."

He smiled softly at her before asking, "Did you mean what you said earlier? About his worst mistake being his threats towards me?"

Ayumi nodded, "I did, Hiroshi. I know Kakashi can handle himself in even the worst of battles, but I still feel protective of him. You, on the other hand, you still need time to learn how to fully protect yourself. So when he threatened you, someone who couldn't stand up to him… well, it would be like him taking candy from a baby. And there's another reason, Hiroshi…"

The boy blinked, "What?"

She took a deep breath, "You see. I had older brother who was an earth affinity, much like your sister to you. He was the world to me when our parents died. When he died, it was devastating…. I took you own as a student for three reasons: one, your story is so much like mine… two, you're an earth affinity, like me… and three, you look so much like him, it's scary. You're like my Otouto now."

Suddenly, Hiroshi threw his arms around her and hugged her tightly, "Ayumi-sensei. You're my Oneesan now."

The kunoichi blinked before hugging him back, "I'll always protect you, you know. No matter how strong you get and when you finally surpass me."

Hiroshi released and smiled at her before getting up as her food was brought to her. He left her alone so she could eat, dress, and write a quick report. He waited outside with Atsui and kept smiling to himself, knowing that as long as Ayumi was his sensei, he would be safe and have nothing to fear. He also knew, that he would always have a family.

Finally, after a long delay, Ayumi and Hiroshi got to leave Ishigakure. Of course, as they approached the gates, many townspeople tried to give her gifts to show their thanks for getting rid of the gang, but she politely declined. This seemed to raise her to a new level in their minds for she was showing how humble she could be.

Ayumi shook her head lightly at the memory of their leaving before looking at Hiroshi as they leapt from tree to tree, increasing her pace slightly, "If you can keep up with me, we can be back in Konoha by sunset."

Hiroshi smiled, "You're on, oneesan."

She smiled, "Remember, I'm sensei when we're around others in the village. And while heading home, let me explain to you how to properly complete a mission report."

Hiroshi groaned, not expecting to have to learn along the way.

As Ayumi estimated, they returned to Konoha by sunset. When they walked through the gate, the guards grew worried by her appearance before she waved them away. Hiroshi, very tired from the pace they kept, asked to go home for the night and Ayumi allowed him too.

She shook her head lovingly at him as he headed off to his apartment. Once he was out of sight, Ayumi headed to Tsunade's office quickly, wanting to get home and change her bandages. She thought she might even go to the hospital for a healing treatment.

However, soft voices reached her ears as she arrived outside of Tsunade's office door. She knocked and, after the voices were silenced, Ayumi was granted permission to enter.

Before her stood Kakashi and Naruto, both wearing sad expressions and a sad-looking Tsunade as well.

"Ahh, Ayumi. Welcome back," Tsunade stated before adding, "Run into some trouble?"

Ayumi entered the office and nodded, "Yes. It's in the report."

She placed the report scroll on the desk and then placed the treaty scroll beside it. Ayumi looked at her lover then Naruto before asking:

"Was the mission unsuccessful?"

Kakashi nodded, "Yes and Itachi Uchiha is dead."

"I'm sorry," Ayumi replied before adding, "but I sense that that's not why everyone is so sad."

Naruto inhaled sharply, "Tsuande-obaasan sent Jiraiya-sama on a mission… a mission that got him killed."

The lavender haired kunoichi gasped and looked at Tsunade who nodded. She looked back at Naruto, stating:

"Naruto, I'm-"

"Sorry. I know," he stated, cutting her off harshly, "That's all I've been hearing. I just… how could you do it, Tsunade-obaasan?"

The Hokage sighed, "Jiraiya wanted to go."

"That's no excuse!" Naruto shouted, "I know Jiraiya-sama wouldn't have sent you if the roles had been reversed!"

Naruto stormed out of the Hokage's office, leaving Kakashi and Ayumi in shock about his outburst.

Ayumi turned to Tsunade, "He's just upset."

The woman nodded, "I know… but I still feel responsible. His death at the hands of Pein...I feel like his blood his on my hands..."

Ayumi nodded and winced, gripping at her stomach as she did so.

Tsunade and Kakashi noticed this before the latter exclaimed, "Ayumi, you're bleeding!"

She looked down and realized she had opened the wound and had begun to lightly bleed through her vest. Kakashi quickly helped her to a nearby chair before removing her jacket and shirt. Tsunade knelt before her and removed the bandages, gasping:

"Dear Kami… a lightning burn… What happened, Ayumi?"

As Tsunade began healing her, Ayumi recounted the events that occurred when her and Hiroshi tried to leave Ishi the first time and ended her tale with them returning. She looked up at Kakashi and asked:

"I explained the reasons for killing well enough, right?"

Kakashi smiled beneath his mask and nodded, "Yes, you did."

She smiled back and after several moments of healing, Tsunade was finished. The Hokage asked about her other injuries and Ayumi told her they were minor scraps or bruises and that she would be just fine. The kunoichi thanked Tsunade before her and Kakashi quickly left her office to head home for the silver haired ninja understood just how badly she needed to rest and needed to be comforted for any lingering convictions she felt about the mission.