20
"Fuyami!? Wake up!" A voice said, as I felt my body being shaken.
Slowly my eyes began to open as the blurred surroundings began to take form. Kakashi had been leaning over me; I assume trying to wake me.
"What is it?"
"You were screaming. I assume it was a nightmare."
"Most likely, I'm sorry I didn't mean to wake you."
"Don't worry about it, I was awake anyway."
"You were awake?"
"You aren't the only one who doesn't sleep well." He chuckled.
"Well, do you think you'll be able to fall asleep any time soon?"
"I'd prefer not to."
"Would you like to research some more then?"
"Sure, why not?"
We began to read through more files again, anxiously hoping for more answers. The more information I read on the previous family, the more antagonizing the images through my head became. For some reason, this family seemed vaguely familiar, as if it were my own. I began to feel as if the family was mine, for everything seemed to fit and oddly enough I felt a connection. Something still seemed missing thought, considering the brother had disappeared. I shivered uncomfortably as I tried to remember but I couldn't put the pieces together. Hours passed as I soaked in the newly found information until my eyes grew heavy and began to ache. 8 a.m. had been just around the corner and I still drew a blank as I tried to repair my memory, and Kakashi could tell I began to grow irritated as I felt I was getting nowhere.
"How about we take a break and eat some breakfast? You're sister seems to be just about finished cooking, and it would be offensive if we didn't partake in it."
"I suppose. I'm not hungry through." I pouted at him.
"Well too bad, because as long as I'm around you're going to eat. I'm not fond of malnourishment, and emaciated women aren't exactly appealing now aren't they?" He chuckled.
I found myself laughing at his humor; he always did find odd ways to cheer me up. So I listened to him and followed him into the kitchen to eat. Oddly enough I was hungrier than I made myself out to be, and I found myself devouring the fried rice my sister had cooked up, as well as some toast. We all gorged ourselves until it dawned on me. Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, my sister, Kakashi and I were all here. So where was Yamato? I began to open my mouth until I heard what sounded like a knock on the door.
"I'll get it!" My sister jumped up and sprinted towards the door.
"Anyone know where Yamato is?" I asked.
"Probably researching or something; he always was a loner."
"Alrighty." I replied, feeling a tad uneasy.
"So do we have a plan or something?" Naruto asked.
"Just research."
"What is this mission anyway?" Sakura asked.
I suppose I should tell them the truth. I told myself we had been through enough together that they deserved an answer. I sighed as I thought of where I'd even begin.
"It's to find out about our past; Akiko's and mine. We aren't sure who we are; let alone whom our family is. We only remember waking up at the leaf village when we had been young. The only information we have is that this is our hometown, otherwise we know nothing. Make sense?"
Sasuke and Naruto looked down, sulking as if they knew our pain of being alone.
"Fair enough, do you have any leads?"
"A few, however it seems someone doesn't want us to find out. I feel that these attacks aren't random."
"I feel the same-" Sasuke was then cut off by my sister screaming.
We all ran to her only to find her covered in blood and Yamato on the floor, bleeding out and pale.
"Yamato! What happened!?"
He coughed up blood, holding a gaping wound on his cut. It looked like he had been tortured and had crawled here after being set free.
"Went to the head of the village-" he coughed more and more unable to finished.
"Don't speak any more; let me try to help." My sister said scanning his body. "Help me take him to a bed."
We then shifted him over towards a bed as my sister bandaged him up, but that was all she did. I went to her and quietly interrogated her as to why she wasn't doing more.
"Why aren't you helping him more?" I asked demandingly.
All she did was look grimly at me, and I could see the loss of hope that had flooded her eyes. It was then I knew that there was indeed nothing we could do.
"H-he um," She began to speak, choking on her own words.
"D-don't worry Akiko, its fine. I know." Yamato managed to say.
"What do you mean its fine?!" Sakura asked.
"It means that there's nothing she can do. He's lost too much blood, and the wounds are too deep. Even if we did stitch him up, there's internal bleeding, for they penetrated his stomach and probably his liver. By the time we got him to the medical ninja of this town, he'd have bled out, and not to mention this town isn't exactly high quality." Kakashi said coldly, obviously not dealing with the situation well.
"It's alright girls, Kakashi, all of you. I'm fine, I'm okay with death."
"I'm not." My sister said, sobbing onto his shoulder.
"Akiko, Fuyami, it's okay. I've taken care of both of you your whole lives. You've grown to be fine ninja, and I cherish every second I've spent with you. I know this is hard, unfair, and that you want to give up, however you won't give up because I've raised you to be strong. I love you both so much, as family and as a team."
"I love you too…." My sister said, as I stood there unable to move let alone breathe. "Say something Fuyami!"
I couldn't, I could only stand there breathless. Time began to blur as I couldn't comprehend everything. My heart slammed into my chest however everything only felt numb. My body only felt limp as I lost myself.
"Fuyami!"
"It's alright Akiko, she's just scared. Fuyami knows that I love her very much, and it's a bit too hard on her. She will make it through this, because as Anbu were trained to toss our emotions aside. Just give her a minute to take this in. Kakashi, come here a second."
Yamato handed him papers, and whispered to him secretively. I couldn't make out what it was, however it was then I noticed that everything grew silent. I couldn't here, I couldn't think, I couldn't feel. It was all blank as I watched everything happened at once. It was then, when my sister cried out screaming that it everything slammed back into reality. My sister sobbed as I watched Yamato's body turn pale and lifeless. He was now passed, and would never return to us.
My cheeks grew warm as I felt them dampen, causing my hands to touch my face. I looked down at my hands to find they were wet, and that I had cried. I wasn't used to crying, and all I could do in reaction was drop to my knees in defeat. Yamato had been a brother to me as far back as I could remember, and I wasn't ready to lose him. Unfortunately I had to be ready, for I had no choice. It wasn't fair, but there was nothing that could be done. I then grew angry, and snapped back to my senses. Whomever did this would pay, and I was going to make sure of that.
"Kakashi."
"Hm." He replied, barely there.
"What did Yamato give you?"
He stared at me for a second, and then understood what had to be done. Sasuke, Kakashi and I went to the other room, allowing the others to cope.
"He gave me information regarding your family. It seems you were right about the Hotarus being your family. He went to the head of the village asking for answers, however it seems they've caught on to us and don't like questions. He was tortured and left to die, but had enough life to make it here."
"I see." I said grimly.
"I think it's time we pay him a visit."
"Agreed."
"When do we leave?" Sasuke asked.
"Now, considering they'll be expecting and or looking for us."
"We need to send the other three back to the Leaf with Yamato's body."
"Alright. We should keep Naruto around in case."
"Are you sure that's smart?"
"We have no choice, Akiko's strong. She and Sakura can handle it."
We then sent Sakura and Akiko back towards the leaf with the body. They used substitute jutsu to mask themselves, and managed to get out of the village alright. We could only hope that they would make it back to the Raikage to rely the information to him.
Kakashi, Sasuke and I then prepared for the mission ahead of us. We were planning to visit the head of the village so that we could not only get information from him, but so that I could get revenge. I knew that Kakashi wouldn't agree with my decision, but I didn't have the energy to care. I wanted him to suffer, and I wanted him dead.
Once we were prepared we head out towards the main building, and lowered our chakra levels so that we could avoid being sensed. I was shaking eagerly awaiting to finish this once and for all. I wanted my answers, and I wanted him dead. We snuck in through an open window towards the back, and then quietly crept around the top floor searching for his room, or information regarding his location. We eventually ended up stumbling upon a conversation between two people in what seemed to be a break room for tea. There were only two men that seemed a bit young, probably my age, and they were definitely not ninja. They were probably just administration, considering their skinny statures. As one of them left I saw an open opportunity and took it, and Kakashi had the same thing in mind. He grabbed the man and pinned him to the wall while holding a kunai toward his neck.
"Where's the boss?" He said angrily.
"P-please, I have a family. Don't hurt me."
"Then answer my question."
"H-he's in room 302. I swear!" I looked as his legs were shaking. He had probably never seen a battle in his life.
"Fair enough." He said dropping him towards the ground. The man began crying as we disappeared into the other room.
We rushed quietly towards the room we had been directed to, only to find the room had been vacant.
"I knew he was lying." Sasuke said pissed off.
"We should have kept him tied up."
"We aren't thinking rationally, this was a bad idea." Kakashi said.
All of a sudden the room began to flood with a gas, and the door locked behind us.
"Damnit! They were prepared for us!"
"How could we be so stupid?"
"Shut up you two, thi-think of a way t-to-" I turned around to see Kakashi fall to his knees unconscious.
"Kakashi!" I screamed, only to find myself collapsing with Sasuke.
Everything then turned black, as I drifted off to sleep.