Book Two: Nozomi's Purpose- Chunin Exams: Sighs And Snowdrops!

Yugito's POV

We all emerged from the bushes slowly, with their Tails at their heels. Gaara looked like he always did kinda emo, Naruto looked annoyed, Fu looked disappointed, all of their Tails looked relieved.

But Nozomi looked scared, haunted... And Sumi looked guilty. Maybe they were right not to tell us... "Any luck kids?"

"Nope." "Zip, nada" "None what so ever." Nozomi didn't answer, she just took one look at us and took off running into the undergrowth.

"Nozomi!" Sumi called desperately as she started to go after her.

"Wait." I said, they all turned to look at me. "Let me go after her." I raced after Nozomi before anyone could say anything or object.

The entire time the only part of Nozomi that I could see was the tip of her braid. I lost her eventually, although I kept running after her. When I finally caught up to her she had collapsed.

"Nozomi!" I ran toward her as she lay on the ground.

As I approached I saw she was shaking from how hard she was crying. "Nozomi..." I said pulling her close to me.

"I'm scared..." Nozomi sobbed into me.

"It's alright. Whatever it is, it's alright." I held her tightly, Nozomi always seemed so strong, but everyone has their breaking point I guess. "I won't let anything ever happed to."

"I-I'm not scared for me!" She wailed. "I-" her sobs cut her off.

Nozomi... I just held her as she sobbed, I noticed I was crying too. Have I gotten this attached to these kids? I looked at Nozomi, I've never seen her this broken. "Nozomi..."

"Th-the Akatsuki..." She trailed off as she whipped her tears away.

I stiffened. "The Akatsuki?"

Nozomi nodded. "They- They're after..."

"It's alright, you can tell me." I said stroking her hair.

"They're after the Tails!" she howled.

"W-what?" I whispered.

"Y-yes! They want to take them away from us and use them!"

No... Aoko... "I won't let them take them away from us." I said. "I promise. Okay?"

Nozomi nodded.

Nozomi's POV

I awoke the next morning early, I didn't want to see any of the others, how could I tell them that the Akatsuki...

I crawled out of bed making sure I didn't wake Sumi. I dressed quietly and slipped out of my room, walking quieter down the hall. Everyone was still asleep, as it was barely sunrise.

I walked over to the junk drawer in the kitchen and pulled out two incense sticks. I smelt them. Snowdrop... I grabbed the incense holder out of the cabinet, sticking both the incense and the holder in my light purple hip pouch.

I walked through town as if in a trance, the Yamanaka Clan's flower shop snapped me out of it. It had just opened as I looked at the window.

Ino was sweeping the floor, she paused to wave at me. I walked in for what reason I don't know.

"Moring, Nozomi." Ino said leaning on her broom.

"Morning, Ino." I said glancing around. They had them.

Ino followed my eyes to the Snowdrops. "How many?"

"Eleven."

"Eleven? Why not just the full dozen? It's cheaper that way."

I raised an eyebrow. She should know by now not to question my actions and motives. Ino glanced at my hip pouch, seeing the incense sticking out of the top as she went to go get the Snowdrops.

I waved good bye to Ino as I left with the Snowdrops in hand. I walked to the Memorial Stone in silence. When I got there a pale skinned boy stood at the Memorial Stone, he just stared at it, his face emotionless. I nodded to him as I knelt in front of it.

I pulled out the incense and the holder. I lit them with a lighter I had taken along, the sweet scent of Snowdrops filled the air. I lay the eleven Snowdrops in a circle around the incense holder.

"You like Snowdrops, don't you?" the boy asked.

I looked up at the black haired boy. "Yes, as did my mother, Minako."

"Is that who you're visiting?"

"Yes and my father, Hiroshi as well." I paused to inhale the sweet scent. "Who are you visiting?"

"My parents and brother." he said blinking his black eyes.

"I'm sorry." I said.

"Why eleven?"

"It's my lucky number. It was my mom's too..." A thought struck me. "What's your name?"

"I-I don't have one..." he stuttered.

I sighed. This boy is weird. "Well I'm Nozomi." I said standing up and holding out my hand.

He shook it.

"You're still not going to tell me your name are you?" I asked.

"I don't have one." he said.

I sighed, then something clicked. "I'll just call you Sai then."

"Sai?"

"Because all you've made me do is sigh." I said simply.

"Sai..." He said as if he was testing it out, he smiled. It was the first real sign of emotion he had shown in the last ten minutes, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. He glanced at his watch. "Bye... Ummm... Sabishii Hana ." he left before I could say anything else.

"Lonely Flower?" I shook my head as I knelt down in front of the still burning incense.

"Dad... Mom... What am I supposed to do? I'm not brave or strong like you were." I started shaking. "You were so brave to seal Sumi away in me, to give your life like that... I don't think I can do this anymore." I felt a tear drop into one of the unoccupied incense holes. I looked down at my reflection in the small hole that was now filled with a single tear. I felt myself being pulled away.

I didn't know where I was, although it was vaguely familiar.

"Nozomi." Where have I heard that voice before?

I turned. I was in shock. Mother...

Sure enough she stood there, her white hair and dress blowing in the gentle breeze. She walked up to me.

"Mother..." I said as she knelt down to look me in the eye.

"Nozomi, god you've grown up." a tear leaked from her eye, she wiped it away. "You look..." she pulled me into an embrace that I eagerly returned.

"I didn't think I'd see my girls like this until Nozomi was much, much older." My mother and I broke our embrace, my father stood behind us.

He had wavy, light brown hair and dark brown eyes. My mother stood up and took my hand to lead me over to my father. It felt so good to be held by them, I only had the vaguest memory of being held as an infant.

"Nozomi, you are every bit you mother's girl." my father, Hiroshi said.

"You shouldn't doubt yourself like you do." my mother, Minako said.

"I'm just not brave, or strong or anything like you guys!" I said.

They laughed and shook their heads. I felt myself being pulled away from them. "Mom! Dad!"

They both just smiled and waved as I was being pulled away from them.

The next thing I knew I was back at the Memorial Stone. I stared at my reflection in the small hole, the water was gone as it had been absorbed by the wood. I hugged my arms as the scent of Snowdrops, faded. The incense were burning out. I looked at the sky, it was a pale golden color.

The sunrise was blue and gray... I still don't know what to do but... "I can't give up..." I stood up. "I have to have hope."