Mameha Katsuna, the name that would be forever burned through the back of her head and will be forever placed on this stone. That was who she was, but to her, she will always be remembered as...

"Nanna..."

The wind gently blew the hair from her face in almost a comfort, as if Nanna herself was there watching her from a spiritual plane, lightly touching the small stream of water from her cheeks. Unable to accept looking at the name any longer, she found solace in the flowers nestled in the purple vase on the ground in front of it. White Orchids, her favorite. Although impossible to keep alive in a place like this, it was only appropriate for her final resting place to have one thing that represents her in memory. Her fingers curled into tight fists as more drops fell into the thirsty sand covered ground.

'Why did you have to leave too? You left me here alone. What am I going to do now that you're gone?' she thought. In repressed silence, she held a tissue to her face, attempting to calm her unsteady heart. In times as hard as this, it was difficult to control her breathing.

She remembered her precious Nanna. It was a day like any other, with her smiling face greeting Yue as she walked into the kitchen of their two bedroom apartment. It was just like every morning, with Jasmine tea and sugar cookies on the table, as she always made. Those mornings were the routine that above all else gave her the feeling of being truly at home. Through all her life, Nanna was like a mother to her, guiding her into the young woman she is today, and now, after a few years of struggling, her aging body took its final stand against the illness and she passed peacefully in her sleep.

With the tissue, she wiped her excess tears and uttered a short prayer. "I will see you again, Nanna. Be at peace."

Yue turned away from Mameha's grave and motioned towards the stone to her left. Reo Akimitsu, it read, the name itself stained bitterly on the back of her tongue. Looking down at him made the weight on her shoulders all the more apparent.

"Reo... I'm sorry..." she whispered, looking down at the freshly placed flower among the bouquet of dried brown crinkly ones.

The bright sun, that she was usually used to, burned brighter that day, making the heat uncomfortably intolerable. Maybe it was the black dress she wore, or maybe it was bad karma reminding her of what she deserved. Whatever way she looked at it, she knew the signs that she had been there long enough. Yue wrapped the shawl across her shoulders and proceeded towards the gates of the village. She kept her head down, dragging her feet against the dusty ground as she walked. It wasn't hard for her to come to the graveyard, no, the hardest part was facing the fact that the house will be empty when she got there.

'First Reo... then Nanna...'

A waterfall of memories poured into her mind with crystal clear imagery. Nanna was in the tea shop getting on Reo for putting too much sugar in the pot, to which Reo would rub the back of his neck and apologize. Right after, he would look to her with those same gorgeous hazel eyes, the eyes that undoubtedly gleamed just for her. It was the norm of Reo to become easily distracted whenever Yue entered the kitchen. Mameha, however, did not appreciate his mishaps, but seeing how happy Yue acted around him, she decided to continue Reo's employment. Both of them were the greatest treasures she could ever hope to have in this pitiful life she lived.

It had been three years for Reo, but only a week for Nanna's absence to overall take its toll on her. It didn't take long before that warm image of Reo became dark. As much as she tried to put it off, his image would end up splattered with blood. This was one of the many times those happy memories would end up like that. It would always end up breaking her heart all over again. As much as she tried to push it out of her mind, Reo's hazel eyes turning a dark lifeless grey never left. There was nothing she could do. The darkness would always find its way back into her fragile brain and it would stay there for a while. When Nanna was alive, she could always tell when she would become upset, and then she would embrace her until her emotions ran dry. Now, she was gone and Yue was on her own to face her demons alone.

Step by step, she walked across the dusty road. She attempted to move away from her wallowing pity to focus on something in reality, something physical. She breathed in and out... in and out... focusing on that was the only way she could ever achieve some kind of piece of mind. Today, it was proving to be rather difficult.

'The pain will subside and soon you will feel nothing at all...' she thought to herself.

THUD! Or so, she thought nothing...

Grasping her face, she looked up to whom she had bumped into when her icy blue eyes were instantly linked to a pair of soft aquatic blue pupils wrapped in dark, nearly black rings. His face though attractive showed a slight annoyance. Taking notice of the uniform, her eyes widened as she immediately bowed to him.

"My apologies, sir..."

He was drawn to her eyes as they were red and bleeding with tears. His expression softened as he nodded.

"Excuse me."

Without waiting for his acknowledgement, she moved around him, and continued on, pacing her way back this time. The way she looked, that hurt expression was very familiar to him, as if it were showing a mirror of the past. His eyes followed her as she walked away, wondering why this woman would be so upset at a time like this, then he took notice of her black dress. Black was not worn much in Suna, only for the typical rebel, or time of funerals. Her clothes definitely didn't appear to be rebellious, so that just left the one.

'She must have lost someone close.' he thought, and with that, he turned to continue his path.

Even if she had just come from a funeral, she understood that she didn't look presentable right now to show her face to anyone, but to have shown it to the Kazekage brought forth an unsteady feeling of embarrassment. At this point, all she wanted was to go home and grieve.

The streets were filled with life. Vendors were making their various forms of income, people were dining and socializing, and the children were playing kickball by the playground, as they would every other day. It was as if there was nothing wrong, that there were no problems left in the world. Life just continued as it were a week ago. To this girl though, there was a lingering sense of doubt. Who's to say those vendors haven't had anything stolen from them? What about those people socializing and not realizing the darkest secrets of the person they talk to? Or which of those children would be next to get a scraped knee? All of this life happening before her eyes only turned her sour. Sure, it was her own mind dragging her back down into the pit of despair, but the universe didn't have to show her all this livelihood. It only made it more apparent of how awful her situation is. Without Reo and Nanna, there was nothing left for her here.

Yue was soon greeted by the entrance of a small building. This was the moment she had been dreading since she first left the funeral. She opened her small purse to feel around for her keys. Once she found them, she turned it into the lock until it clicked and with a heavy push she opened the door. It was much harder to open today. Closing it behind her, she felt for a light and switched it on to find clean wooden tables with chairs on top set in rows of four across the way and an unlit kitchen in the back. The place was indeed empty. She locked the door behind her and slowly made her way towards the back to another door, this one unlocked. It led to the second story, which was her apartment.

There was a dullness in the room without her Nanna's vibrant personality to liven it. To Yue, now it was just a living room with one couch and a coffee table in the center. The small kitchen was settled in the right and the bedrooms were to the left, which she slowly walked to her own. Placing her hand on the knob of her room, she looked across the way to Mameha's shut door. Her eyes became blurry and in a blink the water flowed down her cheek. The realization hit her hard, knowing that now she would not have the strength to go in that room, maybe not for a long time. Someday, she will have to go in, but not now.

She opened and slammed the door, fell on her bed, clasping her pillow and began to drown in her tears. The grieving had begun since she found out of Nanna's death, but this was the first time she really let it out.

After many hours of crying, she tired herself out and began to drift into a deep sleep. Her vision was black for a moment until a bright white flash had transported her into a small room, much different than her apartment. Yue could see a small girl with long black hair in a braid wearing a pink shirt and black shorts sitting in the corner of the room. She was crying and clinging to her right knee. Yue slowly walked towards the little girl, but was stopped by a tall, young woman wearing a blue silk kimono and her hair up in a bun. She knelt by the child and lovingly wrapped her in her arms.

"You may cry from the pain, but the pain will stop eventually. You are strong, little Yue. You just don't see it."

The woman proceeded to bend down to kiss her injured knee. Yue's eyes widened as she recognized the lady in blue as a younger Mameha and the child as her. This was a memory of when she was young. Young Nanna took little Yue in her arms, and as she stood up to walk away, the memory began to fade into darkness.

Instantly, the light appeared once more, this time with almost a blue aura. It then took her to a moonlit garden covered with lush flowers and a gorgeous sparkling pond in the center. The setting immediately gave her a sense of calmness. Whatever memory this was, it was quite a beautiful beginning. She then heard the sudden sound of gravel crunching as if someone was running across the ground. She turned to the direction of where it came from only to witness another version of herself. This time she was around thirteen years of age in a purple flowered kimono running across the garden. The young Yue looked frantic and kept looking over her shoulder until she tripped over her own shoes and fell hard to the ground. Older Yue just watched as two large men came out of the shadows of the night.

From their backs, they each produced to massive long swords, ready to strike down. Little Yue crawled on the ground as fast as she could, but the men were just a foot away from her. Though the men were masked, their appearance alone was strong with intimidation. It wasn't anything like the mask of the common ninja, but something much more nightmarish. One man drew up his sword, aimed ready to hit the little girl, but before he could pierce her skin, another sword blocked it away.

It was Nanna! She threw the attacker off with heavy force and immediately looked back to little Yue.

"Run!" she commanded.

The other attacker jumped with his blade inching close to Mameha's neck. Little Yue threw out her right hand.

"No!"

As she screamed, her right hand formed a small blue light that powerfully forced both men many yards across the garden. Yue was stunned at how much force was behind that one attack from her younger self. Nanna took hold of the opportunity, grabbed little Yue, and continued to run until they were completely out of sight. The two men recovered from the blow and went back to chasing them both. Since this was a memory, there was nothing she could do.

Yue looked back up to the moon and closed her eyes. Opening them, she was welcomed back to her bedroom.

'That happened so long ago...'

Noticing her windows were black, she addressed her alarm clock to see that it was now 8:07 pm. Had she really slept all day? What was the point of getting up now? Yue planned to close the tea shop down until at least Monday. That was three days from now. She pressed her face into her hands.

When they escaped The Mist Village, they lived their lives running from the attackers. Yue never completely knew why they had to keep running and remain hidden from them, but she did as Nanna told. Yue didn't remember her real parents, or her previous home since that dream she had. Mameha found refuge for them in The Village Hidden in the Sand. It seemed like the ideal place, knowing that no water or ice Elemental would ever choose to live here, therefore, it wouldn't be a place for those men to look. Knowing that, they were safe. Mameha made them residents of Suna and instructed Yue to never show her powers to anyone. By doing that, they would remain safe. Yue did as told. The young girl didn't understand this choice of life, and went to attempt to ask Mameha why. Why she had to hide from them when they could have just fought or called for help? But Nanna insisted to tell her when she got older. She never did. That was the biggest void in her life at this point. No answers and no means of finding out.

Time passed by over her teenage years, performing small jobs here and there across the village to help Mameha open her own tea shop. Kori, was Nanna's dream since Yue could remember. From then on, they lived their lives in peace, despite Nanna continuously keeping watch over her. Now that she's gone, the tea shop is all she had left of her, and she will be damned if it were to go under. The cruel reality was knowing that it was hard enough with two people. Now just one remained. What was she going to do?

Yue took in a breath and sighed. 'How am I going to run the shop all by myself? The best thing I can do at this point is to prepare the shop for Monday and, perhaps, seek another employee before I have to get a roommate... It's going to be tough to move on so suddenly.'

With that thought, she rolled out of bed to the bathroom to take a shower. The hot water and scented soaps washed all the bad thoughts away, though only temporarily. Once she was out, she wrapped a towel around her body to dry and checked herself in the mirror. Those cold blue eyes staring back at her were still red and puffy. Her skin was much paler. If she had cried anymore, she would probably get sick. As if she needed that right now. Yue went to dry off her long black hair and let it part on the right side of her face.

"You are stronger than this." she told herself. She said this many times before, but this time, all her inner mechanics broke back down again, making her vision blurry. She hated this. How could she ever make it alone if she couldn't even listen to her own good advice?

Yue adjourned to her room to put on a change of clothes. A simple navy blue t-shirt and a pair of black shorts before she went downstairs to the shop. The dining area lights were still on. Damn! She forgot to shut them off. As much as it still hurt to see that Nanna wasn't there, like she usually is, Yue tried to put it out of her mind and focus on work. The sooner the shop was in order, the sooner she could get it running again.

She began to take the chairs down off the tables when she heard a knock at the door.

'Who would be here at this time of night? The store has been closed all week, so why would a customer even think about showing up tonight? It's so late.' she thought, becoming more skeptical about opening the door

She remembered her promise to Nanna about her powers, but she wasn't here to protect her anymore. The War had just ended not too long ago, and crime wasn't as bad as it used to be, but nevertheless, she remembered those two guys who were out to get her. The Korishi clan, they called themselves. With one hand behind her back, she formed a small ice kunai, and opened the door with the other. She was ready to strike, but stopped when she met the dark brown eyes of a young girl. Her long black hair draped around her face down to her blue kimono shirt. She was easily recognizable despite the year-apart features.

"Yumi?"

"Yue!" She smiled, jumping to give her a hug.

Yue to drop her ice kunai to the floor. It shattered with a loud crack, but she didn't seem to notice. Surprised at her presence, she asked "What are you doing here?"

Yumi took a step back and explained that she received her letter about Mameha not doing so well, and came to see how they were. "So, where is she?"

Yue's eyes sunk low to the ground as the ache returned in her chest. Yumi took notice and realized she had her answer.

"Oh... I'm sorry, Yue." She placed a hand on her shoulder in comfort.

"It's okay… You didn't know…"

Yue gestured her to come inside. Once in, she closed the door and locked it. Yumi took a seat at one of the set up tables as Yue went into the kitchen to boil some water in the kettle.

"Green tea, Earl Grey, or...?"

"Chamomile, if you have it?" She requested.

Yue did as she pleased and brought out two cups and a ration of leftover cookies. Yumi took the kettle to pour the steaming hot water into the cups. Yue placed the handmade teabags inside each cup and let it steep until the water changed color.

"The shop has been closed all week, so, I'm sorry if the cookies are a little stale." Yue stated.

Yumi picked up a cookie and felt it in her hand. Sure enough, it was stiff, so stiff that she decided to test it by banging it on the table. It still didn't break. The girls both chuckled and pushed the plate of cookies away. It was nice to have her laugh despite all that has happened this week, but like all good times, there has to be some bad. Yumi had questions, but before that, she needed to do something first. Taking the cup in her hand, she held it out for Yue.

"Do you mind? I prefer my tea cold."

As requested, Yue obliged by placing her hand above the cup. A slight blue light appeared just around the rim. Clink! Clink! A couple of ice chips fell inside.

"Thanks." She said. "So, the illness took hold of her, didn't it?"

Yue nodded.

"Did she at least pass in her sleep?"

"Yes, she went peacefully… You didn't have to come all this way, Yumi."

"We are best friends, Yue, since we were young. Mameha and mom have been friends even longer. I needed to be sure that you were okay here."

The kindness in her words were soothing, but she knew dragging her into the problems at hand would only increase the risks of exposure. Plus, she never liked feeling in-debt to others.

"I'm fine." She lied. Yumi knew better.

"Really? Who's running the shop now?"

"Me."

"You can't do this by yourself. This place is too big for just one person. You say the shop has been closed all week? How will you pay your bills?"

Yue was quiet for a minute. As much as she hated to admit it, Yumi was right. Closing the shop for a week has definitely put its toll on the house bills as well as Nanna's hospital bills and the funeral costs. Living in this village in the middle of the desert was expensive enough as it is. To live in such a hot climate with little to no means of natural resources, the nation thrived on imports. The only means of food and water they had come from other nations in trade for salt, metals and minerals, and military services. People can't just grow what they want here either. To the best of her knowledge, she was screwed.

"I'll figure something out."

"You have no idea, do you?"

Her silence spoke volumes.

"Then, let me help you. Have you considered hiring someone new?"

"Yumi, Nanna just died. The funeral was today. I haven't thought of the bills, the shop, or anything!" She snapped at her. Almost instantly, she felt guilty for screaming at her, knowing she didn't deserve any of it. Yumi's face saddened, but she understood the pain she was going through.

"I'm sorry that she's gone. You need to start thinking of yourself now. If you need, I'll stay and help you until you get back on your feet, or at least until you hire someone else." She held her hand to show that she meant it in comfort.

"You know how I get when it comes to trusting others. They could see my abilities, and if they do then..." She trailed off when her thoughts journeyed back into the past.

"Then they could end up like Reo?"

It's like she could read her mind. She sipped her tea again and squeezed her hand.

"What happened to Reo was his choice."

"And it will happen to the next one I invite in my life..."

Yumi's chest tightened sympathetically. She had no knowledge of the Korishi clan or why they were out to get her friend, but they hadn't made a move on her for over eight years. This time was different, she could finally move on. The Great Ninja War was over and peace was among the nations. She hated to admit it, but Yumi could see a bright side to Mameha's death. Yue was free from her overprotective rules now. It isn't fair for her to live her life alone in such sorrow. Even after all this, she was still abiding her rules, all because she feared that they would return. The thought then came to Yumi. Perhaps, Yue needed to find a strong person to protect her, someone who lived here, someone she could trust who possibly experienced a similar situation. Maybe then she could live more happily.

Then, an idea popped in her head.

"Have you considered going to the Kazekage?"

Yue's ears perked in utter perplexity at what she had just suggested. "Why would I do that?"

"He's Commander of The Shinobi Elite Forces, which can provide you protection. And he has experience with what you're going through, if not worse than yours. I'm sure that if you explain what's going on, he can help. He might could send you an unpaid intern until you get back on your feet." She explained.

"Nanna risked everything for us to start a new life here as regular shinobi. Then I met Reo and we became friends. I promised Nanna not to show my powers, but I let her down and it got out of control. Now, because of me, they are dead. The same thing will happen again, or maybe worse."

Yumi was getting frustrated at the stubbornness of her friend. There was a reason Mameha chose The Sand Village. Given the military background, the climate and living conditions, and the Kazekage's son taking his title as the protector of the nation - this was the perfect place for Yue to start over. Yumi, as a familiar water Elemental, didn't have the same life. Tatsu, her mother, allowed her to control her power with training, to use it to protect and serve Konoha. She didn't have to undergo assassins chasing after her or the death of a lover. Yumi didn't even know the reason why the Korishi clan was after her. If it wasn't for her mother's promise to Mameha, she might have been able to find out. Regardless, she was in no position to tell her how to live her life, but she knew Yue deserved more than just living as a regular shinobi.

"You can't live keep living like this, Yue. We Elementals have lived our lives different from everyone else. Very few of us possess these powers. It's not something we should hide."

"I'm going to keep this shop going exactly how it has been for the last few years, even if it means hiding my powers forever and living alone… I owe Nanna that much after everything she did for me."

"But, Yue..."

"My decision stays."