Kiri held Yuuta's hand tightly and he smiled down at her as they walked and gave her hand a squeeze.

"Nervous?" He asked with a chuckle as his slate blue eyes twinkled mischievously.

She nodded slowly and pressed her lips together.

"You don't have anything to worry about." Yayoi smiled reassuringly at Kiri as she walked behind them. "Your teacher is an excellent Shinobi who served in the ANBU during his adolescence, as well as being naturally gifted with children. I think you'll like him."

Kiri glanced over her shoulder Yayoi and Yuuta nodded. "He was in mom's class, so he's got a lot of experience as a Ninja. He was my teacher, too, ya know."

"Really?"

"Really." Yuuta nodded. "He was Yuuri's teacher, too." Noticing Kiri make a face at her name, Yuuta chuckled. "As difficult as she may be to get along with, no one can deny that she's an excellent Kunoichi. Iku-sensei was the one who gave us a solid foundation, so I know you'll be in good hands with him."

"I know Iku well." Yayoi stepped up to walk on Kiri's other side. "So, if there's a problem, just let him know and he'll take care of it."

They stopped walking and Yuuta pointed at the Academy door. "Do you want us to walk you in?"

Kiri shook her head. "No... that's okay."

Yayoi smiled and knelt to place a hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure you're ready to start school already? You've only been here a week. There's no problem if you'd prefer to wait until you're more familiar with the Leaf."

"Hey, she'll be fine." Yuuta mussed Kiri's hair. "She passed the entry test easily, so you don't have to worry."

"I know." Yayoi sighed and gently took Kiri's hand. "Alright, go on in now. One of us will be here to pick you up after school."

Kiri nodded and turned from them and headed into the Academy. Once she reached the threshold, she took in a big breath and only released it once she was inside. A woman helped her to find her classroom and Kiri stepped inside slowly.

The man at the desk in the front looked up from his book and smiled faintly. "You must be Yayoi's girl." He stood and held out his hand to Kiri. "I'm Iku. It's a pleasure to meet you. I've heard quite a bit about you."

Kiri flinched slightly and he immediately pulled his hand back.

"You can sit anywhere you like- as long as the seat is empty." He smiled again and gestured toward the desks. "Class will begin soon, so don't be nervous."

Kiri looked out at the seats, where there were only a few spaces available. "Am I... the last one?"

Iku chuckled and shook his head. "Oh, no." He looked up the clock on the wall. "Those two knuckleheads are usually the last ones in."

"Knuckleheads?" Kiri muttered under her breath as she took an empty seat in the front row. As soon as she had settled in, a pair of rowdy boys burst through the doorway, laughing loudly. Iku sighed and put a hand on his hips as he looked down at them.

"Do you two always have to act like such clowns?"

The boys laughed and scratched their heads simultaneously.

"Well," The spikey-headed boy glanced up at the clock. "at least we're not late today."

"Alright, take your seats." Iku crossed his arms and watched as they raced each other to the desk behind Kiri but stopped when they saw her.

The bandana-wearing boy pointed at her and narrowed his eyes. "Wait a minute... you're new."

Kiri clenched her jaw and narrowed her eyes at them.

"That's right." Iku smiled and addressed the class, motioning to Kiri. "We have a new student joining us today. This is Kiri. She's just recently moved here from the Land of Lightning, so I expect you all to be welcoming and kind as she settles in."

Kiri's cheeks warmed as dozens of sets of eyes fell on her and she stared down at her desk.

"The Land of Lightning, huh?" The spikey-haired boy crossed his arms and looked her over. "Why is your skin so dark? Didja get a sunburn or something?"

The two boys laughed and Kiri balled her hand into a fist.

"Izumo! Kotetsu!" Iku barked at them, and then they turned to take their seats.

"Talk to you later, Miss Burnt Toast." The bandana boy muttered and Kiri stood suddenly and landed a heavy punch to his stomach.

His eyes opened wide as he clutched his gut and coughed, watching her as she sat back down calmly like nothing had happened.

Kotetsu blinked and stared, gaping at the girl and helped his friend up. "Y-You hit him!"

"I'll do it again if you don't leave me alone." Kiri warned in a low voice.

"Boys, take your seats." Iku kept his eyes on them.

"B-But! Did you see what she did?!" Izumo gritted his teeth.

"Hm?" Iku scratched his cheek. "Sorry, I must have blinked." He shrugged. "Still, take your seats. I'm about to begin the lesson."

The boys exchanged a look and bitterly took their seats, glaring at the back of the girl's head as Iku began to teach.

"So, you punched someone on your first day?" Yuuta walked with his arm crossed behind his head and glanced over at Kiri, who walked beside him with her hands shoved into the pockets of her jacket.

He chuckled and lowered his arms, and stuck a hand in his pocket. "Ya know, you should have seen what Yuuri did on her first day." He laughed loudly at the memory.

Kiri looked up at him from the corner of his eyes and he smirked faintly, then continued to talk.

"You see, there was this boy in her class that was smitten with her. And, as little boys often do, he tried to show his affection for her... by teasing her" Yuuta snorted and held in a laugh. "He went up to her at recess and said she was 'ugly like a turtle,' and then promptly started to pull her hair as hard as he could. Yuuri turned around so fast, grabbed his arm, and threw him across the playground so quickly that the kid pissed himself and hit the fence on the other side before he even saw it coming."

Yuuta laughed louder at the memory. "And, after that, she never wore her hair down to school again. She always pulled it back into a bun. Not that she really had to; she made quite the reputation for herself. No boy ever approached her again."

"Weren't your parents mad?" Kiri asked quietly and kept her eyes focused on the street.

"Mad?" Yuuta snorted. "What for? That boy deserved it, and Yuuri proved how strong she was. They were thrilled." He titled his head down at her. "So, if you're worried about getting in trouble, don't worry about it. As long as you're not the one starting the fight, and as long as you end it, they'll never be mad at you for decking someone."

Kiri's mouth twitched slightly in a smile. "So... did you get in trouble on your first day, too?"

Yuuta shook his head. "Of course not! I was a perfect angel in school." He paused, then snorted. "...For the first year." He winked. "By then, I'd become so advanced in all my classes where I finished the work so quickly and it became so tedious for me. I ended up as the class clown and a prankster as a way to pass the time. I still got the second-highest marks in class, but the work they were giving me was just too easy."

Yuuta shrugged and crossed his arms behind his head once again. "Mom suggested that they give me more advanced work, but I blew through all that, too. I ended up graduating three years ahead of my class at age ten and then was placed in a three-man-squad. Once I hit fourteen, though, dad requested that I get transferred to the ANBU so my 'talents weren't wasted on mundane assignments,' as he put it."

"You don't seem like a pranker." Kiri smile steadily grew and he chuckled.

"Well, I grew out of that years ago. I'd pulled pretty much every prank in the books by then anyway, and it wasn't as fun anymore. That, and joining the ANBU really put things into perspective for me. I found more meaningful uses of my free time." Yuuta shrugged. "Although I do miss my old team just a little bit. I got transferred right after we all got promoted to Chunin, so sometimes I feel like I let them down by leaving the way I did."

Kiri yawned quietly and he smiled. "Tired? Your first day is always exhausting."

She nodded.

"Want to ride on my shoulders?" He wiggled his eyebrows and bent down beside her. "It'll be more fun than walking."

After a moment of hesitation, she climbed onto his shoulders and he held her ankles to keep her steady before he stood again. He cleared his throat and covered his mouth to alter his voice so that he sounded like he was talking through a radio.

"This is Yuuta's bird bus, preparing for take-off. Please hold on tightly and enjoy the flight." He lowered his hand, then looked up at her from the corner of his eyes. "Hold on tightly now, okay?"

"O-Okay." Kiri giggled quietly and Yuuta stretched out his arms and cawed. Flapping his arms, he started to jog forward.

"NYOOOOOOM! NYOOOOM! NYOOOOM!" Yuuta turned in a circle, then continued down the street as Kiri laughed and held on.

"Birds don't say 'nyoom!'"

"Sure they do!" He laughed. "I'm sure there's a species of undiscovered Nyoom Birds in some jungle out there right now, proving you wrong."

"Yeah?" Kiri giggled.

"You bet!" Yuuta grinned and held his arms out again, clearing his throat. "Where was I? Oh yeah... NYOOOOOM!"

Kiri squealed with laughter as he ran home, and both were out of breath from laughing by the time they stepped through the front door and removed their shoes.

Yayoi smiled and peered down the hall from the kitchen and looked at the two. "It seems like someone had a good first day."

"It was awesome." Yuuta laughed and they padded into the kitchen. "Kiri here decked a kid for teasing her."

Yayoi blinked momentarily and then laughed. "She's definitely my daughter."

Kiri's eyes widened slightly and Yayoi bent down to meet her eyes.

"So, a boy was teasing you, was he?" She laughed quietly under her breath. "Glad you taught him some manners. No one treats my daughter that way."

The front door opened and Zenzo stepped inside, removed his shoes, and smiled at Kiri.

"Well, well, if it isn't our Kiri already back from school. How'd it go?"

"She punched someone." Yayoi smiled at her husband and he laughed, the booming sound echoing through the house.

"That's my girl!" He strode over and patted Kiri's head. "I bet whoever it was won't be doing whatever he did again."

"At least if he's smart." Yuuta chuckled.

"Dinner will be done soon, so go ahead and wash up." Yayoi looked between Yuuta and Kiri. "And then come set the table"

"Come on then, little sis." Yuuta scooped Kiri under his arm with a laugh and carried her to the bathroom, setting her on the edge of the sink as he began to wash his hands.

"I could have walked." Kiri giggled and smiled faintly and Yuuta winked.

"Yeah... but that's not the fun way, is it?" He wiggled his eyebrows and splashed a handful of water at the girl, who shrieked and laughed.

"Hey!" Kiri collected water in her hand and splashed him back. He laughed loudly and Yayoi called from the kitchen.

"Play later! Come help me in here!"

Yuuta chuckled and dried his hands, then plopped the handtowel onto Kiri's head. "I'll get the table done. You go tell Yuuri that dinner is almost ready."

Kiri's expression fell and she crossed her arms. "But..."

"Go on. She won't bite." Yuuta chuckled. "She's not that bad, anyway."

Kiri sighed, washed her hands, and then slowly went upstairs. She sighed again and raised her hand to knock on Yuuri's door.

"What?" Her sharp reply made Kiri flinch.

"U-Um..." Kiri clutched the hem of her shirt tightly. "Dinner is ready..."

The door cracked open and Yuuri scowled down at her. "It's you."

Kiri narrowed her eyes and balled her hands into fists, then blinked slowly and stared at Yuuri.

"What?" The teenager snapped and put her hand on her hip.

"Your hair..." Kiri pointed at her. "I-I've never seen it down like that before."

"So?" Yuuri narrowed her eyes and Kiri looked away.

"...I was just going to say that it looks nice."

"Hmph." Yuuri stood in the doorway for a moment in silence. "You said dinner's ready?"

Kiri nodded and glanced back up at her, and Yuuri scoffed again.

"Fine." She stepped out of her room and closed the door behind her with a quiet click, then slowly walked toward the stairs.

Kiri followed her after a moment and stayed several steps behind the teen.

"I punched someone at school." Kiri blurted and Yuuri stopped to turn and look at her.

"Yeah?"

Kiri nodded again and the corner of Yuuri's mouth lifted in a smirk before she continued downstairs.

"Hm. Maybe you do have potential after all."

"Alright, everyone settle down." Iku kept a hand on his hip as he looked over his class. "You're going to be breaking off into pairs and sparring. I want to see how much you've improved."

Several of the kids whispered to each other and Kotetsu nudged Izumo and laughed under his breath, muttering something as he pointed to Kiri. Iku turned to the boys and pointed.

"Kotetsu. Thank you for volunteering to go first."

The class laughed and the boy's cheeks warmed slightly as his friend pushed him forward.

"And you'll be up against..." Iku crossed his arms and scanned the group, then smiled. "Kiri."

Kotetsu's eyes widened. "B-But...!"

Kiri stepped forward and kept her eyes on him, as the corners of her mouth tugged upward in a smirk. "Scared?"

His eyes narrowed and he made a face. "Of you?" He laughed. "Nope." Holding up hist fists, he bounced up and down in front of her. "I don't wanna hit a girl... so I'll go easy on you."

Kiri exhaled slowly and took a stance. Iku chuckled to himself in recognition and held up a hand.

"Begin!"

Kotetsu lunged at Kiri with a flurry of punches and she easily dodged them all. As he recovered from lunging too far forward and losing his balance, she brought her leg up and kicked him hard in the stomach, sending him flying away.

"Excellent form." Iku nodded at Kiri, then look at Kotetsu. "Try again. Don't over-extend yourself this time and try to watch your opponent more to look for an opening."

Kotetsu shot Kiri a look as he got up. "I know, I know..."

"He's telling you because you don't seem to get it." Kiri laughed quietly and he glared at her.

"I'll show you!" He rushed at her again, swinging.

Kiri dodged and parried, pulling him off-balance with a tug of his arm and landed a punch to his side. She released his arm and he fell forward on his hands and knees, holding his side.

"You... cheated!" He pursed his lips. "Somehow..."

"No, you're just bad at this." Kiri laughed and watched him stand again and rush at her. Again, she dodged his blow and kicked him across the yard. "You said you'd go easy on me, right?" She crossed her arms. "Maybe you should start actually trying now."

His eyes widened slightly and he rushed at her once more, only for her to leap into the air above him, land behind him, and be thrown in the opposite direction with a well-placed kick to his back.

Kiri crossed her arms and laughed to herself. "Just do yourself a favor and stay down, will you?"

Kotetsu gritted his teeth and Izumo clenched his fists as he watched, then ran towards the girl with a shout.

"Hey, two against one is against the rules!" A girl called out from the group and Iku shook his head, holding his arm out to block them from the fight.

"Let's just see what happens, okay?" He smiled at his student, then turned back to watch Kiri.

Kiri's eyes widened as Izumo came at her, then her eyes narrowed again. She ran from him as he approached with his fist raised, ran up the trunk of the nearby tree, then launched herself off to elbow him hard in the gut.

Izumo staggered and clutched his stomach with wide eyes. "W-What...?! H-How did you...?"

Iku clapped slowly. "Excellent, Kiri. I see you've been keeping up with your training at home."

Kiri giggled and nodded and waved at several of her classmates who praised her.

"W-Why you...!" Kotetsu glared and watched Izumo pick himself up from the ground. "No one hits my friend!"

Izumo looked up and met his eyes and both ran at Kiri simultaneously. Kiri stood in place, watching them carefully. Once they were close, she jumped up so that they punched each other in the face.

Kiri landed gracefully down and laughed loudly at them, bending over as she did.

"I can't believe you fell for that!"

Iku chuckled to himself. "Alright, I think it's time for another pair to have a go. Nicely done, Kiri."

Kiri nodded and stepped toward towards the teacher and suddenly collapsed to her knees.

Kotetsu chuckled and held up his fist, grinning ear-to-ear. "A-ha! Let your guard down! See! I told you I'd win!"

"Kotetsu!" Iku pointed at the boy. "I called the match over!"

"O-Oh..." The boy lowered his fist and glanced at Kiri. "S-Sorry... I didn't hear it..."

Kiri clutched the back of her head where the blow had hit with her eyes wide, unblinking and unmoving.

"K-Kiri?" Kotetsu reached out to touch her shoulder with a frown forming. "Are you... okay?"

Kiri's eyes snapped wider at his touch and her expression shifted to primal hatred. She turned on him and the color drained from his face.

"Crap!" Turning as fast as he could, he ran from her as she chased him, knocking him to the ground and sitting overtop him as she pummeled him.

"Gaah! Help! Make her stop!"

Kiri gripped his collar with her right hand and pulled back her left to wind up a heavy punch. Static crackled around her fist, sparking with electricity.

"Kiri! Stop!" Iku called and ran toward the girl.

In the blink of an eye, a man appeared and gripped Kiri's wrist to redirect her strike. A flash of lightning erupted and a bolt shot from her fist and charred the ground.

Iku stopped with his eyes wide and the man gently lifted Kiri off of Kotetsu and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Kiri... breathe deeply. Calm down."

Kiri's ragged breathing leveled as she blinked and recognized the face before her. "Y-Yuuta?"

Iku let out a deep sigh and he shook his head slowly as he chuckled. "Yuuta, you're timing is impeccable as it ever was."

Yuuta chuckled and scratched his head, looking up at the man. "Hey, Iku-sensei. Been a while."

Kiri trembled and stared down at her hands, then at the blackened dirt. "D-Did I... do that?"

Yuuta pressed their foreheads together. "It's okay. You didn't mean to."

Kotetsu blinked and gulped, turning slowly to look at the burned ground, gulping again. "I... I'm not dead!"

Iku helped Kotetsu to his feet and frowned slightly at Kiri. "Is she alright?"

Yuuta nodded. "She will be. But I should probably get her home." He looked at Kotetsu and the corners of his mouth tugged upward in a smirk. "Ya hit her on the head, didn't you?"

Kotetsu blushed slightly and he shifted uncomfortably. "W-Well... I..."

Yuuta laughed. "Rule number one when fighting Kiri... never, ever hit her in the face or on the back of the head." He smiled broadly, almost too pleasantly. "It unleashes her killer instinct."

Kotetsu gulped and eyed Kiri, who continued to stare at her hands in silence.

Yuuta laughed and patted the boy's head. "Honest first mistake. No harm done." He rested his head on his knee. "You should see the nasty bruises she's giving me in our training sessions at home. She's amazing."

Iku chuckled and put a hand on his hip. "I thought I recognized some of her moves. She's just as talented as you were at her age. You're an excellent teacher."

Yuuta scratched his cheek. "Actually, I think she's even better than I was at that age. You should come by one day and see for yourself."

Yuuta turned back to Kiri, poking her nose with a smile. "Alright... let's go home, shall we? I think that's enough for one day."

Kiri nodded slowly and Yuuya stood, holding her hand as he started to walk away. He raised a hand to wave at Iku. "See ya later, sensei!"

Iku knelt beside his student and crossed his arms. "The match was over, Kotetsu."

The boy chuckled uncomfortably. "S-Sorry, sensei..."

Iku sighed again. "You're lucky Yuuta happened to be around, or you'd be fried to a crisp."

Kotetsu's eyes widened and he glanced toward the charred ground again, then shuddered.

His peers burst into laughter and he blushed deeply, covering the front of his pants as they were soaked.

Iku patted Kotetsu's shoulder. "Go inside and get cleaned up. We'll finish up out here in a bit."

Yuuta gave Kiri's hand a squeeze as they walked and she stayed unusually quiet.

"You know, having such a natural affinity for lightning is impressive... but to manifest it like that on a whim... doubly impressive. Even the best Ninja struggle with mastering Lightning style."

Kiri bit her lip. "...I lost control again. I've never done that at school before."

Yuuta smiled and shrugged. "Was his fault anyway. The match was over, he was being cocky, and he underestimated you."

"I could have killed him."

"He could have done the same to you." Yuuta lifted her onto his shoulders and looked up at her. "Human beings are both incredibly strong... and incredibly fragile. Had he hit the right spot on your head, you'd be in the hospital. You're lucky he's just a puny little guy."

Kiri smiled faintly. "...He is pretty puny, isn't he? I'm already taller than him." She leaned forward to rest her chin on the top of his head. "What were you doing at the Academy anyway? And why are you wearing that cloak?"

Yuuta glanced down at the black ANBU cloak. "Well, I've actually been assigned a mission and I was supposed to meet up with my team already. But I couldn't leave without telling my favorite little sister goodbye first."

Kiri's expression fell. "A mission? Will you be gone a long time?"

Yuuta sighed. "Unfortunately, yes. About two weeks, I think."

Kiri pressed her lips together and her eyes rested on the ground. "Oh."

"But, don't worry." He bounced slightly as he walked so that she wobbled back and forth. "I promise I'll come back just fine, and I'll bring you back a souvenir, too."

Kiri blinked and made a face. "Your job is to hunt down and assassinate people. I don't think I want a souvenir."

Yuuta laughed out loud. "Not a gross souvenir!" He reached a hand up to prod the tip of her nose and smiled mischievously. "How about this instead... When I get back... I'll tell you one of my secrets."

"A secret?"

He nodded. "You bet."

"What kind of secret?" Kiri crossed her arms. "It better be worth it."

"Oh, it is." Yuuta winked. "It's something that no one else knows— not mom, or dad, or even Yuuri. I'd be trusting you with top secret information. Are you up for it?"

Kiri nodded quickly. "Yes! I wanna know! Tell me! Tell me now!"

"Not until I get back." He chuckled and shook his head. "And I want you to keep up with your training while I'm gone, okay? I want you to learn to control that lightning better. There aren't a lot of people in the Leaf even able to use Lightning style, so you may have to visit Oto-sama for reference."

"Oto-sama?" Kiri tilted her head slightly.

"Yup. She's the one you go to when you need information. I swear the woman's omniscient. Just ask mom about her and she'll take you to meet her." Yuuta lifted her off of his shoulders and knelt in front of her, glancing toward the house. "And... we're home."

Kiri bit her lip, looking at the house, then back at him. "I don't want you to go for that long. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too, Kiri." He touched his forehead to hers. "You're seven now, so you have to start adjusting to this now. Sooner or later, you'll graduate and have to do your own missions. I know it's not easy, but I know you can handle it."

"I know." She crossed her arms and made a face. "But I still wish you didn't have to go."

"It's all for the good of the Leaf." Yuuta nodded toward the house. "Go on inside. I've got to head out now. Tell mom and dad I said bye, 'kay?"

Kiri bit her lip and stared at the ground.

"What's wrong?" Yuuta touched her shoulder.

"Do you think they're mad at me?"

"Mad?" Yuuta tilted his head. "For what?"

"I know they probably... would like it if I called them that, too. But... I just..." She sighed. "I feel like... if I start calling Yayoi 'mom,' that... I might forget my own."

Yuuta smiled faintly and tilted her chin up. "Of course they're not mad at you for not calling them mom or dad. They understand how you feel about them without it."

"Really?"

He nodded. "Even if you were to call her 'mom,' it wouldn't make your mother any less important, either. She'll always be here." He poked her forehead. "In your memories." He poked her chest. "And here, in your heart. She's not really gone, after all. She's watching over you."

"You think so?" Kiri put a hand over her heart.

"I know so." Yuuta held his hand up to whisper. "I even heard mom once talking about how she thinks it was your mother's spirit that led her to you."

Kiri's eyes widened. "What?"

"Yep." He nodded again. "She said that they were all set to travel back home a different path... but that there was a voice in her head that said to go a different way. They did, and then they found you. I think your mom's been watching over you this whole time, helping you to find a home and a family to love you and keep you safe."

Kiri smiled faintly and Yuuta placed his hand over hers. "That warmth you feel inside? That's your mom giving you a big hug from the other side. So, don't ever feel sad. A part of her lives inside you, ya know."

He wiped a tear from Kiri's cheek and smiled at her own smile. "And, I promise that I'll do my very best to honor her by taking good care of her precious little girl. We're family, so I'll always, always be here for you... even if I have to go away for a mission."

"You're the best." Kiri wrapped him in a tight hug and he returned her embrace. "I'll miss you so much."

"Not as much as I'll miss you." Yuuta releasedher from the hug, kissing the top of her head and stood. "Keep doing well at school and keep training like you have been. And, if that boy messes with you again, give him hell."

Kiri giggled and nodded. "He's a real pain."

"Boys are." Yuuta lifted his hand in a wave as he left. "Love ya, little sis."

"Thank you for meeting with me." The Hokage let out a puff of smoke as he moved the pipe from his lips and looked at the two Jonin.

"Kiri's not in trouble, is she?" Yayoi glanced toward the window, where Kiri was waiting outside and practicing throwing Shuriken.

"Trouble?" Hiruzen chuckled. "Not at all. We've been monitoring her progress and, unsurprisingly, she's extremely advanced for her age. Of course, with you two training her at home after school, it's to be expected."

He cleared his throat and continued. "What I've called you here for was to seek your permission to administer the Graduation test."

"Already?" Zenzo chuckled. "She's only eight."

"Considering you and your children have graduated early yourselves, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Kiri be any different."

Yayoi nodded. "Of course she can take the exam, if you believe she's ready."

"Excellent. We'll proceed with the exam tomorrow, then." Hiruzen nodded and returned the pipe to his mouth. "I look forward to seeing her results."

"Hey, what's going on?" Kotetsu pushed through the crowd of children until he found Izumo.

"Did you hear?" Izumo pointed toward a side door of the Academy, where Kiri stood with her parents as they spoke to the Hokage. "Kiri took the Graduation test this morning!"

"What?" Kotetsu blinked and his eyes widened as he saw the headband she wore. "N-No way! How did she already graduate? She's our age!"

Izumo shook his head and shrugged. "I guess she's been holding back around all of us. She must be really amazing for them to let her graduate early."

Kotetsu made a face and crossed his arms. "We're amazing, too, you know."

"I heard she almost beat Lord Third in a spar!" One of their classmates whispered to Izumo.

"What?!" Izumo blinked. "Impossible!"

"I heard it, too." A girl shook her head. "She cast a Genjustu on him and almost won, but he broke through it. I wish I could have seen it."

"So..." Kotetsu blinked and scratched his cheek. "Does this mean... she won't be in our class anymore?"

"Well, duh." The girl laughed. "She's going to get assigned to a team now and get to do real Ninja missions."

"Hmph." Kotetsu made a face and away. "I could pass the exam, too, if they let me take it. She's not that special."

"Kiri!" The group shifted and moved to surround Kiri as the adults walked away.

"Kiri, I can't believe it!"

"You're so cool!"

Kiri put her hands on her hips and laughed quietly. "Thanks, guys."

"We'll miss you in class."

Kiri nodded. "I'll miss you guys, too." She turned toward Kotetsu and Izumo and narrowed her eyes. "Well, I'll miss most of you, anyway."

"Kiri!" Zenzo called out and motioned to her. "Time to go!"

"Don't forget about us, okay?" Several girls hugged Kiri.

"You're still going to come to my birthday party, right?"

"Of course!" Kiri smiled and nodded, looking over them all. "See you guys later!"

She turned and joined her parents, and Zenzo mussed her hair. "That's my girl. I'm proud of you."

"I knew you could do it, Kiri." Yayoi smiled down at her. "Tonight, we'll have a special dinner to celebrate your graduation. How does that sound?"

Kiri smiled and reached out to take Yayoi's hand as she nodded. "You're the best, mom!"

Yayoi blinked and her eyes began to water. "Mom?" She smiled broadly and wiped her eyes as she looked at Zenzo, who smiled as she mouthed "she called me mom!"

Kiri's eyes opened slowly and she looked toward the window. Her eyes opened wide and she opened it quickly and Yuuta slipped inside.

"Yuuta! You're... You're here!"

"Kiri, I don't have much time." He smiled at her though a large cut on his forehead had coated his face in blood. "They're after me."

Kiri's eyes narrowed. "Who are?" She glared toward the window. "What happened? Your head..."

"No time." He shook his head. "Listen to me very carefully, okay? I discovered something, working under Danzo. His secrets. He—"

Yuuta cried out in pain and clutched his head.

"Yuuta!'

"Damn!" He cursed and scowled. "Danzo—"

He screamed out again and Kiri opened her door. "MOM! DAD!"

"Yuuta, what's wrong?"

He opened his mouth and pointed to his tongue, where a seal was glowing brightly. "Damn... that man."

Yuuta stumbled over to Kiri's desk, grabbing a paper and pen and started to write, only to bend over in pain once more.

"MOM!" Kiri screamed again and touched Yuuta's arm. "It'll be okay..."

"Can't say a damn thing with this thing..." He retrieved a Kunai and stared at its blade, then looked at Kiri. "Kiri... I just want you to know... I love you. You'll always be my sister, and you've grown up well, into a strong Kunoichi, and I have been honored to be your brother."

"Yuuta—" Kiri covered her mouth in horror as she watched him cut out his tongue, then stuffed a cloth into his mouth to soak up the blood.

He picked up the pencil again, scribbling down several sentences. Kiri's eyes widened as she read as he wrote.

"Yuuta... this... is this true?!"

He nodded and started to write something else, then turned quickly towards the window as a pair of masked Shinobi filled the pane. Balling up the paper behind his back with one hand, he drew his Ninjato and stood in front of Kiri.

"Kill them both." One of the masked figures drew their sword and stepped into the room. "She's a liability."

Yuuta gripped his sword tighter and stood a strong stance as he glared.

"MOM!" Kiri yelled louder and reached for her own sword on the wall.

"Kiri?!" Two sets of heavy footsteps hurried down the hall, but as the door creaked open, a Ninjato stuck through Yuuta's chest and he staggered.

"YUUTA!"

The assassin stepped back, removing the blade of Yuuta's sword from his torso with a grunt as he removed his own blade from his target. The door burst open and Zenzo glared at the assassins.

"Retreat!"

The assassins disappeared quickly and Yayoi caught Yuuta as he collapsed. "Yuuta!"

"Damn!" Zenzo ran to the window, looking for the attackers. "Danzo's pets! When I find them—!"

"Zenzo!" Yayoi choked and her voice trembled. "I-It's... too late."

Kiri fell to her knees and placed her hand over Yuuta's wound, tears welling in her eyes and spilling over. "No..."

Zenzo knelt beside his son, his expression shifting. "Yuuta... you'll be fine. Hang in there."

Yuuta shook his head slowly, removing the blood-soaked cloth from his mouth, and smiled faintly. He touched Zenzo's shoulder, then patted it.

"My boy..." Yayoi cried, stroking his hair. "Five years you've been gone... and t-this... this wasn't the reunion I wanted."

He reached up to stroke his mother's cheek, smiling again, and she cried harder.

Kiri trembled and shook her head. "No. No no no no no. Yuuta... y-you can't... y-you can't leave me."

He coughed and smiled at her, reaching up with a shaky hand to place the balled paper into her hands.

"Yuuta..." She sniffed and held the page tightly. "I..."

He shook his head, then placed his hand on the back of her neck, and drew her close until her forehead touched his. Then, he placed his hand over his heart, then placed his on over hers.

Kiri choked and her tears fell faster. "I love you, too, Yuuta. You are... the best brother anyone could have asked for. I... I don't know what I'll do when... when..." She sobbed, and held his hand tightly. "You can't..."

Kiri wiped her face, then looked at her brother, freezing. "...Yuuta?"

The light gone from his eyes, a final breath escaped his lips and his body was limp.

"YUUTA!" Kiri screamed, burying her face into his stomach. "NO!"

Kiri sobbed into her hands, her hot tears stinging her face as she drew her legs closer.

"Mom... Yuuta... It's always like this... I'm always ending up alone. I can't... I can't be alone again. I can't."