A/N
Starting this chapter I'm gonna go at a slower pace, or at least I'm going to try to. Anyways, not much else to say so let's go.
Enjoy!
For the first time ever, Zabuza saw the crimson mist. "That… is a monster…" Zabuza said. He was terrified. He had seen genocides and mass murders before but this… this was something else. A one sided massacre wasn't even close to describing it. Tazuna puked before passing out. Sasuke was sweating a ton and was honestly contemplating suicide. Zabuza and Kakashi were sweating. Kakashi knew that he could take him. He knew he was strong enough. But this overwhelming killing intent made him doubt himself. Haku was right next to Sasuke and in a similar state. Only slightly better off because he wasn't injured. They were both pulled out of their stupor when Kakashi spoke up. "You two. Get it together. Grab Tazuna and head back to his house. Wait for us there." Kakashi knew that he beat Kurei but he wasn't confident that he could also protect the three of them. "Do what he said. We'll protect your escape." Zabuza said. For as much as he didn't like Kakashi, they needed to work together. "Don't kill him." Kakashi stated. "I know. If I did then Haku's ticket to a good life would be gone. I would t rial that for the world." With a nod to each other they both dashed towards Kurei in a pincer formation. "Be careful of those swords! They can phase straight through objects!" Zabuza shouted. "Thanks for the heads up!" Kakashi yelled as he dodged out of the way of a sword strike. Zabuza went for a quick slice to the side, trying to slow him down. However, Kurei was expecting it and tried to stab Zabuza with his second sword. Zabuza just barely managed to get out of the way of a lethal strike, only getting his shoulder stabbed as opposed to his heart. Kakashi on the other hand was so busy trying to come up with a plan and dodging Kurei's attacks that he hadn't landed a blow. This song and dance of Kakashi trying and failing to land a blow while Zabuza would strike true at the cost of an injury to himself would continue for almost 10 minutes when Kakashi thought up of a man. Kakashi jumped back with Zabuza. "You got a plan one eye?" Zabuza asked, slightly out of breath. "Yeah. I got an idea but we only have one shot. I won't have the reserves to try this again. I need you to hold him off while I try to find an opening." Kakashi explained. Kurei dashed towards them and Zabuza got in between them, attempting to hold him off in his tired state. "You better make it quick one eye! I won't be able to hold he off for long!" Zabuza shouted. Kakashi had started gathering lighting n his hands, a chidori. He was using his sharingan to try and find an opening when he saw it. "I'm sorry about this Zabuza!" Kakashi yelled as he dashed forward. "Sorry about wha-augghh!" He screamed in pain as Kakashi shoved his hand through Zabuza's right arm to strike at Kurei. The lighting temporarily stunned him but that was all they needed. Zabuza used that moment to knock him down while Kakashi pulled his arm back and kicked Kurei in the side of his head, knocking him out. "I think… we did it." Kakashi said before falling over and nearly falling unconscious. "Yeah… I think… you're right." Zabuza said, also exhausted. His was more physical exhaustion than chakra exhaustion so he could still move. He grabbed Tsuya's body and slung it over his shoulder while he dragged Kakashi's body back with his busted arm.
When Zabuza returned with Kakashi and Tsuya, everyone was shocked. Tazuna was surprised that they had managed to beat such a monster, Sasuke was a little scared but mostly surprised, Haku was happy that Zabuza managed to make it back alive but terrified at the state they were all in. Sakura, on the other hand, was shocked at the state of Tsuya and Kakashi and tried to attack Zabuza, not knowing what happened on the bridge and assuming that Zabuza had attacked them. She was quickly stopped by Sasuke who was a little surprised at her attempt to actually do something. "The battle… is over." Zabuza said before passing out.
The following morning, Zabuza, woke up before anyone and his wounds were already bandaged. Haku was sleeping next to the bed. Next to wake up was Tazuna's family followed swiftly by team 7, with the exception of Kakashi. All of Tsuya's injuries were already healed, which was normal.
While everyone was having breakfast, Inari apologized for what he had said before. Surprisingly, Sasuke spoke up. "It's okay. Everyone has rough spots in their lives. What matters is that we move on." When he said this he felt like a complete hypocrite because he couldn't get over his own past and need for revenge, but it still felt right to say. "Well put." Kakashi said as he walked into the room. He was on crutches… again. After breakfast, Zabuza, Kakashi, and Tsuya all went to the bridge to clean up the mess so the builders could get back to work. "Kakashi, Zabuza, I'm sorry about what happened, but I can't say that it won't happen again. It's very possible and I won't lie to you about that. However, I would like to apologize for causing you harm and putting everyone in danger." Tsuya said it in a plain tone as he shoveled the corpses off the ground with Kakashi. Zabuza was cleaning all the blood off of everything. They didn't say anything. They just kept working.
A week had passed and the bridge was built. All of the Shinobi helped out in some way, even Zabuza and Haku. After all was said and done it was time for them to head back to Konoha. There weren't any tears as they never really got to know each other but the builders did come to respect the Shinobi. "What should we call the bridge? I was thinking the 'super great Tazuna bridge.' What do you think?" Tazuna asked the builders. Then someone unexpected spoke up. It was Inari. "How about the 'Tsuya bridge.' He did save this country after all." Inari pointed out. Tazuna was a little uncomfortable with the idea at first. But as he thought about it, it started to grow on him. "Yeah. The 'Tsuya bridge' it is."
Meanwhile
"They just named the bridge after me." Tsuya said out of nowhere. "What? Why would they do that?" Sakura asked, slightly annoyed. "How would you even know that? We're over a quarter of the way to Konoha how could you possibly know?" Then, Zabuza and Tsuya simultaneously said, "The wind carries many secrets." Zabuza said it in a teasing tone only to annoy Tsuya. After a few hours passed, Sasuke couldn't contain his curiosity anymore. "Tsuya, what exactly happened at the bridge? What happened to you? And how are you so strong?" "Simple," Tsuya started, "I lost myself to my bloodlust at a bad time. It is not a power that one should seek nor is it one you should use willingly." "You somehow managed to answer his question, lecture him, and warn him all at the same time. Truly you are a great teacher." Zabuza said teasingly. "Shut up… Momo." "What was that you little punk!" Zabuza shouted in outrage. Everyone else just laughed at him. Although, Kakashi was thinking on what to report to the Hokage.
The Hokage office in Konoha
'Tsuya has shown himself to be mostly calm and cool headed. However, he can just as easily flip on a dime and turn on everyone. During a moment when he was hurt and "lost in his bloodlust" he turned on everyone, including the client and his teammates. He has also shown a blatant disregard for standard protocol and made a deal with an enemy. Also, while usually cool headed, it has been made very clear that both his personality as well as his skills are very much meant for individual work and not team work. However, he is also extremely skilled and has shown to be able to handle himself quite well. Therefore, I recommend him for a one man squad.' Hiruzen sighed to himself. He knew something like this would eventually happen but he wasn't expecting it so soon. He had a sneaking suspicion that Tsuya had planned this but he wasn't sure. "Dammit Tsuya. *Sigh. Now I can either leave him on the team and compromise its effectiveness or I can pull him from the team. I don't really have a choice here do I? And then there's the question of what to do with Zabuza and his companion." Hiruzen couldn't take it anymore. "Call in Tsuya Konton." A shadow left the room(Not the shadow squad).
"You called, Lord Third?" Tsuya asked. "Yes. There are some things regarding your last mission that I would like to discuss. First off, why did y put make a deal with an enemy?" "I had previous ties with him and I thought he could be useful to Konoha. If not him then his assistant most certainly could." Tsuya answered without hesitation. While it wasn't a lie it wasn't the whole truth either. "Then please explain the incident where you turned on your comrade." Hiruzen's eyes narrowed when he said this, showing how serious it was to him. "Sir. The previous night an emotionally distraught boy had pushed certain buttons that put me in an emotional and volatile state. Then during our spar, I sustained more damage than what I had thought I would while saving Sasuke. This put me in a vulnerable state. Finally when Gato, the one responsible for sending the ninja after the client, appeared with a horde of his goons I gave into my bloodlust. These factors combined allowed Kurei to come ."
Kurei: the embodiment of all the negative emotions and trauma that Tsuya has been through. Kurei was created as a result of Tsuya being subject to effectively psychological toture and conditioning conducted on an emotionally distraught child. A child that had lost everything that ever mattered. And the straw that broke the camel's back was the death of his best and only friend, and potential future lover. For as much as he tried to stay distant, he still grew attached. As a result, he broke down and in an effort to keep himself sane, his brain subconsciously pushed all the bad thoughts onto an entirely new being. This Kurei was born as a savage beast that only seeks to cause death and sorrow wherever he goes. While not fully sentient, it is capable of using Tsuya's abilities to cause as much destruction as possible. This includes Tsuya's battle prowess and ingenuity.
"Hmmm. That is troubling. Can you give me a good reason to keep you on team 7?" After several moments of silence Tsuya finally spoke up. "… No… sir." "*Sigh. Very well then. As that is the case. In light of your actions and skills, you are to be a one man squad until further notice. Keep in mind that this is a PROVISIONAL status. You will also be required to help Zabuza and Haku adjust to Konoha and help them integrate on top of your regular duties as a shinobi of Konoha. As for team 7, I will find someone to take your place for now." Things we're going exactly as Tsuya planned. He may have had to use Kurei, who he despises, but the results were well worth it. But he couldn't let Hiruzen know that. "Very well sir. Thank you for your leniency." Tsuya said in his usual dull tone. "You're dismissed." Hiruzen said with a wave of his hand as he returned to his paperwork. As soon as the doors were open and Tsuya was walking out, he couldn't help but crack a slight smirk.
Tsuya was tired, both physically and mentally, from everything that had happened recently. He was overjoyed that his plans came to fruition, but he was very tired. It was rare, but it gave him an excuse to go home. Plus he had the next week off from duty anyways. He went to his humble house on the edge of Konoha. It wasn't anything special, a simple 1 story house with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. It had a decent kitchen and a small living room. There weren't any houses or other buildings nearby which was perfect for him. Deep underground there was a massive training room that he normally used. After he had returned from his travels he had covered it in all kinds of seals to suppress chakra, stop any quakes from leaving the chamber, and even detect any intruders.
Tsuya promptly went to his room and collapsed onto his bed.
Tsuya's mindscape
"Ah, that explains why I suddenly became really tired. What do you want furball?" "You need to rest. Especially if you're going to try doing that again." Kurama said. He knew what Tsuya was going to try and do. During his travels outside of Konoha he visited his ancestral home. It was mostly rubble, but he did find a few scrolls that were still intact. One of them spoke of an ability to create a barrier that can stop everything from reaching the user. It worked by using something called the "Achilles Paradox."(It's actually pretty interesting. You should look it up.) It was too damaged for Tsuya to get it restored or for him to be able to actually use it but he still tried to recreate the technique. And did successfully, however, it used so much chakra that it wasn't really feasible for combat. Tsuya ultimately relented and went to sleep.
The following morning
Tsuya got up and went through his morning routine. Get up, take a shower, throw on his outfit, eat a calorie bar and drink a nutrient shake, do some quick stretches to warm himself up, and head out the door. He did this every morning. First he went to find a house for sale. He needed to find one for Zabuza and Haku. For now, they were under heavy surveillance, locked inside a decent sized apartment.
After a couple hours he found a place he thought they would like. It wasn't too far from the main part of the village but it wasn't too close either. There were a couple houses nearby and it was a decent size. 4 bedrooms, 4 and a half bathrooms, 2 living rooms, and a kitchen. It was 2 stories with an attic for storage. Nothing special but it would suffice.
After that he went to the Hokage tower and let Hiruzen know he had a place for Zabuza and Haku to live in.
Next he had to buy supplies. He went to a nearby shinobi shop and bought 3 months of rations, nutrient shakes, kunais, and senbons.
After that he went back to his house and ran into Sasuke and Sakura. "Oh, hey there Tsuya. What're you doing?" Sakura asked. "I was shopping. I had to buy a house for Zabuza and Haku and I needed to get more supplies." Tsuya said in a dull tone. "You bought a house?!" Sakura asked. "Where did you get the money?!" Even if she hadn't used any of the money they had gotten from all the missions they had done she could barely afford an apartment, let alone a whole house. "Why is that surprising? It's just one house." Sasuke said. Having grown up with all the money he could ever want, he didn't see what was so surprising about buying a new house. "We haven't collected enough money from missions to RENT a house! Let alone buy one! And why are you so chill about this?!" Sakura was starting to go banshee mode and Tsuya didn't want to deal with it. He had enough experience with banshee Sakura from the academy and all the d-ranks that they did so he simply hit her throat to shut her up. However, 4 ANBU came out of the shadows and surrounded Tsuya while holding their swords towards him. "All I did was shut her up. There's no reason to react like that." They realized that he had a point and they slowly withdrew their swords and retreated to the shadows. Sasuke and Sakura were surprised and a little scared. Well, Sakura was scared. Sasuke figured it had something to do with what happened at the bridge but he was surprised that Tsuya didn't really react. Sakura didn't know what happened at the bridge, all she knew was that Zabuza and Haku had apparently joined them and that she wasn't allowed to go to the bridge the day after the thugs attacked the house.
"Why are there ANBU on you?" Sakura asked in a slightly shaky voice. "Well, I attacked Kakashi at the bridge by accident and the console never really liked me. So they're using it as an excuse to keep an eye on me." "Why does the console dislike you?" "Well, I'm the last known person of my clan, but because of… something, they can't force the CRA onto me." "CRA?" "Clan Restoration Act." Sasuke said. "I'll likely won't be forced into it because I'm an Uchiha and they treat me like a prince. Though I'm curious as to why they can't force the CRA onto you I won't ask. You seem to like your privacy." Sasuke continued. "Thank you." Tsuya said. "Well, I'll be on my way." Tsuya said as he turned around. "Wait! Is it true that you won't be on our team anymore?" Sakura asked. She didn't like Tsuya, though she had nothing against him either, he was strong. If it wasn't for him she might be dead. All of team 7 might be dead. "Yeah… I'm now a one man squad. At least for now. Hiruzen told me that he was going to find a replacement for you guys." "Oh. Wait, you said you were shopping? Can we join you? You know, since we probably won't see each other much after this week." Sakura suggested. "I wouldn't recommend it." Tsuya said. "Why shouldn't we?" Sakura asked. "I'm not very well liked in the village and people tend to up charge me. I'm sure you have a reputation to uphold, but I won't stop you." Tsuya then walked away. Sakura immediately followed."*Sigh. I have nothing better to do." Sasuke said before walking after them. "No matter what they say or do, don't do anything." Tsuya said. They were confused but they just went with it.
As they got closer to the main part of the shopping district, Sasuke and Sakura realized what he meant and why he said it. All around them they could hear people whispering things like, "damn demon" and, "monster." Some even threw bottles and rocks at him. Sakura was just horrified, however, Sasuke was conflicted. He knew what they said was wrong and he had to actively stop himself from hitting them but the image of Tsuya at the bridge kept flashing through his mind. The picture of Tsuya standing on a pile of corpses and the moment when he turned his attention towards them. It lessened his anger and he hated himself for it. At one point, someone tried to pull Sasuke away from Tsuya. "Come now child, it's not a good idea to hang around him. Let's go this way." It was a woman in her 30s. Sasuke pulled himself out of her grip. "Don't touch me. And for your information, he's my friend." She looked shocked, but what she said next disgusted him. "You can't be friends with that demon. He's just using you. You shouldn't mess with that demon." When the word demon left her lips Sasuke nearly blew it, but he was interrupted by Tsuya. Tsuya gently grabbed the lady's hand and pulled it off Sasuke. She started screaming, saying things like the demon was attacking her and that he's showing his true colors, but she was cut off by Tsuya. "Attacking a shinobi of Konoha, which can include grabbing them against their will, is punishable by a fine of up to 500,00 ryo, a prison sentence in the range of one year to life, and ,in a few cases, death. I would suggest you let go of him." Tsuya said. She took a step back. "Why would I be punished for helping those kids?" She hissed. "They are following me of their own will. All you're doing is making a nuisance of yourself. Please leave us alone." Tsuya said as he walked away. Sasuke and Sakura walked after him. Sakura couldn't believe the people of the village would do such a thing. Not much happened after that. Once they actually reached the main shopping district it became very clear to Sasuke and Sakura that the people hated him for whatever reason. He was told to scram countless times and refused service at a few shops, some before he even entered. At this point, even Sakura was tempted to do something. Each time Tsuya would just move on without saying anything. After an hour of going up and down the streets of the shopping district they eventually came across a small ramen stall. Tsuya smirked as he walked in. "Hey old man, can I get a bowl over here or what?" Tsuya asked playfully. An older man looked out from the kitchen and laughed. It was none other than Teuchi Ichiraku. "Tsuya? Is it really you? Hahahaha! It's been so long! How've you been brat?" "I'm doing pretty good. How about you?" He asked with a smile on his face. It was the first big, true smile that Sasuke and Sakura had ever seen from him. They walked in behind him and sat to his left. "It's been pretty good, I can't complain. Ayame! Get over here! Tsuya's back!" A girl about 16 came running out from the back. "Tsuyaaa!" Ayame yelled as she ran around the counter and hugged Tsuya. Sakura and Sasuke didn't know how to react so they just sat there watching the events unfold. Tsuya had given her a one-armed hug. "How long have you been back? How have you been?" Ayame asked. "I got back a couple months ago." "And you didn't come see us sooner? I'm hurt." Ayame pouted. "Hahaha! Sorry about that. I guess I didn't realize how much time had passed. It has been a couple years. But I've been good. So, old man, can I get a few bowls over here?" "Sure, what kind?" "I think I'd like to savior my food so let's go with the number 9." Sasuke and Sakura were confused as the menu didn't have any numbers next to the names of the dishes. "Hey Sasuke, Sakura, do you like spicy foods?" "Yes?" Sasuke said. "Not really." Sakura said. "I see. Old man, can my friends get a number 5 and a number 2?" Tsuya asked. "Coming right up!" He yelled back. "So are you going to introduce us?" Ayame asked. "Ah yes. Sakura, Sasuke, this is Ayame. My… sister you could say. Ayame, this is Sasuke and Sakura, they're also… friends." Tsuya hesitated for a moment as he said friends. Ayame was shocked and wide-eyed. Teuchi popped his head out of the kitchen just to make sure he heard that right. "Friends?... You finally did it! I told you so!" Ayame shouted and hugged him again. "I knew you could do it." She whispered into his ear. "Yeah… I guess you did." Tsuya said with a smirk. "Now, where are those bowls of ramen I ordered?" "Coming right up!" Teuchi said as he walked out of the kitchen with three bowls of ramen. Tsuya's bowl had a burnt red broth with chopped peppers mixed in. Sasuke's was a normal bowl of ramen with black flakes. Sakura had what looked like a bowl of miso soup with some noodles. "Is this miso soup and ramen?" She asked, mostly to herself. She looked over to Tsuya to see him holding his hands together before he started digging in. While Tsuya was eating he was talking with Teuchi about miscellaneous things like the weather and money. They stayed there for a couple hours. Sasuke quickly found out that his ramen had a little kick to it. Not much but it was still there and it was delicious. Sakura, while a little dubious at first, quickly fell in love with the soft and somewhat sweet taste of the miso ramen.
After a while Ayame started talking with Sasuke and Sakura. "So, tell me about yourselves." "Ok. Well, I'm Sakura Haruno. I'm a part of team 7 with Sasuke and… Sorry, it's just me and Sasuke. Tsuya got removed from our team unfortunately." "Oh. That sucks. Well what about you?" "I'm Sasuke Uchiha. I'm also Tsuya's friend from team 7." Ayame smiled. "It's good to hear that he has some friends now. After what happened with Usagi he was broken. Then he was all but kicked out of the village." "Who's Usagi? I haven't heard the name before." Sasuke asked. He wanted to know more about Tsuya and how he was so strong. He was also curious as his friend. "Ah. It's a sad story." Ayame said as she looked down with sorrow in her eyes. "She was a kind young girl and Tsuya's only friend. At least at the time. He met her during his time in the ANBU," Sasuke'a and Sakura's widened. "Wait, he was in the ANBU?" Sasuke nearly yelled. "You didn't know? He was supposedly one of the best." Sasuke and Sakura were still curious but they decided to hold their tongues for now. Ayame continued with her story, "Anyways, Usagi wouldn't leave Tsuya be. She would cling to him like a lost girl to her teddy bear. *Hmph. It was funny actually. Tsuya would just ignore her, but after a few months he would actually talk to her. It could be because he felt responsible in some way but I don't know. After a couple more months it was like they were the best of friends. I'm pretty sure Tsuya had feelings for her, but unfortunately he would never get the chance to tell her. During a mission a long time ago she died. She had severe wounds but from what I heard, if she had received treatment soon enough she could have survived. Lord Third himself actually had to bring Tsuya back. The only reason I even know about what happened to Usagi is because Lord Third had informed us. After that, Tsuya was basically kicked out of the village. And while I didn't like it, I still don't, I know it was probably the best thing for him at the time. Honestly, I just wish Usagi had made it back from that mission. If she had then maybe… Well, there's no use thinking about it." Sasuke and Sakura were shocked. But now it all made sense. His extreme skill and why he was so distant. "Thank you. Both of you. For being there for Tsuya. I can tell it's helped him a lot." "I'm happy we could help but I still have just one question. Why would he feel responsible for Usagi?" Sasuke couldn't help it. Tsuya was a distant and fairly cold person. But he definitely wasn't the type of person to take the blame for anything he felt he wasn't responsible for and neither was he the type to help someone without reason. Ayame ws conflicted so she looked towards Tsuya, who she was sure was listening. "Go ahead. Actually, just give them a hint. There are ANBU nearby." She nodded and turned back to Sasuke and Sakura. "Unfortunately I can't tell you as it would be against S-class law, but I can give you a hint. Sasuke, your caln has a library right?" "Yeah." "Go to your clan library and read some scrolls about the bijuu. Then see if there is anything about "jinchuuriki" in there. You'll understand then." "And take Sakura with you." Tsuya said before continuing his conversation with Teuchi. "What's a jinchuuriki?" Sakura asked. "I could get in trouble if I told you that. Just trust me." Ayame said. Shortly after that they left. Tsuya needed to get home and drop off his supplies while Sasuke and Sakura were going to head to the Uchiha compound and do a little research.
At the Uchiha clan
Sasuke and Sakura had arrived at the clan library not too long after they left Ichiraku's. Once there, they began looking through the scrolls to see if there was anything about the bijuu. After a couple minutes Sakura found one. They took it out and began reading. 'The bijuu are beings that cause disasters wherever they go. They are beings made of pure chakra and are extremely adept in their specific elements. However, due to them being made of chakra, they can never die. Their chakra bodies may be destroyed but they will simply reform after some time. It could take anywhere from a couple months to several years. For a long time it was thought that they could not be tamed. Then one day, the masters of fuinjutsu, the Uzumaki clan, found a way to seal the bijuu within things. This gave humanity a way to fight back and a way to harness the power of the bijuu. If a bijuu is sealed within a human, that human can harness the power of the bijuu within them. However, these people, the jinchuuriki, must be careful not to lose control when using the bijuu's power. At one point, Hashirama, the first Hokage, had all the bijuu under his control. In an effort to create peace among the hidden villages he gave away the bijuu. The only one he kept was the nine tails and he sealed it into his wife. Later it was sealed int…' It started to trail off into stuff that wasn't important. Sakura was shocked and a little scared. 'If he ever lost control then the whole village could be in danger!' Then it clicked. Why all the villagers hate him and call him a demon. Sasuke was also shocked. But now he realized something that was a little ironic. On the journey back from Wave, Tsuya asked Sasuke if he had ever heard of seals and what they could do. 'If that's what seals can do, then what else can they do? Could they help me take down Itachi?' He was shocked but he was also curious as to what seals might be capable of.
During the rest of the week Tsuya had helped Zabuza and Haku move into their new home and integrate into the community. Tsuya was doing D-ranks mostly, but every once and a while he would do a C-rank. Hiruzen had added Sai to team 7 as a replacement for Tsuya. Sasuke and Sakura didn't like him at all. It was like he was trying to be a light hearted Tsuya. Meanwhile, Yamato was assigned as Tsuya's jounin handler. Nothing really happened over the next month. And then Hiruzen made the announcement that they would be hosting the chunin exams this year. As a test, he assigned Zabuza and Haku to act as extra protection for the village.
During the month that had passed Tsuya had greatly increased his reserves and made the barrier technique more efficient, Sakura had started actually training, and Sasuke had awakened his sharingan. Sakura and Sasuke never got the chance to see Tsuya after they met at the ramen shop so all their questions remained unanswered. And now it was time for the chunin exams.
A/N
Yay! Another chapter down. Next time will be the first two parts of the chunin exams and likely the month of training. So one thing I figured I would talk about real quick. Tsuya met the Ichirakus after he had joined the ANBU and he considers them to be more than friends but not quite family. He doesn't know how else to put it so he calls Ayame his sister. Just to clear up any confusion or anyone thinking it was a plot hole since last chapter I said he had hurt the only person he still considered to be family. On another note, Tsuya's reserves are MASSIVE. They aren't quite on the level of Kisame or the bijuu but they are definitely higher than anyone else's. Nothing else today.
Sincerely,
The writer persson