It seemed as if the entire village was out participating in the festival. Children weaved in and out of the crowd as friends called out to each other and cheers filled the air. It reminded Nagisa of home when the villagers and her family would celebrate the annual Saburo Sea Festival. The streets would be lit with fish paper lanterns and there would be a lot of fun and games. Maybe if Kisame had time, she could invite him to come back and enjoy the festivities with her. Speaking of the male, Nagisa turned around to find that he was nowhere in sight.

"Hoshigaki-san?" Nagisa circled around as people brushed past her. Where did he go? Thinking about it, she realized that she had just run off into the crowd without even looking back. Or maybe he decided it would be best to stay in the woods and out of the crowd? The violette frowned as she had wanted to have a little fun with him.

A hand was placed on her shoulder and she turned sharply around to see a broad looking male who seemed to have had a little too much to drink. "Yah lost, gurly? I could keep yah company… if yah want..." Her nose scrunched up at the sound of the male's slurred words and she sighed before looking past him.

"Oh! The goldfish game!"

Ducking past the male before he could say another word, Nagisa passed a few food stalls before plopping down in front of a small pool of water. Pulling out some money, she grinned as she surveyed the open space for a decent-sized fish with her newly acquired paper scooper. With one quick flick of the wrist, the fish was hers.

"Wow!" A small voice said in awe beside her. Nagisa turned to see a little girl standing next to her. "Hey, Miss! Can you get me one too please?"

Nagisa raised an eyebrow as she looked the girl over before grinning. "I'll do something better." Paying for another paper scooper, she handed it to the girl. Teaching her how to achieve the perfect scoop, she formed a hand sign under the table and manipulated the water slightly so the little girl won a fish. As the unknowing girl celebrated, the older woman garnered attention from a crowd of nearby children - all wanting her lessons.

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Kisame glanced through the crowd, feeling a headache forming near his temples. Since Nagisa was moving so fast, he lost sight of her hair and it didn't help that she wasn't even thinking about sticking close to him. Unlike the girl, he stood out like a sore thumb. The villagers eyed him warily as they walked past, gazing at his hitai-ate as if his blue skin and gills wasn't enough of a dead giveaway that he wasn't from here.

He found himself standing by the bonfire, seeing as it was in the center and the easiest way to spot his flighty nuisance. Maybe sooner or later, she'd figure out that he wasn't with her and come find him since she was the reason he was out here.

"Did you come to be cleansed?"

Kisame looked next to him to see an elderly woman smiling at him with her hands clasped behind her back. If he was honest, she was quite reminiscent of a ghost, as she was frail and pale, however her smile was mischievous and knowing, like a cheshire. Before he could question her, she continued.

"The Great Ember is celebrated at this festival every year. If you look into the fire, you're able to see your woes and burdens burn away and be cleansed. Once you let them go, you will be shown your new purpose. We do this to welcome each year."

Turning around, Kisame looked at the fire with a frown. What was this old bat talking about? He didn't want to seem like a fool for believing her if she was trying to get one over on him, however something about the bonfire was pulling him in to take a closer look. When he saw something unusual, his eyes narrowed as he made sure this wasn't a genjutsu or something.

Part of the fire slowly morphed into a scene that he could decipher was from his memories. Flamed bodies he recognized as his former teammates and captain looked back at him and he automatically took a step back. The bodies keep appearing and disappearing as they were burned to ashes.

"You must have a lot of demons, young man. Let the Great Ember cleanse you and give you guidance."

No… He didn't deserve to be cleansed. There was no way he could forget everything that he had done. He had to live with it forever; that was his nightmare, but also his reason. How else could he figure out his existence, his truth, his deciphering of the way of the world? Shaking his head, Kisame continued to back away as the fire kept reliving his memories for him. Suddenly, he bumped into something and immediately turned around.

"There you are! Look! I won a- Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost.." Nagisa frowned as she looked at Kisame with concern. She wanted to show off her new prize, however the male in front of her looked a little sick. "Did I scare you earlier? Honestly I thought you were right behind me the whole time, then I figured-"

"I'm fine. It's just a little dry out here."

Kisame looked away from her and Nagisa was unconvinced by his words, however she decided to leave it be. He'd already shared so much with her before and she didn't want to press him further. Instead, she looked around for an empty food stall to try and get him some water.

"Hey! That's the little thief! Get back here!"

Nagisa turned around to see the game stall manager from before and noticeably paled before grabbing Kisame's hand and pulling him along. "We should head back to Lana now, Hoshigaki-san. There's water on the boat!"

Kisame glanced at where the loud voice came from, spotting an older gentleman with steam blowing out of his ears seeing as how red his face was, before turning back to the young female who was trying to rush him. "…What did you do? I thought you said you won something."

"I did win this goldfish, fair and square. The other ones… not so much. But, I mean, who could deny the begging eyes of such adorable, innocent children?"

The irate game stall manager chased the two through the festival and they circled around the bonfire a couple of times. Kisame was enticed by Nagisa as he trailed behind the laughing violette. Despite the threats from the angry, stout man behind them, Nagisa looked as if she was enjoying herself. The glow from the fire illuminated her tan skin and her hand felt exactly as it did before - warm and inviting. He was grateful for the change of pace as he was starting to forget the prior events, but this type of carefreeness was something he hadn't felt in a long time.

Suddenly, there was a change in the air and the bonfire was completely blown out, leaving the festival in darkness. Civilians started to scream as a big black shadow swooped down with a huge gust of wind and picked up one of the female villagers before shooting back into the sky.

"My daughter! Somebody please save my daughter!"

Nagisa felt as if she was frozen in time and everything around her was happening in slow motion. It was as if her feet were glued to the ground and her throat had gone dry so she couldn't speak. All she could see was her sister flying in the air from the shoreline, crying out her name for help.

"M-Mizuko…"

"Hey! Let's go or I'll leave you behind."

Nagisa snapped out her thoughts as she stumbled over her feet. Unexpectedly, she could move her legs again and she tried her best to get into the rhythm of running. In front of her, Kisame was pulling her along towards the docks so they could follow the kidnapper. His hand gripped hers tightly and she felt safety and assurance in it. This could be it - the missing piece needed to see her sister again.

Once they arrived, they immediately boarded Lana and Kisame lifted the anchor while Nagisa untied the dock line. Not long after, Shigeru jumped in the boat, followed by Hitoshi, and the group set sail. The black shadow was flying faster than Lana could glide across the sea, however the extra baggage it was carrying was clearly slowing it down little by little.

"I'm going first."

Before Nagisa could process his words, Kisame dove out of the boat and began to swim. The female gripped the railing of the front of the boat and peered over the edge as she watched Kisame nearly disappear from sight. She was astonished by how fast he was and, in the back of her mind, she hoped that he would be safe.

"I say we shoot the damn avain down." Shigeru smirked as he prepared himself to use a jutsu. Nagisa, drifting between the present and her nightmare-turned-reality, immediately turned around and pushed at the male's hands.

"No, you can't! You could kill her!"

"Move out of the way, you idiot!"

Hitoshi stood between the two and turned to Shigeru. "She's right. That girl's part of the mission too."

Shigeru sneered. "They never said dead or alive."

"I won't hesitate to toss you overboard." Nagisa threatened. "My Lana, my rules. You will not hurt her."

"Wow, princess. I like it when you get feisty."

"If we continue following it, we'll find its hideout." Hitoshi pushed Shigeru towards the back of the boat and away from Nagisa. "Please put yourself to use and help me make this boat go faster."

Nagisa could still see the bird out in front of them, which gave her some relief. Thinking of her sister, she promised herself that she was going to find her soon. In no time, she'd be able to confirm that her sister was alive, healthy, and safe. Turning back to the men before her, she called out to them and prepared herself at the front of the boat.

"I can help too!"

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The trio reached the shore of the mainland in record time. Hitoshi and Shigeru made their exit and disappeared into the trees, leaving Nagisa behind as she dropped Lana's anchor. The birdman had disappeared over the trees a while ago, but the girl it was carrying had been screaming, so it was easier to keep track of where it went. Not wanting to waste any time, Nagisa gripped her staff in her hand and dashed into the forest.

"I'll be back, Mr. Goldfish. Please keep Lana company!"

The forest continued to get more and more dense as she ran. Leaving little markers here and there helped her so she could find her way back once this was over, but the trail was running cold. The screams from the girl seemed to echo from everywhere so she couldn't pinpoint exactly where to go. Then, all of the sudden, it stopped.

Something dropped on Nagisa's nose and immediately, the girl jumped back in shock. Feverishly wiping at her nose, she mentally smacked herself as she was scared of a drop of water. A couple more droplets of water came down, then the rain followed heavily. The conditions were worsening as the clouds covered the moon, but Nagisa made an effort to stay determined. She'd come too far to give up now; there had to be something here that could help her.

Trying to find some shelter as she was getting soaked, she passed a half-broken tree and immediately stopped in her tracks. Maybe her eyes were deceiving her as she felt herself casually falling into desperation, but she had to take a second look. There was a small amount of moonlight peeking out from behind the clouds, but it was enough for her to have caught a glimpse of something shiny. Stabbed into the side of the tree was a small fishing hook that Nagisa recognized was from her family.

"Mizuko! Mizuko, I'm here! Where are you?"

Nagisa looked around and called for her sister again. That hook, without a doubt, signalled that she was near. The rain was obscuring her vision and the paths became muddy and slippery as she trenched through the forest, but that tiny glimpse of hope was enough to keep her going. She found another hook a couple of trees away hanging from a branch, then another a few trees after that laying against its overgrown roots. The hooks stopped before a clearing that was barren besides a cluster of trees in the center.

"Mizu-"

The female was pulled back behind a patch of bushes with a hand clamped over her mouth. Eyes wide, she was going to fight against her captor, however she caught sight of familiar blond hair and was shushed automatically before being let go. Hitoshi pointed towards the clump of trees and whispered to her as a large pair of black wings spread into the sky from the tops of the branches.

"Don't move. You'll scare it away."