"He's gone," Hayate said flatly. Ayane shook her head.

"No way, Hayate. He-" she broke off abruptly, Hayate staring curiously at her. "He can't be gone. What happened?"

"We had a disagreement and he just left," Hayate said. Ayane frowned. That wasn't right. Since when did they disagree, anyway? She stood up from the table. "Where did he go?"

"I wouldn't have a clue," Hayate said, sighing. "Don't worry about it," he stood up as well, turning to go, rubbing his head as though he had a headache. "I have so much work to do, Ayane. Don't bother me for a while,"

"Since when was I bothering you?" she asked, temper flaring immediately. "I'm not a child, Hayate. Don't treat me as if I were," she glared over at her half brother. What a nerve he had! He might have treated Kasumi like that when she was younger but he had the audacity to treat her like Kasumi? "Just because you've come back from God-knows where and managed to get clan leader… which I might add deserves a big celebration because the only other person who would have been capable of doing it is now a runaway, but you have no right to talk down to me like that," she snapped. If it hadn't have been Hayate, she might have said something else a lot ruder, but it was Hayate. So she settled with glaring furiously at him. "No wonder everyone's running away from you. First Kasumi, now Hayabusa. Probably because you're such a dickhead. I wonder when you'll scare me off next,"

Hayate looked as though she had slapped him. She squashed her feelings, and walked out of the door and back towards her own room. She didn't mean to say that last statement. Especially to Hayate, the one who had looked after her when she was younger; made sure that she got trained well, even made sure she got accepted…

But I'm not Kasumi. She thought stubbornly. And he has absolutely no right to tell me not to bother him as if I was one of the ninjas in training. Besides, he started talking to me first if you wanted to get petty about it…

She muttered some obscenities under her breath describing Hayate for a few minutes until she opened the door to her room. There was a piece of paper on her bedside table which she hadn't noticed when she had gotten up earlier. She sat down on her bed, and unfolded the piece of paper. She didn't recognize the handwriting, which was small, neat script, unlike Hayate's sloppy scrawl, or Kasumi's large, somewhat childish hand.

Dear Ayane,

I promised you that I would notify you of my departure, so consider this so. I am sure that I have overstayed my welcome with Hayate, besides; to be brutally honest I don't really know how to talk to him any more. It's almost as if he is a different person. You can do with this note what you wish. Show it to Hayate or throw it away and disregard it if you would prefer. I have gone back to my clan, most likely to face the wrath of them for helping a runaway shinobi. Good luck and I will see you again sometime.

There was no signature, but none was needed. She grabbed the note, considered ripping it up in annoyance, disregarded the idea, and marched straight to Hayate, thrusting the note into his face. "Sorry to bother you," she snapped, "but this is a little note from your best friend. Maybe you ought to read it. After all, it has your name in it. Maybe you could consider it publicity,"

Hayate ignored her statements, and took the letter calmly from her hands. His expression grew cool and unreadable as he read through the letter. After reading it, he handed it back to her.

"I thought he might," he said. "The coward that he is," he rolled his eyes up to the roof before continuing with what he was doing.

"What?" Ayane asked incredulously. "What are you on about?"

He looked up at her, as though surprised that she needed to ask the question.

"Firstly, he's annoyed that I am more powerful then he is," Hayate said softly. "Secondly, he doesn't want to stay here any longer because I'm the clan leader now. Another reason would be because he doesn't want to know if there is a punishment for him helping Kasumi so he's gone so he won't have to find out,"

"You're a fool, Hayate!" Ayane exclaimed. "An absolute idiot! Just because you're top shit here doesn't mean anything. He wouldn't care whether you're clan leader or not. And secondly, dickhead, you were the one who told him to protect Kasumi! So it's your fault if the rules of the clan make you punish him! Use your brain,"

"I told him to protect Kasumi, not a runaway shinobi who has brought dishonor to the Mugen-Tenshin clan," Hayate said. Again, the rules and regulations-abiding Hayate was shining through, and she didn't like it one bit. "He may be my friend, but he has to respect the rules of the ninja,"

"Yeah, whatever. You're just letting your position go to your fat head," she hissed, before walking out of the door.

"Where are you going?" Hayate demanded angrily. "Surely you're not planning on running away anywhere?" Ayane stopped, but didn't turn around.

"I'm not that stupid, unlike some people. Mr. Oh-I'm-going-away-someone-has-to-look-after-Kasumi-while-I'm gone. I'm going to be back either tonight or tomorrow. And as to where I'm going…" she turned around and shot him a disdainful glare. "…that is none of your business,"

"Oh, by the way, Genra's gone missing," Hayate's voice made her start, the words themselves more so. "Nobody's heard anything from him for a while. I only just found out then,"

"And why didn't anybody tell me? He's my father," she said indignantly.

"Father figure. And that was only because your father wouldn't keep you after our mother-"

"Don't you dare, Hayate," Ayane's voice was quiet, but also dangerous. "If you complete that sentence, you may live to sorely regret it. But I'm not promising anything. You might die before I'm finished with you,"

"You know I'm right," Hayate said softly. Ayane glared at him as angrily as she could muster, which, considering the sensitivity of the topic, was a lot.

"I have three words for you, my darling half-brother. Go to hell. Just stay away from me as you do it. Don't come near me,"

With mixed feelings, the kunoichi walked away from her first love and away from her clan to look for somebody else's.