Sasuke and Sakura were relaxing on the porch of their house. Aya had gone to sleep, still grinning ear to ear over her new accomplishment. Sasuke had just been telling his wife about Aya's sudden success.

"It was so strange...she just got the inclination to try it one more time and she executed the technique perfectly. I don't understand."

"She is your child, Sasuke," said a smiling Sakura, "There is going to be some talent in our daughter."

"Sakura, that type of talent is abnormal. It's not even talent. It's just...creepy. Her strength was too much like Kari's." He mulled over the day's events. "I don't understand," he said again, shaking his head.

"Dear," said Sakura patiently, "You know how Aya hates to be compared to your sister. She's tired of everyone thinking she's powerful only because she is related to Kari. It makes her feel like she has no real place in this village except as Kari's stand-in. I can tell it wears on her nerves."

The couple fell into silence. Most of their communication seemed more efficient in the quiet. They understood each other well enough to not waste time talking a great deal. Sasuke stood up and kissed his wife on the forehead. "I'm going for a walk, Sakura. I'll be home in about an hour or so."

The kunoichi smiled gently. "Alright, dear. I'll probably be asleep when you get back. I have to go to work early tomorrow morning. There's a big operation scheduled for one of the ANBU members." Getting up, she glided into the house. Sasuke watched her fondly as she disappeared and then stepped off the porch, ambling down the road slowly. His mind was in a million places at once.

The moon was extraordinarily bright. He remembered that Kari had always loved training at night using her Swan Method because of how the moonlight looked on the swan wings. Aya would probably prefer to use her Phoenix Method by night as well, as the flames would glow quite brightly then. He frowned. Comparing the two yourself, are you? he chided himself. He knew he shouldn't do it. He knew that Aya hated it with a passion. She was tired of living under Kari's shadow and seemingly haunting her footsteps.

Sasuke wandered around aimlessly and found himself in the daisy field again. He could swear this field was haunted. There were so many memories and ghosts of the past that inhabited this commonplace clump of grass. It had been Kari's favorite training location. It was the place he had proposed to Sakura. It was now Aya's stomping grounds. The Uchihas might as well have claimed the land as their own, they seemed to get the most use out of it.

Sasuke laid out on the grass and stared up at the inky night sky. This was by far, his favorite spot. He came here when he needed to clear his head, or when he and Sakura wanted to talk for awhile, or when he wanted to train his daughter. That last use he got from this field was fast fading to nonexistence. There was progressively less and less that he could teach Aya. He knew the day was coming when he would lose all usefullness to her altogether and she would train alone or with better shinobi. He was very proud of his daughter for that. He was also the tiniest bit jealous.

Closing his eyes, Sasuke began to daydream. He thought back to a memory he had of his sister, about a year after he had joined the Ninja Academy.

"Kari, I can't get this shuriken throwing technique just right."

Kari walked over and smiled at her brother. Kneeling down, she began to fix his posture, moving his arms to how they were supposed to be. "Relax your shoulders, don't squint your eyes when looking at the target, that narrows your vision and you want as much as possible. Now pull back, but don't lock your elbow, that's it, now throw!"

The shuriken had hit the bull's eye.

Sasuke smiled at his sister. "Will I ever be as great as you are with these things?"

"I'd hope so, Sasuke. You are an Uchiha after all. We seem to have a reputation for terrific aim with flying objects!" Out of nowhere a small pebble came and hit the boy on the head. He yelped and turned to see the stone bouncing across the dirt. He turned back to a grinning Kari.

"You did that, didn't you?" Sasuke cried out accusingly. Kari laughed a little more.

"I couldn't help myself, silly. You asked for it." Sasuke tried to pout, but his sister's smile and shining eyes were contagious. He gave in and giggled. Then he ran over and caught Kari in the waist, hugging her.

"Don't ever leave me, nii-chan." he said sincerely. Kari's eyes grew more serious and she hugged her brother back. "Of course," continued Sasuke, "You're so powerful, I don't think anyone could hurt you or kill you...could they, Kari?"

Kari's eyes clouded over. She turned away for a moment to compose herself so that little Sasuke wouldn't see her obvious change in mood. Turning back, she knelt down and looked Sasuke square in the eye.

"There are many things that can hurt you in this world, Sasuke. There are also many things that can kill you, both inside and out. Being powerful does not mean you are invincible. You understand that, don't you?"

Sasuke nodded. He understood that very well...he knew what it was like to die inside. He had a feeling that it was just as bad as literally dying if not worse.

"My path might prove very difficult, very painful...and it might end in my death. I do not know for sure, Sasuke. I do know that all of us must take our death's eventually. It is fate. But...we are never sure when that might happen. Sasuke, look at me."

The boy tilted his head up to look at his sister. She smiled slightly and ruffled his hair. "If I do die, not saying that is anytime soon, but if I do, I want you to learn a very hard lesson. It will prove painful till the end of it. But you must learn how to do so."

"And what lesson is that, sister?"

"To let go. To understand that though in death I might be able to still help you somehow, I cannot be bound to this world forever. Eventually, I will leave and you will continue to stay and live for those who still care about you. You must not make the mistake Itachi did and give in to despair because you lost someone. If I am gone, I want you to promise me that you will let me go. Forever. That does not mean do not remember me, but do not continue looking for me when you know deep down that I am no longer tangible to you. When you die, you might be able to join me where I am. Until then, you must live for the ones who are still here, not for the ones who are gone."

Sasuke had fallen silent, thinking over these words. It was a lot for such a young child to think about, but in the age of uncertain times that it was, it was appropriate.

"I promise, sister. When you are gone, I will learn that lesson. I will learn to let you go."

Sasuke's eyes popped open. How long had he been there? Sitting up, he rubbed a sore neck. He must have fallen asleep. Gosh darn it, hopefully Sakura was not worried. His eyes were tired and his feet were numb. He was pretty sure he'd been there for a couple of hours.

As he walked back to his home, the promise he had made his sister rang in his mind. I will learn that lesson. I will learn to let you go.

But he hadn't really let her go. No, every time something happened that reminded him of Kari, instead of fondly remembering a dead kunoichi, he searched for her face or strained to hear her voice. It simply would not process with him that Kari was dead. Long dead. It had been twenty-five years, after all. Yet, though he had promised, he had held onto what little he had of his dead sister, hoping she was still somewhere with him. He knew subconciously that she was gone, but a stubborn feeling continued to feed him 'what-ifs' and empty promises. And he knew that, as angry as it made him to see others do so, he was guilty of looking for the Auralen the most in his daughter, Aya. No wonder she hated being compared to Kari so much. Her own father used her as a link to his dead sister. It probably drove her mad.

He had never considered how that might have hurt Aya in the past.

Sasuke arrived home and stood on the front porch, looking at the very early morning sky that was just beginning to show tiny glimpses of light. He smiled at the sky, at the light. To him it was a herald of a new resolve he finally had the courage to make.

"You were a wonderful sister, Uchiha Kari. You were a loyal friend. And I will never forget you. But I have no desire to look for you anymore in the light, in that field, or in my daughter. You are gone. Be at peace."

Sasuke felt peace himself as the dawn began to creep over the horizon, sending tiny beams of light dancing across his face. His eyes were shining. If he could have seen himself, he would have know that they were Kari's shining eyes, a gift to her brother. Her last gift to her brother.

The man shook himself from his reverie to see a rather strange sight. An ANBU member was walking up the sidewalk to the Uchiha home. He saw Sasuke and waved him over. Sasuke trotted over to him and gave him a puzzled look.

"Do ANBU usually call so early in the morning?"

"Forgive me, Sasuke-sama, but the Hokage wishes to speak with you immediately. She says it is extremely urgent. And...she wants you to bring Aya with you."

"Aya? But why?"

"I don't know, Sasuke-sama. I was simply ordered to tell you this. What should I tell the Fifth?"

"Tell her we'll be there within the hour."

"As you wish, Sasuke-sama."